Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: March 9, 2021 bagging a garden

Hi gardeners

Pansies

It’s so beautiful today it’s hard to remind myself that it’s not gardening time yet. With temps in the 50’s and low 60’s and sun it’s gorgeous here. Snowdrops are now blooming. Winter aconite is next. The redwing blackbirds, grackles, robins, sandhill cranes and killdeer are all back. Birds know when warm weather is going to stick around right? I even saw honeybees yesterday flying about. I don’t know what they could find to snack on though.

Next week I will begin starting seeds inside. I will be staggering planting them through the end of the month and into April. And I will be working on tearing down the old veggie garden as weather permits. It’s on a bit higher ground and protected a little so it warms up fast.

I’ll do a tiny bit of cleanup elsewhere, but I won’t uncover too much yet, I know there will be some more cold weather, heck we can still get a snowstorm. March is fickle and changeable. I’d love it if this is the end of winter but I doubt it will be.

If you like peas and your ground isn’t frozen, you can plant them. Cold won’t hurt them much now. You can sow grass seed, even on top of snow. But in my zone, that’s about it for outside planting. At the end of the month bareroot trees and perennials can probably be put in.

I am examining the garden for winter damage. The deer have really pruned my euonymus this year. My flashing lights are on at night, I am hoping to keep them from munching sprouting bulbs, especially tulips. There was a herd of about 8 deer across the road last evening in the horse pasture and they were looking this way.

Garden conference

I used to enjoy going to garden conferences this time of year. Of course, with Covid, those conferences have gone virtual. Here’s a good conference to consider attending online next weekend (March 19-21). It has over 40 classes in all kinds of garden types.

In most in person garden conferences you have to chose between a lot of good classes at the same time. With registration to the online conference you’ll get to attend some classes live, but you will be able to look at all the classes you missed too, at your leisure, online. The Great Grow Along conference is very reasonably priced too, $29.95. Please go to the link below for more information.

https://www.greatgrowalong.com

Growing in bags? Who Knew?

I’m going to try something different this year. My vegetable garden will be planted in grow bags. My raised beds were looking sad, with many of the pine boards we used 10 years ago warping or starting to rot. In an effort to have as much growing area as possible my paths were narrow, and now that both Steve and I have mobility issues, that has become a problem. And I decided I needed beds that were higher, so I did not have to get down on the ground to tend them.

Grow bags by Vivosun

With the prospect of tearing everything up in the veggie garden area and starting over looming, I decided to look at my options. I had used growing bags before for various projects and liked them, and in looking over garden supply catalogs I noticed the plethora of new styles, sizes and colors of grow bags being offered. I decided that that’s the direction I’ll move, and I’ve purchased the grow bags.

But grow bags may not be right for every gardener. If you are young and healthy and have a decent plot of ground to use, then you may want to stick with conventional gardening. Wooden raised beds can be a good option for some. But some people may find they can garden when they don’t have good land or good mobility by using grow bags.

Grow bags were probably popularized first by those growing cannabis indoors, that industry has sparked a lot of innovation in gardening supplies. But with the boom in home gardens grow bags are getting a lot of attention from back yard gardeners.

Grow bags are just that- a bag to hold soil and plants. Most are now made of a non-woven fabric although plastic bags are still on the market. The fabric bags are made of non-toxic materials, usually from recycled materials. Think of the material used in those reusable grocery bags you can buy, most grow bags are similar.

I would avoid the plastic or tarp like material bags. They don’t allow for good airflow and drainage, even if perforated.

7 gallon cube grow bags by VivoSun

How grow bags work

One of the reasons grow bags work well to grow plants is that the fabric sides allow air in and moisture out. The plant roots sense the air flowing in and stop growing close to the bags side. This is called air pruning. It stimulates the plant to grow more roots and more root extensions, producing a dense, fibrous and healthy root system.

When the roots of a plant grown in a conventional pot hit the wall they tend to circle around the inside. They will curl up in the bottom of the pot in a matted mess. These root systems are less productive than the fibrous one developed in a grow bag.

It’s hard to over water a grow bag and cause root rot, unless you fill it with something like clay. Water seeps through and evaporates off the bag sides. On the other hand, make sure you place the grow bags where they are easy to water, since they will require more water in hot weather than plants in conventional pots or in the ground.

Grow bags also keep plant roots cooler than roots in hard walled pots when the weather is very hot, because of the air flow and evaporative cooling effect. I would still be cautious about putting black grow bags on dark pavement or metal in the sun. You might try white colored bags or sit the bottom of the bag in a 2-3 inch high tray filled with water. In the sun on a solid surface bags will need lots of water.

Rectangular growbags with 3 dividers
by Amphsin

Buying the bags

Go on Amazon and other places that sell garden supplies online and you will see hundreds of grow bag offerings. Sizes range from 1-gallon bags to bags that will hold 200 gallons or more. Most grow bags are round, but you can get square and rectangular bags now too. The problem with square bags is that the flexible sides bow out when filled and they tend to become round bags anyway.

Grow bags were once found only in black, and black is still popular, but grow bags now come in tan, green, white and assorted other colors too.

You can now get grow bags for growing potatoes and other root crops that have a lift up, Velcro close flap on the side, so you can reach in and harvest the crop from the side. People give these good reviews although I will say I don’t think it’s necessary and I wonder about soil spilling out when you open the flap. There are also strawberry bags- tall bags with many openings for berry plants.

Growbags by Joyexion 10 gallon potato

Grow bags are inexpensive compared to buying pots, livestock tanks or plastic tubs, or buying lumber or blocks to build raised beds. But shop around, prices vary tremendously. Pay attention to details and try to read reader reviews. Some bags are better made, have thicker walls and things like handles and loops to insert poles through. Some are deeper than others, look at dimensions.

I just bought 15 bags, 6- 30 gallon, 6 -15 gallon and 3-7 gallon for around $40. That’s enough bag space to grow a lot of veggies. The 30-gallon bags are 2 feet in diameter and 15 inches deep. That’s big enough for a huge tomato plant with some lettuce or green onions in front. Or it could hold 6 potato plants or 10-12 strawberry plants.

Sizing suggestions

Here are some suggestions for sizing. One patio type tomato can grow in a 15-gallon bag, use 25-30 gallon bags for large indeterminate varieties. For a single pepper or eggplant 15-gallon bags are fine. One potato plant does well in a 7-to-10-gallon bag. You could put 4-6 potatoes in the 30-gallon bag. You could grow 1 cucumber in a 5-gallon bag, and 2 -3 in a 15-gallon bag.

Squash and small melons (1 plant) could be grown in a 10-gallon bag, I’d give pumpkins and large melons at least 15-gallon bags, a 25-30 gallon bag might be better. Make sure there is space around the bags for the vines to roam or use a trellis.

Root crops like carrots, radishes, onions and beets, should be planted in the larger 25-30 gallon bags about six inches apart. If you fill the bags with potting medium and not garden soil, root worms will be avoided. Unless you have many bags of these you won’t get a crop as big as those planted in raised beds or the ground, but you can get a small crop.

Beans and peas can be grown in grow bags too. You can use 3-5 gallon bags for 1-2 plants or use larger bags and space them 6 inches apart. You could try sweet corn in the 50 gallon and larger bags.

If you buy the really large bags you could plant them much as you would a raised bed, simply space the seeds or plants as the seed packet suggests. A 100-gallon bag is about 4 feet in diameter. That’s a circle 4 feet around and a lot of growing space.

Herbs can easily be grown in 3-5 gallon bags. For something like a rosemary or sage plant that will grow for more than one season and get large, I suggest a 10-15 gallon bag. Grow bags are good for confining invasive herbs like mints. But you must sit the bags on something solid, not the ground, or the mint roots will sometimes grow through the bottom.

And don’t forget flowers, they too can be planted in grow bags, either individually or in groups. I wouldn’t use the bags for perennials like roses though, unless you are willing to transplant them into new bags every other year or so, since the bags will deteriorate.

To make the bags a bit more ornamental you could sit them in wicker baskets. That allows good air flow and drainage while disguising them a bit.

Strawberry bags by Vinyl Etchings

Other considerations

The biggest consideration in using growbags or any other pot or raised bed, is filling them. It takes a lot of soil/potting medium to fill these bags. If you use soil from your yard or current garden, I suggest filling the bags ¾ full and then topping with purchased potting medium. This will help keep weed seeds from germinating or diseases popping up in the bag while still being a bit more economical.

I would not use heavy clay soil to fill the bags. They may not drain well. Don’t use all peat or all compost. You can mix compost or aged manure with garden soil or purchased soil though to extend it. Topsoil sold in bags varies in quality. Just because it’s black doesn’t mean its good soil. Make sure it’s guaranteed free of contaminants like lead.

Having a load of good soil delivered will probably be cheaper than buying bags of soil to fill grow bags. Start small, with a few grow bags if you need to buy soil and money is a consideration. You can reuse the soil next year.

I don’t recommend filling the bottom of the grow bag with another substance like sand or gravel, plastic bottles, paper or other filler. That might impede drainage and root growth. Remember that if you use potting medium, it has no minerals in it like natural soil and you will need to furnish those with a good fertilizer.

Of course, grow bags are not going to last as long as hard walled planters or raised beds made of wood. Most people get about 3 seasons from them. They last longer if you empty and store them in a dry place over winter. Since they can be folded, a garden’s worth of grow bags can be stored in a small area. They can also be washed in a washing machine between crops to help prevent disease.

You can put grow bags just about anywhere and they are moveable. (Remember most veggies need to be in full sun.) However, the large bags won’t be easy to move despite having handles. Soil is very heavy. Two people might be necessary even for a 20-gallon bag. And I just don’t see a good way to move one of those big 100-gallon bags without emptying it. The bottom might fall out of a heavy bag, especially if it’s been used for more than one season and sat on the ground.

Large growbag by Firlar

If you are placing the grow bags on a deck or porch, they can leave stains beneath them. A tray can fix that. When placing them on the ground you need to consider weeding. Weeds will grow up close to the sides of the bag and you won’t be able to use a weed whip near them, they tear holes in the bag. You’ll want to place the bags on something that weeds can’t grow through and that extends out a few inches from the bag sides.

If you need to stake plants leave room between bags so that a stake can be put into the ground outside the bag if you can. Stakes inserted in the bag might not hold up heavy plants. You could place bags near a sturdy fence instead. To save space heavy duty stair like shelving could be used to hold grow bags.

When placing grow bags plan on how you are going to get close enough to them for weeding, watering, and harvesting. Stagger bags so you can get between them easily or make them only one deep in rows. Are you going to be able to reach to the center of those 100 gallon and larger bags?

I’ll try to document my first season using all grow bags for veggies this year and post pictures and updates. Maybe you can share any experiences you have had with grow bags too.

4' by 8' grow bag by EZ-Gro Victory

The marvelous sugar maple

It’s spring and many people will be thinking about adding a tree to their yard. Because it’s also maple syrup making time many people think about adding a sugar maple to their property. Sugar maples are large, stately trees that provide excellent shade and most have beautiful fall color in shades of yellow, orange, and red. The lumber of sugar maples is valued for furniture and flooring among other uses. And they can provide that tasty sap that one can turn into maple syrup and sugar.

Sugar maples, Acer saccharum, with their many good attributes, are valuable native trees in the northeast and upper Midwest but they aren’t suitable for all yards. They do have some requirements and drawbacks you should consider before planting one.

Sugar maple leaves in fall

Growing requirements

Sugar maples grow well in cooler climates, (zones 6 and lower) southeastern Canada, the northeast and upper Midwest states have the long cold winters that keep maples happy. Tennessee and Missouri are considered the southern part of their range. There are spots in the Appalachians at higher altitudes and in moist valleys where they grow.

There are some subspecies of sugar maple that grow as far south as North Carolina. Chalk Maple (Acer saccharium supsp. leucoderme), Black maple (Acer saccharium supsp nigrum) and Florida maple (Acer saccharium supsp floridanum) are better for southern areas. A non-native tree, the Norway maple (Acer platanoides), tolerates salt and pollution better and is smaller than a sugar maple. It’s often planted as a city street tree.

Sugar maple saplings will tolerate the shade of other trees and they will grow close to black walnut trees. They can grow in most soil as long as its well-drained, they do not tolerate swampy areas or high water tables. They are very susceptible to damage from road salt, so they do not make good trees for roadsides that are salted in winter. They are also intolerant of heavily polluted air.

A sugar maple tree is an excellent shade tree but when they get large few things will grow beneath them in that dense shade. They also have surface roots that rob understory plants of moisture and nutrients. Don’t expect to grow grass under a mature maple tree. Even plants like hosta may struggle.

Sugar maples should be kept away from wells, septic tanks and lines, drains and water lines as the roots may invade and ruin these things. The roots have also been known to lift the pavement of walks and driveways.

The sugar maple is a large tree at maturity, easily over 100 feet high and 50-60 feet wide. They should be planted in open areas away from overhead lines and at least 30 feet from other trees. There are some cultivars of sugar maple that are considered to be dwarf- but even these are about 25 feet high.

Sugar maples drop a massive number of leaves in the fall. These leaves are very nutritious additions to the soil or compost pile, but some people may feel overwhelmed if they like to rake up leaves and keep things tidy. Maple leaves are acidic, with a pH of 4 to 4.9, and over time they will lower the pH of the soil they fall on. This is generally not harmful.

Maple trees can also drop a lot of seeds, winged samaras (often called helicopter seeds) that can end up in flower beds and lawns far from them. You may have tiny maples sprouting in many places.

CAUTION – It’s very important not to plant any type of maple tree in horse pastures or where horses can reach them. Maple leaves are toxic to horses and can cause death. A leaf nibbled here or there is probably ok, but any larger amount consumed necessitates a call to a vet. Wilted leaves from fallen branches are the most toxic, fall leaves the least toxic. Other animals like cows and goats can safely eat the leaves.

Sugar maple description

Sugar maple tree form is a long straight trunk with a broad canopy of spreading limbs, coming to a rounded point, like a broad-based upside-down cone.

Maple twigs are green to brown to reddish brown. The leaf buds are brown, about a 1/2 inch long, pointed, with 4-8 pairs of scales covering them. The bark of young maples is smooth and susceptible to frost cracking and animal damage, but older trees have thick, shaggy bark.

Sugar maple leaves have 5 lobes and are in pairs opposite each other. The bottom lobes are smaller, the upper lobes have deeper notches in the edges, which are rounded. The top lobe comes to a point and leaves are 3-6 inches long. Summer color should be deep green. When you snap off a leaf the stem of a sugar maple leaks a clear sap, while a Norway maple which they are often confused with, leaks a milky sap.

Fall leaf color in maples is variable, from yellow to deep crimson. Often a tree will show several colors. Fall color can start earlier on some parts of the tree than others. If you want a tree with red colored leaves, there are cultivated varieties such as ‘Autumn Fest’ and ‘Legacy’ that have reliable orange red to red color.

The sugar maple flowers in very early spring and is a source of early nectar for insects. Trees do not begin blooming until they are about 20 years old. The flowers are greenish yellow and occur in long panicles in groups of 5-10. The tiny flowers do not have petals. Both sex organs are usually present in each flower but only one sex is “active” at a time. Sometimes the lower part of the tree only produces male flowers, or a limb of the tree may have only one sex of flowers.

Maple flowers are eagerly visited by insects, but trees do not need insects for pollination. Wind can do the work. When pollination has occurred, the flowers turn into samaras, two seeds connected at one end and covered in a papery like substance that flares out like a wing. This wing cause a fluttering, spinning motion that propels the seeds away from the tree and often reminds kids of helicopters.

Maple flowers

Maple seeds require cold stratification to germinate. They will germinate in early spring as the soil warms. Seeds have a strong root that grows rapidly, enabling it to tunnel into deep leaf litter to find soil.

The sugar maple has both deep roots that draw water from lower soil levels and a system of fibrous roots at the soil surface. There are sometimes larger roots that surface near trees which can interfere with mowing or crack pavement.

How to plant

Maples are generally purchased as young saplings (trees). Some sugar maples are grafted now, to get better leaf color in fall. You can start sugar maples from seed, remember seeds need cold winter conditions before they will sprout.

Sugar maple trees are moderately fast in growth. Expect trees to be more than 20 feet tall at 20 years of age. They grow faster in full sun. Keep young trees weeded, asters and goldenrod are said to slow the growth of young maples.

Protect young maple trees from deer and rabbit damage to trunks by surrounding trunks with a wire cage. Shading the south side of a young maples trunk in winter may avoid frost cracking.

For tree planting instructions please see this link.

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/tree-planting.html

Sugar maple seeds- samaras

Use of maple sap for sugar

Indigenous people in the North Eastern woodlands of North America were making maple syrup and sugar hundreds of years before Europeans arrived. Tribes often claimed areas of land where maples were plentiful and moved there to camp when someone decided the sap was ready to harvest.

While there are species of maples native to Europe and Asia, only North Americans made maple syrup or sugar from their sap. That may be because the maples here, sugar maples and red maples in particular, have a higher concentration of sugar in their sap or it may be that our climate has weather more suited to a concentrated sap “run” in the early spring.

In the spring when days go a little above freezing and are sunny, but the nights fall back below freezing is the time when maple trees are tapped for their sap. Once the trees bud the sap loses much of its sugar content. It takes about 32 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup or 4 and ½ pounds of sugar. Each tree yields between 5 and 30 gallons of sap depending on it’s size, the weather and growing conditions.

(Last week in my blog there was an article about how maple sap is turned into syrup and sugar so that won’t be covered here.)

After a winter when food was often scarce and bland the time of maple sugar harvest was a cause for celebration as well as hard work. Before Europeans introduced the honeybee to the Americas, maple sugar was the best source of sugar for native people, and they harvested as much as they could each spring. Maple sap was sometimes blended with the sap of other trees for special uses.

Tip: After Europeans introduced native people to iron pots, the native people discovered that boiling the bark of maples, white oaks and Eastern hemlock together in those pots would remove rust from the pots.

Maple sugar was a major trade item for some northeastern tribes. It stored well and was easily transported. It could be traded for dried fish, shells, furs, salt, corn, flint, precious metals and other things eastern woodland tribes did not have. Later it was traded to Europeans for pots, blankets, beads and guns.

Native Americans did use some maple syrup in the spring for cooking and for making candy but most sap was boiled down to sugar. The sugar was used all year to cook with, to hide the taste of bitter medicines, to make sweetened drinks, and to trade.

Native Americans believed that consuming maple syrup and sugar was good for their health and modern research has confirmed that. Research has shown that maple sap contains more than 54 beneficial compounds, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, which are concentrated when water is boiled off the sap to make syrup. Modern research is testing some of those compounds for anti- cancer, anti-bacterial and surprisingly, anti-diabetic properties.

Two of these maple compounds, called carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes, may actually benefit diabetics, even though maple syrup is full of sugar. Maple syrup is also high in zinc, thiamine and calcium. If you are looking for a sweetener with healthy benefits buy some maple syrup- just make sure it’s pure maple syrup and not flavored corn syrup.

Rough bark of a mature maple and tapping the tree for sap

Other edible/medicinal uses for maple sap

The first people knew of other uses for the maple also. Dried inner bark of maples was used to make an eye wash for sore eyes. Maple sap was drunk at many times of the year if water was scarce. Sap and sugar not only impart a sweet taste to medicine but is said to have expectorant properties and is used as a liver tonic.

Maple seeds can be boiled and eaten, similar to beans. They can also be dried and powdered and used as a thickener in cooking. After the sap is no longer sweet it can be collected and turned into vinegar.

You may want to plant some sugar maple trees on your property. Not only is their sap nutritious and relatively easy to harvest but the trees make excellent shade and have beautiful fall color.

Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

March 9, 2021 bagging a garden

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