Great Garden Podcast

Check these Podcast from our friends at Burpee Garden Coach.

I'm going to listen to them on a hike this weekend!

Overwintering our non-hardy succulents by YVONNE CUNNINGTON

- Overwintering non-hardy succulents can be a challenge -
Yvonne Cunnington

I love growing lots of succulents in containers. They’re easy because they don’t need a lot of watering or fertilizer.

Many of my favorites are non-hardy, and that means if I want to keep them, I have to take them inside over the winter. The hardy hens and chicks (Sempervivum species) are no problem: we keep them in their pots, but move them into our unheated hoophouse to avoid the worst of winter’s freeze thaw cycles.

But you can’t do that with the tender succulents. In past, not wanting to bother with taking cuttings (I’m tired of gardening by this time of year), we’ve taken all the containers into the basement as is. There they would sit out winter under a big mercury vapour light.

The trouble with this method is that they get lank and overgrown stretching toward the light. So this year, I changed my plan of attack.

My cuttings for overwintering

Today I took cuttings from the top center of the plants, and then we took all the succulent containers apart, discarding the mother plants. Tonight’s heavy frost will do them in on compost pile.

As for the cuttings, I removed the bottom leaves so that a little stem about half an inch long remains. I’m going to let this callus over for about five days, then stick the cuttings into a gritty potting mix to root in small nursery pots under the big basement light. (We add sand and fine gravel to a regular growing mix.)

Succulents in glazed container

I’ve tried this in the past with some of the succulents, and we had much nicer plants to start out with for spring.

We have our work cut out for us next week with all those cuttings, but I’ll be glad not to have to do this in spring, when there are so many other jobs on my to-do list.

Gardening Jobs for Oct

From our friends at "The Old Farmer's Almanac"

Apples keep well for about six months at temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees F.

A Styrofoam chest or a double cardboard box in a cool mudroom or cellar can approximate root cellar conditions. Remember to give your apples an occasional change of air. Apple cider may be frozen after first pouring off a small amount to allow for expansion.

Store beans in a moisture-proof, airtight container. Beans will stale and toughen over time even when stored properly.

Onions and garlic: mature, dry-skinned bulbs like it cool and dry, so don't store them with apples or potatoes. French-braided onions and garlic are handy and free to get some ventilation as well.

Brush your root crops clean of any soil and store in a cool, dark place. Never refrigerate potatoes and apples together; the apples give off ethylene gas, which will spoil the potatoes. Clipping the tops of parsnips, carrots, beets, and turnips will keep them fresher longer.

Squash don't like to be quite as cool as root crops do. If you have a coolish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65 degrees F.

Put some parsley plants in a box and place the box in a light cellar or shed.

Put some frozen rhubarb roots in a barrel of dirt in the cellar, where they will produce stalks for winter use.

Dig up and store dahlias, gladioli, and other tender plants.

Plant hardy spring-flowering bulbs.

Clumps of sensitive chrysanthemums can be set in a cold frame for the winter. They will yield many divisions in the spring.

Clean, oil, and store lawn mowers.

Paint any garden structures that need it.

Clean up and burn diseased plants, spread manure, and plow the garden.

Rake up the fallen leaves and use them as mulch for flowers and shrubs. Hardwood leaves such as oak and chestnut contain more plant food than those from softwood trees.

To balance all the harvesting, do a little indoor planting, which will liven up the house later. Calla lilies and begonias can be planted now, and paperwhite narcissi can be started.

Purchase The 2012 Almanac

Tablets

Just purchased a new Xoom Tablet wondering if anyone reading this can share their thoughts on tablets. So far I'm diggin' this one!

How to Keep Wild Birds Healthy around Your Feeders

From our friends at Scott'S  We love their Scott's Products check them out.

A Clean Feeder Helps Keep Birds Healthy

When you think about it, those cute little wild birds are pretty tough. They have to survive hot summers, cold winters, and lots of migrating. But even that tough crowd can pick up diseases from your feeders if they're not properly cared for. Here are some helpful tips to keep your feeders doing the job you want them to: feeding healthy wild birds.

Avoid Overcrowding

Having too many birds at one feeder can be a problem. They fight. They bicker. They mess up the food. If this is happening, place another feeder nearby, but not too close.

Keep Your Food Fresh

Check your feeders regularly. If the food is moldy or wet, replace it with fresh food right away.

Pest-Proof Your Wild-Bird Food Storage

If rodents or other animals are an issue where you live, be sure to store your food in heavy-duty containers and always be sure to sweep up any spills.

Protect Your Birds, and Yourself

Make sure your feeder has no sharp points or pointy objects sticking out.

Keep Your Feeder Clean

Be sure to clean your feeders regularly, every 2 or 3 weeks is recommended. Take a look at our easy steps for cleaning your feeder.
1. Clean and wash the feeder in soapy water.
2. Make a 10% solution of liquid chlorine household bleach (14 oz) in a gallon of warm water. Mix sufficient solution to enable complete immersion of the empty bird feeder.
3. Immerse feeder in the solution for a period of 2-3 minutes. Allow to thoroughly dry before refilling with seed.
Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned with a mild bleach solution each time you fill the feeder.
Around your feeder, remove any bird droppings or seed, seed bits, or seed hulls that begin to accumulate; regularly rake the ground below. Each season, relocate the feeder a few feet from its present location.