"Gardening
is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it."
Author Unknown
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After a long, cold winter, no one gets more excited about Spring than a gardener. No one, that is, except the insects that are waiting to dine on our gardens. How do you prevent your garden from being a 24-hour diner for every insect that passes through the neighborhood? There are any number of chemical products on the market that will kill insects, but many gardeners are hesitant to use strong chemicals on their plants. There are very effective organic insecticides and repellents available these days, and in a pinch you can make your own natural insect repellant. Most insects prefer a bland diet, so by making your garden spicy you can encourage insects to dine elsewhere. A hot pepper or garlic spray works great as a repellant and can actually prevent insects - and even hungry rabbits - from nibbling on your plants. To make hot pepper spray, toss a couple of hot peppers, such as cayennes or habaneros, in a blender with about a cup of water. Puree the mixture, strain out any solids, then add enough water to make a gallon of concentrated hot pepper juice. To use the hot pepper spray, mix a quarter cup of the concentrate with a gallon of water and a tablespoon or two of liquid soap. The soap will help the spray stick to the plants. To make a garlic spray, roughly chop one or two garlic bulbs, place them in a quart jar and pour boiling water over the garlic, enough to fill the jar. Close the jar and let it sit overnight. Strain out the chunks of garlic and add the garlic water to your sprayer along with a few drops of liquid soap. Leftover garlic water can be kept frozen for later use. A good place to buy liquid soap for this purpose would be a health food store. Do not use a detergent or a heavily scented soap as these can be harmful to plants. Once you've made your insect repellant concoction, test it on a few leaves first before spraying your plants. The hot pepper and garlic smell will be strong when first applied but will fade, and your flowers and vegetables won't take on their odor or taste. The spray should be reapplied every week or two, or after a rainfall.
Using mulch in your garden has many benefits. Here is a video on the proper way to apply mulch. How to use Mulch (Video)
As soil temperatures begin warming, carefully remove the layers of mulch. Keep a bag of old mulch around in case of any hard frosts which might damage early emerging shoots. If spring rains are sparse, water thoroughly during and after the flowering process to ensure that enough moisture is reaching the roots. But be careful not to overwater. Soggy, wet conditions will promote bulb rot. Fertilize lightly as the flowers begin to decline, using a handful of 5-10-10 scattered throughout the clump. Make sure this is watered in well. Let's start by addressing the issue of braiding (or tying with rubber bands). It may seem like a tidy practice, but it is not in the bulb's best interest. Bound foliage is partially obstructed from sunlight, and is not able to photosynthesize at peak capacity, resulting in less energy going into the bulb for next year's show. This practice can also trap moisture and encourage foliar disease. Although it is not as tidy, it is best to leave ripening bulb foliage open to full sun and good air circulation, do not bind it or flatten it to the ground. One way to disguise this messiness is to plant bulbs among or behind annuals or perennials as camouflage. This works best when you plant bulbs in clumps, among the other plants. The best policy for removing spent bulb foliage is to let it mature on the plant, and don't remove it until it begins to yellow. At this point it can be cut off with sharp scissors just above ground level. This slightly early removal would be warranted if your bulb foliage is showing signs of disease, in which case the foliage should be removed from the garden to the trash and not composted. Ideally, if the plants are healthy and you can tolerate it, you should allow the foliage to remain on the bulb until it is brown and can be easily separated from the bulb with a gentle tug, leaving no remnant stem below the soil line to decay. This will probably be about 6 weeks after flowering. Cut off the faded flowers once they are finished blooming to prevent the plant's energy going towards seed production. At this time it is important to keep the foliage green and healthy as long as possible. If you cut bulb flowers for bouquets, try to remove only 1-2 leaves with a flowering stem, leaving numerous leaves in tact for photosynthesis. Don't remove it until it has yellowed and withered. The longer it lasts, the better the bulbs will grow the following year. With regard to watering, bulbs should be watered when they are planted, if the soil is dry, and watered every few weeks in the fall if conditions are dry and warm weather is prolonged. Digging down 4-6" with a trowel is a good way to monitor actual soil moisture. Bulbs will not need supplemental watering once their foliage starts dying back, nor during summer dormancy. In the fall, bulbs will sprout new roots starting their need for water again, so pay heed to how much rain you get and water your bulbs if water is scarce. These hardy bulbs are treated as perennials, left in the ground year after year. Every three to four years they may need to be replaced or divided if they are starting to crowd each other and aren't blooming well. If this is the case, or if you must move them for some reason, the best time is just after the foliage has yellowed and withered. Carefully lift the bulbs, shake off any loose soil and roots, discard any small ones and store the remainder in a cool, dry, well- ventilated room until fall planting time. Keep the bulbs out of direct sunlight and check them periodically for any disease. Old onion sacks or shallow seed trays work well for storing the bulbs over summer.
This "lazy man's" method of gardening requires lugging bags of organic material to the bed. But there is no tilling, and weeding will minimal after the bed is established. Here's how to do it:
A garden pond or water garden needs some sun for blooming plants to look their best. However, placing ponds in full sun is asking for algae problems. The ideal site for a pond is a location that receives between four and six hours of direct sunlight. Also, if the site is a low-lying area, you may have to raise the edges to prevent run-off from flooding your pond. Beginning to landscape or redo your landscape? Take precise measurements of the areas of your yard, and draw a sketch of your property. Highlight in red areas with underground cables (with the help of your local utility companies). Note which areas are sunny, which shady. Pay special attention to problem areas: areas with poor drainage, erosion problems, etc. As you set this information down on paper, a clearer picture of what needs to be done emerges. Based on your sketch (particularly the location of sunny or shady areas), research which plants will grow best in the various areas of your property. The next step -- again, to be carried out on paper -- will be to include plants and hardscape features (patios, walkways, etc.) in your sketch.
If you ever wanted to train a vine up a brick wall without having to drill into it to install a trellis or hooks, try this technique. Use clear silicone adhesive sealant (available in small tubes at hardware stores) and plastic-coated twist-ties to secure the vine. Dab a small amount of the sealant onto the wall. Then bend the twist-tie into a “U” shape and put the center of the “U” into the blob of sealant. Let the sealant set for a day, then gently bend the vine over and fasten the twist-tie around it. Try to use green or black twist-ties and clear sealant because they’re nearly invisible once the vine is tied up. Twist-ties attached like this will last for years, but peel off easily with a small scraper (without damaging the surface underneath) if you need to remove them. This method works well for almost any type of vine, including those that need to be pruned hard every year. It’s easy to unfasten the twist-tie and take down the mass of cut-back stems. It’s not ideal. But sometimes you can’t avoid moving a plant in the middle of summer. However, this project doesn’t have to spell disaster (or crispy plants). With some careful planning and planting, your plant may not even know it’s taken a road trip! Here are six tips for a smooth move: 1. Water the plant the day before you move it — a well-hydrated plant tolerates a move better than a dry one. 2. Dig the new hole before you dig up the plant you’re moving. It’s best to minimize the time your plant’s roots are out of the soil. Make the hole large enough for the existing root ball. 3. Gather everything you need: a spade and a tarp or a wheelbarrow, and if you’re moving any distance, wet newspaper or a sheet of damp burlap. A friend might come in handy, too, if your plant is large. Make sure you move the plant during the coolest part of the day. 4. Tie up the foliage to get it out of the way if the plant is very large. To dig, slice straight down with the shovel rather than at an angle toward the plant, and encircle it with these cuts. Go down one spade’s depth. Pry a bit at a time in several places so you don’t rip the roots. 5. Drag the root ball onto your tarp or into your wheelbarrow. For a distance that will take more than a minute or two, cover the root ball with the wet burlap or newspaper and move quickly. Slide the root ball into the new hole and set the plant at the same level it was before. Fill in the hole with soil, pat it down, mulch and water. 6. Keep the plant moist for several days. If your plant struggles, give it some shade, such as an umbrella or a screen. But if you haven’t disturbed the roots much, it may not even miss a beat! Along with summer time comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down of the chance fungus being a problem. One of the more common fungi is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.
Not only does gardening provide us with a source of food and beauty, it also
provides numerous physical and mental health benefits.
1. Planting too close together 2. Planting one of everything 3. Not understanding existing site conditions. 4. Planting too deep 5. Not watering enough Although it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong, there are a few explanations as to why a flowering shrub is not flowering like it's supposed to. Full sun is required for optimal blooms in most cases, so it could be that it's too shady. If you used a fertilizer containing too much nitrogen, which encourages vegetative growth, you might not see any flowers either. Likewise, if the plant has a lot of suckers, it may be investing energy in new growth instead of flowers. Sometimes plants may be hardy in a particular region, but not hardy enough to produce flowers. It may be too cold (flower buds are more sensitive to cold than vegetative parts) or the amount of sunlight (photoperiod) might not be sufficient enough for the plant to produce flowers. In addition, many plants don't flower until they have reached a certain age or maturity. If the shrub is stressed, for example if the soil is too dry for an extended period of time, it will conserve resources energy by not producing flowers. And last but not least of course is that the shrub was pruned at the wrong time of year, the flower buds inadvertently removed in the process. However, if the shrub has never flowered, this is generally not the reason for the lack of flowers.
At this time of the year, late spring, plants are busting out all over. The early bloomers are finished and their flowers have faded or are fading. Trees and shrubs are putting on their flowery shows. Even though the avid gardener's sleeves have already been rolled up, sleeves will stay up, for gardening chores are busier than ever! Below are some of the things that need to be done. 1. Late spring is ideal for planting and dividing perennials. By now you should have a good idea of what survived the winter and needs dividing, or transplanting if you're planning on redesigning the garden. 2. Check the soil using a soil tester to see if you need to adjust the pH or add nutrients. If you don't have a soil tester, your county extension agent's office will usually perform this service for free. Call to find out what you need to do and when you need to do it. 3. Prune flowering shrubs when they have finished blooming. Fruit trees should be pruned when they are still dormant (before flowering) so if you're in a northern climate you still might have time. Otherwise wait until fall. 4. Turn the compost pile. Now that it's warm again, those organisms will be swinging into action turning those leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen waste into rich organic soil. 5. Weed control. It's a fact of life that the weeds in the garden grow faster than the flowers and vegetables you plant. Not really, but it sure seems like it, so that's why it's important to stay on top of the weeding. It's a lot easier to pull a few weeds every day or squirt them with a natural weed killer as you stroll by the garden beds than to pull a lot of weeds once a month.
A cutting garden is no different than a perennial garden except that it's a lot less structured. Choose a location and approximate size for the cutting garden. It can be close to the house, tucked in a corner of the yard, or adjacent to the vegetable garden. Stake the boundaries, amend the soil, and plant your flowers, either from seeds or from containers. There are few design requirements for cutting gardens other than the following: 1. Choose a location that is both sunny and has partial shade to accommodate a variety of flowers. 2. Plant your flowers in rows and create wide paths between the rows to make it easier to cut and maintain the flowers. 3. Plant flowers by color, (e.g. all of the blue flowers together), by species, or by type, for instance plant everything with spikey flowers together no matter what the species. 4. Plant a variety of flowers that bloom throughout the entire season. 5. Crowding or planting flowers closer together than normal will produce taller stems.
Late winter and early spring is the time to prune many shrubs and small trees in the yard. Shrubs that bloom in summer and fall generally develop flowers on current seasons growth and should be pruned before the first flush of growth in the spring. Shrubs that bloom in the spring or winter should be pruned immediately after flowering has finished. Pruning is practiced to maintain plant health, control plant growth, and encourage flowering and fruiting. These objectives should be remembered as you prune. Now is the time to order seeds before it's too late for this year's planting. Sketch garden plans, including plants to replace or replant crops that are harvested in spring or early summer. Prepare or repair lawn and garden tools for the upcoming season. Start seeds indoors for cool-season vegetables so they will be ready for transplanting to the garden early in the season. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seeds should be started five to seven weeks prior to transplanting. Test leftover garden seed for germination. Place 10 seeds between moist paper toweling or cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep seeds warm and moist. If less than six seeds germinate, then fresh seed should be purchased. This time of year, January, the avid gardener can repot house plants and patio plants that may be pot bound. This can be determined by sliding a knife down the inside edge of the pot. If there is resistance, it means that large roots have grown out the the edge of the soil ball, and the plant is pot bound. Remove the plant from it's pot, and cut away any large, circling roots on the outside of the soil ball. Pot into the next largest container, using fresh potting soil. Old containers that are stained white from a build-up of salts should be discarded. Plastic pots can be reused if they are washed out and sterilized using a solution of one part household bleach in nine parts water. Gather your books, catalogues, magazines, camera, and sketchbook or garden organizer along with a few pens or markers to sketch with, and maybe a few sheets or roll of tracing paper because it's time to get creative!
Evergreens such as spruce, pine and fir are generally safe, but they may cause a little bit of skin irritation. Yew on the other hand contains a toxin that can cause problems with the central nervous system resulting in trembling, poor coordination and difficulty breathing. Gastrointestinal problems may also occur, as well as cardiac failure. So yew should be avoided. Holly berries can be somewhat toxic. If a person or pet swallows more than three or four of them, expect mild gastrointestinal irritation and maybe some drowsiness. Not much of a problem overall though. Although poinsettias and mistletoe are thought to be extremely dangerous, they're really not that toxic. That being said it is better to be safe than sorry. Take your child or pet to the doctor if more than a very small amount has been ingested. Kalanchoes are a popular plant for winter decorating, but they can cause gastrointestinal issues and heart rate problems. Cyclamen contain a toxin called cyclamine that is mostly concentrated in the roots. If ingested vomiting may occur. So it turns out that most plants are harmless and a few should be avoided. To be on the safe side, stick to hanging the mistletoe up high. Pruning shrubs too late into the season should be avoided because this can often encourage new growth which may be susceptible to winter kill if it did not have time to harden off. After deciduous shrubs become dormant in the winter pruning is fine for general shaping. With winter close at hand,
you may not be thinking about fertilizers right now, but maybe you should be.
Indeed, autumn can be the ideal time to fertilize the trees, shrubs (yes, even
those hydrangeas), and flowers in your garden according to some experts. While
plants may be dormant at this time of the year, they're not dead and life goes
on--below ground that is-and at least until the ground freezes and root
functioning stops until spring. You can create your own fall palette of color in the garden. Choose plants whose leaves turn bright orange or red, foliage plants with interesting textures and perennials that bloom very late in the season. Spice it up with autumn annuals and biennials like garden mums and pansies. Don't overlook the interest created by seed pods, dried flower heads and motion created by the breeze in ornamental grasses. Some fall plants you can consider are Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Clematis 'Nelly Moser', garden mums, Nandina, Japanese maple, Hydrangea 'Nikka Blue', dogwood, pansies, Red tipped Photinia, Sugar maple, Burning bush, Pyracantha, Maiden grass 'Little Kitten', Sarabande Silver grass and Autumn Rouge Encore azalea. After the first killing frost, cut back blackened leaves and stems of perennials, pull annuals and neaten the garden for the winter. Rake and discard leaves from any trees, shrubs or flowers which suffered serious fungal outbreaks this year (such as black spot, leaf spot or powdery mildew). Do not put them in the compost pile. Cleaning up the leaves and getting rid of them will help prevent outbreaks next year, since spores can overwinter and reinfect new foliage when it emerges next spring. Candidates include roses, dogwoods, photinia, phlox, beebalm and peonies. Actually, this is a slight exaggeration. There's no rest for the wicked. Keep staying ahead of your nasty weeds all this and next month. They serve as Home Sweet Home for all manner of pests and bugs, and destroying them before they flower and seed will save you much work in the future. Preparation is the key. All gardeners know what it's like to have their yards invaded by unwelcome plants. Although there's no really easy way to banish weeds, there are a few solid techniques you can use to reclaim your turf. At the very least, you can limit this utmost in hostile takeovers. Here is a simple outline of effective battle strategies you can use in the fall:
Autumn gardening begins soon after the summer flowers begin to fade. Autumn is a good time to fertilize trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials. Feeding perennials in autumn will encourage new growth in the coming year. Lawns should be lightly dusted with some type of low nitrogen fertilizer to establish good root growth before winter. Low nitrogen will discourage early leaf growth, as well. Start planning your spring bulb garden now. Spring-blooming bulbs are planted in the fall to provide the chilling time required for spring blooms. Note the areas where you want to add bulbs for next year. Have your shopping list ready when the selection hits the garden centers. Remember to prepare your soil before planting bulbs. Work compost or other rich organic material into your soil to a depth of 12". Late summer and fall are the ideal times to improve the structure and pH of your soil. To improve the structure and porosity of your soil, now is the time to add organic matter. To determine the pH and chemical composition of your soil, the best action to take is getting a soil test done. Organic matter can help improve the ability of soils to hold nutrients for plants, improve soil aeration for roots, and to some extent improve soil drainage. Types of organic matter to use as soil amendments include compost, rotted manure, peat, and similar materials. Work these into the soil this fall for maximum benefits. Organic matter is the best choice to help improve heavy clay soils. Soil tests can be useful in determining improvement needs. Key information soil test results will show include the soil pH value and levels of both phosphorus and potassium. Once this information is known, adjustments can be made as needed. This page will offer you more information for your soil test. During late summer, if some of your plants are looking brown and tattered, cut them back and water them to encourage new growth. Many perennials will respond with a flush of new growth and even re-bloom. Deadheading, removing the spent flowers, will also keep your garden tidy. If you want some plants to naturalize or you want to attract birds, you may want to leave a select number of seed heads. Late summer, though, is not the time to fertilize your garden. Plants are often stressed from heat or drought, and fertilizing them could be harmful.
The Truth About Bug Zappers Companion planting can combine beauty and purpose to give you an enjoyable, healthy environment. By using companion planting, many gardeners find that they can discourage harmful pests without losing the beneficial allies. Companion plants not only deter pests but can also be used to add benefits to the soil (for example Peas help fix nitrogen in the soil) or by providing shade and shelter to more tender plants. There are many varieties of herbs, flowers, etc. that can be used for companion plants. Be open to experimenting and find what works for you. Some possibilities would be using certain plants as a border, backdrop or inter planting in your flower or vegetable beds where you have specific needs. Use plants that are native to your area so the insects you want to attract already know what to look for! Plants with open cup shaped flowers are the most popular with beneficial insects. Listed below are some examples of companion plants and the benefits they can bring to your garden. Companion Plants and Purpose
Composting
facts. Home composting is a way for you to speed up the natural process of
decomposition and return organic materials to the soil. Yard trimmings and food
scraps make up nearly 1/6 of what the average household throws into the garbage.
Shade gardening under a tree can present challenges. You don't want to add soil to the base of the tree for a garden for that will cause an area of the tree that has been exposed to an adapted environment to change to another. This can cause the introduction of disease from insects, excess moisture, biological/chemical changes and a host of other problems to the exposed bark of the tree. If the soil under the tree is dry and root-clogged to the point where you have difficulty digging a hole, you may have to improve the soil before you can plant. A layer of organic material several inches deep is the best remedy. The tree will provide you with an abundance of organic material in the form of leaves. Chop them to the size of fifty-cent pieces with a bagging lawn mower and spread them under the tree. Sprinkle them with a compost activator and keep them moist. Repeat this procedure annually until the leaves have rotted into a deep humus. Earthworms will move in and loosen the subsoil, making it possible to plant the shade garden of your dreams. Yes, this may take time, but it is the best recourse for keeping your tree healthy. When selecting plants, choose shade plants with white or pastel flowers and light or variegated foliage. Light colors will stand out in the shade, while dark colors such as reds and purples will recede into the background. Back to Top When plants lack iron, the leaves turn yellow between the veins and may eventually die and drop off. This happens even when plenty of fertilizer has been added to the soil. The iron may be in the soil, but the plant can't get it. Why not? Because in either slightly acid or alkaline soil iron often combines with another chemical and becomes "tied up" so that plants such as azaleas, hydrangeas, gardenias and others can't get it. No amount of fertilizer that does not make the soil more acid will help. The solution to this problem would be either add iron or to add an acidifying agent to the soil. If iron is added, it has to be in a form plants can use. Such a form is called an iron chelate. This form of iron does not get locked up with other soil chemicals and is available to plants. They are sold under various trade names and in various formulations and can be applied to the foliage or to the soil. The recovery of plants from an iron-anemic condition can be amazingly fast. A sick, yellow plant sprayed with iron chelates can be a lush green in 48 hours. When sprayed on plants, chelated iron is absorbed by the leaves. Some chelates are also mixed with water and poured over the soil and taken up through the roots. When this is done, green color will return to treated plants within a week if iron is lacking. The other solution to iron deficiency problems is to treat the soil with an acidifying agent such as elemental sulfur or aluminum sulfate. These materials, when applied in the proper amounts, will correct the basic cause of iron deficiency which is soil alkalinity. Use sulfur at the rate of one pound per 100 square feet of area per application and do not use more than two to three applications per year. Sulfur must be washed into the soil immediately after application or it will severely burn grass or shallow plant roots. Aluminum sulfate can be applied at the rate of one-fourth pound per square yard of bed area. Do not apply aluminum sulfate more often than one time in a 12-month period. Repeated use of aluminum sulfate can lead to a toxic condition. Iron sulfate can be used to supply iron to plants. This material is usually applied to the soil and serves not only to supply iron but also to reduce soil alkalinity. For soil treatment around trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers, the solution is made by dissolving one pound of iron sulfate per gallon of water. For dormant trees, use one gallon of the solution for each foot of the diameter of the drip line. This rate should be cut in half during the growing season. Put solution in holes deep enough to hold one gallon of solution (one-half gallon during growing season) around the drip line of the tree at intervals of about three feet. The holes should be filled with water once or twice, letting the water soak away. Then refill the holes with soil. Shrubs and vines can be treated by digging a trench four to six inches deep around the drip line of the plant and pouring in from two to five gallons of iron sulfate solution, depending on the size of the plant. For lawns, iron may be applied in summer to provide dark green color without stimulating excessive grass growth. Apply ferrous sulfate (liquid iron) at the rate of 2 ounces in 3 to 5 gallons of water per 1000 square feet of lawn. Stronger solution could burn the grass. Help your run-down plants back to health by giving them an iron tonic. Use one of the methods given above to supply needed iron. (Source: http://hort.ufl.edu/gt/iron/iron.htm) Friendly Fungus Reference: http://hort.ufl.edu/gt/fungus/fungus.htm Pruning Daylilies Summer Tree Pruning Some trees are best pruned when in full leaf. Reasons for this vary, but are mainly to avoid bleeding, disease or over vigorous new growth. Due to the increased pressure of rising sap some trees bleed when pruned in spring. These trees are best pruned from mid-summer to before mid-winter. The timing and individual requirements of each tree should be checked in a pruning guide. Trees prone to bleeding include: Acer, Betula, Carpinus, Carya, Juglans, Laburnum, spring-flowering deciduous Magnolia, Morus, Populus (some species), Sophora, Tilia. Summer pruning can be useful in checking over-vigorous growth, for example in suckering species of Populus, or restricted forms of fruit such as apples. This pruning is generally light and carried out late enough not to promote new growth. In some species disease risk is reduced or avoided by summer pruning. Prunus species are at a lower risk of infection from silver leaf in summer, and some poplars are at lower risk of canker because their wounds heal quicker in summer. Healthy trees will tolerate minor pruning in the summer months. This may include corrective pruning to raise hanging branches, or removing weak growth, which can be easier to assess in full leaf.
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