Last week I profiled seed catalogue enterprises. Since they were all from my home state of Maine, I was speaking from the experience of knowing the companies intimately.
When you venture out into the much larger world of garden supply catalogues, the universe grows exponentially. Gardeners, among the most conservative and least Internet savvy shoppers, often seem to be weary of plunking down their cash to faceless, nameless vendors.
While it’s true you can find just about anything you need at your local garden center, your gardening satisfaction can be increased by being just a bit adventurous in your buying habits. Garden supply catalogues are full of products, tools and information that you may not find anywhere else. Often, I find, the cutting-edge stuff is slow to make it to the Northeast corridor.
For a comprehensive list of companies who sell by mail, visit www.mailordergardening.com. The Mailorder Gardening Association does a good job of screening its members, who come from all walks of horticulture — from magazines, to seeds and flowers, to tools, supplies and more. The MGA really is a tremendous resource.
For the profile this week, I’m going to narrow my choices to three companies. I’ve met the owners of all three and know from first-hand experience that their heart is in the right place when it comes time to sell us something.
1. Gardens Alive 2. Gardeners Supply
3. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Gardens Alive — Like all three of these businesses on my list, Gardens Alive is a classic shoot-from-the-hip-and-heart story of a gardener with a passion. Company founder and president Niles Kinerk visited Maine this summer and talked at length about his modest childhood on his family’s farm in Yoder, Indiana. Like many unsuspecting farmers of the day, they welcomed the “advances” in agriculture that were offered by synthetic chemicals.
“I remember we felt sorry for our neighbors who didn’t have access to the chemicals,” said Kinerk. “Boy, did that feeling change.”
Enlightened by Organic Gardening magazine, when that magazine was still in its heyday, Kinerk said he soon saw the light.
“I wasn’t far into its pages when the light bulbs started going off in my mind,” he writes on the www.GardensAlive.com web site. “I began to wish that someone would take on the job of making tested, organic products available to gardeners like me. It was a fairly short jump from wishing someone else would do the job to tackling it myself.”
What started as the Natural Gardening Research Center in 1984 evolved into Gardens Alive by 1988. Whether your call yourself an organic gardener, or are just curious about products that are not based on synthetic chemicals, the catalogue is flat-out exciting.
During my day with the company founder, he confided that selling organic products has not been a get-rich-quick scheme — just like organic gardening is not a dial-by-number approach to horticulture. It has taken time for customers to understand the difference; it’s amazing how many people don’t really care about the environment, or how many people never take the time to consider the effects of their actions.
“Gardens Alive is still a labor of love,” he said. “I have more profitable ventures, but this is the one that continues to fuel my passion.”
Check out this catalogue; environmentally friendly solutions are available for all sorts of gardening challenges.
Gardeners Supply — Just about the same time Niles Kinerk was getting curious about organic gardening in the Midwest, Will Raap was beginning to operate on a parallel plain in Vermont. Whereas the Gardens Alive founder appears to be the consummate conservative farmer, Raap has always worn his passion on his sleeve. He’s the general, if you will, who has led the up-hill charge in the organic revolution.
“He’s the most charismatic person I’ve ever been around,” said Kathy Laliberte, who co-founded the Gardeners Supply Company with Raap in 1983. “He really wanted to make a difference and those of us who were around him got swept up in his enthusiasm.”
Far more than a garden supply company, Gardeners Supply has become a success story of national and international prominence. By putting organic gardening practices to work in their local community of Burlington, Vt., the employee-owned company has revitalized an entire city and served as a model for sustainable living.
I traveled to Burlington this past summer with Cameron Bonsey, the director of our television division, and was amazed at the vitality of the organic trial gardens outside the company headquarters. That was Zone 3-4, mind you, and the gardens still looked phenomenal. They still experiment with all sorts of new gadgets, including self-watering containers for growing tomatoes. They were getting up to 30 pounds of fruit from one plant!
As for the catalogue, it’s probably the most extensive offering of gardening supplies anywhere in the free world. Though the company started from the most modest of positions, it has evolved into a high-tech supplier of a full-range of products, from bird feeders, to kitchen items, linens and furniture. Just about everything is available on-line at www.gardeners.com.
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply — Another company I can relate to — because it started in the garage of the founder — this California business was first recommended to me a decade ago by Eliot Coleman, the legendary organic farmer from Harborside, Maine.
“They’re honest,” he said simply. That’s always question number one in mailorder.
Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the town of Grass Valley, this company is another one of those places where many of the employees are gardeners. You can check out their faces online at www.groworganic.com and then talk to them by phone moments later.
I’m sure the cynics will ask what a company in California can do for gardeners in the Northeast. In a word: plenty. The offerings of organic fertilizers and soil stimulants are fantastic, and these folks have been using these products long enough to really know what they’re talking about.
You may remember from high school biology, for example, that plants need 16 elements to grow. Most fertilizer bags and companies will talk about the big three “macronutrients” of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but not say much about all the others. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply has an entire section on “trace minerals” — things like zinc, boron and azomite — that are essential to plant health.
Trust me. It’s worth a few minutes to click on the site.
One last note: You can still get the great subscription deal by calling 800-251-1784, or clicking on our website at www.ppplants.com. For $19.95 ($5 off regular prices), you get six issues of the magazine, a $25 coupon to www.gardensalive.com and the PPP Discount Card good for 10 percent off purchases at more than 500 garden centers across the Northeast.
Happy Holidays and we’ll see you with a new column after the first of the year.
Paul Tukey, December 20, 2005.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
'Tis the Season...for Seed Catalogues
Here’s a pointer I like to dust off every year about this time, when you have to have a lot of imagination and intestinal fortitude to take on any outdoor gardening tasks. ’Tis the season for . . . seed catalogues, when you can let that imagination run wild.
This year, I’m going to run this as a multi-part series on catalogues of all types, from seeds to live plants. I’m a big proponent of the local garden centers, mind you, and you can usually find more gardening stuff at your favorite local greenhouse than at any time in horticultural history. There’s still a place on my coffee table gardening catalogues, though. They’re one of my favorite things about gardening. And, besides, they’re great for those last-minute gardening gift ideas.
For this edition, we’ll take a look at the seed entities in my own state of Maine where six companies, and at least two non-profit organizations, offer just about anything you could need within the pages of their catalogues. Buy your seeds locally and you’ll get the satisfaction of supporting small local enterprises —with the added benefit of all that great local knowledge that you’ll never find in the national catalogues.
Here’s a rundown, with some of the history and flavor that makes all these catalogues unique:
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop — This company has been around since 1911 and, somehow refreshingly, hasn’t changed much at all in the past 94 years. This year’s catalogue looks like last year’s catalogue, and the one before that, and the one before that.
In this lightning-fast Internet world where change rules, this Falmouth company has carved out a niche by offering mostly the same varieties of seed that our grandparents grew. The packages are still packed by hand in a back room, most of them by octogenarians Mickey and Isabelle Maguire, and their granddaughter Jennifer Brannigan.
The big news here is that AS&L joined the 21st century by securing a web domain in 2005. It’s kind of like having your grandmother driving a Ferrari, but in this day and age I’m sure a lot of grandmothers probably do. For the old-fashioned way of shopping, you can order the 31-page black-and-white catalogue by calling 207-781-4142, or better yet, visit the charming garden center at 191 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth — but not on Sundays. That’s their family day and still remains sacred.
Fedco— This revolutionary enterprise was founded in 1978 as a cooperative seed distribution network in which the patrons of the company are the owners. Bulk orders are always encouraged; if you get together with your gardening friends and neighbors and place an order through Fedco, you will almost always save money.
Like Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, this seed source eschewed the Internet as a marketing tool for many years. A website, www.fedcoseeds.com , is up and running and offers a nice, online taste of what the company is all about. A catalogue can be downloaded, and the company even posts its phone number at 207-873-3333. For many years, it didn’t even like to take phone calls.
Despite all those upgrades in convenience, the catalogue really must be seen to be fully appreciated. Printed on recycled newsprint, it teems with invaluable local information. You tell easily tell that the authors of the seed descriptions grow the plants themselves, often in Zone 4 central Maine locations that test a gardener’s skill. Organic culture is always stressed and none of the seeds are ever treated with fungicide.
To receive a Fedco catalogue in the mail, write to P.O. Box 520, Waterville, Maine 04903-0520.
Johnny's Selected Seeds — Easily Maine’s largest seed company and recognized as a national industry leader, Johnny’s still manages to reflect its roots as a tiny proprietorship formed in 1973. The founder, Robert L. Johnston Jr., is a research scientist at heart. Through his directive, the company runs the most thorough seed testing process in the country. A trial garden in Albion, measuring 120 acres, allows the staff to evaluate each vegetable, herb, flower and garden product.
The catalogue is also recognized as one of the most valuable in the country. Packed with equal parts information and colorful glossy photographs, it has been redesigned in recent years to be more colorful and user friendly.
Buying from Johnny’s is easier than ever. The company finally accepts orders toll free (800-879-2258) or the Internet www.johnnyseeds.com. Even better, orders are filled whenever possible within 24 hours.
Incidentally, Rob Johnston sent us an awesome exclusive article on the best-tasting varieties of 14 different kinds of vegetables in the upcoming January issue of our magazine. It made my mouth water just reading his first-hand descriptions.
Pinetree Garden Seeds — The size of the average package of seeds has always driven Portland resident Dick Meiners crazy. Why do companies put 100 tomato seeds in a package, he wondered, when the average gardener only grows 12 plants?
In 1979, he did something about his pet peeve by founding his own company. Specializing in small packages at fair prices, New Gloucester-based Pinetree Seeds has carved out a unique niche in the home garden segment of the seed catalogue world. By keeping prices down, Meiners has allowed gardeners to experiment with many new varieties of plants—as well as books and equipment.
The catalogue is a cross between the newsprint, no-photo appeal of Fedco, and the glossy, professional look of Johnny’s. The descriptions, written by the gardeners on the Pinetree staff, are informative and personal. Order by phone (207-926-3400), fax (888-52seeds) or on the Internet www.superseeds.com.
Vesey’s— Based in Prince Edward Island, Vesey's Seeds Ltd., is not a true Maine company. It does, however, offer a Calais address and a product selection that is ideal for the local gardener.
The founder, Arthur Vesey, was a market gardener who struggled to find seeds that would thrive in the short growing season in PEI. In 1939, he published the first catalogue of some of his discoveries; by the ’60s, his company featuring “seeds for short seasons” was a full-blown international enterprise.
Vesey’s makes ordering easy and affordable with a toll-free number (800-363-7333), along with fax orders (800-686-0329) and Internet access www.veseys.com.
The Maine Potato Catalog—Facing an uncertain economic future in trying to grow organic produce in Aroostook County, Jim Gerritson needed a way to diversify his family farm in the past decade. His answer became this unique ode to spuds that has grown to become a 36-page full-color booklet.
The family’s staple offerings are the Potato of The Month Club that will deliver a fresh supply of organic potatoes to your door each month, and the certified organic seed potatoes that you can grow in your own garden. The catalogue also features carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, parsnips and other crops — all grown organically in Bridgewater, five hours north of Portland near Presque Isle. You may order a catalogue seven days a week at 800-829-9765, or click on www.woodprairie.com to get a virtual tour.
Our television crew visited the Gerritson family during harvest season one September and watched in amazement as the year’s crop of potatoes was picked by hand — mostly by junior high school students on farm break. It’s one of the few operations of its kind left in America, and definitely worth supporting.
Medomak Valley Heirloom Seed Project — Teachers Jon Thurston and Neil Lash deserve a world of kudos for introducing their high school students to the world of gardening. The students, in turn, spread the information to the rest of us through their truly unique catalogue offering a host of heirloom seeds.
Even designed by students, the catalogue can be ordered by writing to Heirloom Seed Project, 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, Maine 04572. Please include a nine by 12-inch SASE envelope and $1. The students don’t publish seed prices, but do ask for your donations if you order.
Maine Seed Saver Exchange — Dedicated to preserving genetic diversity in backyard gardening, this nonprofit group promotes saving rare heirloom varieties. Within the 24-page catalogue, you'll find everything from ‘Fogg’ melons, originally grown at the Fogg Homestead in Readfield, Maine, to ‘Cambridge’ rutabagas, which the catalogue states were “found and rescued from the steamship ‘Cambridge,’ which sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 10, 1886, after striking the Old Man's Ledge off of Friendship, Maine.”
Its a valuable endeavor, well worth supporting by joining the Exchange for $15. For the catalogue only, send $2 to cover postage to Box 60, New Gloucester, ME 04260.
Speaking of catalogues . . . How would you like to receive $25 to spend at one of America’s best gardening companies? That’s what you get if you subscribe to People, Places & Plants magazine right now in time for the holidays. Here’s the deal: First off, it’s $5 off ($19.95 instead of $24.95). Second, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate to a catalogue supplier known as www.gardensalive.com. We’ll also send you the discount card good for 10 percent off at more than 500 local garden centers in the Northeast. On top of ALL that, we’ll send a $5 donation to the American Red Cross for every subscription we sell between now and Christmas. We think it’s a tremendous gift idea. You can sign up online here, or by calling Mike or Deb at 800-251-1784.
Paul Tukey, December 12, 2005.
This year, I’m going to run this as a multi-part series on catalogues of all types, from seeds to live plants. I’m a big proponent of the local garden centers, mind you, and you can usually find more gardening stuff at your favorite local greenhouse than at any time in horticultural history. There’s still a place on my coffee table gardening catalogues, though. They’re one of my favorite things about gardening. And, besides, they’re great for those last-minute gardening gift ideas.
For this edition, we’ll take a look at the seed entities in my own state of Maine where six companies, and at least two non-profit organizations, offer just about anything you could need within the pages of their catalogues. Buy your seeds locally and you’ll get the satisfaction of supporting small local enterprises —with the added benefit of all that great local knowledge that you’ll never find in the national catalogues.
Here’s a rundown, with some of the history and flavor that makes all these catalogues unique:
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop — This company has been around since 1911 and, somehow refreshingly, hasn’t changed much at all in the past 94 years. This year’s catalogue looks like last year’s catalogue, and the one before that, and the one before that.
In this lightning-fast Internet world where change rules, this Falmouth company has carved out a niche by offering mostly the same varieties of seed that our grandparents grew. The packages are still packed by hand in a back room, most of them by octogenarians Mickey and Isabelle Maguire, and their granddaughter Jennifer Brannigan.
The big news here is that AS&L joined the 21st century by securing a web domain in 2005. It’s kind of like having your grandmother driving a Ferrari, but in this day and age I’m sure a lot of grandmothers probably do. For the old-fashioned way of shopping, you can order the 31-page black-and-white catalogue by calling 207-781-4142, or better yet, visit the charming garden center at 191 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth — but not on Sundays. That’s their family day and still remains sacred.
Fedco— This revolutionary enterprise was founded in 1978 as a cooperative seed distribution network in which the patrons of the company are the owners. Bulk orders are always encouraged; if you get together with your gardening friends and neighbors and place an order through Fedco, you will almost always save money.
Like Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, this seed source eschewed the Internet as a marketing tool for many years. A website, www.fedcoseeds.com , is up and running and offers a nice, online taste of what the company is all about. A catalogue can be downloaded, and the company even posts its phone number at 207-873-3333. For many years, it didn’t even like to take phone calls.
Despite all those upgrades in convenience, the catalogue really must be seen to be fully appreciated. Printed on recycled newsprint, it teems with invaluable local information. You tell easily tell that the authors of the seed descriptions grow the plants themselves, often in Zone 4 central Maine locations that test a gardener’s skill. Organic culture is always stressed and none of the seeds are ever treated with fungicide.
To receive a Fedco catalogue in the mail, write to P.O. Box 520, Waterville, Maine 04903-0520.
Johnny's Selected Seeds — Easily Maine’s largest seed company and recognized as a national industry leader, Johnny’s still manages to reflect its roots as a tiny proprietorship formed in 1973. The founder, Robert L. Johnston Jr., is a research scientist at heart. Through his directive, the company runs the most thorough seed testing process in the country. A trial garden in Albion, measuring 120 acres, allows the staff to evaluate each vegetable, herb, flower and garden product.
The catalogue is also recognized as one of the most valuable in the country. Packed with equal parts information and colorful glossy photographs, it has been redesigned in recent years to be more colorful and user friendly.
Buying from Johnny’s is easier than ever. The company finally accepts orders toll free (800-879-2258) or the Internet www.johnnyseeds.com. Even better, orders are filled whenever possible within 24 hours.
Incidentally, Rob Johnston sent us an awesome exclusive article on the best-tasting varieties of 14 different kinds of vegetables in the upcoming January issue of our magazine. It made my mouth water just reading his first-hand descriptions.
Pinetree Garden Seeds — The size of the average package of seeds has always driven Portland resident Dick Meiners crazy. Why do companies put 100 tomato seeds in a package, he wondered, when the average gardener only grows 12 plants?
In 1979, he did something about his pet peeve by founding his own company. Specializing in small packages at fair prices, New Gloucester-based Pinetree Seeds has carved out a unique niche in the home garden segment of the seed catalogue world. By keeping prices down, Meiners has allowed gardeners to experiment with many new varieties of plants—as well as books and equipment.
The catalogue is a cross between the newsprint, no-photo appeal of Fedco, and the glossy, professional look of Johnny’s. The descriptions, written by the gardeners on the Pinetree staff, are informative and personal. Order by phone (207-926-3400), fax (888-52seeds) or on the Internet www.superseeds.com.
Vesey’s— Based in Prince Edward Island, Vesey's Seeds Ltd., is not a true Maine company. It does, however, offer a Calais address and a product selection that is ideal for the local gardener.
The founder, Arthur Vesey, was a market gardener who struggled to find seeds that would thrive in the short growing season in PEI. In 1939, he published the first catalogue of some of his discoveries; by the ’60s, his company featuring “seeds for short seasons” was a full-blown international enterprise.
Vesey’s makes ordering easy and affordable with a toll-free number (800-363-7333), along with fax orders (800-686-0329) and Internet access www.veseys.com.
The Maine Potato Catalog—Facing an uncertain economic future in trying to grow organic produce in Aroostook County, Jim Gerritson needed a way to diversify his family farm in the past decade. His answer became this unique ode to spuds that has grown to become a 36-page full-color booklet.
The family’s staple offerings are the Potato of The Month Club that will deliver a fresh supply of organic potatoes to your door each month, and the certified organic seed potatoes that you can grow in your own garden. The catalogue also features carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, parsnips and other crops — all grown organically in Bridgewater, five hours north of Portland near Presque Isle. You may order a catalogue seven days a week at 800-829-9765, or click on www.woodprairie.com to get a virtual tour.
Our television crew visited the Gerritson family during harvest season one September and watched in amazement as the year’s crop of potatoes was picked by hand — mostly by junior high school students on farm break. It’s one of the few operations of its kind left in America, and definitely worth supporting.
Medomak Valley Heirloom Seed Project — Teachers Jon Thurston and Neil Lash deserve a world of kudos for introducing their high school students to the world of gardening. The students, in turn, spread the information to the rest of us through their truly unique catalogue offering a host of heirloom seeds.
Even designed by students, the catalogue can be ordered by writing to Heirloom Seed Project, 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, Maine 04572. Please include a nine by 12-inch SASE envelope and $1. The students don’t publish seed prices, but do ask for your donations if you order.
Maine Seed Saver Exchange — Dedicated to preserving genetic diversity in backyard gardening, this nonprofit group promotes saving rare heirloom varieties. Within the 24-page catalogue, you'll find everything from ‘Fogg’ melons, originally grown at the Fogg Homestead in Readfield, Maine, to ‘Cambridge’ rutabagas, which the catalogue states were “found and rescued from the steamship ‘Cambridge,’ which sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 10, 1886, after striking the Old Man's Ledge off of Friendship, Maine.”
Its a valuable endeavor, well worth supporting by joining the Exchange for $15. For the catalogue only, send $2 to cover postage to Box 60, New Gloucester, ME 04260.
Speaking of catalogues . . . How would you like to receive $25 to spend at one of America’s best gardening companies? That’s what you get if you subscribe to People, Places & Plants magazine right now in time for the holidays. Here’s the deal: First off, it’s $5 off ($19.95 instead of $24.95). Second, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate to a catalogue supplier known as www.gardensalive.com. We’ll also send you the discount card good for 10 percent off at more than 500 local garden centers in the Northeast. On top of ALL that, we’ll send a $5 donation to the American Red Cross for every subscription we sell between now and Christmas. We think it’s a tremendous gift idea. You can sign up online here, or by calling Mike or Deb at 800-251-1784.
Paul Tukey, December 12, 2005.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Use Discretion in Creating Plant Decorations
One of the best, and most abused, ways for a gardener to enjoy the holidays is to use plants as part of the celebration. Cut trees are often the centerpiece, along with the indoor plants, including poinsettias and holiday cactus we have written about here in recent weeks. They’re all great and serve their purpose.
Wreaths and swags containing parts of plants are also part of many families’ holiday traditions. Utilizing foliage, berries, twigs, cones, seeds and seedpods and bark, craft-minded gardeners can create some beautiful decorations.
In general, these are perfectly fine ways to use plants. As folks head out to gather materials, though, I’d like to make a few points:
1) though pruning evergreens won’t hurt the plants, you should prune correctly;
2) always ask permission to prune plants not on your own property;
3) avoid using invasive species of plants as part of your decorations, or at least dispose of them properly if you do;
4) treat nature kindly while you’re searching;
5) review the list of poisonous plants, especially if you have children or pets in and around the home.
PRUNING — Needled evergreens are among the most resilient of plants and will generally tolerate even the most callous of sheering. It’s far better for your plants, though, if you take care to prune properly with a sharp knife or other tool. Try to prune at nodes, which are points on the stems when budding or branching occurs.
Broad-leafed evergreens such as mountain laurel or rhododendron are a bit less tolerant. Keep in mind, too, that if you snip those plants this time of year, you may be removing next spring’s blossoms. It’s your plant; you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it.
PERMISSION — Taking plants, or parts of plants off other people’s property technically constitutes trespassing and, probably, theft. I have a friend at a local police department who said his station always gets a few calls about missing trees or branches during the holidays. Most people will probably allow you to collect a few evergreen tips if you ask politely and show them you know what you’re doing.
INVASIVES — One of my pet peeves is other magazines who promote wreaths made with Asiatic bittersweet. While beautiful because of its bright reddish-orange berries, bittersweet is a nasty invasive. If these seeds drop off your wreath, they can later germinate and contribute to the spread of this plant. Click here for a list of other invasive plants.
If you insist on using invasive plants, try to burn your wreaths after the holidays, or add them to garbage that’s going to an incinerator rather than a landfill.
NATURE — As I’ve learned on numerous hikes with Dr. Richard Churchill, our staff botanist, nature can be more tender than we may think. Trampling moss, peeling bark off trees or stealing birds nests from trees is just bad form. Don’t do it. You can usually find plenty of other materials for decorations.
POISONS — Though not high on the list of holiday perils, plant poisonings do show up in the news from time to time. The berries of holly, mistletoe and yew all contain compounds with varying degrees of toxicity. If you suspect a plant poisoning, call the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ national emergency hotline at 800-222-1222. You will be immediately connected to a poison center in your local area. For one of the best databases of poisonous plants, check out Cornell University’s web site.
With only a few weeks remaining until Christmas and Hanukkah, which begins on Christmas day this year, we hope you’ll consider taking advantage of our awesome holiday subscription offer. Through a special advertising promotion, we are able to offer all subscribers and gift recipients a $25 coupon toward any merchandise at Gardens Alive, one of the nation’s leading garden catalogue companies. We’re also cut the price for a one-year subscription by $5, to $19.95, and we’re donating an additional $5 to the American Red Cross hurricane relief effort. You can click here https://www.ppplants.com/order/holiday.html to take advantage.
Paul Tukey, December 5, 2005.
Wreaths and swags containing parts of plants are also part of many families’ holiday traditions. Utilizing foliage, berries, twigs, cones, seeds and seedpods and bark, craft-minded gardeners can create some beautiful decorations.
In general, these are perfectly fine ways to use plants. As folks head out to gather materials, though, I’d like to make a few points:
1) though pruning evergreens won’t hurt the plants, you should prune correctly;
2) always ask permission to prune plants not on your own property;
3) avoid using invasive species of plants as part of your decorations, or at least dispose of them properly if you do;
4) treat nature kindly while you’re searching;
5) review the list of poisonous plants, especially if you have children or pets in and around the home.
PRUNING — Needled evergreens are among the most resilient of plants and will generally tolerate even the most callous of sheering. It’s far better for your plants, though, if you take care to prune properly with a sharp knife or other tool. Try to prune at nodes, which are points on the stems when budding or branching occurs.
Broad-leafed evergreens such as mountain laurel or rhododendron are a bit less tolerant. Keep in mind, too, that if you snip those plants this time of year, you may be removing next spring’s blossoms. It’s your plant; you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it.
PERMISSION — Taking plants, or parts of plants off other people’s property technically constitutes trespassing and, probably, theft. I have a friend at a local police department who said his station always gets a few calls about missing trees or branches during the holidays. Most people will probably allow you to collect a few evergreen tips if you ask politely and show them you know what you’re doing.
INVASIVES — One of my pet peeves is other magazines who promote wreaths made with Asiatic bittersweet. While beautiful because of its bright reddish-orange berries, bittersweet is a nasty invasive. If these seeds drop off your wreath, they can later germinate and contribute to the spread of this plant. Click here for a list of other invasive plants.
If you insist on using invasive plants, try to burn your wreaths after the holidays, or add them to garbage that’s going to an incinerator rather than a landfill.
NATURE — As I’ve learned on numerous hikes with Dr. Richard Churchill, our staff botanist, nature can be more tender than we may think. Trampling moss, peeling bark off trees or stealing birds nests from trees is just bad form. Don’t do it. You can usually find plenty of other materials for decorations.
POISONS — Though not high on the list of holiday perils, plant poisonings do show up in the news from time to time. The berries of holly, mistletoe and yew all contain compounds with varying degrees of toxicity. If you suspect a plant poisoning, call the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ national emergency hotline at 800-222-1222. You will be immediately connected to a poison center in your local area. For one of the best databases of poisonous plants, check out Cornell University’s web site.
With only a few weeks remaining until Christmas and Hanukkah, which begins on Christmas day this year, we hope you’ll consider taking advantage of our awesome holiday subscription offer. Through a special advertising promotion, we are able to offer all subscribers and gift recipients a $25 coupon toward any merchandise at Gardens Alive, one of the nation’s leading garden catalogue companies. We’re also cut the price for a one-year subscription by $5, to $19.95, and we’re donating an additional $5 to the American Red Cross hurricane relief effort. You can click here https://www.ppplants.com/order/holiday.html to take advantage.
Paul Tukey, December 5, 2005.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Last-Minute Outdoor Tasks
Remember about three weeks ago, when I gave you the list of everything I still planned to get done in the garden before winter set in? Well, I don’t know about you, but the warmer-than-usual November lulled me into thinking that autumn would last a bit longer here in Northern New England. When the snow finally did come just before Thanksgiving, it caught my household by surprise.
The hose froze in place right in the driveway; the compost pile crusted over with a layer of ice before it was fully spread. With a bit of a thaw, though, it looks as if we’re going to get a reprieve. Daytime temperatures for Tuesday through Thursday of this week are projected to be well above freezing in most of our region — 50-65 in Manhattan, 50 to 60 in Hartford, Conn., and 43 to 53 throughout Maine from Portland to Houlton.
Let’s take one last look at the remaining outdoor to-do list for December.
Labeling— Make the rounds one last time to make sure your plant labels are in place and legible. I’ve long-forgotten cultivar names and without accurate labels, I’m lost. It’s important to me, because I use my gardens to report back to you. Are cultivar names important to you? If so, attend to the labels while you still can.
Mulching— Depending on where you live, the ground may or may not be frozen. In southern New England, you still don’t want to put down that winter mulch. In northern areas, you may be ready. It’s easy to tell. If you try to drive a shovel into the ground and it doesn’t easily pierce the soil surface, then the ground is frozen and mulch can go down.
Remember, the idea with mulch is to keep the ground frozen. If snow happens to fly again before the ground freezes — and the snow sticks — you don’t need to worry about applying the mulch until spring, or at least until the snow melts.
Bulbs—Believe it or not, I do still have some spring-flowering bulbs to go into the ground and plan to use my lunch hour on Wednesday to get them into the ground at last. I have no doubt they’ll sprout and bloom just fine next spring.
Planting— Yes, you can still plant any balled-and-burlapped or container trees, shrubs or perennials until the ground freezes. I have some plants I spoke for at my local garden center and I’ll use my lunchtime on Thursday to go collect those and get them into the ground. Mulching will be doubly important on these plants, since I don’t want them to heave out of the ground when the soil thaws out prematurely next spring.
One other note: If you’re transporting trees or shrubs this late in the year, be certain to wrap them in burlap or a poly tarp for the ride — otherwise the wind will desiccate them and likely kill any exposed stems.
Holiday Trees — The same goes for transporting trees. Everywhere I turn, I see people with bare cut Christmas trees tied to the tops of their cars. These cold, windy rides are a terrible strain on the needles and will cause premature needle drop once the tree gets inside the home. Tote your tree inside the vehicle if possible, or take the time to wrap it inside a tarp if you have one handy.
Also, if you’re planning to bring a living tree indoors that you plan to plant outside after Christmas, it’s a good idea to dig the hole now before the ground fully freezes.
Check Snow Loads —Where I live, that first snow fall was a good opportunity to see how some of the new plants carry snow. You may want to make the effort to build a snow frame wrapped in burlap if you think your plants may not handle a heavy load of snow plunging from a roof or overhang. If this is a recurring problem, you may want to consider moving the plant to a new location next spring.
Check Your Watering —Around my home, we’ve had more than enough moisture and I’m quite certain that’s true throughout the Northeast. If you happen to have any new plantings that might not have received water lately, give them a deep drink now before the ground freezes solid. It will likely be the last water the plants get for a while.
Winterize Your Tools —Remove all soil and lubricate all moving parts. Sharpen your hoes, spades, loppers, saws and pruners and give those a good coating of lubrication as well. Paint any wooded-handled tools. Run the gas out of any power equipment and then drain the oil. Add winterizing agent to any leftover gasoline . . . and, yes, pick up those hoses that are still hanging around outside.
Purchase Your De-Icer — If you’ve got lawns and gardens around your front door, avoid purchasing products that have high sodium content. Kitty litter, salt-free sand and calcium chloride products are better choices for salt-sensitive plants. In many cases, hardscapes are also sensitive to salt.
Apply Anti-Dessicants — This oily coating helps plants’ foliage retain moisture on dry, cold winter days. You’ll probably want to reapply this again in mid to late January.
Paul Tukey - November 28, 2005.
The hose froze in place right in the driveway; the compost pile crusted over with a layer of ice before it was fully spread. With a bit of a thaw, though, it looks as if we’re going to get a reprieve. Daytime temperatures for Tuesday through Thursday of this week are projected to be well above freezing in most of our region — 50-65 in Manhattan, 50 to 60 in Hartford, Conn., and 43 to 53 throughout Maine from Portland to Houlton.
Let’s take one last look at the remaining outdoor to-do list for December.
Labeling— Make the rounds one last time to make sure your plant labels are in place and legible. I’ve long-forgotten cultivar names and without accurate labels, I’m lost. It’s important to me, because I use my gardens to report back to you. Are cultivar names important to you? If so, attend to the labels while you still can.
Mulching— Depending on where you live, the ground may or may not be frozen. In southern New England, you still don’t want to put down that winter mulch. In northern areas, you may be ready. It’s easy to tell. If you try to drive a shovel into the ground and it doesn’t easily pierce the soil surface, then the ground is frozen and mulch can go down.
Remember, the idea with mulch is to keep the ground frozen. If snow happens to fly again before the ground freezes — and the snow sticks — you don’t need to worry about applying the mulch until spring, or at least until the snow melts.
Bulbs—Believe it or not, I do still have some spring-flowering bulbs to go into the ground and plan to use my lunch hour on Wednesday to get them into the ground at last. I have no doubt they’ll sprout and bloom just fine next spring.
Planting— Yes, you can still plant any balled-and-burlapped or container trees, shrubs or perennials until the ground freezes. I have some plants I spoke for at my local garden center and I’ll use my lunchtime on Thursday to go collect those and get them into the ground. Mulching will be doubly important on these plants, since I don’t want them to heave out of the ground when the soil thaws out prematurely next spring.
One other note: If you’re transporting trees or shrubs this late in the year, be certain to wrap them in burlap or a poly tarp for the ride — otherwise the wind will desiccate them and likely kill any exposed stems.
Holiday Trees — The same goes for transporting trees. Everywhere I turn, I see people with bare cut Christmas trees tied to the tops of their cars. These cold, windy rides are a terrible strain on the needles and will cause premature needle drop once the tree gets inside the home. Tote your tree inside the vehicle if possible, or take the time to wrap it inside a tarp if you have one handy.
Also, if you’re planning to bring a living tree indoors that you plan to plant outside after Christmas, it’s a good idea to dig the hole now before the ground fully freezes.
Check Snow Loads —Where I live, that first snow fall was a good opportunity to see how some of the new plants carry snow. You may want to make the effort to build a snow frame wrapped in burlap if you think your plants may not handle a heavy load of snow plunging from a roof or overhang. If this is a recurring problem, you may want to consider moving the plant to a new location next spring.
Check Your Watering —Around my home, we’ve had more than enough moisture and I’m quite certain that’s true throughout the Northeast. If you happen to have any new plantings that might not have received water lately, give them a deep drink now before the ground freezes solid. It will likely be the last water the plants get for a while.
Winterize Your Tools —Remove all soil and lubricate all moving parts. Sharpen your hoes, spades, loppers, saws and pruners and give those a good coating of lubrication as well. Paint any wooded-handled tools. Run the gas out of any power equipment and then drain the oil. Add winterizing agent to any leftover gasoline . . . and, yes, pick up those hoses that are still hanging around outside.
Purchase Your De-Icer — If you’ve got lawns and gardens around your front door, avoid purchasing products that have high sodium content. Kitty litter, salt-free sand and calcium chloride products are better choices for salt-sensitive plants. In many cases, hardscapes are also sensitive to salt.
Apply Anti-Dessicants — This oily coating helps plants’ foliage retain moisture on dry, cold winter days. You’ll probably want to reapply this again in mid to late January.
Paul Tukey - November 28, 2005.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Truth About Holiday Plants
This edition of People, Places & Plants magazine, now out on newsstands and in subscribers’ mailboxes, contains an article that details the honest truth about five of the most popular indoor holiday plants: holiday cactus; gloxinias; azaleas; poinsettias and bromeliads. Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash at your local garden center, read the article. It may save you some frustration later on.
As a bonus, I dusted off some information about several other plants that are part of many holiday celebrations. They all have their merits . . .
Cyclamen — In white, red, lavender and pink, these members of the primrose family are one of the most prolific flowering plants for indoors. If you can keep your cyclamen in a bright room with cool evening temperatures between 50 and 60, with daytime temperatures at about 70, the plant may flower for several months.
After flowering, gradually withhold water until the foliage dies off. During this rest period, don’t water for six to eight weeks.
In the late spring and summer, you can move the pots into an area with little direct light. Cyclamen needs continually moist soil and won’t react well if it is allowed to wilt between waterings. Don’t keep the plant in standing water, though, and fertilize regularly while the new leaves form. Move the plants into more sunlight by early autumn and, with any luck, the plants will rebloom by the next holiday season.
Orchids — Many types of orchids work well as holiday decorations. Possibly the best and easiest to keep healthy is Cattleya trianea that blooms in white, pink or red.
If you purchase a new plant around the holidays, keep it in full sun at home through March. After that, indirect light will be best. Keep the area as humid as possible by setting the plant in a plastic or metal tray that has been filled to a depth of an inch or more with perlite or pebbles covered in water — but don’t let the roots of the orchid stand in water.
Amaryllis — This South African native is perhaps the most spectacular flowering plant for the holidays, coming in an assortment of vivid shades. It’s easy to bring to bloom simply by bringing the large bulb home and giving it water and a minimal amount of sun.
Getting the Amaryllis, Hippeastrum spp., to bloom in subsequent years will be the payback you’re looking for on a substantial investment. When the flowers are finished blooming, keep the pot in a sunny location, and continue to provide water and food throughout the spring and summer until the foliage dies back. You can event take the pot outside for the summer.
When the foliage is yellow or brown, cut it back and store the bulb in a cool, dry place with no water or sunlight.
After a month or three, repot the bulb in fresh potting mix, then water and feed it with bone meal or a fertilizer rich in phosphorus. Before long, the long stems should emerge from the soil and, with any luck, a spectacular bloom in time for next year.
Cape primrose — Another close cousin to the African violet, the Cape primrose, Streptocarpus spp., is easier to grow than gloxinia and the horn-shaped blooms are almost as large and more plentiful.
The good growers tell me a really light soil mix is key; purchase African violet mix and you can’t go wrong. Otherwise, grow your Cape primrose the same way you would a gloxinia or African violet, with moderate light and household temperatures. Avoid watering the foliage and keep constant moisture below the plant.
These will rebloom; in fact, if they’re really happy in the right soil mix, they’ll bloom indefinitely. If you can’t get them to bloom, always think first of the soil.
Kalanchoe — If you keep your home warm and want a holiday houseplant to thrive, this may be your choice. Kalanchoe, a native of Madagascar, will even forgive you for missing a watering, or two.
With rubbery textured leaves and glossy flowers, the plant can even look fake from a distance. I know I’ve pinched a few just to be sure.
As a houseplant in our climate, kalanchoe is oblivious to the seasons. When the flowers first die back, give the plant a rest period with reduced water, fertilizer and light. Unless it is too cold, it will likely begin to form new leaves and flower buds every other month or so. True kalanchoe afficionadoes will carefully monitor light levels during the rest period. The plant will reportedly put out bigger and more blossoms if light is limited to eight hours a day — with 16 hours in a closet — until flowering begins.
Reiger begonia — In the garden center, this is always a tempting plant for the holidays. Healthy specimens will literally be covered with red, orange, pink or white blossoms. With glossy leaves, it can make a spectacular centerpiece all on its own.
In my experience, though, they’re far more challenging in the home environment where they’ll react negatively to cool drafts, intense direct light when in bloom or the heat of a nearby furnace. They also like more humidity than can be found in most homes in winter, but this can be overcome by placing the plant atop a bed of pebbles and water — but don’t try to grow your Reiger in standing water.
The good news is that if you like these begonias, they’re rarely expensive. Purchasing a pot or two just for the holidays isn’t such a bad deal.
Chenile — Also known as red-hot cattail, or Acalypha hispida, this plant is among the most exotic of all houseplants. Nothing is more luxuriant that a chenille in full bloom, with cascading bright red “cattails” that resemble soft bottle brushes.
Think twice, though, before plunking down the $15 to $40 to bring a prime specimen home. These are difficult to grow in the typically dry home environment and, without the moisture available in a greenhouse setting, they will tend to drop their blossoms quickly.
Keep moisture under the pot, just as you would with begonias or orchids, but don’t put the plant in standing water.
“Don’t ever let the plant get cold,” said Ken Ellis of Sunset Greenhouses in Fairfield, Maine. “Give it as much sun as possible in the winter and at least half a day in the summer.”
Christmas peppers — A relatively new addition to the offerings of holiday plants, these “hot” peppers are the same members of the Capsicum annuum species that we use as ornamental peppers in the outdoor garden. In our climate, these peppers often need the later days of autumn and early winter to bear fruit anyway, so many people grow them in containers. Bringing them indoors for the holidays makes perfect sense.
They’re annuals, so you don’t need to fret about keeping them alive for a second season — just plant new ones next year. If you purchase full-grown plants at the garden center this winter, you’ll probably want to toss them out as soon as the fruit drops off.
One note about these: most of the species of hot peppers are really, really hot and not in the edible category. Eating the fruit can be especially irritable to young children.
Paul Tukey - November 22, 2005.
As a bonus, I dusted off some information about several other plants that are part of many holiday celebrations. They all have their merits . . .
Cyclamen — In white, red, lavender and pink, these members of the primrose family are one of the most prolific flowering plants for indoors. If you can keep your cyclamen in a bright room with cool evening temperatures between 50 and 60, with daytime temperatures at about 70, the plant may flower for several months.
After flowering, gradually withhold water until the foliage dies off. During this rest period, don’t water for six to eight weeks.
In the late spring and summer, you can move the pots into an area with little direct light. Cyclamen needs continually moist soil and won’t react well if it is allowed to wilt between waterings. Don’t keep the plant in standing water, though, and fertilize regularly while the new leaves form. Move the plants into more sunlight by early autumn and, with any luck, the plants will rebloom by the next holiday season.
Orchids — Many types of orchids work well as holiday decorations. Possibly the best and easiest to keep healthy is Cattleya trianea that blooms in white, pink or red.
If you purchase a new plant around the holidays, keep it in full sun at home through March. After that, indirect light will be best. Keep the area as humid as possible by setting the plant in a plastic or metal tray that has been filled to a depth of an inch or more with perlite or pebbles covered in water — but don’t let the roots of the orchid stand in water.
Amaryllis — This South African native is perhaps the most spectacular flowering plant for the holidays, coming in an assortment of vivid shades. It’s easy to bring to bloom simply by bringing the large bulb home and giving it water and a minimal amount of sun.
Getting the Amaryllis, Hippeastrum spp., to bloom in subsequent years will be the payback you’re looking for on a substantial investment. When the flowers are finished blooming, keep the pot in a sunny location, and continue to provide water and food throughout the spring and summer until the foliage dies back. You can event take the pot outside for the summer.
When the foliage is yellow or brown, cut it back and store the bulb in a cool, dry place with no water or sunlight.
After a month or three, repot the bulb in fresh potting mix, then water and feed it with bone meal or a fertilizer rich in phosphorus. Before long, the long stems should emerge from the soil and, with any luck, a spectacular bloom in time for next year.
Cape primrose — Another close cousin to the African violet, the Cape primrose, Streptocarpus spp., is easier to grow than gloxinia and the horn-shaped blooms are almost as large and more plentiful.
The good growers tell me a really light soil mix is key; purchase African violet mix and you can’t go wrong. Otherwise, grow your Cape primrose the same way you would a gloxinia or African violet, with moderate light and household temperatures. Avoid watering the foliage and keep constant moisture below the plant.
These will rebloom; in fact, if they’re really happy in the right soil mix, they’ll bloom indefinitely. If you can’t get them to bloom, always think first of the soil.
Kalanchoe — If you keep your home warm and want a holiday houseplant to thrive, this may be your choice. Kalanchoe, a native of Madagascar, will even forgive you for missing a watering, or two.
With rubbery textured leaves and glossy flowers, the plant can even look fake from a distance. I know I’ve pinched a few just to be sure.
As a houseplant in our climate, kalanchoe is oblivious to the seasons. When the flowers first die back, give the plant a rest period with reduced water, fertilizer and light. Unless it is too cold, it will likely begin to form new leaves and flower buds every other month or so. True kalanchoe afficionadoes will carefully monitor light levels during the rest period. The plant will reportedly put out bigger and more blossoms if light is limited to eight hours a day — with 16 hours in a closet — until flowering begins.
Reiger begonia — In the garden center, this is always a tempting plant for the holidays. Healthy specimens will literally be covered with red, orange, pink or white blossoms. With glossy leaves, it can make a spectacular centerpiece all on its own.
In my experience, though, they’re far more challenging in the home environment where they’ll react negatively to cool drafts, intense direct light when in bloom or the heat of a nearby furnace. They also like more humidity than can be found in most homes in winter, but this can be overcome by placing the plant atop a bed of pebbles and water — but don’t try to grow your Reiger in standing water.
The good news is that if you like these begonias, they’re rarely expensive. Purchasing a pot or two just for the holidays isn’t such a bad deal.
Chenile — Also known as red-hot cattail, or Acalypha hispida, this plant is among the most exotic of all houseplants. Nothing is more luxuriant that a chenille in full bloom, with cascading bright red “cattails” that resemble soft bottle brushes.
Think twice, though, before plunking down the $15 to $40 to bring a prime specimen home. These are difficult to grow in the typically dry home environment and, without the moisture available in a greenhouse setting, they will tend to drop their blossoms quickly.
Keep moisture under the pot, just as you would with begonias or orchids, but don’t put the plant in standing water.
“Don’t ever let the plant get cold,” said Ken Ellis of Sunset Greenhouses in Fairfield, Maine. “Give it as much sun as possible in the winter and at least half a day in the summer.”
Christmas peppers — A relatively new addition to the offerings of holiday plants, these “hot” peppers are the same members of the Capsicum annuum species that we use as ornamental peppers in the outdoor garden. In our climate, these peppers often need the later days of autumn and early winter to bear fruit anyway, so many people grow them in containers. Bringing them indoors for the holidays makes perfect sense.
They’re annuals, so you don’t need to fret about keeping them alive for a second season — just plant new ones next year. If you purchase full-grown plants at the garden center this winter, you’ll probably want to toss them out as soon as the fruit drops off.
One note about these: most of the species of hot peppers are really, really hot and not in the edible category. Eating the fruit can be especially irritable to young children.
Paul Tukey - November 22, 2005.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Yes, You Can Still Plant Bulbs
It’s Monday as I write this and, my goodness, I am sore from head to toe. This past weekend was a classic full-court fall cleanup, with wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and the rototiller running from morning to night.
It felt good to go to bed Sunday night after accomplishing much of our To-Do list, but a few items remained. We still have about half of our 30 yards of compost waiting to be spread, a few shrubs yet to plant, and we still have hundreds of spring-blooming bulbs waiting to go into the ground.
I’m not panicking, not yet anyway. In southern Maine, where the soil is showing no sign of freezing anytime soon, I’m guessing that I’ll be able to plant bulbs until early to mid December. In northern areas, you may be in more of a rush, but chances are you still have time left, too.
Bulbs are gardening’s slam dunk. Stick them in the ground, ideally at least twice as deep as the bulbs’ diameter, and you’ll almost certainly be rewarded with a blossom next spring. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks and skunks are usually the only things that keep bulbs from blooming. If critters have historically been a problem, you can either spray the bulbs with a deer and squirrel deterrent available at your local garden center, or plant the bulbs under a layer of wire mesh. You can also plant daffodils in close proximity to the bulbs and they will act as nature’s own deterrent, since nothing — not even a hungry deer — will eat a daffodil bulb or blossom.
This is also a good time to prepare bulbs for indoor bloom in February and March. In the technique known as “forcing,” you can trick bulbs into thinking it’s spring several weeks ahead of time.
Here are the steps:
1) Pot the bulbs in a container with a drainage hole and fill it about halfway with potting soil. At least a couple of inches of soil below most bulbs would be ideal;
2) add some bone meal as fertilizer;
3) check the position; bulbs can be tightly packed, but shouldn’t be touching;
4) add water, enough to moisten all of the potting soil;
5) place the container in a cool, dark spot such as a protected porch, garage, unheated basement or the refrigerator shelf;
6) check the container regularly for about three months;
7) when shoots begin to emerge a couple of inches high, move the container into the full light and warmth and you should get blossoms within two to three weeks.
Plan ahead. If you start now, you can have blooming tulips by March, just about the time the flower shows are in full gear. You’ll have a flower show of your own on your kitchen table.
Paul Tukey - November 8, 2005.
It felt good to go to bed Sunday night after accomplishing much of our To-Do list, but a few items remained. We still have about half of our 30 yards of compost waiting to be spread, a few shrubs yet to plant, and we still have hundreds of spring-blooming bulbs waiting to go into the ground.
I’m not panicking, not yet anyway. In southern Maine, where the soil is showing no sign of freezing anytime soon, I’m guessing that I’ll be able to plant bulbs until early to mid December. In northern areas, you may be in more of a rush, but chances are you still have time left, too.
Bulbs are gardening’s slam dunk. Stick them in the ground, ideally at least twice as deep as the bulbs’ diameter, and you’ll almost certainly be rewarded with a blossom next spring. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks and skunks are usually the only things that keep bulbs from blooming. If critters have historically been a problem, you can either spray the bulbs with a deer and squirrel deterrent available at your local garden center, or plant the bulbs under a layer of wire mesh. You can also plant daffodils in close proximity to the bulbs and they will act as nature’s own deterrent, since nothing — not even a hungry deer — will eat a daffodil bulb or blossom.
This is also a good time to prepare bulbs for indoor bloom in February and March. In the technique known as “forcing,” you can trick bulbs into thinking it’s spring several weeks ahead of time.
Here are the steps:
1) Pot the bulbs in a container with a drainage hole and fill it about halfway with potting soil. At least a couple of inches of soil below most bulbs would be ideal;
2) add some bone meal as fertilizer;
3) check the position; bulbs can be tightly packed, but shouldn’t be touching;
4) add water, enough to moisten all of the potting soil;
5) place the container in a cool, dark spot such as a protected porch, garage, unheated basement or the refrigerator shelf;
6) check the container regularly for about three months;
7) when shoots begin to emerge a couple of inches high, move the container into the full light and warmth and you should get blossoms within two to three weeks.
Plan ahead. If you start now, you can have blooming tulips by March, just about the time the flower shows are in full gear. You’ll have a flower show of your own on your kitchen table.
Paul Tukey - November 8, 2005.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Healthy Soil
Thanks to all of you who responded to last week’s Tip of the Week with comments and questions. It’s nice to know you’re reading! Some of you asked about the bulk compost deliveries, and others asked when my book will come out. So, yes, Winterwood Farms will deliver bulk compost to your home, too. And, I don’t know exactly when the lawn book will be out on the street, but right now the goal is October or November of 2006. That’s if I get the book written by Feb. 1 . . . and that’s not all that far away.
It was also interesting to me that some of you questioned why I’d be traveling to South Carolina to research gardening information. How could our Northeast readers possibly benefit, you asked?
I always think of a classic George Harrison line from a Beatles song when someone asks a question like that. In the “Inner Light,” he wrote, “The farther one travels, the less one knows.” Every time I travel, or Dr. Rick travels for that matter, we inevitably learn things that we can bring back home for the benefit of our readers.
I was in South Carolina to learn about Southern or “warm-season” turfgrass varieties, since that’s not my area of expertise in the book. Granted, most of what I learned isn’t applicable up here — since Bermudagrass, centipedegrass and bahiagrass won’t make it north of North Carolina — but I found it amazing how soil dynamics are fairly universal. For at least 50 years or so, most of us really have had it somewhat wrong in the way we have gardened and cared for our lawns. We look at things like NPK — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — when we really should be examining soil bacteria, protozoa, fungi, mycorrhize, enzymes and endophytes.
It’s too bad, really, that the microscopic components of healthy soil have such seemingly complicated names that remind us of a high school biology test gone wrong. The chemical industry has fed us simplicity and we have devoured the meal, to the tune of more than 80 million pounds of pesticides on home lawns each year.
So what’s the tip of this week after all this? Begin this fall by learning about your soil and what will make it healthy. Go on-line to find information. Go on your email and ask questions. Visit organicare.com, sustainablegrowth.com or soilfoodweb.com, three sites that celebrate the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham, who has proven beyond doubt that natural gardening provides a better solution for the planet.
In my travels, recently, I was able to look at soil under a microscope, just as Dr. Ingham has done for the past several years at Oregon State University. In lay terms, organic soil is alive! Microscopic organisms are crawling everywhere. Under that same microscope, chemically treated soil often appears as if it’s on life support, with little activity.
I came away thinking about soil the same way I think about my own body, as if it’s a balance between red blood cells and white blood cells. Too many white blood cells and we’re in trouble. Too much bad stuff in the soil and it can’t sustain other life.
This fall, look around your garage and assess your chemical usage as it relates to gardening. Either use up what you have left or take it to a dumping station for toxic chemicals and be done with it. Order yourself a load of compost — the more local the better — or bring in some manure from a local farmer.
Vow to make some changes in your own yard and you’ll be doing your part to help the world. Get educated and you can make a difference.
Here’s how Dr. Ingham recently made a difference. You probably never read about this anywhere, and yet this story has the most profound of implications.
Presenting at the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in New Zealand, Dr. Ingham told the story of a genetically modified bacterium called Klebsiella planticola, which had passed many governmental assessment processes and was nearing final approval for introduction into the marketplace. Proponents of this genetically modified organism said it had the potential to replace fossil fuel as an energy source because it could aid in the production of a cheaper alcohol alternative. As the bacterium processes dead plants, it causes the alcohol to be released.
No one talked about any side effects, however. Byproducts from the residue of the dead plants, which still contained the genetically modified bacterium, would be used as organic fertilizer on crops.
That all seemed great . . . except that no one tested this fertilizer on LIVING plants.
That’s where Dr. Ingham came in. Her research team found that the bacterium, in the presence of live plants, produced a lethal dose of alcohol — five times more than any plant could handle. Within seven days, the plants exposed to the bacterium died and turned to rotten, slimy residue. If this bacterium had been released in a wide geographic area, it would have wiped out life as we know it.
Imagine if this product had been released to the world at large. Know that it almost was.
As a backyard gardener, it is difficult for us to understand all of this and most of us won’t even try. It is easy, however, to garden safely and organically. If we all do, then companies may eventually stop trying to find us better chemicals and genetically modified super products that have untold consequences.
As the soil food web tells us, everything is connected. The smallest of bacteria to the largest of animals. The burning of fossil fuels and the changing of weather patterns. A negative action causes another negative action we might not even consider.
Paul Tukey - November 1, 2005.
It was also interesting to me that some of you questioned why I’d be traveling to South Carolina to research gardening information. How could our Northeast readers possibly benefit, you asked?
I always think of a classic George Harrison line from a Beatles song when someone asks a question like that. In the “Inner Light,” he wrote, “The farther one travels, the less one knows.” Every time I travel, or Dr. Rick travels for that matter, we inevitably learn things that we can bring back home for the benefit of our readers.
I was in South Carolina to learn about Southern or “warm-season” turfgrass varieties, since that’s not my area of expertise in the book. Granted, most of what I learned isn’t applicable up here — since Bermudagrass, centipedegrass and bahiagrass won’t make it north of North Carolina — but I found it amazing how soil dynamics are fairly universal. For at least 50 years or so, most of us really have had it somewhat wrong in the way we have gardened and cared for our lawns. We look at things like NPK — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — when we really should be examining soil bacteria, protozoa, fungi, mycorrhize, enzymes and endophytes.
It’s too bad, really, that the microscopic components of healthy soil have such seemingly complicated names that remind us of a high school biology test gone wrong. The chemical industry has fed us simplicity and we have devoured the meal, to the tune of more than 80 million pounds of pesticides on home lawns each year.
So what’s the tip of this week after all this? Begin this fall by learning about your soil and what will make it healthy. Go on-line to find information. Go on your email and ask questions. Visit organicare.com, sustainablegrowth.com or soilfoodweb.com, three sites that celebrate the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham, who has proven beyond doubt that natural gardening provides a better solution for the planet.
In my travels, recently, I was able to look at soil under a microscope, just as Dr. Ingham has done for the past several years at Oregon State University. In lay terms, organic soil is alive! Microscopic organisms are crawling everywhere. Under that same microscope, chemically treated soil often appears as if it’s on life support, with little activity.
I came away thinking about soil the same way I think about my own body, as if it’s a balance between red blood cells and white blood cells. Too many white blood cells and we’re in trouble. Too much bad stuff in the soil and it can’t sustain other life.
This fall, look around your garage and assess your chemical usage as it relates to gardening. Either use up what you have left or take it to a dumping station for toxic chemicals and be done with it. Order yourself a load of compost — the more local the better — or bring in some manure from a local farmer.
Vow to make some changes in your own yard and you’ll be doing your part to help the world. Get educated and you can make a difference.
Here’s how Dr. Ingham recently made a difference. You probably never read about this anywhere, and yet this story has the most profound of implications.
Presenting at the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in New Zealand, Dr. Ingham told the story of a genetically modified bacterium called Klebsiella planticola, which had passed many governmental assessment processes and was nearing final approval for introduction into the marketplace. Proponents of this genetically modified organism said it had the potential to replace fossil fuel as an energy source because it could aid in the production of a cheaper alcohol alternative. As the bacterium processes dead plants, it causes the alcohol to be released.
No one talked about any side effects, however. Byproducts from the residue of the dead plants, which still contained the genetically modified bacterium, would be used as organic fertilizer on crops.
That all seemed great . . . except that no one tested this fertilizer on LIVING plants.
That’s where Dr. Ingham came in. Her research team found that the bacterium, in the presence of live plants, produced a lethal dose of alcohol — five times more than any plant could handle. Within seven days, the plants exposed to the bacterium died and turned to rotten, slimy residue. If this bacterium had been released in a wide geographic area, it would have wiped out life as we know it.
Imagine if this product had been released to the world at large. Know that it almost was.
As a backyard gardener, it is difficult for us to understand all of this and most of us won’t even try. It is easy, however, to garden safely and organically. If we all do, then companies may eventually stop trying to find us better chemicals and genetically modified super products that have untold consequences.
As the soil food web tells us, everything is connected. The smallest of bacteria to the largest of animals. The burning of fossil fuels and the changing of weather patterns. A negative action causes another negative action we might not even consider.
Paul Tukey - November 1, 2005.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
From Warmth to Frost
I had the opportunity to travel to South Carolina this past weekend to observe some southern lawns. The trip was part of a nationwide research project I'm conducting as background information for a book I'm writing on organic lawn care.
I'm happy to report that organic gardening techniques work every bit as well in the South as they do up here in the Northeast . . . and I must admit I enjoyed the warmer weather, a range of daytime temperatures from 64 to 88.
When I returned home Monday the change in my garden was startling. The season's first frost finally hit southern Maine on Oct. 20, making this the latest frost date in history for this area.
Annual flowers and vegetables that normally would have been pulled out of the ground a few weeks ago were able to persist, but now the yard is covered in blackened foliage. The compost pile will fill up in a hurry this week.
As I sit down to create my to-do list for the month ahead, I figured I'd share it with all of you.
1) I'll rake up the leaves of all my healthy roses and shrubs and add them to the compost pile — but if you have any diseased plants such as peonies with botrytis blight (black areas at the time of blossom), or roses with blackspot, or hollyhocks with rust, don't add these to the compost pile. Take them to a far corner of the property or dispose of them in the trash instead.
2) I'll mow the lawn lower, about two and a half inches, in preparation for the final mowing of the year at about two inches.
3) I'll rake leaves from the lawn as they fall and shread them with my mower before adding them to the compost pile. Shredded leaves also make good mulch.
4) I'll inspect all my trees and shrubs for fall tent caterpillars and remove any of the webs. You can often simply prune out affected areas without damaging the plant overall.
5) I'll harvest the remainder of the apples and pears. One note, though: Be sure not to store apples or pears with vegetables. The fruits give off ethylene gas, which will cause the vegetables to taste funny and quickly spoil.
6) I'll continue to harvest and eat my strawberries. Yes, the everbearing 'Tristar' berries that I planted last spring are still blossoming and providing a daily handful of berries even as we approach November.
7) I'll bring in hoses that can freeze and crack and I'll begin to winterize and clean summer gardening tools.
8) Plants are at their lowest prices of the year now at garden centers, especially trees and shrubs. I'll be looking for deals. My trees and shrubs went in the ground last year on Nov. 15 and they all made it through their first winter just fine.
9) I'll be spreading the bulk load of compost I had delivered from Winterwood Farm here in Maine. Since my gardens are new, I'm using compost as my primary mulch this winter. It will build up the soil for future seasons.
10) Birds are eating feverishly in preparation for winter. I'll stock up on seed and put out a few more feeders in my front windows.
Paul Tukey - October 25, 2005.
I'm happy to report that organic gardening techniques work every bit as well in the South as they do up here in the Northeast . . . and I must admit I enjoyed the warmer weather, a range of daytime temperatures from 64 to 88.
When I returned home Monday the change in my garden was startling. The season's first frost finally hit southern Maine on Oct. 20, making this the latest frost date in history for this area.
Annual flowers and vegetables that normally would have been pulled out of the ground a few weeks ago were able to persist, but now the yard is covered in blackened foliage. The compost pile will fill up in a hurry this week.
As I sit down to create my to-do list for the month ahead, I figured I'd share it with all of you.
1) I'll rake up the leaves of all my healthy roses and shrubs and add them to the compost pile — but if you have any diseased plants such as peonies with botrytis blight (black areas at the time of blossom), or roses with blackspot, or hollyhocks with rust, don't add these to the compost pile. Take them to a far corner of the property or dispose of them in the trash instead.
2) I'll mow the lawn lower, about two and a half inches, in preparation for the final mowing of the year at about two inches.
3) I'll rake leaves from the lawn as they fall and shread them with my mower before adding them to the compost pile. Shredded leaves also make good mulch.
4) I'll inspect all my trees and shrubs for fall tent caterpillars and remove any of the webs. You can often simply prune out affected areas without damaging the plant overall.
5) I'll harvest the remainder of the apples and pears. One note, though: Be sure not to store apples or pears with vegetables. The fruits give off ethylene gas, which will cause the vegetables to taste funny and quickly spoil.
6) I'll continue to harvest and eat my strawberries. Yes, the everbearing 'Tristar' berries that I planted last spring are still blossoming and providing a daily handful of berries even as we approach November.
7) I'll bring in hoses that can freeze and crack and I'll begin to winterize and clean summer gardening tools.
8) Plants are at their lowest prices of the year now at garden centers, especially trees and shrubs. I'll be looking for deals. My trees and shrubs went in the ground last year on Nov. 15 and they all made it through their first winter just fine.
9) I'll be spreading the bulk load of compost I had delivered from Winterwood Farm here in Maine. Since my gardens are new, I'm using compost as my primary mulch this winter. It will build up the soil for future seasons.
10) Birds are eating feverishly in preparation for winter. I'll stock up on seed and put out a few more feeders in my front windows.
Paul Tukey - October 25, 2005.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Vermont's Mr. Gardeningrom
For this week’s pointer, I have a name for you: Dr. Leonard Perry. Our November edition of the magazine just went to the printer last Friday with a full-length feature story about Vermont’s Mr. Gardening, so I wanted to take this week to give you a primer.
He’s a Cooperative Extension agent, a researcher, teacher, television and radio host, garden train aficionado and still finds time to put together one of the most useful web sites for Northeast gardeners. He’s also an incredibly nice guy who sincerely feels as if he has the best job on the planet.
Several members of our staff are heading off to a trade show in Providence this week and I’ll be in Connecticut after that to research the latest techniques on organic lawn care. I’ll report back next week with a far more in depth pointer, but until then spend some time with Perry’s Perennial Pages. I guarantee you’ll laugh and learn.
One other note: Our Massachusetts editor, Laura Eisener, will give a talk on perennial gardens this Tuesday, Oct. 18. Here are the details:
Location:
Unitarian Universalist Church
309 Washington Street (rear of bldg.)
Junction of Rts. 9 & 16
Wellesley Hills , MA
Sponsor: Gardeners and Florists Club of Boston
Time(s): 7:00 PM
Cost: Free admission
Phone: 508-881-8751
I will be giving a general talk about organic gardening and horticulture in general this Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 to the American Association of University Women. The talk will be on held in Brunswick, Maine. Email Marlise Swartz for directions if you’d like to attend.
Paul Tukey - October 18, 2005.
He’s a Cooperative Extension agent, a researcher, teacher, television and radio host, garden train aficionado and still finds time to put together one of the most useful web sites for Northeast gardeners. He’s also an incredibly nice guy who sincerely feels as if he has the best job on the planet.
Several members of our staff are heading off to a trade show in Providence this week and I’ll be in Connecticut after that to research the latest techniques on organic lawn care. I’ll report back next week with a far more in depth pointer, but until then spend some time with Perry’s Perennial Pages. I guarantee you’ll laugh and learn.
One other note: Our Massachusetts editor, Laura Eisener, will give a talk on perennial gardens this Tuesday, Oct. 18. Here are the details:
Location:
Unitarian Universalist Church
309 Washington Street (rear of bldg.)
Junction of Rts. 9 & 16
Wellesley Hills , MA
Sponsor: Gardeners and Florists Club of Boston
Time(s): 7:00 PM
Cost: Free admission
Phone: 508-881-8751
I will be giving a general talk about organic gardening and horticulture in general this Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 to the American Association of University Women. The talk will be on held in Brunswick, Maine. Email Marlise Swartz for directions if you’d like to attend.
Paul Tukey - October 18, 2005.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
To Mulch or Not To Mulch...
What a fall. We’re more than a quarter of the way through October and we still have not had a frost in many areas of northern New England. Dr. Rick reported only one frost so far at his home at the base of Sunday River in the mountains of Newry, Maine. The warmth isn’t doing much for the intensity of foliage color this year, but it’s a rare treat to be able to enjoy the fresh vegetables and other annuals this long into autumn.
Winter is coming, though, and with it come the questions about fall cleanup and winter mulch. I’m from the school that a) it’s best to clean up and cut back everything in the fall (except your roses; see last week’s tip), and b) I’m not a big fan of running around and mulching everything. If you have a lot of first-year plantings like I do, however, it is necessary to mulch them in the late fall when the ground freezes solidly. Once plants are established for a full season, I prefer to let them fend for themselves in winter just like plants do in nature.
The biggest reason to clean up leaves, twigs, grass clippings etc. in the autumn is that every minute is precious in the spring and you won’t want to waste your time with a rake in your hands. Besides, all those materials will be great additions to the compost pile, which will have a head start on the breakdown process if you gather them now. Be wary of any diseased leaves, but otherwise you can add just about anything to the compost pile. The rule of thumb is: if it used to be living in plant or animal form, it is fair game as compost.
As for mulch materials, my favorite is that compost itself. Because I’m starting a new garden at my new home, I’m having a 45-yard bulk load of compost delivered this fall from Winterwood Farm. This follows the 30-yard load we brought in last fall. I’ll have another load delivered next fall, and the one after that.
The soil here is all marine clay. In areas where we amended with compost last fall, plants did fairly well this year. In other areas, plants simply languished. Adding all the compost we can afford will be part of our regimen for years to come.
If you have good soil already, any number of mulching materials will work, and you’ll find many of them around your home.
Grass clippings — These are ideal provided they don’t contain too many weed seeds and you haven’t applied any synthetic herbicides on your lawn. These toxic chemicals linger on the plants and in the soil and will negatively impact your plants if you use them as mulch.
Hay — In areas where weeds are a problem, or weeding is necessary, it’s best to avoid using hay as mulch. Hay generally contains millions of weed seeds of its own. Straw is a better material, but you might need a second mortgage to buy a few bales at your local garden center or farm store.
Corn stalks — If you have access to a spent cornfield, gather all the stalks you can. Use a few for decorations and chop up the remainder as mulch. Corn is full of nutrients and ideal to suppress weeds.
Leaves — Any foliage will work as mulch; leaves are, after all, nature’s own mulch. It’s best to shred leaves, however. Whole leaves can create a “shingling” effect when they’re wet and packed down. That means they’ll keep out air and moisture and smother the plants below.
Pine needles — For some reason, gardeners have been scared off from pine needles by the myth that they’ll make the soil acidic. It’s simply not true. Because they breathe naturally, allowing water and air down through, will protecting plants and soil, pine needles are ideal. Gather all you can.
Living mulches — Otherwise known as cover crops or green manures, living mulches work best on vegetable gardens that are replanted or tilled anew each spring. Clover is my favorite cover crop, but barley, annual rye and many others work well, too. These materials add nutrients back into the soil when they’re tilled in; as they grow, they keep weeds at bay and help stop any soil erosion. Here is a great web site that explains cover cropping in detail: www.attra.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html.
Paul Tukey - October 11, 2005.
Winter is coming, though, and with it come the questions about fall cleanup and winter mulch. I’m from the school that a) it’s best to clean up and cut back everything in the fall (except your roses; see last week’s tip), and b) I’m not a big fan of running around and mulching everything. If you have a lot of first-year plantings like I do, however, it is necessary to mulch them in the late fall when the ground freezes solidly. Once plants are established for a full season, I prefer to let them fend for themselves in winter just like plants do in nature.
The biggest reason to clean up leaves, twigs, grass clippings etc. in the autumn is that every minute is precious in the spring and you won’t want to waste your time with a rake in your hands. Besides, all those materials will be great additions to the compost pile, which will have a head start on the breakdown process if you gather them now. Be wary of any diseased leaves, but otherwise you can add just about anything to the compost pile. The rule of thumb is: if it used to be living in plant or animal form, it is fair game as compost.
As for mulch materials, my favorite is that compost itself. Because I’m starting a new garden at my new home, I’m having a 45-yard bulk load of compost delivered this fall from Winterwood Farm. This follows the 30-yard load we brought in last fall. I’ll have another load delivered next fall, and the one after that.
The soil here is all marine clay. In areas where we amended with compost last fall, plants did fairly well this year. In other areas, plants simply languished. Adding all the compost we can afford will be part of our regimen for years to come.
If you have good soil already, any number of mulching materials will work, and you’ll find many of them around your home.
Grass clippings — These are ideal provided they don’t contain too many weed seeds and you haven’t applied any synthetic herbicides on your lawn. These toxic chemicals linger on the plants and in the soil and will negatively impact your plants if you use them as mulch.
Hay — In areas where weeds are a problem, or weeding is necessary, it’s best to avoid using hay as mulch. Hay generally contains millions of weed seeds of its own. Straw is a better material, but you might need a second mortgage to buy a few bales at your local garden center or farm store.
Corn stalks — If you have access to a spent cornfield, gather all the stalks you can. Use a few for decorations and chop up the remainder as mulch. Corn is full of nutrients and ideal to suppress weeds.
Leaves — Any foliage will work as mulch; leaves are, after all, nature’s own mulch. It’s best to shred leaves, however. Whole leaves can create a “shingling” effect when they’re wet and packed down. That means they’ll keep out air and moisture and smother the plants below.
Pine needles — For some reason, gardeners have been scared off from pine needles by the myth that they’ll make the soil acidic. It’s simply not true. Because they breathe naturally, allowing water and air down through, will protecting plants and soil, pine needles are ideal. Gather all you can.
Living mulches — Otherwise known as cover crops or green manures, living mulches work best on vegetable gardens that are replanted or tilled anew each spring. Clover is my favorite cover crop, but barley, annual rye and many others work well, too. These materials add nutrients back into the soil when they’re tilled in; as they grow, they keep weeds at bay and help stop any soil erosion. Here is a great web site that explains cover cropping in detail: www.attra.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html.
Paul Tukey - October 11, 2005.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Wait ’til Spring on Most Rose Pruning
Within the realm of all gardening chores, scarcely anything fosters more debate than the pruning of roses. To prune, or not to prune, that is the question.
In general, we advise gardeners in the Northeast to wait until spring before taking out the sharp shears to cut back your thorny climbing, shrub and ground-cover roses. The exceptions would be hybrid teas and grandifloras, which may not be hardy in your area. These should be pruned back this fall and then buried under your choice of mulch. Left unpruned and in the open air, they’ll likely die back during the winter.
Another exception would be diseased roses. Examine your roses for stems affected by blackspot, mildew or rust and be rid of these before winter. You’ll also want to rake up any affected rose foliage and be careful not to add these leaves to the compost pile. Either burn them or add them to the next load headed to the transfer station.
The worse offender of the three primary rose diseases is blackspot, Diplocarpon rosae, a fungus that literally develops as black spots on leaves. These progress to black spots fringed with yellow rings on both sides of the leaves. In worst cases, the leaves all go yellow and black and drop off to the ground.
Since is worst during wet, humid weather, this should not have been too bad a year in much of northern New England. Areas of southern New England, however, did have it worse. If you were affected, autumn cleanup is critical. The spores that cause blackspot can over winter in the garden and reappear next year.
If blackspot was a problem for you, plan on applying an organic fungicidal soap and a product known as wettable sulfur, which will keep spores from germinating. Act early next spring; the sulfur must be on plant before the spores arrive when the weather warms into the 70s. Sulfur is water soluble and must be reapplied after every heavy rain.
Other tips to help with blackspot, mildew and rust . . . Water in the morning rather than evening; drip irrigation is best. Make sure you have good air flow around your plants. And, most importantly, purchase roses that are known to be disease resistant. Planting hybrid teas, in most cases, is asking for trouble. Try compost or manure “teas” sprinkled over the foliage. This time-honored solution helps the plants’ own defenses against disease. Ask your garden center for Messenger, a remedy based on plant protein. Members of the American Rose Society have been raving about this new product from California that uses cutting-edge plant science. For years, organic gardeners have been using a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda in a quart of water, with a few drops of mild dish detergent added into the mixture to act as a “wetting” agent — meaning the soap helps the baking soda stick to the foliage.
Paul Tukey - October 3, 2005.
In general, we advise gardeners in the Northeast to wait until spring before taking out the sharp shears to cut back your thorny climbing, shrub and ground-cover roses. The exceptions would be hybrid teas and grandifloras, which may not be hardy in your area. These should be pruned back this fall and then buried under your choice of mulch. Left unpruned and in the open air, they’ll likely die back during the winter.
Another exception would be diseased roses. Examine your roses for stems affected by blackspot, mildew or rust and be rid of these before winter. You’ll also want to rake up any affected rose foliage and be careful not to add these leaves to the compost pile. Either burn them or add them to the next load headed to the transfer station.
The worse offender of the three primary rose diseases is blackspot, Diplocarpon rosae, a fungus that literally develops as black spots on leaves. These progress to black spots fringed with yellow rings on both sides of the leaves. In worst cases, the leaves all go yellow and black and drop off to the ground.
Since is worst during wet, humid weather, this should not have been too bad a year in much of northern New England. Areas of southern New England, however, did have it worse. If you were affected, autumn cleanup is critical. The spores that cause blackspot can over winter in the garden and reappear next year.
If blackspot was a problem for you, plan on applying an organic fungicidal soap and a product known as wettable sulfur, which will keep spores from germinating. Act early next spring; the sulfur must be on plant before the spores arrive when the weather warms into the 70s. Sulfur is water soluble and must be reapplied after every heavy rain.
Other tips to help with blackspot, mildew and rust . . . Water in the morning rather than evening; drip irrigation is best. Make sure you have good air flow around your plants. And, most importantly, purchase roses that are known to be disease resistant. Planting hybrid teas, in most cases, is asking for trouble. Try compost or manure “teas” sprinkled over the foliage. This time-honored solution helps the plants’ own defenses against disease. Ask your garden center for Messenger, a remedy based on plant protein. Members of the American Rose Society have been raving about this new product from California that uses cutting-edge plant science. For years, organic gardeners have been using a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda in a quart of water, with a few drops of mild dish detergent added into the mixture to act as a “wetting” agent — meaning the soap helps the baking soda stick to the foliage.
Paul Tukey - October 3, 2005.
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