The Garden Grrl Expands Her Horizons

The cold season is upon us, people!

2010-11-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here’s a way to get some quick relief from that head cold that your ten year old brought home from school to share!

1. Take two cloves of garlic and crush them into a stout coffee mug.

2. Take two rose hips, either from your yard or purchased from the health food store, quarter them and add them to the garlic in the mug.

3. Pour boiling water over all.

4. Allow to steep 7 to 10 minutes.

5. Using a spoon, remove the bits from your mug.

6. Sweeten with honey and drink.

Many gardeners here in the Rogue Valley grow their own garlic and most of us have roses growing in our gardens. In fact, there are so many wild roses growing out and about the rural areas of the valley that have not been sprayed that – with permission from the property owner – a person could realistically gather plenty to support a family through the cold season.

The back-story on garlic and rose hips:

Garlic has been promoted as having a plethora of health benefits. Some are substantiated and some are not. Three areas in which garlic’s benefits have been proven are:

Colds: One of the most common ailments garlic has been touted to treat is the cold. Upon the onset of the sniffles, many people testify that consuming a clove or more of garlic takes them away. How can a clove of garlic possibly help? Studies have shown that garlic extract improves immune function; giving our natural defense system a boost and helping it conserve the levels of antioxidants in our system. It is this strengthening of the immune system that aids in its support for other health related conditions.

Hypertension: Another heart benefit of garlic is its ability to help control blood pressure by thinning the blood. The chemical found in garlic, called ajoene, thins the blood and keeps clots from forming. Studies done with general populations have shown that where there is more garlic consumed in a population, there is also a reduced incidence of hypertension and heart disease. Although garlic's heart healthy benefits may be new to some, for centuries Chinese herbalists have been using garlic to treat people with angina attacks and circulatory disorders.

Infection: Since 1858 garlic has also been known for its anti-bacterial properties. At this time Louis Pasteur discovered that bacterial cells died when they were saturated with garlic. Other instances of garlic being used as an antibiotic in history include WW II, when British doctors used it to treat those wounded in battle. Albert Schweitzer used garlic to treat typhus and cholera. Garlic is known to have not only antibacterial but antiviral and antifungal properties as well. It is effective against intestinal parasites, recurrent yeast infections and the growth Candida albicans is slowed by garlic. With this in mind, it should be considered only as an aid to antibiotics in fighting infections, as it is not enough to replace them. Garlic can help by stimulating T-cells that help fight infection.

People have been talking about rose hips tea for years. When you think of roses, you probably think fragrance, beauty, softness, but how often do you think vitamin C, vascular system or capillaries? During World War II, the English government organized the harvesting of all available rose hips to make vitamin C syrup, since fruits were virtually unattainable at the time. Rose hips are reported to have up to 60 percent more vitamin C than citrus fruit and are rich in bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids are important to build and strengthen body tissue. This in turn strengthens the vascular system.

Rose hips are taken by many today as a natural way to get vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K, and help to prevent and treat various infections, especially colds and flu. Rose hips are also taken to speed the healing process for bruises and skin irritations. Inflammation and sore throat can find relief with rose hips, which come in capsule form and are usually taken 3 times daily. Women receive extra benefits from rose hips which help uterine cramps, heavy menstrual flow and some breast disorders.

In addition to vitamins C, E, and K, rose hips contain calcium, citric acid, iron, niacin, phosphorus, tannin, vitamin A, B1, B2, and P. As a natural stimulant it gently allows movement of the bowels, as a diuretic rose hips helps cleanse the urinary system and as a tonic the rose hips strengthen organs and supports the immune system.

Stressed and tired? Rose hips will help. Nervousness? Try rose hips for relief. As a matter of fact, rose hips provide innumerable health benefits to the skin, the immune system and the urinary tract. Studies have even shown that rose hips can help prevent the development of kidney stones and prevent diarrhea. Additional studies have proven rose hips are helpful to the circulatory system, respiratory system, the thymus gland and as a blood cleanser.

There are few side effects for most people who take rose hips. Some do complain of headache, heartburn, insomnia or nausea. Most people have no issues or complaints with rose hips.

Never attempt to replace any medicine with herbal or plant based remedies without talking to your doctor first. Although rose hips have medical benefits, they are not a substitution for many prescribed treatments.

Rain, Halloween and Green Tomatoes

2010-10-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was awakened at 3 this morning with a cat on my head and Bekah kicking me. Every chance she gets, that girl will sleep in my bed. I always said that she wouldn't be leaving for college still sleeping in my bed. She's starting to scare me.

And Luna C. Kitten...You are DARLING, really you are, but those fish hooks and needles that are your claws and teeth? I'm really not so enamored of this kitten at three in the morning.

I also learned it was raining when I finally gave up on sleep and got up for good at 3:45. Raining on Halloween. Lizzy did win a second place prize at the costume contest last night with her Marcel Marceau, but they are both looking forward to TOTing. Even Bekx, at her "advanced" age. We have plans, too. One of Lizzy's friends, her mom and little sister are supposed to go with us. Bekx is working on finding someone else to go since her friend got grounded at the last minute. Really and truly a bummer, but I totally get the mom's position on why she felt it was necessary.

I was poking around the remnants of my garden yesterday, trying to make a decision about the tomatoes and wondering if the rain has ruined the hollyhock seed pods. I have green tomatoes. Lots of folks have green tomatoes still on the vine. Over here, I wrote about how to dry them and how to store the dried 'maters:
http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-medford/wrapping-up-the-season .

I remembered my Mama Grande making this for us as kids. While I haven't quite figured out how to work around my red-dye-sensitive elder child and red jello (or artificially dyed red anything else for that matter...), I have fond memories of the faux raspberry jam she made with green tomatoes. I don't have her exact recipe, and she's long gone now, but the method is still out there...

I know what you’re thinking and, while I may be certifiable in just about every other area in life, this is not one of them. Jill Nicolaus from Dave’s Garden has provided the method and it’ll give you something entertaining to do with those last green tomatoes.

I’m sure that, with the recent threats of frost, you fled to the garden to save those last tomatoes. Maybe you’ve got some set aside to slowly ripen. Maybe you’ve been making fried green tomatoes, green tomato chutney and green tomato pickles. Run out of ideas? Round up your kids or grandkids – it’s time for something totally fun!

This jam is perfect to make with kids. Three ingredients, no canning – just some chopping and stovetop cooking. Be sure to gauge how much help your helpers are going to require. Move a chair or step stool to the stove so they can reach for stirring.

Admittedly, “red raspberry” jam from green tomatoes likely won’t bring home a blue ribbon from the county fair compared to Mrs. Nesbit’s very best quality raspberry preserves. However, the seeds give it an authentic look and the tang of the green tomatoes makes a nice counter to the sweetness. A recipe attributed to Southern Living magazine reduces the amount of sugar to 1-1/2 cups and increases the amount of tomato to 2-1/2 cups. I’ve heard that you can add a packet of unsweetened raspberry Kool Aid drink mix for extra zing. For us, that red dye could be an issue, but moderation in all things is the key!

There’s an entertainment factor of epic proportion by transforming green tomatoes into something that tastes and looks like red raspberries. Imagine the kick you and the kids will get out of revealing the “secret” of your homemade “raspberry” jam. Imagine the kids giggling themselves silly attempting to explain to their dad that he’s just eaten a peanut butter and tomato sandwich! Whether or not you have kids to help you, give this recipe a try. Faux food recipes are not only tasty, but they’re really amusing to serve to unsuspecting guests. You Red Hat Ladies – whip some of this “jam” up for one of your teas. After all, it’s the right color!

Green Tomato “Raspberry” Jam

2 cups minced green tomatoes

2 cups sugar

1 – 3 oz. Package red raspberry gelatin

Wash and stem or core the tomatoes and remove any bad spots. Then dice or shred the tomatoes. A food processor to roughly mince them also works well.

Put the tomatoes and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and reduce the heat. Simmer 20 minutes. If you diced the tomatoes, cook them long enough so that they don’t look chunky anymore.

Add the raspberry gelatin and bring to a boil. Now the jam is ready to be poured into clean jars. This is not a shelf-stable recipe and you have to store it in the refrigerator or freezer. This recipe makes about a pint and you can totally double it if you wish.

Well, it HAS been a year...

2010-10-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I know. I'm pathetic. I haven't updated this blog in forever. I've been horrifically busy and - of course - 92 million other totally lame excuses for not checking in here.

After talking with someone earlier today about an article on winterizing roses and rose hips, it was pointed out that I should write about what to do with the hips - the teas, the oil, the boo-boo juice I put on the kid's scrapes.

Ah, but that's not gardening. So would go the statement from my editor, I'm sure. I can't OFFICIALLY write about homemade botanicals or food and I find that odd. Aren't these two thing intrinsically tied to gardening? WELL, SURE THEY ARE!!! If you're growing callendula to make a healing oil, and you're sharing how to get the best and biggest blooms, why isn't it also OK to tell how to make that oil. (Which is great as a barrier for diaper rash, by the way.)

So - I'm taking to my blog and I'm gonna talk about everything (except politics and religion - I'm kind of offensive when I start ranting about either of those!).

There's so much in this big wide world - Great food, a fun craft here and there - maybe with something you've found or grown in your yard, some silly movie I saw that made me laugh, or even how to make a balm to save your feet from turning into camel claws this winter - Dude - I'm gonna share it.

Nyah nyah!

I can't believe it's been so long...

2009-10-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

since I've blogged here. Granted, since my editor decided that my posting my articles here before I sent them to her was something with which she did not agree - including, but not limited to, her telling me to take down this blog - I have limited time to devote to an extra article for the blog. I really need an extra six working hours a day. Who needs sleep, anyway?

Time has once again galloped along at a rate that I’m starting to find ... horrifying. It seems like just recently I was writing about fall clean up. Then it was winter, not being able to get to work due to the snow on the roads, building snow families on the back deck and gallons of hot chocolate. Spring and summer have come and gone – again – in seemingly the blink of an eye. We had some frost last Wednesday; not bad – didn’t kill the last straggling tomatoes or the watermelon that JUST WON’T GET RIPE – but frost all the same.

Conversations have turned from summer clothes and swimming in the river to how much snow we might get this winter and “Do you think Father Christmas could bring me a rad snowboard for Yule?”

The garden is not excluded from this either, you know. I’ve been thinking about the bags of shredded paper I’ve stockpiled from the paper shredder at work to mulch into the soil before it freezes. I’ve considered tilling and then covering with newspaper to kill off the weeds in the areas I’m wanting to use next spring. I’ve been wondering who made off with my garden cart and who I’m going to have to kill to get it back.

I’ve also been thinking about gourds…I grew some and it’s high time I did something with them.

Nothing really sets the mood for fall like gourds and Indian corn and pumpkins. Gourds are so cool and you can do a ton of things with them. Birds like them for housing, when they’re dried out with an appropriate hole cut into them for easy access.

Here’s what YOU can do so you can use them for fall decorating:

Harvest them when the stem is try but before the first serious frost invades. Cut them from the vine with a few inches of stem intact.

Wash and disinfect the gourds with either a diluted bleach solution (1 tsp. of bleach in a gallon of water) or white vinegar, water and grapefruit seed extract.

Gently dry with a cloth. Place your gourds on layers of newspaper in a warm and well-ventilated area (like the laundry room). Don’t put them in direct sunlight as this will fade the colors. And be careful not to scratch or bruise the tender skin.

Turn your gourds regularly and replace any newspaper the becomes damp with fresh, dry paper. Curing a gourd can take one to six months, so be prepared for your gourds to practically become members of the family – only members who eat a whole lot less than the human ones!

The skin of a gourd will take about a week to harden on the outside but will take at least a month to dry out on the inside.

When you shake the gourd and hear those seeds rattling around inside, it’s done. You can then apply wax, varnish or paint, cut a hole in it and get the seeds out, leave them whole for decorating or a variety of other crafts that you can easily locate through Bing or Google.

Happy Gourding!!

Staying green...

2009-07-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Procrastination is generally not a good thing, but when it comes to your lawn in the summertime, a little bit can be a good thing. So says the turf grass specialists at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Summer lawn care and maintenance knowledge will make the difference between a lush, healthy law – just begging to be tip-toed through with bare feet – and a scraggly brown one. Grasses usually go into a state of semi-dormancy and are vulnerable to disturbance.

There are a number of things to look at with summer lawn care:

Fertilizer –
Fertilizing is one of the best lawn maintenance choices you can make. Misusing it will make things turn really ugly, really fast. Using a fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen may be a good thing in the fall or the spring, but in the summer, when the only cooler place is on the sun, you can burn the daylights out of your lawn. Go for a slow-release fertilizer with lower nitrogen for this time of the year and carefully follow the instructions for use. You might even want to forgo fertilizing at all until the season starts to cool off and head into fall.

Water –
One of the most common issues seen with summer lawn care is NOT ENOUGH WATER. You may be watering as you normally do, but remember – it’s summer – water evaporates much more quickly than other times of the year. Water your lawn until the moisture has penetrated the soil to around six inches. Also, consider increasing the number of times per week you turn on the sprinklers. Whatever you do, don’t let your lawn turn brown and then water them back to a green condition. This depletes energy reserves and stresses out the plants. A wise garden writer said in print recently, “Yes, grasses are plants, too.” Keep in mind that they need the same care as other plants in your garden. Water as early in the day as possible.

Yard Toys –
My kids bugged and bugged for a Slip N Slide. While I am generally not the mom to deny her kids summer fun – and I didn’t – I am a bit of a psycho (hey, now!) about them not leaving their stuff all over the lawn. That Slip N Slide (or tarp or whatever they’re covering your lawn with) will get smothered by that hot plastic. Of course, if you’re setting up a pool, it’s just not practical to tear it down and set it up. I’ve given instructions for repairing those spots in the past and may do so again in the fall, but the other stuff? Don’t leave that tarp or Slip N Slide laying around if the kidlets aren’t using them. No reason to damage your lawn when you’re doing all this work to keep it lush.

Mowing –
Mowing height adjustment is probably the most important practice in preparation for hot weather. Don’t mow ANY LOWER than three inches, even a little longer wouldn’t hurt. Lawns allowed to exist at this higher level will usually develop deeper roots and dry out more slowly than closely mowed grass. As the summer gets hotter and drier, the growth of your lawn should slow somewhat.

Other lawn care practices –
Avoid seeding, thatch control and the application of weed killers (including “weed and feed” if you use that type of product) until later in the season. September is a much better time for those things.

Mower Maintenance –
If you own your own mower, there are a few things you should do to take care of and insure the life of your mower. After each mowing, wait until the engine cools and then hose off the clippings and grass debris that may be clinging to the underside of the mower deck. Be sure to make sure that you have disconnected the spark plug cable prior to cleaning. Reconnect it afterwards.

It’s a good idea to sharpen, or have sharpened, the blades of your mower once a month or every six weeks. If you mow more than 4 times a month or happen to run over lots of rocks and debris, definitely once a month. Sharp mower blades are perhaps the one most important thing to focus on with your mower. Aside from the damage that dull blades will cause on your lawn, you could use up to 20% more fuel and you could spend a lot more time mowing that would ordinarily be required with sharp blades.

Always remember when reinstalling your blades that the sharp cutting edges of the blade should be facing down, not up! Most mulching blades are twisted, so make sure that the sharp end is facing toward the ground.

At the end of the season, don’t just put your mower away – prepare it first. Drain the fuel. Be sure to disconnect your spark plug prior to draining. By draining the fuel from your mower, you are preventing the remaining fuel from aging and potentially going bad inside your mower engine and carburetor.

Once the fuel has been drained, reconnect the spark plug wire and run the engine until it burns all the remaining fuel and runs out of gas.

Most mowers have instructions for putting your mower up for the season. If you still have the manual, follow those instructions.

Once spring rolls around again, bring your mower out of hibernation. If you’re not mechanically inclined, drag that mower to a shop to have it serviced.

If you’re up to doing this on your own, here are the few things you should do to get your mower ready for the season

Change the oil in the mower. If your mower has a two-stroke engine, oil is already mixed into the fuel and you can skip this step. Smaller, gas powered four-stroke engines will use 30 weight oil. Check the owner’s manual.

Replace the spark plug. These can fowl out and should be replaced at least once a year.

If your mower has a fuel filter, this should be replaced as well.

Replace the air filter. Your motor will need to breathe and if you kick up a lot of dust and debris while mowing, your filter could be choking your engine and it won’t function properly.

If there are issues with the way in which your mower runs, you may want to consider taking it in to a service shop.

With good cultural practices and mower maintenance, lawn care – all the way around – can be easily accomplished and extremely rewarding. Good luck through the rest of the summer and don’t forget to take care of yourself in this heat. Wear a hat and some sunscreen and be sure to drink lots of water if you’re going to be out in this heat for any length of time.

Summer Mish Mash

2009-07-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a little bit of this and a little bit of that to talk about.

I’m hearing a lot about moles and gophers this year. A lot. I even have my own not insignificant issues with moles. I’ve got mole plant. I’ve got castor bean plant. But the best thing I’ve found for moles? A cat. My family presented me with a large, orange and white tom cat, rescued from the Siskiyou Human Society (they work with Petsmart). He’s a fabulous cat. Loves the kids, absolutely LOVES the dog. Last night, I went on the hunt for the cat and found him sitting quietly in the side yard, about 18 inches from a mole hole in action. Watching him, I could tell that he could sense, or perhaps hear, the varmints under the ground. While he didn’t nab himself a mole last night, I know that it’s on his agenda and that nasty, large mole will be dispatched in short order shortly. Got moles? Rescue a cat.

I’m also hearing a lot about a variety of mysterious pests this year. Folks finding plants with lacified leaves and no clue as to what’s doing it. Today, we’re a lot more aware of the need to protect our environment and keep the use of poisons to a minimum. The days of flinging about clouds of dust and spraying everything that moves are on the way out. Organic and biological controls are the wave we are riding right now, and the wave we’ll continue to ride in the future.

Most garden pests have natural predators, but we don’t always have them waiting in our gardens for aphids to show up. I have yet to see a praying mantis hanging about, rubbing her front claws together, saying, “Oh boy, I can’t wait for the squash bugs to hatch!” There are things we can do to draw them into our landscape, but – more often than not – its mail order that puts the beneficial insects and nematodes where we need them. Ladybug Indoor Gardens in Jacksonville can provide pest identification, excellent advice and is an outlet for every kind of beneficial insect that would help you out with your pest problems. Diatomaceous earth will help with a myriad of garden pests, but you want the kind NOT meant for pool filters. Tiny fossils in the diatomaceous earth put minute scratches in the exoskeletons of the pest that walk over it and they wind up dehydrating. Think about a trip to Ladybug Gardens for perhaps no other reason than education. They’re really nice there, as well.

Let’s talk about nuts. I don’t mean your crazy friends, people from California or certain family members. I’m talking about hazel nuts, cashews, almonds and the kind. Little nuts. Most nut trees are too large to grow more than maybe one or two in the home orchard.

The dwarf Siberian pine bears edible pine nuts and grows to only around 9 feet tall. Some hazelnuts are actually more of a bush and work for a crackerjack hedge. There are hybrid nut trees that will produce in as little as 3 years, whereas the larger walnuts and butternuts can take up to ten years to bear fruit. The purple leaf filbert is a smaller hedge bush and you would need two of these. Purple leaf filberts grow to 8 feet or so.

Almonds are a stone fruit like peaches, only you eat the nut. When selecting an almond variety, be sure to either choose a self-pollinator or plant two trees. You will also have to encourage honey bees to come to your yard and orchard if you’re going the cross-pollination route. If you want honey bees to frequent you yard and orchard, stay away from pesticides. We need to do all we can to support the honeybee. No bees = no food. Hive collapse is more serious than any of us really knows, far reaching with an impact that is mind boggling. But I digress…

I would recommend staying away from cashews unless you are in an area that doesn’t frost. They are very susceptible.

Pistachios are actually a fairly large tree; 20 feet or so and you need two of them for production. They need a lot of water, but they also need really good drainage.

There are lots of different nut producing pines. Popular varieties are Siberian, Korean, Italian Stone and Chilgoza pine as well as several types of pinyon, including the Colorado pinyon. The Korean Nut Pine is very hardy, does well in our clay soil, is resistant to white pine blister rust and is a slow grower. A number of the edible pine nut trees are also very nice as ornamentals.

Other nut trees to consider might be the chinquapin, which is similar to a chestnut and of which you would need two for pollination. The ginkgo, also known as the maidenhair tree, which is not a small tree, but at lovely for cooking and eating, have well known health benefits and are one of the few nut trees not affected by pests or disease.

The monkey-puzzle tree is as beautiful and unusual as it is practical. The nuts are about two inches long and grow on a large cone. You can get as many as 250 nuts out of one cone. You can roast them and eat them like chestnuts or grind them and use them as flour, among other things. Monkey-puzzles are evergreen and will require a male and a female in order to produce.

Is anyone thinking about what to do with the bounty we’re starting to see in the Rogue Valley gardens? Once you’ve taken care of your family, perhaps given some back to the community with that extra row or two you planted this spring, what then? If you’re like me, you’re probably overrun with tomatoes. Don’t have time for traditional “putting up” of the harvest? Try a dehydrator. Dry your sliced tomatoes, then pack them in pretty jars layered with basil and garlic and filled with a good olive oil. Pizza topping in a jar. And makes a great Hostess or Holiday gift. Aside from the fact that you may find that you eat it all before the Holidays roll around, of course.

There are lots of dehydrators on the market ranging in price from $50 to $500. If you really believe that you need a new one, perhaps rallying a few friends to go in together on one and everyone takes turns using it. Other options for finding a dehydrator would be thrift stores, the internet to check out Craigslist or even Freecycle (see http://www.freecycle.org for a group in our area) as well as the ever-popular garage sale.

Since most of us are drying fruits, tomatoes, peppers and other produce, the circular, tower style should work just fine. If it’s jerky you’re after, you really do want something with a thermostatic control. They’re usually square and have forced hot air that comes from the rear of the unit across the trays. The square trays are a lot easier to deal with if you’re making fruit leathers since you won’t have that hole in the middle of the tray to contend with.

The summer is progressing; we’re all spending time weeding and hovering over gardens waiting for our first fruits to ripen. I had the first few tomatoes this week along with some lovely sautéed onions and peppers on a turkey burger with a nice, melty Jarlsberg cheese and tomato. Before too long, we’ll all be swimming in produce. Some of us are already sowing our second round of some things while others are already pondering the winter garden. Still others are trying to figure out how to convert their entire garden to square-foot gardening and how many shitake-inoculated oak logs can be stuffed under their porch. Later summer means something different in every garden and to every gardener. And all of it bears with it a certain amount of fun and magic.

They're at it again...

2009-06-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

The burrowing vermin. I loathe them with the heat of a thousand suns. At our old residence, we had them, but they rather limited themselves to the side yard where no one gardened and no one ever went, except the dog who would participate in epic excavation efforts. We figured it kept her out of trouble and gave her some exercise.

Now, though, I’m finding what I suspect are pocket gophers burrowing everywhere. Along the front pad of our front patio one evening, I could see the ground undulating with the creature’s progress. Attempts to capture and dispatch this particular little troll were brutally rebuffed and we were left with an empty shovel and no furry sojourner.

Seriously, they’re driving me mad! While I’m not near the point of blasting craters in my yard with a shotgun (yet), I have reached the point of pondering my mental health (no comments from the peanut gallery or my family, please) as a result of my attempts to rid my yard of burrowing vermin.

I’ve been told about and tried a lot of different things. Flooding the runs with water. Perhaps I should offer soap as well, since they seem to enjoy this. Gopher bombs? Hmph. Insert your favorite 420 joke here. I think they like it. It’s probably a big ol’ gopher party down there every time I set one off. Sonic gopher spikes. Well, yesterday morning there was a gopher mound literally RIGHT NEXT TO the fancy solar spike that was brought to me with pride, since it was on sale and didn’t require batteries. RIGHT NEXT TO IT. Yaaaaah!

I even forced a friend to drive me out to Gold Hill in search of Euphorbia lathyris, commonly known as Caper Spurge or Mole Plant. Truth be told, I actually thought I was looking for Castor Bean Plant (ricinus communis), and had to drive back and forth several time before I found “a weedy looking plant that had just set seed pods”. What I found was Mole Plant, when I was looking for the large, distinct leaves of the Castor Bean. Sigh. So, I leaped out of the truck, whacked off several hands-full and stuffed them in a bucket. Thus far, my attempts to root them are not working so well, but I suspect that I will – at least – get some seeds with which I can infest my yard.

Euphorbia lathyris, commonly known as Mole Plant, is an annual with opposite, lance shaped leaves which is often grown as an ornamental plant. It’s not really “weedy” looking, as I stated above. It’s somewhat attractive and interesting looking. Caper Spurge, as it is also known (and spurge is so much more fun to say) does occasionally occur as a weed on roadsides (like the ones I was directed to – Thank YOU, Russell!) and pastures. I’m finding that this is not all that common. Toward the top of the plant the leaves change into a triangular shape and have a conspicuous white vein in the center. When you break one of these plants, a sticky, white sap comes out. The flowers are fairly inconspicuous and will occur on the upper portions of the plant, yellow in color. The seed pods are roundish and appear to be in three sections, put together. It’s those seeds that I’m really after! Supposedly, it’s the roots and the seeds that are noxious to gophers. Mole Plant doesn’t kill them – They just go away. At this point, I’d be OK with dead gophers, but disappearing gophers would be cause for celebration. Careful with this plant – it is said to be poisonous.

Unlike the Castor Bean, these plants grow about four feet tall, but take up the space of about one foot in diameter, like a tower. They self seed when the plant falls over from drying out in the fall. I’ve heard that folks have been successful growing it with soil that is hard, high clay content, with minimal watering even through hot, dry summers.

With regard to Castor Bean, which I personally am going to try in my quest to rid my yard of varmints, it is a big, attractive, fast growing plant with huge exotic looking leaves. I found seeds from my favorite online shopping source and got three different colors. I have LOTS of varmints.

Castor Bean can be sown directly outdoors or started 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date indoors. They can also be planted just about any other time when frost isn’t an issue. Soak your seeds for 24 hours in warm water, then plant about an inch deep. Plant them outdoors in full sun. Castor Beans like rich, well drained soil, so dig in a few spades full of compost into the soil where you’ll be planting. Keep the soil evenly moist and mulch well. As your Castor Bean blooms, you can deadhead unless you are thinking to gather beans for future planting. In that case, you’ll want to let the seed pods form and gather them up. Fertilize with a good organic fertilizer every four to six weeks. Castor Bean gets big, fast. You may need to stake your plants. They’ll need plenty of space, so keep this in mind when planting or plan on doing lots of pruning otherwise. Tear out and discard the plants when frost gets them in the fall. If you’re in one of the warmer areas, you could treat it as a perennial, cutting it back and mulching heavily for over-wintering.

Both the Mole Plant and Castor Bean are said to be poisonous. I researched this and found a wide range of opinion on toxicity. I have also found it said that poinsettia is poisonous, but have been unable to locate any reports of death to humans or animals. Best to err on the side of caution and keep small children and livestock away from your Castor Beans. Deer do not eat Castor Bean.

Getting back to the varmints…

The other methods for getting rid of moles and gophers include traps with such medieval monikers as “scissor” traps, “choker” traps and “harpoon” traps. Nice. There are also live traps, but that begs the question of what to do with the varmint once you catch it.

I’ve read of a method, with no testimony to back it up, of opening a number of varmint tunnels, pouring in a baby food jar full of gasoline into each, waiting a bit for the fumes to flood the tunnels and then lighting the tunnels. Definitely not ecologically sound and rather brings to mind crowds of adolescent boys having a lark.

Daffodils, squill, anything in the allium (onion/garlic family), Mexican marigolds and fritillaria are all said to repel varmints. My varmints actually like squill, I think. Probably with a nice vinaigrette. Your mileage may vary. And you may wind up growing ONLY those things, if you’re really infested with a subterranean invasion.

I’ve heard that gum of the Juicy Fruit variety will kill varmints. Now that we’ve spent something equaling the National deficit on gum and fumigator bombs, I think I can categorically state that somewhere there’s a gopher who could be the world bubble blowing champion if only they’d let him into the contest. As for the bombs, again, insert your favorite 420 joke here. I bought castor oil, thinking that if they didn’t like the plant, how could they like the oil? Aside from the fact that it does not come in the convenient 50 gallon drum, I suspect that the varmints are moisturizing with it.

Hair clippings from the salon? Um, don’t think so. They may have taken up weaving rugs and blanket for their dens, because it sure isn’t killing them or driving them away. Used cat litter? My dog is having a field day with that one. M-80’s? I heard my neighbor using them, but they still have moles. And craters.

Of course, with the number of Dachshunds in Rogue River, you could probably find someone who would bring the little rodent-wieners to your house to excavate the vermin, but do you really want you yard dug up like that? I don’t.

So, with great sighing, eye rolling and the wringing of hands, I’m closing this week with the request for any suggestions for gopher removal, destruction or repellant. I’d love to hear it. In the meantime, I’m waiting on my Castor Bean seeds…

Flower Pots, Washtubs, Wooden Boxes...Oh My!

2009-06-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Container gardening is a really easy way to bring some color up close and personal as well as getting some fresh produce into your diet. One of the things I love about container gardening is that anyone can do it. For seniors, it puts your garden more within reach. Pull up a chair and garden in a variety of containers from a half barrel to an old wagon to a collection of old metal pails. For kids, a larger container can produce both some lovely flowers as well as a small crop of baby carrots or Easter egg radishes.

What you can grow in a container is limited pretty much only by the size of the container and possibly by your imagination. I read about a house warming gift of a Summer Salad Container - a cherry tomato, some basil, parsley and chives, a dwarf cucumber and summer salad greens. Truth be told, by late summer, they won’t be the prettiest, but this arrangement should produce into the fall, provided you’ve planted it in a 24” to 30” container.

Your choices in containers ranges from the practical (think large, black, plastic) to the attractive (think wooden half barrels) to the whimsical (antique pails, bushel baskets, Radio Flyer wagons). No matter what kind of container you choose for veggie gardening, it will need holes in the base or bottom for drainage of excess water.

While we see lots of black plastic containers, and you probably have a few in your yard or garage, bear in mind that the darker colored containers absorb heat. There is a possibility that the root systems of plants in these types of containers could be damaged to heat. If you do opt for the dark colored pots, try painting them a lighter color or shading just the container.

The size of the container and what you plant in it is a consideration. For larger veggies, like tomatoes and eggplants, you should use a five gallon container for each plant. You can grow these plants in 2 or 3 gallon containers, but they will require considerably more attention.

You can use the soil from your garden for your containers. If you do, you should plan on amending it with compost. There are many fine mixes available that are excellent as well. Mixing one part compost to two parts planting mix will aid in fertility. Using a complete organic fertilizer and giving your plants a sip of fish emulsion mixed with water will keep your veggies fed for the whole growing season.

Containers require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. As the season progresses and your plants grow larger, their root system will expand. This will require even more water. Don’t wait until you see your plants wilting. Check your containers daily to determine is more water is needed.

When choosing what to put in your containers, be on the lookout for buzz words like bush, compact and dwarf.

Here are some varieties that you might consider for your container garden:
Tomatoes: Patio, Pixie, Saladette, Tumbling Tom and Small Fry
Leaf Lettuce: Buttercrunch, Bibb and Salad Bowl
Green Beans: Pole beans actually have a higher yield for a smaller area. Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder and French Dwarf are excellent choices.
Peppers: Red Cherry, Jalapeno, Sweet Banana and Cubanelle
Eggplant: Bambino and Slim Jim

Looking ahead: It’s not too early to think ahead to the fall and winter vegetable garden. Planning should start now. Fall and winter gardening is an old practice that is a great solution for maintaining the fertility of your garden’s soil at peak levels. It also yields crops of delicious veggies at a fraction of the cost of the grocery store.

The climate patters of the lower elevation areas west of the Cascades, right where we are, are very suitable for fall and winter gardening. Careful mulching can ensure the usual winter frosts will not be severe enough to cause significant damage. Further extension of the growing season can be affected with cold frames and tunnels.

The main factor with winter gardening is knowing the average date of the first killing frost in our area. This is usually around the end of October. Plant your winter crops early enough to let them reach full maturity before that first killing frost. The Master Gardeners have loads of helpful information about the timing of first frosts, hardiness of various crops for our area as well as being just the coolest people you’d ever want to chat with about gardening.

Here are some suggestions, with maturity times and planting guidelines:

Beets, Brussels’ sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, fava beans, carrots, parsnips and globe onions mature in about 90 days. Plant them by mid-July for fall harvest.

Early carrots, leeks, turnips, collards and Swiss chard mature in around 60 days and should be planted by mid-August.

Chives, green onions, radishes, broccoli, leaf lettuces and spinach mature in about 30 days and should be in the ground no later than the first week of September.

You can add ten to fifteen degrees to your fall and winter garden by planting near windbreaks and walls. Take a look at any south facing wall of your home, shed or barn and see if it is ideally situation for utilizing that free solar energy.

Make a cloche out of clear pop bottles or gallon milk jugs. Cover your smaller plants, remove the lids and you have an instant little greenhouse.

If you have the means to have raised beds, the soil in a well made and maintained raised bed can be between 8 and 12 degrees warmer than the same soil in the surrounding garden areas. Raised beds also mean less bending to work in or harvest from.

Mulching serves many purposes in the winter garden. In addition to insulating the plants with a blanket of protection over the root system, it helps deter winter growth of weeks and grasses. Mulch also aids in reducing evaporation of moisture from the soil during dry times as well as preventing erosion from heavier winter rainstorms. Two inches of mulch material is best.

Remember that, with fall and winter veggies, rotation is vital. Don’t plant the same veggie crops in the same location as the previous year or the summer season. The soil will be weakened through continual loss of the same nutrients, but the plants will also lend themselves to insect pests and disease.

If you have a portion of your garden that will be laying idle for a time, you can build up your soil by growing a cover crop. These are fast growing, green plants that can be chopped up, spaded or tilled in and will add green matter that compost into hummus. Alfalfa, various varieties of clover, vetch, oats and lupines are all common cover crops that will benefit your soil.

In closing, try successive plantings of quick growing veggies like leaf lettuce, beets, spinach and radishes. Don’t be afraid to try planting some crops later than recommended. It’s a bit risky, but the reward is definitely worth the risk. Keep a record of what you planted, when and what worked and what didn’t.

Share your successes with your friends and neighbors. And don’t forget to plant a little extra for those in our community that are struggling.

Flower of the Month for June: The Rose

2009-06-07T10:09:00.001-07:00

Everywhere you look around town and driving out towards Wimer, you see roses in glorious bloom. I wonder if any of those plants got any pruning earlier this spring. There is one in particular in town that is simply gorgeous; it looks like a Hawaiian sunset. Every spring for the last three springs, I’ve watched that rose bloom, while the canes get thinner and sparser. The blooms are still fabulous, but that plant is going to need some help in the next couple of seasons before it starts to break from lack of stoutness.

If you pruned your roses earlier this year, you may have erred on the side of caution and not pruned enough. Or your roses may have had other ideas and are now working toward doing their own thing. “Their Own Thing” is not always the best thing for the bush as a whole.

Pruning is primarily an early spring activity, although a certain amount of it is frequently required during the course of the growing season. June here in the Valley often brings a flush of growth in our roses.

Now is the time to check on the pruning you did earlier this spring. You’ll want to check for die-back. Check the canes you cut earlier and see if there has been further die-back. If there is, you’ll want to top off that cane by cutting down to an outside bud or leaf growth. If you are seeing a lot of growth in the center of the bush, you’ll want to remedy that by correcting the pruning at the center. Watch for suckers, too, as they will sap the energy from the plant and its blooms.

Local rose experts advise cleaning up the bud union by trimming off the old canes and stubs. A nice, clean bud union will reward you with many more basal canes and eventually more rose bush and better blooms.

Don’t forget deadheading at this time of the year, with the flush of the season’s first blooms. You’ll want your plant to stay strong and deadheading encourages further and more blooms for the rest of the summer. If you’re growing hybrid tea roses, you’ll want to deadhead by removing the spent flower at a point on the cane where five or seven leaflets are growing. The cut should be made ¼ inch above the leaf axial of an outward growing bud and should slope downward into the center of the bush.

Floribundas and Grandifloras are deadheaded much the same way, although removing the center bloom from a Floribunda plant will produce much more uniform bloom sprays. Some experts recommend removing the spent blooms from Floribundas and Grandifloras as they complete their bloom cycle without disturbing the rest of the blooms on the spray. Once a bloom cycle is complete, these two types of roses are pruned exactly as the Hybrid Tea. Olde Roses can also profit from deadheading, because reoccurring blooms are encouraged in those types that are intermittent or repeat bloomers.

Be mindful of unproductive growth that will crowd the middle of the plant and restrict sunlight and the flow of air. Remove this growth and any blind shoots which are twiggy in appearance and do not end in a bloom bud. A good resource is the book,”Growing Good Roses” by Rayford Reddell. He recommends pruning basal breaks at a bud eye when the cane is twelve to fifteen inches tall so to encourage a sturdy branched cane that will produce more and better blooms.

For the suckers that will inevitably emerge through this season, you should dig down beneath the soil and prune that sucker off at the point where it grows.

Let’s talk about the really fun part of growing roses – cuttings. Growing new rose plants from cuttings is one of the most enjoyable facets of growing roses. Cuttings can be taken at any time, but following the first bloom of the season is the best time because of the amount of good weather remaining for the cutting to get established and gain strength.

There are many ways to prepare cuttings and once you find one that works for you, stick with it. The easiest and most convenient way, in my opinion, is cutting the fading bloom of the variety I want to grow at a point on the stem which will provide four (or more) bud eyes and placing that cutting immediately in water.

The cutting is prepared by removing the bloom and the leaves from the lower two sets of leaflets. The end of the cutting, to be placed in the growing material, is stripped on several places of bark and the stripped areas and the end are generously coated with Rootone (a rooting hormone). The prepared cutting is then placed in a pot filled with a growing medium of equal parts soil, sand and peat moss. Make a hole in the medium, place your cutting, being careful not to knock off the Rootone and tamp the medium firmly around the stem.

Record what kind of rose you’ve gotten your cutting from (if you can) and the date on the pot. Enclose your cutting in plastic that is supported by a couple of lengths of stout wire (coat hangers are great for this) bent into a U. Make sure you make a hole in the top for ventilation. The bag acts like a mini-greenhouse. Place your cuttings in a shady place and wait for them to mature. Watch for new leaves to appear, remove the plastic bag and feed with a water soluble fertilizer. Some folks like Ra-Pid-Grow. Fox Organics makes several good water solubles. Any of the Fox products, liquid kelp or fish emulsion are good choices. Don’t put your cuttings out into the full sun immediately. Do this gradually and watch it grow. Once your cutting is ready to move to the full sun, it is ready to be planted at its permanent location.

Ordinarily, June is also the month that gardeners start to wonder about how much water they should be giving their roses. If the spring has been especially dry, this will understandably generate some concern. This year, though, we seem to be having a somewhat wonky weather pattern. Roses in the height of their growth cycle are very thirsty and require about an inch of water a week. Less water stresses the plants and will result in poor growth and less bloom. Putting a rain gauge in your rose garden is a good idea since it’s pretty easy to overestimate the amount of rainfall we are actually getting.

There are two schools of thought on the method of watering. Some say that wet rose foliage is to be avoided and deliberately spraying roses is inviting disease into your rose garden. Others will say that roses enjoy and benefit from the occasional cleansing shower. After all, we don’t live in the Sahara and rains often wash our roses. A strong stream of water from a water wand is a good way to rid the roses of aphids and spider mites. It’s generally a good idea after a rain or a bath to respray for blackspot as it requires moisture to infect our plants. Use the baking soda and water formula or the fungicide of your choice.

Other Thoughts…

Remember, just because you don’t have a plot of land on which to grow fresh veggies, doesn’t mean you can’t. Many veggies lend themselves well to container gardening. Selecting a dwarf or bush variety and give you a plant well adapted to growing in a pot. Veggies that take up little space, such as carrots, radishes and lettuces work well in a lower, shallower container. Carrots come in shorter and rounder varieties these days and do nicely in the barrel sections one sees this time of the year at the garden centers. Crops that bear fruits over a longer period, such as tomatoes and peppers, are perfect for container gardens.

In The Early Summer Garden...

2009-05-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, it sure did get HOT fast, didn’t it? While I’m not loving it so much (with a nod to a certain woman I know who THRIVES in the heat…), our gardens certainly are.

Please, folks, pay attention to your bodies when you’re working out in the yard in the heat. Wear a hat and sunscreen. And whatever you do, stay hydrated. You need water in this heat as much as the plants you are care-taking in your yards and gardens. Where will they be if you’re laid up with heat stroke?

Some tips for keeping your early summer garden looking fresh and colorful:
Trim or shear deciduous or evergreen hedges.
Mow your lawn as often as needed, but don’t cut it too short. Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blades at one time. When your lawn is growing like a house a’fire, it’s better to mow it every four or five days, than to wait a whole week.
Keep weeding! Easy to say, but not always easy to do. If you have children or grandchildren, spending a couple of hours together in the morning or the cool of early evening with a reward of, perhaps, baking some cookies afterward, is a sure way to get those weeds in check quick.
Continue to water as needed, especially new plants, trees, shrubs and perennials. They definitely need a good soaking every week for the first couple of months. If it doesn’t rain enough, and it’s looking like we’re pretty much done with rain for the year, you will have to water. You may want to also get out your watering can and hand out a dose of water mixed with fish emulsion every couple of weeks as well.
Keep a keen eye out for developing insect and disease problems.
Deadhead your rhodies and lilacs and prune back some of those spring flowering shrubs that have finished blooming.
Spray your roses every week with a baking soda solution or fungicide (if you use chemicals in your garden) to protect against blackspot disease. A great homemade fungicide is 2 teaspoons of baking soda with a few drops of Ivory dish soap in a half gallon of water. Use a spray bottle or garden sprayer. This will also help prevent aphids on your roses.
Pinch back your asters and mums, if you have them, to encourage compact growth and more blooms.
Cut back yellowing bulb foliage.

Let’s talk a bit about fertilizing your roses. You probably first fertilized your plants this year around mid April. You probably used a general purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer. Some of you may have supplemented with alfalfa pellets, cottonseed meal or fish emulsion. You may have also added some Epsom salts to encourage new canes from the crowns of your plants and healthy leaf production. You’re coming up on the next general fertilizer application. As much as I prefer organics, for success with roses you really should consider a fertilizer formulated especially for roses. Apply in a circle about six to eight inches from the crown. Scratch the fertilizer lightly into the soil and water it in. Be careful not to disturb the roots that live nearer to the surface of the soil.

Many rose gardeners are using a liquid fertilizer in between the major feedings in April, June and August. Liquid plant foods can be applied as a spray and can be combined with sprays for fungus and insects, including the baking soda fungicide. Do not spray your roses during the heat of the day; this could result in leaf burn. Early evening, when it’s pleasant out, is ideal. One point to note – Experts say that we should spray our roses for blackspot and fungus even if we see no evidence of these diseases. Using the baking soda solution will not only help prevent disease but also kill insects.

We’re going to talk about mulching your roses, although mulching is something that will benefit ALL of your planted areas. There are a number of important reasons for mulching. One is to provide a neat and manicured look to your rose and flower gardens. Some weed control is provided, moisture is retained, soil temperature is regulated through summer and winter, erosion is prevented and mulching prevents the need for constant cultivation. Mulch also encourages root growth, encourages earthworms and bacteria in the soil, and – if you’re using an organic – will renew and rebuild the content of your soil.

You can use lots of different things for mulching. Before I list those, let’s note that pine needles – which most of us have in copious amounts – benefit acid-loving plants. Rhodies and berries of any kind like this. The variety of materials available for mulching include hardwood bark, pine needles, rotted manure, straw (not alfalfa), wood chips, mushroom compost, ground corn cobs, grass clippings, chopped tree leaves, black plastic, sawdust and chopped or ground nut hulls. Generally, what you use greatly depends on what you can get, how much it costs and how easy it is to deal with. Be aware that straw has a tendency to reduce available nitrogen in the soil, but it does furnish potassium. You will want to maintain a mulch thickness on all your beds, including vegetable gardens, of two to four inches. If you’re using hardwood bark, you will have to regularly test your soil and, if the pH lowers to the acid side, you will need to add lime to maintain a 6.0 to 6.5 pH level.

In the rose or perennial garden, a convenient way to utilize hardwood bark as a mulch is to mound your plants with it as winter protection and then spread it out over the rest of the bed in the spring.

Some key tips for your veggie gardens for this season are:
Keep picking.
Water regularly.
Control insects and diseases.
Feed lightly.
Make sure they’re getting enough sun.
Keep the weeds down.
Practice succession planting.
Consider fall planting, perhaps with the use of a tunnel or cold frame system, to extend your veggie growing season.

Remember to share the bounty. With a little extra work and maybe some luck, we’ll all probably have more veggies than we can use. Sure, we can all freeze some and put some up for the winter. We’ll probably be dropping some off on the neighbor’s porch when they’re not looking (that is, if we aren’t competing against them for the best salad greens or the biggest ‘maters!). Don’t forget that our community center, local churches, food banks and the Plant A Row programs can all use extra help. With so many in our region struggling to put food on their tables, let’s not forget that caring for our fellows is always the right thing to do.

Gardening With Kids, Part 2

2009-05-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Watching our feathered friends eat from a homemade bird feeder has always filled my little budding birdwatchers with pride and fascination. Probably the best of all, is that these feeders are super easy to make with your kids or grandkids or whatever children are hanging around your house over the coming spring and summer months.

Toast Feeder. Make some toast and spread it with some nut butter. Peanut is great, but if food allergies are an issue, sun butter, made from sunflower seeds, is also a good choice. Cut the toast into a fun shape with a large cookie cutter, and then poke a hole in the top with a wooden skewer or a straw. Have the child press the buttered side of the toast into a plate full of bird seeds. Thread a ribbon through the hole, knot the ends and hang. This feeder should last for at least a week or until the next rain.

Pine Cones. Smear nut butter onto a pinecone with a stiff paintbrush until it’s well coated. Have the child put the cone into a large zip lock bag full of seeds, close securely (this can be a real mess if the bag isn’t closed tightly!) and shake the cone in the bag until it is thoroughly covered with seeds. Tie a piece of string or ribbon around the end of the pinecone, knot the ends and hang.

Cone-servationist. Have the child nibble a small hole in the end of a pointy ice cream cone or poke a hole into the flat part of a flat bottomed cone. Spread nut butter on the cone and roll it in birdseed, thickly coating it. Thread the ends of a ribbon into the hole, tie a knot too big to slip out of the hole and hang it up.

It won’t take long to cultivate the gardening bug in your kids with this project developed by Hans Leo of Massachusetts. His inspiration comes from the Canadian Indians would create temporary lodges out of live saplings by tying the upper branches together to form a roof.

Here are the instructions for planting and growing a sunflower hideaway of your own, including ways to keep the kids interested in the project.

In the spring, like right now, stake out a six foot square area where the sunflowers can be planted. Using a fork or rototiller, if you have one, loosen and turn a path about a foot wide along the perimeter of the square. Leave a few feet unturned on the north side for an entry way. Sunflowers need a fair amount of nutrients, so mixing in compost or aged manure into the turned soil is vital.

In late May or early June, plant your sunflowers. Hans recommends the Mammoth Gray Stripe, which has a stout stem, very large flower heads and can grow up to twelve feet tall. You can start your seeds in peat pots, thus getting the kids involved in the planting and sprouting process. Plus, you can plant the seedlings, pot and all. Plant 2 seeds in 24 pots and set them in a sunny, but sheltered, location. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking. Once your seedlings are four or five inches tall, snip back the smaller one. Plant the seedlings in their pots about a foot apart and water them well. You can also direct-sow your seeds, two to a hole, about a foot apart. When your seedlings are four to eight inches tall, snip off the weaker of the two.

As they grow, water and weed as needed. Spread mulch around them to conserve water. Give them a good watering once a week unless it gets really hot. Spraying the leaves weekly with liquid kelp will produce vibrant growth.

When your sunflowers are around 4 feet tall, you can add petunias or marigolds or whatever annuals you like to add some color to the house.

By the time your sunflowers are 6 feet or so tall, it’s time to start making your roof. Gently tie some baling twine around a flower on one side of the house about a foot below the flower head. You may need a stepladder for this. Slowly pull the plant toward the flower opposite of it and loop the free end of the twine around it. Bring the flower heads together and secure the twine. Don’t tie them too tightly or you could uproot your sunflowers. Pair up the flowers until your roof is done. You may have to adjust the twines over the next few weeks as the plants continue to grow.

As the sunflowers grow, periodically weed and rake the floor of the house to keep it clear. Kids like quick results, so include fast growing plants. Nasturtiums are also a good choice as are marigolds. Radishes of several varieties (Easter egg radishes, with their multiple colors, are a huge hit around here) and short or round carrots are a nice addition to the spaces between the flowers. Think short and round so you’re not compromising the roof system of the sunflowers when you pull up the veggies.

Encourage the children in your life to help with the planting, weeding and picking, but don’t let these activities stretch beyond their attention span. Make gardening fun but not a chore. Then it will be something that they look forward to each spring and summer.

Gardening projects to do with the kidlets, part 1

2009-05-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

There are a number of very cool crafty projects that you can put together for your garden. And what child doesn’t like doing crafts? I know that my two would rather do crafts of any kind over just about anything else. Add gardening to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for an afternoon of excited and happy kids. And happy gardeners!

The first project I wanted to tackle is the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. They sell these gadgets on those infomercials for over twenty bucks a piece (and that’s only if you buy two of them!). Even though I resisted the whole idea of the upside down tomato, I did have the opportunity to give the topsy turvy a try and it’s actually OK. I don’t care much for the price, and was pleased to find instructions on how to make my own.

The bottom line is that tomatoes love the sun, and even planting them upside down will not deter them from searching out the light.

It takes a couple of hours to put this together and – if your planter is white – why not have your kids or grandkids decorate it with some bright colored Sharpie pens? You’re going to need a sturdy bucket, preferably one with a cover, a drill with a 2” hole saw, electrical tape, sphagnum moss, tomato plants (smaller ones), potting soil and compost.

I’ve seen these done a couple different ways. One is to plant only one plant per bucket, right out of the bottom. I don't care for that version; what if you have to take down the planter and set it down? The other is to use three, from the sides of the bucket. I prefer the three from the side version, so those are the instructions I’m using here.

Moving on…Thoroughly clean out your bucket and cut three holes, equally spaced, about two inches from the bottom of your bucket. Wrap the edges of the holes with electrical tape to avoid sharp edges. You could sand them as well, if you wish. Put moss in the bucket all around the holes to keep the tomato plant from falling out when you first hang the bucket.

Thread the upper two to three inches of your tomato seedling through the holes but keep the root ball inside the bucket. Then you and your kidlet can loosely pack soil around the stem and root ball. Add enough soil to cover the roots by about two inches. Add a layer of compost and then another couple inches of soil. You will want to fill your bucket so that the soil is just a few inches below the rim. Hang the bucket by its handle in a sunny location, perhaps on the edge of your patio, and water it thoroughly, until water starts running out of the holes. Water your topsy turvy regularly and add soil and compost when levels inside the bucket fall. Keeping a cover on the bucket will help retain moisture. As the plants grow, the leaves will search out the sun until fruit forms to weigh them down.

Many of us are seeing crowds of winged visitors in our yards right about now. This little bird feeder is quick to make, fun for the kidlets and uses recycled materials. You’re going to need a 1-liter soda bottle, a craft knife, two wooden spoons, a small eye-screw and a length of twine or wire for hanging. Start by drawing a ½ inch asterisk on the side of a clean 1-liter pop bottle about 4 inches from the bottom. Turn the bottle 90 degrees and draw another asterisk about 2 inches from the bottom of the bottle. Draw a 1 inch wide circle on the opposite side of each asterisk. Using your craft knife slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circle (that’s a grown-up job!). Insert the wooden spoon handle first through the hole and then through the asterisk to hold it in place. Turn the spoon so that the depression will catch the seeds as they come out of the feeder and push it far enough in so that the base of the spoon is just inside that hole you cut. The handle on the other side serves as a perch. Take off the cap of the bottle and twist the small eye screw in to the top for hanging. Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it and use your length of twine or wire and hang if from a tree or your patio. Remember, though, that hanging a feeder on your patio or deck can get messy after that feeder becomes popular with your feathered visitors.

These are both projects that you can do with the kidlets in your life, or projects that you can make and give away. Wouldn’t grandma really grin over a topsy turvy tomato planter? And who doesn’t love bird feeders? Make some for your own yard and garden and make some for gifts. Don’t forget Father’s Day is coming up and Dad’s and Grandpa’s garden, too!

Catmint and other stuff....

2009-05-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

I generally try to be whimsical and chirpy about approaching my computer each week to compose something that will, hopefully, be remotely informative and mildly entertaining. I’m finding that I really need the human equivalent of catmint; something that will instill euphoria and just make everything right in the world.

Sigh.

Since I’ve not found that human equivalent, catmint and a couple of other cool plants are the order of the day. Catmint, obviously, is a member of the mint family and has a lovely lemony-mint flavor. My girls love to crush a few leaves in the bottom of a glass before pouring in the ice and lemonade. It’s easy to grow both for your kitties and for tea or other beverages for you.

This is a strong smelling herb with clusters of purplish-blue flowers loved by honeybees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Oh, yeah…and cats. Historically, the medicinal effects of catmint have been recorded as great for treating colic or other tummy upsets and cold symptoms. Naturally, many of the supposed treatments have been dismissed, although it’s astringency and antioxidant qualities are documented.

In 2007, Faassen’s Catmint “Walker’s Low” was chosen as the Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year. This variety is slightly more compact than other catmints and much less floppy. It is drought tolerant and, since it is – after all – a mint, can creep through its area if you don’t keep an eye on it.

Catmint literally “billows” when it grows. It’s nice to have at the bottoms of roses, hollyhocks or even peonies to hide their “knees”. It’s a great border plant, lovely cascading over a wall and makes a nice substitute for lavender.

There are two schools of thought on the best way to propagate catmint. Our fabulous friends at the Master Gardeners swear by propagation via seed. They say if you bring the plants into your yard and crush so little as one leaf getting them planted, you will attract every cat in the neighborhood. Seed is the way to go, they say. Established plants can be propagated by division of the root ball. Remember to allow for plenty of space.

There’s a cute little rhyme for catmint:
“If you set it, the cats will eat it,
If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.”

Either way, it’s a nice addition to any home garden.

Catmint is easy to grow in either sun or partial shade and has few to no pests or other issues. Catmint is deer resistant. It likes well drained soil that is not too rich. Fertilizer is not generally needed, unless your soil is really bereft of nutrients. Maybe a little at planting and then a couple times a year for maximum growth. Periodically pinch back the shoots of your catmint to help make them bushy. First bloom should be around mid-summer at which time you can harvest the leaves for tea or cat toys. You can probably expect three harvests a year, and the honeybees will love you for growing it. Harvest the leaves as the flowers begin to bloom. You can cut off the leaves, stems and flowers for use fresh, dried or frozen.
Some nice varieties to try are ‘Felix’, ‘Six Hills Giant’, ‘Sweet Dreams’ and ‘Walker’s Low’. Catmint is beautiful when combined with the yellow and pinks of daylilies or yarrow.

Another plant that looks especially nice planted with catmint is Lamb’s Ears. The fuzzy, silver green foliage – soft as suede – are a nice counter to the brighter greens. They flower on tall spikes, pinkish-purple or white, in the late spring and early summer. Some folks like the flowers and others cut them off because they want that soft and fuzzy foliage more than blooms. As with catmint, bees love the blooms of the Lamb’s Ear. They look best as a rambling ground cover or border plant. You will have to do some maintenance to keep them from creeping out of their area. Lamb’s Ears self-seed like nobody’s business, and in some areas can be invasive and hard to get rid of.

Astilbes or Meadowsweet (love that name!) are very cool, plume-like bloomers that are noted for their long flowering quality. One of the easiest perennials to grow, Meadowsweet gives a very high return with their white, pink and red blooms. A pest free perennial, they offer color that pops to the shadier areas of your garden and do very well in containers. Their foliage is rather fern-like and the feathery blooms are on stalks above the foliage. The bloom cycle will last several weeks and the colors will slowly fade as the blooms dry. They prefer partial shade, but can do full sun with lots of water. They also like a richer soil. Meadowsweet is generally trouble free and not bothered by disease or insect pests. Cut these back in the spring or if the stalks fall over. They should be divided and shared amongst your friends every four to five years. Some varieties to consider: ‘Bridal Veil’, 3’ tall with full white plumes, ‘Purple Candles’, 3’-4’ tall with glorious purple plumes, ‘Fanal’, 1-1/2’ to 2’ tall with crimson flowers and bronze foliage, and ‘Rheinland’, 2’-2-1/2’ feet tall with rich pink blooms.

Well, I feel better now. I’m heading out to the garden. How about you?

Strawberries

2009-04-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

With the exception of those unfortunate few who are allergic to them, who doesn’t absolutely love strawberries? Kids love ‘em right off the plant and if you have some in your yard – strawberries, not kids – I’m sure you’ll find the kids grazing on them from time to time. I can think of one extraordinary child whose favorite food in the whole, wide world is strawberry waffles!

While strawberries are indeed a huge favorite, the do also show up on the “Dirty Dozen” list. That list is the twelve fruits that carry the highest levels of residual pesticides, even after you wash them. It’s a pretty scary list. From the top: peaches, celery, apples, sweet bell peppers, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach and strawberries. In fact, 90% of commercially grown strawberries have tested positive for – are you ready for this – THIRTY SIX DIFFERENT KINDS OF PESTICIDES. For a fruit with not very many pests, that is really mind-boggling, in my opinion. Obviously, growing them on your own organically is a much better choice. Even purchasing organic, in this instance, is a much better choice, but that’s an opinion for another forum.

There are four types of strawberries, although I think that the Alpine is too much effort. They will produce fruit almost all summer, but the fruits are tiny and you would need a lot of plants to get enough fruit to make growing these worth the effort.

There are, however, three other types that work very well for the home organic garden.

June Bearing: June bearers bear all their fruit in June (duh!). You can purchase early, mid and late season varieties, but that still means early, mid or late JUNE. These plants grow fairly large and develop an active runner system. They work well in a dedicated strawberry patch. These produce a large crop all at one time. Also, June bearing varieties won’t produce until their second season in the ground.

Ever-Bearing: Ever bearing strawberries produce fruit from late spring until early fall. They will regularly develop fruit, but never really very much at one time. The plants don’t get huge and don’t produce runners like the June bearers. And you’ll be able to harvest fruit in the first season.

Day-Neutral: (My personal favorite) Day-neutral varieties produce fairly decent crops of berries from spring until fall, with a fairly large crop in the fall. The plants are on the smaller side but produce fruit quite well. I’m told that the only drawback to the day-neutrals is that they don’t do well in places with very hot summers. If we were to have a severe heat wave in the Valley, I’d suggest shade cloth for the hot afternoon/early evening. The great folks at the extension don’t feel that the heat we get in the summer should be a deterrent to growing day-neutral varieties. As with the ever-bearing varieties, day-neutrals will produce fruit in their first season of growth.

Purchase your plants from a local nursery or order from a catalog for planting in the early spring. That’s right now. I got some very nice plants locally and then some others from a grower who was plowing up their field. If Seven Oaks plants strawberries this year, you might be able to get some of those plants for free when they plow the field at the end of the season. Plant them and grow them organically, if you have room for a dedicated strawberry patch.

Strawberries require five or six hours of sun per day, so choose your location accordingly. Soil that is high in organic matter is an absolute necessity, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. I’ve talked a lot about pH and test kits. I’ve noticed some nice little test kits – reasonably priced – available right here in town. To get your plants off to a ripping start, clear your area of all weeds and grass and dig in two to three inches of compost into the top few inches of soil. A dedicated strawberry patch would work well with the Lasagna gardening method; check the archives for information on that.

Planting strawberries is fairly straightforward. In your prepared bed, dig holes the size of the root ball and plant it with the crown of the plant slightly above soil level. Fill it in and water your plants well. Once they’re in, mulch with straw, shredded leaves or pine needles. Pine needles are really great for strawberries since they will raise the acidity of the soil slightly as they break down. Another added caveat is that most of us have some pine needles in our yards that need a place to go.

There are two methods for planting a strawberry bed. The first – The Matted Row – provides for easy maintenance. Set your plants 18 inches apart in rows three feet apart. The plants will send out runners and each runner will create a new plant. Keep the spaces between the rows open by removing plants from both sides of each row as they start to grow outward. You can either cut the runners and dig up the attached plant or simply run a tiller down the row. Remove some of the original plants from each row at the same time as the newest plants will bear the most fruit the next season.

The second – hill planting – is best if you have limited space. Again, lasagna gardening works well for this. Set your plants out 12 inches apart in all directions, either in row or groups. Make sure the bed is small enough that you can reach all the plants. Cut off the runners as soon as they appear so that the plants will direct all their energy into fruit production and give you large harvests.

Make sure that your plants get at least an inch of water a week. Remember to mulch to save on water and stop weeds without weed killers. Feed your plants with compost or organic fertilizer monthly. Blood meal and bone meal are good choices. If there are coffee drinkers in your house, you can put those grounds right into the strawberry bed. Strawberries are fairly shallow rooted. While they don’t like “wet feet”, if the soil dries out too much, fruit production will stop. This is one reason why mulching is so important. I wouldn’t use that whole inch of water a week all at once either. Water twice a week to ensure even moisture. Maybe a little extra if it’s really hot.

There are two schools of thought on strawberries. I’ve talked to folks on both sides of this fence at the Master Gardeners. Some say not to allow any fruit to develop in that first year, with the exception of ever-bearing plants. They say to pick off every single blossom as soon as you see it and that even one or two berries will weaken your plants and production will be greatly impaired. Others say, if you’re growing ever-bearers or day-neutrals, pick off the blossoms into mid-summer to give the plants time to develop strong root systems and grow into strong plants. By then, your plants should be well established enough to bear a late summer or fall crop. Since instant gratification is my personal super power, I’d be more likely to take that second option. Your mileage may vary.

Don’t plant your strawberries in or near an area where you are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes or raspberries. These plants can carry verticillium wilt that can infect your strawberries.

Strawberries aren’t bothered by a huge number of pests (unless you count your significant other, who decimates the crop regularly) and of those, our feathered friends are perhaps the greatest offenders. Bird netting is available at nurseries and our local hardware store. The other main pests are slugs and snails. There are a number of things you can do to keep them away. Install a copper edging strip around the perimeter of the bed. Slugs and snails won’t cross copper because it creates and electrical reaction when it comes in contact with their slime. You can use diatomaceous earth as a deterrent or the ever-popular dishes of beer in the garden.

As if this even needs saying – Be sure to pick your strawberries as soon as they ripen and eat, freeze or preserve them immediately. Like we could leave a strawberry to rot in the bed! Ha!

Daisy, daisy

2009-04-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Someone once said that daisies represent what is so right about gardening. And, you know what? They’re right. Daisies are so cool. There are so many varieties and colors and they’re just so…fun. So HAPPY. They are just the happiest flower to look at, grow and have around. They are also one of the most popular flowers to grow in the home garden. Easy to grow, this delicate and lovely flower reminds us that spring is here, relaxing afternoons and Easter time.

Some random facts about daisies:
The name “daisy” comes from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “day’s eye”.
Most daisies have a spreading growth habit.
In many cultures, daisies are symbols of innocence.
Daisies can be propagated by division.
The English daisy is an invasive weed in the Northwest.
Daisies are used by children to make daisy chains.
Daisy leaves are edible.

Daisies come in all shapes and sizes. Most daisies are perennials, which I like, and that they’ll last several years. Perennials come with a time investment requirement, so they may also take a while to grow. There are annual daisies, to be sure. African daisies, for example, will require a little more work since – as annuals – their life cycle is only the one year. The choice is yours. They can all mostly be grown from seed, so head on down to the local garden center and pick up a package of daisy seeds of your choice.

I like Shasta daisies – so classic. I also really like the Gerber daisies with their brilliant colors. Once you’ve made YOUR choice, you’ll have to find the right place to plant them. Daisies like well-drained soil that is rich with nutrients. They also like full sun. Make sure that your location will get as much sunlight as possible. As always, before you plant, feed your soil so that your soil will feed your plants.

Daisies look best in clumps so it would behoove you to plant your seeds close together. Feed them a nice organic fertilizer during early growth and then once a month after that. Adding a high Phosphorous fertilizer right before bloom time will add to size and brilliance of bloom. Water your daisies when they get dry. Generally, daisies are not bothered by critters. Insects don’t seem to like them. If you find visitors amongst your daisies, there are some good homemade remedies in the arsenal you can check out. Go to the Rogue River Press archives and check out the past articles.

Let’s talk about size. Of the smaller varieties, Gerber or Gerbera daisies are by far the most popular. Angelita or Santa Barbara daisies are good, cheerful choices of the smaller size range. Medium size daisy plants include the chrysanthemums, Echinacea, asters, galliardia, Gloriosa daisy, golden marguerite (can take frost) and the lovely blue-hued Swan River daisy. Larger plants are the Shastas and Euryops. Sunflowers are considered by many to be GIANT daisies and can now be found in a variety of sizes and colors from brilliant reds, to browns and every hue of yellow. Annual daisy varieties include cosmos, coreopsis, Acton, calendula, painted daisies and African daisies.

Gerbera daisies. A bouquet of them will lift the spirit and brighten the day of anyone who receives them. The multitude of varieties and colors lends the Gerbera to becoming the favorite choice for the OCCASION bouquet. Brilliant pink, snowy white, sunshine yellow and deep ruby are a few of the fabulous colors that these happy flowers bring to the gardening table.
While I doubt that anyone is going to have nothing but daisies in their gardens, I think that we overlook this intrinsically happy and underrated flower. I guess people think them common, but nothing says “Welcome To My Garden” like a rousing display of Shastas, with their sunny demeanor.

Daisies lend themselves to cutting to bring indoors. Bring some of this cheer to your garden this year, and take a second look at the varieties of daisy-like flowers. You’ll be glad you did.

Sweet smell of . . .

2009-04-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Success. And that smell is the fragrance of a Daphne plant that has weathered more than one season in your yard. A friend was telling me about how this is her very favorite of all plants. I’d forgotten the incredible fragrance of Daphne. I’d also forgotten how finicky and persnickety it can be. If you give it the right spot…and I mean, exactly the right spot, with the right soil and don’t water it much…Daphne can be an absolute wonder of the most amazing fragrance you can grow in your garden.

The Daphnis have rather gotten themselves a “bad reputation”. One of the fine folks at the Master Gardeners has stated that Daphne are “fussy about soil and prone to sudden death for no apparent reason.” Hmph. There’s always a reason. Always. Further inquiry shows that success with Daphne means not disturbing the roots when planting. It is a common practice to break apart the root ball when planting shrubs. For Daphne, it is the kiss of death. Carefully remove the plant from the container and with equal care place it into the planting hole so as not to disturb its roots.

Most of the time, Daphne is a fairly unassuming shrub, just hanging out in the shadier parts of the garden. They grow to four feet high or so and around six feet wide. Its 3-inch long leaves are glossy and thick and rich in color. The most popular variety has a yellow or white edged leaf.

Daphne produces clusters of extremely fragrant flowers that are pink to deep red on the outside and a creamy pale pink on the inside. Blooming in February, Daphne is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite gardener and is truly a gift that keeps on giving. The blooms last for a few weeks, through March usually.

Daphne is not interested in full sun; plant it so that it gets shade at mid-day. Aside from the fragrance, the other really wonderful thing about Daphne is that it is deer proof. Not deer resistant – DEER PROOF.

The big thing with Daphne is that it wants really great drainage; not so easy to do in some of our yards in the Rogue Valley, where the soil tends to sometimes be heavy. Work in plenty of organic matter into your soil. You plant Daphne just like you do Rhodies, but unlike Rhodies, you will want to water Daphne as infrequently as possible. Little water during the dry season helps Daphne form its flower buds for the following year.

Plant the root ball of Daphne a bit high in the ground and mulch the soil or plant a nice ground cover to shade the roots.

Daphne is slow growing and makes an excellent container plant. This is a good thing since you can move it around to find the place that it likes best and to take advantage of the fragrance at bloom time.

Other fragrant dainties for the winter garden are Sarcococca, which is an evergreen shrub. Small, inconspicuous white flowers offer an unmistakable fragrance. Sarcococca thrives in partial to deep shade and they actually like it under cedar or Douglass fir trees. Good companion plants for both Daphne and Sarcococca are tassel fern, bleeding hearts and anemone.

Another candidate for the winter garden is the Chinese witch hazel. It is a slow growing, deciduous shrub boasting unusual and typically yellow flowers. Chinese witch hazel will persist in the worst winter weather, including frost and snow, and will survive beautifully. Chinese witch hazel likes a bit of sun but will do alright with light shade as well.

The last winter surprise I want to talk about is the evergreen clematis (clematis armandii). This plant features large white flowers that begin to appear in January or February with a scent that is abundant and heady. This plant likes full sun, is easy to grow and requires a screen or trellis for support.

Speaking of fragrance, at the other end of the seasonal spectrum, we have the tuberose. This is a bulb that produces tall flower spikes with numerous blooms and a fragrance that is rich and wonderful. If you have a sunny, warm site in your flower garden, then tuberose could be for you.

Find a location with excellent drainage. If there are water puddles 5 hours after a hard rain, choose a different site. You can also heavily amend the soil and raise the level two to three inches to improve the drainage. Compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well for tuberose.

Plant your bulbs where they will receive full sun. If you can find tuberose bulbs in clusters, that’s always a good choice. Plant about 3” deep and about 8 inches apart. After planting, water generously, soaking the soil. Roots and top growth will develop in a few weeks. Water regularly during the growing season if there’s no rain. Tuberoses are hungry and like a side dressing of an 8-8-8 fertilizer while in an active growth cycle.

Tuberose will flower in mid to later summer, generally 120 days after you plant them. When that bloom hits, be sure to bring some inside for cut flowers.

After the bloom, leave the foliage in place. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next season’s bloom cycle. Water as needed. When the leaves start to turn yellow, later in the season, feel free to remove them then. Tuberose also does well in containers, where you can shift them around to best take advantage of the fragrance.

Just before the annual frost, you might consider digging up your bulbs, cutting off the tops to within 2 inches of the apex of the bulb and placing them in shallow boxes in the sun to air out for about a week. If the evenings are too cold, bring them in. You don’t want them exposed to temperatures below 40 degrees. Store them away in boxes for the winter. There are gardeners who have successfully overwintered tuberose in the ground by utilizing a heavy cover of mulch. Just depends on where you are in the valley, how much sun your yard gets and how long the snow stays on the ground at your house.

Birds of a feather...

2009-03-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I like to see all kinds of birds in the yard. From those teeny yellow finches, squabbling over the Niger thistle seeds, to the handsome chickadee and the flying jewels that are the hummers.

Of all the birds you can invite in, hummingbirds are probably the easiest and least messy to have in your yard as a guest. The best time to get started is RIGHT NOW – early spring – when they are starting to return from migration and looking for the best places to build their nests.

When you bring out your feeders to wash them and fill them, give them plenty of time for the hummers to find them. I’ve been told it could take a month or more. I, personally, have not had that experience. Hummers seem to come looking for them. If you have one that’s busy and you add another, the numbers seem to exponentially increase and pretty soon, you got hoards of the little beggars. However many feeders you put up, make sure that you keep your feeding solution fresh.

When you’re choosing a feeder, be sure to choose one with some red color on it. Most of them do anyway. We got a feeder kit recently that uses a one liter soda bottle for the solution tank. Kind of cool, a great way to recycle a pop bottle and the kit was reasonably priced.

Fill your feeder with either a commercially prepared feeder solution or a solution with a ratio of 1:4 of sugar and water. Boil the solution to rid it of any potential bacteria, fungus or mold. Let it cool before filling your feeder. I hate to shriek this out in all capital letters, but here goes: DO NOT USE HONEY OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS IN YOUR HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS. These are both harmful to hummingbirds. Make a gallon at a time and keep it in an empty milk jug in the refrigerator (recycle recycle recycle) so you can easily keep your feeders filled. You can store it for up to a week and, in summer, you’re going to use at least that much. Skip the red food coloring. Your feeder probably has enough red on it to attract the hummers and that red chemical is likely not all that great for the birds.

I can’t say this enough – keep the solution in the feeders FRESH. In cooler weather, change it out and wash your feeder once a week, even if it’s not empty. When it gets warmer – say mid-June or so – two or three times a week. Mold and fungus grows pretty easily and it’s hazardous to hummers.

Male hummers are very territorial towards their feeders and spend lots of time chasing interlopers. While it’s entertaining to watch, it’s really better to simply reduce the competition by hanging out several feeders throughout your yard. I generally keep feeders for the hummers away from feeders for the other birds.

There are many types of plants you can offer in your garden that have a dual purpose of being gorgeous and attracting hummers, honey bees and butterflies. Good choices for our area are: Honeysuckle, sage or salvia, columbine, bee balm, comfrey, foxglove, delphinium, red hot poker, coral bells, dianthus, nicotiana, lupine, petunias, impatiens, fuscias, morning glories and trumpet vines.

For the other types of feathered friends, there are some really easy things you can do that will attract more birds to your yard.

Of course, the first thing is feeders. Mesh bags full of Niger thistle seeds will bring in the finches, chickadees and a host of other tiny birds. Feeders containing the more traditional seed offerings will bring along everyone else. We had a suet plug feeder that was quite entertaining with the flickers, woodpeckers and Stellar jays duking it out for a snack.

The basket style of suet feeder actually can serve a dual purpose. Once you’re done feeding suet and nest building time arrives, you can fill it with cotton cushion stuffing, dog hair from grooming your dog, sheep’s wool, llama down, snips of yarn and such. Hummers, in particular, seem attracted to the cotton down cushion stuffing.

If you have the room on your property to have one, a brush pile will be used by birds to get out of the harsher elements. Take fallen and pruned branches from trees and shrubs on your property and loosely stack them in an area where they won’t bug your neighbors or be an eyesore. Try to make your pile about 6’ x 6’. It should be airy and have lots of open spaces for the birds to flit in and out. A brush pile will provide food in that there will be insects among the decaying branches or on the ground beneath the pile. Brush piles seem to be used the most during the winter and earlier spring months. You can burn it, if you wish, toward the end of the burn season. Don’t forget your permit.

Planting a hedgerow – a long line of shrubs and small trees at the border of a field or lawn. Birds will use hedgerows in all seasons because they provide food, shelter and nesting sites.

Leave the leaves. Fallen leaves provide nutrients to your soil as they break down. They provide an insulation layer over the soil that keeps it warmer and moister. Insects and other microbial soil denizens live under these conditions. There are many garden birds that love to feed in leaf litter, including thrushes, robins and sparrows.

Providing a dust bath area will allow many birds a way to rid themselves of mites and other parasites and to fluff their feathers to keep them in top condition. Choose a sunny area about three feet square in the vicinity of your seed feeders. Clear it of vegetation, hollow it out two to three inches. If you can, get some fine dust or that super fine sand you find in the river bed. With the river much lower these days, access to the sandy spots should be more available. You can always mix sand with topsoil as well. Rim your dust bath with rocks and natural timber to make it more attractive. Be sure to keep an eye on any cats wandering about. Birds won’t use the dust bath it the cats have been using it.

I’d like to leave you with some suggestions for shrubs and perennials that would be great for drawing our feathered friends to your yard. Of course, the annual Sunflowers are perfect and make me happy just to have them around.

Shrubs: Holly, pyracantha, lilac, Oregon grape, sumac, barberry, raspberry, hackberry, elderberry, gooseberry. If you have them, and the means to take care of them, those “pesky” blackberry brambles, trimming them up, watering them and providing some decent fertilizer will not only give you some superior fruit, but really provide some great habitat for the birds.

Perennials: Coreopsis, bleeding heart, penstemons, phlox, globe thistle or even artichokes, goldenrod and just about any of the large family of ornamental grasses.

They say variety is the spice of life. It’s also the key to encouraging birds of all kinds to hang out in your yard. Providing a mixture of trees, clumps of berry bearing shrubs, fruit trees and a variety of flowers and grasses, weeds allowed to go to seed, a wildflower patch, insects to forage, a well stocked feeder and maybe even a water feature, like a fountain or birdbath will please a great variety of feathered visitors.

There's tomatoes and then there's TOMATOES...

2009-03-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Is bigger always better? When it comes to a tomato sandwich, usually.

The two most often asked questions in the veggie gardening world are:

How can I grow BIGGER fruits/veggies?
How can I get a BIGGER harvest of my fruits/veggies?

One assumes that, if you do the basics – plenty of water, feed your soil and the right amount of sunlight – you’ll get that bumper crop of whatever it is that’s making your heart sing. Tomato Bob has provided a lot of great information as have a number of other gardeners in the Rogue Valley for growing tomatoes, but most of this information can be applied to anything you’re growing. Some factors that you can’t easily modify are weather and insects. Last year, I wrote about some home remedies for various nasties in the garden. Email thegardengrrl@gmail.com for a reprint of that article. They say that soil is one of those things you can’t easily remedy, but I don’t believe that for a minute. Feed the soil and the soil will – to a large degree – feed your plants.

Let’s talk first about soil. The best soil conditions result in a well-drained garden that holds moisture well; within its structure, not pooled on the surface. A loose structure allows for superior root development, which is vital to healthy plants and thus greater yields. Dense clay or sandy soils can be improved greatly and immediately by adding peat moss or compost. You can use uncomposted leaves or grass clippings, but it’s recommended that you till those in four to six months before you plant as this kind of soil amendment lowers the available nitrogen. You’ll get slow growing plants with yellow leaves if there’s not enough nitrogen. If you mulch with either leaves or grass clippings, it won’t affect the nitrogen levels, will provide a really great long-term source of nutrients, keep down weeds and conserve water. You can add compost any time.

Perhaps the greatest mistake people make with tomatoes is over fertilizing. A number of the commercial liquid or mix with water fertilizers are high in nitrogen and produce huge glorious plants. But they do this at the expense of the harvest. A good average nutrient formula, found in several available commercial organic fertilizers is N-P-K (5-5-5). Nitrogen promotes growth of the plant, phosphorous promotes blossom development and potassium promotes root growth and disease resistance.

Prior to planting, you will want to till in an application of a dry organic fertilizer with an NPK rating similar to what I’ve described above. At the time of transplanting, liquid fish emulsion is a really great choice, as it will give your seedlings a nitrogen boost, as it’s a 5-1-1 fertilizer. Every three weeks throughout your growing season, use that same dry organic fertilizer as instructed on the package. When your ‘maters (or whatever) start to bloom, apply some bone meal (4-12-0) to help increase the number of blossoms and to help the dreaded Blossom End Rot.

Be aware of the pH of your soil. This is really important, folks. The optimal levels you need to provide for the best rate of nutrient absorption is between 6.5 and 7.5. Main Building has some inexpensive pH test kits available. If they’re out, have them order one for you.

Let’s talk a minute about WHAT you’re going to be growing…

If you’re after size, some of the best varieties for HUGE beefsteaks are: of course, Beefmaster, Brandywine, Amana Orange, Giant Belgium, Mexico and Old German. My kids LOVE tomato sandwiches – bread, mayo and tomato – and the beefsteak varieties totally fit the bill for those one-slice sandwiches.

If it’s sheer numbers you’re after, any variety of Roma or paste tomato is going to produce in copious amounts. Others include Rutgers, Old Brooks, De Pinto, Campbell’s 1327 and Avalanche.

Of course, everyone has his or her favorites and I’m no exception. Every year, I tell myself, “Only five plants, only five plants…” Last year, I had twenty-three. The year before that, nineteen. My neighbors actually started to hide and pretend they weren’t home when I showed up with my bags of tomatoes, zucchini and Armenian cucumbers. (If you haven’t tried those, do. They’re super tasty and seem to appear in your garden overnight, as if by magic!) I love the Heirlooms and I love anything weird or different. My kids love any tomato, but have a marked preference for grazing on anything small. Hits in our garden have been Green Zebra, Green Grape, Moon Glow, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Oxhearts, Royal Hillbilly, Blosser Pink Beefsteak, Black Cherry, Black Krim, Red Fig, Marmande, Fox Cherry, Pantano Romanesco, Pineapple, Red Zebra, Black Pineapple, Yellow Pear and Lemon Oxhearts.

Now, about seeds…

Start with fresh seeds that will give you the healthiest seedlings. Old seeds may not germinate well and inferior plants will be the result. They are more likely to become diseased and produce poorly. I’ve had good luck with the variety of seedlings available from a number of sources. Without shoehorning in a shameless plug for my favorite places, email me if you’d like to know. thegardengrrl@gmail.com.

Temperature is a huge factor as well. Seeds need it to be at least between 65 and 80 degrees to germinate. You can direct sow in your yard at 50 degrees. Tomatoes will blossom from 55 to 95 degrees. However, several days above 95 degrees and most tomato varieties will drop their blooms until things cool down a bit. The warmer the ground, the more quickly your plants will become established.

Tomatoes are both HUNGRY and THIRSTY. If you’re growing Heirlooms, you have to be really consistent with your watering to be successful with them. Their skins are thinner, so if you skip a day and then make up for it with extra water next time, you can almost count on your ‘maters splitting. Try and keep even moisture in your ‘mater bed. Compost, plastic and any kind of natural mulch will help retain moisture. In my opinion, a soaker hose or drippers on a timer are an excellent choice for a couple of reasons. #1 – you don’t have to think about them; they do all the work for you. #2 – they provide bottom watering preferred over top spraying as it helps prevent soil borne disease.

Tomatoes need at least six hours of full sun a day. Seems like a lot. I’ve tried growing near a grove of trees and between a small orchard and – people – it just doesn’t work. They want the sun. If you’re looking at getting the most out of your tomato plants, get the out into the sun!

The preferred spacing for tomatoes is two to three feet apart. They need air circulation to keep the leaves dry, otherwise you’re just asking for disease to come make a home in your garden. If you’ve chose an indeterminate variety of Heirloom that’s going to try to grow to be eight feet tall, I’d recommend training against a fence. Sure, you can cage them and stake them, but if you’ve got a fence with nothing on it and have no plans to run your beans there or grow morning glories on it, why not use it for tomatoes? Now, when you plant your seedlings, dig your holes deep and plant them all the way up to four or six leaves. This will help them develop a robust root system as roots will develop all along the buried stem.

Heirloom tomatoes are more susceptible to disease than their hybrid relatives. These include Fusarium and Verticilium Wilt, Septoria Leaf Spot, Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Root Knot Nematodes. “That’s all?”, you say. Not really, but those are the major ones. Keep your plants well- but not over-fertilized and utilize bottom watering and you will minimize the risks greatly. Rotate tomatoes and potatoes (or grow your spuds in a bag) every year if possible. Clean up your crop residue in the fall and get rid of it instead of composting it or tilling it under.

Pests, ah pests. First of all, get some marigolds and put those around your tomatoes. Maybe some garlic and onions, as well. That’s a start. The biggest – literally – pest of tomatoes is the Tomato Hornworm. They’re disgusting. You can spot the leaf damage from about a mile away and – horrors! – the best way to get rid of them is to hand pick them off your plants. Ick! But worth the effort. Nasty little beetles can be kept at bay with insecticidal soap, garlic spray or tomato leaf spray (either one made by soaking garlic or tomato leaves in warm water over night and then decanting into a spray bottle).

OK…Now for the good stuff…The secrets…

For MONSTER tomatoes, remove all the tomatoes from a plant except for four or five. Snip off the blossom clusters and keep an eye out for more blossom production. When fruit sets, always leave the largest. This allows more energy to go into those remaining tomatoes.

For SCADS of tomatoes, prune off any branches that don’t appear to have blossoms on them. They’re just taking up space. Your plant will now focus energy on producing tomatoes and not on growing fruitless branches. This IS time consuming, but well worth the effort, if you’re going for numbers.

Remember, plant a row this year to help feed those less fortunate.

Elegance

2009-03-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing says “unique” and “elegant" like a calla lily. Callas make a spectacular addition to your garden, are popular as houseplants and very popular in cut flower arrangements and with brides.
In addition to the well-know white calla, these plants are available in various shades of green, pink, purple, yellow and orange.

The calla lilies are a flower that humans have been enjoying for centuries. While some have said that callas grow from tubers, they actually grow from a form of bulb called a rhizome and produces very large, spotted green leaves. Flowers bloom from the top of a fairly thick stem and rather resemble a twist of rolled paper. Callas are relatively easy to grow and are fabulous as a cut flower.

Beth Jarvis of the University of Minnesota Extension tells us that the botanical name for the calla lily is Zantedeschia. Quite a mouthful, I’d say. The calla belongs to the same family as the caladium and jack-in-the-pulpit. Related to the calla genus, it’s not a true calla at all. Although called a lily, callas are not truly members of the lily family. The members of the calla genus, after close botanical scrutiny, were discovered to not be as closely related as once thought.

Zantedeschia is a genus of twenty-eight different species, all native to Southern Africa. Once named after the famed Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, the genus was split up and renamed after the Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi. Callas became a huge hit in Europe and, as we know, are still extremely popular.

Callas do well indoors or out. To grow callas indoors in a container, first moisten the potting soil. Place your mix of choice in a plastic tub and slowly add warm water, stirring with your hands until the mixture is moist but not soupy. Fill your container about 2/3 full and set your calla rhizomes, with the pointed growing part facing up, on top of the potting blend. Cover the rhizome with the rest of your mix, water thoroughly and place in a warmer spot in your house. Keep the soil moist until you see signs of an emerging plant. When you see that growth set the pot in a sunny window, preferably a Southern facing one. Callas are one of the few plants that thrive with wet feet, so make sure there is always water in the catch saucer of your plant. Your calla should bloom 8 to 16 weeks after potting, depending on how much sunlight it gets.

Plant your callas outdoors after the danger of frost has passed. Make sure to select a location that consists of bright morning light and partial shade in the afternoons, especially in hot summer areas. They like a rich, moist soil need to be kept well watered and weeded. Callas grow best when the soil includes organic matter. Plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep and 1 to 2 feet apart. Fertilize monthly with a good organic all purpose fertilizer. Although callas are generally known as “spring bulbs”, in zones 8-10, callas thrive outdoors year around and can be planted at any time. In our valley, callas should be planted when temperatures rest higher than 55 degrees. Below that, calla lilies stop growing. Make sure that there is no danger from frost. If you’re in one of those zones-within-a-zone, or a frost pocket, you may need to lift your callas before the first frost and replant in the spring. A thick layer of mulch to over winter under could be enough to protect your callas if you’re not on one of those “zone-lets”. Rhizomes should be planted horizontally with the growth points facing up.

Meet The Brassicas...

2009-02-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages…Oh, my! And let’s not forget Brussels sprouts, broccolini and broccoflower. All of these are super dense nutritionally and are now coming in colors beyond the common green and white – purple and even an orange cauliflower with very high levels of vitamin C! These are all closely related … The Brassica Family, also known as cold or Cole crops. With broccoli and cauliflower, the main difference is that broccoli are slightly smaller and have less covering by leaves over their heads. Broccolini – or sprouting broccoli - is a green vegetable not unlike broccoli with small florets and long, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli. A natural hybrid of the cabbage family Brassica oleracea, it was developed by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan. Broccolini's flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus. There are two forms of Brassica oleracea that may be referred to as broccoflower, both of which are considered cultivars of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) because they have inflorescence meristems rather than flower buds when harvested. They share a curd color that is a similar hue to broccoli.

The first form of broccoflower has the physical attributes of a white cauliflower, but the curd color is lime-green. There are several cultivars of green cauliflower on the market, with the first release being 'Green Ball' with parentage of both broccoli and cauliflower.

The second form is Romanesco broccoli, which is characterised by the striking and unusual fractal patterns of its flower head. It has a yellow or vibrant green curd color.
Broccoflowers are generally considered to have a milder and slightly sweeter flavor than their close cabbage-family relatives.

All of these vegetables have similar growing requirements – they like it cool. Cauliflower generally won’t withstand as high or low temperatures as cabbage. Broccoli is not as sensitive to hot weather as cauliflower. Brussels sprout plants will tolerate considerable freezing and can be harvested late into the fall. The best Brussels sprouts are grown during sunny fall days with frosty nights. That’s probably why they are a staple on the Thanksgiving dinner table. Sow in August for harvest on October. Autumn planting for use in winter. Staggered planting of a few each week will ensure that you have a fairly continuous supply through the harvest season. We’ve got time now for an early crop. One well-grown plant can provide a meal for a family of five. You really don’t need to spend much time working out your row lengths or what to do with surplus. All you really need to do is work your menu around your harvest. If you do get some surplus, you can pickle any of these, get out your Food Saver and vacuum freeze or find a family in need.

Either way, Brassicas are easy to grow from seeds, so you can either start seeds indoors early and transplant or direct-sow into the garden. Several university extensions recommend against germination and transplanting to protect against a bacteria that causes a condition called Clubroot. Keeping your soil fed and healthy means growing broccoli and cauliflower without Clubroot.

Soil preparation is vital for growing broccoli, cauliflower and other Brassicas with success. As odd as it may sound, biological activity is particularly important. For a number of years, commercial producers of these vegetables have used soil fumigation in an attempt to control diseases like Clubroot and Blackleg – and failed. These types of disease – like most soil borne diseases, flourish where they have no competition from microorganisms. In other words, dead soil opens the door for disease.

Get your compost pile or containers going, get some composted steer or horse manure and give those pathogens a run for their money. Do all you can to build soil structure. If you must use commercial fertilizers, choose an organic, biologically active one. If you can find it, mushroom compost is phenomenal! Seaweed extracts for root growth add much to a biologically active garden. Brassicas are heavy feeders and do best at the first stages of your crop rotation. Side dress your Brassicas with a good, slow release organic fertilizer about three weeks after planting. Even with this super rich soil you’re going to give them, they are greedy and will require more.

Research indicates that there are no universally good varieties to grow. Some varieties do better in some areas than others. A good approach is to check out those catalogs and sources specializing in heritage or heirloom seeds. Those varieties seem to be suited to a broader climatic range. Email me at thegardengrrl@gmail.com for some sources.

Broccoli prefers full sun, well-drained soil high in organic matter and a 6.0 to 7.5 pH level. Broccoli generally doesn’t like it much if the temperatures are above 68 degrees or so. They tend to get testy and bolt to seed. Broccoli has a relatively shallow root system. Cultivate carefully and apply organic mulch for weed control. Even moisture is important as well, especially if you’ve transplanted and during the maturing of the heads. Make sure your watering deeply – at least 6 inches deep – to encourage deeper rooting. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are particularly well suited for managing Brassicas.

Harvest your broccoli before the flowers begin to open. That’s all they are, really; flower buds. Mature heads are anywhere from three to ten inches across. Harvest with six to eight inches of stem. Lateral heads will develop later and will be smaller, but not any less tasty.

Broccoli – like all Brassicas – can have problems with several insect and disease problems, including cutworms (how I hate those!), cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, flea beetles, white flies, aphids, blackleg, clubroot, blackrot and fusarium wilt. “Why even bother with them, then?” you ask. Control of disease and pests with Brassicas is really pretty easy. Control insects before the heads start to develop or protect them with a physical barrier like row covers.

Let me add just a bit more about cutworms. Yuck. Seriously, though…Use cutworm collars on your transplants to shield the stem. To make one, simply take a small strip of paper or newspaper and lightly wrap the stems of the young plants at soil level. Make sure that the collar is both below and above the soil level so as the cutworm crawls along the ground, it can’t gnaw the stem. Be sure to keep your growing area free of weeds, which will attract the egg-laying moths. Diatomaceous earth spread around the base of the plants discourages the egg layers, as well as earwigs and other ickies. There are always insect parasitic nematodes that you can purchase and apply to the soil. I really don’t like cutworms at all. Not one little bit. Nope.

Cabbages also thrive in cool weather, so grow as an early spring or fall crop in most areas, or as a winter crop where temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Avoid plantings that will mature in hot, dry weather. For early cultivars, start plants indoors six to eight weeks before the last expected frost. Set out transplants into the garden about four weeks before the last expected frost so they'll mature before the hot weather arrives. Or direct sow around the time of the last expected frost. For mid-season and storage varieties, you can sow directly in the garden about two weeks before the last expected frost until two to three weeks after. Most gardeners prefer to use transplants to get a jump on the season, so look for sturdy, compact plants that show no signs of disease or insects like flea beetle or cabbageworms. The leaves should not be yellow or brown, and the stems should be firm and unscarred. When setting out transplants do so about four weeks before the last expected frost and when soil temperatures are 40 degrees or higher. Like right now! Row covers can help protect plants from cold temperatures. Cabbages need a steady supply of moisture. To help keep the soil moist and cool, apply mulch 6 to 8 inches deep around the plants. For fall crops, start plants or direct sow seed from mid-May to mid-June. You can also start cabbages in September for a late-winter or early-spring crop.

Brussels sprouts resemble miniature heads of cabbage, but are actually buds that grow in the angle between the leaf bases and the stem. Depending on the variety of Brussels sprouts plant, the plant can grow to three feet in height and produce sprouts almost two inches in diameter. Brussels sprouts color ranges from light green through to dark green and red. Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C, E, calcium, potassium, and sulfur. Brussels sprouts are also high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber. They are best after the first frost when quickly steamed, boiled, or stir-fried. Brussels sprouts can be served alone or with a sauce, but they are not good to eat raw.

Plant Brussels sprouts seeds ¼-½” deep. Transplant or thin small plants to 15-18” apart in rows 32-36” apart. Brussels sprouts transplants can be started in April for May planting. Transplant after 4-6 weeks. Direct sow Brussels sprouts in late spring, as seedlings can tolerate a light frost. Brussels Sprouts can be direct sown up until mid-late June for a continuous harvest. Soil temperature should be 70 to 80 degrees for optimal germination in 4-7 days. Brussels Sprouts prefer full sun, but will tolerate part shade. Prepare a rich, loose soil that holds moisture well and has a pH level of 6.0-6.5. Like all Brassicas, Brussels Sprout is a heavy feeder. To encourage development of the upper sprouts, pinch out the growing tip of the Brussels sprouts plant in late summer. Harvest sprouts as needed from the bottom of the stalk when they are about 1-1½” in diameter. The Brussels sprouts will develop a sweeter flavor after a few light frosts.

Cauliflower – on the other hand – is a little more finicky to grow. Don’t let that dissuade you, however. It’s not like we’re trying to grow black orchids, here. The only complication with cauliflower that I’ve been able to find is that it’s sensitive to temperature extremes. Many gardeners experience “buttoning” with cauliflower in the spring. This is a failure of the head to gain in size after it reaches about an inch or so in diameter. Buttoning is usually due to transplant stress, heat stress during the head formation or spring temperatures that were too low. In our area, I would highly recommend using a short season variety, plant early, use cold frames and get that crop going. It’s not too late to start them now. If I had any sense at all (shush, you!), I’d have direct sown three to four weeks ago and used some cut off milk jugs to encourage germination (fabulous invention, the cut off milk jug).

You might consider Snow Crown, Violet Queen (purple!), or Alverda (light green, like a broccoflower).

Cauliflower also prefers full sun and generally all of the same growing conditions of broccoli. It is also susceptible to the same pests and diseases of broccoli and the same remedies apply.

Cauliflower should be blanched when the flower head is about 3 inches across. Pull up three or four large outer leaves over the curd and fasten them with a rubber band. Generally, you’d leave it like this for four to eight days. There are what are called “self blanching” types, which have leaves that grow up over the head all on their own. I’ve not found anything that indicates one is better than the other. It the weather is warmer, make sure to tie the leaves loosely during the blanching period to allow for airflow.

Harvest cauliflower while the curds are firm and compact. If it gets too mature, it becomes grainy and the texture is, um, considerably less than palatable. Cauliflower usually produces only one head per plant. If you have a root cellar, you can store cauliflower for two to four weeks. You can also freeze it or pickle it.

Or give it away.

When is a veggie not a veggie?

2009-02-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

When it's a pear!

A favorite food of the ancient Aztecs, the delicious and versatile chayote should definitely be on the list of “Things To Try” for any gardener with a yen for the different. They’re easy to raise (although they’ll probably grow as an annual in our area), have a high yield of nutritious fruit.

Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Good question. People call them chayote “squash”. People call them “vegetable pears”. In Louisiana, they call them “mirliton” and in the Caribbeans, they call them “christophine”. Madeirans, Italians and Polynesians all have them and all have a particular name for them. They do grow on vines and are rather “squash-like”.

It’s actually a member of the cucurbit, or cucumber, family.

When they’re wee, one to two inches, you can make pickles or relish out of them. About two-thirds grown and they’re great served as a cucumber, sliced in a salad. When they’re almost grown, you can curry them, use them in a stir fry, put them in soups and stews or simply slice them, boil them for about ten minutes, season them with salt and pepper and butter and eat up! When fully mature, the chayote can double as a potato. Mash them with garlic and a little grated cheese. Cut them in half and bake them as you would winter squash. They’re endlessly versatile.

Plant the chayote in the spring after the danger of frost. Here’s the trick: You have to buy them at the grocery store. Work the soil well and add plenty of compost. Plant the whole fruit, one to a hill, on it’s side with the broad end sloping slightly downward and the stem end slightly exposed. Chayote has shallow roots, so cultivation should be minimal. Mulch with compost, straw or leaves to keep weeds down and to conserve moisture. Sometimes you can get chayote to sprout indoors and then transplant when things warm up. Plant the germinated fruit wherever you want it to grow and LOOK OUT!

They are a rapidly growing vine that will crawl up and over everything near it. Keep it on a trellis and pay attention that it doesn’t crawl up into the trees or over a building. Remember that fence I was talking about a few weeks ago? Perfect place! The vine will grow all summer long and may grow as much as 30 feet or more before it blooms. You’ll need to water your chayote deeply once a week and you’ll need to keep it mulched. In August or September, when the days start to shorten, green blossoms will appear, but you may not notice them. Then one day in late September or October, your vine will suddenly be loaded with the green fruit and you’ll be harvesting well into frost. They’ll sort of hang out in cold storage for a while, and they’ll keep well spread out on newspapers in the garage. You should be able to enjoy chayote clear into the New Year.

When you’re done harvesting, pull down the vines and mulch the roots. In our area, where the winters seem to be getting colder, mulching heavily is recommended. Next season, new shoots should pop up through that insulated mulch layer and you’re off to the races.

Two chayote vines should produce all the chayote you can eat and then some, including plenty to give to friends and neighbors and donate to a local food pantry or church program for the hungry in our community. These two vines can produce loads of fruit for many years.

Once again, I’ll venture the question: When is a veggie not a veggie?

When it’s pasta!

The spaghetti squash is an interesting vegetable because when it’s cooked it separates into pieces that resemble spaghetti pasta. You can use it in place of pasta or as a very unique addition to salads.

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash. It is easy to grow, is sown from seed in May or so and germinates a couple of weeks after sowing. It is also a fairly hearth veggie that can be stored for several months provided that it is stored in a cool, dry place. No lower than 45 or so and no higher than 60.

As I said, plant your seeds in May when the soil warms up, in a sunny location with well-drained soil. When planting add a shovelfull of compost or manure or ½ cup of complete organic fertilizer. Plant several seeds together in a group 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep. Squash plants should roughly one inch of water per week. If it’s really hot, water twice a week. Make sure to rotate squash to different areas of your garden. Grow these vertically on trellises and try to keep them away from zucchini as cross pollination could make for a weird cross breed. You’ll need some old panty hose to make slings to support the fruits if you’re going to grow on a trellis. Otherwise, be prepared with some old wood shingles to place underneath, as that will keep some kinds of crawlies off.

Squash have pests, no doubt about it. Watch out for cucumber beetles, squash bugs (second only to potato bugs on the Disgust-O-Meter) and vine borers. If you get an infestation of beetles, cover your plants with a lightweight fabric like gauze or muslin. Remove it once the plants are ready for pollination. Put out those yellow sticky traps from the nursery or hardware store. Squash bugs (Ew!) can be dealt with via companion planting. Radishes, nasturtiums or marigolds are all natural repellants for the squash bug. My personal favorite is the tahini fly that EATS the squash bugs and their eggs. Vine borers are a caterpillar that destroys the stems of your squash plants. They can be controlled with either a hot pepper/garlic spray or their natural predators, the trichogramma wasp.

Harvest your spaghetti squash once it has reached a butter yellow or deep orange coloring. A sure sign of maturity is the squash’s skin hardening. If you have any intention at all of storing your squash, be sure to leave about two inches of stem on each fruit.

Tossing spaghetti squash with a sauce is the last step! First, you must cook it! Poke it with a fork several times and bake it in a 375 oven for about an hour. You can boil it whole for a half hour. And – finally – place your squash in the crockpot with two cups of water, after you’ve poked it all over with a fork, and cook it on low for 8 hours. Cut it open, remove the seeds and pull out the pasta-like threads with a fork. It’s great with just about any kind of pasta sauce.

Spaghetti squash is another great addition to one’s garden. It is prolific, really nutritious, versatile and just fun.

Here we go round the mulberry bush...er...tree...

2009-02-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

Like lots of folks all over the country, we have a fruitless mulberry tree in our yard. When we moved to this house, that tree had beautiful and luxurious foliage. Of course, all those leaves had dropped by Thanksgiving to show me that this tree, like so many other mulberry trees in the world, had had all of it’s annual growth pruned back. I have no idea what the deal is with that drastic and violent pruning that goes on every year with mulberries. I’d noticed it when I lived in Southern California and thought it looked vile. I’d noticed it when I lived in Northern California and thought to myself, “Self, that can’t be good for those trees!”

Apparently, we Americans have adopted this rather European style of pruning. Pollarding, or training the tree from the beginning to a certain height and then removing each year’s new growth, is common in many European cities. With true pollarding – as we see with the fruitless mulberry – the branches are never more than two years old when they are cut. This pruning practice was developed hundreds of years ago in Europe when basket weavers required the long, young branches for their craft.

In my mind, it would be easier – and certainly better for the tree – to simply plant a tree that didn’t get so big that it has to be what I’ve come to view as brutalized every year, to say nothing of the relatively high maintenance aspect of this practice. But I like this tree, unsightly knobs and all, and I’m not going to kill it simply because the previous owner, likely at the instruction of an arborist, whacked it into rather a Quasimodo of trees.

The facts about fruitless mulberry are that it is high-maintenance because of its weak wood, rapid growth and invasive surface root system. It tolerates poor soil and heat, so people plant it as a smaller ornamental shade tree. It then very quickly morphs into a tree with a spread of 20 to 30 feet.

These fruitless mulberries are pruned one of two ways. One is called “crown reduction” involving shortening the extent of the branches by pruning back the leader to shorter, secondary branches that are strong enough to take over as the new leader. I talked to several arborists here in the Rogue Valley and was told that, considering the very rapid growth of this tree and the relatively weak wood, aggressive pruning and control of the fruitless is necessary lest the branches break.

The most common method to manage the fruitless mulberry is, as I said above, pollarding. If you’ve been to California’s Bay Area in the late fall or winter, think about those grotesque looking sycamores with the large knobs on stubby branches. I’ve seen this practice on beech, black locust, catalpa, horse chestnut, linden and London plane in addition to the sycamore and fruitless mulberry.

Pollarding is done only on species that are prolific sprouters – like our fruitless mulberry. I’m told that pollarding should be instituted when the tree is young and the branches small in diameter where they are to be cut. This way, you avoid the invasion of various detrimental funguses. The trees then sprout from buds under the bark below where you’ve made the cuts. These sprouts will grow very rapidly, sometimes as much as six feet in a growing season.

You then prune off the sprouts annually during the tree’s dormant season. The tree will develop large knobs at the pollarding cuts over the years and there will be a large number of spouts from each knob to make a full canopy. If your tree is quite tall, a pole pruner would be the ticket for you do-it-yourselfers; otherwise an arborist who will work on your trees within the conformance parameters of the Tree Care Industry Association standards would be the next choice. If you’re doing this yourself, be very careful no to scar the old knob wood or decay may invade your tree.

So there you have it…Pollarding. I still don’t like it. I think that I would seriously rethink putting a mulberry tree in my yard – or even any of those others the arborists mentioned that would require what equates to – in my mind anyway – tree torture. Still and all, I’m not going to rip out the mulberry tree in my yard and I am going to do my very best to make sure it stays healthy for many years to come. It’s the least we can do.

Sweets For The Sweet...

2009-02-10T07:37:00.001-08:00

We’re all aware of those little colored packets on the tables at restaurants. You’ve heard that some of those choices are not very good for you, but which ones? And why? We’ve heard that some artificial sweeteners cause cancer. Doesn’t just about everything cause cancer these days? Are any of them better for you than the rest? How about regular old white sugar? As we know, this is a highly processed food with little to nothing good nutritionally. It can lead to or exacerbate diabetes, wreck havoc with your teeth, is processed with synthetic chemicals.

And don’t even let me get started on high fructose corn syrup. I’ll add it up in one word: “Ew!”

There is, however, something that is much sweeter than white sugar, has no calories, is safe for children, safe for diabetics. It’s available in supermarkets and health food stores; you can cook and bake with it and is available in several forms.

And you can grow it in your garden.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is said to be a perennial. For us in the Rogue Valley, it would probably be an annual, unless you’re growing it in a container. Stevia is native to the subtropical regions of Paraguay and Brazil. In the wild, Stevia likes an acid soil that is generally constantly moist but not soaking. It is found near the edges of marshes and streams where the soil is sandy. If you choose to give Stevia a try, remember that it doesn’t like to dry out, but having wet feel will encourage rot and disease. You can be successful with Stevia with the use of a few simple techniques: raised beds, a good organic mulch and frequent watering (a soaker hose on a timer leaps immediately to mind) will go a long way to success with Stevia.

Stevia has the reputation of being somewhat finicky. I don’t know that that’s so. I’ve grown it. It worked. I’ve had more challenges with tuberoses, quite frankly. At any rate, Stevia is tolerant of most soil types, although it likes a sandy soil best. Any well drained soil that produces a good crop of vegetables should work fine. Of course, incorporating organic matter is the best way to improve any soil. If you have the resources to make one, a rich compost of leaves, grass, hay, kitchen waste, manure and other organic materials will greatly improve your soil structure and supply nutrients. Feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants. Stevia will tolerate a soil pH of 4 to 5, but has been known to thrive with soil pH as high as 7.5. You’ll want to test your soil and look for deficiencies. This will benefit everything you grow; not just Stevia. Excess nitrogen promotes bad growth and bad flavor with Stevia. Bone meal, blood meal, bat guano (I know, I know) or dried manure provide nitrogen that is released slowly as well as a number of other trace minerals. For the record, I don’t recommend suddenly taking up spelunking in your quest for bat guano; you can get it in a box at Main Building. Unless, of course, you have some unrealized desire to spend a lot of time crawling around in caves. Bat guano is actually a really fabulous fertilizer.

Raised beds are ideal for Stevia. A raised surface prevents standing water and soil compaction. Some bricks formed into a square or rectangle, a good soil – or even the lasagna gardening technique – and mulch and you’re ready to go with Stevia. Just a quick note – if you’re using wood for your raised beds, be mindful that treated wood can cause issues such as soil contamination – especially a consideration if you’re growing something you plan on consuming later.

Stevia rebaudiana – the only form of Stevia that is sweet – is rarely available in seed form. They say they’re very difficult to sprout and that plants are generally used instead. I got mine from a small nursery, specializing in herbs. Plants are available from several mail order sources, some of those are local or at least within our state. Feel free to write to the press or email thegardengrrl@gmail.com for mail order sources of Stevia. Arrange for your plants to arrive soon after the last frost date and transplant them as soon as possible after you get them. In the meantime, don’t let them dry out.

In general, it’s easiest to treat Stevia like any other vegetable in the garden. When warm weather sets in, around a month after planting, an organic mulch – 3 to 6 inches thick – should be applied. It will protect the shallow feeder roots, retain moisture and keep the weeds down. Those “weeping” soaker hoses made from recycled rubber are great for Stevia, since they don’t get the foliage wet, but provide the slow, consistent moisture that Stevia craves.

Stevia can be affected by fungus. Watch for lesions on the stems near the soil line. Stevia plants are usually full grown before diseases appear. Especially at harvest time, watch for disease and harvest immediately if you see any signs of it. Stevia is usually the last plant insects will feed on, so pests are seldom a problem.

You can use Stevia for tea right off of the plant. They’re great with mint. The level of sweetness is highest with Stevia just before flowering and is triggered by shortening days. Blooming generally occurs in midsummer to late fall. Plants should be harvested as soon as blossoming begins or just before the first frost – whichever comes first. Cut the entire plant at ground level. If you want to try Stevia as a perennial, clip the plants about six inches from the ground and mulch heavily, especially over the winter, and your Stevia may regrow. Harvest in the morning after the dew has evaporated.

You will need to dry your leaves. Plants are easily dried by hanging upside down in a warm, drafty location. After a few days, rake the leaves from the stems with your fingers and gather for storage in a clean container such as a glass jar. They will keep well for years. Toss the stems on the compost pile. You can also strip the fresh leaves from the stems and dry them on either elevated screens or in a food dehydrator. The quicker you can get your leaves dry, very little stevioside will be lost. That’s the sweet part of Stevia. Leaves are crisp, crumbly and bright green when fully dry.

You can easily turn your leaves into green Stevia powder with a coffee grinder. You can also make a sweet extract by soaking ¼ to ½ cup of fresh, crushed Stevia leaves in a cup of warm water for 24 hours. You would then strain and refrigerate. While homegrown Stevia is not as sweet as the commercial Stevia products, it will still be a nice addition to your garden. Stevia has been shown to repel insects. Aphids won’t touch it. It’s thought that the sweetness of the plants is what keeps those nasty aphids and other bugs away. Stevia is a great addition to the companion planting arsenal.

"Golden" Globes...Maybe not so "golden"

2009-01-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

All right. I’ll admit it…there is no golden artichoke. They’re either green or purple, depending on the variety you choose to grow. This veggie is truly an adventure for both eating purposes and gardening purposes. Bees and butterflies love them, when left to bloom on their own. Think “Giant Thistle”. And the flavor! Oh my. Even my dog will eat artichokes.

Until recently, there were no varieties available to the home gardener that would work for us outside of the Pacific coast region or the mild Mediterranean. They generally don’t like temperatures below 20 degrees. Don’t we all feel that way? The Imperial Star, which became available within the last ten years, changed all that. This variety can be started from seed (although I prefer seedlings from the nursery) in the early spring. It will produce edibles in about 90 days, once you’ve set out your transplants.

Western Oregon’s climate is generally mild enough to grow these thistles as perennials. They should be cut back and heavily mulched in the winter. After a mild winter, new plants should sprout from the parent plant in the spring. Uncover them in April. Colder winters, such as we’ve seen in the last couple of years, may cause your chokes to not fare as well.

Until the advent of the Imperial Star, ‘chokes grown from seed usually didn’t produce buds in their first season. The Imperial Star is marketed as an annual. The perennial varieties – Green Globe and Violetto – require chilling and are more finicky. Their crowns require around FIVE HUNDRED HOURS of a process called “vernalization” – temperatures between 34 and 50 degrees. This process is said to produce bigger bud yields.

Right now is the time to start, if you’re starting from seed, indoors. Keep them under grow lights for about eight weeks and then harden off. In April or May, you should be able to find them at the nurseries or garden centers.

Select a planting site that has full sun, well-drained soil and lots of organic matter. Set your plants out when the temperature is consistently 50 degrees or higher and the danger of frost is past. Have your soil loosened to a depth of 12 inches as ‘chokes set down taproots that need to be positioned straight down. Give them plenty of room, as they will eventually grow to five feet in height and some 40 inches in width. If it’s hot out, mulch the plants thickly to keep the soil cool. Over 85 degrees of soil temperature and your plants will go dormant. Keep in mind the shade these large plants are going to cast and consider what your companion plants require.

Use a slow release fertilizer such as well-rotted manure, fishmeal pellets or compost. Artichokes are hungry; so don’t skimp on the fertilizer. They need consistent and steady moisture as well. They don’t like wet feet and will develop root rot if the soil doesn’t drain well. A soaker hose or dripper under the mulch is really the easiest and most efficient way to make sure that your ‘chokes are getting the water they require.

Artichokes aren’t much bothered by pests with the exception of aphids and rabbits. Strong sprays of water and insecticidal soap will take care of the aphids. A chicken wire cage or your dog will take care of the rabbit problem.

When the plants reach a good height, a center – or terminal – bud will form. It’s the largest and the first one to mature on the plant. Then side shoots will form, producing more buds – smaller and later ripening. Harvest these buds before they start to open. They will be tight with waxy petals. You can store them in the fridge for up to two weeks, if you can resist that long. They really are best when eaten shortly after they’re harvested.

Artichoke plants should produce for three or four years. Then it is best to dig and divide, as it will produce off shoot plants that will likely crowd the original.

Artichokes and its cousin, the cardoon, are members of the daisy family – as are thistles. You can cut an artichoke, place the stem in water and often the flower will continue to mature and open into the giant violet blue thistle that it actually is. Cardoons, generally grown more for the fleshy base that the leaves we tend to savor, are smaller and likewise open into blue thistle blossoms.

Cardoons are so lovely that they are often grown as ornamentals and can be seen in French gardens along with dahlias and verbenas. Cardoons will afford an adventurous gardener a unique flavor and the pleasure of harvesting into December, and maybe throughout the winter, if the season chooses to be mild.

Cardoons are best grown from seeds. If grown from a root division, the buds tend to be tough and go to flower more quickly. If you’re growing for decorative purposes, that’s fine. If you’re planning on eating the cardoons, get some seeds. Cardoons require about a square yard of space.

Cardoons take their sweet time in getting established and they may not seem to do anything at all for the first few weeks after you’ve set out your transplants. They’re just getting a feel for the area. Keep them watered abundantly, or your cardoons will go tough on you. Water evenly and regularly to avoid bitterness.

In October, when the plant stops growing, it is time to “blanch” your cardoons. Remove all the damaged or rotten leaves. Bunch the leaves up together and tie them at two or three places with soft twine into a cylindrical shape. Wrap the cylinder with burlap or weed barrier or even an old pillowcase and tie the covering in place. This stops photosynthesis from taking place and dissipates any bitter compounds in the leaves. A tuft of leaf tips should protrude from your wrapping. Check the plants frequently as they could rot during this period. If you have a number of plants, don’t blanch them all at once. Once blanched, they must be harvested.

After 3 weeks or so under cover, your cardoons are ready to harvest. Sever the root just below the soil with a sharp, stout knife.

You can treat these plants as you would a globe artichoke. The leaves and hearts are cooked in rapidly boiling water flavored with salt and lemon. To prepare cardoons for cooking, remove any bruised or ragged outer stems. Remove the leaves from their ribs. Using a sharp paring knife, thinly pare the backs of the ribs, removing the tough fibers that run along them. Cut the ribs into two to three inch sections and drop them into some water with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to prevent oxidization. Remove the fuzz from the hearts.

The flavor of cardoon is very close to that of the artichoke. It works perfectly with black olives, anchovies, lemons and olive oil. It’s also a delight steamed and served with a bechamel sauce. They can be braised with a little bacon (or pancetta), onion, garlic, lemon and olive oil. They can be served cold, as a starter or salad, with hollandaise or remoulade sauce and they can be used in soups.

A final note – Artichoke and cardoon flowers left to go to seed will service as natural birdfeeders through the winter months until the finches have exhausted the oil rich seeds.

Asparagus

2009-01-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

I once planted an asparagus patch around 20 years ago when I lived on the coastal side of the Santa Monica Mountains. I never got as much as one blessed spear out of that plot. Not one. I suppose I could just give up the concept of growing asparagus entirely, but where there’s a will, there’s a way, eh?

A very knowledgeable extension agent in North Carolina says, “A lot of people get scared of asparagus because they think it’s hard to grow, but it’s not.”

Right.

Done properly and with patience, the requirements for growing asparagus really are very simple. It grows well just about everywhere, except maybe Florida, and once your bed is established, you can count on a tasty crop for a decade or more.

It is one of the tastiest and healthiest vegetables you can have in your garden, packed full of folic acid, fiber and antioxidants.

My research has shown that if you’re considering growing it from seed, forget about it. It’s apparently an insane amount of work. Besides, most of the seed catalogs I’ve gone through this season are selling crowns. That’s what I put in my misbegotten patch all those years ago – crowns. I’m finding that the word “Jersey” is key to choosing a great asparagus variety – Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, Jersey Prince. I did hear from a fellow down at Main Building that he purchased some that was very specific to our area. There’s even a purple one available.

Asparagus takes a lot of space. They sprawl. Plant your crowns about a foot apart in rows four to five feet apart. Or plant them along a fence. Fungal issues can be a problem. Asparagus is susceptible to rust and Cercospora needle blight. There are products available that are specific for use on asparagus. I’ve also heard that the good, old baking soda and water spray that has been used to battle rose fungi works on asparagus as well.

As far as soil goes, asparagus is, well, a bit finicky and demanding. It likes alkaline soil in full sun. It likes to be planted in warm (50 degrees, at least) ground. And it takes time. You won’t harvest until the second year and then, only lightly. The third year, I’m told, you can go all out and harvest all you want. The crowns need the food supply that first year to build their strength. In your second year, harvest for two weeks only. In that third year, though – look out! As the weather grows warmer, you could easily be harvesting twice a day. You can pretty much watch asparagus grow.

There are two schools of thought on cutting back the ferns in the fall for the winter. Some say it reduces the risk of fungus. Many of those in The Know claim that doesn’t work at all. Allowing the ferns to remain in the beds lowers the soil temperature and reduces the risk of frost damage in the spring, as well as helping to catch snow for additional moisture.

Making The Bed: Now is the time to start getting ready for planting. You really do want those crowns in the ground before mid-April in our area. If you’re not going to plant this year, add preparing for asparagus to your list of chores in the fall to have ready for the following spring. Find your relatively sunny area that is pretty flat and free from weeds. Prepare the soil by adding leaves, grass, rotted manure or other compost to the mix. This is one time where you’re definitely going to have to test your soil for pH. Asparagus likes it best at around 6.5.

Order your crowns from a reputable garden company. For a long time, green asparagus was the only variety available to us here in the states. As I said earlier, there is a purple variety, available from The Cook’s Garden (one of my favorite catalogs). I’ve heard that there is a white variety available as well in the US, but I’ve yet to see that.

Since your plants will become members of your family, you will need to give them plenty of room to grow larger. Dig your holes about six inches deep and at least a foot apart. Be careful when planting that the roots aren’t too bunched up and cover them with two or three inches of soil. Make sure the crowns are covered, but don’t completely fill in the holes just yet. As you care for these plants over the next several weeks, you will see growth starting. Fill in the holes as the growth emerges. You shouldn’t have to water your plants more than once a week or less if we get a lot of rain.

Asparagus is a perennial. As long as you water them regularly, they’ll grow through the spring and summer and lie dormant in the fall and winter. Continue to weed the bed and fertilize the plants with compost for the remainder of the first season. When spring comes round again, your plants will come back to life. Continue watering and fertilizing and prune as needed.

The Harvest: You will see a good harvest in your third year. Cut your spears when they are a half-inch thick or larger and at least four to five inches (or more) long. Be cautious with your young plants. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonally through the spear just below the surface of the soil to prevent the growth of woody stumps. Three years is young in the scheme of asparagus gardening considering that those plants will be part of your landscape for a decade or more. In subsequent seasons, you can continuously pick asparagus for a period of up to two months. Before you know it, you’ll be giving it away.

Beauty & The Beast

2008-12-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

What's up with the drama in the title?

So maybe referring to potatoes as “The Beast” in this context is reaching a bit, but stand just about anything next to a passion flower and it’s going to look like a mud fence.

For me, there is nothing more beautiful that just about any member of the Passiflora family. Some of the common names for member of the Passiflora genus are Passion Flower, Maypop (my personal favorite) and Granadilla.

More practical information would be that they are hardy or semi-hardy perennial vines that can reach up to 30 feet. They carry stunning flowers, generally of white and purple (although many other varieties exist) that bloom from late summer to early autumn. Those members of Passiflora who fruit, will carry sweet and juicy egg shaped fruits in the autumn.

The Handbook of Herbal Formulas describes passion flower as having been used “as a sedative for treating insomnia and leaves no hangover. As an antispasmodic, it is helpful in Parkinson’s disease, asthma, seizures and hysteria. It relieves nerve pain in conditions like neuralgia and shingles.” It has been stated that American Indians used passion flower root as a poultice for boils, cuts, earache and inflammation.

I’ve read a lot about the difficulties of starting passion flower from seed. Some sources state that the seeds can take up to a year to germinate, if they ever do at all! Yikes. They say the easiest way to grow passion flower is from cuttings or from nursery plants. Passion flower is a perennial, hardy to Zone 6. While the USDA classifies our area as on the border of Zones 7 and 8, I can say with relative certainty that there are micro areas of Rogue River and Wimer that could be Zone 6.

Passion flower likes well-drained or sandy soil with full or partial sun. It will grow in relatively poor, sandy or acidic soils but reports indicate that it does best with a slow release fertilizer like cottonseed meal at the time of planting. Since this is a vine, choose a location where a permanent trellis can be constructed or installed. This plant produces for several years, so your trellis will need to last at least that long.

Johnny’s Selected Seed Co. of Winslow, Maine offered us the following guidelines for starting passion flower from seed:

Germination for passion flower from seed can be slow and erratic. Sow seeds in flats at a depth of about a half-inch. Keep the seeds moist and maintain a temperature of 85 to 90 degrees. Seedlings benefit from a heated seed mat. Nighttime temperatures should not go any lower than 70 degrees. Germination usually begins in 30 days and could take several months. When the true leaves appear, transplant the seedlings into larger cell trays. The United Kingdom Gardener’s Guild recommends soaking the seeds for a day or two before planting.

In the later spring, when dangers from frost have passed and seedlings are three to four inches tall, transplant outside in well-prepared locations, twelve to eighteen inches apart. Have your trellis in place at the time of planting, as passion flower will spread quickly through its runners once established.

Once your plants are established, you can make cuttings to share with your friends in the late summer or early fall. Gardeners experienced with passion flower pretty much agree that this is the preferred method. Provide bottom heat and mist your cuttings regularly. Use a rooting hormone powder when settling the cuttings into the rooting medium. Rooted cuttings are generally ready in three to six weeks.

Back in June, I wrote about growing potatoes. Someone said to me, “Why are you giving us this information when we can’t use it until next spring?” Soooo…without further adieu…let’s revisit the potato.

Potatoes are one of the easiest root crops there is to grow. They’re fun and a small area or container or trash can or even a trash bag (really!) can provide a nice yield of this popular veggie. Early spring is the best time to plant them, so here is some information on some of the best ways to grow them in the garden.

Choose the varieties that work best with what you cook most. We like new potatoes with peas and gravy (made with veggie broth, this is a nice, filling vegetarian dish).

Some popular varieties and their uses are:
White Rose: Good for boiling and salad, only fair for storing.
Russet: Good for baking and boiling, not so great for storing.
Netted Gem: Great for baking and stores well.
Red Pontiac: Very popular, versatile, stores well.

There are lots of other varieties that have excellent qualities as well. Of course, there’s the Yukon Golds (and other yellow fleshed varieties and the novelty potatoes. Purple ones leap immediately to mind, although the thought of blue food? I don’t know; there’s just something not quite right about blue food.

There are two schools of thought on selecting potatoes for planting. One is that you should only plant certified seed potatoes, which assures you that they are free of insects, disease and has not been treated with a growth retardant. Yes, store bought potatoes that are not certified organic are sometimes treated with a chemical to keep them from sprouting. Yum. Garden centers, nurseries, and the usual places generally feature seed potatoes early in the spring planting season.

Having said all that, I personally know people who have grown a crop of potatoes from potatoes they bought at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Yep, they bought organic. You can cut up a potato for planting as long as each piece has two, but preferably three or more, growth eyes. After cutting, let that cut surface callus up a bit before planting.

Sprouting your potatoes – also known as “chitting” – is a way to give your potatoes a head start. To chit your potatoes – either whole potatoes or seed potatoes – stand them in a light, warm place. Don’t stick them in a dark cupboard; that’s not going to work. An egg container is an excellent container for this. You will want to look for fat, green shoots and plant them when the shoots are about an inch long. Leaving several shoots on your potato will give you numerous smaller potatoes, while leaving only one growing will give you fewer, but larger spuds.

I’m going to cover the non-traditional methods of growing, rather than sending you out with a spade to dig for hours.

In straw: In the Scandinavian countries, growing spuds in straw or other material has been the norm for ages. Lay your spuds out above the ground, cover them up, water as usual. As they grow taller, add more straw/material around the base of the plants. The result: super clean potatoes with no back breaking digging.

In plastic garbage bags: The best ones for this project are those construction clean up bags; they’re thicker. Fold down the top part of the bag and put in about 6 inches of soil – either garden soil or bagged soil. Plant your spuds. As they grow taller, add more soil until your bag is ½ to ¾ full. Punch some holes in the bottom for drainage. You can place your bag any place that’s convenient and this can actually be your first crop of the year. The black plastic will help warm things up and your spuds will grow like gang-busters.

In plastic garbage cans: Use the same method as above. I like this idea a lot, but the fact that they are very heavy when full of spuds would eliminate this process, in my opinion. Wouldn’t it be easier to use the garbage bags, where your only harvesting tool would be a scissors to cut the bag open?

If you have a number of old tires lying about, you can stack those up, plant some seed potatoes in the bottom and fill the stack as the plant grows. I’ve heard that the average yield from stack spuds is around 15 pounds per stack, with one reader reporting a whopping 38 pounds of red rose potatoes.

Wire cage method: Get yourself a length of wire fencing. Probably not field fencing, but orchard fence or larger hardware cloth would work well. You want your cage to be about three feet in diameter and around four feet tall. Fasten the ends together so that it forms a sturdy cage, but one that you can open up later, at harvest time. Prepare your soil by adding some compost to garden soil, or start out with bagged soil. Set your cage at its preferred location. Add some straw to the bottom, then about 6 inches of soil. Plant the potatoes as you normally would – about three inches deep. Plant five or six per cage. As the potatoes grow, keep filling the space inside the fence with more soil and compost. Don’t bury the plants; bring that soil level up around two to three inches at a time inside the cylinder. Soon, your cages will be filled with dirt, compost and potatoes.

You won’t want to water your potatoes too much or you’ll wind up with black or hollow centers. Watering sporadically will give you some really strange shaped potatoes. As a guideline, water weekly during warmer weather. If you’re growing in cages or other containers, these tend to dry out more quickly. Poke your finger a few inches in to test the soil.

To harvest new potatoes, watch for your plants to start blooming. Then harvest. To allow for mature, storage size potatoes, wait until the vines yellow and start to die back. If you’re using bags, cut them open with scissors. Wire cages simply require a wire cutter or gloves. With tire stacks, you can pretty much just tip them over as you would with garbage cans or containers. The straw method requires only rooting around to pick out the nice, clean potatoes that have grown there.

To store your spuds, keep them in the dark at around 40 degrees.

Not all ornaments are for Christmas trees...

2008-12-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

Whether we realize it or not, grasses are a huge part of our daily lives. The first grass to be used as an ornamental was Job’s Tears. It was grown in monastery gardens during the 14th century and the seeds used for rosary beads. Members of the family Poaceae cover the earth in fields and rice paddies. Recently, there has been an increase in interest in prairie grasses as ornamentals and as part of prairie restoration projects. Much of the North American prairie has been converted to farmland. In order to preserve the native grass species, the conservation and restoration of prairies is important. Grasses come in a variety of color and textures and inhabit a wide range of growing conditions.

Caring for ornamental grasses – what some might call “weeds” – is relatively easy. You can start out with either ornamental grass seed or starter plants. Common ornamental grasses are quaking grass, bunny tails and switch grass.

Decide where to grow the ornamental grass. These grasses generally thrive in a garden spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Till the area you’ve selected, but don’t over-cultivate. You won’t have to fertilize much since ornamental grasses don’t need much. A rule of thumb is to apply a good organic fertilizer a week or two before planting.

If you’re using starter plants, plant them as soon as possible after you’ve bought them. The quicker they get into the ground (or larger container), the better they will thrive. Make your hole for planting twice the size of the root ball. Water as needed. Most grasses like lots of water to remain healthy and to keep their color.

Mulch your ornamental grass to prevent weeds, moisture loss and to help over-winter the grasses. Fertilize once a year after the initial application. For the best results, plant in the spring. If you plant in the fall, you’ll need to mulch really well as winter arrives to protect tender grasses from freezing.

Be aware that all grass types spread and can easily take over a garden if you don’t keep an eye on it. Ornamental grasses do really well in containers and you may want to consider this to keep it from spreading to a manicured lawn or to your neighbor’s yard.

Growing ornamental grasses in containers is a great way to feature grasses without having them branch out and take over. And – if you plant them in the ground – they will. Container grown grasses are also easier to divide and they just LOOK so cool.

According to Marie Iannotti, ornamental grass specialist, the top ten picks for ornamental grasses in containers are:

Blue Lyme Grass – Imposing sword shaped leaves that bend as they grow tall and spiky flower heads.

Blue Oat Grass – Bring a cooling blue-gray to your garden, a lovely rustling sound in the breeze and a very nice texture.

Red Fountain Grass – Filling the pot with it’s arching habit, the rich burgundy colored “Rubrum” has made it a favorite even in those zones where it can only be grown as an annual.

Japanese Forest Grass (Hakone) – Once you see Hakone grass, you’re going to want it. Just about everyone does. If you don’t have the moist, partially shaded conditions it thrives in, definitely grow it in a pot.

Bamboo Muhly – This is a Southwest native. It gets its name from its notched stems and feathery foliage. It thrives in the sun and heat and can take a bit of neglect in a container.

Feather Reed Grass – Has tall flower plumes that are eye-catching as a focal point – perhaps on your patio – when grown in a container. Although feather reed grass needs a bit of protection from the hot sun, it does well in containers over winter.

Leather Leaf Sedge – Sedges don’t get the attention they deserve. Grown in containers, their bronze tinged leaves gleam in the sun while the blades pick up the slightest of breezes.

Japanese Silver Grass – This is one of the most popular ornamentals and does very well in containers. The airy growth habit of this grass has a softening effect and the white of the leaf edges really pops. It is also available in a variegated variety.

Japanese Sweet Flag – Sometimes a container calls for something short. At around a foot in height, Sweet flag adds color and it’s lovely sweet scent. Likes more water and some shade when it’s grown in a container.

New Zealand Flax – For spiky form and lots of colors, these are the most versatile container grass-like plant there is. Color range includes greens, reds, coppers and golds. Very attractive.

Holiday Plants

2008-12-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

OK. So your friend has given you a gorgeous poinsettia plant for Christmas. Now what?

In Mexico, the poinsettia is pretty much a weed. Really. In the rest of the world, nearly 100 million of them are sold every year for the Holidays, in spite of the fact that 60% of the public incorrectly believes them to be poisonous! More on that later.

Poinsettias don’t really like temperatures below 50 degrees, so generally, if you’re comfortable, your poinsettia will be as well. They also don’t like drafts or cold winds. The brighter the room, the better – they like it light. Water them just when they go dry and use room temperature or slightly warm water. For poinsettia, it’s better than cold, right out of the tap.

Poinsettias will start to drop their leaves in February and will then go dormant for a period of time. You can reduce watering then and as soon as frost is not a threat, you can move the pot outdoors. Prune them back by about 50%, transplant to a larger pot and resume regular watering. When you see new growth starting, you can feed them with a good organic fertilizer or even Miracle-Gro.

Getting them to bloom again can be a challenge. The Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California advises us that from late September, poinsettias require 14 hours of complete darkness (not even light from a light bulb!) for several weeks to trigger blooming. Any deviation from that requirement will prevent reblooming. Rather a pain.

Are they poisonous? No. Not at all. Not even a little. Television gardeners have taken to eating leaves on their shows to prove it. No part of this plant is poisonous. No amount of leaves fed into lab animals was able to produce a toxic reaction. In short, the poinsettia – everyone’s favorite Holiday plant, has gotten a bum rap for years. No deaths from this plant have ever been reported.

Research studies at Ohio State University have proven that poinsettias present no health hazard. Do we still want to let little Billy munch on them or let Fluffy or Fido graze on them? Probably not.

Lewis Carroll, in his classic “Alice in Wonderland” made the correct statement, “If you drink enough from a bottle marked “Poison”, it’s bound to disagree with you sooner or later.” While poinsettia is not poisonous, best to keep pets and little people away from them anyway.

There are, however, a number of other Holiday plants that pose a greater risk factor.

Holly – Holly is an excellent garden plant that prefers protection from the hottest sun. Male and female plants of the English varieties are needed to get berries. Some varieties of other species set berries reliably without cross-pollination. Hollies generally do well if the soil is amended when they are planted and aren’t stressed by drought.

Holly is considered to be moderately to severely toxic, both to pets and to humans. Eating 1 or 2 berries won’t really hurt you, unless you’re a puppy, kitten or very small child. More than 2 berries can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Poison Control tells us that 20 berries can actually kill a child.

Ivy – Ivy is being used more and more for winter greenery and as filler in winter decorative arrangements. Ivy can be grown into wreaths, cones or other topiary shapes with relative ease. It makes a great indoor plant if it is washed off periodically to prevent spider mites. It is hardy in our climate and can be kept outside as well. Ivy can be very invasive in the garden, so keep yours in pots.

The leaves and berries of ivy are extremely toxic and the symptoms are very unpleasant.

Jequirity Bean (also known as Indian prayer bean or rosary peas) – You will find Jequirity Beans in many dry arrangements. They are quite striking in appearance, with their black tipped and scarlet coloration. Beware though, they can be deadly! They can be swallowed whole, but can be life threatening if they are chewed prior to swallowing. Vomiting and abdominal pain occurs within a few hours of swallowing, followed by some other exceedingly unpleasant symptoms.

Jerusalem Cherry – Every part of this plant contains toxic substances. Eating the fruit or foliage can adversely affect the heart as well as cause vomiting, skin redness, drowsiness or restlessness and hallucinations. Seizures are possible, but thankfully, rare.

Mistletoe – Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that grows entirely on other plants but also goes through photosynthesis to create food for itself on it’s own. The species of mistletoe we see most often in our region is of the genus Phoradendron, and it’s found on sycamore, oak, poplar, willow, ash, walnut, persimmon and birch trees. It can be quite a nuisance if you have livestock. It has been my experience that sheep or goats and mistletoe don’t make a good match. Birds, however, love the berries and spread them from tree to tree in their droppings.

Mistletoe is considered to be fairly toxic to both pets and humans alike, although the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences refutes this. “That doesn’t mean mistletoe berries are edible,” says J. Robert Nuss, professor of ornamental horticulture. Mistletoe should be hung out of reach of children and pets and berries that drop off should be removed from the floor immediately. A quick solution to that would be to place your mistletoe in a net bag or net wrap so that you don’t miss any.

Pyracantha – You could eat large numbers of these berries before getting a stomachache. Why anyone would want to is anybody’s guess. I’d avoid them. Like the poinsettia, experts consider this plant safe.

Amaryllis, Narcissus and other lily plants – When your amaryllis is done blooming in the house, you can plant that bulb in your garden in partial shade or early morning sun, in average soil. They will then bloom for years to come in the early summer. Watch out for slugs and snails, who love to devour amaryllis! It is possible to get them to bloom for future Christmases by forcing them into dormancy in the late summer by withholding water. This doesn’t always work, however.

The fragrance of narcissus and their related varieties is powerfully sweet. This bulb multiplies very freely outdoors. If yours came in a growing kit, keep watering the pot they are in until they finish blooming. The brighter the light you keep them in, the less floppy the leaves will be. After the Holidays, plant them in the ground. They’ll multiply freely in the sun or light shade and will increase for years.

A favorite of those plant bulb kits, these are popular gifts at this time of the year. Pet owners should be aware that these plants are toxic to pets, sometimes with severe symptoms. These would include gastrointestinal issues, heart problems, tremors and even convulsions. Poison Control classifies narcissus bulbs as “causing major toxicity.”

Azaleas (Rhododendron species) – Azaleas found in the nurseries and grocery stores at this time of the year are a little tender in our climate and might be damaged in freezing weather, unlike their hardier garden relatives. Typically, they are grown in soil with a large amount of peat moss, which makes it challenging to water them correctly. They are also usually incredibly root bound. It’s generally best to set them in a bowl to catch the water and help the plant keep itself hydrated. If you’re going to plant these in the garden, amend the soil heavily with a mix that is specifically for acid loving plants. Separate the roots well when planting to reduce that root bound condition. Water very carefully as you go into the warmer months and make sure to water the root ball very thoroughly about twice each week.

Azaleas are poisonous, no doubt about it. “Major toxicity,” were the words used by the representative at Poison Control. The foliage can also cause a rather unpleasant rash.

Yew – The leaves, seeds, bark and twigs of this evergreen can be toxic, causing breathing difficulties, uncontrollable trembling and vomiting.

Evergreen and/or Christmas trees – Evergreens are considered mildly toxic. Oils in evergreens can be irritating to the mouth and stomach, causing drooling or vomiting. Tree needles are not easily digested either and can cause vomiting, obstruction or puncture. Generally, the amount of trouble depends on how much is consumed. Many times, pets don’t consume mass quantities of tree materials. I have yet to witness a toddler gnawing on a Christmas tree, so I think we’re pretty safe in that area.

If a child or pet accidentally ingests these plants, consult a physician or veterinarian immediately. Do no induce vomiting without the advice of a doctor. If a plant containing corrosive juices has been eaten, vomiting can damage the digestive tract. The good folks at the Poison Control Center are there to help you if you need them at 1-800-222-1222.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Yikes! Christmas trees seem to fall from the heavens, before you’ve even had a chance to get your Thanksgiving turkey out of the oven! We were away for Thanksgiving and saw truckloads of them traveling around the Wednesday before!

Which type will grace your home this year? How do you choose? Fir and balsam and pine. Oh my. Here is some information to help you make that choice and to keep that fresh tree – and your home – safe during the Holidays.

The first thing I think about is how that tree looks. Aesthetics. Some evergreens hang out through the season better than others. Take a few minutes to consider your choice of tress before choosing the fattest or most fragrant.

What you’ll find out there as popular evergreens:

White Spruce – Similar to the Colorado Blue Spruce. These trees are pretty with a bluish green color. They are native to the Northern US. They hold their needles well but have a rather unpleasant odor when the needles are crushed. Not my first choice.

White Fir – You used to not be able to find White Fir as a Christmas tree, unless you cut your own. These are becoming more popular. They are a blue-green tree with needles around an inch and a half long. They smell great, hold their needles well and are very attractive.

White Pine – These are great trees if you have someone at home who may have an allergic reaction to the more strongly fragranced trees. White Pine has little to none on the fragrance scale. They’re getting harder to find since the tree farmers are having a time keeping them healthy. They are a very full tree.

Norway Spruce – A very pretty tree. Not so much in the area of needle retention.

Balsam or Canaan Fir – These are usually the most reasonable, cost wise and the most commonly found cut tree. They have a silvery cast to their dark green, short, flat needles. They are a long lasting tree and very fragrant, although that fades faster with this variety than with others.

Douglas Fir – Beautiful dark green-blue variety that holds it’s needles and is very fragrant.

Colorado Blue Spruce – The needles on this tree can be so stiff they scratch. If this is your choice, be careful when hauling that tree in from the car! They are beautiful, dark green to a powdery blue and hold their needles well. However, if you keep a warm house – look out! They’ll drop quicker from this type of tree than some of the others.

Scotch Pine – This is one of the most popular trees out there. The branches are stiff with dark green needles. These trees are sturdy, hold their needles for as long as four weeks and usually won’t even drop when they’re dry. Plus, they have a fabulous lasting fragrance.

A few things to consider before you drive off, single mindedly, to BRING HOME A TREE:

* Be sure you know how tall your ceiling is BEFORE you go shopping.
* Know WHERE you’re going to put that tree when you get it home. If one side is going to be against a wall, then – by all means – go for the one that looks incredible from over here, but not so much from over there.
* Be sure to bring a tape measure or yardstick with you.
* If you’re going to a tree farm, bring a few pieces of colored yarn with you to mark your possible choices while shopping the selection. Obviously, green is not a good choice and be sure to remove your markers when you leave.
* Make sure your green has a nice straight base, about 6 inches long, so you can make a fresh cut and still have room to put the tree in the stand.
* Make sure you bring something with you to tie your tree to your vehicle.

Once you get it home THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is to keep that tree watered. Seriously. Not watering it will cause it to dry out before it’s time and will make it a fire hazard. Cooler temperatures in your home will also cut back on needle loss. If your tree is going to stay outside for a bit, put it in a bucket of water.

I know this sounds silly, because we all want to put that tree right in our front windows for the whole world to see, but try to keep it away from direct sunlight and sources of heat. Don’t locate your tree over a heater vent if you can possibly avoid it. And putting it near the wood stove? Not a good idea.

If your tree is pre-cut, make a fresh cut at the bottom about one inch up. A nice, clean cut will help your tree absorb more water more readily. Fill the tree stand with lukewarm water after setting your tree in it.

In a heated room, a tree can absorb up to a quart of water a day. Check your tree AT LEAST daily and refill your tree stand often. If your tree loses 20% of it’s moisture content, it won’t recover.

Any tree will burn if it comes in contact with fire. Christmas trees become a fire hazard when their moisture content falls below 50%. That means your lights could set your tree on fire.

Don’t forget to recycle your cut tree. You could have it collected and converted to mulch. You could use it as a temporary bird refuge and feeder in your yard (be sure to take off the tinsel, if you used any). You could also cut off the branches and use them to protect perennials in your garden.
My personal preference in a Christmas tree: A LIVE one! You can plant that tree on your property after the Holidays are long gone.

Points to ponder:
What type of tree do you want on your property? Dwarf evergreens may be a better choice for a small yard. Maybe a yew, juniper or even a holly tree.
Mature size, color and texture.
Growth rate and mature height and width.
Firs are excellent cut trees, but might not like growing conditions in your yard.
Pines are good Christmas trees, but get really huge.
What grows well here? White and Scotch pines are nice, but White pines are currently suffering from decline. Norway Spruce might have issues with drying out while it’s in the house.
Don’t select the largest tree. Smaller trees should be in better proportion to the size of the root ball and stand a better chance of survival. Whatever variety you choose, consider trees recently dug, were container grown and they need to look healthy. A bargain leftover tree may be in a stressed condition and not recover.

Caring for your live tree:
* Store the tree in a cool area.
* Make sure the root ball does not dry out.
* Keep your live tree away from radiators, vents or fireplaces.
* Will do best at around 60 to 65 degrees.
* Keep your tree indoors for as brief a time as possible; generally not more than two weeks.

Digging the hole. The fun part, right? Riiiiight. Dig your hole ahead of time, if you can, otherwise you might be digging through snow and ice. The depth of the hole should be the measurement from the bottom of the root ball to the soil level. The width should be twice the size of the root ball. Place the soil you remove in a container or tarp and store it until you need it. Keep the hole mulched and covered so it doesn’t fill in or freeze. Do not add amendments only within the hole. This will not encourage the roots to reach out. If the soil in the area where you are planting is not fertile and well drained, amend an area about three times the size of the root ball in advance of planting. Plant the tree at the same depth of the container. Be sure to remove the burlap wrapping, if your tree has one. I know that sounds obvious; humor me. Try to gently loosen the outside roots and direct them outward. Refill the hole with the soil you removed and gently heel it in. Water thoroughly after planting and every month or so if the temperatures remain mild, if precipitation is light and especially if there is a thaw. Apply 3 to 6 inches of inches of mulch as a blanket for the rest of the winter season.

Remember the most important thing, the Spirit of the Season is not just for The Season.

And don’t forget to water that tree!

Caring for fruit trees and growing chrysanthemums

2008-11-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

With so many of us growing apples in the Rogue Valley, I find some thoughts on caring for them not an unreasonable idea.

Apples require regular management for producing quality fruit. Early spring will be the time for such maintenance activities as pruning and the spraying of a variety of oils to control pests. I’ve included a non-toxic, friendlier recipe for dormant oil later in this article.

Many of the sources I’ve interviewed about dormant oil have told me that it only need be applied once. However, several orchardists I’ve spoken with at the extension office have advised two applications; once when all of the leaves have fallen (late November or early December) and again in early February before the buds begin to swell. I hear that in some instances, gardeners are successful with only one application during the period of early December through late January. If the infestation or disease was very bad during the previous season, two sprayings would be the best bet. There are more details on stone fruit trees later on.

Pruning your apple trees is an essential practice since trees that are regularly pruned show improved fruit quality and size and the tree itself will be stronger and better able to support a load of fruit. Pruned trees are easier to work with if you keep the size and shape of the tree in check. And lastly, apple trees that are pruned on a regular basis are far less likely to have as many pest issues as trees that do not get as much attention.

Dormant pruning can begin in February and should be completed around the first of April. Each tree is an individual, just like people, and not every tree can be pruned exactly the same way. The general rules of pruning are to remove all damaged or diseased branches. Cut out the water sprouts. These are the quick growing upright branches that will clog up the center of the tree. And last, remove the suckers that will spring up around the base of the trunk.

Many other plants benefit from dormant spraying. Aside from pest control, potentially deadly fungal infections can be kept in check with dormant spraying. Deciduous trees, shrubs and roses – especially if they experienced an infestation or disease during the prior year - would all benefit from dormant spray.

In the spring, stone fruit trees should be sprayed when the flower color begins to appear on the end of the buds. Apples should be sprayed when the green tips are clearly visible on the leaf buds. It’s a good idea to delay spraying pears until the blossom cluster starts to separate and the individual buds are visible. If your pear trees were sticky and turned black last summer, add Thiodan to the spray. The pear russet mite is much slower to develop and generally emerge from under the bud scales and other hiding places.

With fruit trees, it is vital that all insecticidal sprays be completed before any blossoms open. Once the blossoms open, honey bees start to visit the trees. Although most oils are not harmful to honey bees, some of the other products that are mixed in with the oils are fatal. With all of the concerns about hive collapse, everyone needs to be a little more focused on the honey bee. Remember, honey bees are responsible for pollination. No bees, no food.

Spray on a clear day when there is little or no breeze. The ideal temperature for spraying is between 40 and 70 degrees. The perfect day would be 55 degrees that would remain constant for 24 hours in order to get the oil to spread out to cover the tree or shrub and soak into all the crooks and crevices. Complete coverage is necessary for effective control of over wintering pests. Apply this spray with one of those pump sprayer things. For insect control, use Dormant Spray Oil, Volck Oil or the dormant oil I’ve listed here. These will smother insects and their eggs in the same places as fungus and their spores. You can also mix in some lime sulphur for excellent control of insects and disease. Organic gardeners generally use only the oil, but other gardeners have found that diazinon increases the effectiveness of the oil product. Because these are OIL based products, you need to shake, not stir them to make sure they are well blended.

It is essential that you always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when using any chemical product. Limit your spraying to those trees, shrubs and plants that had issues last season. If your roses had curl or black spot or mildew last year, dormant spray would certainly help that. However, widespread spraying can have an adverse effect on many beneficial insects that reside in your yard and garden areas.

Always wear a mask when spraying your plants with chemicals. Never use a dormant oil on evergreens. The chemicals are much too strong and caustic, and the evergreens are far too fragile to be able to cope with them. Annuals growing near or under the plants being treated should be covered before spraying, lest they be destroyed.

Finally, fungus spores can also over winter in fallen leaves. Be sure to rake and dispose of leaves if you’ve had any kind of disease problem. Besides, it’s just a good preventative measure.

Most commercial dormant oil products are made with kerosene of other petroleum oil products. A much less toxic and more sustainable approach is to use a renewable resource such as vegetable oil.

Take a cup of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of liquid soap (I prefer Ivory for use in the garden) and a gallon of water. Combine the soap and oil and blend thoroughly. Add the water a bit at a time, stirring as you go. Since water and oil, don’t really blend, the soap helps with this process. Pour the mixture into a clean garden spray container. Be sure to shake the container frequently as you spray.

Mum’s the word…

In the fall garden, chrysanthemums are the big diva showoffs, blooming prolifically after other garden plants have given up for the season. Aside from their obvious beauty, chrysanthemum is a favorite ingredient in Chinese herbal teas. In fact, tea with mums has been used for centuries for warding off sore throats and helping people recover from the flu.

Once mums are established, they are fairly easy to care for. Apply a liquid fertilizer, like fish emulsion, when your mums are blooming every three weeks. Some gardeners treat mums as annuals and replace them year after year while others prune them back and let them rebloom as biennials. In the right climate, mums can even be perennials. Be sure to dead head the flowers as they become spent to encourage more blooms and do discourage seed growth. If you’re after seeds, remember that they are incredibly tiny and you will have some work ahead of you to separate the seed from the brown foliage.

Mums like full early sun; at least 5 hours daily. Mums are susceptible to mildew. Keeping the plants dry is a priority. They need lots of air circulation, drainage and morning sun to dry the dew from the leaves and the stems. Don’t plant in low-lying, we, compacted, or boxed-in areas with poor air circulation. Mums blooming occurs in response to shorter days and longer nights. Avoid planting near streetlights or other nighttime light sources. They like a soil pH or around 6.5. Mums are pretty tough and can thrive on their own. They do benefit however from light and frequent feeding with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season.

Under perfect conditions, mums should be planted in early spring, after the danger of freezing weather has passed. They can really be planted at any time, though, as long as the roots have at least six weeks to become established before exposure to extremes of either hot or freezing weather. Mums are available at garden centers in up to one gallon containers. Choose bushy plants with plenty of leafy stems branching out at the base.

When planting, be sure to dig a hole at least twice the size of the root ball. Incorporate plenty of compost to help with drainage. Plant the mums at exactly the same depth they were in the pot to avoid water collection around the stems. Larger plants will require support structures and try not to walk in the mum beds to avoid compacting the soil.

Once you get them growing well, there’s not much you can do to stop them. To keep them looking great through the growth and bloom seasons, you’ll need to do some pruning. When they are done blooming in the fall, you should cut them back to 8 to 10 inches of the soil surfaces. Then in the early spring when growth starts again for the season, do another shearing. This will encourage lovely bushy full growth. Not pruning will give you leggy, floppy mums. As the season progresses, pinching off the tips of all the growing stems will promote side branches, fullness of growth and more blooms in the fall. As a general rule of thumb, stop pinching mums expected to produce large flowers around mid-July. Smaller types can be pinched until mid-August. Pinching after these dates will mean that you’re removing the developing flower buds.

Now that daylight has lessened and fall has settled in, these usually retiring plants will often take command of the garden and bloom into full glory. What a way to say goodbye to the growing season with one of the most popular perennials in the world!

Three Sisters & Squill (No, that's not a circus act...)

2008-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

I know that we’re in the middle of fall, coming up on winter, the morning fogs make you feel like you’re a’wanderin’ the moors of Scotland and the damp seeps into your very bones. But what can it hurt to think ahead? I even thought (yeah, it does happen from time to time) that a gardener could make the mounds for the Three Sisters using the lasagna gardening technique over the winter so that they’d be ready when time came to plant in the late spring. If you’re going to try this, space your mounds three to four feet apart. They don’t have to be round, either; you could make them square. I’m thinking of doing mine the size of a sheet of newspaper, since I’ll be using that as some of the layers.

The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of some Native American groups in North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans. In one technique known as companion planting, the three crops are planted close together. Flat-topped mounds of soil are built for each cluster of crops. Each mound is about one foot high and 2 feet wide, and several maize seeds are planted close together in the center of each mound. In parts of the Atlantic Northeast, rotten fish are buried in the mound with the maize seeds, to act as additional fertilizer where the soil is poor. When the maize is about six inches tall, beans and squash are planted around the maize.

The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants utilize and the squash spreads along the ground, monopolizing the sunlight to prevent weeds. The squash leaves act as a "living mulch," creating a microclimate to retain moisture, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests.

So, this is how to do this…

In May or June, when the soil has warmed, either make your mounds or have your lasagna mounds ready, and plant eight to ten corn kernels in the center top of your mound. Water them well and tamp the soil down firmly so that they don’t wash away the next time it rains.

Since all corn grows on good, strong stalks, the variety you choose is entirely your choice, based on what you want from your corn. I like those super sweet bi-color varieties, but I’ve heard that the extra-long eared white Silver Princess is very flavorful as well.

About two weeks later, when your corn reaches about six inches high, plant your bean seeds – 8 to 12 of them - around the flat top of your mound. Push the seeds deep into the soil. Obviously, if we’re wanting those beans to use the corn stalks for support, we’d better be planting pole beans! The Park Company has a couple of varieties that I like; Smeraldo is a flat-pod pole bean that tastes great and is lovely in minestrone. Pods can grow up to 10 inches long on 4 to 6 foot vines. The other one is a super early variety called Kwintus that is stringless. Of course, there is the classic Blue Lake that is stringless and even available in organic seed form.
One week or so after you plant the beans, you’ll be planting your squash. Plant these on flat ground. You can go all the way around the mound or just in the direction where you have the most room. Six to eight seeds in a ring around the base of the mound is usually plenty. The traditional squash to plant is pumpkin, but you should go with what you like – patty pan, crookneck or zucchini are all great.

When everything begins growing, you should thin your corn plants down to the five strongest, with no more than two bean plants per stalk. You’ll need to help the beans get started growing up the stalks with some gentle guidance. The squash is going to do what squash does which is to take up every available bit of space…no, wait, let me rephrase that…The squash can be thinned down to what you expect to consume, donate to the hungry and simply give away and how much walking space you need in your garden.

Three sisters is fun, it looks cool and it’s a great way to try out lasagna gardening to see it that technique is for you.

The long and short of squill – This delicate in appearance plant is actually one of the hardiest bulbs around, self-seeding and naturalizing in vast colonies if left undisturbed over time. It doesn’t get any taller than about 6 inches, but the gorgeous blue color of the blooms packs a quite a bit of impact if planted in large numbers. Squill has the added bonus of being repellant to moles and other burrowing vermin, er, critters. They’re super easy to grow, come in white and double flowering varieties, in addition to the blue and I hear the deer won’t touch ‘em. Plant them three inches deep and four inches apart in well-drained soil in the fall (right now!) and plant them everywhere.

Giant white squill is a winter growing plant. Leave first appear in November as a green spike. In December, the spike starts to open with many leaves. By mid-spring, the plant – grown from a bulb the size of a child’s head in most cases – will stand around three feet tall and three feet high. When the temperatures start to rise, the foliage starts to fade. Once the leaves are dry, remove them so they don’t interfere with the blooming process. Don’t cut them off either though because the bulb needs them. Leave the bulb as dry as possible for about a month in either June or July.

Shallow irrigation during the summer will encourage and enhance the flowering process. One bulb produces one flower, but WHAT A FLOWER! Flowering occurs in August or September and will appear from the bulb about the size of your little finger. From there, this flower stalk is going to grow to around FIVE FEET in less than a month. The hotter it is, the faster it grows. These stalks can grow two to three inches a day. When the stalk reaches about 80% of its height, florets will start to open from the bottom. If you’re going to cut the stalk and bring it in the house, this is the time to do it. You’ll need a taller, heavy vase for this. Each day, another two to three inches of florets will open, ending up with a mass of tiny white flowers over a ten day period. Staggering the water in the summer can extend the flowering period between bulbs.

After you cut the stalk, it will continue to grow six to eight inches after it is cut. As a response to it’s own weight, it will twist and turn and present a truly unique cut flower centerpiece for your holiday parties.

For information on where to find giant squill OR if you have a suggestion for something you’d like to read about, send an email to thegardengrrl@gmail.com.

A fungus among us or Growing Your Own Mushrooms

2008-11-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Actually, I just like saying, "There's a fungus among us!" It's fun, it rolls off the tongue really well and I get a kick out of chasing my kids around saying it. Admittedly, we are more than a little weird.

In Asia, folks have been growing their own mushrooms for more than 1,000 years. It’s catching on in North America as well. Long associated with witches or hallucinogenic drugs, growing your own mushrooms has culinary mavens sprouting their own on this side of the globe as never before. As with the gardens we grow, this is all about producing a superior fresh food.

The easiest way to start with growing your own mushrooms is with a kit. Since fall is here and winter not far behind, this is a wonderful tabletop project. Depending on the kit you choose, you can grow a number of kinds of mushrooms in a few weeks. The popular ones are oysters, shitake and a variety of button mushrooms. Once you’ve mastered growing with the kit, you can take that knowledge and go to a larger outdoor project, like growing shitake on an old oak log. You can even introduce some varieties to old compost heaps or shady areas of your garden where they can do their own thing pretty much unsupervised. Success with these friendlier species can lead to trying your hand with the more exotic ones – black poplars, morels or chanterelles.

An expert from the University of Wisconsin tells us that mushroom growing is “more art than science.” It involves a lot of watching, tinkering and figuring out what works. Mushrooms may be slower to fruit than most veggies, but once you find a site that works for them, they will stick around for a while – often for years.

The best part? You can start with a mushroom kit right away, grow it indoors and use the leftovers (the spores) to start a colony outside later on. The founder of Fungi Perfecti of Olympia, Washington tells us that “mushroom mycelium is hungry.” It wants to grow and multiply. A good strain of mushrooms will keep going and going if presented with favorable conditions.

Mushrooms are actually fungus and grow much differently from plants. They start out life as dusty little spores released from other mushrooms. Mushrooms spend much of their lifecycle as mycelium – fibers that utilize enzymes to attach to wood or other appropriate organic materials. Mushrooms are pretty much the opposite of plants. “Reverse photosynthesis”, says Paul Staments of Fungi Perfecti. “Mushrooms take in carbon and consume oxygen, whereas plants consume carbon dioxide and produce carbon and oxygen.” Wood, being high in carbon, is a perfect anchor for culinary mushrooms since it breaks down so slowly. Staments further states that “Fungi govern the decomposition cycles and make it possible for natural biological systems to operate. They are tremendous allies for the health of people and the planet.”

Of the thousands of mushrooms on planet Earth, only around 250 are considered “safe to eat”. Most of these are impossible to grow at home and have to be found in the wild, rather than cultivated in the basement. With the right ingredients – a strong strain of mushroom suitable to our area, a good place to feed, a moist and shady place to live, water and the right temperature – anyone can produce mushrooms superior to those available commercially. Fresh is always best.

Barbara Pleasant, of Mother Earth News, offers some helpful information on mushrooms:

“The easiest culinary mushrooms to grow at home are oysters, shiitake, wine caps and portobellos, but many more possibilities exist.”

Oysters: Are very mild in flavor and texture which makes them difficult to ship due to breakage and flavor change. These are delicious sautéed. In their natural habitat, oysters like newly dead trees like cottonwood or poplar. They grow fast and are versatile and will grow on straw or sawdust that has reached the right level of decomposition. Kits for oysters are generally a sticky mass of mycelium that has been introduced (or inoculated) onto a bundle of straw and enclosed in a perforated plastic bag. Keep it moist and humid and you have a gang of oysters in no time. When you’re done with your kit, take what’s leftover, mix it with damp sawdust, coffee grounds and some straw, fill some paper milk cartons poked full of holes and put THOSE into some plastic bags in a dark corner of the garage. Keep them moist and in a few months, you should be flush with mushrooms. Something else you could try would be a section of an oak log, with large holes drilled into the trunk and stuffed with the mycelium mixture above. Remember, oysters really want to grow on trees – that’s their natural habitat. Oysters kept outside will fruit from mid-spring to early summer and again in the fall.

Shiitake – are smoky in flavor and dense and meaty in texture. They are particularly well suited for cooking in stronger flavored dishes. You can dry them as well and keep them sealed in your Food Saver bags for use later. These mushrooms really prefer growing on a log and they seem to taste better. The growing logs are also an attractive feature to have around. Stack your inoculated logs into a tipi shape. An ideal log for inoculating shiitake is 40 inches long (they like oak the best) and 4 to 6 inches around. If you can get them at the right time – late winter or spring – when the natural sugars are at their highest and the bark left intact – so much the better. You can purchase plugs of spawn from several sources (more on that later). Drill 1 inch deep holes 5 inches apart all around the log. Insert the plugs into the holes. Cap the holes with a thin coating of melted paraffin to keep the plugs moist. Stack your logs in a shady place and water them heavily twice a week.

It is said that one whole summer must pass before the logs produce mushrooms. If you inoculate your loges in the spring, you have to soak them in water for 24 hours to get them to produce. If you have a pond or creek on your property, you can tie the logs to a block and sink them for 24 hours. If we’re lucky – like right now – and get a nice, soaking rain that will take care of things just so, and in a few days after the soaking, mushrooms will appear. If you rotate your logs during dry times in the 24 hour soakings, followed by six weeks of resting, you should have daily harvests of shiitake.

If you happen to have a home woodlot on your property, you can use the stumps for inoculation. Another method I’ve seen is to take slices of fresh hardwood logs, six inches thick, and build a totem pole with sawdust inoculated spawn in between each layer. Wet it down thoroughly, cover it in plastic sheeting or a trash bag and eventually, you’ll get mushrooms.

Wine caps: You can grow these right in your garden, just like a regular veggie crop! They can grow just about anywhere from garden soil to piles of wood ships to a compost heap. Little wine caps, grown in the shade, are a lovely red-wine color, but fade out to beige in brighter light. Give it a head start indoors with a kit or patch. Grow your mycelium at room temperature for a few weeks, then plant chunks of it wherever you want the mushrooms to grow after the soil temperature has reached 50 to 60 degrees. Be sure to harvest these mushrooms early – when they are buttons – so that your soil community of insects doesn’t beat you to the punch.

Other kinds of mushrooms – You can grow your own button mushrooms indoors – including the common white buttons and the more flavorful criminis (baby Portobello). This means your mushrooms are ORGANIC! Most commercial grower use pesticides. A kit for these types of mushrooms will give you your first crop within three weeks of starting it and should produce for around eight weeks. When the kit is done, use the leftovers to enrich your garden soil. It’s possible that a mushroom or two from this kit will pop up in your garden, but not likely. These types of mushroom need live compost to grow and it is quite labor intensive to produce the right environment.

Mushrooms are very low in calories, with very little fat and cholesterol. Five mushrooms contain 2 grams of protein, almost as much potassium as a banana and three important B vitamins. They are also a good source of selenium, which is usually found in meat and is in short supply in most vegetarian diets.

This is a fun and rewarding activity that is beneficial to your health, your diet and your general well being. It is also something that will make winter seem not quite so long, while you’re waiting for the gardening catalogs to show up!

Here are some reliable sources for kits, supplies and information:

Fungi Perfecti, Postal Box 7634, Olympia, Washington 98507

Mushroom Adventures, 355 Serrano Drive, Suite 9J, San Francisco, California 94132

Garden City Fungi, Postal Box 1591, Missoula, Montana 59806

Mushroompeople, 560 Farm Road, Postal Box 220, Summertown, Tennessee 28483

As The Growing Season Slows To A Crawl...

2008-10-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

A whole new crop of chores springs up.

One of those is pruning your fruit trees and getting them ready for their coat of dormant oil spray. I have little knowledge about pruning fruit trees, but I have a friend that owns an apple and peach orchard. It is my understanding that when an apple tree is pruned, the bottom four limbs should form 90-degree angles and be approximately 2 feet off the ground. This allows the "picker" to walk into the center of the tree and allows for the maximum number of major limbs coming off the trunk.A second factor concerns the "height of the tree". When a trunk or limb is trimmed on the end, its "length" stops growing. The trunk/limb will start to form "outward shoots". I am told that the "ideal tree" will not be taller than the pickers highest reach. Instead, the tree is encouraged to grow outward until its limbs can support the total production desired... Ideally, the apple tree should produce FOUR bushels of apples per tree. The idea behind pruning fruit trees is to allow the apple to grow to maximum size without stunting production. Since apples are produced upon "2nd year" and older limbs, this would involve pruning the unnecessary "new sprouts" and removing the older limbs that are "too close together" and/or showing signs of damage. This allows the tree to direct its energy into fewer limbs, making the apples grow larger and maintaining the desired production. I guess it all boils down to this. You want a short, fat tree with relatively few healthy, stout limbs and limited offshoots to produce the apples. More limbs are not necessarily better.

Hydrangeas – I love hydrangeas. Absolutely love them. Bigleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, also called French, Japanese or Snowball hydrangea, is found in the yards of homes all over the Rogue Valley. We also find them in grocery stores, wrapped in brightly colored foil or cellophane with big bows on them. More about those later.

Hydrangeas like sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon and moist, well-drained soil. They are more sensitive to frost that some other plants. Damage to the buds occurring in winter and late spring can be avoided by covering the plant with and old sheet or blanket or a large cardboard box when temps drop past freezing. Hydrangeas are excellent patio plants and do very well in containers. You can move the containers indoors on very cold nights.

When planting hydrangeas, prepare the soil in a very wide area. Hydrangea should have a whopping 50 pounds of composted organic matter per ten square feet and that should be incorporated into the top foot of the soil with a shovel. Organic matter holds nutrients and water in the soil and helps prevent the stress that occurs in fluctuations in soil moisture.

Science tells us that the actual mechanism that determines color variation in hydrangeas is due to the presence or absence of aluminum compounds in the flower. If the plant has aluminum, the color is blue. If the quantities are smaller the color is somewhere in between. If it is absent, the flowers are pink. When your soil is more acidic, aluminum is generally more available to the roots and your blooms will be blue. When your soil is more alkaline, aluminum availability is decreased and your blooms will be pink. To change you blooms from pink to blue, you can broadcast ½ cup of wettable sulfur per 10 square feet and water it in. To make the flowers pink, broadcast on cup of dolomitic lime per 10 square feet and water that into the soil. Both of these treatments can take up to a year to see a noticeable difference. A quicker way to achieve these changes is through a liquid drench. To make your blooms bluer during the growing season, dissolve one tablespoon of alum in a gallon of water and drench the soil around the plant in March, April and May. To make the blooms pink, dissolve one tablespoon of hydrated lime in a gallon of water and drench the soil around the plant during the same months as above. White, cream or those lovely green hydrangeas don’t generally change color no matter what you put on them.

Occasionally, hydrangeas will fail to bloom. If this happens, there could be a number of reasons why. Frost damage to the flower buds or pruning in the late summer where you may have actually cut off the forming buds is the most common reasons. If your hydrangea is planted in shade, which is too deep, it won’t bloom. If your fertilizer is too high in nitrogen, bloom will be affected. And, finally, your plant may simply not be old enough.

Let’s talk a bit about “gift” hydrangeas. Hydrangeas that come wrapped in colorful foil are beautiful. There are, however, pitfalls that come with these plants.

The most prevalent problem comes from trying to water them properly. Most of the “gift” hydrangeas you purchase are already root bound when you bring them home. The roots have so overgrown their pot that they dry out and the plant wilts much more quickly than we think it should. So we water it. This fills up the foil around the pot and can lead to root rot. Root rot causes the plant to wilt and we wind up thinking we haven’t watered it enough, so we give it more as the health of the plant deteriorates.

Let’s say that we’ve done all the right things with our “gift” hydrangea. We got it out of its foil wrapper, it’s gorgeous, it’s been watered as it should have, and it’s gotten plenty of light. Now we can take it outside and plonk it into a hole in the ground, right? Maybe not.

These hydrangeas have been grown in a greenhouse and have been bred specifically to produce a ton of blooms in a frost-free environment. The producers of these plants don’t really care if the plant lives 25 years; they are only concerned with lots of blooms. You may or may not get a plant that will survive in your garden. If you like a challenge, it’s worth a try. The results are less predictable if the hydrangea you’re putting in your garden came with a bow versus one that was born and bred for the garden.

Either way, the best time to plant hydrangeas is mid to late spring, when the chances of frost are negligible.

Old, established hydrangeas can be divided in the early spring by digging them up and dividing the clump with a shovel, much as you would divide a perennial. This way, several plants can be obtained from one mature clump. Be sure you water the plants very well and keep watering all summer. Perhaps you have a friend with some gorgeous hydrangeas who could use the help in dividing them and maybe will give you one or two in exchange.

Something Old, Something New

2008-10-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Frequently, we get very wrapped up in seeking out the next “new” and “cool” thing. Sometimes, it’s better to take a step back and check out some of the “old” things that we’ve forgotten, taken for granted or never even knew about.

Take lungwort for example. Not such a great name, eh? Lungwort is a flowering plant of the Pulmonaria genus and is native to Canada, Europe and Western Asia. There are a bunch of varieties and many of them do well in several different zones, including the multi-zoned Rogue Valley. Common names for Lungwort are Soldiers and Sailors, Spotted Dog, Jerusalem Cowslip or Bethlehem Sage.

This plant grows from a rhizome and has been used for centuries for it’s medicinal properties. Due to the shape of its leaves resembling a lung, the plant was used to treat a variety of lung ailments. Of course, the Center for Disease Control finds no scientific proof that lungwort is in any way beneficial to those with lung ailments.

Lungwort is a smaller plant that grows to approximately one foot in height. The growth is in close set bunches of speckled, deep green spear shaped leaves resembling the shape of a lung. The leave can be either slightly bristly or have soft hairs on them. It also has hairy stems without branches that are topped with blossoms. Some lungwort plants appear to have blossoms of both pink and blue at the same time, however it’s been found that the blooms start out pink and deepen into blue violet as they age. They’re quite a lovely perennial to have around the garden.

Lungwort likes partial shade and should be planted around 18 inches apart to give them enough space for sprawling. Lungwort also like a fairly rich soil, likes to be kept moist, doesn’t like wet feet – so good drainage is a must and blooms in the early spring. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the lovely blooms.

Most gardeners purchase their plants from the nursery to ensure they’re getting the colors they desire. Pruning is vital for lungwort. Trim off those old browning leaves to allow for fresh to emerge. Trim the stems after the flowers are done blooming, not just dead-heading. Cut them at the base of the stem but be aware to not cut into the main plant stalk. Lungwort needs lots of water, even in average garden conditions. I would grow it in containers on the patio, keep it watered regularly and enjoy the color. It’s a good idea to mulch lungwort in the fall and helpful to apply a thin layer of organic fertilizer in the spring. This plant is somewhat delicate, so be mindful to keep the fertilizer from being directly applied to the plant and only to the surrounding soil.

Lungwort is a lovely addition to the garden, especially if you’re planning on attracting butterflies, bees and hummers. With only a little effort, all can enjoy it. It is also a way to step back and embrace something old from another time.

Since we’re still looking back, let’s look at another old favorite – the snowdrop. While we don’t have snow on the ground yet, we have had our first spotty frosts, so we know it’s only a matter of time. For many gardeners, the first snowdrops herald the beginning of a new flowering season. If you don’t already grow these delightful bulbs, think about it. They are both whimsical and charming.

Snowdrops are one of the first bulbs to bloom in your garden, right alongside the crocus. They are small and not particularly glamorous, but they do make a nice foil for the more brilliantly hued crocus.

Snowdrops belong to the genus Galanthus that comes from the Greek gala (milk) and anthos (flower), so the literal translation is Milk Flower. Our name for them – Snowdrop – comes from the German “schneetropfen”.

There are a number of varieties of snowdrops. Relateivs of the daffodil, these small bulbs also closely resemble a daffodil bulb in appearance. Most winter/spring flowering bulbs actually like drying out over the summer. Not Snowdrop. They prefer relatively moist soil. This translates to a relatively short shelf life at the nursery center. If you’re buying your snowdrops at the garden center, bring them home and plant them immediately or your bulbs will shrivel. Once they get established in your garden, they maintain an active root system year around.

I think since snowdrops are so closely related to daffodils could be the reason that they are one of the best choices for naturalizing in lawns and among shrubs. Plant them in clusters in a sunny or partly shaded location, about 2” apart and about 2” deep. You can transplant them if you choose and are best moved while in leaf rather than waiting until the leaves fade. Like daffodils, they do not appear to be attractive to rabbits and deer.

The most frequently grown species is the common snowdrop (G. nivalis). Depending on where you are, they may bloom from January into April. You will often note the first appearance of snowdrops within days of the last snows of winter. Snowdrops are quite hardy and face late frosts and snow with valiance.

And now for something completely different….

Raspberry jam from green tomatoes. Really? I know what you’re thinking and, while I may be certifiable in just about every other area in life, this is not one of them. Jill Nicolaus from Dave’s Garden has provided the method and it’ll give you something entertaining to do with those last green tomatoes.

I’m sure that, with the recent threats of frost, you fled to the garden to save those last tomatoes. Maybe you’ve got some set aside to slowly ripen. Maybe you’ve been making fried green tomatoes, green tomato chutney and green tomato pickles. Run out of ideas? Round up your kids or grandkids – it’s time for something totally fun!

This jam is perfect to make with kids. Three ingredients, no canning – just some chopping and stovetop cooking. Be sure to gauge how much help your helpers are going to require. Move a chair or step stool to the stove so they can reach for stirring.

Admittedly, “red raspberry” jam from green tomatoes likely won’t bring home a blue ribbon from the county fair compared to Mrs. Nesbit’s very best quality raspberry preserves. However, the seeds give it an authentic look and the tang of the green tomatoes makes a nice counter to the sweetness. A recipe attributed to Southern Living magazine reduces the amount of sugar to 1-1/2 cups and increases the amount of tomato to 2-1/2 cups. I’ve heard that you can add a packet of unsweetened raspberry Kool Aid drink mix for extra zing. For us, that red dye could be an issue, but moderation in all things is the key!

There’s an entertainment factor of epic proportion by transforming green tomatoes into something that tastes and looks like red raspberries. Imagine the kick you and the kids will get out of revealing the “secret” of your homemade “raspberry” jam. Imagine the kids giggling themselves silly attempting to explain to their dad that he’s just eaten a peanut butter and tomato sandwich! Whether or not you have kids to help you, give this recipe a try. Faux food recipes are not only tasty, but they’re really amusing to serve to unsuspecting guests. You Red Hat Ladies – whip some of this “jam” up for one of your teas. After all, it’s the right color!

Green Tomato “Raspberry” Jam

2 cups minced green tomatoes
2 cups sugar
1 – 3 oz. Package red raspberry gelatin

Wash and stem or core the tomatoes and remove any bad spots. Then dice or shred the tomatoes. A food processor to roughly mince them also works well.

Put the tomatoes and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and reduce the heat. Simmer 20 minutes. If you diced the tomatoes, cook them long enough so that they don’t look chunky anymore.

Add the raspberry gelatin and bring to a boil. Now the jam is ready to be poured into clean jars. This is not a shelf-stable recipe and you have to store it in the refrigerator or freezer. This recipe makes about a pint and you can totally double it if you wish.

One last thing…

With the current financial situation that exists in this country, the prices of food are going to continue to rise. Hunger is going to be a problem that is very likely already touching every community. The national statistic is that one in four children goes to bed hungry EVERY NIGHT! I don’t know that there is a food pantry program in my town; I haven’t honestly researched it. I know I didn’t have any place to take my kid’s out-grown clothes that would directly and immediately benefit my own community. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was no food pantry program to benefit our community’s immediate needs.

I’ve heard from folks who participate in the Plant A Row campaign that pantry programs are grateful for everything they can get. Maybe we should consider some other kinds of fruits and vegetables other than the summer standards of tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash. I imagine that salad greens, spinach, green beans, carrots and new potatoes would be particularly welcome.

This spring, why not plant an extra row in your garden to help produce some nutritious food for those in our community who cannot provide for themselves or their kids? I’m sure there are folks around my local community center who know people who are struggling. If you attend, ask at your church – or better yet – ask why your church doesn’t have a community outreach to feed and clothe those who are struggling with this economy and unemployment situation. Aren't churches supposed to be about doing unto others? If they can send bibles to Mexico and missionaries to Kyrgystan, surely they can help feed and clothe some struggling families right here at home!

We could wait for the government to straighten things out. Right. Sure. I’ll be waiting for that – holding my breath – cause I look so good in blue.

Many pantries and food programs work with the “Plant A Row for the Hungry” campaign of the Garden Writers Association. This helps raise awareness of the need for donations of fresh produce. The Plant A Row campaign was born from one member’s realization that if every gardener would plant just one extra row of vegetables, hunger could be greatly alleviated and those who are struggling would have access to fresh food that they might otherwise not be able to afford. The difficulties many are experiencing are not going to go away overnight. Consider planting a little more than you need; an extra row of bush beans or carrots. We don’t have an active Plant A Row campaign here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help out. Or even start one. I challenge every gardener this spring to give something back in the form of garden surplus and I challenge every church to identify families and seniors who would benefit from that surplus. In times like these, we have to take care of each other in every way that we can. Isn’t it just the right thing to do?

Meanderings...

2008-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

I guess even garden girls can suffer from writer’s block. While I really love the rain and the cooler weather, it’s does rather put a bit of a cramp in the inspiration one has for digging in the dirt and watching things grow since all of that gets curtailed with this weather change. Bear with me while I meander around, hoping to provide you with something worth your time to read…

First off, October 12 has been tagged as “International Scream of Frustration Day.” Might be a useful bit of information, if your life has been going anything like mine. October also happens to be Spinach Lover’s Month, Vegetarian Month and Celebrate Sun-Dried Tomatoes Month.

Since we’ve arrived at autumn, many of you have tomato plants that are on their last legs. We don’t want to waste those last ‘maters, but what to do? Sun dried tomatoes are not only tasty and dense in nutrients, but are easy to prepare as well. Anyone who has purchased these from the stores knows that they aren’t exactly cheap.

Here’s the quick way (OK – so they aren’t “technically” SUN-dried) to make sun-dried tomatoes in your oven. Roma tomatoes are really the best for drying because they are more solid and have less seeds than other varieties. You can totally use any of your favorite homegrown beauties.

First, cut off the stems. Then, cut your ‘maters in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Put them on a cake rack on a baking sheet with the skin side down and sprinkle them with salt and pepper, if you wish. Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for 8 to 12 hours. Whatever you do, don’t leave them unattended. Check on them to make sure they’re not turning into crispy critters. They should be shriveled up but still soft, like raisins.

Once they’re cool, pack them in freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to a year. If you’ve got a Food Saver or Seal-A-Meal gadget, vacuum pack them. You might also want to store some in the fridge, packed in good quality olive oil with some minced garlic, fresh thyme or basil. Packed in oil, they’ll be good for around 3 months.

If you happen to have one of those stackable food dehydrators, then you’re way ahead of us – certainly light years ahead of me – and don’t need any of these instructions.

Last week I mentioned botanical or “species” tulips. Lots of folks view the tulip as the Queen of the spring blooming bulbs (I like fritillaries, but I digress). A hundred years or so of hybridizing has given us as many hybrids as there are years of the process. We’re not talking about those.

In the wild, 100 or so species of tulips occur. These are not native to Holland, as most people think – they are native to the Eastern Mediterranean, Asia Minor and other points east. These climates are cool and wet in the winter and baking dry and hot in the summer. (Gee, sound just like the Rogue Valley!) In most gardens, we don’t have those kinds of conditions, so those tulips that want the baking summers are not generally or easily found. There are, however, enough botanical types available for us to explore and be quite pleased with.

The botanicals are somewhat shorter than the classic Dutch tulip and usually live longer. They are best planted in groups of 5 or 7 and look great in rock gardens or in the front of border plantings.

The earliest of the botanicals to bloom are known as water-lily tulips (t. kaufmanniana). The popular hybrids of this botanical are ‘Ancilla’, ‘Concerto’, ‘Fashion’, ‘Heart’s Delight’ and ‘Stresa’ and run from white and cream to red and bright yellow.

T. greigii, another botanical, bears blooms that are quite large in relation to this size of the plant. The wild version of this tulip bear Vermillion-red blooms, but the modern hybrids boast blends of red, orange and yellow. They are quite striking.

Emperor tulips (t. fosteriana) are very popular and most closely resemble the classic tulip except that their blooms are more elongated. Emperor hybrids come in the color range from white to red and variegated. All three of the tulips described above bloom just before the standard tulips.

True species tulips range from easy to grow to…um…royal pains…er…rather challenging. A couple of the qualities of species tulips that I really like are that they seem to multiply rather quickly through bulblets and seed. Also, the bulbs produce clusters of two to five blooms! Definitely more bang for your buck! T. Turkestanica produces lovely star-shaped flowers in clusters of up to 12! How cool is that? The colors…well, they are generally pretty vibrant and unique in their combinations. Fluorescent orange, orange-red with white variegation, magenta-pink or red-orange with blue centers.

While the botanicals are not as classic in appearance as the hybrids of today, they are certainly unique and worth a look and a go.

October 21st is Apple Tuesday. In 1905, the New York Fruit Growers Association tried to get the 3rd Tuesday in October set up as a national holiday in the hope that every American would eat at least one apple on that day. Well, it didn’t work out that way, but it should have! Support your local grower on that day, or better yet…plant an apple tree of your own!

Really, the best apples are the ones you pick yourself, right off of the tree. The question I hear a lot is, “How do you know when they’re ripe?” Well, if it’s a red or pink variety, it’s pretty easy to tell. Some stay green or yellow, so color isn’t always a reliable indicator.

Lois Tilton tells us that observing the seed development is a very reliable method. Check the progress of the apples and look for changes in color. Nearly ripe apples are tart, but edible and the seeds are white. When the seeds start to turn dark, they are almost ready and when they are completely dark, it’s time to start picking. Also, if you can lift an apple off of the tree without pulling hard or twisting it off, that’s ready to pick.

When you’ve picked your apples, be gentle with them. Don’t plunk them into a bucket or sack. Ripe apples are easily bruised and bruised apples may rot.

These days, most of us grow dwarf fruit trees so we can get to the fruit without a skyhook and a trampoline. However, even these trees can grow taller than you expect. If your apples are growing out of reach, a stepladder is useful. For heaven’s sake, don’t stand on tippy toes on the top of the ladder to reach that one apple – usually the most attractive one on the entire tree – that hangs just…out…of…reach. We don’t want to be reading about you in the fire calls, with an apple induced broken arm. It is frustrating to see your fruit so high up in the tree and sometimes entirely out of reach. The solution may be to prune back the tree instead of climbing higher. Be safe and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Anyone interested in a very simple apple crisp, cooked in the crock pot, can email to thegardengrrl@gmail.com, with APPLE CRISP in the subject line. This recipe is simple, super tasty and makes your house smell divine.

Fall Bulbs For Spring Blooms!

2008-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

There are few things that you can plant in your garden that give as much as spring-blooming bulbs. They truly are the earliest show offs of the year and come in such a wide variety of types and colors, most gardeners can’t resist putting some in. Of course, some of us – who have invited and welcomed in the neighborhood deer – will not have tulips but rather a very nice display of leaves and blossomless stems. “They are bold, those deer!” – says the gardener who recently had a deer ON HER FRONT PORCH, snacking on a Tropicana potted rose. But I digress…this is about bulbs; not deer.

Nurseries and garden centers generally have a good selection of bulbs, but you’ve got to hit the stores at the right time or the supplies will have dwindled rapidly. You’ve got to get there early, well before it’s time to plant. In this case, the early bird gets the fritillaria. Then you’ll have to hold over those bulbs until the right time to plant. They need to be stored in a cool, dry place. If you’re going to have them for a month before planting, the refrigerator would be a good place to ensure that they’ve gotten their “chill on.”

Paul James, of DIY’s Gardening By The Yard, tells us, “I like more choices and I don’t like risking storing the bulbs. I prefer to order mine. There are literally dozens of catalogs and online sources for doing just that. Many offer varieties that you won’t find in stores and they’ll ship the bulbs to you when it’s time to plant them in your area.”

Two online sources I like are www.tulipworld.com and www.bloomingbulbs.com. Each also offers a paper catalog. I love gardening catalogs. Much more than surfing a website.

If you’re doing mail-order, plant your bulbs immediately, if possible. If you can’t plant right away, it’s best to open the boxes and bags and allow air to circulate around the bulbs.

Most bulbs are sun-lovers, although Spanish bluebells prefer the shade. Early bloomers, such as crocus, do best beneath leaf bearing trees since they bloom long before the trees fill in with leaves. Generally, plant your bulb in a location that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day.

Paul James suggests a planting technique using a mattock. Wikipedia tells us that a mattock is a hand tool similar to a pick axe. It is distinguished by the head, which makes it particularly suitable for digging or breaking up moderately hard ground. A mattock has a broad chisel-like blade perpendicular to the handle. This broad-bladed end is effectively an adze that could be used as a hoe as well. The reverse may have a pointed end, in which case the tool is called a pick mattock, or instead have an axe-like splitting end, then it is a cutter mattock. In some regions of the southern USA, the mattock is called a "grub hoe" or "grub axe". Stab the mattock into the ground and pull back the soil to create a hole for the bulb. In the event that your bulbs did not come with planting instructions, the general rule of thumb is to plant the bulb three to four times deep as the bulb is tall.

When you plant your bulbs, plant the taller ones – like gladiolus – in the back and the ones with the smaller, low growing blossoms in the front. If you’re adding bulbs to an already existing bed, plant in groups of threes and fives to produce the appearance of lushness as if those plants have always grown there.
And WHEN really is the question, isn’t it? It’s really better to get your crocus and Madonna lilies in the ground around mid-September along with daffodils and the larger flowering hyacinths. This month is great for crocus, tulips, grape hyacinth, fritillaria, alliums, snowdrops, scillia and squill. Don’t forget that squill has the added benefit of being repellent to burrowing critters. Also, irises should go in the ground now.
If you’re working a whole new bed, spade up the area, work in a 10-10-10 fertilizer and 2 cups of bone meal per 10 square feet to give your bulbs the best possible start. This is especially important if you are planning on keeping the bulbs in situ for more than one year.

After the ground freezes, or after consistent frosts, set in (we’re not living in Vermont, after all!) cover your bulb planted areas with a 3-inch mulch. You might want to rake it back in early April or late March, if the weather is mild, unless the new shoots can penetrate it easily.

When your bulb blooming time has come and gone, we’re often tempted to cut back that yellow, dying and unsightly foliage. Don’t. You can remove the spent blooms, because otherwise the bulb will use up it’s energy in seed production. Leave that foliage. After the blooms, the bulb itself needs that foliage to store up food before it’s next dormancy. The leaves will provide nourishment to sustain the bulb through dormancy and growth of the bulb itself. Camouflage that fading foliage with bright annuals, maybe pansies, zinnia and some spreading sweet allysum.

Favorites in the bulb world are daffodils, voted #1 in Sunset magazines gardening survey year after year, followed by tulips of all kinds. My personal favorite of the tulips are the botanical Parrot tulips. I just love them! It’s tough to beat the hyacinth’s sweet fragrance in the spring. These come in many shades of purple, blue, pink, red and white. They are also easy to force in a dish of gravel, as are narcissus. One of the first flowers to usher in spring is the crocus. Their lovely, cup-shape blooms come in colorful shades of yellow, orange, purple, blue, and white. Their small size makes them easy to tuck pathways, or at the front of the border. The bold lollipop types of allium are what most gardeners are familiar with. The allium family is huge and offers gardeners a great mix of plant sizes, shapes, and colors. They are a deterrent to a number of pests and burrowing critters. I mentioned squill earlier, but it’s worth a second look. It is one of my favorites. Siberian squill features easy-growing ways and incredible blue color. It's spring's finest blue hue -- and an incredibly easy bulb to boot. It grows just about anywhere. Crown Imperial - with a name like this, you know it has to be an eye-catcher! Crown imperials offer a beautiful cluster of downward-facing flowers in warm, Hawaiian shades. They're topped by a tuft of leaves. Though beautiful and dramatic, they're also a bit stinky – helpful in keeping those who would munch on your garden away. Graceful little bulbs, anemones are the very breath of spring, popping up cheerfully from ferny foliage. They bloom in shades of pink, white, and blue -- and work well in virtually every garden. They’re under used and under rated and definitely are worth considering. I really enjoy the fragrance of freesia, but I do find them rather finicky albeit fabulous and worth the effort. They grow well in containers.

Bulbs offer variety, loads of color and ease of growing that are unsurpassed. I just love them!

Say it's not so!

2008-09-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

We thought the summer, with it’s sweltering, sometimes blast furnace days (with a nod to those of you who actually LIKE that sort of thing…), would never end. But it’s true…Summer is over. The evenings are growing cooler and the days already seem to be getting shorter. For those of us affected, the Back To School rush is starting to settle into a routine. Time to forget about the garden, right? Niet! Nine! Nope! And definitely negative! If you get things ready for the next season properly, you’ll notice a huge difference come spring.

If you have plans to relocate shrubs or small trees, now is the ideal time to do that. As soon as those leaves start to change color and drop is when you need to dig them up, maintaining as much of the root ball as possible, and move them to a new location. It is also a good idea to protect your young trees with guards of plastic or wire mesh. Place these around the slender trunks of newer trees and shrubs to keep rabbits and other rodents from chewing on them over the winter.

Be sure to continue to water your trees – especially your evergreens – until the ground freezes. Evergreens need a good reserve of moisture heading into the winter months since they don’t lose their leaves as deciduous trees do.

It might be a good idea to rake up the fallen leaves every week instead of leaving the job until all of the leaves have fallen. In the fall, your lawn still needs sunlight as it, too, is preparing for winter and is storing up nutrients to make that first spring push of growth. Leaving the leaves on the lawn will weaken it and could smother it if the leaves get thick enough. If you can, shred the leaves and use them as mulch. If not, you can add them to your compost pile or make a portable leaf composter as we’ve talked about here in the past. You can use a chipper if you have one, or you can just run your lawn mower over the leaves, rake them up and use them that way.

One last application of fertilizer to your lawn in the late fall will increase the chances of your lawn surviving intact over the winter and will encourage a quick greening in the spring. Cut your lawn one last time and, after you’ve finished, why not get your mower serviced and it’s blades sharpened now so it will be ready for spring?

Some gardeners like to leave seed heads and dried foliage on perennials to feed the birds. And some gardeners like to have super neat beds ready for the spring-flowering bulbs that will be coming up in early spring. Remember, what you cut down now won’t need to be cleaned up in the spring. It might be a good idea to remove any leaves and stalks that the first frosts will turn to mush as well as anything that looks diseased. Think about keeping some of the ornamental grasses and other plants that produce seeds that could be used by over wintering birds. Pull out any perennials that are frosted and add those materials to the compost bin. Do a final weeding and edging of your flowerbeds. This is still a great time for planting spring flowering bulbs before the ground freezes.

While some say to cut back your roses for the winter, and cut them back hard. Some gardeners cut back and pile on dirt inside of a Styrofoam rose cone. I say, don’t cut them back now; wait until early spring. Hill up dirt around the base of hybrid tea roses for winter protection. After the leaves have died back, get rid of the remaining leaves and rake the ground clean. Some kinds of spores and other pests can over season in dead leaves and you could easily reduce your pest problems next spring by cleaning up really well this fall.

And now, a word about pool rings…

Sirena Van Schaik gives us this advice for that horrible brown ring in your lawn that you find when you take down that inflatable pool that your kids or grandkids splashed around in all summer.

Find a grass seed that is similar to the grass in your yard. It doesn’t have to be exact; there are many varieties that will blend in.
Prick the soil with a rake or a fork.
As you go, remove any weeds that you find. No need to leave them there to cause problems later.
Using a steel head rake, rake the surface that is bald or brown. The rake will create furrows for your grass seed.
Apply a thin layer of compost – about an inch – if you are not working with a bald area. You can also use a starter soil. Use the rake to create furrows.
Add the grass seed across the space. Make sure it covers well.
Take the rake and lightly draw it across the area in right angles. This will cover the furrows with a thin layer of the soil.
Plant some stakes around the brown area and stretch black cotton thread in between, a few inches from the surface. This will keep the birds from eating all of the seeds.
Water the new lawn spot, and continue to water.

One last point is that this repair should take place in October or early November at the latest. If it is too hot or dry, your grass seeds are not going to have a chance to grow and you will have wasted both the time and money it took to prepare the ground and apply those seeds. In the spring, this formerly brown spot should green up and blend in with the rest of your lawn quite nicely.

Make your own compost bins!

2008-09-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Wooden Pallet Or Other Recycled Wood Or Plastic – For Yard Waste Only!

There are lots of materials you can build this particular type of compost bin out of; old wooden pallets, recycled plastic, old wooden snow fencing or salvaged lumber.

Using Wooden Pallets: Nail or tie together with wire four pallets to make a four sided bin. The finished bin will be about the size of a three foot cube. You could use a fifth pallet as a base to allow for more air circulation and since you’re not going to be using this for kitchen compost materials, there is no danger of vermin getting into it.

Building With Lumber – Salvaged Or Otherwise

You will need 4 four foot lengths of 2x4 for the corner posts. Choose a three foot square site for your bin. Use a sledge hammer to pound the four foot posts into the ground, if your ground is soft enough to do that. In some places in the Rogue Valley, one might need a jack hammer!
Next, find some lumber that’s at least ½ inch thick and 6 inches wide. You will need five three foot lengths per side. Nail these to the posts to make a four sided container. Leave and inch and a half to two inches between each board to allow for air flow.

If you have the room to do so, a second bin could be set up so you’ve got one to fill up while the other one is aging. Also, I might not pound the posts in, but rather construct a box that one could pull over and get the compost out of. Construct your cube and simply set it in place.

You can put your posts in the ground and wrap the outside with wooden snow fencing as well. In fact, you can make a more permanent structure with three separate bins for aging your compost using the wooden snow fencing and you can make a removable front for them so that you can get to the finished compost more easily.

Wire Mesh Compost Bins

This has got the be the easiest and cheapest way to build a compost bin for yard waste there is! A wire mesh bin can be made out of either galvanized chicken wire or hardware cloth. You can use regular chicken wire, but your bin won’t last as long. You can use posts to provide stability, but then your bin is more difficult to move. You could always just sink your posts only a couple of inches into the ground, or put them on the outside of the wire a couple of inches into the ground and tie the wire to the posts. The beauty of the wire is that it’s easy to move and you can get at the compost at the bottom of the bin that’s already done.

So, get yourself a length of chicken wire and fold back about 4 inches on each end so that you have a nice, smooth edge to work with that isn’t going to scratch the daylights out of you when you’re not looking. Stand the wire in a circle and set it in place for the compost pile. Cut some heavy wire (baling wire works well, too, if you’ve got some of that around or even baling twine) into lengths for ties. Secure the ends of the wire together with the ties to form a circle. You can space any kind of post around the circle. I’ve seen it done both ways; inside and outside the wire – it’s up to you. If you want an even more sturdy wire bin, you can use hardware cloth or even orchard fencing. They’re a little harder to cut and handle, but will last longer than chicken wire.

Garbage Bin Composter – This Bin Can Include Kitchen Trimmings

Get yourself a 32 gallon plastic garbage bin; the kind with the locking handles. Also, I think the darker ones are better because they heat up faster when they’re in the sun. It’s really best to get the most sturdy bin you can find.

Next get out your drill. You need to make holes all over your bin, including the lid. Fill it up and lock on the lid.

You can put a variety of materials into your bin. The general consensus is that you should mix your “browns” (dry materials) equally with your “greens” (wet materials). Green materials are rich in nitrogen and include fresh grass clippings, pruned plants (but NOT diseased clippings!), coffee grounds, tea leaves or bags (no staples in those bags!) and fruits, vegetables and their peelings. Your brown materials are carbon-rich and include shredded paper, leaves, straw, sawdust (from untreated wood), wood chips and dried twigs. Manure, which is a green material, is a great addition to your bin and there are lots of places where you could get this locally, usually for the asking. Whatever you do, don’t put in your bin any kind of oil or grease or meat or dairy products. At certain times, your bin will give off a slight odor. It is much less than you would expect even if you’ve added quite a bit of manure. In the event that your bin gets quite smelly, you’ve probably not added enough brown material and you can correct that by adding more and rolling your bin around on it’s side to mix it in a bit.

You’ll have to check your bin from time to time. More frequently in warmer weather, because you will have to add water. You don’t want your bin to dry out because you’ll lose the nutrients in the mixture that you need to feed your soil.

Depending on what you’ve put in your bin and the temperature outside, you should have a fresh batch of compost in 1 to 3 months. Again, you might want to make two so you’ve got one to fill while the other is cooking.

When what’s in your bin is dark blackish-brown and rather resembles what comes out of those spendy bags of organic fertilizer, it’s ready to use!

Cold Frame Gardening

2008-09-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Almost anyone can grow a great garden in the summertime. But what about harvesting crops in the middle of spring, when your neighbors are just beginning to turn over their own ground? Creating an early harvest is what can separate the superior gardener from the run of the mill. Cold frames are great for stretching your garden’s growing season at both ends. In the spring, cold frames proved a sheltered area for seed starting and to harden off transplants that were grown indoors.

During the fall, cold frames enable you to harvest fresh vegetables longer by protecting your plants from frost and cold temperatures.

Building a cold frame can be a simple as attaching a discarded window sash to a box shaped framework of wooden boards or by placing a window sash over a group of straw bales arranged to form a rectangular base. Instead of constructing a homemade cold frame, you can purchase commercial units made out of high tech materials that are designed to retain warmth and transmit sunlight to the plants growing inside.

Inexpensive models are available that are constructed with a plastic or metal tube frame that’s covered by a transparent, woven plastic fabric. This style of cold frame is lightweight, portable and can easily be moved from one section of the garden to another, making them ideal for use in raised beds.

The more expensive types of cold frames use an aluminum framing that’s covered with twin walled polycarbonate panels. These units are sturdier and provide better insulation, but are not as portable and usually remain in a permanent, fixed location outside of the garden.

Yet another type of cold frame is the plastic tunnel cold frame. There are four really great aspects to the plastic tunnel: 1) It is easy to build and is made of standard materials. 2) It is cheap. 3) It is fast to put up and take down. 4) It will keep your plants warm and it will keep them from getting too hot.

For growing fall gardens, plants can be sown directly in the fixed location cold frame during late summer. Winter vegetables that were planted in the garden beds can be covered with one of the portable style cold frames.

When it turns colder still, or in a colder Northern climate, even with the shelter of a cold frame, plant growth will slow or stop as temperatures drop below freezing. But the cold frame will enable you to continue growing and harvesting organic vegetables well beyond your normal growing season.

When spring returns, many of the vegetables that were planted in the cold frames the previous fall will resume growing to offer extra early fresh produce at a time that the garden’s beds are still frozen and inactive.

At the end of winter, the cold frame can be used as a nursery bed for starting seedlings of lettuce, kale, spinach and other leafy greens. Sow the seeds thickly and let them germinate and grow inside the cold frame until spring arrives. When outdoor conditions are suitable the seedlings can be thinned and transplanted from the cold frame into the garden’s raised beds.

Cold frames can also be used in the spring to harden off transplants, which were started indoors and grown under lights. Placing the flats or containers of transplants inside the cold frame will allow them to gradually adjust to the harsher growing conditions encountered outdoors, without the need to bring the plants back inside during the night.

Crops growing inside cold frames can survive with little or no watering or other attention during the winter months. But you will need to keep a close eye on the plants growing in cold frames during the fall, and especially during the spring to ensure that they receive enough moisture and to vent the cold frame to prevent plants from overheating on warm days.

The location of your cold frame is essential to success. On every piece of property, there is usually some far warmer area. This is the one you should seek out for your cold frame. But a good site alone will not allow most plants to survive cold nighttime temperatures. For that you must create this artificial environment that will allow your seeds to germinate and your plants to prosper.

In places as cold as upstate New York, they set up their cold frames as early as the second half of March. Wait for one of those unusually warm days that we sometimes get in this area at the end of the winter when it is a joy to be working outside. With all the materials on hand, and perhaps an extra set of hands attached to a friend, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to construct a plastic tunnel cold frame and plant an entire garden in a long afternoon.

There are two factors that can cause serious damage in the plastic tunnel cold frame garden that require constant vigilance. The first is damage from excessive heat. The tunnel is a marvelous seed germinator, but the heat so wonderful for germination is excessive once the seedlings have emerged. A cloudless day in the 70s can take the temperature inside the tunnel to 150 degrees, and the crops you have nursed through the fierce March weather will wilt, scorch, bake and finally perish in the April sun.

Think ventilation. When in doubt, ventilate. If you run to Medford for the day on any but the coldest days, ventilate. End ventilation is almost always sufficient with the plastic tunnel cold frame. A little cold wind on your plants will do small damage compared to excessive heat!

Now, I know I go on and on about “Feed your soil! Bring on the organic matter!” The second problem can arise from TOO MUCH organic matter in the garden. Many of us take pride in the lovely structure of our soil, but too often our compost is not quire as broken down as it should be. Including this kind of stuff, or worse yet – manure, in a plastic tunnel garden is dooming it to failure! Fungi thrive in this kind of environment. The result will be rampant damping off and other diseases. Keep your plastic tunnels and cold frames a little more spare on organic content than an open-air garden. If there is any sign of weakness in the soil, you can always add a boost with some liquid fertilizer, like fish or seaweed emulsion.

The day you plant your garden in the tunnel, water it heavily and seal it shut. No more watering is required until the seeds have germinated. After that, watering depends on the temperature, how robust your seedlings have become and the amount of ventilation you are using. With no ventilation, your system is a closed one and should require almost no additional irrigation. The moment you ventilate, you will have to water in order to supply the rapidly growing plants with the moisture they need.

“This is all fine and wonderful,” you say, “but what exactly am I supposed to grow in this weird tunnel thing?” Ah. You will select those crops that most appeal to you and that suit the particular conditions found under plastic. You will want to plant very intensively, as in French intensive gardening. This technique measures its success by what percentage of the entire bed is completely covered with foliage at each moment of the season. Call it “The Art of Plentitude.”

Your initial planting should comprise crops that can take some cool weather; mostly various kinds of greens for cooking or eating in salads. The second planting is the seeds of warm-weather crops and next one is seedlings of warm-weather crops. Peas, onions and potatoes are not suitable for the tunnel or frame, but should instead be placed directly in the regular garden.

You will find that your first planting of greens to be a real blessing after a cold winter! Be sure to plant some particularly fast-growing things so you can amaze your friends and family (and even yourself!) with garden food with the snow barely off the ground. Garden cress seems to sprout the minute the seeds hit the ground and is a standard which will prove to be the first and fastest harvest from the cold frame garden – ready to eat in a couple of weeks. Next come radishes, which you can broadcast thickly, thinning some of the greens for immediate consumption. Then your lettuces. Broadcast early in the cold frame with a mixture of early season, mid-season and late season. Thin them severely and leave some head lettuce to carry you through most of the late summer. There is the “mesclun mix”, also known as “yuppie greens” that you can frequently harvest by cutting back with a scissors. And – finally – plant a lot of spinach. It’s insanely good for you on many, many levels and is deliciously succulent when grown under plastic.

When things warm up a bit, start your warm season crops from seed. At one end of your tunnel, start your zucchini, crooknecks or patty pan and on the other, your cucumbers. We’ve come to really like those small, round lemon cucumbers as well as the long, light colored Armenians. As they grow, you pretty much pick and eat all of their competition. When the plastic is removed from the frame, the huge squash plants hang way outside the frames. At the other end, train your cucumbers to a six-foot netted trellis, which uses very little planting space. As the cucumbers grow towards the sky, they give a harvest much more bountiful than when allowed to lie on the ground.

Cold frames come in really handy for tomatoes and peppers. You can actually set out plants here in the Rogue Valley six to eight weeks earlier than you would otherwise! Set out your tomato plants between rows of greens and harvest those greens as they compete with the tomatoes. Support those tomatoes on six-foot high wooden trellises and prune them rather severely! The partial shade made by the trellis is actually appreciated by the lettuces and other greens sharing that space once the sweltering days of July arrive and they are thinking of going to seed, which – in my mind is nothing short of betrayal.

Take your tunnel down around June 1 when all danger of frost is past and the plants want more room anyway. Hose down the plastic, let it air dry and roll it up into a black plastic garbage bag, to be stored for the following year. The frames for the tunnel can be left up indefinitely.

Cold frames have been around for just ages. The ones I have described here are cheap and convenient. Use a cold frame or tunnel for just one year and it is unlikely you will ever want to garden again without it.

If you would like to have some plans for simple cold frames or plastic tunnels, please email thegardengrrl@gmail.com.

Blooming Now At A Nursery Near You...

2008-08-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

Fall gardens can be spectacular with bold combination of jewel toned colors. The trick to designing your garden with perennial flowers is making sure you have something wonderful in bloom all the time. Each season has its fabulous divas, and fall blooming perennials have some of the best. But they do take some planning earlier in the gardening season. Two techniques need to be considered when planning your garden.

The first is easy. Select plants that have a late bloom period and that you are certain will bloom in our area before frost. A good garden center should have staff to help you with your choices.

Secondly, the fall bloomers can get very tall and leggy, growing foliage all summer. Once they bloom, they are often top heavy and fall over. To ensure your fall display is as glorious as it should be, you will either need to stake your fall bloomers earlier in the season or do some periodic pruning to make the plants stockier and more self-supporting. Keep in mind that if you prune your plants, you will be delaying the bloom period by a week or more.

Fall bloomers tend to blossom in the jewel tones of the season; deep purples, rusts, scarlet and gold. Here are my top picks for fall blooming perennial stars:

Aster Novi-Belgii (Michaelmas Daisy) – In shades of pink, purple, blue and white, these delicate daisy-like blossoms start popping open in late August and continue on until frost. Pinching them in the early summer turns these Asters into mounds with dozens of flower buds. Asters will tend to creep throughout your garden, but their airiness allows them to blend particularly well with other flowers.

Caryopteris (Blue Mist Shrub) – Caryopteris is a sub-shrub that is often grown in the perennial garden. Caryopteris slowly blossoms in August with dazzling blue flower clusters. Just try and keep the butterflies and bees away! Caryopteris is cut back in early spring, like a Buddleia, and the gray-green foliage is attractive all season.

Chelone (Turtlehead) – Nicknamed for their blossoms shaped like turtle’s heads, Chelone is a carefree fall blooming perennial whose only real dislike is excessive dry heat. Chelone behaves itself, growing in a dense clump with attractive foliage and red, pink or white blooms.

Chrysanthemum – There are many varieties of mums and not all of them are particularly hardy. The plants sold in the fall as “hardy mums’ should have been sold to us in the spring. However, we wouldn’t have had the patience to plant them and wait. Mums and pumpkins are the flag bearers of the fall. Try and get your potted mums in the ground as soon as possible. Keep them well watered and mulch once the ground freezes and you’ll stand your best chance of having truly hardy mums.

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) – Joe Pye is one of those natives we take for granted because we see it growing by the side of the road. It does, however, make a wonderful backdrop for the garden in borders or against a fence or wall.

Helenium (Sneezeweed) – Helenium is making a resurgence in gardens. They look like small russet-toned coneflowers, in reds, yellows and oranges. Many Helenium can grow quite tall and will need to be staked or pinched. Like clematis, they like cool feet and hot heads. Helenium is also a good choice for poorly drained areas.

Helianthus (Perennial Sunflower) – Helianthus is a good natured and jolly plant, branching and flopping on its neighbors. The brilliant gold, fluffy, daisy-like flowers make and instant focal point and attracts butterflies and birds. Helianthus tend to be sterile and can be reproduced by division.

Heliopsis (False Sunflower) – Heliopsis is very similar to Helianthus. Heliopsis tends to begin blooming earlier in the season and stays on for 8 or more weeks. Newer varieties have been bred smaller and sturdier for less flopping.

Sedum (Stonecrop) – Sedum “Autumn Joy” comes as close to perfection as any plant can. It looks good all year, requires minimal attention and attracts few problems. Its only drawback is that it is not deer resistant. “Autumn Joy” has been joined in the garden by growing a number of fall wonders like “Bertram Anderson”, “Brilliant” and “Matrona”. No fall garden is complete without sedum.

Solidago (Goldenrod) – Goldenrod is finally getting the respect it deserves, especially with introductions like “Fireworks” and “Golden Fleece”. Unlike the native solidagos that spread everywhere and never stood up on their own, these newer varieties are sturdy and chock-full of fall blooms.

When you think about it, we gardeners are a bit like show-biz directors. We stage our big production numbers for the spring and mid-summer. There’s no reason at al that we can’t turn our fall gardens into a Busby Berkeley musical of rioting fall blooms!

Sliding Into Fall...

2008-08-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I thought those brutal days of heat weren’t EVER going to end. I know of a woman who, while is as brilliant and pleasant and funny as any human should be allowed to be, LOVES the heat; the more sweltering the better. I think she might be certifiable. Of course, most people think I’m certifiable, but that’s a story for another time…

The cooler days of fall lend themselves to the cooler weather veggies and some truly spectacular fall blooming perennials. And let’s not forget the star of the fall garden – the chrysanthemum!

Fall gardening is the way to have fresh veggies right into winter. Many fall gardens are carried over from the summer gardens. Tomato plants, okra, pepper and eggplant, if cared for during the summer, continue to produce until cold slows them down and frost kills them.

To keep these veggies producing, control insects and diseases, keep the plants watered and fertilized, and don’t let the garden grow up in grass and weeds. A good fall garden, however, is not just keeping the summer garden alive, it means planting new veggies to produce in fall and early winter.

Plan the fall garden at the same time you plan the spring and summer garden. Include your seed needs for fall when ordering seeds for the spring and summer garden. It helps to have the seeds on hand so you can plant them right when it’s time.

Many cool-weather veggies normally planted in the spring grow and produce better in the fall since they mature as the weather cools. When wet weather causes a delay in planting early spring veggies (past a time when they can be expected to mature before hot weather destroys them), a fall garden provides a second opportunity. Chinese cabbage (very sensitive to heat) and rutabagas (require a long period of cool weather) are two cool weather veggies recommended for planting ONLY in the fall.

Warm-season veggies planted in midsummer for fall harvest require additional time to mature as the weather cools in September and October. Choose planting dates in midsummer that allow these veggies to mature before frost.

Suggested veggies for our zone in the Rogue Valley for fall are: bush beans and snap beans, kohlrabi, beets, lettuces of all kinds, broccoli, mustard, cabbage, onions, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, rutabagas, chard, spinach, Chinese cabbage and turnips.

The hot, dry weather in July, August and September is hard on germinating seeds and young seedlings, Germination and seedling survival is improved if you use one of these methods:

Water a day or two before planting so seeds are planted in moist soil. Watering after planting can cause the soil surface to pack and crust.

Plant seeds in moist soil and cover with moistened, non-crusting materials: a mix of peat moss and vermiculite or composted sawdust and sand. Keep the surface moist during germination and seedling establishment.

Plant three to five seeds of the small-seeded veggies like broccoli and cabbage at the recommended final plant spacing in the garden row. Once the seedlings are established, thin the seedlings to one plant at each location.

Transplants – Start vegetable transplants for the fall garden in individual containers, such as peat pots, small clay or plastic pots or peat pellets. Setting out plants without disturbing the root systems reduces transplant shock.

Protect young plants from the sun for a few days. You can use bare-root transplants from thinning the seedling row, but be prepared to provide water and shade until they become established.

The fall garden is open to attach by insects and diseases just as the summer garden is. In some cases, the insect problems are worse. Worms (cabbage loopers and imported cabbage moths) are serious problems on fall cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and collards. Control these leaf-eating worms with one of the biological sprays. Squash bugs are troublesome on fall squash and pumpkins.

Fall veggies need fertilizer just as much as spring and summer ones. Don’t count on the fertilizer applied in the spring to supply the fertilizer needs of veggies planted in late summer or fall. Fertilize before planting and side dress as needed. Remember, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants.

As the danger of frost approaches, pay close attention to weather prediction. Tender plants often can be protected from an early frost and continue to produce for several weeks. When a killing frost is inevitable, harvest tender veggies.

Green tomatoes that are turning white just before turning pink will ripen if stored in a cool place. Pick these tomatoes, wrap them in paper and use them as they ripen.

Don’t abandon your garden when freezing temperatures kill the plants. Clean up the debris, store stakes and tomato cages and poles. Take a soil test. Row up part of the garden to be ready for planting early spring potatoes and peas.

In the good old summertime...

2008-08-10T10:30:00.002-07:00

Maintaining Color In Your Garden Through The Peak Summer Months

Your gardens and containers have now been planted for some time, and you’re enjoying the flowering fruits of your labor. Hopefully, at this time of the year there is little left to be done but enjoy the beauty of your flowers. Except for a few minor tasks, of course!

Watering – It obviously goes without saying that the water needs of your plants are at their peak at this time of the year. With water availability more of an issue in many parts of the country, help maintain your soil moisture with organic mulches such as pine bark or cedar mulch, or use plastic mulch earlier in the season when you are first laying out your garden bed. It helps keep weeds down, too! Drip irrigation is also a great way to keep your plants healthy while conserving water.

Fertilization – There is an absolutely gorgeous planting of hot pink spreading petunias near where I work in Medford. Last month, the plants were well filled out and full of color. It cheered me up every time I drove by. When I drove by the other day, I noticed and was disappointed to see that the planting was becoming stressed. The plants were beginning to yellow, with not nearly the number of flowers as before. You see, the landscapers had simply planted those petunias and walked away. It was clear to me that no one was maintaining this bed and the petunias are now under nourished. Don’t forget to consistently fertilize your annuals. If you like these types of products, use a slow release granular fertilizer or consider a liquid feed that can be used in conjunction with your hose, sprinkler or drip system. Most annuals in the garden should be fed about every 2 weeks if you’re using a liquid feed. Container plants should be fed about once a week. The general rule of thumb is to go with more frequent applications of a more dilute solution. Less frequent, heavier concentrations are apt to burn your plants and damage the micro-flora and fauna living in your soil. Rather than get fancy, fill a bucket with a very dilute solution of liquid feed and dump a jarful on each plant. The plants love it and it’s really a very therapeutic activity!

Dead Heading – Toss this activity into that therapeutic activity class also. Some people enjoy deadheading plants, others couldn’t be bothered. The bottom line is if you deadhead your annuals once the blooms are spent, there is a greater chance of new flower production that will last later into the season. Annuals such as geraniums really benefit from deadheading, because otherwise the spent flower stalks simply look like forlorn little umbrellas. Other annuals need little to no deadheading, such as spreading petunias. The spend flowers just wither away and are generally covered by new growth (another reason why I love them, but I do really enjoy geraniums as well!).

Weeding – Out of all the gardening tasks there are, this is my least favorite. There are a number of methods to keep your weed population down … organic mulches, herbicides and plain old-fashioned weed pulling. You may want to consider landscape cloth when you are first preparing your garden beds. And certainly, container gardens are less prone to weed development than garden beds. The bottom line is a weed-reduced garden promotes better growth of your annuals, which hopefully over time will grow large enough to crowd out those nasty weeds in the first place!

These few small steps will help keep your annuals at maximum performance throughout the summer and well into the autumn months.

There's a fungus among us!

2008-08-10T10:30:00.001-07:00

Roses have earned a reputation as the temperamental divas of the plant world. While it is true that the romantic rascals attract their share of illnesses, they are easier to conquer than you might think. Fungi cause the vast majority of rose diseases. Regardless of which nasty fungus is attacking your roses, the treatment is pretty much the same. Cut off the affected parts of the plant and destroy them.

Be aware of the symptoms that can arise in an unhealthy rose. Sometimes buds only partially open or not at all. Outer petals can turn pale brown, dry and papery in wet weather or as the result of too much overhead watering. Buds can often develop a gray mold before rotting and dropping off. Purple black spots can form on leaves, and later, a yellow halo develops. Other times, the symptoms are in the cane of the rose, where it might appear discolored. Most of these are caused by fungi.

Know your fungus. Balling, botrytis blight, blackspot, canker and dieback and crown gall, are the most common fungi and bacteria found in roses. Destroy virus-infected flowers and request additional buds for free from the store where they were purchased. Viruses like rose mosaic, rose rosette, rose leaf curl and rose ring pattern can cause broom-like clusters and knots and are extremely nocuous. Stores should refund you because viruses are nearly always spread by using infected material when grafting buds.

To avoid spreading the disease, dip your shears in rubbing alcohol or peroxide after every cut. Then, to get the plants back on their feet, follow this simple routine:

Water the soil, not the plant. Moisture that clings to leaves, stems and flowers is an open invitation to fungi.

Keep your beds clean. Pick up and destroy plant litter as soon as you see it, especially at the base of the plant, where fungal spores thrive.

Cut off odd-looking leaves or canes the minute you see them. Then burn them as soon as you can or toss them out with the weekly trash. Don’t add them to the compost pile, or you’ll be asking for more trouble.

Prune with a vengeance. Each year, cut out all diseased or damaged canes, and any canes more than three years old. Vigorous, new wood is far less vulnerable to diseases and pests. Aim for a structure that lets air circulate to all parts of the plant, especially to the bud union, where new canes develop.

Be careful when you’re working or playing around rose bushes. Nicked or broken canes are an open invitation to fungi.

Spray once a week with this fungicide developed at the Cornell University Horticulture Department: In one gallon of water, mix three teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of non-detergent dishwashing liquid OR one teaspoon of canola oil – BUT NOT BOTH!!

Reduce fungal woes by planting disease-resistant varieties. You’ll find them identified as such in garden catalogs, especially those that specialize in roses. Bear in mind, though, that no rose – or any other plant for that matter – is guaranteed to be completely trouble-free.

Keep in mind that fungi thrive in damp, humid weather. Roses growing in Seattle or Atlanta will always be more prone to problems than those in Tucson or Palm Springs.

You say you’ve got bugs chewing on your prize roses? Well, here’s something the folks at the nursery probably didn’t tell you: Rose pests rarely cause permanent damage. Furthermore, most of them have natural predators that usually keep bad-guy populations in check if you don’t use pesticides.

Understand the symptoms of rose pests. They aren’t clearly visible, but the sick plant is. Distorted, curled and stick foliage can result. Holes in flowers or buds and skeleton leave can appear. Your shoots and flower buds turn black and die, or fail to open at all. When they do, the petals can often be marked with brown spots.

Know your enemy. The most common rose pests are aphids, the rose midge, cane borers, Japanese beetles, the bristly rose slug and thrips. Leaf cutter bees cause slight cosmetic damage (small holes, skeleton foliage), but are great pollinators of other plants, so think twice before killing those.

Dislodge the pests with a strong stream of water. Do this early in the day, so the plant has time to dry out and not harbor tendencies to invite fungi to take root. Spray the plant with insecticidal soap. Encourage predators of rose pests to nearby plants by planting sunflowers or geraniums nearby. Plant garlic or chives in the plant soil. Cut loose any clinging pests and get rid of canes that have holes in them. Cover any holes or external wounds in the plant that you yourself have made, saving the plant with white glue or petroleum jelly. Spray with a steady stream of water again. The excess insecticide will wash off while sufficient levels are absorbed.

There IS a cure for the summertime blues...

2008-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

As we noted last week, August can be a challenging month in the garden, even when we aren’t in the middle of a drought. It’s always good to have a few jewels like bulbs that bloom in the late summer and fall to brighten our days.

One of the hardiest and easiest to grow is the rain lily, Zephyranthes candida. Small ivory crocus-like blooms appear on stems to 12 inches tall in August and September. This bulb is a prolific bloomer and much easier to grow in the ground than in pots. It’s green and rush-like foliage stands out in the winter landscape and provides a nice backdrop for the autumn flowers. Tuck it in at the edge of the border, on pathways, in a rock garden or in beds of groundcover like Sedum tetractinum. Rain lilies come in ivory to white varieties, a range of pinks and yellow. Now is the perfect time to plant.

Earlier, in mid- to late summer, a group of naked ladies is bound to attract attention. And – really – when WOULDN’T a group of naked ladies attract attention? No, really, I jest – Lycoris squamigera, with its soft pink trumpets appearing magically on sturdy leafless stems, are quite striking. The foliage, which appears in spring, ripens and disappears before there is any sign of flowers. Plant naked ladies in an open woodland garden with other perennials, such as hostas to help mask the ripening foliage.

The spider lily, Lycoris radiata, planted in combination with ferns like Southern shield or in a bed with ground covers, is resistant to voles, gophers and deer, like daffodils, rain lilies and naked ladies. June is the best time to plant Lycoris, but you can still plant them now for blooms next year.

Colchicum, planted in a bed of pachysandra or in combination with ferns make a beautiful display. They are often mistakenly called autumn crocus because of their flowers. Among the earliest to bloom is “Violet Queen”, with cup shaped purple flowers. One of the most free-flowering is “Lilac Wonder”, with amethyst flowers marked with white lines at the center. Another bonus is that they are poisonous, which means – as with daffodils, critters are not tempted to eat them. When planting these beauties, keep in mind that coarse foliage appears in the spring and dies back in the summer, well before the flowers appear on short, leafless stems.

Other fall blooming bulbs include a selection of crocus that is as easy to grow as its spring cousins and equally rewarding. Beautiful as they are ornamental, Crocus sativus is also edible. The red stigmas in the centers of these flowers is the source for the spice saffron, used to make saffron rice and other luscious edibles. Also blooming in early fall is the easy to naturalize Crocus speciosus, with large goblet-shaped violet-blue to mauve flowers (3 to 5 inches and up to 12 inches tall). Plant both of these as soon as you receive them in the fall along pathways in your rock garden or in combination with ground covers.

Plant Now For Fall Veggies…
Seeds germinate fast when the soil is already nice and warm. For delicious, picture-perfect fall crops of spinach, lettuce, peas, kale and broccoli, now is the time to plant. Here are 4 easy steps to fall veggie success:

Pull Some, Plant Some
As soon as any early season plants have passed their prime, pull them out and replant. Even little sections where a cucumber plant expired or the cilantro went to seed. Put the old plants in your compost pile, then aerate and replenish the soil by forking in some compost and organic fertilizer. Rake the surface smooth and sow something new!

Screen The Sun
For good late-summer germination, it’s important to keep the soil surface from drying out and not let soil temperatures rise over 80 degrees. Wire hoops and shade netting are an easy solution. Fall planted seeds should be sown twice as deep as in the spring. Natural shade from a trellis or tall plant can also provide a good spot for seeding a second crop. When cold weather comes, keep plants warm with a floating row cover.

Sow The Right Crops
Plants that thrive in fall weather include, carrots, beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, kale and all kinds of salad and Asian greens. Choose disease-resistant varieties that mature quickly. All can be direct-sown into your garden, though broccoli can also be started indoors under lights or in a greenhouse. If planting a fall crop of peas, choose bush peas rather than the traditional climbers.

Don’t Delay!
Summer-planted crops usually require an extra two weeks to mature since the days are starting to get shorter and the temperatures will start to get cooler. Using the days-to-maturity figure on the seed packet, count back from your fall frost date and add a 14-day “fall factor”. This will give you your fall planting date.

Be sure to drink plenty of water while you out in the garden to keep yourself hydrated and safe from heat related illness!

THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN…
Plant seeds for late varieties of beets, carrots, endive, fennel, radish, rutabaga, spinach, turnips, leeks and members of the cabbage family.
Set out leek, onions, potato and garlic plants now.
Remember to keep the tender seeds and young plants moist until the winter rains arrive.
Plant or transplant iris rhizomes, which may bloom next year.
Feed your mature fruit trees after harvest with a higher nitrogen fertilizer and water well.
Feed your strawberries a small amount of a general organic fertilizer.
Don’t forget to feed your established roses every 6 weeks.
Add mulch if needed to maintain even soil moisture.
Divide your irises every three years for improved blooms. Incorporate compost and a complete organic fertilizer when transplanting. Iris also likes calcium, so the addition of bone meal would be well received. These smaller plants will reward you with new vitality next year.
Stop pinching back your mums to allow the buds and blooms to develop. Stake them to keep from flopping over as needed.
Lift spent gladiolus, discarding diseased ones. Store them in a cool dry place.

On the Late Summer Garden...

2008-07-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Unless you’ve planned ahead, late summer can mean dog days in the garden as the brilliant colors of spring and early summer fades to a droopy green. Sometimes we feel like there’s nothing to do but give up. By August, our gardens can look tired and tattered. There are some things that can be done now to revive the garden and carry you into the fall.

Now is a good time to look around and see where the “blank” spots are in the garden; to see what part of the garden is lacking bloom. We often see these blank spots because all the plants we bought in the spring were spring or early summer bloomers. Now we can go to the garden center and pick some plants that will give us bloom or color into late summer and early autumn. Planting at this time will require some extra care since temperatures may be high and rainfall non-existent. New plants will need regular watering so that they establish well.

Looking at the garden we have already planted, there are some things we can do to keep it in good shape. Watering is our number one concern at this time of the year. It is essential to keep plants watered consistently during the heat of summer. On the average, plants need about an inch of water per week and it is best to give that whole inch at one time. A good, deep watering once a week helps the plant develop a deep root system and gives the plant a good reservoir of water from which to draw. Avoid frequent sprinkling, as it never wets the soil thoroughly. During really hot weather, we may need to may that inch of water available a couple of times a week. The weather and the plant’s environment will dictate water needs. Keeping your plants watered helps keep them growing well and looking good.

Mulch can play in important role in the garden at this time. Mulch helps conserve water, keeps root systems cooler and reduces weeds. During this time of year, inspect your mulch to see if it’s intact and doing it’s job or if it has decayed down to a thin layer. Two to three inches of mulch is a good amount. Less than that may be insufficient to get the job done. If your mulch layer is depleted, now is a good time to add some.

The question of fertilizer almost always comes up in any discussion of gardening. The question to ask now is: “Do my plants need fertilizer now?” Late summer is not always a good time for fertilizer. Plants are often under heart or drought stress and fertilizer will not help them. In some cases, it could even be harmful. Plants that are in dry soil may have their roots burned by fertilizer, even when the correct amount is used. If a plant is dry, give it what it needs – Water. And save the fertilizer for another time.

Some plants may need to be rejuvenated in late summer. If some of your perennials have turned brown or are looking tattered, cut them back and give them some water to encourage new growth. Many perennials respond favorably to this kind of treatment and if one or two don’t, then at least you’ve removed an eyesore from your garden. Those plants that don’t regrow now, will do so next spring from the root system.

Deadheading can also improve the appearance of your late summer garden. Remove spent flowers to keep your garden tidy. You may not want to deadhead everything, especially if your are planning on some of those plants reseeding themselves, are trying to get plants to naturalize or are trying to attract birds. Know what your purpose is and than deadhead accordingly.

The final task – and the one that many gardeners dread - is weeding. Sometimes out late season gardens look bad because the weeds have gained a foothold. Get out and get the weeds out and your garden will look better immediately. Also your perennials will grow better without the competition of the weeds. Lay down that layer of mulch we talked about earlier and your weed problem will be considerably lessened.

If you planted tomatoes and other veggies during the past few months, harvest them often for an ongoing supply. Pick tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos early in the morning on the day you plan to eat them. Select okra, eggplants, squash and cucumbers when they are small and tender. Sow turnips, mustard greens, beets, radishes, collards and spinach now for the fall. If you have extras from your garden, share the bounty with family, neighbors and friends. If your neighbors are hiding out from you when they see you coming with your bag of tomatoes and squashes, check out the community center to donate your excess – there are plenty of folks in our community who would love some garden-fresh produce.

Cooler days and nights are coming, even though it might not look like it today. Prepare your lawn for the cooler days and nights ahead. Now is an excellent time to establish fescue, perennial ryegrass and bluegrass. If you are sowing the seeds for a new lawn, use a lower nitrogen, higher phosphorous fertilizer, such as 18-24-10. As always, I think organic is best. If you have an established lawn, go with a higher nitrogen formula like 31-2-4.

Did your tulips and hyacinths come up short last year? They probably needed more chill time! Purchase your bulbs NOW and place them in the vegetable bins of your refrigerator for at least six to eight weeks before planting. Plant autumn crocus bulbs (Colchicum sp.) and you will be rewarded with a multitude of pink blooms.

Prune and fertilize your ever-blooming roses now for a big show of fall flowers. Remove dead stems and shorten healthy canes by about one third. Feed with fish emulsion (or rose food) and add clean mulch to conserve moisture and reduce disease. Water well once or twice a week if it doesn’t rain. To avoid black spot, powdery mildew and rust, don’t use an overhead sprinkler.

There are many autumn perennials that provide breathtaking fall color. Old-fashioned mums, such as “Sheffield Pink” and “Single Apricot Korean”, planted along the front of your flower beds will mound and spill over the edges. Use asters along with Japanese anemones for the middle and back of the borders.

To lift your garden out of the late-summertime rut, consider some of these alternatives. You may be able to find them in containers at your local garden center.

Coleus: New cultivars have given this old standby annual a whole new dazzle. The colors are more intense, the combinations of color are numerous and there are even a few that can take full sun. Most of the new ones don’t bloom, so you won’t have to worry about deadheading. Planted in masses, these spots of vibrant color can carry your garden through from spring until frost.

Alternanthera: Stunning, lush and easy – these all describe this plant that puts on a show of dark purple foliage from spring to frost. It’s an annual that’s very easy to grow and tough enough to handle harsh weather and heat. The plant can reach 1-1/2 to almost 3 feet high and nearly as wide.

Salvia: This is a large family of annuals and perennials, some of which bloom over long periods, including into the fall. All salvias require good drainage and generally grow quickly. Many are favorites of hummingbirds and butterflies. The Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) has phenomenal lavender and white spikes from late summer to frost. “Indigo Spires” will produce dark purple flowers on arching stems all summer until frost. Autumn sage (S. greggii) is a staple in desert landscaping because of its tolerance of heat and drought. It blooms over long periods and is available in purplish-red, red, white, pink and coral. The fire-engine red flowers of pineapple sage (S. elegans) start in earnest in late summer. The common scarlet sage (S. splendens), which blooms from spring to frost, also comes in a variety of other colors including cream, pink, orange, salmon, purple and a few bi-color varieties.

Dwarf Crape Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica): The lovely woody shrubs and trees gardeners have come to depend on in August can also provide color close to the ground. The semi-dwarf and dwarf forms can easily be tucked into landscape beds. Some of the smaller ones are “Chickasaw” (pink-lavender), “Victor” (red), “Monink” (bright pink), “Moned” (rose red) and “Bourbon Street” (watermelon red and a weeping variety).

Bringing some new things into the garden can make this late-summer/early-autumn time a glorious and enjoyable time in your garden. Be sure to keep track of what works for you and brings those memorable flashes of color. You’ll want to recreate the brilliance of this summer and autumn for many years to come.

A Message of Tolerance...

2008-07-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Today an eco-friendly garden. Tomorrow the world.
There are lots of great ideas for going greener in the garden. Some you can start right away. Other ideas, such as reducing the size of your lawn, may be more gradual. One small thing often leads to another and one day you find that you’re not only an active eco-gardener; you are a true friend of the planet.

Start small.
The very first step in going greener would be to water wisely and use organic pesticides and fertilizers.

Organic gardening is growing without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and inorganic fertilizers that pollute our soil and water. It relies on the use of beneficial insects, diversity of plants, and the use of compost to supply the soil with nutrients. A very wise Master Gardener once told me, “Feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants.” I know I’ve harped and harped about feeding the soil – and I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing it – but it really is the most vitally positive thing you can do for your garden. There are more and more organic pesticides and fertilizers on the market everyday. Even if you only use a few organic products and techniques, you'll be helping.

Water wisely.
Drip irrigation is a controlled, slow application of water that flows under low pressure through plastic pipe or hose laid along each row of plants. The water drips out of tiny holes that are made in the hose wall or from fittings called emitters that are plugged into the wall at proper spacing. Soil moisture remains constant, and air is always available. By delivering water directly to plants, little is lost to evaporation or runoff so this technique is very water efficient. A variety of emitters allow the proper amount of water to be delivered to each individual plant. It is one of the best techniques for watering gardens, fruit trees, vines and container plants.

If you don't have a drip irrigation system, having a well designed, well-timed sprinkler system saves money and reduces water waste. Sprinkler timing devices range in price and are fairly easy to use. Use a moisture sensor in your landscape to help determine when to water and the right amount. Remember to adjust the timer on the sprinkler system according to changing weather conditions. This will also help save water and money. The time of day you water is very important. Try to water in the early morning or in the evening. Otherwise, the water from the sprinkler will evaporate before it soaks into the ground.

Rain barrels offer an inexpensive and virtually effortless way to capture mineral- and chlorine-free water for watering your garden or lawn. By harnessing this resource from nature, you’ll not only notice a significant decrease in your water bill, you'll also see a reduction in storm water runoff, which will help prevent flooding and erosion. You’ll want to consider using mosquito dunks or mosquito fish to keep your rain barrel free of Skeeter larvae.

Make compost.
A real circle of life, plants feed you and then you feed your plants. Try making compost from green waste. It’s a great way to enrich your soil fertility, giving it a dose of high-powered nutrients. Aside from encouraging strong root development, the addition of compost also will improve your soil texture, aeration and water retention. Good soil has better water absorption and water-holding capacity, allowing you to reduce the amount of water you use.

Mulch your planting beds.
By helping to retain moisture, suppress weeds and insulate plants from extreme temperatures, mulch helps your garden thrive. Any material such as wood chips, straw, nutshells, paper, sawdust, leaves, seaweed, grass clippings or compost can be used as mulch. Mulching is a way to recycle materials that might otherwise be discarded and while improving your soil.

Recycle.
In addition to reusing plant containers to house your greenery, why not check out the variety of attractive, environmentally friendly planters and raised-garden kits now available at most garden centers. Whether you choose pots made from recycled copper, plastic, or even rubber to anchor your tender shoots, it all helps make a difference – plus you end up with a fabulous-looking garden.

Start growing your own food.
It may sound like a novel idea, but really, what could be more basic than growing your own food? You won’t find fresher, healthier—or cheaper—eating anywhere else. There’s nothing more satisfying than plucking a fresh blueberry off the bush minutes before you eat it. You can start small – look for an area in your yard with some sun and good drainage. And if you need more space, don’t be afraid to reclaim a little of your yard for more edibles.

Rethink your lawn.
When considering a landscape's water requirement, it is important to note that turf grasses require more frequent watering and maintenance than most other landscape plants. Carefully select grass according to its intended use, planting location and maintenance requirements. Planting the lowest water-use turf grass adapted to the region is an effective way to reduce landscape irrigation requirements. Achieving a significant reduction in water consumption and landscape maintenance may also involve reducing the size of water-sensitive lawns through the use of patios, decks, shrub beds and groundcovers.

Plant more trees.
Many newer neighborhoods in this country just don’t have enough trees. Recent suburbs and developments are built on former farm fields with no trees. If possible, homeowners should plant trees. Trees, just like all plants, breathe oxygen back in to the atmosphere. They create shade, which can cut air-conditioning costs for your home, and they add all-season beauty.

Bring on the bees and butterflies.
Welcome bees and butterflies to your garden by including a variety of native flowers they’re drawn to, such as lemon balm, wild lilac and goldenrod. By the way, you may have already heard we’re in the midst of a major bee-loss epidemic. This is serious business because pollinators affect 35 percent of the world’s crop production—and increase the output of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide. Do your part to help welcome them back!

Spread compost and spread the word.
Be an advocate for eco-friendly gardening. Tell your friends, share your ideas and you will make a difference.

Beat The Heat In Your Garden

2008-07-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Obviously hot weather has adverse effects on plants, but what about the adverse effects on gardeners? Is human heat stress not of equal or greater importance? To understand how to reduce or minimize heat stress or heat-related illnesses, one must first understand what causes heat stress and when it is most likely to occur. Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to get rid of excess body heat by its normal exhaust methods - either from sweat evaporation, or from increased blood circulation to the skin surface where body heat can escape through radiation.

Environmental Conditions and Individual Factors - The four major environmental conditions that affect heat stress are air temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and radiant heat. Combine these with individual factors such as age, gender, weight, physical and medical conditions, and a person's degree of heat acclimation, and you can begin to predict how well a person might hold up in a hot, humid, still environment.

Heat-related illnesses - The majority of heat-related illnesses - early heat illness or fainting, heat cramps, heat rash, and heat exhaustion - are considered minor. Just because these illnesses are considered minor doesn't mean that they aren't important to recognize, and to try to avoid or minimize. For ill or frail individuals these illnesses may require medical attention.

The one heat-related illness considered major is heat stroke. Someone suffering from heat stroke can be in a life-or-death situation to which the first response should always be a 911-phone call.

The following are just some of the signs, symptoms, causes and treatments of these illnesses - consult medical references for additional information:

Early heat illness or fainting - Signs and symptoms - dizziness, fatigue and irritability; difficulty concentrating or making decisions. Cause - reduced blood flow to brain. Treatments - drink water; loosen clothes; rest in shade.

Heat cramps - Signs and symptoms - painful arm, leg or stomach muscle spasms; thirst and heavy sweating; (may not occur until after gardening activities). Cause - body salt loss due to sweating. Treatments - drink water, and avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine; remove hat and loosen clothes; rest; lightly stretch muscles in a cool location.

Heat rash ("prickly heat") - Signs and symptoms - pricking sensation and tiny, blister-like red skin spots usually on body areas covered by clothes. Cause - plugged and inflamed sweat glands. Treatments - wear loose clothes; wash skin; apply talcum powder.

Heat exhaustion - Signs and symptoms - early heat illness signs, plus: loss of coordination; collapse; heavy sweating; cool, moist, pale skin; dry mouth with excessive thirst; fast pulse; low to normal temperature. Causes - reduced blood circulation and flow to brain; dehydration. Treatments - if conscious, give cool water to drink (do NOT give beverages containing caffeine or alcohol)-- make sure they drink slowly by giving a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes; rest lying down in a cooler, shaded area; loosen or remove clothing and hat; splash cold water on body and massage arms and legs.

Heat stroke - (May occur suddenly and is life-threatening. According to the American Red Cross. Follow the following recommendation.) Signs and symptoms - dizziness, confusion, headaches, irrational behavior, coma; reduced or no sweating; fast pulse; rapid breathing; convulsions, nausea, vomiting. Causes - dehydration; sustained exertion; reduced blood flow to brain, heart, etc.; body unable to cool itself; overexposure to high temperatures even without exertion. Treatments - call 911; move to shaded area; remove shoes and outer clothing, wrap in wet cloth/pour water on/fan rapidly; elevate legs; clear vomit to prevent choking; if victim refuses water, is vomiting, or there are changes in level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.

Heat stress solutions - How should gardeners avoid becoming a safety threat to themselves and others when it's hot? Start by evaluating potential risk of heat stress relative to the individual factors listed above. Someone who is older, overweight, in poor physical condition, taking allergy medication, or not used to being out in the heat is at far greater risk than someone who is young, trim, on a regular exercise program, and used to the heat.

Become a weather watcher. Set up a small weather station (with a high/low thermometer, rain gauge, etc.) to monitor not only the temperature, rainfall, etc., relative to plant growth, but also relative to personal safety. Watch or listen to the weather forecast each morning and noon to know in advance when stressful environmental conditions may occur. Plan activities for cooler time of day or season.

Evaluate work tasks and the time of day during which they must or can be done. Tasks that occur outdoors in sunny areas should be done in early morning or late afternoon whenever possible, not during the midday heat. Most watering, pruning, dead heading, etc., is better for plants when done in early morning. Many chemicals, especially insecticides, are better applied late in the day when the wind is down and beneficial insects are not present. Also, many chemicals volatilize quickly in the heat, losing their effectiveness and possibly causing harmful reactions to the applicator.

Allow yourself to acclimate to the heat slowly. Over a period of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of time spent in hot, still areas or in direct sun. Don't save hours of hoeing weeds from garden beds for the first day it goes over 90°F. Avoid working on surfaces such as asphalt, or near items such as metal, that may become very hot.

Be sure to stay hydrated, drinking as many liquids as possible. Don't wait until you are thirsty to have a drink, as thirst is an indicator that your body is already dehydrated. Water is preferred, except when heat cramps occur (then drink a lightly salted beverage like a sports drink). The water's temperature should be cool, not cold. Flavored beverages, such as fruit juices, iced tea and lemonade, as long as their sugar and salt content is low, are good water substitutes if they encourage large quantity consumption.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to reduce heat stress is to dress appropriately. Though tempting, do not work in the yard in a tank top or without a shirt due to the potential for sunburn and skin cancer. Wear loose fitting, light colored clothes. Keep the fabric content high in cotton to aid sweat evaporation. Neckbands, headbands, wristbands, visors, and hats can increase evaporation to keep the body cool.

Lastly, take frequent breaks to reduce the amount of time spent in the sun or heat. After working for an hour, take a break to cool down and have a drink in the shade to reduce the build up of heat stress on your body.

Gardening Jobs For July:
You can sow a fall crop of bush beans now. Plant seeds two inches deep to protect them from the hot Sun. You can sow other vegetable seeds for an autumn yield, too, by planting them just a little deeper than you did in the spring. The best time to plant is after a rain shower.

If your celery is dong well, tie the stalks together to keep them from sprawling.

If you missed your peas’ peak period, you can still pick, dry and shell them for use in winter soups.

Don’t water your melons at the base of the stems. Doing so can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away.

Once melon vines have set three or four fruits, remove any new blossoms. The remaining fruits will benefit from this, and you will still have plenty.

Marvelous Melons

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Who can resist a sweet, juicy slice of chilled honeydew on a hot summer day? Melons are fun to grow, taste fabulous and are really good for you. A triangle of melon on a Popsicle stick and popped in the freezer until hardened is a great summertime treat. Melon is great in a cool smoothie, with some pineapple and yogurt, maybe a banana and some ice. Yum!

According to Webster's Dictionary, melons are "the large round fruit of various plants of the gourd family, with sweet pulpy flesh and many seeds (honeydew, cantaloupe, muskmelon)." They are vining, warm-season fruits, growing best in regions with long summers. Although both male and female flowers grow on the same plant, bees are necessary for pollination and fruiting. Most melons ripen in late summer or early- to mid-fall. They range in size from slightly larger than a softball to hefty 15-pound varieties, and in color - both outside and inside, with pale grayish-white to very dark green skin and the palest yellow to the brightest orange and green flesh. Their seeds fill the hollow center of the fruit.

Melons are a summertime delight - sweet and juicy fruits - whether freshly picked or cooled in the refrigerator. They’re versatile - more than a dessert or snack - as an ingredient in salads, salsas, side dishes, entrees, and drinks. Even the ripe seeds, dried and toasted, make a healthy snack.

Humankind has been enjoying melons for more than 4,000 years. Surprisingly, melons have never been found growing in the wild - other than escapees from someone's garden. Melons are believed to have originated in the hot valleys of southwest Asia - specifically Iran (Persia) and India. Early American settlers grew cultivars of honeydew and casaba melons back in the 1600s. Yet, only in recent times, many more varieties are available, often out of season in grocery stores. Of course, growing melons from seed gives you the best choice of types and cultivated varieties.
The first documented use of the word "melon" was about 1395. John Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins suggests that the word is derived from Melos (the Greek Cyclades Islands, best known for the Venus de Milo). Melons wend their way into literature. In their text, the Mahometans (very early name for the followers of Mohammed) wrote that eating a melon produces a thousand good works.

Melons are vining, warm season plants with fleshy fruits in the Cucurbitaceae family. There are two genera: Citrulius (watermelons) and Cucumis (all other melons.) They bear large round fruit with a pulpy flesh and many seeds. Cantaloupe, honeydew, muskmelon and watermelon are the best-known examples of this family. Melons originated from southwest Asia and have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. Melons have been pleasing palates since the days of ancient Rome. Crenshaws, honeydews, cantaloupes and all their relatives crave heat and take their time maturing. They'll grow in USDA zone 4 and warmer, but north of zone 7, grow short-season varieties and protect plants from chilly temperatures.

There are numerous types of melons available in various regions around the world. The most popular melons in North America are the cantaloupe, muskmelon and honeydew types. As gardeners travel, they eat new fruits and vegetables and wish to grow the tasty fruits eaten overseas. These unusual types of melons are available primarily from seed. Look for these distinct types in mail-order catalogs or seed packets sold in retail stores.

ANANAS MELONS (a.k.a. Middle Eastern melons) are oval shaped with medium-fine netting over pale green to orange rind. Very sweet, aromatic white flesh. One variety has orange-pink flesh. Average weight is three to four pounds.

ATHENA CANTALOUPES are Eastern U.S. cantaloupes. They are early maturing, oval-shaped; yellow-orange summer melons with firm, thick, yellow-orange flesh. The skin is slightly sutured with coarse netting. Average weight is 5 to 6 pounds. Left on the vine or harvested, the flesh remains firm.

CANARY MELONS (a.k.a. Spanish, Juan Canary, Jaune des Canaries, and San Juan canary melons), have bright yellow rinds and an oblong shape. Inside, the pale, cream-colored flesh is juicy, and the flavor is very mild.

CASABA MELONS The oval shape with a pointy end, coupled with wrinkled yellow skin sets casabas off from other melons. As does its heft: weighing in at four to seven pounds. The pale, almost white flesh is extremely sweet.

CHARENTAIS MELONS (a.k.a. French Charentais) are French melons identifiable by their smooth, gray, or gray-blue rinds with sutures and orange flesh. Small, cut in half they serve two for breakfast.

CHRISTMAS MELONS (a.k.a. Piel de Sapo and Rochet) have a football shape, weighing upwards of 5 to 8 pounds. Cut through the yellow to green mottled rinds to reveal the palest orange or light green flesh depending upon the variety. Sweet flesh.

CRENSHAW MELONS (also seen as cranshaw) are a Casaba cross with a slightly more oblong shape, weighing at least 5 pounds. The slightly wrinkled green rind ripens to yellow. Inside, the flesh is pale peachy orange. It has a strong, spicy aroma.

GALIA MELONS are Israeli melons that have netted rinds similar to cantaloupes but paler in color. The sweet pale green to almost white flesh has the consistency of a honeydew with what has been described as a spicy-sweet or banana-like aroma. When ripe, they slip from the vine.

HONEYDEWS (a.k.a. honeydew melon, honey dew melon), second only to "cantaloupes" in popularity, have smooth, white to greenish-white rinds (some may be yellow) and open to reveal refreshingly sweet flesh that may be green, white, or orange. Its texture is similar to a cantaloupe, but the flavor more subtle and sweet.

MUSKMELONS are the familiar American cantaloupes with orange flesh and netted skin.

ORIENTAL MELONS are small (weighing a little more than a pound), elongated yellow melons with white sutures, and sweet, pale peach to white flesh. Because the seeds are so small and the rind is so thin, the entire melon can be eaten.

PERSIAN MELONS, bigger than cantaloupes, have a dark green rind with light brown netting. As it ripens, the rind turns to light green. Bright pink-orange flesh has a delicate flavor. Unlike most melons in the Reticulatus group, Persian melons do not slip from the vine when mature.

TRUE CANTALOUPE, named for the town of Cantalupo near Rome, Italy has rough-warty (not netted) skin. This is the European cantaloupe, rarely grown in America.

WINTER MELON is the catchall name for the long-season, long-keeping (a month or more at room temperature) melons, including Crenshaw, casaba, canary, and Christmas melons.

Soil Preparation: Melons prefer soils with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8, which indicates adequate calcium availability—an important guard against blossom-end rot. Work 2 to 3 inches of finished compost into your melon beds before planting. Adding compost provides nutrients to your melons, helps distribute moisture evenly, and furnishes oxygen for root growth.

Timing of Planting: Soil temperature must reach at least 60°F before you plant—about a week after the last frost.

Spacing: If you direct-seed, sow seeds in clusters of five to six, planting each cluster in a hill—a mound of soil (1 foot high by 2 to 3 feet wide)—to increase drainage. If you're using seedlings, plant 2 or 3 per hill. For muskmelon and honeydew plants, space hills 1.5 to 2 feet apart, leaving 4 to 6 feet between rows. For watermelons, add another foot or two to these guidelines.

Watering: Melons need about an inch of water each week. Water your plants carefully by hand or use drip irrigation, because wet foliage promotes the spread of diseases such as angular leaf spot and downy mildew.

Fertilizing: Mix a solution of 1 tablespoon of fish emulsion in 1 gallon of water and apply it weekly when the plants are young. An application of a kelp-based foliar spray when the plants are in full flower will complete fertilization. Pest Watch Squash bugs, cucumber beetles (which also carry bacterial wilt), squash vine borers, and aphids (carriers of mosaic viruses). Disease Alert Powdery mildew, mosaic viruses, angular leaf spot and other fungal and bacterial diseases.

Harvesting: Pick cantaloupes when the stem separates easily from the melon. For netted melon varieties, the skin between the netting will turn from green to yellow at ripeness. Honeydews will soften slightly on the flower end of the fruit when ripe, along with a slight change in fruit color. Check the belly of watermelons for the best indicator of ripeness. The belly turns from greenish white to buttery yellow or cream at maturity. This change is most noticeable on watermelons with dark green skin.