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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

March 6, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog


Hi Gardeners
Hello March
Today is rather gloomy and chilly here, with temperatures just above freezing and occasional rain and snow mixed. When I went outside this morning to feed the chickens the wild birds were making quite a racket, they seemed to be happy with the weather.  There’s a large flock of red winged blackbirds hanging around, maybe on their way north.  Dozens were singing from all points around me.  On an odd note I noticed a lot of the red winged blackbirds were picking through horse poop in the pasture across the road. I’ve seen starlings do that but not RW blackbirds. 
A flock of starlings was in the maple tree in the pasture and they were all chirping away in their interpretation of a song. A woodpecker drummed on a tree.  A cardinal and several goldfinches were singing.  And best of all a robin was singing away in the pine by the barn. Ah, the spring chorus, I’m just waiting for the frogs to join in.
Since it’s been cool more blooming of bulbs has been delayed.  But the tulips and other bulbs are coming up strongly and a few warmer days will see a burst of crocus bloom.  Buds are swelling on the maples and willows.  I ordered some seeds and plants this week and I hear my favorite greenhouse is open now. I really want to visit but I don’t really need any more indoor plants and it’s too early for anything to be planted outside.  If I don’t visit I won’t buy.
If it’s mild next week-it’s supposed to rain and snow most of the rest of this week- I’ll begin spring clean up on the beds.  I have some pruning to do on the fruit trees too.  I’m going to move my strawberry bed this spring and I need to get the new bed prepared too.
The chickens are laying well now, and they are now confined back into their pens because they were doing a little too much scratching in the flower beds. It’s nice they stir up the leaves, but I don’t want them damaging the plants coming up.
I hope everyone of you is hearing a spring chorus this week and gets at least a few sunny days.

March almanac

There are two full moons in March, the March 1st full moon, called Snow moon, is generally in February. The second full moon, a blue moon, the 31st, is called the Worm moon, because earthworms once more make worm casts on the soil surface, or Sap moon because the trees begin to produce sap again. (Actually, in this zone the trees were producing sap early in the month). Moon apogee is the 11th. The moon perigee is the 26th – a good day to expect a storm around. 

The most important date for all gardeners in March is, of course the first day of spring.  It’s March 20th.  That’s the date when the length of the day and the night are about the same, the spring (vernal) equinox. Actually, in Michigan the length of the day will be 12 hours and 10 minutes.  The length of the day will be 12 hours, 42 minutes on March 31st.  March 11th begins daylight savings time. Spring those clocks ahead 1 hour.

Other important dates and holidays in March are: 7th – Employee Appreciation Day, 8th International Women’s day, 12th – Girl Scout Day and Plant a flower Day, the 13th is National popcorn day and the 14th National Potato chip day.  The 14th is also Learn about Butterflies day.

The 15th is the Ides of March.  In ancient Rome this was the beginning of the New Year and also of spring. The 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and the 18th is the Goddess of Fertility day.  The 19th is poultry day, the 20th is Earth Day although beware-it’s also Alien Abduction day.  The 25th is National Agriculture day as well as National Pecan day and National Waffle day. The 30th is National Doctors day.

March is Irish American month as well as National Women’s History month, National Nutrition month, National Peanut month, National Craft Month and National Frozen Foods month.
 
March’s birth flower is the daffodil or jonquil, the birthstone is aqua marine. Here’s a link to an article on growing them.


Narcissus

Nine reasons for seed starting failure

In my February 20th blog I talked about when to start seeds.  I am getting questions about seeds failing to grow or seedlings dying.  It’s the time of year when many gardeners are itching to get something growing and are then dismayed when things don’t work out like they planned.  I’m going to review some reasons why people can experience failure or less than ideal results when starting seeds. I am discussing seeds started inside, not out in the garden.

While it may be a disease like “dampening off” (a fungal disease), that ultimately kills your seedlings the conditions must be right for that disease to actually infect seedlings and the disease organisms have to come from somewhere.  So, the environment and care of your seedlings is what usually results in success or failure in seed starting.

Not using fresh, or properly stored seeds

You need good seeds that are stored properly for the species to have success in seed starting.  If you buy seeds each year from a reputable company they are generally fresh and have been stored properly.  The problem comes when people store seeds from year to year without understanding what that type of seed needs to remain viable or when they buy from individuals on line that may or may not be knowledgeable or they accept free or reduced priced seeds that are several years old.

If you stored your left-over bean seeds in a jar with a lid in a dark cool place the germination rate may still be good a second year or even third year.  But if you found a paper packet you partially emptied and then stuck in a drawer last year those seeds may not germinate well. It’s probably best to buy new ones.
Some seeds when properly stored will germinate successfully for many years.  Other species of seeds will lose a lot of their ability to germinate in just a year or even a few months.  When I worked at Extension we often got seed company donations of seeds left over after the planting season to use in 4-H and Master Gardener projects the following year.  We usually had pretty good success with the common vegetable and flower seeds that were just a year old.  But some types of seeds did not germinate well after a year.

Onions, leeks, parsnips, parsley, chives, marjoram, oregano, salvia, viola, larkspur and heliotrope all have seeds that lose a lot of viability (ability to sprout) after only one year.  Sweet corn is said to be good for 2 years, but I have always had better success with seed that’s less than a year old. Okra and peppers are also iffy, don’t use seeds over 2 years old.

Seed packets have a date stamped on them when they were packed.  Look for it when buying seeds from a store rack.  I have known companies to store seed from the year prior and put them out at full price.

If you find seeds and aren’t sure how fresh and viable they are you can do the germination test.  Put 10 seeds on damp paper towels in a warm place and see how many germinate.  That’s roughly your germination rate – 5 seeds sprouting mean about a 50% germination rate. 

The back of a seed package can give you a lot of information

Starting seeds too early

In my February 20th blog I talked about when to start seeds. If you are unsure when to start what you may want to read that article. One of the biggest mistakes made in seed starting is starting seed for plants that will be transplanted outside too early.  Unless you have a greenhouse that you can heat if needed, the longer the time between when the seeds are started and when they are planted outside the less likely you are to have healthy transplants. That’s because the longer plants are growing in less than ideal circumstances the more likely they are to get a disease or be stressed from environmental conditions and resource competition.

Bigger/older plants do not always equal better plants for transplanting outside. That’s especially true of plants that don’t really appreciate transplanting and face a set back when its done.  Vining crops, like melons and cucumbers and root crops like carrots should be small, with only a few true leaves when transplanted.

Even in high light, warmth and humidity of greenhouse conditions plants held too long before transplanting can suffer.  They may get root bound or become so large they are hard to transplant safely.  And bigger plants may have a harder time recovering from transplant stress.


Not using sterile medium and clean containers

For the best success in seed starting use sterile seed starting medium, or at the least use soil-less mixes.  Do not use garden soil or compost.  Yes, these can be sterilized, (spread on a cookie sheet in a thin layer and bake at 160 degrees F for 30 minutes) but this is a time consuming and smelly process that only works for small batches of soil. Garden soil and compost may contain disease organisms that will infect seedlings and their nutrition quality is almost always unknown. Do not re-use seed starting medium that plants once grew in without sterilizing it.

If you reuse containers that other plants have grown in they must be sterilized in hot water with bleach added (1 part bleach to 3 parts water).  All soil and other debris must be removed first.  If you re-purpose food and other containers that have been used, they must be washed in hot water and soap and have no remaining food residue or product in them.

Not using sterile seed starting medium and clean containers can allow fungal and bacterial diseases on/in them to infect your seedlings.  Seed starting medium will either have no fertilizer or the fertilizer content will be given on the bag.  You can then fertilize the seedlings correctly.  Garden soil and compost vary so widely in nutritional and pH value that it’s a crapshoot as to whether the seedlings are getting what they need or are being harmed by improper pH or excessive/unbalanced nutrients.

Make pots out of paper, they are cheap and clean

Not understanding the species germination needs

Starting seeds is not just filling a container with medium, adding seeds and covering them.  Each species of plants has optimal germination conditions.  The healthiest plants germinate in the optimal range.  Plants that struggle to germinate may never be as healthy.  Weak plants are more susceptible to disease. When growing conditions do improve they may never catch up to the plants started in optimal conditions.

Plant species require different soil and air temperatures for optimal germination. Some like it warm but some like it cool.  Some seeds require light for germination and shouldn’t be covered. Some seeds need to be chilled, soaked, or nicked before germination.  Read the seed packet, most will give you the optimal temperatures for germination and they will tell you what other conditions are right for the species, such as the depth to plant seeds or whether they need scarifying (nicking).  If you don’t get that information on the packet, look it up in a catalog or reference.

If your seeds sprout close to the average time of germination printed on the packer they probably had optimal conditions.  Knowing and providing the optimal conditions for seed germination is one of the best ways to ensure healthy transplants.

Not enough light

Seedlings grown indoors in windowsills are most at risk for not getting the light they need to grow properly.  Leggy, pale plants are not good transplants.  If plants are grown inside (other than in a greenhouse) they need to be right up against a southern window at the least and it’s better to provide a grow light.  Grow lights should be only a few inches above the tops of seedlings and on for at least 12 hours. You’ll need to adjust the height as seedlings grow.

Plants that are stocky, upright, and dark green are getting enough light. Plants that lean, have long floppy stems and are pale are lacking light.  Since plants manufacture their food using light, not giving them enough light is essentially starving them, and this can stunt their growth and make them more susceptible to disease.

Too much water is the cause of many seedlings demise.  Letting the top of the growing medium dry between watering is preferred for most species. Good air circulation helps dry soil and foliage. Constantly damp soil is a good environment for fungal diseases. Sprinkling cinnamon on the soil will not prevent or cure fungal disease.

Watering from below, especially if seedlings are tiny is best, that means putting containers in trays with water and letting them soak it up.  If you can’t do that use a spray bottle and mist containers to provide water while seedlings are tiny. Water gently with warm water when seedlings are older.

Don’t water just because you notice seedlings wilting. Check the planting medium first, it may be too wet, and the roots are rotting.  Dampening off looks like wilting to many people.  Seedlings will get a constricted or blackened area on the stem and seem to topple over.  There’s no cure for this fungal disease and watering will make things worse.  Discard those seedlings as soon as you notice the disease as it will rapidly spread.

For an article on dampening off disease see the seed page on this site

Too much fertilizer can be a problem with seedlings.  They don’t need any fertilizer until they have true leaves.  If the starting medium came with a fertilizer mixed in, (it should say on the bag), your seedlings won’t need fertilizing for about 12 weeks.  If the medium didn’t have fertilizer a very weak general-purpose fertilizer can be used about once a week.  Dilute the fertilizer to half the strength recommended for potted plants.
Do not use compost tea, compost, animal poop, worm castings and such on seedlings growing inside because fungal disease can be brought in with these things. Never use Epsom salts which will burn seedling roots and isn’t a balanced fertilizer.

Not thinning and over crowding is a mistake many people make when starting seeds inside.  Every seedling needs space. If you plant two seeds in a pot because one may not grow or closely space seeds in a flat for the same reason, you’ll need to remove one or some of them if your germination rate is good.  The easiest way is to use scissors and cut one or more seedlings off at the soil line while they are still small. However, many people won’t do this, because they don’t like killing plants.  For those of you who can’t cut off extra seedlings you’ll need to transplant the extra seedlings before they get too big.
Each seedling needs enough space so that it isn’t touching plants next to it.  As plants grow you will need to provide more space.  This may mean transplanting some and moving pots farther apart.  It may mean adding extra grow lights. That’s another reason not too start seeds too soon, so they won’t need as much space before you move them outside.

Before you plant a whole seed packet of seeds you need to decide just how many plants you actually want or need.  After they are growing it’s really hard for most people to discard some. That leads to overcrowding.  Start by planting only a few more seeds than you want as plants.  If enough don’t germinate you can always start more.  And reserving some seeds may allow you to re-plant if seedlings die.
Not enough light, too wet and too crowded

Not hardening seedlings off is another mistake people make when starting seeds inside.  You have these nice beautiful looking baby plants and you take them outside and plant them on a warm sunny day and poof! they all die.
Seedlings need to acclimate to outdoor conditions gradually.  Ultraviolet radiation, heat and wind are shocks, sometime fatal shocks, to an indoor plants system.  Bring the seedlings outside a few hours a day to a shaded, protected area for a few days before planting them into the garden. 

Try to transplant seedlings into the garden in a cloudy, damp but mild spell of weather. Even plants grown in greenhouses adjust better in these conditions.  If the weather won’t cooperate you may need to use some shade material – like a paper cone- over plants. My grandfather used to make little “hats” out of newspaper to protect his tomato and pepper transplants.  If the weather is dry, make sure to water new transplants frequently.

After a person has started seeds inside for many years they usually have a pretty good idea of what it takes to grow healthy transplants.  If you are having trouble keep trying, review your care practices to see where you may have made a mistake and alter them.  And remember, many plants can probably be purchased from a local greenhouse if you have a failure.

Tomato transplants covered with paper to shade them.

What to do if your dog gets sprayed by a skunk

It’s early spring and in many areas skunks have emerged to mate and begin spring feeding.  With less cover, earlier dusk and lots of things on their minds like love and food, skunks are more likely to be encountered by humans and pets this time of the year.

When a dog gets sprayed by a skunk it’s a pretty unpleasant experience, both for them and their owners.  Your immediate response to a skunk sprayed dog will probably be to run far away, but if you love your dog you’ll want to help it and it will probably run after you anyway.  So, here’s what to do to get your dog smelling like a dog again.

It’s rare that a dog that’s skunk sprayed will be able to sneak by you.  If the smell isn’t immediately overwhelming the dogs howling and crying will probably let you know what’s happened.  The first thing you’ll want to do is confine the dog somewhere it can’t rub and roll on furniture and rugs.  You’ll probably want to make this an outside place. The yard, the garage, the barn or a shed or as a last resort the basement are suggested.  And you’ll want to cover your nose while you do it.  Then you will probably want to put on some old clothes before you deal with the dog.

As quickly as possible you should check the dog’s eyes.  Many times the skunk spray will get in a dogs eyes and it’s extremely painful.  The dog’s eyes will be red and watery and he or she will probably be pawing at them.  Try to wash the eyes out with plain barely warm water.  You could also use eye drops for humans (or dogs), if it doesn’t contain a prescription medicine.  The dog may be agitated and in pain so be careful you don’t get bit.  Dogs rarely go blind from skunk spray but they are in pain.

Next you will want to mix up this solution.
        1 quart of warm water
        1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide ( found at any drug store)
        1 cup of baking soda
        2-3 tablespoons of liquid soap.  This can be dish or liquid hand soup or              even shampoo.

Mix all of this in a bucket just before you plant to use it.  Don’t store it in anything that’s capped or sealed or you’ll get an explosion.  You’ll probably want to buy enough supplies to make several batches, especially if the dog is large.  Don’t make the solution stronger or you may irritate the dogs skin too much or cause its hair to bleach out.

Massage your mixture into the dog’s coat, making sure to get the belly, tail, legs, anywhere the spray may have landed.  Cover the dog’s eyes as you work the solution into the head and ears.  Do not get this solution in the dog’s eyes!  Let the solution sit in the dogs fur for about 5 minutes, then rinse it out with warm water.  You’ll probably want do a second wash with the solution, especially if the dog has long dense fur.  Make sure to thoroughly rinse the solution out of the dog’s coat.  Throw out unused solution, it doesn’t save well.

This solution is slightly irritating to the dog’s skin but it won’t change the color of the fur.  You might want to follow with a cream rinse for dogs to smooth the fur.  In cold weather you’ll want to wash the dog and let it dry in a warm spot or at least use a hair dryer to get the coat dry.  You may notice a slight smell in the next few weeks whenever the dog gets wet.  You can do a follow up wash in a week or so with the solution or just use a deodorant shampoo for dogs.

Don’t waste your time washing a skunk sprayed dog with tomato juice, it doesn’t really work.  If you get sprayed along with the dog you can use this solution to wash yourself also but be very careful using it on clothing, furniture or other items as it may discolor them.  Try a small area first if you are desperate.

Avoiding skunks in the future

Skunks do not like dogs.  While a skunk may give a human a pass if they don’t bother it, a dog will almost certainly provoke an unpleasant reaction from a skunk.  Skunks are found throughout the United States, in the city as well as the suburbs and country.  If not scared they are pretty harmless critters, with only a whiff of odor to show they are near.  But surprise or scare a skunk and you will regret it for a long time.

Skunks are usually active at night, but dogs can and do find their resting spots in the daytime and will get sprayed in retaliation.  Skunks don’t truly hibernate but spend most of the cold weather sleeping in a snug den.  They may come out during warm spells to eat and mate in early spring. They are more active in late fall and early spring and since the days are shorter at this time there is more of a chance that your dog will be out and about when they are.

Healthy skunks do not attack dogs or other animals.  They may not seem overly concerned about you if you are without a dog but they will generally move away from you.  Any skunk that seems aggressive without being cornered or provoked may have rabies, particularly if it is out in the daytime.  You should avoid them and keep pets away.  Call your local animal control and report it.
Make sure dogs always have up to date rabies shots.  Usually a dog doesn’t get too close to a skunk before it gets sprayed and the spray sends it running.  But some dogs will catch the skunk and if it is diseased that can be a big problem.  If your dog actually catches and/or kills the skunk talk to a vet about any treatment the dog may need.

If you have seen skunks in your yard it’s a good idea to keep dogs from exploring under porches and sheds and in deep brush areas where skunks may hide.  Don’t leave pet food out at night to attract skunks and the mice they like to feed on.  Don’t set live traps for skunks unless you are brave enough to transport the animal to a safe release point.  Let a professional do it.

If you let your dog roam the countryside freely there’s a good chance it will have at least one encounter with a skunk.  If your dog gets sprayed by a skunk it may avoid all skunks and even things that look like skunks in the future but some dogs never learn.  If your dog gets sprayed more than once you’ll need to watch him or her carefully when they are outside.

While skunks may do some damage to lawns looking for grubs they are a generally a beneficial animal, eating harmful insects and mice.  Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

Free Master Gardener lesson 4- plant processes and environmental interaction

This is the last plant science lesson. Knowing how plants function is a very important subject for gardeners.  You need to know what plants are capable of and what they need to survive. You need to understand how plants interact with their environment and what you can do to make the environment better for them and /or manipulate it to your advantage.  Next week I’ll move on to soil science and composting. 

Photosynthesis- there’s no argument, this is the most important life process on earth.  Without photosynthesis no animal life could exist as we know it and of course plants wouldn’t exist either.  Some forms of life existed before green plants, life forms fueled by gases like methane and chemicals in the primordial soup, like some primitive bacteria found around thermal vents in the ocean. It is thought that chloroplasts evolved from cyanobacterial cells floating in the seas using the suns light, water and carbon dioxide to produce energy.

Photosynthesis uses the green pigment chlorophyll to absorb light and in a complex chemical reaction using carbon dioxide and water produces a simple sugar with oxygen and water as waste products. While we are very close to understanding the complete process of photosynthesis now, some mysteries remain for researchers to resolve.

Chloroplasts were once free-living organisms, but at some point, were engulfed by a larger bacterial cell and the relationship proved beneficial for both. The first one celled plants, algae, evolved from this relationship. Groups of algae cells congregated together and began to specialize in what duties they performed for the group and eventually multicellular plants evolved.

Chloroplasts remain somewhat independent within the plant cell.  They have their own DNA, they are moved or move around inside the cell and they split in two to reproduce.  Plant cells don’t make chloroplasts, a plant reproductive cell must receive a chloroplast during cell division.

The important thing to remember about photosynthesis is that life as we know it depends on it.  It produces the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat.  Plants need light to photosynthesize, but as many people know it does not have to be sunlight, it can be artificial light.  Photosynthesis is limited by the amount of light and its intensity and by temperature.  Only about 5% of the sunlight falling on a leaf is used in photosynthesis.  We’ll talk more about the light needs of plants later.

About 75% of the sunlight falling on a plant goes to producing heat.  If the temperature is too high, (for most plants above 85 degrees F.), photosynthesis will slow and eventually stop. That’s one reason global warming could be a threat to us.  The optimum temperature for photosynthesis for most plants is between 65 and 85 degrees F.

While it’s an amazing feat to turn sunlight, water and CO2 into sugar, photosynthesis isn’t a very efficient process. Some plants are more efficient than others at the job. Researchers are trying to find ways to optimize photosynthesis efficiency, so more food could be produced in the same amount of space.

Respiration is the process by which sugar is “burned” to provide energy for plant growth and all cellular activity.  Most people think of respiration as breathing, and you can think of it as plants breathing although the process is a bit different than animal respiration. Respiration occurs in all living cells and uses oxygen, with carbon dioxide and water vapor being waste products.  Yes, plants use oxygen as well as producing it.  Lucky for us they produce more than they use.

Respiration occurs all the time, in dark and in light, but in plants there is often more respiration at night when the photosynthesis factory is at rest. Respiration is also the excretory system for plants as the waste products of water vapor and carbon dioxide are excreted into the air through those plant pores we discussed in an earlier lesson.  Plant excretion is a very good thing for animals because that water vapor is part of the water cycle on earth.

When people learn that plants give off carbon dioxide at night they often worry about having plants in the bedroom, thinking that the plants will poison the air.  This is not true, you’d have to have an awful lot of plants in a sealed dark room for a good deal of time to feel any effect from the carbon dioxide.  In practice, even with a lot of plants in the bedroom, there is no carbon dioxide build up. 

Transpiration is the process of water entering the root system of a plant then being transported through the plant to the leaves, and the excess water evaporating off through plant pores.  It sounds like respiration in some ways, but transpiration is not a chemical process, it’s a simple “mechanical” process.  About 90% of the water that enters a plants root system is evaporated off through plant pores.  The rest is used in respiration and held in plant tissues to provide turgor- or plant support.

Transpiration is critical to a plant because it cools the plant down to where it can perform photosynthesis.  All those humming little chloroplast factories produce a lot of heat, as does the sun shining down on the plant. While respiration also releases water, that water in the sugar being broken down was brought to the chloroplast making the sugar by transpiration. The water moving through the plant also transports those sugars needed for plant growth throughout the plant, and minerals from the soil needed for good growth. Plant sap is largely water.

Plants regulate the loss of water through stoma (pores) by those guard cells we discussed in the lesson about plant cells. When water is scarce the cells close the stoma to preserve it and open them wide when they need to get rid of water or need to drastically cool the plant.  How much water is moved through the plant depends on many factors, what water is available in the soil, what the temperature is, how windy it is and how humid the air is.

Plant transpiration is a large part of earths water cycle. Rain falls on the soil and is absorbed.  Plant roots “mine” that water and release it back into the air, where it evaporates and become clouds and then eventually rain again.  Plants can move an amazing amount of water through transpiration under optimal conditions.  A large tree may evaporate off hundreds of gallons of water in a single warm sunny day. Some of that water may have traveled 300 feet or more from the root system to the top of the tree.

One interesting footnote here.  Occasionally plants have so much water that evaporation can’t remove enough of it, especially in humid weather. This usually occurs at night, when plant pores are usually closed. In a process called guttation, the plant will “leak” little droplets of sap (which is mostly water) which are sometimes seen on tips or sides of leaves.  It looks like dew drops, but dew drops are condensing on the plant from water in the air and are pure water.  Guttation is sap leaking from the plant.

Light
Almost every gardener is aware that some plants need more light than others. Light is a limiting factor for plant growth, all plants need some light, but some need more than others. Light quality, quantity and duration all affect plant growth and reproduction. Gardeners often manipulate plant growth and functions by changing the light conditions.

Light quantity refers to how intense plants prefer their light.  Some plants have evolved to grow best in shade, or partial shade.  Others must have full sun to grow well and reproduce. Every gardener should research what light conditions a plant needs before planting it or placing its pot somewhere. 
Sometimes plants will survive in less than perfect light conditions, but they will never be as healthy or productive as those of the same species planted in the right light conditions.  And some plants will die when the light conditions do not meet their needs.

Light quality refers to the wavelength or “color” of the light. Sunlight contains many wavelengths of light, which when we separate them are seen as different colors.  Plants reflect green light, that’s why they look green to us, and green light isn’t useful for plants.  The red and blue spectrums of light are the most useful to plants.

Blue light is most important for vegetative growth.  When red light is added it promotes flowering and then seed production.  When plants are growing in natural daylight the gardener doesn’t have to worry about the light spectrums.  When plants are grown inside under artificial light the spectrum or light color can be more important.  Different types of light bulbs produce different spectrums of light. If you have foliage plants bulbs that produce mostly blue light are fine, but if you have flowering plants you’ll want bulbs that combine red and blue light.  Most “grow light” bulbs do this.

Light duration is how many hours in the day that plants need light.  It’s something that is often manipulated by gardeners to produce plants that will flower at certain times.  A plants response to proportion of light and dark hours is called photoperiodism. There are three categories plants can be sorted into short day, long day and day neutral.  Short day plants produce flowers when days are short and nights long, this is plants that bloom in the spring and fall.  Long day plants produce flowers when days are long and nights short, the summer bloomers. Photoperiodism may also affect bulb growth, ripening of fruit, leaf color and other plant processes.  In many plant species it’s the movement from shorter days to longer ones or vice versa, that promotes blooming.
 
Day neutral plants are not greatly affected by the length of the day or prefer equal day and night hours like most tropical plants from near the equator.  Many domestic plants have been purposefully bred to disregard day length so that they bloom for longer periods than their ancestors did.  All plants do need some light – preferably more than 8 hours – for life processes.

But whatever category they fall into all plants need some period of darkness, usually at least 8 hours, to be healthy.  In arctic summers some plants adjust to continuous light for a period of time.  Seedlings growing under artificial light will do fine for a while under continuous light but must be transitioned into a natural light cycle for the species as they start to mature.

Greenhouse owners manipulate light duration to promote plants blooming for holidays, such as poinsettias and Easter lilies.  Gardeners may need to know the day length a plant prefers and adjust day length to get it to bloom also.
And onions are an example of a plant where photoperiodism needs may determine whether you get a good crop.  Onions make bulbs when the day length reaches a certain ideal length for the variety.  Choose long day varieties (or day neutral) for northern areas where summer days can be long, but the growing season is short.  Choose short day onions for southern growing areas where the days never get as long as the north but the growing season is longer.

There are other plants sold as short day or long day.  Learn what is best for your area by consulting with your local Extension office or an experienced gardener.
Gardeners should always know what zone they are gardening in.  This will help you choose plants that are suited for your climate.  You can find your planting zone on the map here.

 And here’s a link to an article about gardening zones if you need more information. 

 Temperature is also important for plant growth.  Some plants like cool weather, they are up and out of the ground early in spring and go dormant in hot weather.  Some plants like lettuce grow better in cooler weather and when the weather warms they produce flowers and seeds and then die.  Other plants are slow to emerge in spring, waiting until the soil and air are warm.  All plants have optimum temperature ranges for growth that vary among species.

Most gardeners know that some plants won’t survive cold winters, but some don’t know that certain plants actually require a cool period of dormant rest in order to flower and fruit and have a healthy growing season.  This is called a chilling requirement.  Many spring flowering bulbs have a chilling requirement as do many fruit trees like apples and cherries. Some landscape trees and many perennial plants also have chilling requirements.  Even some houseplants, like Christmas cacti, need some cool nights to set flower buds.

To see if a plant species requires a chilling period you’ll need to look up the plants requirements.  Some species need only a brief light chill, others need a deep, below freezing cold, long dormant period.  In general plants that lose their leaves as winter approaches need a chilling period.  But some evergreens also need a dormant cold period to remain healthy.

Professional growers know how to manipulate plants chilling requirements to get plants that bloom at a certain date.  The amount of chilling can also affect the shape and size of the plant.  Plants with a longer chilled period may be stockier or shorter.  Sometimes temperature and light are manipulated together to get plants that bloom at a certain date. 

Water and humidity needs also vary among plant species and it’s the gardeners job to know what the plant requires by looking it up in a reference manual.  We all know some plants have adaptations that allow them to flourish in drier locations and some plants grow in water.

Humidity can also play a factor in whether a plant will be successful in your garden or home.  Some plants that tolerate heat in drier locations suffer when they are grown in a humid hot area. Some plants require high humidity to grow well. Where the natural range of the plant species evolved can give you clues to its humidity and water requirements.  Mediterranean plants like lavender and many herbs, don’t like humid areas and like their winter on the dry side.  Plants that grow in rain forest like warm steamy conditions.

As well as a map showing winter hardiness zones there’s a map that shows what summer hardiness zone you are in.  Some plant catalogs and garden stores will list the summer zones plants prefer as well as the winter zones.

Nutritional needs also vary among plant species.  I am talking about nutrients or minerals found in the soil here. Plants are able to manufacture most of their food supply but do need some soil nutrients. All plants require nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and some micronutrients like zinc, magnesium and iron but the amount of each nutrient a species needs can vary.  The pH of the soil can affect what nutrients in the soil are available to plants.  The pH value is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of soil.  I’ll discuss that in more detail when talking about soil science.

Some plants don’t need high soil fertility (lots of nutrients) to do well and in fact, may grow poorly if too much is provided.  Others are greedy buggers with a need for lots of some or all nutrients.  Once again, it’s up to the gardener to learn what soil pH and fertility levels their plants need.

Chemicals/hormones that plants produce include auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, and abcissic acid. Plants produce chemicals and hormones for a variety of reasons.  Some regulate growth and help in the reproductive process, both sexual and vegetative.  Others may provide protection for the plant.  Some researchers believe that chemicals may also be a means of communication among plants.

In a Master Gardener class I would typically give a brief description of the major chemicals/hormones plants have and because these articles get lengthy that’s what I’ll do here.  However, plant chemicals and hormones are quite interesting and you may want to do some additional reading on the subject, especially if you are interested in herbal medicine.

Auxins promote cell growth and division.  They are the chemicals that prod cuttings into producing new roots. They are responsible for a plants response to gravity, putting the shoots up and the roots down, and for a plants ability to grow toward the light. Auxins may direct plant movements.

Auxins also promote apical dominance, directing plant growth upward, and suppress lateral growth. They are concentrated in the terminal bud on a plant shoot. In many plants pinching off the terminal bud and removing the auxins allows for side branches to form and makes a bushier, stockier plant.

Gibberellins promote stem lengthening and prompt the germination of seeds. They are the hormone that stimulates flowering in long day plants.
Cytokinins aid cell division and when the apical bud is removed they counter the affect of auxins by promoting lateral growth.  Cytokins also keep cells from aging too rapidly.

Ethylene is a hormone gas that’s given off by plants to promote flowering and fruit ripening. Some plants like apples have a lot of ethylene gas and freely “pass” it.  People have learned to use ethylene gas to ripen fruits in storage.

Abcissic acid promotes the walling off, or isolation, of plant tissues.  It causes the layer of cells that wall off a leaf from getting food and water from a plant and cause it to fall from the plant. It also causes flowers to drop.  Abcissic acid also causes seeds to go dormant and hold off germination.

Plant communication is a relatively new field of study among botanists and there’s a lot of controversy on the subject.  Most plant “communication” is done by the chemicals and hormones discussed above. It’s whether the communication is deliberate or incidental that causes the controversy. 

When a plant is being chewed on by caterpillars, for example, it may release chemicals that taste bad or are poisonous in response to protect itself. Some of these are gases that leave the plant. If a similar species of plants is nearby it often seems to detect the chemicals and mount a defensive chemical reaction of its own.  Some researchers say the plants are warning other plants, but other researchers just think that a similar chemical reaction is prompted automatically when a chemical drifts on to a related species.

There are some popular scientists that believe plants also communicate through their entwined root systems.  They claim that plants care for young plants related to them in this way, passing them nutrients to help them grow and that they may warn of dangers through chemicals passed through the roots.  Other researchers scoff at this idea.  Does a young plant receive nutrients from the parent because it gives them to it, or does the young plant simply exploit the older one, tying its root system into the older plants like a parasite?

Some people also think plants talk to them, but that’s an obvious mental problem. Do plants whisper to each other in a chemical language?   Whether plants truly do communicate with each other remains to be proven.  Much of the evidence we now have can be interpreted in several ways.

Plant movements – include several types of tropisms and nastic movement.  While plants can’t move from location to location they do have movement. While there are some plants capable of pretty swift movements, the Venus Fly Trap or sensitive plant are examples, most plants move very slowly and the movement usually goes unnoticed by us.
 
Many plants can move their leaves to adjust their angle to the sun within a few hours. Some plants, like the prayer plant, fold their leaves at night.  Many flowers close at night and some open at night. Corn rolls its leaves to preserve moisture and present less surface area to the sun in hot weather.  Sunflowers turn their flower heads to follow the sun.

Tropisms are a plant responding toward (or away) from a stimulus. When a plant grows toward the light it’s called phototropism.  When a plant responds to touch it’s called thigmotropism, heliotropism is when a plant follows the suns movement. Gravitropism is plant roots moving in the direction of gravity. There are other tropisms in which a plant responds to an environmental stimulus.

A sunflower moves the flower face to the direction
of the sun throughout the day and at night resets to face east,
where the sun will rise.

Nastic movements are plant movements not directed toward a particular stimulus, they may be random searching movements or the quick snapping motions of carnivorous plant leaves.  When some vines begin growing their shoot tips may move back and forth or in circles “searching” for a support. That’s nastic movement. When they bump into something, there’s a thigmotropic response and the vine coils around the object, sometimes within an hour or two.

So how do plants achieve movement?  Unlike animals they don’t have a nervous system to direct actions. It’s a complicated subject that is beyond the scope of this article, but I’ll try a brief overview. In plants hormones like auxins are responsible for directing some plant movements, by using electrical impulses moving through water in cells, hydraulic actions- the moving of water in and out of cells, and the elongation of cells.  In some plants leaves have modified structures at the base that act like little hydraulic pumps which can make the leaf move out and up or down.

Here’s a link to a page that has some videos of plant movements.  Most plant movements have to be captured with a time lapse camera, but some plant movements actually have to be slowed down for you to see them.  Your homework this week is to observe some of these videos.

This ends the plant science lessons.  Next week I’ll begin a series of soil science articles.

Baked fish with sour cream sauce

Fish is often featured in restaurants during the season of Lent.  Fish sales are common in the grocery this time of year also. Here’s a recipe worthy of a restaurant you can make at home.  The fish used can be cod, haddock or pollock. This is a whole dinner for most people, you may want to add a salad.

Ingredients

1 lb. fish fillets
2 cups of sliced white mushrooms
5 medium size potatoes, sliced thinly
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and sliced thinly
¼ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
10 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour
Salt to taste

Mix 2 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper and coat the fish with them. 
Put 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan and sauté the fish in it until lightly browned.  Set aside.

Sauté the mushrooms in another pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter until lightly browned.  Remove from pan.

Add 4 tablespoons of the butter to the pan and fry the potato slices until soft and lightly browned. Remove and drain.

Butter a large casserole dish with the remaining butter. Arrange the fish fillets in it, in 1 layer.

On each fish fillet add a few slices of egg, then mushrooms and finally potato.

For the sauce mix the tablespoon of softened butter with the tablespoon of flour until it looks like a bit of crumbled dough.

Bring the sour cream to a boil gradually adding in the butter and flour dough and stirring constantly.  Simmer for 2 minutes and add salt to taste, stir well.

Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables in the casserole dish, then sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees F. oven for 5-10 minutes.  The top should be lightly browned and cheese melted.

Serve sprinkled with parsley.



 Sing for spring everyone
Kim Willis
 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:
(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)
An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

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