Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

May 14, 2019

Hi Gardeners

Isn't the color of this tulip amazing?

It’s so nice to have a spring day here, sunny and mild. We have had so many chilly, gray and drizzly days lately. The flowers are just so perky and colorful, backlit by the sun. I have some new tulips in bloom, I don’t know the variety name because they came in a mixed bunch, but I have put two pictures on here of the gorgeous soft colors.

I do love tulips, the color and forms they come in are so varied. But tulips are something you have to work on and plant more of each year. Some will come back for several years but many just disappear. Tulips like beds where they are dry during the summer and most gardens aren’t like that. So, every year you tend to lose some, but if you plant some new ones each year, you’ll always have tulips in spring.

And even getting them to come up the first year after you plant them can be a challenge. I planted 100 tulips in the front beds last fall and of those new ones I am finding only about 18, which is very disappointing. They were nice, big, healthy looking bulbs so I am thinking squirrels and other critters ate the bulbs and caused the failure. I don’t usually have that problem, but every year is different.

I took the netting away from one of the front beds because everything is getting ready to bloom or blooming and there’s no sense obstructing the view with stakes and netting. Hopefully those bad Bambi’s will keep their mouths away. Usually by this time of year they leave things alone but since they snacked on some daffodils a week ago, I am crossing my fingers and hoping.

The fritillaria is in bloom, they aren’t as tall as last year. This cold cool weather seems to have everything a bit smaller and slower to bloom. My clove viburnum is in bloom, I much prefer it to forsythia. There are the same cheerful yellow flowers, very similar to forsythia, but the viburnum has that delightful spicy clove smell that floats on the air and bees love the plant. Soon my magnolia and the redbud will be blooming.

Here's another lovely tulip

I can’t wait to start moving plants outside. I have a few things moved out but I’ll be putting more of the hardier things like the pots of summer bulbs, geraniums and the jasmines out this week. Everything is easier to care for outside and the plants love being out there as long as it isn’t too cold.

I have more orioles than I have ever seen this year at the feeders. This year we have orchard orioles as well as the Baltimore orioles. Orchard orioles are darker, smaller and slimmer than Baltimore orioles, with more of a rusty orange breast than the bright orange of the Baltimore. They are going through a quart jar of grape jelly every few days.

Orioles will drink sugar nectar like hummingbirds, but they have a hard time using hummingbird feeders. They need to perch while drinking. I decided to put together a nectar feeder for them. I dug out an old baby chick waterer and filled it with sugar nectar. I used an old perforated pizza pan to sit the chick feeder on and to which I attached chains to hang the whole thing. Hummingbirds can use this too, although I still have feeders up for them. I had a hummer buzzing me as I hung the feeder, so it didn’t have any qualms using it.

I am posting a picture below, hopefully next week I can get a picture with birds on it. If you want to do something like this, you can buy the chick water base at a hardware or feed store for just a couple dollars. They screw on to a quart jar, like a canning jar. (Some places sell plastic jars for them too.) Mix up the sugar water the way you do hummingbird nectar, 3 parts boiling water to 1 part sugar.

So much of the country is stormy and wet this spring. Here’s hoping the rains will leave your area and the May sun will shine on you too.

Homemade oriole nectar feeder

Determining what kind of light conditions you have

When gardeners look at plant labels and descriptions, they will hopefully see what light requirements a plant needs so that they can plant it in the right spot. But before you can choose plants for your landscape you have to know what light conditions you have. You can find plants that will thrive in almost any light conditions and it always works best if you choose the right plant for those light conditions. In most yards there will be several types of light conditions.

Gardeners should be aware that light conditions may change through the seasons. The sun is at a different angle at various times of the year and trees may lose leaves or gain them and this can change the light conditions plants are in. It helps to observe your landscape for a full year before deciding what light conditions you have. When deciding what light level you have observe the light during the main part of the growing season in your area.

As trees grow, they may shade areas further and further away from them and when planting perennials this should be considered. If you are planning to remove trees or remove or build structures this should also be considered as it will modify light levels.

You’ll see plant light requirements listed on plant labels as full sun, partial shade, and shade and sometimes variations on those such as filtered shade, or light shade. Here’s how to determine what you have.

Full sun is pretty obvious. There are no trees or buildings nearby to shade the area and the area gets sunlight the whole time the sun is shining. In general, if an area gets six or more hours of direct sunlight in the middle of the day (3 hours before and 3 hours after noon) it’s also considered to be full sun.

Full shade is also pretty obvious. In this case no direct sunlight gets to the area during the growing season. It can be under deciduous trees and when the leaves are not present in winter there may be full sun. But for plants, the light condition that counts are during the growing season.

There are some spring blooming plants whose life cycle is short. They can be planted under deciduous trees where they receive full sun before the trees leaf out and they go dormant before it gets shady. These are called ephemeral plants.

Very dense shade will not allow many plants to grow. Dense shade conditions are found under evergreens, many deciduous trees and sometimes under overhangs and in the shade of large buildings. Fortunately, most areas have some other degree of shade.

Light shade can mean that the tree coverage is light, allowing brighter conditions, perhaps dappled or shifting sunlight. It can also mean that at certain times of the day the area gets a few hours of sun, usually in the evening or early morning. The north side of buildings can be considered light shade if there are no trees or overhangs to further block the sun.

Partial shade is when the area gets about five hours of sun especially if part of that is around midday. The east or west side of the home with no overhang or trees nearby is usually considered a partly shaded location. In the far south many plants thrive in partial shade that would require full sun in the north.

Here’s another way to determine shade levels. Take a camera out to your shaded area several times during the day. If you must use a flash to take a picture every time of the day, then you have full shade. If at some points during the day your camera could take a picture without a flash, you have partial shade. If you can take a picture almost any time of the day without a flash, you have light shade.

Many things can modify shade conditions. Reflected light from light colored walls or fences or from water can provide more light to an area. Some plants will grow in shade but struggle in dry shade competing with tree roots near the surface, a canopy of tree limbs that shed water or a roof overhang. Dry shade is difficult to keep plants growing in unless you supply extra water. Soil that is compacted, very acidic or alkaline or very wet may also prove inhospitable to some plants regardless of the light.

It’s wise to choose plants for the light conditions you have and not buy plants hoping they will survive in light conditions you have but that they don’t prefer. And sometimes light conditions change drastically. A tree may fall, or a new building may block the sun. Sometimes established plants will adjust to the new conditions but many times you will need to move them, or they will die.

Hanging basket care

Almost every garden I know has at least one hanging basket of flowers or foliage. Mine usually has several. As a young gardener many, many years ago I knew hanging baskets as houseplants, like spider plants, and we often used macramé hangers to display them. But somewhere along the way hanging baskets became popular for outside plants and that trend doesn’t seem to be fading.

The greenhouses are full of beautiful hanging baskets of all types, sizes and light preferences. But as many gardeners can attest it isn’t easy to keep those baskets of plants beautiful throughout the summer when they are hung outside. I’ve learned a lot about hanging baskets over time and I am going to share some tips here.

Right plant - right place

Choose wisely by matching the light requirements of the plants in the basket with those at the site where you intend to place them. A fuchsia plant that’s popped into full sun will quickly dry up and die. A pleasing petunia basket will quit blooming and get straggly if placed in the shade. Hanging baskets generally list the plant names and requirements on a tag or label. If they don’t, ask a knowledgeable salesperson what conditions the plants prefer. Don’t buy a hanging basket, no matter how beautiful, if you can’t give it the conditions it needs.

If a plant is listed as performing well in sun or part sun, it generally needs about 6 hours of direct sun or filtered sun all day. If it says shade or part shade, then the plant prefers less than 6 hours of sunlight and that sunlight is generally best if it comes in the early morning or late afternoon. Or place the plant where it is always lightly shaded. Only a few plants will do well in dense shade.

Wind can also be a factor when choosing the right plants for a hanging basket. Some plants are very susceptible to wind damage such as tuberous begonias. They should be hung in a protected spot. The stems are brittle and break easily. These plants wouldn’t be a good choice where they might get bumped or brushed frequently either.

Fuchsia

Water - water -water

Hanging baskets require lots of water. There are a lot of roots in those full lush baskets and little soil. Windy, warm days may require that you water the baskets twice a day. Plan for watering before you hang the pots. If you can’t access them easily you either won’t water them enough or you will want to get rid of them. There are pulley systems you can buy or devise that allow you to lower the pots for easy watering and long curved wands that you can attach to a hose to water baskets above your head.

Try not to let the plants wilt, even though they may revive when watered, each time they wilt the plant is stressed. Water baskets slowly with warm water until water drips from the bottom of the pot. Hang your baskets so you don’t have to worry where the excess water drips.

Try not to let the soil get so dry that it shrinks away from the side of the pot, because the water you add then just pours right through the pot, without much absorbing into the soil. If this happens take the pot down and soak it in a large bucket of water that covers the pot. Push it into the water so the top of the potting medium is covered and wait until the bubbles stop coming up. Leave it for an hour and then remove it and let it drain. The soil should have expanded to the pot sides again.

Does it help to add water absorbing granules to planting medium or add a diaper to line the basket? Experts disagree on the water absorbent granules, but some greenhouses do add them. It’s almost impossible to add them to a full planted basket. If you are planting the basket yourself, you can buy the granules or use potting mixes that already have them. I used to promote the “add a diaper to line the pot” method, but I no longer recommend it. Diapers do hold a lot of water but in dry hot weather they can actually wick moisture away from roots in the center of the pot.

If the hanging basket doesn’t drain freely you could over water your hanging basket. Cool rainy weather and a container that doesn’t drain well can be a problem. Plants that are over watered generally have a swampy smell. They will wilt just like a dry plant because the root system is rotting away. If the soil feels very wet don’t water the plant. Empty all saucers or catch pots shortly after you water your hanging baskets. These sources of standing water also breed mosquitoes.

Feed, feed, feed

Nurseries and greenhouses feed their hanging baskets a diluted plant fertilizer almost continuously. To keep your basket blooming all summer you should feed them too. Use a flowering plant fertilizer designed to be mixed with water at least once a week. Follow the label directions carefully and use the directions for container plants. Do not make the solution stronger than the label recommends or you may burn the roots of your plants.

Many of these fertilizers say they can be sprinkled on the leaves and the plants can absorb them. They may use foliar absorbtion to some extent, but it is better to pour the fertilizer mixture on the soil. If you plant your hanging basket yourself or repot it, you can add a granular slow release fertilizer formulated for flowering plants and mix it into the potting mix. Follow the label directions for container plants. This should feed the basket for about 3 months.

Promise to deadhead and protect

Keep dead flowers plucked off to increase bloom. Trim off straggly and broken ends and generally keep the plant tidy. Some plants will take a bloom break when the weather gets very hot.

Sometimes trimming back the plant will make it look better and increase the blooms. Warning - not every plant can be trimmed back drastically to renew it. This works with plants like petunias, impatiens, alyssum, lobelia and a few other things. If you are going on vacation for a week or two trim them back to about 6 inches and in a couple of weeks you will have a bushy plant with renewed flowering. They must be kept watered and fed during the transition too.

Don’t cut back plants like tuberous begonias, fuchsia, and lantana. For some of the new and unusual plants in hanging baskets, ask an experienced nursery person or your Extension office garden hotline if they can be trimmed back for renewal.

If you will be gone for days in hot weather take your baskets down and put them in a shady spot. Ask a neighbor to water them once a day. If you are gone a lot during hot weather, you may want to reconsider using hanging baskets. Even when you are home to water them you may want to take the baskets down in a spell of intense heat and sun and put them on the ground in a lightly shaded (for sun lovers) or shaded area (for shade/partial shade lovers). You will still need to water them, maybe more than once a day but this may keep them from burning up.

If frost threatens cover your basket or move it inside a garage or shed. You may extend the beauty of your baskets for a month or so in the fall if you cover them when frost is likely. A large old sheet may be needed to cover a large basket. Make sure to remove the cover shortly after sunrise the next morning.

If you take care of your hanging basket you can enjoy it for the whole gardening season, but you must be diligent in your care. Plants in a hanging basket can die in just a few days in hot weather if you forget to water them. But if you like the look of hanging baskets it’s worth the work.

Reasons for not using landscape rocks as mulch

They used to be more common- those white stones people used as mulch in flowerbeds. There are also red volcanic stones and black stones sold as mulch. It’s a good thing that fad is waning and here’s why.

Stones don’t nourish the soil. Even the worse bark or wood chip mulch breaks down and adds organic matter to the soil. Stones impede air flow to the soil too and some soil compaction occurs with rock mulches. Yes, wood mulch must be replaced more often than stones, but the soil microorganisms and your plants will thank you for using wood chip mulch.

It’s hard to add plants or remove them from rock mulched beds. That’s especially true if you used landscape fabric under the rocks. Landscape fabric is not good for the soil, especially if rocks weigh it down and block the small perforations in it.

Stones look nice when they are first but down, but after a few months they usually don’t look so nice. Leaves, twigs, dead flowers and other litter show up prominently among the rocks, especially white rocks. It’s very hard to get that litter out without removing the stones, washing them and putting them back. Some people try using a leaf blower to blow out the debris. But that’s using fossil fuels and causing air pollution as well as noise pollution. Weeds are harder to pull out of rock mulches too.

Stone is more expensive than wood chips or other organic mulch. And it does need to be replenished at times too. It can work down into the soil beneath it. That’s why many people put what is called landscape fabric beneath the stones, which is bad for your soil as well as being another expense.

White landscape stone reflects light and dark colored stones absorb heat, both things can be detrimental to plants.

Stones can become airborne projectiles when hit by the lawn mower and inevitably some stones will make their way into lawns and other areas. Children throw them, pets scratch them out. It can be time consuming and difficult to get the stones back to where you put them.

White stone mulch and some of the colored stone mulches too, look glaringly unnatural. Modern gardens usually feature a more natural look.

There are some limited areas where a natural colored stone mulch can be effective such as in garden beds of alpine type plants that like gravely soil or in dry desert areas where they are used in place of grass. A small area of stone mulch around water features may help prevent puddles, although wood chips can do that too. Stones can be used on paths but personally I don’t like walking on rock mulch. And you still have the problem of the rocks getting into lawns and other areas you don’t want them in.

When you need mulch use something that’s good for the soil, not stone mulch. Your plants will be healthier.

Don’t plant your garden from the grocery store

I see posts all the time on social media about people starting seeds they found in fruits and vegetables they bought at the grocery store. While this is a good project if you are just curious, don’t try to start your garden from seeds (or plants) saved from things you bought to eat. The grocery is not a place to start a food garden from, unless you buy seeds from a seed rack or the store has a greenhouse selling starter plants.

When they cut open a tomato or pepper, or a watermelon or apple, and see all the seeds inside, some people decide to plant the seeds and grow their own. Why buy seeds if you can rescue them from the trash? And if that tomato or apple was especially delicious some people think they can duplicate it by growing the seeds from the fruit. But if you do this you will probably get plants, but not the results you expect.

Almost all fruits and vegetables you find in the market- even the farmer’s market are from hybrid plants. Hybrid plants are a cross between two purebred plants. When you cross two purebred plants you can combine traits like taste and color with traits like disease resistance. Crossing two purebreds results in something called hybrid vigor, plants that grow better and faster in many cases than the purebred strains.

Hybrids are not genetically modified in the way most people think of GMO plants. Typically, GMO labeled plants are those that have genes inserted by artificial means, but hybrids can occur naturally when plants of different strains are planted near each other. Usually breeders plant rows of one type of purebred plant next to rows of another type of purebred plant they want to cross. The male pollen bearing parts are removed from one variety of plant so that when seeds are produced it must be from a combination of the two varieties.

Growers of produce for market (or home gardeners) plant the hybrid seeds produced from that cross and get a fruit or vegetable with superior qualities inherited from both parent plants. Plant breeders, through trial and error, know what to expect when they cross those plants. It’s supposed to be an end product; the fruit or vegetables grown from the seeds are meant to be eaten. The seeds of that hybrid plant are not meant to be saved for planting and here’s why.

Hybrid plants may have self- pollinated or crossed with another hybrid or non- hybrid flower nearby to produce seeds. The genes tucked into that seed are varied and can recombine in several ways during sexual reproduction to produce all kinds of variations in the plants that grow from them. Even seeds from the same fruit may not grow identical plants. Some of the combinations may be good but a great many of the plants will not be as vigorous, as tasty, or as productive as the parent plant.

In short, when you save the seeds from many fruits or vegetables you buy at the store and plant them you don’t know what you will get but it most likely won’t be like the parent plant the seeds came from. You cannot tell by looking at a seed what quality of plant it will produce, you will have to wait until the plant is mature to find out what you have. That tasty, pretty pepper you took the seeds from probably will not be replicated from its seeds.

But what if you bought an heirloom tomato fruit at the farmers market. Would you be able to grow the same type of tomato from its seeds? Probably not. Many heirlooms are also hybrids. Even if they are what is known as open-pollinated- (or purebred) they may have cross pollinated with another variety of tomato nearby. Most growers grow several types of tomatoes for market and don’t grow them far enough apart to prevent cross pollination.

Some plants like apples, cannot pollinate with the same variety of apple, so apple seeds can never give you the same type of apple fruit as the one you saved the seed from. You will not get a Honeycrisp apple from seeds of a Honeycrisp apple or McIntosh apples from a McIntosh apple seed. Apples are propagated from cuttings. If you want a Honeycrisp apple you must plant a tree grown from a cutting. The seeds of a Honeycrisp apple fruit may produce an apple that tastes good or not, but it won’t be a Honeycrisp.

While some types of fruit- tart cherries for instance, can be pollinated by the same variety of fruit and technically produce the same fruit as the parent, most don’t. Many types of fruit will be pollinated by another cultivar of that fruit and the seeds will not produce the same variety as the parent. If you save the seeds of these fruits and plant them you probably won’t get the same fruit; grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, peaches, sweet cherries and some citrus fruits.

You could plant these seeds but you probably
won't get a melon like this

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins, are also plants that we eat the fruit of, and these plants also do not produce the same fruits as the parent when grown from saved seed in most cases. You might get avocado’s the same as the parent if you grow a plant from the avocado pit. (But its doubtful you’ll ever harvest avocado fruit from it.)

Plants that can self-pollinate and that have been isolated from other fruit of the same variety might produce fruit very close to the parent, but some genetic recombination occurs here too.

Furthermore, many fruit tree species are grafted onto other rootstock. This is often done to make the tree hardier and more disease resistant and to control the mature size of the tree. A fruit tree grown from seed may not be hardy enough for your area or may not have any disease resistance.

Plant breeders do have to cross different cultivars to get new cultivars. But they wait until the seeds produced from the cross are planted and grow to maturity to evaluate them, then they discard all the poor plants and take cuttings from the best plants to produce new varieties. Or in the case of plants like tomatoes and peppers if the cross produced tasty fruit and vigorous plants, they may repeat the cross and sell the seeds. You could do the same, but it takes a lot of space and time.

So, what about the potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic and onions from the supermarket? Can they be grown and produce new plants? The answer here is yes, but again unless it’s just an experiment it’s not a good plan.

If you plant a sprouting white potato you’ll get potatoes exactly like the tuber you planted. But you run the risk of spreading potato diseases that overwinter on untreated and untested tubers. Buying certified disease-free seed potatoes is the best plan. Some eating potatoes have also been treated with products to delay sprouting and may never grow well.

Sweet potatoes can also be started from tubers you buy in the grocery, here again you run the risk of disease, but it’s less risky than white potatoes. Don’t start the sweet potatoes in water if you want to try this, plant them in the soil. Usually after several shoots have developed these are then separated and used like cuttings. It’s easier to buy cuttings, called “slips” for planting.

You can plant garlic cloves you buy in the store, but most likely they are not a good variety for your area. Most garlic in stores is grown in California or even other countries and they often don’t grow well when planted in other areas. Research the right type of garlic for your area and buy the right cloves to plant.

You can plant sprouting onions but it’s kind of a useless endeavor. Usually you’ll see several stems developing inside a soft sprouting onion bulb. Separate and plant them if you must, but like garlic many won’t grow well in your growing conditions, unless they were grown locally originally. Most won’t make a bulb, but will go right to seed, as onions do in their second year. You could use them for green onions, I guess.

I have heard of people planting the cut off root ends of green onions (scallions). Some of these do indeed grow new shoots. (Most won’t.) They will never make onion bulbs though; most purchased green onions are grown from seed and never produce a bulb. If you just like a snip of the greens for salads maybe this is something you might do. But it’s far easier to start some onion sets (small bulbs) or grow onions from seed or tiny purchased plants.

I have also heard of people planting the bottom of celery clumps to try and root them. If it works, the shoots that grow will quickly go to seed without making much of a stalk. You could plant whole beets or turnips with the roots and tops still attached and many would grow, but why? They were probably harvested at the right stage to eat and will only go to seed if replanted.

Other things people try to grow from the grocery are ginger- it will grow but its tropical and takes a couple years to make a new large tuber, spice seeds – most won’t grow because they are too old or they have been irradiated so they can’t sprout, pineapple tops- they sometimes grow but rarely make a new pineapple and are also tropical, and various tropical fruits, which will need to be grown for several years and overwintered inside if they are to have the remotest chance of producing fruit. Dried beans might grow if they aren’t too old. I have heard of people growing an unroasted coffee bean as a novelty plant, once again it’s tropical.

Using the supermarket or the trash heap to start your garden is not a good idea, unless you are desperate. It sounds clever and like a good way to re-cycle, but you can recycle those bits and pieces in the compost pile just as well. The seeds of fruits and vegetables you bought at the grocery generally won’t give you the plants you are expecting, even after lots of time and effort. You’ll have far better luck with a garden if you buy seeds and plants that are intended to be planted, not eaten.

All things seem possible in May.

Edwin Way Teale

Kim Willis

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And So On….

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Newsletter/blog information

I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week (or things I want to talk about). It keeps me engaged with people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you or anyone you know who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

May 7, 2019

Hi gardeners

Don’t tell me deer won’t eat daffodils. After the deer ate the tulips I planted in a bed way out at the edge of our yard last year I decided to plant some daffodils out there last fall for spring color. Daffodils are supposed to be deer proof and I’ve never noticed deer damage to them before. But on my walk this morning I found that the daffodils which were about bloom out in that bed had been eaten to the ground. There were deer tracks in the soft soil around the beds so there is no doubt what happened.

Now there isn’t any real need for the deer to eat daffodils to survive around here. The grass is long and lush, the wheat field across the street is being grazed every night by them. Green leafy shoots are everywhere. But they ate the daffodils anyway. Just for fun, I guess. I hope they are sick, very, very sick. In fact, I hope they are dead, but I doubt that happened. So, there’s another thing I can’t count on to be deer proof. I have to start hunting deer I guess; someone has to get their numbers down.

Where things are protected, I have daffodils, tulips, trilliums, bloodroot, windflowers, pansies, violets, corydalis, hyacinths and creeping phlox in bloom. The apricot tree is in bloom and I can see color on the redbud. The sweet woodruff is starting to bloom. Mayapples and lilies of the valley are sprouting, as are all the hosta and lilies. Dandelions and the ground ivy are blooming like crazy and I am now seeing honeybees as well as bumble bees on them.

The weather was beautiful this past weekend and I was able to get a lot done. I planted kale, romaine lettuce, spinach and potatoes. I planted all my dahlias out directly into the ground. I have pots near the sprouted ones so I can cover them tonight as we may get frost. I potted up some tender summer bulbs I received too.

I also planted seeds for zinnias, cosmos, tithonia, marigolds and bachelor’s buttons in my butterfly bed. And I finally got the live Christmas tree my son got me, a little fir, planted in its permanent home. It’s May so I try to plant something every day.

We were able to get most of the lawn mowed despite a lawnmower that kept quitting. There are some spots that are too wet to mow. It makes it difficult when the grass keeps getting longer but the mower gets stuck in the soft soil. And I got the bamboo cut down too. It comes back from the roots and I use the old canes for plant stakes.

Inside the tropical hibiscus are blooming and the peace lily has a flower. The geraniums on the porch are blooming like crazy. All the houseplants are taking a growth spurt. Mary Helen my “special” plant is getting huge. I am trying to find a way to raise her grow light again. Those plants really do grow like a weed.

The orioles, bluebirds, wrens and hummingbirds are all back and helping to empty the various feeders. I see the wren is already building a nest in one of the little wren houses. I left the back door to the barn open so the swallows could come back to their old nest in the rafters.

We have had a lot of rain here but so far today we escaped with just a trace. The clearing weather could bring us frost tonight though. Across the country rain and storms have been a problem this year. Farmers are delaying planting. Except for a part of West Texas, it looks like drought conditions are pretty much gone across the country. Be weather wise gardeners, keep an eye on the weather forecast this time of year as it changes rapidly. It could save your garden – and your life.

Corydalis

May almanac

May is the true beginning of the garden season here, when things get a bit busy as gardeners rush to plant before it gets too hot but try to avoid the frost. The full moon is May 18^th and appropriately enough it’s called the flower moon. Other names for May’s full moon are mother’s moon and milk moon- because new mothers and their milk are everywhere. Moon perigee is the 13^th and apogee of the moon is on the 26^th. The Eta-Aquariid meteor shower peaked on May 5^th, but meteors can still be seen through May 26^th.

Mother’s Day is the 12^th, and Memorial Day is the 27^th. These are some of the biggest sales days that greenhouses have, and May is almost synonymous with at least one trip to buy flowers. It’s May, plant something every day! It’s good that Memorial Day is late this year because it’s a date many people use to signify it’s safe to plant everything, in planting zones 5 and 6. But beware- frost can still happen after that, although it isn’t likely.

May Day, May 1 and Cinco de Mayo, May 5^th, have passed. May 8^th is World Red Cross day and Iris day. The 16^th is Love a Tree day. The 29^th is Learn about Composting day and the 30^th is Water Your Flowers Day.

May is National Barb-b-Que month, National Salad Month, National Egg month, National Hamburger month and National Date your Mate month. May is also Older Americans month, Bike Month, National Skin Cancer Awareness month and Blood Pressure Awareness month.

May’s birth flower is the Lily of the Valley. It signifies sweetness and humility. (But remember its poisonous). It also means a return to happiness and you are supposed to give them to people you find complete happiness with. The birthstone is the emerald which is a symbol of re-birth. The month name of May is derived from the name of the Greek goddess Maia, associated with fertility.

May folklore

There are two sets of notable days in May folklore. The first is Chilly Saints days, named for the Saints Mameritus, Pancras, and Gervais. The days are the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th and it is said that these days will be cold and frosty. In 2018 the 11^th certainly was, we had sleet. However, the 12^th and 13^th were sunny and mild.

The second set of folklore days is the Ember days. May Ember days are the 22^nd, 24^th and 25^th. On the 22^nd the weather predicts the weather for June, the 24^th predicts July weather and the 25^th predicts the August weather. Example: if it’s cold and wet on the 22^nd of May the month of June is supposed to be cold and wet. Let’s see how that worked out here.

In 2018 May 22^nd was cloudy and average in temperature. June 2018 was cloudier than normal, but temperatures seemed normal. May 24^th, 2018 was sunny and hot. July 2018 was hot and drier than average. May 25^th, 2018 was sunny and hot. August 2018 was about average in temperature and rain. So, the folklore predictions were great for June 2018, July looks like it was pretty accurate too. August 2018 was fairly close I guess.

In folklore May’s full moon is said to be a great time to harvest any medicinal herbs that are growing for their maximum potency. Just remember there is no science that supports planting or harvesting by the stage of the moon.

Patience, patience, it’s a virtue in gardening

I was driving to town and saw a woman carrying a large peace lily outside. A spider plant was hanging on her porch. Now, maybe she was getting ready to clean the carpet and would be bringing them back inside later. But here in zone 5 it’s much too early to be moving houseplants outside for the season. It might be fine in zone 7, maybe even 6b, but north of these zones – lower zones- it’s probably still going to frost or get down below 40 degrees, which most houseplants can’t handle. It should stay above 40 degrees even at night before its safe to move most houseplants outside. Some very tender plants need even warmer temps. And remember – shade at first then for most houseplants partial shade or filtered light.

The weather is unsettled over a great part of the United States this spring and even if it seems warm, I’d worry about wind, hail and heavy rain wrecking the houseplants outside. Let storm season calm down before moving those plants out.

It’s also early in zone 5 and lower for planting bedding annuals and buying tender tropical plants for the patio. Let the greenhouse care for them a bit longer. Mother’s Day is this Sunday and greenhouses will be filled with hanging baskets and containers of annuals, but it doesn’t mean it’s safe for them to be outside. If you buy those pretty baskets do be prepared to bring them inside or cover them if frost threatens or if high winds are predicted.

Also don’t be too quick to give up on plants which don’t seem to be leafing out. Things like buddleia, hardy hibiscus, catalpa trees, and other things are just slow to come up or leaf out when its still cool. Many times new gardeners miss the tiny leaf buds on some plants or think that because the top growth of a plant was killed over winter that the plant is dead. Many things that look dead will come back from the roots.

Before yanking out a plant or cutting it down be patient and give it a few more weeks. Sunshine, rain and warm temps can do miracles if you give it time. Examine plants that look dead carefully. Are there shoots coming up at the base of the plant? If you scratch a stem do you see green? Are the stems flexible and do they bend instead of snap? Give the plant some time.

And if you are getting antsy because it’s May and you think the planting the vegetable garden must be planted now, please read the article below.

A wet spring may mean a delayed planting season

Across a wide part of the country we have had an unusually wet spring. There are flooding conditions across many states. Farmers generally know enough to stay out of wet fields, but gardeners sometimes don’t realize the real damage they do to soil when they try to plant before the ground is ready. The time to plant is not by the calendar, the time to plant is when soil conditions are optimal for your crop. A crop planted when the soil conditions are favorable for it will be healthier and more productive even if it is planted later than it normally is planted.

When we talk about optimal soil conditions, you might think we are talking about planting seeds, particularly vegetable crop seeds. But flower seeds also need optimal sowing conditions. Planting seedlings such as tomatoes and peppers and various annual flowers into the garden should also be done when soil conditions are right.

Even perennials and trees can be harmed if the soil is too wet when they are planted. While moderately moist conditions are ideal for planting these things, waterlogged soil that rots the roots is not. Different plants have different tolerances for soil moisture. Know what conditions each plant species needs and don’t plant them if the soil isn’t right for them. And even if the soil moisture level is right there may be other reasons to delay planting.

Walking on or using equipment on wet soil compacts it. This can make it harder for air to enter the pore spaces in soil and plant roots need air to grow well. Seedling roots need to be able to easily move through the soil and compacted soil makes this difficult. Compacted soil and soil worked when it is too wet tend to crust and crack when they do dry, which also make unfavorable growing conditions. This soil damage can last through the entire season and maybe even into the next year or longer.

Wet soil is generally cooler soil and the combination of wet and cold soil makes it a struggle for seeds to germinate and grow. Struggling plants are susceptible to disease and pests. Wet, cold soil can make some plant nutrients such as nitrogen unavailable to plants, even when they are present. This makes seedlings look yellow or sometimes have a reddish or purple tint, indicating nutrient deficiencies. These nutrient deficiencies can stunt plant growth and reduce yield even after conditions improve.

Some soils stay wet longer than others. Clay soils and soils high in organic matter stay wet longer than sandy soils. Soil on higher ground usually dries out sooner than low lying garden areas. Raised beds dry out faster than other garden areas. So, when you can safely work in the garden can vary even in the same general area, maybe even in your own yard.

Important safety note: if your garden area has been covered by flood water that water may have carried some harmful pollutants with it. Sewage, oil and various chemical contaminants may be in flood waters. Growing edible crops in the soil after the water recedes might be harmful. Contact the local Extension office, soil conservation office, or your county health department for advice in this circumstance. They may have answers for you or be able to refer you for soil testing for pollutants, which is different from a normal soil test.

The old test for knowing when soil is ready to be worked is to pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it, then open your hand. If the soil stays in a claylike lump, it’s too wet. If it crumbles apart it’s probably fine to begin planting. Of course, if there are puddles on top of the soil, or if you dig a hole and it fills with water the soil is too wet.

To see if soil temperature is right for your crop you can use a soil thermometer or even a common air thermometer if you can find one that’s not digital that can be poked 4 inches into the soil. There are optimal soil temperatures for each type of crop but soil temperatures above 40 degrees are where one can start planting most cool weather crops.

Good gardeners know it’s not best to forge ahead with planting when the soil conditions- and air temperatures- aren’t optimal just because the calendar indicates it’s the usual time to plant. Under poor soil conditions and cold temperatures seeds will be slow to germinate and transplants may stop growing. Crops planted a bit later than normal, but when conditions are better, often quickly make up for lost time and are soon at the proper stage of growth for the season.

If your garden season is delayed quite a bit you can do like farmers do, and plant varieties that mature faster. Most vegetable crops and some flowers have cultivars that are quicker to bloom or get to harvest stage than other varieties. And for crops you normally would grow from seed sown in the ground you may be able to find greenhouse grown transplants to plant instead, saving you a few weeks of time.

Patience is a virtue- and it can pay off very well for gardeners who practice it.

Sandhill cranes as pests

Did you know that sandhill cranes are considered to be an agricultural pest? They like to live in agricultural fields near water and they hunt for grubs and bugs in the fields, which is a good thing. But it seems they also like seeds, especially corn seeds, and they will pull up sprouting corn to eat the kernel attached to the sprout. If there are a lot of cranes in the area a lot of damage can be done to fields.

MSU is recommending farmers with sandhill crane populations treat their seeds with a product called Avipel. It’s supposed to taste bad but not harm the cranes. The alternative is to get permits to kill them, which is a terrible pest control strategy for these pretty birds, or to use sound “cannons” which is a terrible alternative for the neighbors of the field.

Gardeners probably won’t have trouble with sandhill cranes but if you do, ask a farm service store if they carry Avipel instead of using other things to harm the birds. If a farmer near you is using other methods to discourage cranes you may want to suggest the product to them.

Should you rotate garden crops?

If you grow vegetables and small fruit you may have heard that you should rotate where you plant each type of crop each year, or every few years in the case of fruits. Rotating crops helps prevent disease and nutrient deficiencies in the soil. But is it necessary in a small garden, where space is at a premium? The answer is while you can grow crops in the same spot each year it’s still a good idea to rotate them, even in small gardens.

Different crops use nutrients in the soil in different amounts. The same crop in the same soil every year soon depletes some nutrients. Some crops, like peas and beans actually add nitrogen to the soil and a crop that likes a lot of nitrogen, such as corn, benefits from being planted in that spot the next year. And some diseases and pests can overwinter in the soil. These are the reasons farmers rotate crops and why gardeners should rotate them too.

In my own vegetable garden, I use raised beds. Every year I change the bed where I plant each crop so that it is in a different bed than it was the year before. This may not be ideal for disease prevention, since the beds are in close proximity to each other, but it helps. I amend the soil in the bed each year depending on what crop I plan to grow in it.

For example, the bed where I will plant sweet corn will get a high nitrogen fertilizer worked into it before planting. (Corn needs lots of nitrogen but most other vegetable crops do not.) Last year tomatoes grew in the bed where the corn is going this year. The tomatoes will be grown in the former corn bed. The vine crops and potatoes will switch beds this year. Onion and pepper crops will switch beds.

In general, when rotating crops try to avoid planting a crop in the same related group where one grew the year before. Peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are a related group. Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are a related group. Root crops like carrots, parsnips, beets, onions and radishes aren’t technically all related but are treated as such for rotation. Leafy greens of various types are a group. Vine crops like melons, cucumbers and pumpkins are another group.

Strawberries should be replanted in a fresh bed every 3-5 years. Don’t save plants, buy new certified disease-free plants. You may want to start the new bed a year before you rip out the old, since it takes a year for optimum production. Technically you are supposed to remove any flowers from strawberries the first year you plant them. This keeps your strawberries healthy and productive.

If you have a problem with raspberries getting diseases buying new plants and putting them in a new bed some distance from the old may also help. Grapes and blueberries are best left alone for as long as they are productive.

If you have ever noticed that you have a beautiful, lush garden the year you first plant it, it isn’t beginner’s luck. It’s good fresh soil full of nutrients. Most vegetable crops are greedy feeders. If you can actually rotate the site of your whole garden every few years that would be great for the soil and your garden crops. Leave the old garden site fallow- or plant a cover crop on it or even let it revert to meadow or lawn.

It’s a lot of work to make a new garden plot though and if you favor raised beds it’s hard to make this change. Many people just don’t have the room to do this. So, most gardeners will need to amend their garden plot each year with lots of organic matter like compost and aged manure and get soil tests to see what nutrients may be depleted in their soil and add them accordingly.

If you can plan your garden so that one bed is always left unplanted every year, that also helps. Sometimes in a larger vegetable garden cover crops in the fall can help. These are tilled under in spring. If you prefer no till gardening cover crops can be a problem though. I find them impractical for small gardens and gardeners often have a hard time choosing the right cover crop and finding a source for seed for it.

Keep records of what was planted where every year so you can rotate crops. Even in a small garden crop rotation can help you have a better garden.

Links you’ll like

Is your asparagus coming up, but you wonder about harvesting it? Are you planting asparagus this spring and need to know more about it? Read this article about asparagus.

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/asparagus-is-one-of-foods-you-either.html

Are you experiencing mole problems this spring? Don’t fall for all the myths about mole control, learn the facts with this article;

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/mole-control-wiithout-myths.html

Want to grow strawberries this spring? This link will help.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/growing-strawberries-in-homegarden.html

Corydalis is an underused spring blooming plant. Learn about it here.

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/corydalis-corydalissolida-kor-riduh-lis.html

Can you plant just one fruit tree and get fruit?

A question that I am asked frequently is whether a gardener can plant just one fruit tree and still get fruit. The answer is – it depends. Some types of fruit trees have pollination requirements that makes planting just one tree a poor choice. This pollination requirement may need to be considered when you have limited space to grow fruit trees.

Apples, pears, sweet cherries, and some plums and one or two varieties of peaches or apricots need two trees of different varieties nearby to make fruit. Sour or pie cherries, and most peaches, nectarines and apricots will self- pollinate- you don’t need two trees. Nearby usually means within 500 feet. If a neighbor has a similar fruit tree you may not need two of that kind. For apple pollination some ornamental crabapples or wild trees growing along roadsides can provide pollination. (The fruit will not be affected by this cross pollination.)

Two trees of the same variety of apples, sweet cherries, and plums or even closely related varieties will not pollinate each other. That means you should not plant two McIntosh apples if there are no other apple tree varieties nearby. Read catalog descriptions to get an idea of what tree varieties will pollinate each other. As a tip, Golden Delicious apples are good pollinators for almost all apple varieties. Gala and Red Delicious pollinate each other, Red Delicious and McIntosh are also compatible, HoneyCrisp and CandyCrisp can be pollinated by Jonathan or Gala apples.

Bartlett pears are good pollinators for most other pears. Any two different pears will generally pollinate each other. European type plums like Damson and prune plums do not need another pollinator but Japanese type plums do. Pie type cherries are generally self- pollinating and one variety of sweet cherry called Stella is also self- pollinating. Sweet cherries can also be pollinated by tart cherries; you may want one of each. Pawpaws need two varieties to set fruit. Persimmons are self-pollinating.

You don’t need two trees of the same size for pollination- if you don’t have room for 2 semi-dwarf apple trees for instance- you could plant a dwarf variety and a semi-dwarf. Or for apples, maybe you could plant a small ornamental crabapple in another location in the landscape.

More plant shoots ID pictures

See the last two blogs for more pictures.