Hello gardeners
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| Calla lilies |
It’s
pretty here today, the sun is shining and its almost 40 degrees. It’s supposed to be warmer and rain the next
2 days, which hopefully will get rid of all the ice that makes it so tricky to
walk around and inspect my gardens.
The
beds in the front yard are the first to thaw out. The ice and snow are mostly gone there, and I
see some tips of bulbs starting to emerge.
I also see that the deer have came right up close to the house and have
eaten on my pretty dwarf golden arborvitae. Darn deer! It will be a race to get
the ground thawed enough to put stakes in and get some electric wire strung and
netting up to preserve bulbs coming up and the rest of my plants.
I
usually have snowdrops in bloom by now and I can’t find any. It may be that they were dug up accidentally or
buried too deeply when I was expanding the front beds last year. They are such tiny things it’s easy to miss
the bulbs. But maybe they will still surprise me. I’m getting excited to see
how the new bulbs I planted last fall will look. I planted a lot of daffodils so maybe they’ll
be safe from the deer.
My amaryllis
is so pretty right now. It has 3 large
blooms with more to come. I believe it’s
the variety Minerva, but when I bought it, it wasn’t labeled. It is about 5 years old and the pot now has
three big bulbs in it. It bloomed
outside on the deck mid-summer and now is blooming again. I have another smaller amaryllis that bloomed
last year soon after I purchased the bulb, but although it has new leaves it
hasn’t produced a bud stalk this year yet.
Maybe another summer outside will get it blooming.
About
this time of year, I think my houseplants want to be outside as much as I do. They are getting new leaves and growing a bit. I need to start repotting some things and
soon I will be potting up the dahlias and some other overwintered bulbs. On the porch the rain lilies, coral drops and
peacock orchids are popping up in their pots.
If you
celebrate it have a happy St. Patrick’s day and don’t drink too much green
beer.
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| Amaryllis |
Saving the Shamrocks
It’s
nearly St. Patrick’s Day and the holiday is associated with the shamrock. Is
the shamrock a clover or an oxalis? It varies by who you talk to. The Irish
associate a clover Trifolium dubium (Lesser
or Hops clover) or Trifolium repens
(White Clover) with the shamrock. But for most people the shamrock they are
going to see around St. Patrick’s Day in pots is usually an oxalis. With a
little care you can save this shamrock and have it as a houseplant for many
years.
Oxalis
are small plants, with a bulbous root.
The leaves have 3-4 leaflets, sometimes heart shaped. Many are purple leaved or green splotched
with purple. Most oxalis have small, 5
petal flowers that open flat in the spring, although some species have funnel
shaped flowers. The flowers are lavender, pink, yellow or white, depending on
species. One species, called the candy
cane oxalis, has white flowers striped in red.
‘Iron
Cross’ (Oxalis tetraphylla) is a
four- leaved oxalis, green with purple cross markings and pink flowers. It’s a
good potted plant. Oxalis vulcanicola- ‘Molten Lava’ has orange foliage with yellow
flowers. There are other varieties for
plant collectors too.
The
oxalis sold as “shamrocks” are usually tender perennials and won’t survive
outside in a cold winter. Keep them in a
bright window and keep them moist but not over watered to the soggy point. A light fertilization once a month with a
fertilizer for flowering plants will keep oxalis blooming for long periods of
time, although they will take occasional breaks from blooming. Well cared for plants will become larger and
live for several years. The tender oxalis can make great container plants
outside during the frost-free months too.
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| Shamrock' Iron Cross' Holland Bulb Farm |
If you
neglect to water the oxalis and it seems to die don’t despair. These plants sometimes go dormant when stressed. Lightly water the pot and let it sit for a couple
weeks, watering when it dries out. Don’t overwater it while there are no leaves,
or you may rot the bulbs. You should see
new growth in a few weeks. You can then
resume normal watering and fertilizing.
Oxalis
or wood sorrel species are common throughout most of the world. There are also
a few types of oxalis that can be planted outside. Oxalis
adenophylla ‘Silver Shamrock’ has silver gray foliage with light pink
flowers. It’s said to be hardy to zone
6. Oxalis
depressa is a good pot plant with 4 leaved foliage and pink flowers with a
yellow throat. It’s hardy in zones 5-8. When looking for oxalis to plant
outside look in bulb catalogs. They may
be called wood sorrel, a common name.
The bulbs are quite inexpensive for most species. They need to be in front of the border or in
containers to be seen well as the plants are short and the flowers small.
The most valuable crocus in the world yields its
secret
Crocus
may be blooming in your garden, but they probably won’t be Crocus sativus or the saffron crocus. Saffron is one of
the most, if not the most, valuable spices in the world and has been so for
thousands of years. The spice saffron is made from the red stigmas of the
crocus flower, and there are only 3 to each flower. These are laboriously picked by hand and dried
into what are called “threads”. It takes
up to 200,000 threads to make a pound of saffron which sells in the US for more
than $4,000 dollars.
Saffron blooms in the fall. Each saffron corm can produce up to 4
lavender to deep purple, fragrant flowers with those 3 bright red stamens. Growers can pick the whole flower without
worry, since saffron crocus is sterile and can only be reproduced by separating
baby corms from the parent corm and growing them to blooming size. This is another trait that keeps the saffron
crocus and the spice it produces expensive.
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| Saffron crocus credit Serpico Wikimedia commons |
Researchers at TU Dresden's Institute of Botany found that saffron crocus actually is a mutant form of Crocus cartwrightianus, a species that is found in Greece. Two individuals of Crocus cartwrightianus that had slightly different chromosomes somehow fused together and then asexual reproduction, primarily helped by humans, kept the plant with its unique smell and taste alive
If you are thinking that saffron might be a
lucrative crop to grow you wouldn’t be the first. Most saffron is now produced in Spain and
Iran and a handful of other Mediterranean countries. There is some saffron grown in the US, the
early Dutch settlers actually brought some with them and planted it cottage
herb gardens. Its sometimes even found growing
wild by old houses in the mid-south. But
it’s not an easy crop to grow in the US.
Saffron is winter hardy to about 14 degrees F, but it
doesn’t like wet winters. It likes hot
dry summers with rains at just the right time in the fall. Animals like to eat the corms and out of the
Mediterranean climate it has more problems with disease. Many growers in the US
achieve small crops but commercial growing in the US hasn’t been very
successful. It also requires lots of
hand labor, which is more expensive here in the states.
Still, if an entrepreneur was to experiment with
the plant and find ways to successfully grow it here, it could become a lucrative
crop. Knowing the genetics may now allow
scientists to figure out how to manipulate other, hardier species of crocus to
produce the taste and aroma of saffron.
More reading
Those wildflower seed mixes
It’s
the time of year when many people are purchasing wildflower seed mixes. They have a dream of a beautiful meadow full
of colorful flowers all summer long, attracting bees and butterflies. This meadow will be carefree, requiring no
work on the gardener’s part for years after they sprinkle the seeds on the
ground. Some even dream of filling
containers with these wildflowers, because they don’t have any open space to
plant them. Unfortunately, that wildflower meadow scenario is only realized in
dreams.
I’ve
noticed that those wildflower meadows in a bag (or a packet) aren’t as prominent
as they used to be, and it’s probably because the concept just doesn’t work well,
and sellers get lots of complaints. But
they are still out there and every spring there are gardeners buying them. If you are considering this let me explain
why it isn’t the best decision.
First
you won’t succeed at all with these seed mixes unless you do a good job of
preparing the soil first. You can’t just
go out and sprinkle the seed on an existing lawn or a weedy patch of
ground. You need to remove all existing
vegetation and at least work up the first few inches of soil. Like growing grass seed, you should probably
apply a light mulch over the seed so it won’t be washed away or eaten by
birds.
You can
plant these wildflower mixes in fall or early spring. If it is dry after you plant the seeds you
need to have a way to water them until they germinate for the best
results.
Realize
that seeds that are in the soil already or that blow in or are carried in from
nearby areas may come up with the seeds you planted. If you really want to do a
good job of getting a wildflower meadow started you need to know how to
recognize some invasive or aggressive weeds like ragweed, lambsquarters, dock,
nettles and so on and weed them out when they are young.
And most
native wildflowers look a lot like weeds. In fact, when things start coming up
after you sow the wildflower mix most people can’t tell whether it’s the seeds
they bought and sowed or weed seeds in the soil from what was there before. Of
course, a weed is only a plant that you don’t want in a certain spot and many “weeds”
have pretty flowers. But some weeds are neither pretty or pollinator friendly
and they may quickly overtake everything else if not controlled.
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| What your wildflower patch might look like |
Here’s
a true story. Someone asked me to come
look at their “wildflower” patch and tell them which were wildflowers and which
were weeds. There were a few black-eyed Susan’s
which we declared wildflowers. The rest
was chicory, Queen Anne’s lace, some common yarrow, some goldenrod that wasn’t
blooming yet and a lot of different grasses.
Now to some people those are wildflowers but when I pointed that out to
the homeowner, they were aghast. “But
that was what was there before” she said. “Where are the yellow and red flowers
that were in the picture?”
Most
wildflower mixes claim they have a variety of seeds in them and they probably
do. Some are carefully blended from native
plants that would grow in your area if all went well but that mix may well
contain seeds of plants that you consider roadside weeds.
Some
wildflower mixes are a hodgepodge of seeds from many habitats and climates,
some of which may grow in your area and some that won’t. They may contain lots of quick blooming
annual flowers which aren’t considered wildflowers or that aren’t native. That
may be fine with those that aren’t native plant purists and some of those mixes
are actually the prettiest, at least the first year.
Read
the label to see what seeds are in the mix, and what the percentage of each is. Look up flowers that you don’t recognize from
their names. If the label doesn’t have
that information you shouldn’t buy it.
Buy mixes for your climate and conditions that exclude any invasive weed
seeds and contain the types of plants you hope to see bloom.
Most “wildflowers”
have short periods of bloom when they look pretty, and then the rest of the year
they look like straggly weeds. It’s very hard to balance a seed mixture so that
something should be blooming all over, all the time and even harder to get
those seeds to germinate and bloom when and where they should. Many plants grown from seed won’t
bloom until the second or even the third year after planting.
A
realistic expectation of a wildflower meadow planted from seed is that are times
that it will look pretty and times when it will not. You may get something that
looks like the picture on the bag if you are very lucky, at least for one
year. But wildflower meadows aren’t the
same each year either. Some species die,
some proliferate and take over much of the area. Weather and other things affect bloom
seasons. Trees and shrubs grow up and
plants invade from outside areas. This
requires some weeding and brush cutting if you want some semblance of meadow to
remain.
You may
be thinking more about helping pollinators than creating beauty and that is
fine. But realize there may not be
plants in bloom for pollinators all the time either. Most of the time your wildflower patch will
probably look like a farm field that’s been left alone for a few years and reverted
to a semi-natural state. That’s ok with
some of us but for others it’s a disappointment.
Your
neighbors may not appreciate the weedy look of most wildflower meadows, and if
there are any laws about mowing you may be forced to mow your “weeds” down. So, before you go to the work of planting that
wildflower meadow make sure you are in an area that will allow you to leave an
area unmowed. And remember that wilder areas may harbor wildlife like snakes,
frogs, mice and rabbits. I think this is
fine, but you or your neighbors may not.
If you
want a nice, colorful wildflower or native pollinator friendly patch you would
be better off to select and plant small seedlings of native perennial
plants. Choose those you like, and that
grow in your planting zone and conditions (sun, shade, moisture level in soil,
soil type). Select things that bloom at various times of the year. These
starter plants are available now from many places. Mulch around them to help keep unwanted
plants from popping up. Water them until
they are established.
If you
want color through much of the year and a lot of pollinators sow small patches
of annual flowers among the perennials. These can be native or things like
zinnias, tithonia, sunflowers, nicotiana and cosmos that are both colorful and
attractive to pollinators. Some of these may reseed for you.
It may
be a bit more expensive and a lot more work, but most people will be much more
satisfied with the results of a carefully planned and planted wildflower or
native pollinator patch than a mixture of seeds from all types of plants spread
randomly. Work on it in stages if you
need to, some plants can be divided or will spread on their own to expand the
plot.
For
those with really small beds or who want to use containers, buying starter plants
is really the best way to grow wildflowers or pollinator friendly native
plants. You could mix a few plants in
one pot or have individual pots for each plant and group the pots. You’ll want
to select plants that look good in and out of bloom or that have long bloom
periods. You might buy seeds of one or
two varieties of wildflowers to start in a small bed. Remember some perennials take 2 or more years
to bloom.
For
those of you who don’t worry about neighbors and don’t really care how the
wildflower patch will evolve over the years, or that your patch is not so
attractive at times, there still may be some use for those wildflower seed
mixes. But do have realistic expectations of what will result from planting
them and what work is needed to get them to grow.
Spring
is the second-best time to plant lawn grass seed, after early fall. This would
be for cool season grasses, grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, most fescue and
ryegrasses. This would include completely seeding a new lawn or patching older
lawns.
To get
good germination of grass seed you need to time the planting carefully. You
want the air temperatures to be about 65 degrees F on average in the day time
when you seed. For gardeners in planting
zones 7-8 that will probably be mid-to late March. For those in zones 5-6 Early April will
probably work best and for zones 3-4 mid to late April.
If you
wait too late to plant your grass seed and it gets warm and dry, you’ll have
poor germination and growth. If you can’t plant grass seed early in spring
consider leaving it to early fall, which is the best time to plant it.
While
you want the area you are seeding to be free of snow, ice and standing water
when you seed, a little snow or frost after you seed won’t hurt. If you are seeding a new lawn on bare soil or
totally renovating an old lawn by removing all vegetation, you’ll want the soil
in the area to be workable- able to support you or equipment without making
deep ruts or footprints. When you pick
up some soil and squeeze, it will crumble when you open your hand instead of
remaining in a clay like clump.
For new
lawns and total renovations work up the soil until the surface has no large
clods or rocks. Rake it smooth and fill
in low spots. If the topsoil was
removed, as in some new construction sites, you may want to purchase topsoil.
Put down at least 3 inches, more if you can afford it before you seed. Try to work it into the top 3-6 inches of
what subsoil was left in the area.
If the
topsoil was not removed by construction you probably won’t need to add topsoil,
even if you think the soil is poor. Lime
usually isn’t needed either, it’s better to do without it than add it when it’s
not needed. The best plan would have
been to have the soil tested last fall.
You can still have it done but in spring getting results often takes
longer and you may miss the best grass seeding time. In this case if you still think you need some
amendments work in 2-3 inches of compost to the existing soil.
For new
and renovated lawns you can add some grass fertilizer either when you plant or
when you see the grass sprouting. Follow the label directions carefully for the
amount to apply. Keep fertilizer off
hard surfaces and away from drains. There are some fertilizers specially
formulated for newly seeded lawns.
If you
are adding seed to bare spots, you’ll need to be able to rake up the soil a bit
so the seed has good contact with the soil.
And when overseeding and patching lawns any old grass needs to be cut
very closely before you begin. (Overseeding is adding grass seed to an existing
lawn that is thin.)
Before
seeding bare spots or overseeding, you can apply a couple inches of compost
right over the existing lawn. Then add the grass seed. You can also fertilize
just after you see the new grass germinating. In this case don’t fertilize when
planting seed as the fertilizer will invigorate the older grass and it may
shade the new young grass or compete too vigorously with it. Once it has sprouted and is an inch or so
high it has a better chance at competing with the old grass.
DO NOT use lawn fertilizer with crabgrass preventer
when
planting grass seed unless you have read the label directions and it states
clearly that it can be used when seeding.
Many types of crabgrass prevention products will inhibit the germination
of other grass seeds too. Scotts and a
few other companies claim to have products you can use to prevent crabgrass
that won’t harm other grass seedlings.
Also do not use corn gluten meal when you plant grass seed, it will
inhibit germination.
To keep
birds from eating the seed you may want to cover seeded areas with chopped
straw. If applied lightly it won’t hurt
existing grass and breaks down quickly. Some grass seed is dyed green and the
idea is birds don’t see it, but that doesn’t always work. Keep people and pets off seeded areas until
after the grass has been mowed for the first time. That first mowing should be when the grass
blades have reached 3 ½ inches and you cut them back to 3. For the healthiest lawns keep grass blades
about 3 inches long.
The
most common reason that grass seed doesn’t germinate is hot, dry weather. If spring is dry you must water the seeded
areas often and if it’s also hot – 75 degrees plus, you may need to do it
everyday until the seed germinates.
Forcing spring flowers
By the
time March arrives most plants have had enough dormancy chilling so that a
spell of warm weather can quickly bring them into bloom. But if you bring branches of flowering plants
into warm rooms you can hurry the process along. Not every plant can be forced into bloom;
it’s the branches of woody ornamental plants that bloom in early spring that
can give you those perky blooms.
Good
plants to try are forsythia, flowering quince, crabapples, flowering almond,
redbud, flowering dogwoods, spirea, and branches from most fruit trees such as
apricot, peach, apple, cherry, plum and pears.
Branches of pussy willow can provide fuzzy catkins. You may even want to
add some branches that add green (or other colored) leaves to your
bouquet. Maples and willows for example,
have many leaf color variations that can be a pleasing touch. Magnolias and lilacs can be tried, but it
takes longer for them to bloom inside and success isn’t a sure thing.
Use
nice sharp pruning shears to get pieces of woody plants that are the right size
for your vase. Use care not to destroy
the shape of the plant you are cutting from. Get permission to cut branches
from the trees or shrubs if they don’t belong to you.
Make
your cuts on a slant just above a bud on a branch. This is so a long bare stub
won’t be left on the plant. You are
looking for branches with flower buds, which are generally fatter than leaf
buds. If you are in doubt take a thumbnail and cut a bud open, you should be
able to tell whether petals or leaves are hidden inside. Of course, as stated above, some leaves may
be desirable additions to the vase.
Bring
your cut branches into the house and remove any buds along the branch that will
be underwater in your vase. You may want
to crush the bottom of heavier branches, so they take up water better. Place the branches in a vase of warm
water. Put them in a cooler area of the
home- 55- 65 degrees F would be ideal - (it will feel warm to them). Put them in good light but not in a sunny
window. Keep the vase full enough that
the bottom of the stems is never above the water level. If any stem is out of water for more than a
few minutes, it should have a new cut made at the bottom. If the water begins to smell dump it and add
fresh.
When
the plants begin blooming you can bring them to a place where you want to
display them. Blooming may take anywhere
from a few days to 2 weeks depending on the plant and the conditions. You should notice the buds swelling and
beginning to show color as time progresses.
If after two weeks you notice no swelling or signs of life you may have
chosen dead branches or branches from plants that don’t respond to this type of
stimulus. Discard those branches.
The
blooms will last about a week. They will
be larger and last longer in cooler temperatures. Taking cuttings every few
days can prolong the time you have stems in bloom. Once warm weather begins to arrive outside,
stems may only need a day or two to break into bloom inside.
Forcing
some spring flowering plants into bloom early is a fast track to spring. It’s quick and easy to do, even though it may
mean a trip outside into bitter winter weather.
So,bundle up and get rid of that cabin fever by
taking a walk outside to get some branches to force into bloom. You’ll be pleased you did it.
The
best fertilizer is the gardeners shadow
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
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I write this because I
love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my
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