Hi Gardeners
It’s a rainy day here and I’m not complaining. We had some good thunderstorms yesterday too. The plants all like the moisture and the nitrogen boost. But the cool nights- we got down to 44 degrees this weekend- have me really thinking about moving the plants inside.
Thirty years ago, when I lived 50 miles south of here, I
would have been moving plants inside on the week of Labor Day, and frost wouldn’t
be far behind. I can really see climate change as now I don’t move plants
inside until much later. Our average first frost is October 3, I believe. I
guess that’s proof of climate warming.
But I will be keeping a close eye on the weather forecast.
You never know when a sneaky frost will pop up. I try to look ahead so I have at least a few
days to get things inside. Ideally house plants should be moved inside when
nights regularly get below 50 degrees. A stray night here and there of chilly
temps doesn’t hurt too much but if the true cold is setting in, its time.
I am thinking the first frost here will come around the time
of the next full moon- which is October 1. It’s been my observation that the
first and last frosts usually coincide with a full moon. It’s probably not
scientific and I’ll be carefully watching the forecast but it’s a signpost.
I’ve been watching some episodes of Hoarder on TV. And it made me realize- I’m a plant hoarder,
I freely admit it. I try to make logic my guide but somehow, I still can’t bear
to let plants go. I know I can buy those plants again next spring at very reasonable
costs if I just let winter take them. But I think of the money I’ll save and
how beautiful those plants will look inside- at least for a while- and find
myself carrying them inside.
I’m looking at some huge sweet potato plants and thinking
what a shame it will be if I let the frost have them. I’m talking 3 feet wide
and 2 feet tall sweet potato plants. They do overwinter if you have bright
light. And I added 4 fuchsia plants to
the garden this year, rarer varieties, and I know they will also overwinter and
bloom cheerfully all winter.
Then there are all the violet stemmed taro plants I have-
they got huge this year. I’m talking 5 feet high with leaves 2 feet long. I started with 1 plant 3 years ago and then
divided them. There’s a huge elephant ear plant too.
There are new geraniums to add to the inside collection this
year too. And the ginger plants have grown substantially over summer. There are
more tuberous begonias- but I can let them go dormant and store them. And the
coleus- the plants are gorgeous – and large- this year. Some people let them
die or just take cuttings, but I have a hard, hard time doing that.
Of course there’s the regular slate of house plants,
hibiscus trees, Norfolk pine, peace lily, palms, succulents of various sorts, a
dozen Christmas cacti, streptocarpus, spider plants, variegated ficus, pomegranate,
lemon and orange trees, lady of the night, jasmines, African violets, pothos
and philodendron and assorted other things. Some are summering outside, some
got left inside this year.
Some plants are stored on the back porch, those that go
dormant after a while or those that handle cold well (the porch isn’t heated
but doesn’t get below freezing). It’s always packed with geraniums, tuberous
begonias, canna, and pots of bulbs like peacock lilies, crocosmia, ground orchid,
pineapple lily and so on.
My husband just rolls his eyes as I agonize over what to
save and what to leave. He doesn’t complain about the living room (and every
other room), being filled with plants and grow lights sending the electric
meter spinning, as long as he can see the TV.
At least he isn’t looking at piles of cereal boxes and old dolls. He’s
threading his way through a jungle and trying to find the tree frog singing
away.
I know I need a heated greenhouse. I’ve thought about it
many times, weighed the cost and work involved. But I know that would encourage
me to buy more plants- I’d love to have more hibiscus for example. I think it
might make my addiction worse. And it would never be big enough.
I have faced my addiction and I have decided to sell off a
few of the larger plants this fall. The jasmines are going and at least one
hibiscus. Probably a taro or two. Maybe
some smaller things too. I’ll make the decisions this week and I will post what
I’m wanting to sell on the Lapeer County Gardeners FB page. It will be all local sales
and prices will be low.
This week I have decided to post some short articles on new research
I have read about. I’ve been catching up
my reading of saved science articles.
What are
you eating?
If you are an older person there has been a lot of research
lately on what type of diet is healthiest for you. Here’s some of the results
from the many studies published recently.
A low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet was found to be
helpful when people over 50 need to lose weight. Yes, high fat. Research has
proven it’s not dietary fat but carbs that cause weight gain. Research published
from researchers with the University of Alabama in the journal Nutrition and
Metabolism, in August 2020 found older adults were healthier and lost
weight without effort when they followed such a diet.
The people in the study were asked to eat 3 whole eggs a
day. (They also ate other protein sources.) Eggs are a great source
of protein, choline, B12, selenium, vitamin D and healthy fat. A study
presented at The Physiological Society's conference on Future Physiology, July
2020 also found that animal sources of protein were better than soy-based
protein at preserving muscle mass.
And another study published in March found that older people
maintained muscle mass better if they spread their protein intake equally over all
3 meals. Rather than having just toast for breakfast you would be better off to
eat scrambled eggs, and maybe have a hardboiled egg in a lunch salad or some
other form of good protein, along with protein for dinner.
Being a vegetarian may be healthier for some people,
but not unless you eat the right plant-based foods. Research presented at the European
Society of Cardiology last week found that people whose vegetarian diet
contained highly processed carbs, things made from white flour for example, sweet
desserts, potatoes, white rice, fruit juices and smoothies, were not healthier
overall than people on a meat based diet who avoided refined carbs.
If you are having trouble with allergies that cause you to have skin rashes and hives, you may want to start eating black raspberries. A study from Ohio State University found that a serving of black raspberries daily reduced skin inflammation in animals caused by allergic reactions. They also found that black raspberries may reduce inflammation in conditions like cancer. So next time you get poison ivy try munching some black raspberries.
More reading
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200702113718.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316104012.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200820151337.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200827101841.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200707113329.htm
Butterflies
and Bees
Butterflies can put a plug in it, researchers found. In some
species of butterflies, the males insert a waxy plug in the female after they
mate with her. This is to prevent other butterflies from mating with her. But researchers
found that in some cases the females or maybe other males, removed the plugs or
damaged them.
It is helpful to maintaining the male’s genetics when he can
insert a plug and keep out competitor’s sperm. But it is an advantage for the
female butterfly to mate with more than one male because different males may
have better genes for the survival of offspring. Hence the battle of the sexes.
Mating plugs are known as sphragis and range from simple
jelly like blobs to elaborate structures with barbs, hooks, and wings. Does it make you want to examine a butterfly behind?
Bumble bees are bigger in the city research has
found. The bigger bees have bigger brains, better sight and are better at
finding food and navigating. They are less likely to be killed by predators.
Bigger bees also pollinate more flowers. The researchers studied 3 species of
bumblebees, the red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), the common
carder bee (Bombus pascuorum) and the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus
terrestris). All were bigger in cities.
The theory of why bumble bees in city areas are bigger than their rural counterparts is based on natural selection. Bees in the city have to fly farther to get enough food and they have to navigate more difficult terrain and evade many more dangers than rural bees. The ones that survive such feats pass along their genes and improve the bees living in cities. Cities are also warmer than rural areas, which may also help improve bee size.
More reading
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200903155503.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200817104339.htm
Neonicotinoid
problems
Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that are being used
widely in our environment now, from flea and tick killing on pets and
livestock, to protecting crops and trees from insect pests. These pesticides
are nondiscriminatory- meaning they affect all types of insects. It has been
known for a while that they negatively affect pollinators and other helpful
insects. Now researchers are worried
they may affect animals further up the food chain, like birds and frogs.
Recently traces of neonicotinoids were found in honeydew,
the secretions that aphids and scale insects give off, on plants grown from seeds
treated with the pesticides before planting. Researchers from North Carolina
State University and Pennsylvania State University are urging that seed
treatments be banned. They pled their case in the journal of Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers feel that treating seeds with neonicotinoids
only results in a 5 % better yield in crops. They feel that banning this use
won’t substantially harm crop yields and would be an easy way to get more neonicotinoids
out of the food chain.
More reading
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902182423.htm
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
2020; 202017221 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017221117
New England Aster
New England Aster, (Aster novae-angliae), spreads it’s pretty purple flowers along sunny roadsides and in fields in late summer and fall. It often grows in the same areas as Goldenrod, producing a stunning color combination gardeners often imitate. In fact, cultivars of both plants are available for gardeners to use in gardens for fall color.
New England asters are perennial plants that die to the
ground each winter. The stems are stiff
and hairy and feel sticky to the touch. The long dark green leaves seem to
clasp the stems at their base. The plants grow to 5 or more feet in ideal
conditions but generally range from 2-3 feet high.
New England Asters have clusters of small purple, daisy-like
flowers with yellow centers. The flowers
range from 1-2 inches wide depending on growing conditions and individual plant
characteristics. They start blooming in late August and continue until a hard
frost. They prefer sunny, moist areas.
New England Asters are excellent plants for native plant
gardens and even for more conventional gardens to bring late fall color. They
also make good cut flowers.
Time to
harvest sage
If you are growing culinary sage in your garden now is the
time to harvest it. The plants should
have about 6 weeks before a hard freeze to harden off after pruning and if we
are lucky you can still squeak in a good harvest without compromising plant
health. You’ll want some sage for that
Thanksgiving turkey so don’t delay. Sage
is also great when used fresh; it has lighter, more lemony notes.
You can dry sage by harvesting fresh stems with leaves and
hanging them in a warm, dark place, or in a dehydrator, microwave or oven. Make sure the sage is completely dried, it
may take longer than thin leaved herbs, before storing, or it may mold and
taste musty. Store completely dried
leaves in a clean glass container in a cool place. Sage leaves can also be
frozen in water and will taste more like fresh sage when used than dried sage.
I throw sprigs of sage in a plastic freezer bag and pop them
in the freezer without drying them. I take a bit out when I need it and crumble
it while it’s frozen. It tastes more
like fresh sage than dried when used like this.
Be careful that when purchasing sage you intend to use for
cooking, that you are not getting a purely ornamental variety, such as
Pineapple sage or Honey Melon sage.
These are grown for their flowers and scented leaves but have little
medicinal or cooking value. Bergarten, Holt’s Mammoth, Extrakta and White
Dalmation are all good culinary sages.
In zone 5 and lower, some winter protection for sage is
advised, especially if the sage plant is in an exposed area. You can mound soil
around the base or use a large tomato cage around the plant and wrap it in
burlap. It is normal for sage to retain
its leaves well into winter, if not through it, but the plants do get rather
ratty looking before spring. In the
spring, trim off any winter killed branches and lightly fertilize. After 4 or 5 years you will probably need to
replace your sage plant, as it is considered a short-lived perennial.
Pepper Jelly
Yes, you can make jelly from peppers! It’s not sweet though you do use sugar. Pepper
jelly is used in savory dishes and is sometimes put on relish or condiment
trays.
You’ll need a food processor and a water bath canner plus you’ll
need liquid pectin, which you can buy where canning supplies are sold. You’ll need some ½ pint or jelly jars and
lids too. This recipe will make about 5 jars.
You can vary the peppers you use in this recipe. Usually a
mixture of hot and sweet peppers is used.
Pepper colors will determine the color of your jelly. You can add food
coloring if you don’t like the color of your jelly.
8-10 peppers, depending on size
1 cup white vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid pectin
Sterilize your jars and keep them hot. Wash and core the peppers, remove seeds and
cut into small pieces.
Place pepper pieces and vinegar into food processor and
blend until liquefied. You will probably have to do this in batches, dividing
peppers and vinegar evenly.
Place the liquid peppers and sugar in a large pot. Boil slowly for 10 minutes.
Add the liquid pectin and boil 1 minute longer. Skim off any
foam that forms.
Pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving a ¼ inch of space to
the rim. Wipe rims and add lids.
Process 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Cool, check for a seal, label and store.
"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning
glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and
toil.
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb
colour effects as from August to November."
- Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden,
1905
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
Find
Michigan garden events/classes here:
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(This
is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)
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