Hi Gardeners
 |
| No hippos only warthogs |
Another thing that keeps the spirits up is plants blooming
inside. Green is good but flowers are better. I love tropical hibiscus as
blooming houseplants, even though they are large plants. I have a beautiful big
pink double flowered one blooming today.
Also good for inside blooms are fuchsia, I have 5 different
ones and 4 are in bloom right now. Streptocarpus and geraniums are good
blooming indoor plants as are the fibrous begonias and gerbera daisies. And of course,
the various holiday cacti, I have “Christmas” cacti in bloom much of the
winter.
Many of you may have received amaryllis for Christmas and
you’ll have blooms from them soon. If you treat them right, they’ll bloom many
times for you- but they need rest periods before each bloom period. If you want
more information on them here’s a link.
https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/houseplants-amaryliss4-amaryllis-did.html
The birds are flocking to the feeders now as they deplete
the wild seeds available. Many people are talking about robins and bluebirds
that haven’t gone south. When there isn’t much snow these birds tend to linger.
If we get a big snowstorm some more of them may leave. They don’t normally eat
seeds, but bluebirds may eat suet. You can help them out with berries and fruit
or expensive dried mealworms if you like.
Deer are wreaking havoc on many evergreen shrubs now. They
may also prune your roses and some other plants. Don’t feel sorry for them and
feed them. This makes your problem worse and things like corn aren’t good for
deer digestive systems. Don’t get them used to being up close around your home
and then cry about your flowers in the spring. You may need to bring bird
feeders inside at night because they will empty them if they can reach them.
I guess deer pests are better than hippos. I was reading a news
story about how hippos have become a problem in Columbia, after a drug dealers
private zoo was emptied. They have multiplied and are destroying crops, rare
native plants and threatening people. In Africa where they are native, hippos
are considered to be the most dangerous large animal and they kill many people
each year. I’m glad it’s too cold for hippos here, one advantage of winter.
Two
resolutions for every gardener
There are two pieces of information every gardener should
know and if you don’t know these things, make a resolution today to learn them.
Those things are your growing zone and your average first and last frost dates,
which gives you the length of your growing season. This information is critical
for gardening.
You can find your growing zone by looking at the map below.
Knowing your growing zone will let you buy perennials,
shrubs and trees that are hardy in your area. Almost all catalogs and plant
tags list this growing zone information.
Knowing the length of your growing season- first and last
frost dates- helps you chose varieties that will mature before frost in your
area. It also helps you know when to plant frost tender plants in the spring. When
you are starting seeds inside the package will tell you how many weeks to plant
them before the last spring frost. These dates can only be averaged, because
weather conditions at the time will pay a big role in whether you get a frost
or freeze.
Finding the first and last frost dates is a little more
complicated. I suggest contacting your nearest Extension office, almost all
counties have an Extension office which is affiliated with a land grant
college. An older experienced gardener may be able to tell you. There’s a link to the average last spring
frost below. It will get you started.
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/when-expect-your-last-spring-freeze
Another way to find the information is to search online
using “when is my first and last frost date” plus your zip code. Keeping a
close eye on the weather forecast near the average dates is recommended.
Gardening you can do in January
Check your outside trees and shrubs and protect them from
deer, vole and rabbit damage if you haven’t already done so. A barrier around the plant of small wire
mesh, 3 feet high is recommended for the trunk.
If deer eat the tops of evergreens surround them with a barrier of deer
netting. If you can’t get poles in the
ground you can drape it over plants.
Fruit trees and grapes can be pruned this month, if you are
good working outside in cold weather.
Cut up live, discarded, Christmas trees. Use the branches to cover perennials or chop
them into smaller pieces and compost. If you have a large pond with fish throw
the trees in or on the ice. They make good spawning spots for fish.
Keep the bird feeders full.
Build new planters, birdhouses and other garden crafts.
Paint old garden accessories new colors.
Check the houseplants for signs of insects or disease. Trim
off dead leaves and dust leaves if needed.
Rotate plants next to windows to keep them growing straight. Start
cuttings or root leaves from houseplants like jades, aloes, Christmas cacti,
African violets, Rex begonias, spider plant, pothos and other vining plants.
Start tuberous begonia bulbs inside in a warm place. They
need plenty of time to mature and start blooming before the last frost in
spring.
Check summer bulbs and tubers in storage. If any are soft
and molded, discard them. If they look shriveled add a little moisture to the
material you are storing them in.
Seed starting can be done for some types of plants in some
growing zones. More on that below.
When to start seeds
There has been an unusually early number of questions
relating to what seeds can be started now. Everybody needs to relax and slow
down a bit. Planting seeds too early is a waste of time and money. And in most of the country it’s too early to
start all but a few types of seeds.
If you do start seeds now you need a grow light. In the
northern areas even a heated greenhouse will need supplemental lighting to
start seeds now. Northern days are just too short and the sun too weak to grow
seedlings well. Windowsills definitely will
not work.
Seeds to be started in January and February in zones 5 -7 include
begonias of all types that can be grown from seed, impatiens, coleus,
geraniums, petunias, and lisianthus. Start pansy and viola seeds early because
they can be planted outside quite early, before the last frost. Some perennial
plants might be started early if the seeds have had the proper chilling
requirements met. But even with perennials it’s better to wait a bit longer. If
you are in zone 4 and lower, late February is probably best to start the above
species.
If you have seeds from indoor type plants they can be
started. Also, tuberous begonia bulbs,
calla lily, banana and elephant ear bulbs can be started in pots early.
Most other species of plants should not be started in zones
5-7 until March or later. The seedlings will get lanky and require a lot of
room to grow well if started too early. There is a great opportunity for
diseases, insect pests and poor conditions to destroy the plants before it’s
time to plant outside.
If you are in zones 8 and 9 some vegetable plants might be
started inside now, and some annual flowers. Check catalog descriptions or seed
packet instructions to find out how many weeks before your average last frost
you should start seeds.
Growing weed
One plant you can start from seed now- if it’s legal in your
state- is marijuana. If you are itching to grow something from seed start some
pot. If you don’t enjoy smoking it the plants are very attractive to
pollinators and a nicely grown plant is an interesting ornamental.
It can be tricky to find the seeds and I am not going to
list any sources because in some states this is illegal. But if you search for
the seeds online, you’ll find an abundance of places selling them. The seed is
expensive, maybe a friend who grows has some seed they can share.
You don’t have to get an elaborate grow system and use all
kinds of chemical concoctions to grow marihuana, although it can become an
elaborate and expensive hobby. I grew it in regular potting soil using rose
fertilizer and I ended up with huge, nice plants. I just used growlights that I
raised as the plants grew- and believe me, they grow fast. It’s not called weed
for nothing. My plants went outside
after the last frost.
Young pot plant under grow light
Buying
seeds- don’t worry about GMO
Every year as people start ordering seeds for spring someone
asks- “where can I find non-GMO seeds for my garden?” The good news is that you can find non-GMO
seeds everywhere. Home gardeners rarely have to worry about genetically
modified seeds (GMO), because almost every seed offered to gardeners is not genetically
modified. GMO varieties of seed are
almost always crop seeds: seeds of field corn, soybeans and so on. There are
just two types of common garden crops that have GMO varieties, sweet corn and
squash, but you will rarely, if ever, find them in the retail market. And if
you did find them, they would be labeled as GMO.
Seed companies that advertise in bold letters- NON GMO
SEEDS!- are just playing on public fears and ignorance. And it’s ridiculous that almost all companies
are now doing this because their competitor’s seeds are not GMO either. Seeing
“non-GMO seeds” in a garden catalog means absolutely nothing. One catalog that
shall remain nameless boasts “ non GMO seeds since 1876” . What a crock.
Don’t choose a catalog to buy from because it say’s non – GMO.
If you want organically grown seeds, that’s a different
matter. Organic seeds are seeds harvested from plants that were not treated
with pesticides. There are many places
that carry some organic varieties of seeds. The only reason to buy organic
seeds is to support people who grow organically. Your own health will not be
affected in any way regardless if you buy organic or non-organic seed.
Neonicotinoid treated seeds
The only problem with “non-organic seeds” is if the seeds
themselves were treated with one of the neonicotinoid pesticides. Many types of seeds are treated with these
products to prevent insect damage in storage. Since the seeds take up these
pesticides the neonicotinoids also protect the seedlings as they begin to
grow.
As the plants get older, if no neonicotinoid pesticides have
been applied since the seed treatment, the amount of the pesticide in plant
tissues continues to decline. However, studies have shown that a small amount
of pesticides can remain in plant parts, including pollen and nectar for at
least a year.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are very safe for humans, other
mammals and birds and that is why their use is so popular. The problem is that
along with harmful insects, neonicotinoids can kill or weaken pollinators and
other helpful insects. There is ongoing
research on this subject, but it seems that seed treatments or treating
seedlings with neonicotinoids can affect pollinators when those plants bloom,
weeks or months later.
Plants grown from seed treated with neonicotinoids will
not harm you, only pollinators and other insects. If you are going to plant
things that you consume before they bloom, such as lettuce, carrots, beets,
broccoli and so on, then the infinitesimal amount of pesticide left from a seed
treatment should not be any problem. If you used organic growing practices your
food is very, very close to organic, although legally you may not be able to
label it as such.
Plants like trees or shrubs that will take several years to
bloom from seed will not have any pesticide residue left to harm bees. Whether
you choose to grow neonicotinoid treated seeds for plants like beans,
sunflowers, squash and flowering plants attractive to bees that bloom the first
year, is a personal choice. At this time research suggests there may be some
damage to pollinators with some species of plants whose seeds were
treated.
If you follow organic garden methods your garden produce
will be virtually indistinguishable from those who used organic seeds even if
you start with seeds that weren’t grown organically. If organic seed is more
expensive than non-organic, I don’t buy it.
Other seed terms
Open pollinated seeds
(OP)-are seeds that are not hybrid and are offered by many seed
companies. Open pollinated seeds are
generally older varieties or heirlooms. The only real advantage to open
pollinated seeds is that if you isolated that variety from other varieties of
the same species, you can save seeds to grow for next year. And with those
seeds you will get a new crop very similar to the parent plants.
If you don’t isolate your plants such as tomatoes and
peppers by variety, the seeds you save from this year’s crop are likely to be
hybrids- insects and the wind distribute pollen between varieties. The
resulting plants grown from those seeds will be all over the scale as far as
vigor and taste.
Seeds that are hybrids
are not genetically modified in the accepted definition of the word; it’s
just means that two different varieties of a plant were crossed through sexual
reproduction, (getting pollen from one plant to the stigma (female part) of
another plant). The varieties that are
crossed to produce the hybrid are known to reliably produce seeds that will
grow into a certain type of plant. But
if you save seed from hybrid plants and grow them the offspring will have all
sorts of variations, some good, some bad.
Hybrid seed that is deliberately produced is usually more
vigorous and disease resistant than open pollinated seed. You’ll usually see
such seed marked as F1 or with the word hybrid in the name. Hybrid seed can
produce vegetables and flowers every bit as healthy, tasty, and safe as
non-hybrid seed. And seed can be both
organically grown and hybrid.
Most seed comes from the same place
It may surprise gardeners buying seeds to learn that many
seed companies offering seed in small packets are all buying from the same seed
growers or wholesalers. A few companies do grow some or all of the seeds they
offer, but a great many companies just buy bulk seed and simply repackage
it. The seed grower sells seed to
wholesale seed companies, they in turn sell seeds to smaller wholesalers or
retailers, who package the seeds in paper or foil packets for the home
gardener.
If you read a seed catalog carefully and pay attention to
the small print you may be told what seed growers the company contracts with,
or what wholesaler they buy from and who they are affiliated with or are owned
by. If you ever thought certain catalogs
looked a lot alike and offered similar things check their mailing addresses.
Some come from the same company under different names. These different catalogs
from the same company may have different prices for the same item too.
Shop around. When buying garden seeds make sure to compare
the size of the packet and the cost of shipping to see where you get the best
deal. The same seed variety can vary widely in price from one company to
another.
For lots of information about seeds and starting seeds click
on the page below.
https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/have-youreceived-any-garden-catalogs-in.html
A surprising
way plants can obtain new genetic material
An interesting research paper was just released that might
explain how new species of plants form and how plants can adapt to changing
conditions. Researchers have found that genetic
material in the nucleus of a plant can be passed from cell to cell. And if two plants have a graft union that
genetic information can then pass from plant.
In nature plants sometimes graft together at their root
systems and parasitic plants such as mistletoe also tap into the host plants at
a cellular level. Scientists have shown that genetic material can pass from
plant to plant at these natural grafts and also at human made grafts. It’s
theoretically possible that genes from one plant that can survive drought for
instance, can be passed to another plant by a parasitic plant like mistletoe,
or by roots grafting together.
This raises some interesting questions. Not all grafts between plants will survive,
the closer genetically the plants are the better the chances for a graft to “take”. Species within the same genus can often be
grafted together but plants in different genus or families are unlikely to form
a graft.
But if you can find a related species of a plant that has
some desirable quality you would like another species to have, such as disease
resistance or flower color, it’s possible that a graft of the two might let the
plants exchange the genes to pass the desired quality along.
It’s going to take some more research, but we may have
discovered a new natural way to genetically modify plants.
Here’s a link for more reading:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210111112227.htm
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so
pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be
so welcome.”
– Anne Bradstreet
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are
copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
And So On….
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