Here is a quick post regarding poinsettias. Take a look at this University of Illinois Extension site - it's loaded with information on poinsettias!
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/poinsettia/index.cfm
Take this new knowledge and enjoy the season!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Rhubarb, Raspberries and Edible Landscaping
Spring is such a great time of year. To me, it's miraculous how things revive after the long, dormant winter. The first flowers sprout, hostas return, asparagus comes up, and my favorite - rhubarb - comes back to life!
As I find out more about "edible landscaping," I realize that I have been thinking about this long before I was aware it was a new method of landscape design I've thought a lot in recent year about making my garden and yard spaces more about plants that produce food, than for mere aesthetically pleasing plants. And I've always coveted my neighbors rhubarb for both it's beauty and tastiness! (Please forgive me!)
I'm starting my fourth growing season in my current location and I am slowly learning how things grow in my yard. With this knowledge, I am able to plan and move things around as I attempt to make it all customized to my and my family's wants and needs.
When I came home with my girls after 5:00 yesterday afternoon, I went inside to start dinner and my girls went out to play. Before long, they came back inside and excitedly told me that some plants were missing. I did not know what they were talking about, so they took me outside to show me. To my joy, a friend had apparently come during the day and removed three of my red-twig dogwood bushes for her daughter. (Or there really was a bush thief!) This has freed up space for either rhubarb or raspberries in these high-sun locations.
Luckily, I have both fairly readily available as transplants from friends or to move from other spaces in my garden. A friend of mine has given me harvested rhubarb for the past three or four seasons. I always appreciate that! And now I have space that is open and ready for a transplant.
But I also have one or two pots of yellow raspberries that need to be put into the ground. They have wintered over twice in the pots. I am unsure of if it is two pots, because they have evidently made runners and are creating their own patch, despite being in a fairly shady area. According to a publication by the University of Minnesota Extension (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1108.html), red and yellow raspberries are the only ones that spread and create a patch. Black and most purple raspberries, by nature of the way they grow, do not spread as readily.. Raspberries should be planted in a full-sun, well-drained area that has good air circulation. This makes my newly-available spot seem ideal. This spot is at the top of a retention wall in full sun. It will have air circulation on all sides, as well as be in sun for most of the day.
So, what about rhubarb in this spot? I will have other spaces open, at least eventually. But I could plant rhubarb here and then plant the raspberries closer to others that I have. But from what I have read, it might be better to separate the patches of raspberries, to promote diversity and keep diseased plants, if it develops, from taking out all my raspberries.
But to be ready for my eventual rhubarb planting, I want to understand the best place for it. Where ever it is planted, it will be pretty! But I want to give it the best possible chance to thrive. I had a couple of questions this spring about rhubarb bolting already. Usually, the bloom stalks develop a little later in the season. Also, I have had a question on fertilization of rhubarb. All of this has lead me to ask a few more-knowledgeable people about rhubarb, as well as consult the Extension's flyer on rhubarb. This flyer can be found at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1260.html. (Interestingly, this flyer addresses growing sorrel, as well. This is yet another plant I can add to my edible landscaping plan!)
In this flyer, it states that rhubarb should be grown in full sun in a well-drained location. So, it has similar needs as raspberries. Additionally, rhubarb can benefit from incorporating commercial fertilizer or compost into the soil before planting. Additional fertilization should happen annually in the spring.
Now, I just need to figure out how much rhubarb to plant!
As I find out more about "edible landscaping," I realize that I have been thinking about this long before I was aware it was a new method of landscape design I've thought a lot in recent year about making my garden and yard spaces more about plants that produce food, than for mere aesthetically pleasing plants. And I've always coveted my neighbors rhubarb for both it's beauty and tastiness! (Please forgive me!)
I'm starting my fourth growing season in my current location and I am slowly learning how things grow in my yard. With this knowledge, I am able to plan and move things around as I attempt to make it all customized to my and my family's wants and needs.
When I came home with my girls after 5:00 yesterday afternoon, I went inside to start dinner and my girls went out to play. Before long, they came back inside and excitedly told me that some plants were missing. I did not know what they were talking about, so they took me outside to show me. To my joy, a friend had apparently come during the day and removed three of my red-twig dogwood bushes for her daughter. (Or there really was a bush thief!) This has freed up space for either rhubarb or raspberries in these high-sun locations.
Luckily, I have both fairly readily available as transplants from friends or to move from other spaces in my garden. A friend of mine has given me harvested rhubarb for the past three or four seasons. I always appreciate that! And now I have space that is open and ready for a transplant.
But I also have one or two pots of yellow raspberries that need to be put into the ground. They have wintered over twice in the pots. I am unsure of if it is two pots, because they have evidently made runners and are creating their own patch, despite being in a fairly shady area. According to a publication by the University of Minnesota Extension (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1108.html), red and yellow raspberries are the only ones that spread and create a patch. Black and most purple raspberries, by nature of the way they grow, do not spread as readily.. Raspberries should be planted in a full-sun, well-drained area that has good air circulation. This makes my newly-available spot seem ideal. This spot is at the top of a retention wall in full sun. It will have air circulation on all sides, as well as be in sun for most of the day.
So, what about rhubarb in this spot? I will have other spaces open, at least eventually. But I could plant rhubarb here and then plant the raspberries closer to others that I have. But from what I have read, it might be better to separate the patches of raspberries, to promote diversity and keep diseased plants, if it develops, from taking out all my raspberries.
But to be ready for my eventual rhubarb planting, I want to understand the best place for it. Where ever it is planted, it will be pretty! But I want to give it the best possible chance to thrive. I had a couple of questions this spring about rhubarb bolting already. Usually, the bloom stalks develop a little later in the season. Also, I have had a question on fertilization of rhubarb. All of this has lead me to ask a few more-knowledgeable people about rhubarb, as well as consult the Extension's flyer on rhubarb. This flyer can be found at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1260.html. (Interestingly, this flyer addresses growing sorrel, as well. This is yet another plant I can add to my edible landscaping plan!)
In this flyer, it states that rhubarb should be grown in full sun in a well-drained location. So, it has similar needs as raspberries. Additionally, rhubarb can benefit from incorporating commercial fertilizer or compost into the soil before planting. Additional fertilization should happen annually in the spring.
Now, I just need to figure out how much rhubarb to plant!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Compost Junkie
I have to come to grips with this - I just love composting. It's amazing to me how it adds up. My gallon bucket fills up within two days. And during the winter, when the compost bin in the yard only piles up and doesn't decompose, it builds into a mountain!
Anymore, I have a hard time throwing anything away that can be composted. When I was at work today, I put a banana peel in my laptop bag to bring home for the bin. It also makes me wonder where all the compostable trash from the cafeteria goes.
When I was in grade school, we had a gym teacher who was also a farmer. The cafeteria ladies saved him all the food waste for his hogs. I wonder if there is any sorting of the trash here...
There are many benefits to composting. Obviously, there is a reduction in waste going to the landfill. The result of composting is a rich soil that provides natural nutrition when added to flower and vegetable beds. The EPA has a good list of benefits at http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/benefits.htm.
Also, the University of Minnesota has a good article about basic composting at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3899.html.
Back to my issue - I need to remember to take the banana peel from my bag before it decomposes there.
Anymore, I have a hard time throwing anything away that can be composted. When I was at work today, I put a banana peel in my laptop bag to bring home for the bin. It also makes me wonder where all the compostable trash from the cafeteria goes.
When I was in grade school, we had a gym teacher who was also a farmer. The cafeteria ladies saved him all the food waste for his hogs. I wonder if there is any sorting of the trash here...
There are many benefits to composting. Obviously, there is a reduction in waste going to the landfill. The result of composting is a rich soil that provides natural nutrition when added to flower and vegetable beds. The EPA has a good list of benefits at http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/benefits.htm.
Also, the University of Minnesota has a good article about basic composting at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3899.html.
Back to my issue - I need to remember to take the banana peel from my bag before it decomposes there.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Receding Snow
I have been recently considering how the snow cover affects our lawn, perennials and gardens. Sometimes the tough winters for us are those that are cold and have lots of snow. But do the greater depths of snow really equate to a "hard" winter?
In my core course for Master Gardening last year, I read some factual information as to what I had already observed. A deep cover of snow acts as a significant insulation for the ground and plants. I am in the process of looking for a factual representation of this. Common thought on this is that ten inches of new "fluffy" snow equals roughly six inches of fiberglass insulation. A food of snow can allow the ground to retain 32-degree temperatures.
No wonder my strawberry plants look good!
In my observations, I have seen how green the grass is when it emerges from the snow cover. But where we make paths through the yard, and therefore the insulation is less, the grass is less green.
The above is a picture of our backyard, showing the footpath we keep clear for walking to the bus, skating, and church. You can clearly see the brown that was the main path. For most of the winter, it was covered with a couple of inches of packed snow and ice.
Spring has sprung! Now, if it would just hurry up to planting time!
In my core course for Master Gardening last year, I read some factual information as to what I had already observed. A deep cover of snow acts as a significant insulation for the ground and plants. I am in the process of looking for a factual representation of this. Common thought on this is that ten inches of new "fluffy" snow equals roughly six inches of fiberglass insulation. A food of snow can allow the ground to retain 32-degree temperatures.
No wonder my strawberry plants look good!
In my observations, I have seen how green the grass is when it emerges from the snow cover. But where we make paths through the yard, and therefore the insulation is less, the grass is less green.
Spring has sprung! Now, if it would just hurry up to planting time!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Seeds!
It must be late winter! I have been going through seed catalogues and really looking forward to the spring thaw. I also had information for the U's seed trials program and was going to sign up for that. But as luck would have it, I got distracted by some other things and missed the deadline! So, I will be starting only my own seeds and will be able to share with anyone in the area - I'm sure I'll have some extras.
Cantaloupe (Sweet N Early)
Watermelons (Georgia Rattlesnake and Carolina Cross 193)
Gourd (Orn Luffa)
Tomatoes (Brandywine, Super sweet 100 hybrid, Cherokee Purple, Tye Dye hybrid, Black Krim heirloom)
Pumpkin (Rouge VIF D'Etampes)
Squash (SuperZuke hybrid)
Cabbage (Salad Delight)
Celery (Tall Utah 52)
Eggplant (long purple)
Lettuce (Iceburg A for Joe)
Pepper (Sweet Maxibelle)
My order from Johnny Seeds will probably be mostly herbs, as I am considering moving and expanding my herb garden.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Poinsettia Care
As I read about how to take care of my post-holiday poinsettia, I see that I am doing some things wrong! That's no surprise, though. I have been working to get the watering right - not too dry or too wet and not sitting in water. However, the environmental temperature seems to be not so good in my house. According to a Yard & Garden Brief produced by the University of Minnesota Extension (http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h102poinsettia.html), poinsettias should get at least six hours of bright sunny natural daylight and stay between 65 and 70 degrees. I can get the sunlight for the plant, however we keep our house primarily at 65 degrees during the day, but let the indoor temperature fall at night. In order to resolve this problem, I may need to move the plant between day and night locations. I may need to put it on an inside wall near my aquariums at night - this may be the place where the temperature drops the least at night. And during the day, it should be close to the windows in the southeast room in my house.
For additional optimal care of poinsettias, the Yard & Garden Brief recommends fertilizing the plant 6-8 weeks after acquiring it. This will help maintain the nice foliage and allow for new growth. As with all potted plants, follow the directions on the label of the houseplant fertilizer but mix to half-strength. This will help prevent over fertilization - the symptoms of which cannot be reversed. According to the Yard & Garden Brief referenced above, repeat again in another 6-8 weeks.
By the time summer rolls around, you can re-pot and prune the plant back, allowing for further growth. And for those who are most ambitious, check back to the Yard & Garden Brief to understand the process for making it bloom again for the next holiday season!
For now, I will use this information to try to keep my poinsettia nice for as long as possible. I wish you luck in doing the same!
By the way, while I lived in northeast Florida, we would often take holiday poinsettias and plant them in the ground. They made a very interesting bush that would easily grow to five feet tall. Every few years, a killing frost would cut it back to the ground, but it would survive and grow again.
For additional optimal care of poinsettias, the Yard & Garden Brief recommends fertilizing the plant 6-8 weeks after acquiring it. This will help maintain the nice foliage and allow for new growth. As with all potted plants, follow the directions on the label of the houseplant fertilizer but mix to half-strength. This will help prevent over fertilization - the symptoms of which cannot be reversed. According to the Yard & Garden Brief referenced above, repeat again in another 6-8 weeks.
By the time summer rolls around, you can re-pot and prune the plant back, allowing for further growth. And for those who are most ambitious, check back to the Yard & Garden Brief to understand the process for making it bloom again for the next holiday season!
For now, I will use this information to try to keep my poinsettia nice for as long as possible. I wish you luck in doing the same!
By the way, while I lived in northeast Florida, we would often take holiday poinsettias and plant them in the ground. They made a very interesting bush that would easily grow to five feet tall. Every few years, a killing frost would cut it back to the ground, but it would survive and grow again.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Holiday And Houseplant Care
Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are winding up, what do we do with these holiday plants? We might have poinsettias, amaryllis, holiday cacti, and the likes sitting around the house. And with these, I really don't want to throw them out - I'd almost rather slowly kill them in my dry, winter indoor climate, than just throw them out! But, in trying to be a better plant-owner, I thought it would be good to review some basics on houseplant care and specific care for these plants.
Basically, houseplants need adequate light, water, and food in the proper amount and quality. Too little or too much of any of these things can cause stress on houseplants. Other factors include humidity, ventilation, and temperature.
Light is usually a challenge with indoor plants. Most plants struggle to get enough light indoors. My best spot for sun in my house is a room situated on the southeast corner of my house. It is the brightest room for the longest time of the day. For these most common holiday plants, they will need as much quality light as possible. Regarding other common houseplants, it is almost impossible for a plant to get too much light inside a home or other building.
Watering is another essential in caring for indoor plants. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, houseplants are most commonly over watered. And this is the opposite of my problem - under watering. Some houseplants do better slightly with slightly drier conditions, where others do better with a little more water. The best advice I can give is to regularly check on all houseplants. As a general rule, if you push your finger into the soil by about one to one-and-a-half inches and you don't feel moisture, it's time to water. If you do feel some moisture, let the plant go another day and check it again. In our northern heated houses, it is very important to keep in mind that the indoor humidity is very low. Therefore, plants will dry out quickly.
I had a visitor on New Year's Eve who noted that my plants were very dry. I hadn't checked on them for two days and they seemed like they hadn't been watered for weeks! (Please note here that I am a recovering plant torturer and killer. I am really trying to do better, but need to change old habits!)
One problem with over watering, is that if a plant's roots stay wet all the time, most plants will develop root rot. This will lead to certain death of the plant. Poinsettias are especially prone to this problem. If left in the common decorative foil pot covering, make sure to remove it for watering purposes. Saturate the soil and allow it to totally drain out before returning the plant to the foil. This practice is a good rule of thumb for all houseplants. Water thoroughly and allow to drain out. If pots are set in saucers, empty the saucers after 10 or 15 minutes or the soil may draw the water back up, thus over saturating the plant.
This also brings us to a side topic of soil. It's important to have proper exposure to air, nutrients, and water. Also, the soil should drain well, but also retain some water for use by the plant. It's easiest for me to simply find a good potting soil at a garden center. Those more discerning can put together a custom blend of garden loam, organic matter, and sand. The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a great publication on houseplants, including details about building and pasteurizing your own potting soil. The web address is: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744.pdf.
And finally, it's good to give your houseplants some food once in a while, too. Plants do make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Supplemental food can be given through use of a fertilizer. Fertilize only during the time when the plant is actively growing and not under stress. When using a commercial fertilizer, read all the label instructions, then mix the fertilizer to half-strength and feed. This information is recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension to help avoid overfeeding a plant. Symptoms of over-fertilization are not reversible.
Use these general guidelines for caring for those holiday plants and all houseplants. As time goes, I hope to post more about specific plants and customized care for them! Good luck and enjoy the new year!
Basically, houseplants need adequate light, water, and food in the proper amount and quality. Too little or too much of any of these things can cause stress on houseplants. Other factors include humidity, ventilation, and temperature.
Light is usually a challenge with indoor plants. Most plants struggle to get enough light indoors. My best spot for sun in my house is a room situated on the southeast corner of my house. It is the brightest room for the longest time of the day. For these most common holiday plants, they will need as much quality light as possible. Regarding other common houseplants, it is almost impossible for a plant to get too much light inside a home or other building.
Watering is another essential in caring for indoor plants. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, houseplants are most commonly over watered. And this is the opposite of my problem - under watering. Some houseplants do better slightly with slightly drier conditions, where others do better with a little more water. The best advice I can give is to regularly check on all houseplants. As a general rule, if you push your finger into the soil by about one to one-and-a-half inches and you don't feel moisture, it's time to water. If you do feel some moisture, let the plant go another day and check it again. In our northern heated houses, it is very important to keep in mind that the indoor humidity is very low. Therefore, plants will dry out quickly.
I had a visitor on New Year's Eve who noted that my plants were very dry. I hadn't checked on them for two days and they seemed like they hadn't been watered for weeks! (Please note here that I am a recovering plant torturer and killer. I am really trying to do better, but need to change old habits!)
One problem with over watering, is that if a plant's roots stay wet all the time, most plants will develop root rot. This will lead to certain death of the plant. Poinsettias are especially prone to this problem. If left in the common decorative foil pot covering, make sure to remove it for watering purposes. Saturate the soil and allow it to totally drain out before returning the plant to the foil. This practice is a good rule of thumb for all houseplants. Water thoroughly and allow to drain out. If pots are set in saucers, empty the saucers after 10 or 15 minutes or the soil may draw the water back up, thus over saturating the plant.
This also brings us to a side topic of soil. It's important to have proper exposure to air, nutrients, and water. Also, the soil should drain well, but also retain some water for use by the plant. It's easiest for me to simply find a good potting soil at a garden center. Those more discerning can put together a custom blend of garden loam, organic matter, and sand. The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a great publication on houseplants, including details about building and pasteurizing your own potting soil. The web address is: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744.pdf.
And finally, it's good to give your houseplants some food once in a while, too. Plants do make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Supplemental food can be given through use of a fertilizer. Fertilize only during the time when the plant is actively growing and not under stress. When using a commercial fertilizer, read all the label instructions, then mix the fertilizer to half-strength and feed. This information is recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension to help avoid overfeeding a plant. Symptoms of over-fertilization are not reversible.
Use these general guidelines for caring for those holiday plants and all houseplants. As time goes, I hope to post more about specific plants and customized care for them! Good luck and enjoy the new year!
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