Hi gardeners.
One thing a fresh coat of snow does is reflect a lot of
light back into the house, even when its cloudy outside. And when the sun comes
out it really pushes the light inside. I’m sure the houseplants appreciate it as
long as they don’t have to be out in it.
Many people are shopping out of boredom- a bad idea right
now but that’s another story- and may decide to pick up a new houseplant when
they shop. Stores know this and they tend to fill those half empty shelves left
after Christmas with special bargains on houseplants. Everyone likes to see
green and flowers and it’s a big impulse buy.
The only thing is, it’s a bad time to ship plants. If they
sit in a trailer or on a loading dock in the cold, they can be damaged. Sometimes
plants sit in front of doors that are being opened constantly in the front of
the store. The cold can damage tropical plants and sometimes the damage does
not show up right away.
But plants are often damaged after the sale is rung up, when
customers carry them to the car. If the temperature is below freezing even a
short walk can damage some plants. And they can’t be left in the car in the
cold when you stop at another store.
When you buy a plant and its cold outside, make sure it’s
wrapped in some way before you carry it out. Plastic bags work, some nurseries include
a plastic sleeve. If this has been pulled down, pull it up. Otherwise wrap in
paper or plastic before taking the plant outside.
Unlike animals, plants do not produce body heat, so the covering
is only a small temporary aid. If
temperatures are in the single digits or below and you can’t pull the pre-warmed
car up close to the door don’t buy the plant, unless maybe it can be stuck
under your coat. And certainly, don’t leave the plant in the car thinking a
cover will protect it while you shop or dine elsewhere.
After my fiasco with the roofers breaking a porch window and the open roof chilling some of my plants, I had a few plants die. The coleus I was overwintering is one casualty. The tuberous begonias shed all their leaves, but the bulbs may be ok. The elephant ear and taro lost their leaves, but I moved them inside the heated house, and they are putting out new leaves. My culinary ginger was damaged and I’m waiting to see if it recovered.
I am so glad winter is moving along and we are almost
through with January. February is a short month, and we’ll have six more weeks
of winter regardless of what the groundhog determines. But once March gets here
there are a lot more days with sunshine and you can feel spring is close.
Vetiver,
the reincarnation plant
Vetiver, Chrysopogon zizanioides is one of those plants that seem almost miraculous. It has dozens of uses
and has been grown by humans for thousands of years. You may have never seen
the plant, but you have probably smelled it. Vetiver is an ingredient in many
of the world’s costliest perfumes and in numerous personal care products. The
wonderful deep smoky, woodsy, earthy scent comes from an oil distilled from the
roots of vetiver.
Vetiver essential
oil is used in aromatherapy to help with shock, as it is considered to be
grounding and calming. The oil has anti-nematode, antibacterial and
antifungal properties. It repels termites. And of course, the oil is used in
all kinds of products for its fragrance. It has a long-lasting scent and is
often used in potpourri as well as some of the world’s most expensive perfumes.
The dried roots of vetiver are used in teas for hangovers
and for menstrual cramps. Roots are burned for cleansing homes of “bad magic”. It’s also thought to be lucky and attract
money. In Asia a piece of root is put in
some cash registers to prevent theft and increase profits.
Vetiver roots are used to make a thick green syrup called Khus
syrup, which is used to flavor things like milkshakes, ice cream and yogurt in
southern Asia.
Plant parts of vetiver other than the roots are also used. It makes good grazing and hay for livestock. The leaves and stems are chopped for a great mulch. It’s grown as a cover crop to suppress weeds. The stems are also dried and woven into many things like baskets, matts, and blinds.
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| Vetiver wikipedia |
About vetiver
Vetiver is a
perennial grass. It is native to tropical
parts of Asia but has now established itself in many tropical and subtropical
areas around the world. Vetiver is also grown as a commercial crop around the
world. It looks like many of the clumping grasses that gardeners grow as
ornamentals, forming clumps about 5 feet high and wide.
The roots of vetiver
are different than most grasses. Instead of spreading a fibrous root system
just underground, vetiver roots are thick and strong and extend deeply into the
ground. In it’s first year vetiver can send roots 12 feet into the ground.
Vetiver grass has neither stolons nor spreading rhizomatous roots.
The roots are the
main commercial product, but vetiver grass is well known throughout the world
as a plant that stabilizes soils, preventing soil erosion. It’s often grown on
banks of drainage canals and rivers, along steep slopes, and in hedges to stop
wind blowing soil away. Commercial sterile varieties of vetiver were developed
for just this purpose and are sold around the world. A variety developed for
the US is called ‘Sunshine’.
The deep roots of
vetiver help it survive drought and the plant also survives being submerged in
water for a long period of time. It’s also resistant to fires. That’s why
vetiver has earned the reputation of a plant that can’t be killed and is used
as a symbol of reincarnation.
The native
varieties of vetiver reproduce from seed as well as offsets that develop at the
base of the plant. Those native varieties can spread aggressively in warm
climates by seed and that’s why sterile varieties were developed. The sterile
varieties are reproduced by division. If you want vetiver make sure you only
buy plants, not seeds. Plants grown from seeds will produce seeds and
become invasive.
How gardeners
can try vetiver
Gardeners who
want to experiment with vetiver can plant it directly in the ground in zones 8
and above. It can survive some frost but is killed by freezing temperatures. To
get it growing vigorously use a fertilizer for grass several times a year and
keep it watered. It prefers full sun.
Gardeners in
northern zones, zone 7 and lower, can grow vetiver in large pots, large and
deep pots are best. One way to grow and harvest it for the roots is to use 12”
diameter or larger plastic drainage pipes cut in about 2 feet “tubes”. The
tubes are slit down one side and bound back together with tape or rope. They
are set on something like a board or cement surface and filled with soil.
Buy vetiver
plants (don’t use seeds) and plant them in your tubes. Let them grow until
frost and then open the tube where it was slit to harvest the roots. You could
also try overwintering the plants in a place above freezing for a second year
of root growth. You will have to dry, and then steam distill oil from the
roots, and it takes a lot of roots to get a little oil.
If you like to
grow something different and are interested in herbs or making your own
perfumes and soaps, growing some vetiver might be worth a try.
Below are a few places where you can buy vetiver.
https://www.agrifloratropicals.com/5-plant-vetiver-grass-chrysopogon-zizanioides-trial-pack/
https://www.theherbcottage.com/vetiver-grass/
https://www.greendreamsfl.com/online-store/Vetiver-Grass-Chrysopogon-zizanioides-p191341497
Heritage
Flowers for nostalgic gardeners- part 1
I was working on genealogy this weekend and came across a
picture of my grandmother. She was the person who nurtured a love of gardening
in me. As a child I followed her around
as she worked in the garden, “helping” her and she would talk to me about
plants. By the time I was in first grade
I could correctly identify most garden flowers.
I made my teacher very mad when I corrected her misidentification of
some flowers someone had brought her.
Thinking about my grandmother I began to remember some of
the plants she grew in her garden. While you can still get most of these
flowers you don’t find them very often in modern gardens. That’s a shame. It’s time we bring a little
old-fashioned charm back into our lives. So here are some plants you should
consider growing this year.
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)
Although not as popular now as they used to be, hollyhocks
are a country charmer for gardeners who admire the cottage garden look or who
are nostalgic for the old-fashioned flowers that Grandma grew. No garden should
be without a few hollyhocks in the back of the border.
Hollyhocks are biennials, which means that they make a rosette of foliage the first year and then send up a long flower spike to bloom in the second year. There are some varieties of hollyhocks that will bloom the first year, especially if started early indoors.
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| Hollyhocks and harebells |
Hollyhocks re-seed quite freely, and once established in the
garden you should have some in bloom every year. Hollyhocks will grow in zones
3-9. They should be planted in full sun.
Bloom begins mid-summer and continues for a long time. Some hollyhocks can
reach 6 feet high, normally they are 3-4 feet high. They have large, rounded,
gray green leaves with a rough texture.
Single flowered hollyhocks are often sold as Old-Fashioned
mix or Barnyard mix. Sometimes single colors are offered but after a few years
you will find your re-seeded plants will be a variety of colors.
There are a couple of other species of hollyhocks that are
sometimes seen. Alcea rugosa has light yellow flowers and some natural
resistance to rust, a fungal disease of hollyhocks. It’s considered to be a
perennial. Not as flashy as the common hollyhock, it is tough and easy to grow
and blends into less formal, naturalistic gardens.
Fig leaf hollyhocks Alcea ficifolia, has decorative
deeply lobed leaves and it too, is considered to be more perennial than common
hollyhocks. It comes in a variety of colors and is also resistant to rust. Flowers
are smaller than common hollyhocks.
Gas plant
Gas plant Dictamnus albus, is also known as
dittany. It’s a perennial that makes a large bush about 3 feet tall when
established. There are several horticultural varieties. In early summer stems
of pretty white or lavender flowers pop up above the foliage.
Gas plant will grow in full sun or partial shade. It is a
bit tricky to transplant- start with young plants and do not divide this plant.
It can be slow to establish and is also slow to emerge in spring so mark it
well. It can be started from seed but takes about 6 months for seeds to
germinate. Plant parts are toxic.
The whole plant has a lemony scent but it’s claim to fame is
a volatile gas the plant gives off on hot summer evenings. If conditions are
right this gas can be ignited. After my grandmother told me this there were
many furtive trips to the gas plant in the evening with matches in pocket. But
I was never able to ignite any gas. Some say it’s the seed pods which give off
the gas.
Gas plant is hard to find anymore. But for the gardener who wants something different it’s worth searching for.
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| Gas plant Jorg Hempel |
Bush balsam
Bush balsam, Impatiens balsamina, is another old-fashioned
favorite. As a kid I was told its name
was Touch Me Not. That’s because when you touch a ripe seed pod it explodes.
And believe me, kids love to do this, at least kids did before there were so
many screens to capture their attention.
Bush balsam is an annual plant about 2 feet tall that has
stems with small rose like flowers up and down it. (Most garden varieties have
double flowers). Flower colors are shades of pink, rose, white and lavender. Bees
like the flowers. It’s usually started from seed and it prefers partial shade.
There are many herbal remedies connected to the plants so it
could even be an addition to your herb garden. If flowers are crushed and mixed
alum it produces a semi-permanent orange dye. At one time this was used to
paint fingernails.
Bush balsam
Pinetree Seeds
Zinnias
Many people do still plant zinnias, especially if they want
to attract butterflies. There are some new cultivars out there that are very
attractive and that have resistance to powdery mildew, one of the reasons some
people don’t like to grow zinnias. But the old-fashioned zinnias like ‘State
Fair’ and ‘California Giants’ are still around and still good for cut flowers
and attracting butterflies. If you want zinnias to attract butterflies stick to
the single flowered types. For cut flowers double flowered zinnias and crested
types are great.
Zinnias are annual plants. They can be started from seed in
the spot you want to grow them after danger of frost has passed or you can
start them inside about 6 weeks before your last frost. They usually begin
blooming mid-summer and bloom until a hard frost kills them. They need a full
sun location.
Next week I am going to write about a few more heritage/old
fashioned garden plants.
Butterfly on zinnia
Tomato
terminology
Are you buying tomato seeds this year? If you are new to
seed buying looking at the descriptions in catalogs and online can be confusing,
especially for tomatoes, Americas favorite garden crop. Here’s some help
sorting out all that tomato terminology.
Hybrid is not a derogative term. A hybrid tomato seed
has two different varieties of tomato as it’s parents. These hybrids are
produced by natural plant breeding and are not GMO plants. Hybrids are
generally more vigorous than their parents and combine many good traits from
each plant. Plant breeders work diligently to improve tomatoes for disease resistance
and flavor.
Hybrid plants have gotten a bad rap, mostly because
some tomato breeders produce hybrids that stay firm during shipping and are
more concerned with shipping quality than taste. But there are hundreds of
tomato varieties and many hybrids are just as tasty as any heirloom.
In addition, hybrid tomatoes usually produce more tomatoes
than heirlooms, and are easier to grow in a wider range of climate
conditions. Modern tomato breeding has
turned back to home garden varieties that are just as juicy and flavorful as
any heirloom. In fact, they often cross heritage or heirloom tomatoes with more
disease resistant and productive ones.
Read the description of the tomato and choose those that
promise good taste, juiciness, or what ever quality you are looking for in a
tomato. Avoid those that talk about shipping qualities unless that’s what you
need.
And by the way – hybrid does not mean it can’t be organic.
Heirloom is a subjective term. For some people
it means the variety/cultivar has been around a long time. If you use this definition,
then many hybrid tomatoes are heirlooms. But for many people heirloom means the
tomato is open pollinated. That means if you isolate the tomato variety from other
tomato varieties and collect the seeds the plant produces; you’ll get tomatoes
like the parent plant produces.
What it really does not mean, despite the hype is
that the variety tastes better or produces better than hybrid varieties. In
fact, heirlooms often produce better in one specific area of the country and if
you don’t pick one that suits your area, you’ll be disappointed. Many heirloom
plants don’t have disease resistance. And many have low vigor and don’t produce
as well as hybrids.
If you want to save varieties from extinction or enjoy
growing odd things, heirlooms may be your style. There are some wonderful
tasting heirlooms but there are some wonderful tasting hybrids too.
BOTH HEIRLOOMS AND HYBRIDS CAN BE GROWN ORGANICALLY. A heirloom seed does not mean it was grown
without pesticides.
Determinate and indeterminate – An indeterminate
tomato keeps growing, upward and outward, and setting fruit until frost kills
it. A determinate tomato tends to set
and ripen its fruit all at one time. It reaches a certain point of growth, then
quits vegetative growth and concentrates on fruit production. Most garden
varieties of tomatoes are indeterminate but if you can tomatoes, you may want
to choose a determinate variety so you have a concentrated harvest. Determinate tomatoes are shorter and bushier
and can be better for container growing too. In short growing seasons
indeterminate plants don’t have much advantage over determinate.
The letters behind the variety name of some tomatoes
indicates they have resistance (not immunity) to certain diseases. Not all tomatoes will have these letters. Most
heirloom tomatoes do not have resistance to these diseases. In general the more
letters after the variety name, the more disease resistance a tomato plant has.
V=verticillium wilt, F = fusarium wilt-( there can be 3 F’s
indicating the 3 strains of fusarium wilt that infect tomatoes), N=nematodes, T
= tobacco mosaic virus, A = alternaria stem canker, St= stemphylium gray leaf
spot, TSWV=tomato spotted wilt virus. LB
and EB indicate resistance to late and early blight.
Potato leaf tomato- many species of tomato went into
producing today’s varieties of tomatoes.
Some of those had a leaf shaped more like a potato leaf and some of the
new varieties of tomato retain that shape.
It does not affect the plants growth qualities or taste of the fruit.
Paste tomatoes have thicker “meat” portions of the
fruit and tend to be less juicy. They
are usually cooking tomatoes, used for sauces and paste. Many are oblong or teardrop shaped. They are
good for eating too. Oxheart tomatoes are larger meaty tomatoes, usually of
European origin.
Cherry, grape, pear and currant tomatoes are all types of small tomatoes that grow in clusters. Currant tomatoes are the smallest, very tiny 1 bite tomatoes.
Salad tomatoes usually refer to smaller smooth round
tomatoes. Beefsteak can be a variety name or refer to tomatoes which are
very large often with an oblong, flattened shape.
Tomatoes come in a variety of shapes, depending on
variety. Some are smooth and round;
others have ridges or what appear to be segments joined together. There are
also hollow tomatoes, which look like a pepper inside. There are pear shaped tomatoes and very
flattened oval shaped tomatoes.
Tomatoes also come in many colors, even though red remains
the favorite. Colors can be white,
yellow, pink, orange, green, purple, brown, and striped.
Tomatoes also vary in taste, a tomato ripened in the sun
always tastes better than one ripened in the store but the taste of tomatoes
can range from sweet, non-acidic to very acidic and “robust”. Taste is subjective and growing conditions
can affect the taste of a tomato also.
Heirloom tomatoes don’t always taste better than modern hybrids, try
many varieties of tomatoes to see what you like.
Indigo series tomatoes are a strain of tomatoes
developed to have more anthocyanin, the blue pigment that is supposed to be so
healthy for us. Indigo tomatoes are a
deep purple almost black with red highlights.
There are several varieties and sizes.
These are a bit different from older varieties of “black” or chocolate
tomatoes. They were developed with
conventional breeding and are not GMO.
Grafted tomatoes are becoming popular. These combine a disease resistant, hardy root
stock (bottom portion) with a fruiting or top portion that may lack those
traits. Many times a heritage tomato is
the top part. One note on grafted
tomatoes, don’t buy a tomato grafted on a potato unless you just want a
novelty. Despite the promises of both a
tomato and potato crop, in reality neither crop grows well like this.
When choosing your tomato varieties, you may want to look
into what part of the country the variety is said to do best in. Some perform better in the north, others have
a very long maturation rate and do better in the south. Check the tag or
description for days to maturity.
In tomatoes the days to maturity starts when you transplant
them into the garden, not when you plant seeds. You should see such information
offered in the catalog or tag description. Early varieties ripen in 55-70 days,
medium varieties 70-90 days and late varieties more than 90 days.
Now that you have a better idea of what certain terms in
tomato descriptions mean, you should be able to choose a variety with
confidence.
"January is the quietest month in
the garden. ... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that
nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure
rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients
for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along,
aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to
come."
- Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor of Sunset Magazine, 1/99
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are
copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
And So On….
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Vetiver
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