Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: January 2019

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

January 29, 2019 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Hi Gardeners,

The mild winter is over here, at least for a few days, and we now have wicked winter upon us. I am a little bit glad we got about 8 inches of snow because it’s going to shelter my plants when we get this polar vortex, double digit below zero weather in the next couple days. Snows good for something once in a while.

I am not supposed to shovel snow and my husband can’t. So, we rely on the kindness of neighbors to plow our drive. We have some great neighbors. My drive has already been plowed today. But it’s up to me to make my way to the barn from the house. Because of my flower beds a big plow can’t get in there. So before the storm I purchased an electric snow thrower. The cord is a nuisance, but the thing is lightweight, starts by pushing a button and actually works pretty well.

It’s about 75 feet from the house to the barn and I need to make 2 passes to make a wide enough path. The little machine accomplished that task fairly well and I suppose I would get used to maneuvering with the cord if I have to use it often. But I sure hope I won’t have to use it anymore. I would stay inside and just hibernate, but I don’t think the chickens and barn cats would like that.

I actually waded through the snow to the bird feeders in the back yard. I took my time and did it today before the worse of the cold comes. I hope the birds ration their intake because I’m not going back out there until the thaw comes this weekend. Yes, the thaw. Its supposed to be 40 by Sunday.

I am a bit anxious about my plants overwintering on the unheated porch. I may try and sneak the door from the house open a crack after the hubby goes to bed so some heat gets out there. It’s been down to -8 and they survived just fine, the porch stayed above freezing. That shows me how much air already leaks from this house.

Just keep thinking- spring is only 50 days away.

Helping outside plants survive the polar vortex

In most areas of the country plants have been acclimatized to the weather and this very cold snap will not kill them, although there may be more branch die back. In many cases there is nothing that can be done anyway. But one thing you could do, although some people will think this is counterproductive, is to heap snow over any exposed branches. Snow is a great insulator and plants under the snow often emerge in better shape in spring than those without a snow blanket.

Don’t heap snow on plants with evergreen leaves, especially broad-leaved evergreens, unless they are very small. You might break or crush the plants with leaves left on. However bare stemmed plants will generally be ok if you use a little care in covering them.

If you don’t have snow and this weather is way out of normal range for your planting zone you could try covering the plants in straw. You’ll need some kind of ring around the plants, you could use chicken wire or other fencing, to hold the straw in place. Then pack the straw down around the plant carefully. (Dry leaves or even fluffy potting mix could also be used.)

If you have a bed to cover you may need to add loose straw to cover it, then cover with fencing, or netting or something similar. I would not use plastic or tarps because water or snow might build up on top and crush plants.

A more elaborate protection scheme, possibly for plants in containers, would be to put whole bales of straw around the plants in a square. Then balance bales across the top of those or cover the top with a weighted down board.

Remove plant coverings when the weather reaches 60 degrees regularly. Even if the weather is stays just above freezing, I would remove any wet material.

Do not cover plants with any clear solid material like plastic or glass. Even if it’s very cold, if the sun is shining these materials will allow heat to build up under them. The plants will come out of dormancy and cold nights will hurt them worse than if they were unprotected or protected with substances that don’t allow heat to build up.

Don’t get out in the next warm spell and start trimming off dead branches and stems. Leave them alone until spring weather has settled in. Dead areas help insulate the area below them and prevent further die back.

Tips for houseplant survival in a polar vortex

ven the houseplants snug inside your heated home may need some extra attention when temperatures fall way below zero. If any of your plants touch the windows, especially if you have older windows, you’ll want to move them back, so they don’t touch the glass. The leaves touching the glass may die and some tender plants may even completely die. If the windows are drafty or the plants are close to doors that are opened during the cold, you may want to move plants away from those spots.

People are being advised to keep their furnaces at an even temperature instead of allowing temperatures to fall during the night. This protects your pipes along outside walls and in crawl spaces. It can also keep your plants from getting too cold.

We let our temperature fall back to 56 most nights, this usually happens later in the night as temps fall slowly. But when it’s bitter cold it falls quickly and sometimes falls lower than 56 before the furnace kicks in. Then it takes a good while to warm up. So, we adjust the thermostat, so the temps stay at our regular day temp pf 68.

If your heat goes out take precautions right away for the houseplants. Move them to the warmest room and cover them in plastic to hold in the heat. Bunch them together with the tenderest and most valuable in the center. In a small room it won’t take much to heat it to above freezing if you have a way to run a heater or even a heat lamp. Just be cautious about fire. If the hot water works put the plants in the bathroom and run hot showers from time to time (not on the plants). Or fill the tub with hot water.

If you keep a fireplace or wood stove going during very cold weather, it will reduce the humidity in the house a great deal. Put a pot of water on the stove to boil or next to the fire in the fireplace. Even with a furnace it’s going to get dry. Try keeping a pot of water simmering on the stove or use a humidifier. This will make you and the plants feel better.

Don’t buy plants during below zero weather. Even a short walk to the car inside a bag could damage some tender plants. Most nurseries won’t ship plants when the weather is this cold, but if you have plants on order you may want to check with the company to make sure the order doesn’t ship until the weather improves. (Seeds will be fine.)

Watch the houseplant watering

In the middle of winter, especially in very cold periods such as much of the country is experiencing, how we water our houseplants needs to be carefully considered. Many houseplants will need adjustments from the regular watering schedule.

If the weather is cold furnaces run more, and plants in the heated area of the home may dry out quickly. This is because humidity usually drops with a cold snap, both the humidity outside and inside. Low humidity draws water from plant leaves and from the soil. Plants close to heating vents will dry out the quickest.

Plants in very cool areas or unheated spaces may not need water for weeks at a time, depending on pot size and the type of plant. Cold air doesn’t absorb moisture as much as warm air. Plant processes have slowed down, and water isn’t being used. Potting medium that’s soggy in cool weather is a big cause of root rot so keep a close tab on plants in unheated areas.

Plants can yellow and look like they are dry when actually the roots have rotted from too much moisture. In cold weather it’s particularly important to check pots before they are watered instead of watering plants on a schedule. Also be aware of plants wilting, check the pot to see if more water is needed or if the plant is too wet before watering.

Don’t worry about genetically modified garden seeds

I’m happy to see that this year there are fewer plant catalogs with the words “ no GMO seeds!” plastered across them. That’s not because they are carrying GMO seeds. It’s because they have decided to drop this foolish scaremongering and maybe because people have become better informed.

While there are many field crops on the market that have been genetically modified, wheat, field corn, soybeans and such, there are very, very few garden plants have been altered in this manner. And if they were GMO you would certainly be told. There is no need to put “no GMO seeds” on a seed catalog because garden seeds are rarely, if ever GMO. The very few genetically modified garden crops are expensive and generally available only to large commercial growers.

Hybrid plants or seed are NOT GMO. Your hybrid sweet corn, cabbage, marigolds and so on, are the result of good old-fashioned plant sex. A hybrid seed is the result of crossing two purebred varieties of plants. Hybrids happen between plants all the time, without man interfering at all. Every time you plant 6 varieties of tomatoes in the same garden you are creating hybrid tomato seeds. The purebred parents and the resulting seeds can be grown without synthetic chemicals so hybrid seeds can be organic also.

When man discovers two purebred varieties of plants that when crossed produce something good, he may set out to deliberately re-create it by hand pollinating the plants or by removing the anthers, (pollen producing parts) from one variety so it can only be reproduced by the other. He can discover which plants combine well by experimenting with hand crosses and carefully keeping records of the results. Then when he finds combinations or hybrids he likes, he can re-create the cross.

Hybrids usually have something known as hybrid vigor. The offspring of that first cross of 2 purebred parents are generally more vigorous and healthier than the offspring of purebred parents.

Purebred varieties of plants are often called open pollinated. The only advantage they have is that you can save the seeds (if you have carefully isolated that variety of plant from other varieties) and the seeds you plant next year will produce plants like the parents. Open pollinated plants don’t always taste better than hybrids nor are they more nutritious. They may be less vigorous than hybrids and more susceptible to disease.

If you save the seeds from hybrid plants the third generation will recombine genes in many ways and you will get all kinds of plants, and probably not ones like the parents. But you could get something better than the parents, you never know. Most home gardeners don’t save food plant seeds from their own plants to grow the next year anyway. They don’t have room to separate plant varieties and can’t generally control what the neighbors are planting. Plants can spread their pollen some distance with the help of the wind and insects.

It’s a great thing to save old breeds of open pollinated plants. We need the purebred lines to produce new and better varieties of plants and preserve genetic diversity. But if you are just a gardener trying to grow good, safe food you don’t need to worry about whether your seeds are open pollinated or hybrid. If you don’t use synthetic chemicals in your garden then you are growing organically, regardless of what seeds you planted. And the chances of getting a GMO seed or plant in a home gardener’s catalog are almost nil.

GMO petunia African Sunset

Foot note

I used to say there were no GMO modified garden plants on the market at all. Then I found out that a type of petunia, an orange petunia called African Sunset, had been genetically modified by inserting genes for color from corn into petunias. For some reason it slipped through regulations and was being sold by some nurseries, most of whom did not know it was modified. As soon as the error was discovered growers were ordered to destroy the plants. There was no danger to anyone from the plants and some growers ignored the instructions that year. But that petunia has been taken off the market. There are still some orange petunias on the market but none of these are GMO and the color is slightly different from African Sunset.

I found some of the GMO petunias at a local garden center that year - and the owners told me they did not know they were modified when they purchased the seeds. I bought some of the plants and grew them in my garden. They were beautiful and there was no way they could be harmful to any organism. They weren’t being eaten and I wasn’t saving seeds. You don’t need to worry because this isolated case came about because of some odd circumstances that are unlikely to be repeated.

Try this plant this year

Saskatoon’s (Amelanchier alnifolia), have blue fruit that looks and tastes somewhat like blueberries, however they are less fussy about soil conditions. Saskatoons are native to North America. They are a favored berry in Canada and Native Americans used them for both food and medicine.

If your soil is not sandy and acidic saskatoons may grow much better for you than blueberries as they tolerate most soil types. They prefer well drained soil in full sun, although they will tolerate light shade. Plant them in the fall or as dormant plants in the spring. Space them 3-4 feet apart. Saskatoons should be mulched or kept weed free when young.

Saskatoons are self- fertile, so you only need one plant and a mature plant is very productive. They form a 15-20 feet high bush, have pretty white flowers in spring and the fruit ripens just ahead of blueberries in late June or early July.

Saskatoons are very cold hardy and MSU is working to develop them as a market crop in Central Northern Michigan. There are now over 20 commercial growers of saskatoon in Michigan. There is currently more demand than supply for the berries.

Other names the plants are sold under are June berry, serviceberry, shadberry and prairie berry. There are many species of Amelanchier, so look for ones called Saskatoons for fruit production. Several varieties are offered commercially for fruit production. I ordered mine from Gurney’s nursery, but several nurseries now offer them.

Saskatoon www.gurneys.com

Saskatoons are very high in antioxidants and the health benefits are similar to blueberries. What’s interesting is that Saskatoon berries are considered a better source of calcium than red meats, vegetables and cereals. They don’t taste exactly like blueberries but are sweet and flavorful. Native Americans used them to make pemmican, a high energy food source. They can be cooked or eaten raw like blueberries and are said to make excellent jam. Fancy, high end restaurants are featuring them in season on the menu so it could be a good cash crop too.

Two great products from sunflower seeds

Do you know someone allergic to peanut butter? Tell them about Sunbutter®, a creamy spread that looks like peanut butter that’s made from sunflower seeds. Sunbutter® is a registered, trademarked name and is made in North Dakota.

It takes about 3 pounds of hulled, roasted sunflower seeds to make an 8 oz jar of highly nutritious Sunbutter®. Sunbutter® has 7 grams of protein per serving and more vitamins and minerals than other nutbutters, especially vitamin E.

You can use Sunbutter® in cooking just like peanut butter or smear it on bread or crackers for a tasty treat. (If used in recipes with baking powder it may give the items a green color, which is harmless.) The taste is similar to peanut butter and won’t cause an allergic reaction in those who can’t eat peanut butter. It’s only a bit more expensive than peanut butter and can be found in mainstream groceries now.

Sunflower gourmet oils are now on the market and fancy chefs are featuring them as an alternative to extra virgin olive oil. They are used for dipping bread and making dressings and drizzling over food. Sunflower oil is as healthy as olive oil. The best oils have a slightly nutty flavor and people are raving over the taste.

These gourmet sun flower oils are priced about the same as fancy olive oil. Don’t mistake them for sunflower cooking oil, which is comparable to a low cost olive cooking oil. They can be found in some groceries and on line.

What does this Latin word mean?

Many gardeners are either afraid of a plants scientific name or scornful of the need for them. But scientific plant names can often give us valuable clues as to what a plant looks like, how it grows, or where it comes from. Yes, you can look at pictures of plants, but pictures can be deceptive or not show you what you need to know. If the scientific name is in the description you may know a little more. And remember- knowledge is power.

These terms below describe size or shape.

Nanus, pumilis, and pygmaeus are descriptive terms for short, usually dense plants. When used as part of the species name it usually means that this species is shorter and more compact than other related species. These are also referred to as dwarf species.

Humilis is another term meaning low or shorter. However, in this case it may be that the plant, while lower than other related species, is still quite large in general.

Elatus, Exaltatus or Procerus are terms for taller than normal species in the same genus or family.

Giganteus is a term for a species that is both tall and wider than most of the species in its family or genus.

Conicus or pyramidalis means the plant has a triangular or cone shape.

Globosus or sphaericus means the plant has a rounded or globe shape.

Pyriformis means pear shaped.

Fusiformis means spindle shaped, narrow at both ends.

Filiformis means slender or threadlike and often describes foliage.

These aren’t the only terms that describe plant size and shape, but they are some of the common ones. Now when you see them, you’ll know what to expect of the plant.

This juniper has several descriptive names Juniperus procumbens "Nana"

Plants can smell

There’s a new field of study called plant neurobiology. While plants don’t have a nervous system like animals, they have analogous structures that can process sensory information and react to it. We are slowly readjusting what we know about plant intelligence and how plants regulate their responses to the environment and communicate with other plants and even animals.

New research has confirmed what several earlier research studies had suspected. Plants have the ability to recognize and differentiate among odors. Plants don’t have noses, but volatile scents enter into plant cells through little receptor “antenna” on the outside of plant cells. Once inside the plant cell the odors turn on or off genetic responses, which determines what the plant will do about the smell.

When plant cells are damaged, they can produce those air borne or volatile odors that even you and I can detect. When a cat chews catnip or you bruise a peppermint leaf, for example, we smell the odor. The plant is producing volatile scents. If the plant cells of another plant “smells” those odors that might signify danger, then the plant will produce chemicals that could protect it from being attacked.

While plants can’t respond as quickly to scents as animals can, researchers think that plants are able to differentiate or detect even more scents than animals, even those animals highly responsive to scent. They can determine whether a caterpillar is feeding on nearby plants or a deer. (Can they smell us picking tomatoes?) Whether they actually smell the pest or the odors produced when it interacts with a plant or both, is unclear.

If a plant “smells” a pest, it can also manufacture and release scents of it’s own to summon help. Plants that are attacked by certain caterpillars may release a scent that attracts a wasp that parasitizes that type of caterpillar, for example. But a deer feeding on nearby plants won’t cause the same response. The researchers used gas chromatograph chambers to determine that plants produced different chemical odors themselves when attacked by different types of pests. In nature these scents would spread to nearby plants to warn them of a specific danger.

While the first plant being attacked won’t have time to mount defenses against the predator, nearby plants may be able to protect themselves to some degree. It’s also thought that many species of plant can recognize scents that other plant species emit. Of course, smelling that an enemy is nearby may not mean the plant can effectively protect itself. But if there is a defense the plant can produce, it will.

One reason exotic pests may do so much damage when they first invade an area is that the native plants need time to learn the new scent and decide what to do about it. In many cases they will begin to adapt to the new threat over time.

Researchers are studying the scents that plants recognize and react to in an effort to develop natural pest controls. For example, if plants respond to a certain scent by producing chemicals that make their own tissues less attractive to predators, we could spray a field with that scent and let plants produce their own pesticides.

It makes our relationships with plants all the more interesting when you know they have sensory perceptions. Do the plants in your garden know you are a friend and not a foe?

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Hi Gardeners,

Our nice weather is over. The wind is howling outside today. It was -7 last night but quickly rose to 25 degrees with a little sun and the wind from the south. But it doesn’t feel like 25 degrees. Our house faces south and in that direction it’s flat fields and pastures, and the wind just sweeps across them. When the winds from the south this old house leaks cold air like crazy. The north wind doesn’t hit us that hard because there are woods and hills in that direction.

We are supposed to be getting snow then freezing rain tonight. That’s not good, especially with the high winds. I’m worried about the power going out. Bitter cold is going to come back in another day or two. It looks like the easy winter we were having is going away for a bit. A little snow is welcome to insulate the roots and crowns of plants during the below zero nights but we don’t need much more than the couple inches that are on the ground now.

I am reviewing some courses on line this month. If you have Amazon Prime, they have a new series of “Great Courses” you can get. You get a week’s free viewing then it costs $7.99 a month, which isn’t much considering what these college level courses usually cost. The courses cover a wide range of subjects from science subjects, literature and art, religion, even holistic medicine. The classes are in 30-minute segments and you can pause at any time, then continue when you want to.

I am currently reviewing a course on forensic science and one on botany. Yes, I have had college botany, I even taught botany but that was many years ago. It’s always good to see what has changed and learn something new. The teacher is quite interesting even if she wanders off topic from time to time. If you have any free time during this awful winter- take a course.

I am thumbing through garden catalogs and looking on line for plants I want to try this year. I am seeing people asking for recommendations for good seed and plant companies on social media. There are many, many reputable places. Try my garden catalog/website list here; http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/have-youreceived-any-garden-catalogs-in.html

One little hint here- many seed companies get their seed from the same seed wholesalers. If the catalog or site doesn’t say they grew the seeds or that the seed or plant is exclusive to them, you can probably find it in other places. Shop around for the best price, you would be surprised at the wide range of prices for the same seed or plant.

Make sure you take into account the size of the seed packet or plant and the shipping and handling charge, so you are comparing the same thing. Ignore free gifts that are offered when choosing where to buy from, as these are usually not worth choosing a higher priced source over a more modest one.

With garden shopping and garden classes winter will pass quickly and we can get right to real gardening.

Is potting medium hazardous to your health?

It’s the time of year when pent up gardeners begin to think of starting seeds, potting up bulbs and transplanting houseplants. To do that one needs potting medium or garden soil and compost. And so it’s this time of year when stories about diseases people can get from potting medium and soil start going the rounds on social media.

I had a question from someone this week about the possibility of contracting Legionnaires disease from potting medium (soil). They were wondering if they read a fake news story or if it was true. The answer is that yes, you could get Legionnaires disease from potting medium but it’s not very likely.

There are actually many diseases that one can get from soil and potting mediums. But for healthy people the chance of contracting any of them is very low. You have a much better chance of getting a disease from eating fresh produce or dozens of other common daily activities.

Potting medium would be somewhat less likely to transmit a disease than garden soil or compost, but the possibility remains. Potting medium is a mixture of organic materials such as ground bark and inorganic materials such as perlite. Composition can vary from company to company and even from area to area. Many companies have several places that produce mixes for them, and they source materials locally. So all bags of “Wondermix” may not contain the same ingredients from the same places.

Different diseases are more prevalent in the soil and organic matter of various areas of the country or world. Soil composition, moisture, temperature and pH can affect what diseases are present in high enough concentrations to be a problem. All areas don’t have the same chances for certain diseases to exist. Legionnaires disease from potting mediums is more likely to happen in Australia, New Guinea and some Asian areas, but it has occurred in the US.

Almost all organic materials used in potting mediums will be contaminated with soil and that’s why the remote possibility of disease still exists. Sterilized mixtures are safer, but they too can become contaminated, especially when bags are opened and sit around.

Some of the diseases its possible to get from potting mix or soil include: tetanus, botulism, anthrax, Legionnaires disease, E.coli, staph and strep infections, Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis, Listeria, Campylobacter, Melioidosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Blastomycosis, Histoplasmosis, Paracoccidioidomycosis, Sporotrichosis, and pulmonary Aspergillosis.

There are other rarer fungal and bacterial diseases that are also transmitted in soil. Parasites such as roundworms and the parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis are also transmitted through soil. Even inorganic materials, like perlite and vermiculite can cause lung problems if they are inhaled.

But don’t get too worried. For a person with a healthy immune system these diseases are very unlikely to be transmitted to you. You have a better chance of being hit by lightning while standing in the garden with a trowel in your hand. And there are good bacteria in the soil that are actually beneficial to our health, so don’t give up gardening.

But there are things a gardener can do to lessen the even remote possibility of contracting a disease from potting medium or soil. If you are an immune compromised individual, you may have already been instructed about what protective steps to take when working in the garden or if you should work with soil. Follow your doctor’s instructions. Immune compromised people should always wear gloves and a mask when working with potting medium or soil and clothing that protects skin areas in contact with soil or potting medium.

All gardeners should get a tetanus shot. Tetanus is always in the soil and it’s a fatal disease. You only need a shot every ten years, but you may be asked to get a booster if you get a deep wound.

Open bags of potting mix so the dust wafts out away from you. Try not to inhale dust from potting mixes or to inhale dust stirred up in the garden either. Keep potting mixes dry until you are ready to use them. Potting mediums that are wet and that sit in a warm area or in the sun are like incubators for any bacteria or fungi that are in them. And close bags tightly so they aren’t contaminated by dust blowing into the bags or by animals.

When working with potting medium or soil don’t eat, drink or smoke. People who got Legionnaires disease from potting medium were found to have been smoking, eating or drinking while working with the mix. If you need a break for water stop, take off gloves and/or wash your hands. Wash your hands even if you use gloves, soil always finds its way inside. Be conscious of what you are doing. Don’t hold your gloves in your teeth while you do something (yep people do that, I’ve done that), or chew on the pencil you poked holes in the potting medium with.

It probably is a good idea to wear gloves when working with potting medium or soil. I know I often don’t, and I’m sure many of you are the same way. But at least wash your hands very well, including scrubbing under those nails when you finish. It’s also a good idea to change your clothes and shoes when you come inside from gardening.

Don’t work with potting medium or soil when you have open sores or cuts. If you are diabetic like I am, you have to be very careful about avoiding skin infections. But anyone who gets cut or scraped while gardening should stop and immediately wash the area with soap and water. Then cover any wounds well if you go back to gardening.

Of course, you will wash all fruits and vegetables from the garden well. Even organically grown food needs washing before you eat it.

With a little common sense, you don’t need to fear gardening or getting your hands in the soil. Everything we do carries some risk. Gardening and growing plants inside has so many health benefits that it would be foolish to give those up because you fear a rare disease.