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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permission.
And So On….
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