April 7, 2020, showers bring flowers

Hello gardeners

Have a great Easter at home

Yesterday was a wonderful day to get outside and I tackled a big mess in one of my gardens. It was a half circular bed in which there is my Harrisons Yellow rose and another heirloom plant called clove current.  Both of those plants are terrible at suckering and they had come up all over in the bed. There is also a lot of bee balm in there, goldenrod, golden glow, some daylilies, and orien-pet lilies, purple echinacea and tons and tons of comfrey.

By late fall last year it was a mass of dying stems with the prickly rose sucker stems making it difficult to do anything with.  It never got cleaned up, so I had to tackle it this spring. What a job. It is now a good deal neater with the roses and current cut back into some semblance of order. The deer can now find the tulips and daylilies that are coming up, so that’s not a good thing, I guess. And the comfrey is just peeking above ground, it will soon be the overwhelming problem it always is. That's for another day.

Last weekend I cleaned up across the front yard, my long beds. My next job is to tackle cutting down the bamboo in the bed next to the driveway and cleaning that out. The bamboo dies to the ground most years, leaving dead bleached blond stems flapping in the winds. They stand out jarringly against the new green everywhere.

The bamboo might green up again if I left the stems this year since winter was mild. I did that once, in 2012.  It takes a while for all the bleached leaves to naturally be pushed off by new leaves and it isn’t pretty for a while. But the stems will get twice as tall as normal, since they have a head start. I cut the stems every year, remove the small leaf branches and keep the bamboo “poles” for staking other things. In 2013 I had some 15 feet long poles. But I think this year it will all be cut down again.

I hope everyone is taking the “stay at home” time to get outside and work on their gardens.  Working in the sunshine and smelling the soil helps with depression. This year I am getting a lot more done in the early days of April than last year when it was cold and wet. It’s raining here today but it’s supposed to clear up tomorrow. April rain makes May flowers. But I hope the chance for severe weather we have this evening doesn’t materialize.

All of the crocus are now in bloom and the earliest daffodils have started to bloom. There are leaves coming out on the barberry, honeysuckle and a few other things. The birds are making a lot of noise outside singing, fighting, honking, and the frogs are getting noisy too. And the grass will need to be mowed soon.

Poor wild birds, one of the things I am having a hard time getting is the black oil sunflower seeds.  I mixed the last I had with some parakeet seed, but they aren’t real happy with that. The local store where I am getting curbside orders is out, and most online stores were out or just too expensive. I did manage to order a 20-pound bag from Chewy.com but I don’t know when it will get here.  Why is sunflower seed being hoarded?

And I am still waiting for seeds I ordered weeks ago to be delivered. They are just supposed to be delivered by the post office, but it just says they are on the way each time I check. It’s my lettuce and kale seeds I want to get planted. I think I am spending more time online looking for things and checking on orders than I did with actual shopping.

I feel sorry for the medical personnel and other essential workers that really can’t enjoy the nice weather this year. And of course, for those too sick to enjoy their gardens. My own physical mobility is somewhat limited, but for those of you who are young, healthy and bored maybe you could offer to do some gardening for someone on the front lines. You wouldn’t need to get physically close to them.

Articles you may want to read

Clove currents

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/clove-currant-ribesodoratum-alternately.html

Growing daffodils

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/how-to-grow-daffodils-marchbirth-flower.html

Old varieties of roses

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/roses-those-old-varieties.html

April almanac

April’s full moon is today. The moon is also at perigee today.  This is the closest the moon will be to earth this year and it’s called a super moon. It will look larger and brighter than normal- if it isn’t too cloudy to see. Oddly this is the 3^rd super moon in a row. There will be another super moon in May too.  

April’s full moon is known as the Pink moon, egg moon or grass moon. It will not look pink however. It’s known as the pink moon because it is when the pink wild creeping phlox usually blooms. The moon apogee is April 20^th. The Lyrid Meteor shower peaks on April 21^st - 22^nd.  Viewing should be very good this year for this meteor shower.

Holidays in April are Golfers day the 10^th, National Pecan Day 14^th, National Garlic Day 19^th, Christian Easter the 12^th, Earth Day 22^nd, Executive Administrative day and Zucchini bread day the 23^rd, Arbor day 25^th, International Astronomy Day the 28^th. 

April is National Lawn and Garden Month as well as Keep America Beautiful month. It’s also National Humor month, National Pecan month and National Poetry month. April’s birthstone is the diamond and the birth flower is the sweet pea. In the language of flowers, the sweet pea means either goodbye or blissful love, depending on who’s translating, I guess.

Garden chores for April include seeding lawns, planting trees and shrubs, getting seeds and bulbs started indoors in zones 5-6 and maybe planting lettuce and peas outside and putting some pretty pansies in pots for color.  In warmer zones you may be planting more crops outside like onions, carrots and even tomatoes and peppers and planting those annual bedding plants and containers.

April is a good month to divide perennials and move plants you want to relocate. And get those mowers tuned up and ready to go, most areas of the country will mow at least once in April.

Making your own sterile seed starting soil

It’s just amazing what you can’t find in stores this year or even through online shopping. People are telling me they can’t find sterile seed starting soil and want to know if they can use compost, potting soil or garden soil.  The answer is you could- but it isn’t a good idea, unless you sterilize those things yourself.

Sterile seed starting soil should be used for starting seeds because it greatly reduces the chance of dampening off, a fungal disease that kills seedlings. Other diseases, and insect and their eggs are also killed. It also prevents weed seeds from germinating with the seeds you planted, which can confuse some people.

Fortunately, you can sterilize garden soil, compost or regular potting soil at home. It takes time and it will smell up your house, but you can do it. Here’s how. You’ll want to sift or screen the planting medium of choice, so it is in fine pieces with no big lumps or stones.

Spread the medium you want to sterilize in a shallow layer on a tray. It should be a little moist, but not sopping wet. Put those trays in an oven set at your lowest setting, 175 degrees would be ideal but most ovens lowest setting is higher than that. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Stir up the planting medium and let it cool before using it for planting. Do not add manure, compost or anything “natural” to the planting medium or you will reintroduce those diseases you were trying to prevent. You can mix in a commercial slow release fertilizer. Yes, the natural micro biotics are killed with this method but that won’t affect seedling growth. You can buy microbe treatments but I don’t think seedlings need them for the short time they are in the seedling trays and pots.

Natural Easter Egg Dyes

This year it might be hard to find eggs to dye for Easter, but if you find them, you’ll want to dye them with a safe dye so you can also eat them. With so many people having a hard time even getting eggs it’s not the year to waste them, so make sure you promptly refrigerate the eggs after dying them. Also hide the eggs just before the hunt begins and refrigerate the eggs right after they are found.

Some of the natural ingredients may be hard to find this year too.  There are several choices given for each color so maybe you’ll be able to find at least one for each color. And there’s no substitute for vinegar but any kind of vinegar will work.

Many home egg producers have hens which lay brown eggs or even blue and green eggs. White eggs work best for dying, but light- to medium-brown eggs can also be colored. You could also change the color of those blue and green colored eggs. Of course, starting with colored eggs your dyed eggs may turn out differently than you thought, try one or two before going to a bigger batch.

Children love this egg dying project, but natural dyes can leave permanent stains so make sure everyone wears an apron. Protect the table and floor too.

To make egg dyes, mix two cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with any of the items noted in the following list for various colors. You can mix the ingredients listed below to create your own shades or use them separately. The colors you get will be softer than commercial dyes and each egg will be unique. All of the natural ingredients are safe to eat.

For blues, purples: Use any of the following:

 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, crushed

 2 cups shredded red cabbage

 1 cup concentrated grape juice

 1–2 cups red onion skins

For reds, pinks, oranges: Choose from the following:

 1–2 cups chopped fresh red beets

 2 tablespoons paprika

 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, crushed

 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, crushed

 1–2 cups of frozen concentrate for cherries, cranberries, or raspberries

For Greens: Use either of the following: 

 1 cup of blueberries mixed with 2 tablespoons turmeric

 2 cups fresh spinach leaves

For Yellows, golds: Choose from the following:

 2 cups yellow onion skins

 1 cup concentrated orange juice

 3 tablespoons cumin

 3 tablespoons turmeric

 1/4 cup celery seed

You can dye your eggs using either of the following methods:

Boil the eggs right in the pan with the dye products. If you want to cook the eggs in the dye you must simmer the mixture for about 8 minutes to thoroughly cook the eggs. The mixture should cover the eggs, so you may need to add additional water and vinegar. Add the eggs before heating the dye and cook slowly so the eggs don’t crack. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 minutes after turning off the heat.

Or boil the eggs and make your dyes separately, and then soak the hard-boiled eggs in the dye. To make the dye alone, bring the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for about 2 minutes. Strain the dye mixture. Hard-boil the eggs separately. Then soak the eggs in the dye until they are as colored as you want them. If you soak them for more than 30 minutes, set the pan or bowl with the eggs and dye in the refrigerator.

After coloring, allow the eggs to dry and refrigerate them if they’re going to be eaten later.  If hard boiled eggs have been outside the refrigerator for more than 2 hours do not eat them.

This year plant a tree for hope

This year, with a deadly virus making us all feel our mortality, is a good year to plan for the future.  There are many sayings about tree planting, but they all come down to planting trees for those who come after us to enjoy. Of course, you may get some enjoyment or food from the tree too, in a few years.  But tree planting is done with the future in mind- it’s hope, and we need that this year.   

April is a great month to plant trees for those in planting zones 6 and lower.  A little care taken during tree planting will do a lot to prevent tree failure.  A tree may leaf out and appear to grow the first season or even grow for several seasons but failure of a tree in the first three years after planting is often due to poor planting procedures.  So making sure the tree is planted correctly will save you time and money.

Bareroot, ball and burlap, or potted trees all respond well to planting when the weather is cool and wet.  Early May is still fine for bareroot trees that have been well cared for and balled or potted trees and shrubs can be planted until late September if they are well cared for as they acclimate to a new spot. If you are in zone 7 and 8 the best time for bareroot planting is over but potted and balled plants can still be planted.

Unfortunately, many old ideas about tree planting still exist among people who work in landscaping nurseries and garden stores. These people are still giving old advice to new (and experienced) gardeners. Research done at places such as Michigan State University has helped us better understand the process a tree goes through when it must re-establish itself after transplanting. The newer advice, backed by research, helps ensure that your trees will get off to a better start and continue to grow for many, many years.  Here are some things that you should do or have your landscaper do, to get those new trees off to a healthy start.

This advice is for trees planted in the landscape, as ornamental or fruiting trees.  A re-forestation project, involving hundreds of small seedlings requires some adjustments to technique, although following the advice below would give those trees a great start too.

Plant promptly and don’t soak the tree roots for long

Plan to plant the trees as quickly as possible after you buy them or receive them in the mail. Do not put bare root trees in a pail of water for longer than an hour. You can moisten the packing material or wrap a bareroot tree in some moistened paper, for holding for a day or two. Keep them in a cool place. Soaking the roots too long will rot them and the tree will probably die.

Make sure trees in pots or ball and burlap trees are watered if you store them for a few days. They must be able to drain well. Do not sit pots or root balls directly in water.

Preparing the hole

I am going to assume you have chosen the right site to plant your tree by researching any special needs it may have and knowing how large it will become at maturity.  It’s hard to move larger trees so make sure you get the planting location right the first time. Make sure it won’t grow into overhead wires as it matures, block walkways or driveways or cover windows.  And before you dig that hole make sure you know where any buried lines or pipes are. Don’t plant trees over or close to septic tanks or fields.

Prepare a hole three times as wide, but no deeper than the root system of the new tree.  Contrary to what most people think, most types of trees have root systems that remain in the top three feet of soil. Even if they are a species that has a deeper tap root, that root grows more slowly than lateral roots when first transplanted. The tree needs to send out lateral, (side) roots so that it can start grabbing water and minerals to support new top growth and it needs to stabilize itself, so it doesn’t topple in the wind. Having loose soil in a wide area around the root system is the key to faster establishment.

Trees that are not planted at the right depth may grow, although some species are fussier about this than others. But the tree may be in for a lifetime of problems if it wasn’t planted at the optimum level.

If you look at a mature tree that was planted at the right depth in most species it will be wider at the bottom, the wider part is called a root flare. Trees planted too deeply will have trunks that appear to be straight, without widening, right to the ground.  A trunk that flares at the bottom is stronger and able to withstand wind better.

You get a tree planted at the right level by looking for that top root of your new tree. The highest root branching off the main root on the tree should be just below the ground, about 1 inch below it. On some very small bareroot trees you may need to look closely at the main root to see where branching is beginning. If the tree has no branching roots look for a dark mark on the trunk that shows the soil level the tree was previously growing at.

Don’t buy soil amendments for planting

Don’t buy peat or topsoil or anything else to add to the planting soil as you plant your tree. Research has shown that trees establish better if the hole is refilled with what you took out. After all, that is the soil that the tree will be living in after the roots grow through your small amended area. It is easier for the tree to adapt to new conditions if it starts right away and it doesn’t have to re-adjust its root system when it grows through the amendments and into the surrounding soil.

Holes filled with “good stuff” may hold too much moisture next to roots, especially if you throw a bag of peat into heavy clay soil. The roots sit in wet peat and rot. And trees may not extend their roots quickly into surrounding soil if it’s easier to grow roots inside an amended area. This can lead to circling roots, with the tree being strangled or to a poorly established root system that can’t support the tree in a windstorm or through a drought.

You can add a little slow release fertilizer to the soil you are going to backfill with. Don’t throw it in the hole, mix it into the soil you removed and then refill the hole.

Preparing the tree for planting

To see where the top branching root is in a ball and burlap or potted tree is, you need to remove the burlap or pot. When trees are put into burlap coverings or pots, roots may be twisted up higher than they were growing, and soil piled up above that. You need to uncover the root system in that ball to see where the top root naturally lies. 

Another reason to uncover the roots is to see if they are circling. Roots that have circled around and around in pots or burlap balls will continue to grow in circles after being placed into the ground. This may eventually strangle the tree, even years after planting. Circling roots may also be caused by burlap or peat pots being left on trees when they are planted.  

Modern “burlap” is often composed of synthetic materials that really don’t break down quickly in soil. Tree roots may still be contained in those packages’ years after planting. That’s not a good thing because the roots need to spread out to support new top growth. And any burlap that gets exposed to the air wicks moisture away from tree roots. Peat pots are even worse at restricting root spreading. Trees need to get those lateral roots growing the first few months after planting, not years down the line.

Many garden professionals are now advocating that all the soil be washed off the roots of trees and shrubs that you purchase in pots or that are ball and burlap.  When you remove the soil, you can see the root system and correct any problems or if the plant ‘s roots are in horrible shape, you can return it for a refund- sometimes. Some experts think removing the soil around the roots helps plants adjust more quickly to the new soil they will be planted into.

To root wash all you do is remove pots or burlap and use a hose to gently wash away all the soil. If you can’t use a hose, you can sometimes use buckets of water or set the plants roots in a tub off water and swish it gently. It can take a little work to get all the soil out if the plant is badly pot bound. 

In some cases of dry, sandy soil in the pot or burlap ball the soil will fall away when the pot or burlap is removed, aided by a bit of brushing. If you can see the roots well, you won’t need to wash them.

After the soil is washed away if you see roots that have circled the pot, the plant will probably not survive if planted like this. You can untangle the roots, or clip off badly circling roots, and spread the roots out. If you can loosen them with your fingers and spread them out that’s a sign the circling wasn’t too advanced. Good nurseries either root trim or repot trees to keep them from getting root bound.

If the roots are thickly layered at the bottom of the pot or root ball, you’ll also need to trim them. If it’s just at the bottom, trim off the roots, making a slice across the bottom an inch or so deep. Then slightly flare out the remaining soil and roots. 

If you wash the roots and the plant has badly circling roots, the worst-case scenario, you may want to take it back to where you purchased it for a refund/replacement.

NOTE: there is no need to trim roots if they look healthy and aren’t circling around. It won’t help the tree grow.

Keep the roots damp as you work on them. Washing the roots doesn’t usually damage them much, so don’t worry about that.  And roots can withstand a bit of pruning without harm too. 

When you remove the soil, you must be prepared to plant the tree or shrub immediately after any problems are corrected. You can’t leave it sitting in the open air where the roots will dry out. If you are planting several trees at once you could wrap the washed roots in wet cloth or paper for an hour or so. Keep them out of the wind and sun until planted.

Here is where many landscapers balk at the new recommendations that say all burlap, wire cages and even so-called peat pots must be removed before filling in the hole. They don’t want to do the work and some places will tell you your warranty is void if you “disturb the root ball.” Yes they may have been doing it for years, but that doesn’t mean it was a good practice and even they can’t tell you how many of those trees failed a few years down the road.

Burlap and peat pots must not be left on trees when they are planted. When contracting with a nursery or landscaper to plant your trees make sure they are willing to follow your directions and plant properly. You are the customer. If they say your warranty is void if you remove burlap for example, you may want to use another company. Or plant the tree yourself.

Now put it in the hole

Carefully center the tree in the hole, making sure the top root branch will be just an inch or so below the soil level after filling. You may have to add soil to the bottom of the hole so it’s at the right level.

When planting trees never wrap a root around the hole- spread it out horizontally. Never spiral it around the hole. Spread roots sideways in the planting hole, except for any central main root. Don’t squish all the roots down vertically into the hole. If there is a long horizontal root that exceeds the width of your hole it’s fine to trim it to fit.

Now refill the hole around the roots with the soil you removed. Not topsoil or peat mixed with soil or compost, the soil you removed only. See preparing the hole above. Do not tamp down the soil. Water the tree to settle the soil and add more soil if needed. You can make a “dam” around the tree if you like and have extra soil. This will collect a little more water for the tree but isn’t necessary in most cases.

Make sure all strings, wire, rope etc. are removed from the from the trunk and branches of a tree. As a tree grows these things cut through the area that transports food and water and any parts above the constricting item will die.

Don’t prune and don’t stake- usually

It’s not necessary to remove one third of the tree as some older advice may lead you to believe. Research has shown the tree needs top growth to make food so the root system can grow. Prune off any broken branches and any branches that cross or rub each other, that’s all. You can shape the tree once it has established itself, usually after one growing season.

Most new trees should not be staked. They grow stronger trunks and wider root systems if the tree can sway in the wind.  There are some exceptions. New evergreens planted in the fall or in high wind areas may need to be staked for one growing season. Some ornamental weeping trees will need to be staked at least for a growing season, some for much longer. 

The best types of stakes and ties to use are the ring type that goes around the trunk without touching the trunk. This allows the trunk to move a little. The ties are attached to the ring and to stakes further away from the tree. Wires or ropes should never be directly wrapped around the trunk. There must be some kind of padding between them and the tree. The swaying of the tree in the wind will cause a sawing motion and damage the tree trunk.

If you do stake a tree check the ropes/wires several times a year to make sure they are not cutting into the tree.

Don’t over water and don’t over mulch

Yes, newly planted trees need to be well watered at planting and they should be watered when needed during the first growing season to get them off to a good start. But their roots don’t need to be constantly soaked. In really hot weather and in sandy soil trees may need watering frequently but, in most situations, a good watering once a week the first season will be enough.

Mulch is good for trees, but it shouldn’t touch the tree trunk.  Rot and disease can start where decomposing mulch touches trees. And never use more than 3 inches of mulch. Too much mulch absorbs or sheds water before it gets to the soil and it prevents oxygen from reaching tree roots. To get water and air tree roots may grow up into the mulch instead of down into the soil, which isn’t good for the tree. 

A little care taken during tree planting will do a lot to prevent tree failure.  A tree may leaf out and appear to grow the first season or even several seasons but failure of a tree in the first three years after planting is often due to poor planting procedures. The nursery may replace the tree, but you will have lost valuable growing time if it needs to be replaced. And unfortunately, the tree may not start to decline until the warranty is up.

You plant trees for the future.  Plant one this month.

Bacon and egg salad

Do you need a good way to eat up those Easter eggs? Try this egg salad. Most people serve egg salad as a sandwich, but it can be served on a bed of spring greens. Tender baby spinach leaves are wonderful paired with egg salad. If you make it a sandwich, toasting the bread that egg salad is served on adds a tasty touch. You can also wrap egg salad in a flour tortilla or put it in a pita pocket.

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup of minced green onion (chives or any other onion can be substituted)

1/4 cup of finely diced celery

1/4 cup of cooked crispy, finely crumbled bacon

1/4 cup of Miracle Whip® or similar salad dressing

1½ tablespoons of sweet pickle relish

1½ teaspoons of mustard

salt and pepper to taste.

Blend all of the ingredients together. Garnish with sweet paprika.  Refrigerate any egg salad that isn’t eaten immediately.

You can cheat and use bacon bits from the store but use the real thing, not a bacon flavored bit.  Add a teaspoon or so of grated or finely shredded cheddar cheese to each serving as a top garnish.   It will add calories to the recipe but it sure tastes good.

Omitting the bacon gives you a basic egg salad recipe. You could substitute finely cubed ham. To add some heat use chopped jalapeño pepper in place of celery and a bit of red pepper.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.  Each serving will have about 240 calories.

Plant a garden

"If your purse no longer bulges
and you've lost your golden treasure,
If times you think you're lonely
and have hungry grown for pleasure,
Don't sit by your hearth and grumble,
don't let mind and spirit harden.
If it's thrills of joy you wish for
get to work and plant a garden!

If it's drama that you sigh for,
plant a garden and you'll get it
You will know the thrill of battle
fighting foes that will beset it
If you long for entertainment and
for pageantry most glowing,
Plant a garden and this summer spend
your time with green things growing."
-  Edgar Guest, Plant a Garden

Kim Willis

All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

Newsletter/blog information

If you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly blog if you email me. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine, but I do reserve the right to publish what I want. Contact me at KimWillis151@gmail.com

March 31, 2020 out like a lamb

Well I guess its lamb weather, it’s cool and cloudy but not storming and there are no roaring winds today. March came in here on a sunny day, but the temperature was similar. Sunday we had the roaring winds, it was sunny and warm when I went out to do some yard work, but in a short time the wind came up and clouds moved in. When things started flying by my head and my little dog started climbing me to safety, I knew we should go in.

The crocus and iris reticulata are blooming beautifully when the sun is out. Snowdrops are still blooming and there are large buds on some of the daffodils. There are tiny green leaves on the honeysuckle and the willows are flushed with gold as the buds swell. I even saw a honeybee last week.

Inside the crazy holiday cacti are blooming again and the geraniums and hibiscus are blooming. My second amaryllis plant bloomed but the bud got broken off just before the blooms opened so I had to put them in a vase. The gerbera daisy is putting up another bloom too.

The birds are singing like crazy now and I can hear frogs all around on milder days. I put a new jelly feeder out for the orioles yesterday.  I haven’t seen any yet, but I think they will be here soon. I always slice an orange and put it out to attract them too. I noticed that last year the orioles had built a nest in the oak tree right over the spot where the jelly feeder was last year. Smart birds, didn’t have to fly far for food.

I hope everyone is doing well with the shelter in place orders around the country. Please stay home and safe. You can go outside to work in your gardens or take a walk just don’t get too close to the neighbors. Our neighbors have asked if we needed help, I think crisis’s do bring neighbors together. Just maintain that six-foot space when socializing with neighbors and you might want to eliminate sharing tools.

 

Oriole nest

Does cleaning up the garden in spring disturb helpful insects?

This week I have started removing layers of leaf mulch where spring bulbs are emerging and cutting back dead stems in my gardens. I am a gardener who is very aware that rotting leaves benefits the soil, so some leaves are always left among my plants except in some selected cases. A light layer that still feeds the soil but allows plants to emerge easily is often left behind.

In some areas a lot of leaves are going to be left and I know that after spring rains and warmer temperatures they are going to disappear from sight, eaten by microbes and worms and hidden by fast growing foliage. But I choose which areas of the garden receive this treatment. In some cases, I throw the leaf litter I want removed out on the lawn, where I mow it into little pieces to feed the lawn. In other cases, I carry debris to the compost pile.

When I am cleaning my gardens, I am not too concerned with any overwintering insects. That’s not because I am not concerned with preserving helpful insects. It’s because I know that for every helpful insect that might be saved by litter, and I empathize might, there are probably 2 harmful insects that might be removed or killed when I remove that litter.

There’s a meme going around on the internet, I’ve seen it on just about every garden site I know of, warning people not to clean up the garden too soon, because they will disturb all these helpful pollinators and other insects. Don’t rake out the dead leaves and cut off dead stems they warn, or you will harm all these wonderful bees and butterflies and other helpful insects. It’s true that waiting until late spring to clean out gardens has some benefits but there’s a fine line to be drawn between preserving helpful insects and enabling harmful ones.

I did some research and there are a few helpful insects that do overwinter in leaf litter. Most of them are not pretty butterflies or pollinating bees, however. They are spiders, ladybugs, centipedes, millipedes, some other predatory beetles and scavengers that break down leaves.

Bees don’t overwinter in leaf litter or debris. Bumblebees over winter in tunnels in the soil as do some other bees. Some bees overwinter in the crevices of tree bark or in holes in trees. A few species may over winter in hollow stalks of plants. Honeybee queens and some larvae overwinter in hives.

Some butterflies migrate to overwinter. Most butterflies and moths over winter as eggs on trees or other plants. Just a few overwinter as pupae or caterpillars in litter. The wooly bear caterpillar that turns into the Isabella Tiger moth overwinters in leaf litter. It feeds mostly on plants considered to be weeds like lamb’s quarters, violets, clovers, dandelions, nettles, burdock, yellow and curly docks. But they are also known to feed on lettuce, spinach, and other garden greens and herbs as well as sunflowers. Are they beneficial?

But the caterpillar pupae of sphinx moths also overwinter in leaf litter. Those caterpillars are some of the most destructive in the garden, becoming the giant hornworms that devour tomato plants among other things. The caterpillar pupae of the white cabbage moth and cabbage looper overwinter in leaf litter too.

Other harmful insects that overwinter in leaf litter include thrips, mites, bean leaf beetles, stink bugs, earwigs, grasshoppers, and cucumber beetles. Slugs and snails overwinter in garden debris. If you have a big problem with these in your garden, you should rake out all debris early in spring and allow the soil surface to dry out a bit.

Another very important pest that overwinters in leaf litter is the tick. Some ticks overwinter on hosts, but research has shown that others drop off and overwinter hidden in debris. Those gardeners who have ticks in their area will want to remove leaf litter early from the garden and remove all standing stems and grasses too.

Another consideration in leaving debris in gardens is that fungal and bacterial diseases can overwinter in debris. If you had problems with fungal disease in your garden last year, clean out all debris. This is very important in vegetable gardens. If the spring is really wet, removing leaf layers and debris may allow the soil to dry faster and dry soil is warmer than wet soil, encouraging plant growth and discouraging fungal disease.

If you are a gardener who has allergies to molds and fungus cleaning out leaf litter and debris may help keep your allergy symptoms in check. It will make gardening safer for you. If you can find one, wear a mask when cleaning out the debris if you have allergies.

A garden that needs a spring clean up 

If you are concerned that you might harm some beneficial insect when cleaning the garden simply pile the removed leaves and debris in some out of the way spot or on the compost pile. If you are trimming hollow stems or think the eggs of beneficial species are clinging to dead plant parts do the same- just pile them somewhere.

On the pruning note – don’t prune back winter damaged areas of plants too early as they protect the unfrozen parts of the stem. But by April those in garden zones 6 and above can generally remove winter killed areas. These are highly unlikely to have any beneficial insects or eggs on them. Be careful you don’t damage emerging shoots when removing dead stems. It’s better to cut rather than pull or break them off.

In short, if you want to clean your garden and the weather is right, just do it. If you can, do leave a light layer of leaves to enrich the soil. If you aren’t having pest problems and don’t mind the look you can leave more debris, just make sure emerging plants aren’t smothered or impeded by thick layers.

Don’t worry about harming beneficial insects. Simple things like moving what you cleaned up to another place can mitigate most of that. Composting that debris will keep the beneficial nutrients but get rid of some of the pests. The circulating meme is based on sentiment more than science. Your garden is not the same as a forest or wilderness area and the plants in it may require different conditions than forest understory plants. Gardeners manage their gardens with plant health and their health in mind, as well as considering the greater environmental picture.

More reading

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/winter

https://bugguide.net/node/view/163372

https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2017/10/winterSurvival/

www.amnh.org › content › download › file › LifeInTheLeafLitter

Choosing a Method of food gardening

Many people are scrambling this spring to plant their first garden and a great many of these involve growing food. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of some methods of gardening for those that are a little confused as to how to get started.

You must remember that all of these gardens must be in full sun to grow food in any substantial amount. They should also be close to a source of water for the best results. But the garden area should not be in a wet, poorly draining area if it’s a method that involves in ground planting.

In the ground

This is the traditional way of gardening for many people. You simply plant in rows in the ground. If you have plenty of property to use this may be the right method for you. The pro’s are it’s a simple method that can grow a lot of food. If you don’t want to garden next year just seed the garden area with grass and it will quickly revert.

The cons are that preparing the soil the first year can be a lot of work. I recommend taking any sod off with a spade, by sliding the spade under sections of turf and lifting them off. If you have loamy or sandy soil you may be able to lightly work the area up with a shovel or rake without tilling after removing the grass.  If you have heavier soil you may need to till once the first year. Yearly tilling or tilling numerous times is no longer recommended.

Also, it can be difficult to know what areas are planted and which are paths until everything gets growing. Make sure to mark the rows as you plant them. These types of gardens are more likely to flood in wet weather. Depending on your soil type it can take longer for in ground gardens to warm up in spring.  If pest animals are around like deer and rabbits, you’ll need to fence the area.

Mounds

Planting on mounds is a compromise between in ground gardens and raised beds. In this type of garden, you proceed with clearing an area as above. You really won’t need to till. After clearing the sod, you then rake and shovel the soil into mounds about 18” high in rows as long as you want. You are taking soil from the area that will be paths between the rows and mounding it where crops will grow. The plant roots will have loose soil to start growing in.

The pro’s are it’s cheap while giving you some advantages of raised beds. It can help where drainage isn’t ideal. It’s also easy to revert this style of garden back to lawn or change the position of beds the following year. You are able to incorporate soil amendments, fertilizers and water just in the planting areas, which can save money and time. Mounded garden areas warm up faster than in ground garden areas. It’s easy to see where things are planted.

The cons are that mounds are a bit more work then just planting in the ground and they may not look as nice as even rows in the ground or raised beds. And in areas with heavy rains the soil mounds may be washed away, especially early in the season.

Onions on mounds

Raised beds

In my definition raised beds are “boxes” which sit on the ground with an open bottom. They have a frame of some sort to hold soil. The frame can be made of a number of materials from wood to plastic to cement block. The beds should be no more than 4 feet wide, if they can be reached from both sides, but as long as you desire.  If they can be accessed from only one side don’t make them wider than 2 feet.

Raised beds should be at least a foot deep but they can be deep enough that you could sit on the edge comfortably. Remove sod from where the boxes will be placed but you don’t need to till. Don’t put cardboard, layers of newspaper or weed barrier cloth down on the existing soil before filling the beds. This impedes drainage, root growth and the movement of important soil microbes.

Raised beds are one of the best methods of gardening. They provide a good, controlled environment for plant root growth, won’t need tilling or digging and usually look nice. If food gardens are frowned upon in your neighborhood a nice, neat raised bed garden with mulched paths might allow you to garden without a fight.

Raised beds are great for those with limited mobility especially if they are deep enough that a lot of bending isn’t necessary to tend the garden. Paths can be made of a hard surface to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

In a raised bed once again, you can concentrate soil amendments, fertilizer and water to just where the plants are growing. If you have really poor soil the raised beds can be filled with a better soil mixture.  Raised beds warm up fast in the spring and if drainage is a problem on your property a raised bed can allow you to garden.

The cons are that good raised beds can be expensive if the frame material has to be purchased. If you need to purchase soil or compost to fill the beds that’s expensive too.  It’s a lot of work the first year to build and fill the beds, although for many years to come that prep work will save you time and effort.

Containers

Containers are a lot like raised beds except containers don’t have an open bottom in contact with the ground, they have a bottom. They must have good drainage. You can use all kinds of things for containers, purchased or recycled. You can even use “grow” bags. For things like tomatoes and potatoes containers should be a minimum of 5 gallons, larger is better.

Containers allow you to grow food crops where you don’t have access to ground, such as on a balcony or paved area. You can even grow crops in containers inside, under grow lights. It’s sometimes easier to protect plants in containers from animal pests or theft. And most containers can be moved if needed.

The con’s of containers are that food production will be limited. While many plant varieties have been developed for those who grow in containers there are still some crops that just don’t do well in containers. Corn, beans, vining crops like pumpkins and squash may have a few container varieties but you won’t get much of a harvest from them. If you can put food crops in the ground or a raised bed, choose that over containers.

Crops in containers can dry out quickly or get waterlogged. It’s always good to raise the containers off the flooring a little to facilitate good drainage. They may become too hot sitting on pavement or metal flooring and scorch. It can be as much work to care for a few plants in containers as a small raised bed garden that will be much more productive.

Some would call this a raised bed, but since it has a bottom, it's a container garden

Hydroponic

Hydroponic gardening is done in water in special pots without soil, they use another substance to anchor roots. The roots are either flushed with water and nutrients several times a day or sit in special solutions. Hydroponic gardening can be useful when crops must be grown indoors but it is not a simple or inexpensive project.

Don’t jump into hydroponic gardening unless it’s on a very small scale. You need to study intensively and start gradually. There’s a lot of expense involved and a lot of tinkering and maintenance. For some people it’s a great hobby and when you have the protected space for growing and capital to get into it you can grow a lot of food (or medicine) this way.

Straw bale gardening

This is a “fad” in gardening. It’s not a good way to grow food and should be used only in special circumstances. In this “style” of gardening straw bales are soaked in a nutrient solution and plants are stuck in them to grow. Sometimes they actually grow and produce a little food, but they are messy, ugly and inefficient. 

For more about straw bale gardening read this article.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/strawbale-gardening-is-it-really-so.html

Hugelkultur

This is another fad in gardening. The method may have served some northern cultures dealing with permafrost fairly well but for most gardeners it’s just not the best method to obtain good food production. Hugelkultur is basically a raised bed in which the base is rotting wood piled up, usually cut brush and junk wood. The wood is covered with soil and then planted. Sometimes there’s a frame around the rotting junk, other times it’s just a mound.

The method does raise the garden off the ground and that makes the soil drain better and warm faster. It can hide an undesirable brush pile. But gradually as the wood decomposes the whole area will sink. A 4 feet high pile of wood and soil will in a few years be a 2 feet high pile and in a few more years a slight mound.

The rotting junk wood has spaces where animals like rats, snakes and chipmunks can make fine homes. That may be good for them, not so good for food production (unless the snakes eat the rodents). While rotting wood will provide some nutrients to plants and eventually disintegrates into a compost material it’s not the ideal way to feed plants.

Hugelkultur is often touted by people interested in the environment and permaculture. It’s more of an experimental way of composting than a good food producing idea.

Square foot gardening

Square foot gardening is an old idea, it can be done with any method of gardening but is often done with raised beds. It’s simply eliminating rows and planting crops quite closely, with the idea that this will shade out weeds and give you more food per square foot.

With some crops like lettuce this method works quite well, other crops like the vining crops, corn and larger root vegetables don’t like the crowding.  Every plant needs a minimum amount of space around it. You don’t have to plant in straight rows you can stagger plants in an area but do look up the minimum space requirements for each type of plant and don’t crowd them.

Three sisters garden

This is a kind of Indian legend type of thing that’s more modern myth than a factual ancient practice. Three sister’s gardens were supposedly planted by Native Americans and consist of a round mound planted with beans, corn and squash. Sometimes sunflowers are substituted for corn. In this idea the corn or sunflowers provide support for the beans which fix nitrogen for the corn and the squash shades the ground to cool it and the prickly squash leaves deter pests.

Sounds good but if you ever tried the method you know it doesn’t work that well. Frankly it’s a mess, one crop usually takes over and it’s hard to weed and harvest. Believe me, I’ve used this method to interest kids in gardening and it usually doesn’t work well, but in most cases the kids have moved on to something else by harvest time. They do have fun planting such gardens.

And if you ever did any research into indigenous agriculture you will find little evidence that crops were grown this way. There might have been some limited mixed crops in woodland culture agriculture, especially in areas new to agriculture, and many native cultures planted crops on mounds.

But most Native Americans planted crops just like Europeans did, in fields of one crop. They even knew to separate varieties of corn and beans so they wouldn’t crossbreed. Squash was often planted at the edge of fields and may have acted as an animal deterrent to some extent.

You can try the 3 sister’s method if you like but for good production in food crops plant each of the mentioned crops in its own space. You can intercrop some food plants among others to save space but generally corn isn’t a good fit for that.  Sunflowers may actually inhibit the growth of some plants near them. For example, you could have an early harvested crop like lettuce or scallions near some squash plants when they are first planted and by the time the squash plants are overtaking that space the other crops would be gone.

GOT CHICKENS? WANT CHICKENS?

Thinking about adding meat and eggs to your home-grown food supply? Then you need to buy this book, the best book for raining chickens in the backyard ever. It covers both egg and meat production in a way easy for beginners to understand but there’s still valuable information for more experienced chicken owners.

 https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Chickens-Dummies-Pets/dp/1119675928/ref=dp_ob_image_bk

Tips for Choosing Fruit Trees

In the spring gardeners are often looking at gardening catalogs or stalking the aisles of nurseries looking for fruit trees. The selection is often vast- especially in catalogs, so how do you choose the fruit trees right for your landscape? There are many decisions to be made so here’s a quick guide to help you choose. This article is not about citrus or tropical fruits.

First before buying any fruit trees make sure you have a suitable spot for them.  All fruit trees require a full sun position in well-drained soil. You can amend soil that is low in nutrients, but fruit trees will not grow where the soil stays wet for long periods of time.

Second decide on how much room you can devote to fruit trees. You can grow fruit in the front yard or close to the house but there is some mess involved with fruit production, and fruit trees pruned for good production are not as ornamental as other trees. But it’s a good idea not to have the trees too far from the house in rural and suburban areas, where deer and other animals are a problem. You will be better able to protect the trees and their crops if they are away from the edges of woods and close to your home.

Each standard sized fruit tree will need 25 feet between it and the next tree in all directions. Each semi-dwarf tree will need 10-15 feet of space in all directions, depending on variety and species. True dwarf trees can be espaliered against a fence or planted as closely as 5-8 feet apart. Some dwarf fruit trees can be grown in tubs but in northern areas these can pose a problem in winters. To keep the roots from being killed the tubs may need to be buried in the winter or moved to another location where temperatures are cool enough to satisfy dormancy requirements (about 40 F) but not cold enough to kill the root system in an above ground pot.

Next you need to decide what species of fruit you can grow in your planting zone.  Most apples and many pears and cherries will grow in planting zones 4-7.  Peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums are a little less hardy. Some will grow in planting zones 5, a few even in 4, but most do best in zones 6-8. Of course, northern gardeners (zones lower than 8) will not be able to grow citrus in the ground.

And those in planting zones 8 and above have to search for apples and other fruits that have a low dormancy or chilling requirement. Some fruit varieties will not set fruit if the winter temperatures are too warm. Once you have become interested in a certain fruit variety make sure to check the zone hardiness which should be given in the catalog description or plant tag.

Pollination requirements are another factor you need to consider when choosing 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.

This pollination requirement may figure in when you have limited space to grow fruit trees. Nearby usually means within 500 feet. If a neighbor has a similar fruit tree you may not need another for pollination. 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 mature 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 of another variety.  Or for apples, maybe you could plant a small ornamental crabapple in another location in the landscape. 

Should you buy your fruit tree potted or bare root?  Potted trees are generally found at local nurseries.  These may be large and attractive looking if they have been well cared for, but the selection of varieties will be small. Buying bare root fruit trees by mail or online will allow you to choose from a wide selection of trees, including heirloom types. 

Bare root trees will catch up quickly to potted trees if they are planted soon after they arrive and are well cared for. They may even be healthier than potted trees that have sat around for a while. Even larger sized trees can be sent bare root while dormant by mail.

The size of the tree and the age of the tree will determine how soon you get fruit. Size means both whether the tree is dwarf, semi-dwarf or standard in height when it is mature and what size it is when you buy it. Most people will find semi-dwarf trees are the easiest to care for and they bear quicker than standard size trees. 

Some types of semi-dwarf fruit trees will get 20 feet high, but they can be pruned to remain lower. Standard trees may get 40 feet in height in old age. Peaches, nectarines and apricots tend to be smaller trees even if standard size is selected. Dwarf trees usually remain below 10 feet in height. Except in very restrained space conditions it’s generally better to select semi-dwarf trees. Dwarf trees bear small crops and they often have trouble supporting those crops. They tend to break under wind and snow loads more easily.

If you want fruit quickly, buy the largest (most mature) size fruit trees you can. Some places sell trees by trunk diameter, others by their height. But larger size generally means the tree is older and will start bearing fruit earlier. Larger sized and older trees cost a little more, but since fruit trees take from 3-5 years to even begin bearing fruit, sometimes longer for standard trees, buying trees that are 2-3 years old or more will get production going faster. Some places sell “selected” fruit trees. These are usually large and well branched for their age. They may make your wait for fruit shorter if you can afford them.

Beware of people advertising seeds or seedling fruit trees. Fruit trees are almost always propagated from cuttings grafted on to root stock. Seeds of most fruit trees do not come true and will not bear the same type of fruit the parents had. It’s impossible to tell what kind of fruit a seedling will have until it starts producing and by then a lot of time has gone by. 

Don’t go to the store and buy apples (or other fruits) and save the seed to plant. You’ll get trees but the type of fruit you get will vary considerably and probably won’t be very good. Don’t buy seeds or seedlings unless you don’t mind a long wait for fruit and enjoy surprises.

If you want to grow your fruit trees with minimal spraying of pesticides look for varieties that say they are disease resistant.  Most of these are newer varieties and there are more apple varieties in this category than other fruits. Keep in mind that they are disease resistant, not disease free.  Almost all fruit trees can be managed organically but how the fruit looks and how big your harvest is can vary by your management techniques. It helps to start with disease resistant trees.

The variety or “flavor” of a fruit type is a personal choice based on your taste and needs as long as it’s suitable for your space and climate.  Read up on what uses the variety is good for, like fresh eating or canning. You may want to purchase different types of fruit at the market and do a taste test, keeping in mind that fresh off the tree the fruit will probably taste better. You may want to ask other gardeners what they like and what grows well in your area. This may be the hardest decision you’ll make because there are hundreds of varieties of common fruits.

Another activity for kids- the pantry

Are the kids bored, you need an educational activity for them to do and you have a full pantry right now?  Here’s an idea.

Have the kids inventory the pantry.  Let them take everything out, count it and write down what it is. They can sort and organize it too if it’s needed. For older kids take it a little further. Ask them to add up the pounds or ounces or gallons of the various foods you have. They can check the serving size, and either using the box label or charts you can look up on online or find in some cookbooks, figure out how many meals for the family the pantry contains. Have them convert ounces to cups. Or pints and quarts to gallons.  (Reading, math, reasoning,)

If the food item needs additional items to make a dish, such as eggs for a cake mix, milk for scalloped potatoes, and so on, ask them to calculate how much of those items will need to be on hand to use the foods. Have them check the expiration dates on food and see what should be used first and if the item is likely to be used up before it expires at the rate in which your family consumes it.  (Reading and Math)

You can also extend the lesson by asking them to read food labels and identify which foods seem the healthiest. Which have more added sugar or salt?  They can look up the terms on the box or bag and define them. They can look up chemical additives on the package and then research what they are used for and what their safety risks might be, if any.  (Reading, research, science, writing)

To go further you can ask them to research how a certain food is grown and/or produced. For example, what crops produce sugar and how are they grown and turned into sugar? How is cocoa powder made? Canola oil? Spam? You could ask them to write about how things like toilet paper are made or aluminum foil.

(research, reading, science, writing, maybe some history)

You’ll know more about your pantry and your kids will know more about their food and how it’s produced plus they may learn some food science and nutrition.

Cinnamon Rolls or Bread plus dinner roll variation

This cinnamon roll or bread recipe takes a little time and you must pay attention to details but it’s well worth the effort. This sweeter dough also makes good dinner rolls and the variation for making them will be given. 

Until you get familiar with the recipe and have made it a few times use a candy or meat thermometer to test the temperature of the water and milk in the recipe. If they are too hot or too cold the bread won’t rise correctly.  

To knead dough, sprinkle a little flour on your hands and use a folding motion and pulling motion to work the dough. Add just a tiny bit of flour if it is really sticky. The dough should rise in a moderately warm place out of drafts covered with a paper towel. If your house is cold and drafty turn your oven to 200 degrees and let it heat for 5 minutes while you make the dough.  Turn off the oven after 5 minutes and let it sit 10 minutes or so while you finish the recipe then put the bowl of dough in the oven to rise.

Yield 3-4 dozen rolls depending on size or 2 loaves

Cinnamon rolls- Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/4 cup of warm water (105-115 degrees)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup of evaporated milk warmed to 105-115 degrees

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) melted and cooled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3½ to 4 cups flour

Filling

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup soft butter or margarine

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions

Put the warm water in a small bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set this aside for about 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to look foamy.

In a large bowl put the warm milk, the rest of the sugar, butter, oil and salt.  Beat this until smooth with an electric mixer.

Gradually beat in one cup of flour.

Add the yeast mixture to the large bowl and mix well.  Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes.

Blend in 2 cups of flour, one at a time. The dough will start to get stiff.  Mix in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. (You’ll need about a 1/2 cup more flour.) If you are using a hand mixer you may need to finish the dough by mixing flour in with your hands. 

Let the dough sit 10 minutes in the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  If it is still sticky work in a little more flour. Knead dough for about 3 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic feeling.

Make the dough into a ball and place it in a large clean bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Lightly spray the top of the ball with cooking spray and cover the bowl with a paper towel.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about an hour until it is doubled in size.  Push the dough down and let it sit 10 minutes.

While you are waiting make the filling by blending together the sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small bowl. It should become a soft paste.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Pat or roll it out to a rectangle about 8 inches long by 12 inches wide, dough should be about an inch thick.

Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough to about a 1/2 inch from the edges. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts.

Roll the dough up, starting from one of the long sides. 

Spray baking pans with cooking spray.   If you want cinnamon rolls slice the dough roll into rounds about 1½ inch thick.  Arrange rolls in pans about an inch apart. For cinnamon bread cut the dough in half.  Place each loaf in the pan with the seam down. Lightly spray the top of the loaf with cooking spray. 

Let the dough rise about an hour, until it has nearly doubled in size again.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Rolls need about 15 minutes to bake. Bake bread for about 30 minutes. The bread or rolls will look slightly browned and pull away from the pan sides when done. You can stick a meat thermometer inside the loaf- 180 degrees means it’s done.

Remove the bread or rolls from the pan within a few minutes and let it cool on a rack or plate. Let bread or rolls cool before cutting or frosting. See frosting recipe below. Make sure bread or rolls are completely cool before wrapping for storage.

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

1- 3 oz pkg. cream cheese softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

small amount of milk- 1-2 teaspoons

Blend the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with electric mixer, gradually beating in the powdered sugar. If the mixture is too stiff to spread add a tiny bit of milk at a time and blend well.

Dinner rolls variation

If you like a slightly sweet dinner roll this recipe will work for you. Simply make the bread dough using the recipe above.  You will not need the filling ingredients. The recipe will make 3-4 dozen rolls depending on size.

After the dough has risen the first time, push it down, let it rest 10 minutes then divide it into small balls. For large rolls make about a 2 inch ball, make a smaller ball for smaller rolls. Set the dough balls about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Spray tops of dough balls with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Allow rolls to rise until doubled, about an hour. 

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

This yeast bread recipe sounds complicated but once you master the steps you’ll be able to put it together quickly, while you do other things around the house. Plan on about 4 hours total from start to finish.

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of his instruments, not the composer.     

Geoffrey Charlesworth

Kim Willis

All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

Newsletter/blog information

If you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly blog if you email me. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine, but I do reserve the right to publish what I want. Contact me at KimWillis151@gmail.com