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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

February 26, 2019 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog


Hi Gardeners,
Dirty hard snow, ice and gray skies.  I am so glad February is almost over.  We made it through Sunday’s strong winds without losing power, that’s a good thing.  But I need to see flowers – where are my snowdrops?  Some years they bloom in February, last year some bloomed February 20.  If they bloomed this year it was below the snow.  We have more nasty weather forecast for this week, so I probably won’t see them soon.


Well I did it.  I paid $19.99 for a pkt. of sweet corn, Gurneys ‘Simply Irresistible’. I tried to find it somewhere else cheaper, but they were the only one carrying it, at least under that name.  I hope it holds up to the hype.  I loved Gurney’s ‘Gotta Have It’ sweet corn, it was the best corn I ever had.  This one is also a bi-color, large ears, supposed to be early and very vigorous.  If it’s better than ‘Gotta Have It’ as claimed, it will be good.  Even though I had a $25 off a $50 purchase coupon that makes the package of 200 seeds close to $10 – which is still awfully expensive, but sometimes you take a chance.
I could have waited for a year or two until the price came down. But I like trying new varieties and so I just went ahead and ordered it.  If it doesn’t live up to the claims, I will certainly let them know.  And one never knows how many gardening seasons you have left.
It must have been my day for indulging myself because I also ordered an expensive daylily I’ve admired for a couple years, from another company, Roots and Rhizomes.  It’s called ‘Lies and Lipstick’. Its white with red markings.  I love the name, that might be partly why I was attracted to it.  I also ordered a daylily called ‘Simmons Overture’ which is a large flowered lavender with a black eye and ruffled edge.  Daylilies and irises have such fanciful names, I think people pick one over the other based on the name sometimes.
I am so tempted sometimes to make a garden bed with nothing but daylilies or iris or even hosta, those species that have hundreds or thousands of varieties.  I look at the catalogs and see so many I want.  I have seen people who do collect species of plants and they carefully label them, so the names aren’t forgotten.  Sometimes they breed them to create their own new varieties. My grandmother collected irises and my grandfather roses.  Being a plant collector has seeped into my veins.
But I like so many kinds of plants and I don’t have the energy to care for multiple huge beds of separate kinds of plants. There’s nothing better than gardening, but life brings you laundry and cooking and all those other vital pursuits.  So, I’ll be content with mixing a few good varieties of each species into the beds I have.  Something different will be blooming every week this way, at least that’s the goal.
I just can’t wait to get out and garden again!
Giant bee rediscovered
In the islands of Indonesia lives a giant bee, Wallace’s bee (Megachile pluto).  It has a wingspan of 2 and a half inches, huge jaws and a formidable buzz.  But until recently the bee hadn’t been seen since 1981 and entomologists wondered if it had gone extinct.  In January a group of scientists sponsored by the Global Wildlife Conservation organization, set out to find the elusive bee.  They were successful, finding a least one female bee on the Indonesian island chain North Molucca. 
The Wallace bee lives in termite mounds that are made in trees on the islands. They are black and as large as a man’s thumb.  They use their jaws to collect resin and bits of wood to line their nest cavities. Little else is known about their behavior or how many giant bees remain, but scientists hope to learn more and make them a symbol for conservation in the area.  Hopefully they won’t learn that it’s sting will kill you.
A video showing the giant bee has been made.  You can see it here;
Eyelash Begonias
There are hundreds of species of begonias in the world but only a few have become well known garden plants.  Most gardeners are familiar with rex begonias, tuberous begonias, the wax begonias used for bedding, and perhaps the “cane” or angel wing types often sold in spring for outdoor containers. But there are other types of begonias that are interesting and worth seeking out, especially for houseplants.
The eyelash begonia Begonia bowerii (or bowerae depending on the source) and its hybrids with other species is a good example of a begonia that deserves more use as a houseplant.  It has tiny pink or white flowers, but its foliage is the star of the show.  It’s native to Mexico and is not hardy below zone 10.

Eyelash Begonia
credit: Wildfeuer  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)  
Eyelash begonias are named that because the leaf edges are lined with tiny white hairs much like eyelashes. The leaves are shaped somewhat like rex begonia leaves, an uneven heart shape with a pronounced point, but are somewhat smaller than rex begonia leaves.  They are thick, somewhat wrinkly, have prominent veins and generally have a pattern of colorful blotches.  One common cultivar is ‘Tiger Begonia’ which has yellow-orange splotches on a bronze background. ‘Leprechaun’ has green blotches on a reddish background and is compact, with small leaves.  There are many other cultivars of eyelash begonias with colorful foliage although they can hard to find.  
Most of the eyelash cultivars have red leaf stems.  The leaf stems often have “eyelashes” too.  There are very short thick main stems with a clump of leaves, each with long leaf petioles or stems, that pop up along the rhizomes at the soil surface. The rhizomes creep along the soil surface and branch off, producing new plantlets along the way.  Plants are relatively small in height 12 inches for most cultivars, although they spread into nice mounds of foliage.
Care
Eyelash begonias are best planted in pots that are wider than they are deep to allow for plantlets to form.  Use a lightweight potting medium in the pots. The pots must have drainage holes.  Hanging baskets often work well for eyelash begonias. 
Eyelash begonias like bright indirect light.  An east or north window location is good or bright artificial light.  If moved outside in warm weather, they should be kept in the shade.  They can make great fillers for containers in the shade.
Water eyelash begonias carefully.  They need to be moist but too much water will cause stem rot. In winter and in lower light conditions let the top of the potting medium dry out just a bit before watering.  Eyelash begonias also prefer higher humidity levels and a humidity tray beneath them may be needed.
Keep the eyelash begonias above 55 degrees and don’t let them sit in cold drafts or touch cold windows.  Once you find a place for your eyelash begonia try to keep it there.  They are one of the plants that do not like adjusting to new places very often.
Plants can be pinched or lightly trimmed to shape them and promote a bushy form.  Remove dead leaves and flowers to keep them neat.
A liquid houseplant fertilizer should be used every other week, according to label directions, from late winter through summer, when the plant produces it’s small but pretty blooms.  Like most begonias there are separate male and female flowers, which look a little different from each other.
Eyelash begonias don’t have many disease or insect problems. Powdery mildew can be a problem in wet, or very humid environments. Outside snails and slugs are fond of them. The biggest problems they suffer are from improper watering, usually over watering, which causes rhizomes and leaves to rot.
Propagation
All begonias are rather short-lived plants, 3-5 years, but are fairly easy to propagate. The easiest way is to carefully remove a plantlet (a clump of leaves), with a piece of rhizome attached and pot it.  Rhizomes can be cut into pieces with a growing point or two (leaf nodes) and rooted in damp peat or vermiculite. 
In spring a young leaf with stem can be removed and the stem inserted at an angle into a pot of damp medium.  Enclose the pot in a plastic bag and keep it out of direct sun. When plantlets appear at the base of the old leaf stem you can remove them and plant them.
Eyelash begonias make beautiful and different houseplants.  While they may not be found at the local grocery houseplant counter or even in smaller greenhouses, you’ll find them in on line plant stores that specialize in tropical houseplants.  They are well worth seeking out.
Celery Juice hoax
It’s all over the internet and kooky health shows on TV have talked about it-the celery juice “cure”. Celery juice is the newest nutritional/medicinal fad and it’s claimed to cure everything from cancer to baldness.  Sadly, it’s just not true and drinking too much celery juice could be hazardous to your health.
A man named Williams, a self-proclaimed healer/teacher of sorts, claimed “a spirit” told him about celery juice and that it had special salts that cured all kinds of things.  Williams has no degrees or experience in any scientific or medical field.  Yes, he has written books but so have many other people who prey on people’s desire for magic cures. And anyone who claims he gets medical advice from spirits needs to have a mental health evaluation if he truly believes that.  More likely he just descended from a long line of snake oil salesmen. 
Celery is a fine vegetable when it’s eaten whole.  It has some antioxidants and many vitamins and lots of healthy fiber.  It’s tasty and fills you up without a lot of calories. But when you juice it and drink whole glasses of that juice it may not be so harmless. 
Celery does have salts, but there’s nothing special about them and they’ve been known for a long time.  In fact, celery has a lot of sodium, a glass of celery juice has more sodium than 2 large McDonalds fry orders.  If you have high blood pressure or problems retaining fluid celery juice is a very unwise choice.
Some of that salt is sodium nitrate.  Celery is high in nitrates; celery juice and powder have been used to cure bacon and other meats.  Some research has linked nitrate consumption to cancer and heart disease when nitrate transforms to nitrites in the body.  If you aren’t eating bacon because you think it causes cancer, why would you drink celery juice?
(Important: Many vegetables and fruits have nitrates. Normal ways of eating these items doesn’t result in any nitrate/nitrite problems and consumption of fruits and vegetables, including celery is good for you.)
I would never give babies celery juice.  Babies have a difficult time processing nitrates and too many nitrates in the blood affect how much oxygen it can carry, causing methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome.  Home prepared vegetable baby foods have been cited as a cause of methemoglobinemia so celery juice would probably be very dangerous for babies.
Celery may also have chemical compounds called psoralens. (Tip- celery with brown spots is more likely to have high levels of psoralens.) These chemicals make the skin sensitive to the sun, causing sunburn, blisters and rashes.  People consuming celery juice frequently need to stay out of the sun.  Celery also has glucosinolates or goitrogens.  These are sugar-sulfur compounds that affect the thyroid gland and could cause goiter.
Celery is in the top ten list of pesticide contaminated foods.  It’s very hard to completely wash pesticides off the surface of celery.  Juicing celery that isn’t properly washed would be producing a drink laced with pesticides.  It takes a lot of celery stalks to produce a glass of juice, so you are concentrating pesticide residue.
People doing the celery juice “treatment” which is drinking an 8 oz. glass of celery juice each morning when you get up and then not eating for 30 minutes, often claim to feel better.  Medical experts say this is probably because of the hydration factor and drinking a glass of water in the morning when you wake would probably have the same benefit.  The mind also has a powerful effect on the body.  If you think you feel better you actually do feel better.
If you are eating celery raw in normal amounts, are using celery seed or powder for seasoning or cooking celery in soups and other foods there is no need to worry.  Celery used like this is healthy and good for you.  But juicing celery and drinking a glass every day is not a wise move and there is no scientific evidence of any medical benefits other than hydration.  Celery juicing removes the fiber from celery, one of the healthiest parts of it. Eat your celery, don’t drink it.

More reading

Seed Planting devices
Since the beginning of agriculture people have devised all kinds of aids to help them plant seeds. Some seeds are large and easy to handle but need to be spaced carefully so there is less time wasted thinning and plants have enough room to grow to their best potential.  Some seeds are very small and difficult to handle and even harder to space properly.
If you are planting seeds inside, in pots or flats, spacing larger seeds isn’t a problem.  But tiny fine seeds can be tricky to plant even inside.  There are a number of handheld seeders you can purchase that can help with this problem.  They usually have dials you can turn to suit the size of the seed you need to dispense.
A pencil with an eraser can also be used to plant small seeds.  Dampen the eraser and a seed will stick to the wet part. You can then transfer the seed to where you want it. 
To better see dark seeds against dark potting medium so you can space them, you can use light colored, fine sand.  You can buy this in many craft stores.  Sprinkle the sand in the bottom of rows you have made or over the surface of a flat. You’ll be able to see where the seeds are against the light background.  Do not substitute salt- it will burn seedlings or flour or sugar, they will cause fungal problems.
You can also use white one ply toilet paper or thin tissue paper in rows or on a flat’s surface so you can see where dark tiny seeds land. Wet the paper before adding the seeds or they may float into clumps when you add water. Be aware paper can wick moisture away from seeds if it dries out.  Cover the paper and seeds lightly with potting medium.  If dry paper shows at the edges of the containers carefully dampen it with a little water.
You can start seeds right on a piece of damp paper inside a plastic bag or container. It’s easy to see where to place the seeds. When they germinate carefully cut or tear off the section of paper with the seedling and place it on a container of potting medium and lightly cover it. The paper will dissolve eventually, and roots grow through it.  This procedure is a bit time consuming, but I have used it to grow seeds of many types, large and small.

Outside planting aids
You can buy pelleted seeds which make small seeds easier to plant outside or seed tapes for spacing small seeds. You can also make your own seed tape with one ply toilet paper.  Lay a piece out – 2-3 feet is a good length- and place seeds in the middle properly spaced along it.  Then put a thin line of a non-toxic glue along the edges of the paper and between each seed and put another piece of toilet paper on top.  Let it dry before moving it.
A very simple seed planting aid that will help you space seeds or even plants, is a flat piece of board or other substance with inches measured and marked on it. I use a piece of white plastic molding.  You just place it beside the row and plant at the proper inch markings for spacing the plant species you are planting.  You’ll be surprised how much neater and well-spaced your rows will be.  A yardstick could be used but you can make a longer planting guide, so you won’t be moving it as often.
To keep from getting a sore back stooping to plant seeds you can simply use a hollow piece of pipe, (I use lightweight plastic pipe), at the right height for you.  You stand over the row, place the pipe where you want the seed and drop a seed down the pipe. You can use a dib, which is just something to poke a hole in soil for a seed and then place the pipe over the dib hole.  You can attach a dib on one side of the planting pipe at the bottom. The dib could be a piece of wooden dowel. Punch the hole, then lift the dib and swivel the pipe so its over the hole and drop the seed down it.
There is a simple seed planting device you can make from hardware store parts that will plant small seeds in a large outdoor row system quite easily.  There’s a YouTube video link below that shows you how to make this clever device.

What is potting medium and which brand is best?
Soil is a mixture of rock particles, decaying organic matter, air spaces, water, and soil microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.  It varies tremendously from area to area.  While soil is what we plant in outside, (not dirt, dirt is something unwanted or undesirable), soil is not the best option for starting seeds inside or growing houseplants.  Potting medium is the preferred option for these growing needs.
Potting medium contains no soil. It is lighter and there is less chance of potting medium containing harmful organisms like the dampening off fungus.  It’s usually pH balanced and shouldn’t harden or crust over.  Most commercial potting mixes/seed starters are composed of some of these; sphagnum peat, other forms of peat, perlite, ground bark or coir, vermiculite, limestone and various wetting agents, some have worm castings or mycorrhizae added. 
Potting mediums can be formulated to suit the needs of some plant species, such as cacti, orchids, African violets and so on. Some potting mediums are considered to be general purpose or useful for a wide range of plants. 
Some potting mediums contain a slow release fertilizer, and some contain special water holding granules.  A general-purpose planting mix could be used for seed starting but it is much better to choose a special mix called seed starting mix. These mixes are finer in texture. They are generally, but not always, sterilized. Sterile potting mediums are great for starting seeds and rooting cuttings to help avoid diseases that can be present in real soil. The label should plainly state – “sterile seed starting mix”.  If you have tiny seed, hard to germinate seeds, rare seeds, or seeds with sentimental value always use a sterile seed starting mix
There is an abundance of seed starting and transplant/potting medium brands on the market and it can be hard to decide which one to purchase.  To add to the confusion some companies have a variety of places making their brand name mixes and each place can make a slightly different mix depending on local resources. One bag of the mix may not look or perform as well as another of the same brand. So, is there a better brand?
There’s a rating below of what potting mediums I like and dislike. To be completely fair about this rating I must say I received samples of Gardeners Supply and Miracle Grow potting soil for testing.  Other brands were purchased for comparison.  I have used all of these soils.  There are many other brands of potting mix/ seed starting soil on the market and although they aren’t listed here it doesn’t mean they aren’t good mixes.


Gardener’s Supply Planting mixes/seed starter- I love both of these mixtures, seed starting and transplant mix.  They are lightweight, the seed starter is fine textured, and they both hold water well. Plants grew very well in both mixtures.  These mixtures contain soil mycorrhizae and are pH balanced. (Soil mycorrhizae help plant roots process nutrients and get plants off to a fast start.) The mixes are very similar to Pro-Mix, an advantage is that you can buy this soil in smaller quantities than Pro-Mix and the cost is quite reasonable.   Gardener’s Supply offers discounts for multiple bags too. Cost is about $8 for a 9 qt. seed starting mix and $19 for 30 qt. transplant mix.  Gardener’s Supply offers an organic seed starter too, (which this author did not try). 
Pro-Mix- if you are going to be starting tons of seeds or transplants this is probably the gold standard.  Pro Mix is light weight and contains both mycorrhizae and a natural bio-fungicide. It holds water very well and is a delight to use.  It does not contain fertilizer. The disadvantage is that Pro-Mix comes in large, 3.2 feet compressed bales that weigh about 70 pounds.  It can be hard to find locally, and shipping is very expensive.   You can store potting mixes from season to season but be aware that soil mycorrhizae can die over long storage and you will lose that advantage.  Cost ranges from $25 a bale up to $65, depending on where you buy it, and discounts are normally offered for multiple bales.  Remember to factor in shipping costs if it is shipped to you.
Espoma planting mixes- have the same ingredients as most potting mediums.  However, they add worm castings which are said to have some nutritional benefits, along with mycorrhizae.  There are organic formulas too. They are good mixes, light and water retentive, but I found no advantage over Pro-Mix or Gardeners Supply mixes. Prices are all over the place, I found Walmart had the cheapest price, at about $10 for a 16 qt. bag.  Other places sell the same bag for about twice that.
Miracle Grow- the Miracle Grow brand name is well known but their potting soil mixes are known for variability, depending on where they are manufactured.  Some mixes seem fine, lightweight and with good water retention.  Others have large pieces of coarse wood, sticks and other debris in them.  Some feel heavy and dense.  I have had bags which were great in texture and others not so good.  All Miracle Grow mixes have fertilizer mixed in, which some growers don’t like.  It’s usually a bit more expensive than other brands; the author found it cost about $10 per 8 qt. bag, although specials and discounts seem frequent.  The soil seems to be fine for filling outside planters and large pots.
Jiffy potting mixes- not terrible but so-so, average in weight, texture and water retention.  They do not contain mycorrhizae and seem overpriced compared to other mixes.  The price I found was about $19 for a 16 qt. bag.  The organic option was terribly expensive at $40 for 12 qt.
Hoffman potting mixes- typical composition, I did not try it this year but I have used the potting mix in the past with few problems.  Its pH balanced, seems to be a fine texture and holds water reasonably well.  It runs about $13 for a 10 qt. bag.
While potting mediums may be safer for plants than soil, in some places potting mediums may have organisms that can cause disease in humans.  This is caused when dust from them is inhaled or the gardener gets the medium into wounds or the mouth.  Wear gloves when using potting medium and don’t eat, drink or smoke while using it. Whatever potting medium you decide to buy should be kept tightly closed when not in use and it should be stored in a dry, above freezing location. Keep it out of direct sunlight, and don’t let water get into it, the warmth and moisture can cause bacteria to grow in it.  

While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch.     
-      Patience Strong

Kim Willis
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I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week (or things I want to talk about). 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 or anyone you know 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


Tuesday, February 19, 2019

February 19, 2019 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog


Hi Gardeners,
Some day soon.
The moon was beautiful last night. It was a super full moon – a moon that is very close to the earth as today is moon perigee.  It’s called the snow moon or full cold moon and it sure was bright reflected off the snow last night.  I thought at first I had left the porch light on it was so well lit up outside.  Because it was so clear it was also really cold out there, 2 below zero here.  I stayed inside and looked out the window, although it would have been nice to wander in the moonlight that bright.

I might have been able to scare the deer that have been destroying my shrubs had I wandered outside.  I saw 5 of them in our old pasture a few days ago.  They have eaten my arborvitae as high as they can reach and the euonymus is once again a skeleton.  I didn’t use any solar twinkling lights this year except for 1 strand and it got pushed down.  I had netting around everything, but they pushed it down or ate through it. 
I went out about noon today and there was a big doe standing in the pasture eating on an apple tree.  At her feet was one of my traitorous cats rubbing around her feet. That’s really bold. And the cat thing was rather weird. I yelled at her and she took off.  They get no food here other than my landscape, but they seem to like it here really well.
I am worried the deer will really destroy my tulips and other things that may be coming up soon.  Where I covered the beds with netting last year the spring plants were spared but seeing how they did the netting this winter makes me wonder if it will help to cover the bulbs.  I hate those big rats.
Only 28 days until spring- calendar spring anyway. We are expecting a warm up into the 40’s this weekend – maybe it will melt the snow we have now and the ice that’s expected tomorrow. And then the snow won’t return for a long time- like next year- hopefully.
Inside one of my amaryllis is almost ready to bloom.  It’s been taking a long time it seems like for the buds to open.  I picked another lemon off the lemon tree this week.  Blooms inside are few, the plants may pick up bloom again now that I have resumed fertilizing and we are having a little more sun.  Those geraniums on the porch are still blooming though.
Tomorrow I will be checking my stored bulbs to see how they are doing.  If you have things like dahlias stored away make sure to check them soon to see if they need a little moisture.  If they are shriveled put just a little water on your packing material.  Another month and I will be potting them up to get them started.
How will your climate change in the future?
Climate change is a fact, no matter what your beliefs are on what caused it.  We know from history that climate often changes the fate of civilizations and is the cause of migrations to new areas.  We are experiencing a warming of our climate in general but that doesn’t mean everywhere on earth will become warmer all the time.  Instead the warming of the polar areas will cause polar ice to melt and the seas to warm and this affects our weather patterns.
We are seeing extreme weather conditions now and they will probably get worse before things settle down to some new normal.  More rain, more storms, more droughts, wide swings of temperature, all are part of climate change.  Will our species survive?  You and I probably won’t be around to find out.  But scientist have been able to predict with some accuracy what the climate will be like a few decades from now.  Your kids may be around to see this.
The University of Maryland’s Environmental Science program has put together a website that predicts future climate in your area.  You can click a location near you on the map and see what your climate will be like in 60 years.  I clicked on Flint, Michigan, the closest listed city near me, and found that in 60 years it should feel like what the weather in Chester, Pennsylvania feels like now.  That will be 10 degrees warmer in winter and 94% wetter than it is now.  Chester, Pennsylvania will feel like New South Memphis, Tennessee and it will be hotter and drier.
Some places will be drier, some wetter than they are now but most will be warmer.  In general, your climate will be like that 300-500 miles south of you now.  Does that mean the growing zones will change?  Probably. But maybe not as much as it would seem since hardiness maps are made on the average low winter temperature.  Erratic weather may allow for areas to get colder in winter than what would be expected from summer temperatures.  Just look at the snow falling in Los Angeles and Hawaii this year.
You can access the interactive map to see what changes your area can expect and find out how the map was made by going here; www.umces.edu/futureurbanclimates

New aloe discovered- Aloe sanginalis,
It’s amazing that we still find new species of plants, and this one wasn’t even hiding, it was just overlooked for centuries.  A Somali environmentalist, Ahmed Awale, was driving through the countryside when he noticed patches of an odd but showy aloe growing along the road. He thought it different from other aloes in the country.  Later he was able to get a botanist, Mary Barkworth, to go back with him to examine the plant.
The people in the area knew the plant and they called it "Dacar cas" or red aloe. But science had never formally examined or classified the plant.  After study, it was found to be a distinct species and was given a scientific name.
This aloe has reddish leaves when mature that make it stand out, but its distinction is a blood red sap that flows from it when broken.  It also has red flowers. It’s now been found in two places in Somalia but its suspected there are other places where it grows. 
Could this be the newest rage in houseplants?  I can see the common name here- Blood aloe.  Someone needs to hop on a plane and go collect some.

Dodder
Dodder flower
wikipedia
If you come out to your garden one day and find that something seems to have woven your plants together with a golden string you may have found dodder.  While dodder cannot be considered a welcome guest in the garden, it is one of the most interesting plants you may come across. Get a good look at it if you can before you destroy it.
Dodder is the common name for plants of the Cuscuta genus of which there are about 170 species, many native to the US. Only 1% of flowering plants are parasitic and the Cuscuta genus represents many of them. These plants have a host of common names besides dodder including wizard's net, devil's guts, strangle tare, witch's hair, hellbine, pull-down, strangleweed, angel hair, scaldweed, beggarweed,[3] lady's laces, and goldthread.
There are many native species of dodder in North America and species have also been introduced from other places in the world.  They are hard to identify unless you are an expert.  The leafless, usually gold or red stringy stems twined around other plants and not connected to the ground are the diagnostic clue.
Some native species include Cuscuta campestris, with the common names field dodder or golden dodder, Cuscuta pentagona, the fiveangled dodder, Cuscuta gronovii, common dodder, which is found in all but 5 of the 50 states and cuscuta compacta, compact dodder which is very common in the northeastern states in wet areas.
Dodder is related to the Morning Glory family and you may recognize the relationship when you see the plant twined around other plants in the garden.  Unlike morning glories and bindweed, the leaves of dodder have become almost invisible, they exist as tiny scales along the string-like stems. These stems range from pale green to golden or red depending on the dodder species.  Most have colorful stems and you can notice their presence on green plants easily.
Without leaves you may guess that dodder would have a hard time making its own food. Dodder has very little chlorophyll, the food factories of most plants.  To survive dodder has replaced normal plant roots with a specialized root system called haustoria. They have no roots connected to the soil.
Dodder
Lichert, US Forest Service
These specialized haustoria roots grow out along the stem where it is entwined with the stem of another plant.  They burrow into the stems of the poor host plant like other plants roots burrow into soil.  One type of haustoria burrows into the xylem, the water carrying vascular tissue, and the other type burrows into the phloem, the food carrying vascular tissue.  Now the dodder has everything it needs to survive, sucking food and water from the plant it has attacked.
Dodder is an annual plant in North America.  It starts out each season germinating from a tiny seed at the base of what hopefully will be its host plant.  Dodder seeds need to have the seed coat damaged (scarified)by weathering, fungus or animals before they can germinate. The seeds may get to your garden in a variety of ways, they are carried by waterfowl feet, in hay and straw, and in the hair and on the feet of animals.  The seeds can remain in soil for up to 10 years waiting for the right time to germinate.
Once they germinate in spring, they send up that threadlike stem searching for a host.  They are attracted to hosts both by the scents the plants give off and by far red light that is reflected from plants and which they can sense.  If they can’t find a host plant in about 10 days they will die. 
Some species of dodder specialize, accepting only one host species but many will attack a variety of hosts.  They prefer host plants with sturdy, upright stems in most cases. Alfalfa, soybeans, clover, lespedeza, blueberries, viburnum, holly, dahlias, chrysanthemum, tomatoes, potatoes, elderberries, trumpet vine, asters, eupatorium, helenium, petunias, and many young tree species are just some of the host species affected.
Once they begin sucking nutrients from their hosts the dodder plants grow rapidly, covering the original host and often reaching out and literally connecting it to nearby plants.  Their haustoria unite the vascular systems of any plants they span. Sometimes this is beneficial to some degree, such as passing along chemical signals a plant under insect attack produces, allowing connected plants to have an early warning system.  But it is also harmful because diseases a plant may get are easily passed through the vascular systems of connected plants.
Once well-nourished and mature the dodder can produce flowers. This usually happens in summer and early fall, timing depends on the species.   These flowers are tiny, usually bowl shaped and produced in clusters along the stem.  Most are white but some species have pink or lavender flowers. They are pollinated by insects, tiny wasps and gnats are some pollinators. The flowers then turn into small pea-sized fruits the same color as the stem.  Those fruits produce lots of seeds to start the next generation.

Dodder Control

Dodder harms plants by weakening them and the binding together of plants may cause some plant parts to be shaded or prevent flowers from opening.  Dodder infected plants are more susceptible to disease. Dodder can kill the host plants it covers simply by smothering and starving them.  Dodder is considered a serious agricultural pest in some areas and certainly are not the best plant to share space in your garden.  But dodder control can be extremely difficult.
You can’t apply weed killers to the dodder plants unless you are willing to also kill the plants they are attached to.  Remember they now share a vascular system with those plants and pesticides will be transmitted from the dodder to the host plant. If you pull the dodder stems off host plants tiny pieces are usually left where haustoria went into the host plant.  These will quickly regrow new stems.  Control generally means pulling and disposing of the host plants with the dodder on them.  Make sure you get all the plants the dodder is attached to.
If the host plant can be cut back to the ground and regrow or has a tuberous root like dahlias, removing the above ground parts with the dodder may get rid of it and spare the host.
 It’s not recommended that dodder plants and the attached host plants be composted unless you are sure the dodder has not produced any fruits. The seeds are not killed by composting and if you use the compost in the garden you will spread those seeds. The best defense against dodder is to quickly recognize it when it is young, before it flowers, and dispose of it and any plants it is attached to.
Dodder is not considered to be a poisonous plant, but some people have reported colic symptoms in horses after they ate it and digestive problems in cattle have been reported also.  It is not recommended as an edible plant.
Dodder has some uses in folk remedies, it was used for liver and urinary tract problems, but no scientific studies have been done.  Dodder is also said to be a laxative.
If you see dodder in the garden, you probably should remove it before it goes to seed or kills your other plants.  In the wild dodder is a native part of the ecosystem and should be left alone.  It promotes diversity by controlling the growth of saplings and other plants that might dominate an ecosystem.

Should you start plants inside from seed?

Many new gardeners want to start plants from seed because they want the experience of growing things from seed.  But many others believe they will save money if they grow from seed or that starting plants from seed is what good gardeners are supposed to do.  Let’s get two things straight right here, it’s not always cheaper to start plants from seed and many great gardeners prefer to buy seedlings or plants rather than start seeds.
I don’t want to discourage anyone from starting seeds if that’s something they really, really want to do.  Many times, new gardeners are just eager to get started and growing something inside satisfies the itch.  There are some experienced gardeners that feel they must control every step of plant production too. But before you start those seeds inside there are things to consider.
Besides the purchase price of seeds, you’ll need potting medium and containers.  The cost of a packet of seeds is probably about the cost of a 6 pack of plants at your local nursery. If you have a greenhouse, you’ll probably still need supplemental lighting in the northern part of the country, and you may need heat or heated pads.  If you don’t have a greenhouse even southern windowsills probably won’t produce the strongest plants and grow lights will be needed.  Electric bills will go up.   
And if you want 6 different types of peppers the expense mounts rapidly.  Of course, you don’t have to start all the seeds, but most people start far more plants than they need when they use seeds.  That takes a lot of space, and more grow lights.
Instead you could go to a good greenhouse and pick out 6 types of peppers.  Many greenhouses now sell individually potted plants, so you won’t need to buy 4-6 plants of each type.  Even if your only option is to buy a pack of 4-6 plants of the same variety that’s probably a lot less excess than a packet of seeds will produce and about the same cost as 6 packs of seed.
Growing failures are common when people start seeds inside.  Maybe all the seedlings succumbed to dampening off, a fungal disease.  Maybe the cat laid on top of the seedlings or the toddler knocked everything off the table.  Now you may be forced to buy your plants anyway after investing all that time and money. And even if cost isn’t a factor to you, there are other reasons to buy started plants or plant seeds outside in the garden. 

Begonias in a greenhouse

Inside or outside?
When you think of the vegetable garden there are many crops that should be started from seed right in the spot they are to grow. This is true for root crops like carrots, radishes and beets, which don’t like transplanting and also for things like corn, peas, and beans which can be transplanted but usually do better when seeds are planted directly in the ground. 
Lettuce should also be planted where it is to grow.  This could be a container or a garden bed.  Lettuce grows so quickly that starting it in one place and then transplanting it to another makes no sense.  The only exception might be iceberg type (head) lettuce, which is a tricky crop for home gardeners.  You might want to start seed for that inside or buy plants.  Or consider not growing it at all because it has very little nutrition.
For things like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, starting the seeds inside early is a good option for most of the country.  However, if you just want a few tomato plants, buying started plants at a nearby greenhouse at the proper planting time for your area is probably the best option.  Unless you have a greenhouse or an expensive grow light system the plants produced at home rarely are as robust and healthy as those you buy. 
It might be justifiable to start tomatoes and peppers from seed if there are rare varieties you want that you probably won’t be able to find at a local nursery.  And some people live far away from a good greenhouse.  There are now catalogs and on-line sites that will allow you to order started tomato and pepper plants and many sell a wide range of varieties. Consider whether purchasing these and having them shipped to you will be as cost effective as growing them from seed.  Remember to consider your time and the effort you’ll invest in growing the plants. 
Vining plants, the cucurbits, like cucumbers, melons, and squash can be started inside or purchased.  Since they should only be started inside a few weeks before transplanting, there’s a little less chance that the plants will get spindly or die before transplanting.  You want to transplant these things while they are still small for best results whether you start them yourself or buy little plants.  
The cucurbits will start outside where you want to plant them quite easily if the soil is warm and they grow faster if they don’t have to get over transplant shock. I always start these as seeds in the spot where they are to grow.  If late frost or something else kills the plants I buy transplants at the greenhouse to replace them.
Onions can be planted in several ways.  Sweet onions like the Vidalia types are usually planted as seedlings. Seed can be started inside or seedlings purchased for transplanting. You can also buy bundles of seedlings from catalogs that are shipped to you.  Onions are one of the few vegetable plants that can be shipped bare root and survive very well.  I would not start onions from seed directly in the garden, although it can be done. It takes a long growing season from seed to bulbs.
Onions can also be started from “sets”.  These are generally cooking type onions.  Sets are tiny onion bulbs. They are quick and easy to plant this way and even kids can easily help plant the sets.  Sets are sold in nurseries or you can buy them from catalogs.
Potatoes are almost always started from “seed potatoes”.  These are either whole small potatoes or cut pieces of potatoes which have an “eye” or sprout.  There are potato seeds sold for gardeners, but they are more of a novelty.  You are better off buying seed potatoes. These are planted in the garden where the plants will grow.
In the realm of flowers whether it’s practical to start plants from seed depends on the species and how many plants you want.  Some annual flower seeds can be sown directly in the ground and will bloom the same season but many need to be started early to bloom before frost. 
Zinnias, marigolds, morning glories, nasturtiums, cosmos, bachelor’s buttons, calendula, and violas are examples of seeds that could be planted in the garden in most planting zones and bloom before summer is over.  They can also be started inside about 6 weeks before the last frost or purchased as plants.  If you only need a few plants I suggest purchasing them as plants.  Purchased plants will bloom faster than those planted as seeds in the garden in most cases.

Zinnias
Plants like petunias and impatiens should be purchased as plants.  They are relatively cheap, and the variety is vast.  These plants need a long growing season and have to be started inside many weeks before frost.  Unless you have greenhouse conditions the plants rarely have the quality of plants you purchase from a commercial greenhouse.  Only grow these from seed if you have a greenhouse and some seed growing experience.
Coleus and geraniums can be started from seed inside, although some geranium cultivars need to be started from cuttings.  They grow fairly easily from seed but take a long time to get plants of a blooming size to plant into the garden.  If you need just a few, buy plants.
Perennial flowering plants rarely bloom the first year from seed, some may take several years.  I recommend that perennials be purchased as young plants instead of trying to grow them from seed.  Some can be difficult to start from seed. Occasionally a rare species will only be available as seeds. Sometimes a friend will give you seeds, or you collect them from somewhere.  Think of these as long-term experiments.
Some plants should not be grown from seeds even though scam sellers will try to make you think it’s easy. Roses and strawberries are two of the popular scams.  Neither of these grows true from seed and no one can sell you “blue” rose seeds or “blue” strawberry seeds because these don’t exist. Don’t buy seeds for either of these or any other colors of these two species. 
You can grow roses from seed if you are a breeder, but it takes years for them to bloom and then it’s a crap shoot as to what kind of flower you will get.  The same is true of strawberries. There are many other types of plants used in the scams too.  Buy seeds from reputable nurseries.  If you see something unusual offered, a strange color, or markings, look it up in several good catalogs to see if it really exists outside of photoshop. See if seeds for that plant are commonly offered.  Avoid buying any seeds from China, that’s where many seed scams originate.
 Here is a huge list of good plant/seed sellers.
In short, you generally don’t need to start plants from seed for your garden inside.  But if you want to try it, go for it.  Just realize it’s often smarter, less expensive and you have a greater chance of success if you purchase started plants. You aren’t a bad gardener if you don’t start everything yourself, in fact many gardeners learn from experience to let others do some of the work. Let someone with ideal growing conditions (greenhouse) and experience produce your plants.  Supporting the green industry is a good thing and who doesn’t like a trip to the greenhouse?

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you

Kim Willis
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I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week (or things I want to talk about). 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 or anyone you know 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