GREEN THUMBS AND GARDENING GIFTS

If holiday gift shopping makes you feel like a Grinch, don’t despair.  ‘Tis the season for giving, so why not give a gift that lasts all year, whether practical or just pretty, garden gifts aren’t just for dedicated gardeners. 

 A plant is a special gift that brings beauty to the home and to the heart as you help a living thing grow. Holiday plants might open the door to the enjoyment and pleasure of nurturing other plants indoors throughout the winter.  Just remember:  a green thumb is simply a positive state of mind.

 

 Indoor plants keep us in touch with nature and in a sense bring the outside in.  Working with living plants provides some new and exciting challenges, but by paying attention to a few simple details, it is possible for almost anyone to have beautiful indoor plants in winter – and year around.

 The secret to growing houseplants is providing the right conditions.  As much as today’s homes need plants, houses can be a hostile environment:  low light, desert-like dryness, heat, drafts and infrequent watering compensated by over-watering.

  If you have a holiday plant, the easy first step is to identify it.  Then learn light, watering, humidity, soil-type and fertilization requirements.  If you can meet these conditions, chances are good that the plant will flourish under your care.

 

 Typically, poinsettias reign at Christmas.  But, numerous other plants are highly desirable for indoors.  Look for cyclamen, kalanchoe, azalea, Christmas cactus, orchid or miniature rose.

 When buying, select plants that will grow in your environment.  Picking the right plants is easy; changing conditions in the home is not.

  If there are no bright, sunny windows, do not select plants requiring lots of light.  If the air is hot and dry during the winter, avoid plants requiring cool temperatures or high humidity.

 Select plants that appear to be insect and disease free. Check the undersides of the foliage and the axis of leaves for signs of insects or disease.  Select plants that look sturdy, clean, well-potted, shapely and well-covered with leaves.  Plants which have new flowers and leaf buds, along with young growth, are usually of superior quality.

NOVEMBER CHILL IS THE LAST CALL FOR WINTERIZING GARDENS

   Falling temperatures have reminded us that our time of illusion is over and winter will be here soon.  We don’t need to watch the nightly TV weather forecast to know that there is a chill in the air.  Plants feel it too and like people, need to bundle up for the winter.

 

    The first step is to clean up the total landscape.  Fallen leaves and twigs can become hazardous.  Lawn grasses need air and can’t thrive under a coating of wet leaves.  As leaves decay they create slippery spots on walks and patios, and those leaves can lead to falls.  (Another one of those reasons for the name of the season?) Keep garden litter raked up this month and throughout winter.  Discard any diseased leaves, but place healthy leaves in compost piles to decay over winter and provide excellent mulch in spring.

IT’S TIME TO FALL AHEAD

Just because summer is a fading memory, don’t let our green thumb rest.  Next year’s success begins right now.  So get busy and focus on three fall chores:  sanitation, pruning and planting.

                                                    Good Garden Sanitation 

GARDENERS SECOND CHANCE

            September is a second chance for gardeners to do all those things we didn’t get around to in the spring.  For an instant garden blast of color, fill your flowerbeds and empty spaces in your landscape with Chrysanthemums.  They come in a wide range of autumn colors from white, yellow and gold to bronze to maroon.  Lighter colors tend to bloom earlier than darker reds and purples.  So select different colors for a longer display of color.   Mums also work well as container plants to decorate patios, porches and decks.

Go easy on the water, however, to prevent root rot.  Potted mums do not do well inside the house, as lower light levels often result in yellowing leaves and droopy flowers.

     Flowering Cabbage and Kale also make nice fall plants to replace annual flowers.  Both will turn a beautiful color with the cold and will last until covered with snow.  Or try Fall Asters as they provide good color and many of them are hardy as well. 

       September is an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs.  If planted this month their roots will continue to grow into November, giving them plenty of time to get established before winter.  You might find some good clearance sales this time of year, but don’t let price dictate what you buy.  Leftovers at the end of the season can be just that.  Poor quality means they might require more help to survive.  Choose varieties that do well in your hardiness zone, as well as fit into the space you have available.  Allow ample room for growth as trees and shrubs mature. 

THINK SPRING       

It is time to think spring and plant those spring flowering bulbs.  The bulb package lists planting techniques but fails to suggest planting design.  I encourage mass plantings of one flower type.  The use of several dozen bulbs in one spot will produce a better effect than a mixture of many colors.  European gardens often contain several thousand bulbs of a single type to create a display that is impossible to describe.

Fall Watering: 

Remember the heat wave last fall that sent the plants into winter lacking enough moisture to survive? Many plants died and others were stressed and weakened. It is important to prepare plant for winter. Water newly planted tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs so they make roots before the soil freezes. If weather remains dry, water your bulb beds once a week,

It is also a good idea to water newly planted trees and shrubs every ten to fourteen days. Be careful, though, not to over-water if you have heavy, clay soil. Continue watering periodically. IF NECESSARY, until the soil freezes.  (Roots continue to grow as long as soil temperatures don't drop below forty degrees F.)

         Evergreens will come through winter in better shape if they're not moisture stressed. We used to think that just meant watering regularly in autumn, but it also involves watering in July and August whenever weather is hot and dry. Even though there's been plenty of rain this summer, it's a good idea to water these plants if we run into a dry spell in fall.

            Remember, the cooler it gets, the longer plants can go between watering. Every year some people lose newly transplanted trees and shrubs because they water them daily, thinking they are being helpful, when really they're just rotting the roots, especially in clay soils.

TOM’S TIMELY TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER

•           Seed a new lawn or renovate a poor quality one early in the month.

•           Continue to check for insect pests and treat accordingly.

•           Do not wait for frost warnings to move your plants indoors.  Temperatures of 45° F or lower can damage many tropical houseplants.

•           Prepare houseplants for return trip in-doors.  Scout for insects.  Thoroughly rinse leaves and container.

•           Begin two to three month dormancy for amaryllis.  Do not water.  Place in cool dark place.  Dormancy begins once leaves yellow.

Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University and a retired TV garden expert.

 

AVOIDING AUGUST ANGUISH

            Due to the wet spring the mosquitoes are plentiful this year.  Don’t let the anguish of the pest stop you from relaxing in your outdoor living space.  If you are itching for relief, here are a few tips.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

            First, reduce the chances that mosquitoes and bugs can exist in your lawn by taking control methods.  Mosquitoes need standing or slow moving water to reproduce.  Look around your yard and house for standing water, such as cans, birdbaths, old tires, clogged roof gutters, boats or canoes, dripping outdoor faucets, septic tanks and plastic wading pools.  Other sites that produce large numbers of mosquitoes are watering cans, wheelbarrows, saucers under

potted plants, tree holes and wells.

            Sometimes it’s not possible or desirable to drain standing water.  In the case of a pond, consider adding a biological control agent called BTI (bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis), which will kill bugs but is safe for humans and pets.

A POUND OF CONTROL

            Many of nature’s own offerings can help control what’s bugging you.  In addition to the popular citronella oil, which has been around since 1882 and is commonly burned outdoors, many plants can be used as natural repellents.

 

            Here is a short list of repellent plants and the pests they affect:

                        °  Marigolds repel mosquitoes

                        °  Mints repel pests that destroy your vegetables

                        °  Catnip repels flea beetles

                        °  Sweet basil repels aphids, mosquitoes and mice

                        °  Pansies repel beetles and ants

                        °  Horseradish repels potato beetles.

AVOIDING PARTY POOPERS

            When having an outdoor party, follow these simple guidelines to keep the pests away (note:  this does not refer to your neighbors):

°  Light citronella candles to ward off bugs during barbeques and other outside events.

°  When cooking or eating outdoors, cover food and beverages so bees and flies are not attracted.

°  Always keep topical anti-pruritics (anti-itch medication) handy.

°  Those people allergic to bee stings should speak to their doctors about proper preventative measures.

°  People who experience tightness in the chest, breathing problems or nausea following a bee/wasp sting, should seek emergency treatment.

WHAT’S EATING YOU

            If the end of summer to you means finally being able to reap what you’ve sown, a pesky garden visitor can be a major problem.  Whether dealing with rabbits or raccoons, you have two options:  learn to live with them, sharing your harvest, or do something about them.

 

            Rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels (in that order) tend to   A small fence of chicken wire mesh may be all you need to protect your plants.

cause the biggest problems I our area.

            If, however, you have an animal like a raccoon that is causing major damage, you may want to have a company trap it, or trap It yourself.

            Taste repellents, while expensive, may be used on ornamental plants. Do not, however, use taste repellents on vegetables.

            Lastly, if your problem tends to be with squirrels   Plant the bulb somewhat more shallow than recommended, place the cage over the bulb and cover the area with soil.  The cage keep the rodents away, yet still permits the foliage to grow through it.  Another way to combat critters, is to plant daffodils.  Animals leave these poisonous bulbs alone.
digging up your flower bulbs, you may want to try half-inch hardware cloth cages that encompass the sides and top of the bulbs.

TOM’S TIMELY TIPS

°  Mow regularly but don’t cut the grass too short in dry weather.

°  Maintain crisp lawn edges with a good sharp pair or edging shears.

°  Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered.

°  Clean up fallen rose and peony leaves.  They can harbor disease and insect pests over the winter if allowed to remain on the ground.

°  Continue to watch for insects (slugs and snails) or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

 

°  If your garden flowers are being eaten, yet you see no insects on the plants, check for cutworms.  These grayish-brown worms feed at night.  Control with Sevin or Malathion at rates on the label.

°  Make notes now about what you l ked about this year’s garden and what can be improved.  Refer to this next spring when determining what to plant again.

           

Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University and a retired TV garden expert.

           

           

GARDENING IN JULY

      The transition into summer brings with it a change in gardening chores for the month of July.  Gardening activities usually slow down as the temperature continues to climb into the 90’s.  July is often a very dry month, and like most years, can be very hot, too.  So, we usually don’t start a lot of new garden projects, but there is always maintenance chores to do.

Whether you grow flowers, vegetables, fruits or a combination of these, the chores seem endless. July is a month for harvesting, planting second crops, pruning, deadheading, and weeding. The best time to do any kind of gardening or maintenance is in early morning when it is not so hot, or late in the day, after dinner.  Watch the heat, dress coolly, take frequent breaks, have plenty of water on hand and drink frequently. Here are a few items for your “TO DO” list.

      By mid-summer, many petunias and other annual flowers can get leggy, producing blossoms at the tips of long leafless stems.  One exception is the wave petunias that require little pruning unless you planted them too close together.

      For most annuals, frequent pruning will keep plants bushy.  For best results, prune back one long stem each week or so, cutting back to a set of leaves or a node.  The plant will respond by sending out more shoots from that point.  Another effective technique is to shear all the stems back by a third.  However you will sacrifice flowers for a few weeks with this method.

      This is also the time to prune back perennials:  salvia, catmint, tall sedum varieties, asters, garden phlox, and some other tall perennials.  They will still bloom although sometimes a little later in the season.

      Remove the suckers from grafted roses (which means most roses) and crabapples.  These are the quite vigorous shoots that arise from the base of the plant.

      In the vegetable garden, indeterminate tomato plants such as “Better Boy” , will produce many suckers.  A sucker is that new growth that comes in where a branch connects with the main trunk.  Removing suckers will decrease the number of fruits produced but will ensure that the remaining tomatoes will be larger and will ripen sooner.

      Continue making succession plantings of vegetables to ensure a harvest well into autumn.  If possible, plant cool-season crops, such as broccoli, where they will get a little shade from the hot afternoon sun.  Early in the month, plant another row of bush beans for late summer harvest.

      We all got behind in our weeding, but it is important to remove weeds before they set seed.  Some weeds will continue to develop their seeds even after you pull them, so remove them from the garden.

Home Grown Produce

      If you are not growing it, consider buying it from a local farmer’s market.  Produce is at the peak of nutritional value when it is ripe.  Produce that travels across states or even across countries cannot be picked ripe, because it would not be edible by the time it arrives in your supermarket.  Produce may gain color and soften as it travels to your store, but nutrition comes from the stems of a living plant, so the locally grown produce will have much higher nutritional value. Picked ripe, tomatoes can contain between 20-30% more of these vitamins and minerals than tomatoes picked before they ripen

July Gardening Tips

•     Cutting flowers is best done with sharp shears or a knife which will help avoid injury to the growing plant.  A slanting cut will expose a larger absorbing surface to water and will prevent the base of the stem from resting on the bottom of the vase. 

•     Tall flowers should be staked to prevent damage by wind.  Use stakes which are large enough to support the plant and use soft twine or twist ties to secure.

•     A garden needs one inch of rain or water each week.  Early morning is the best time to water.  Evening watering is less desirable because plant leaves that remain wet through the night are more susceptible to fungus diseases.  Mulch plants to reduce water losses and improve yields.

•           Check the soil moisture of container-grown vegetable and flowers daily.  As the temperature rises, some plants may need water twice daily.

Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University and a retired TV garden expert.