page links

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

October 9, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Buttered Popcorn plant - Cassia

It’s a warm muggy day here and we are even getting some sun.  Our weather has been swinging wildly from cold to warm.  We’ve had lots of rain.  I don’t think we are going to have a good year for fall color because many trees are dropping their leaves already, with little color.  But there are some places where the maples and other trees are coloring up, but color is still less than 50% here.
The landscape roses have a flush of new bloom and many annuals are still going strong.  I have clematis showing a second flush of bloom.  The anemone and toad lilies are still blooming.  Mums are blooming and Maximilian sunflowers.  The sweet potato vine that went crazy this year is almost totally filling my water trough pond, fighting with the water hyacinth.   No water is visible anymore.
One of the annuals that always puts on a good fall show is Woodland nicotiana, ‘Only the Lonely’ is a common name. Mine come up voluntarily each year in all sorts of places.  They are late coming up, germinating only when the soil is very warm, usually July.  But they make up quickly for the late start. In sun in good soil they can get 5 feet high and wide.  
Only the Lonely has huge, broad light green leaves very much like smoking tobacco.  It puts up stalks with clusters of white dangling trumpet shaped flowers which are very fragrant in the evening.  It will keep blooming until a hard frost.  They abundantly produce very fine black seeds which must blow in the wind or be carried in the fur of animals because they will pop up everywhere in the garden.  Once you have a couple plants you’ll probably always have them.

Only the Lonely
It looks like fall inside my house right now.  My hibiscus and a few other plants are dropping their leaves like crazy, yellow leaves all over the floor.  They are also blooming abundantly.  This is a reaction to being brought into different light conditions and I’m sure they will recover but its messy right now.
I have almost filled the porch now, I brought in a dozen geraniums, my ginger and jasmines and a few other things.  I’m leaving a couple open spots because there are a few pots of tender bulbs to come inside; crocosmia, rain lilies, peacock lilies, ground orchids, eucomis.  My crocosmia did not bloom at all this year, maybe they will bloom inside.
If you haven’t been feeding the birds in the summer, it’s time to get the feeders filled.  Many birds will be migrating through and full feeders help you spot unusual species and helps them keep going.
What the Americas gave to the world
Columbus Day was observed yesterday.  I have long disliked this holiday because we know that Columbus did not actually discover America, that honor probably goes to Amerigo Vespucci, who the continents were named for, although Vikings found it even earlier. (There is some dispute over who found the actual continents and not islands like the Bahamas and Cuba.)  
Columbus didn’t even explore or see much of the continent, perhaps the tip of Florida, and when he left he was still convinced he had found India.  He did establish a colony on Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) where he enslaved the native people and drove then to extinction.
In the 100+ years between Vespucci’s exploration and mapping, and the settlement at Plymouth Rock, numerous explorers from many countries travelled across both North and South America. The French settlement of Quebec and its fort were built in 1608, well before the Plymouth Rock colony struggled to take hold. (1620)
Early European explorers did not find continents devoid of humans, rather these explorers described huge cities, we know some indigenous cities in the early 1500’s had 15,000 or more people, cities both here and in South America. They also described numerous smaller cities or villages of people spread across the lands.  There were trade routes and commerce.
Cabeza de Vaca, an explorer from Spain in 1527 described a city in what is now Arizona, of Pueblo people, who he said, had cotton blankets finer than those at home, permanent homes and great stocks of grain.  French explorers in the north described large settlements of native people farming land and managing fruit and nut orchards along the St. Lawrence river and down along the Mississippi river.  They described large, well-tended farm fields covering many acres. 
The people of North and South America had a number of cultures and languages.  They knew of each other and trade between cultures was frequent.  Some cultures were nomadic, following game and moving with the season, others were agricultural and settled permanently. They wove and made pottery, mined metals and made intricate jewelry, turned maple syrup into sugar, which became a trade commodity, gathered wild foods, fished- dried oily fish from the Pacific coast were also widely traded inland, and also farmed enough food to feed large populations. 
But by the time the Europeans became successfully established, which they couldn’t have done without the help of the first people of the land, and moved further inland, the First People’s populations had been drastically reduced.  Diseases brought in by those early explorers, measles, influenza, cholera, and others had swept through the populations, who had no immunity to them, killing millions.   Fields were abandoned and homes crumbled into dust. 
When 200 years or so later early European pioneers began migrating from those initial coastal colonies into what they thought was unclaimed and untouched wilderness, they were merely seeing what nature does to heal itself when humans leave.  People before them had introduced new species, changed the soil and topography and managed wildlife hunting.  But now those efforts went unseen.  It’s a myth that the Americas were largely untouched by humans before Europeans arrived.
What the America’s gave the world
The Iroquois tribe’s system of government contributed greatly to our Constitution, Articles of Confederation and Bill of Rights and was recognized for that contribution by Congress in 1988.  Field and ice hockey, and lacrosse were Native American sports.  The science of ecology is based on the Native American spiritual beliefs of being connected with and working with nature.
Jerky making and freeze drying are food preservation techniques from the Americas.  Syringes, toboggans and snowshoes are pre-European Native American inventions.  
Sign language used today is based on Native American sign language.  Our spoken language contains many words from the languages of First People, including: barbecue, caribou, chipmunk, woodchuck, hammock, toboggan, skunk, mahogany, hurricane, and moccasin.  And of course, many place names in North America are from Native American names.
But the Americas really changed the old world in the realm of food. Explorers introduced the world to many new foods, some of which profoundly changed cultures. Some of these were corn, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, peanuts, agave, quinoa, arrowroot, sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, pineapple, pumpkin, cocoa bean (chocolate), vanilla, cranberries, cassava, papaya, avocado, turkey, and muscovy duck to name a few.  They also gave us tobacco, and coca (cocaine).

Potatoes in particular, were partly responsible for the Industrial revolution in Europe.  They allowed people in cold climates to grow a nutritious food that was calorie rich and that was easily prepared and stored. This kept larger populations fed and ready to work. Tomatoes and peppers became essential parts of local cuisines.  Corn was another crop that revolutionized agriculture. Chocolate, tobacco and coca, (cocaine) also radically altered old world civilizations. 
There are two ways the day now called Columbus Day should be thought of.  It could be a day of recognition and mourning of the great Native American civilizations that were lost by European invasion.  Or it could celebrate all the wonderful things the Americas gave to the world. And it should definitely be renamed.
Fall Bulb Planting
If you want pretty daffodils and tulips in the spring, you need to plant them in the fall. Now is the time to buy those bulbs. While we all are familiar with the common bulbs like tulips, crocus and daffodils why not try experimenting with some of the “minor” bulbs such as snowdrops, corydalis, English bluebells, Dutch iris, iris reticulata, anemones, winter aconite and other tiny treasures. Plant the small bulbs near the house and in places where the snow melts first each spring. Or buy a few spectacular larger focal bulbs like foxtail lilies or crown imperials to set off the spring garden.    
Gardeners can also find things like lily bulbs, which bloom in summer and ephemeral wildflowers like trilliums and trout lilies offered for fall planting.  Peonies and some other perennials may also be available. 
Bulbs can be planted up to when the ground freezes and most will survive.  But it’s good to get your bulbs into the ground at least six weeks before the ground freezes in your area. This gives the bulbs time to grow a root system.  If you can, plant them as soon as you get them, especially lilies.  If you can’t plant them right away store them in a cool, dark, dry place. Your refrigerator crisper is a good place. Don’t forget about them though!
Note: if you live in planting zone 8 or higher you will need to buy “pre-chilled” bulbs or chill them yourself.  Spring flowering bulbs need a cold period to bloom with soil temperatures around 35-40 degrees or lower.  Those in warmer climates can put bulbs in the refrigerator for 14 weeks before planting.
For the best results with bulbs buy top size or top grade or bulbs labeled jumbo and buy them from a reputable company. I recommend mail order catalogs unless you have a good garden shop nearby that sells bulbs.  Unfortunately, the bulbs you buy in packages in Walmart and other stores are usually not top grade and because they often sit for months in hot stores they shrivel or mold and are not going to perform well for you.
Buy your bulbs in larger quantities.  Except for a few unusual and expensive bulbs, I recommend quantities of 25 or more bulbs of the same kind.  Bulbs look better in drifts or groups of the same kind.  When buying bulbs in quantity make sure you are getting bulbs listed as top size. Some bulbs sold in quantity are smaller and less likely to survive and bloom.  These are often sold as “bargain bulbs.” 
Here’s how many bulbs to plant per square foot to get the best display.  Large tulips 5, species tulips 9-12, large daffodils 5, species daffodils and narcissus 7-10, large hyacinths 6, large alliums like Globemaster 2, small alliums 6-8, large crocus 8, species crocus 10-12, Snowdrops, windflowers (Anemone blanda),Muscari ( grape hyacinths),winter aconite and scilla 15-16, Crown Imperial 1, dog tooth violet( Erythronium) 12, Foxtail lilies 2, Dutch iris and iris reticulata 12.

You can use a color scheme or use a cottage garden approach and blend all colors together.  To prolong the season of bloom, start with early blooming bulbs like crocus and then blend tulips, narcissus and alliums that have early, mid-season and late blooms.   If you choose carefully you can have bulbs in bloom from the moment the snow melts to late June and if you include lilies, through much of the summer.
No matter how well they are planted or how big they are some bulbs will not last many years in the garden. Tulips are pretty notorious for this, many will not come back for even a second year.  Look for tulips labeled perennial, these are better at returning each year, but still expect to lose some each year. I like to add some new tulips each year and hyacinths every other year.  Some bulbs, however will actually multiply in the garden.  Many crocus, daffodils and alliums will multiply.  
If you are planting a lot of bulbs in a spot where nothing is currently planted, you could excavate the whole site to the proper depth.  Many of us, however, will be tucking the bulbs in among plants that are still growing.  This requires a small hole that won’t damage the roots of perennials in the bed.  Use a tool called a bulb planter or a narrow blade trowel for making those holes among other plants.
If you dig up bulbs from the previous season when you plant new bulbs simply replant them.  If they get cut in half or badly damaged, you’ll need to discard them. Take pictures in the spring of your blooming bulbs and refer to them in fall to see where bulbs are planted and what colors you have.
I like planting bulbs while the perennials are still growing in the garden, so I know exactly where to place the bulbs without damaging a dormant plant.  I can also place the bulbs under the outer edge of foliage of things like hosta and daylilies.  When the bulbs bloom in the spring the perennials usually aren’t big enough to hide them but later when the bulb foliage is dying and looking bad the perennial foliage will hide it.
The rule of thumb is to put the bulb in the ground about three times as deep as it is high.  A bulb that is one-inch high would be planted three inches deep.  Read the directions supplied to you with the bulbs and see if you have an exception to the rule.  You may want to plant the bulbs a little deeper in very sandy soil and a little higher in heavy clay.
In most bulbs there is a narrow or pointed end and that end goes up.  Some small bulbs are extremely difficult to determine which side goes up or down.  As a last resort plant them sideways.  Some bulbs will grow and eventually right themselves if planted on the side.
You can buy a little bulb fertilizer to put in the holes as you plant if you like.  Don’t use bone meal or blood meal.  These are often recommended by older books but research has found that while they do contribute some nutrients, they often attract pests like squirrels and mice, who also eat the bulbs.  Even dogs may dig out the bulbs if they smell bone or blood meal.
Squirrels and mice can be the biggest cause of bulb failure.  Moles don’t eat bulbs but their tunneling sometimes gets bulbs down too deeply to grow well or pushed out of the ground.  Cats may also uncover bulbs when using the fresh turned soil as a toilet. Free range chickens will scratch them up. If you are planting into an established garden the existing plants may hide your new bulbs. If you are planting a bare area you may want to cover the area with some wire fencing to keep animals out. Remove it in spring when the bulbs start coming up.
By the way, red pepper, Epsom salts, human hair, diatomaceous earth and all those folk remedies people are fond of sharing don’t really work to keep squirrels and other critters from eating the bulbs or digging them up. For those with past pest problems try narcissus, daffodils, Fritillaria species and alliums which are seldom eaten by pests.  These bulbs are poisonous though and should be kept out of reach of some less discriminate animals like dogs, which could die from them.  
If you can plant some bulbs in pots and then put them outside in the garage or a shed, where they can get the cold treatment they need to bloom.  Once we have had 6 weeks of temperatures around freezing or lower- usually by January here- you can bring the pots inside to a sunny spot and start watering them.  They should bloom 6-8 weeks later for early spring flowers inside.
Keeping your pond fish happy in the winter

Do you have a small garden pond with fish in it?  With winter approaching you may be wondering what you need to do to keep the fish alive during the winter.  It’s a shame to let nice koi or goldfish die over the winter as they get bigger and prettier each year. There are two basic options- bringing the fish inside for the winter or leaving them in the pond. 

If the pond is 30 inches or deeper you can probably leave the fish in the pond.  In the winter outside fish go into a state of semi-hibernation and their needs for food and oxygen decrease.  They generally spend most of their time near the bottom of the pond and may even partially bury themselves in debris at the bottom. However, in a pond it’s a good idea to clean out such debris before winter as it is a source of bacteria which can harm your fish.  The debris and decaying plant parts may also provide enough nutrients for algae blooms in sunny times during the winter, which then die off when it gets colder and cloudy, using up oxygen as they break down.

Rescue koi before winter

Decaying leaves and dying non-hardy pond plants also take oxygen from the water so they should also be removed before really cold weather sets in.  Native, cold hardy plants that are rooted should have all dead parts removed but can be left in the pond.  You can leave clay pots or rock formations for fish to spend the winter hiding in.  Even pieces of plastic pipe can provide hiding spots.

If you can aerate the pond in the winter this is generally a good way to keep the fish alive through the winter.  Even shallower ponds may provide safe winter harbor if they can be aerated.  In a really large, deep pond fish may survive without aeration or an open surface area but you are taking a chance when you try this.  Aeration can be provided by a pump that puts air into the pond or by a pump that lifts pond water and drops it back into the pond in a fountain or waterfall effect.  Both the aeration method and fountain method should keep a small area of the pond surface free of ice.

Another way to keep some surface area open to let oxygen in is to use a de-icer.  You can buy these in farm stores as well as pond supply places.  They may be called stock tank de-icers.  This is usually a heated circle or loop of metal that floats on the surface of the pond and melts any ice around it.   The larger your fish and the smaller the pond, the more surface area you will need to keep open.

Feed the fish that will be left outside well during the fall when they are still active but stop feeding when ice forms on the water.  If there is a prolonged warm spell and you see fish activity near your open area on the pond you can give them a small amount of food.  Otherwise resume feeding in the spring when the pond surface is free of ice and the fish are active.  Uneaten food in winter ponds is a big source of harmful bacteria and as it decays it robs the water of oxygen.

If your pond is shallow or above ground such as a tank or other container, you will need to bring your fish inside for the winter.  You can keep them in a warm room in an aquarium, or a spot just above freezing, such as in a basement, where they will go into semi-hibernation as they would do outside.  Aquariums for goldfish and Koi should not be heated, the cooler the water the better.  They will need aeration and filters.  They should be lighted for at least 8 hours a day or in a bright room. Feed the fish lightly over the winter period.

Stock tanks make good containers for holding fish over the winter in cool areas.  You can also use various other containers such as storage or muck tubs, wading pools etc.  I once made a large area for fish in my basement by stacking tightly bound piles of newspaper in a rectangle against one basement wall frame and using a pond liner over them. 

Make sure you have about 2 gallons of water per inch of fish that you are overwintering.  You will want to aerate and filter this water also.  The holding tank should have at least minimal lighting.  If you are also over wintering non-hardy water plants in this area you should have good lighting.  Feed fish lightly and only if they are active in the holding tanks.

Experts say that many fish manage to survive winter in aerated ponds outside and tanks inside only to die in late spring as the weather starts to warm.  This may be because of sharp shifts in water temperature in the seasonal weather or because the weakened fish get bacterial infections as the bacterial count climbs in warmer water.  Make sure to keep the tank or pond cleaned up and don’t overfeed as the weather warms.

Mulch your leaves for fewer weeds

As the leaves begin to fall I hope you have a mulching blade on your mower.  We have known for many years that mulching tree leaves on the lawn and leaving them there decreases the need for nitrogen fertilizer and improves soil texture.  Now research done by MSU says that mulching your maple and oak leaves into the lawn will result in 53-80% less dandelions growing in the lawn when spring comes.  That’s because the leaf mulch covers bare spots where seeds would land and germinate.  The researchers used only leaves from trees not treated with pesticides to avoid herbicide residue affecting the results.  They found that sugar maples and red oaks were the trees whose mulched leaves seemed to control weeds the best and dandelions are the weed most affected.

So, don’t rake your leaves unless you want them for the compost pile or covering the garden.  They will do far more good if you mow them into tiny pieces and leave them on the lawn rather than sending them to the landfill or burning them.  Mowed leaves blow around less and quickly disappear into the lawn.  Even a mower without a mulching blade will do a pretty good job cutting up leaves. 

Here’s additional reading.


Salt and sugar preservation of herbs

If you have a lot of herbs in the garden as frost nears you may want to know a quick way to preserve some of them.  Using sugar or salt will dry whole herbs and you can use the salt or sugar in cooking also.
Harvest herbs for drying in the morning but after any dew has dried.  Before putting the herbs in salt or sugar they must be free of moisture.  In rainy cloudy weather you may have to leave the herbs inside spread on paper for a few hours before attempting to preserve them.

Lay sprigs of herbs or herb leaves in a non- metallic container that has an inch or so of non-iodized salt or kosher salt in it. Do not use iodized table salt.  Cover the leaves or sprigs completely in salt. You can repeat for several layers. To dry garlic crush the garlic cloves before placing them in salt. Chopping herbs like parsley finely before placing them in the salt gives a better flavor to the salt. If the salt clumps during drying, stir it and keep stirring every day until clumps no longer form.

You can remove the herbs when they are dried and discard the salt, or you can use the salt, which will have taken on some of the herb’s flavors. Leaving finely chopped herbs in the salt gives you seasoned salt. Store the salt in a tightly closed container. Try combining several herbs. You can use the seasoned salt as a meat rub or in other cooking.

Certain herbs that are used in sweet cooking or teas can be preserved in sugar. Lemon balm, mints, lavender, rose petals, etc. are some examples. Chopping the herbs first works better when preserving them in sugar.  Put an inch or so of sugar down, then chopped herbs then a layer of sugar.  You can repeat for several layers.  Stir if clumps form until the sugar no longer clumps. Keep the container covered to avoid attracting insects.  It can also be stored in the refrigerator. 

You can sift the herbs out of the sugar when they are dry and store them in tight containers.  And you can then use the sugar that’s left in various ways. Baking with the sugar will make most of the herb flavor disappear, and only a light flavor will remain. But the sugar can be added to tea and cold drinks or used to top desserts.  Adding a crushed or whole vanilla bean to some of the herbs in sugar makes a nice touch. Please note- cane sugar or beet sugar can be used but artificial sweeteners cannot be used to preserve herbs.

Oriental coleslaw

Cabbage is cheap and abundant in the fall.  If you are looking for ways to use some of that cabbage try this oriental style salad.  You’ll need to start about 2 hours before serving.

Ingredients
6 cups of chopped or shredded fresh cabbage
½ cup shredded carrots
6 sliced green onions
1 pkg. of chicken flavored ramen noodles
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup peanut oil (other oils can be used)
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions
Prepare dressing first.  Mix together the oil, vinegar, sugar and the flavor package from the ramen noodles.  Refrigerate for 1 hour minimum.

Spread the almonds and sesame seeds on a cookie sheet and place in an oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Put the ramen noodles in a bowl and pour a ½ of boiling water on them.  Let sit about 5 minutes. 

Mix together the cabbage, carrots, green onions and cooled noodles.
Pour the chilled vinegar dressing mix over the cabbage mix and toss to coat well.

Just before serving sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds and almonds.


Enjoy fall while it lasts

Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:
(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

Newsletter/blog information
I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com


No comments:

Post a Comment