November
10, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter
© Kim Willis
Hi Gardeners
I wasn’t expecting this gloomy, cold rainy day. I thought we were supposed to be dry until
Wednesday night. Winter seems close
today. The average date for a snowfall
that sticks on the ground for at least a short time is Nov.15th in
mid- Michigan. On Nov. 11th
2013 we had a light snow cover, in 2014 the first real snowfall was the 19th.
It doesn’t look like we will have a good snowfall by Sunday but you never
know. There is supposed to be a mix of
snow and rain on Friday, but the weekend is supposed to be sunny, and still
fairly mild.
I still have some garden chores I want to get to this weekend but I
think I need to accept that some of my fall plans won’t get done until
spring. Let’s hope spring comes early
and is long and comfortable.
I can see the neighbor’s house now that most of the trees have shed
their leaves. The grass is still green
though – and I still have flowers in bloom.
Some people are reporting that lilacs are blooming – although I haven’t
seen any. They may be the re-blooming
variety.
I was sitting in my office all warm and cozy writing this newsletter
when I noticed the bird feeder outside the window was empty and birds were
sitting on it looking at me sadly. The
suet feeder was also empty and a mad looking nuthatch was buzzing back and
forth around it. After noticing their
plight I wasn’t able to just sit here anymore so I trudged outside in the cold
rain and filled the feeders. By the time I was back inside and wrapped in a
shawl to warm me up the birds were already swarming the feeders.
Tips for winter bird feeding
Some of us
feed birds all year around. Others start feeding only in late fall. If you are a gardener who doesn’t feed the
birds consider trying it this year. Bird
feeders do help bird species make it through the winter and birds are really
interesting to watch as they feed also.
Some of your local birds have migrated south but a bird feeder can give
you an idea of what year round birds frequent your area. I can tell that my property has a huge
population of goldfinches.
Research has
shown that many bird feed mixes contain seeds that few birds really care
for. These are generally found in
cheaper wild bird seed mixes and a lot of that type of feed ends up on the
ground under the feeder where it attracts rats and mice. The seeds that birds are most likely to
prefer are sunflower seeds, especially the small black ones, small yellow
millet, and thistle. Milo, wheat, oats,
and other seeds are generally discarded by birds.
Thistle
seed, because of its expense is usually fed separately from special thistle
feeders that only small birds can access. I have found that small birds like
the oiler sunflowers just as much as thistle seed and its cheaper. Some birds
like doves and pheasants like cracked corn but this is a big draw for deer,
squirrels and rodents also. Safflower
seed and peanut pieces are favorites of many species but are also
expensive. If you feed peanuts use a
separate feeder because some birds like blue jays will scratch all the other
feed out of a feeder trying to get nut pieces.
You can
attract most bird species that come to feeders with plain sunflower seeds and a
cake of suet. A thistle feeder would be
a great addition. Suet is an important winter
food resource for many insect eating birds like nut hatches and woodpeckers. Suet should be fed in a cage type device that
keeps coons and squirrels from dragging it away. Flavored suet is available but the birds
really don’t care about the flavors.
If you are
choosing a bird feeder you want it to look nice but it must be easy to
fill. Believe me you don’t want to be
prying a frozen lid off a feeder and using a funnel to fill it slowly when its
10 degrees and windy outside. You want a
nice large opening where you can pour the seed from a pitcher quickly. I use two smaller feeders instead of one big
one because more birds can eat at the same time.
Some people
just scatter feed on the ground or in an open tray. This wastes a lot of feed and may keep birds
from getting to it if snow covers the seed or it freezes in a block. Feed can
get wet and molds. It also attracts mice, rats and other animals. If you want to attract ground feeding birds
like doves and quail you could use a tray on the ground but fill it lightly and
take it in at night.
Place a
bird feeder where you can see it. That’s
where the fun part of bird feeding is, not the trudging through the snow and
knocking ice off the feeder to fill it.
Feeders close to the house attract fewer large animals to empty them. The feeder should be in a fairly open area,
but with tree and bush cover nearby.
Seeds will spill out of the feeder, even sunflower seed, and manage to
hide until spring when they will sprout.
This is a good reason not to put the feeder in a flower bed. Also a bare area under the feeder discourages
mice and rats from coming there.
Keep your
feeders filled if you can but don’t worry too much about the birds dying if you
can’t fill it for a day or two. Birds
generally have several sources of food that they alternate through. But believe me they will make you feel guilty
about the empty feeder if they can.
If you see
birds that normally migrate from our area and that don’t eat seeds like robins
and bluebirds you can feed them with soaked raisins, grapes, or frozen berries
you have thawed. They probably have a
source of berries or crabapples they are feeding on somewhere.
If you seem
to be using up an awful lot of feed consider the idea that 4 legged friends are
also snacking there. Check your feeder
just before dark and note the seed level.
Then look at the feed level just after dawn the next morning. If you lost a lot of seed overnight deer and
raccoons may be feasting at the feeder.
Deer are tall enough to reach most feeders, some even stand on their
rear legs!, and raccoons climb up to them, jump off trees or roofs or find
other ways to reach them. You may have
to bring them inside at night or fill them each day with just enough feed to be
gone by nightfall. You may be able to
put the feeders high enough to deter deer.
Squirrels can empty feeders in the daytime but if you aren’t willing to
shoot them good luck with that problem.
Sometimes a
hawk will use your “bird feeder” (different meaning for the hawk). Relax and enjoy the show, it’s part of nature
and the hawk needs food too. Owls may
hang around bird feeders at night when mice and rats come out to eat under them
too.
More bird species affected by West
Nile Virus than previously known
Gardeners
love birds and some of you may have noticed that the types of birds common in
your yards may have changed over the past ten years or so. Research published in the latest issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences has discovered that climate change is not the only reason for the change
in the bird population.
West Nile
virus surfaced in 1999. In the first few
years it appeared in wild bird populations here it affected birds of prey,
crows, and Blue Jays in great numbers. In 4 years birds all across the US had
been found dead from WNV. Since then WNV
has smoldered among bird populations across the country.
A
collaboration of researchers from areas across the US studied the data from
capture-banding programs all over the country for the last 16 years, tracking
the decline or increase in populations of numerous bird species. This research is considered more accurate for
estimating bird populations than things like the Christmas bird count. The researchers found that some bird species
first declined dramatically, like crows, but have since rebounded as some they
gained some immunity to WNV. Other species however, have continued to decline,
some to an alarming degree.
Swainson's
thrush, the purple finch and tufted titmouse are three species that began to
decline with the introduction of WNV and have continued to decline
dramatically. In total the researchers
found that more than half of North Americas bird species were affected in a
large way by WNV but that many species have developed immunity to the disease
and populations have slowly recovered.
The research is now focusing on why some bird species are less likely to
develop immunity to WNV.
Winter hardy hibiscus being developed
with new colors
Texas
A&M University has a great program to develop new colors in hardy
hibiscus. Until recently these late summer
bloomers with their big exotic flowers were only found in shades of red, pink
and white. Chinese hibiscus, the kind
you keep as houseplants, have many more colors and color blends and the
researchers wanted to develop hibiscus for the garden with the same range of
color and form.
 |
| Typical hardy hibiscus |
Three years
ago Texas A&M released to the market a hardy hibiscus with blue colored
flowers, ‘Blue Angel’. (It’s still hard to find.) Another hardy hibiscus that is much sought
after is their ‘Robert Brown’. It’s a chimera- each flower is a unique blend
of red and white, some flowers are half red, half white others are streaked or
spotted. This year Texas A&M is announcing the release of a salmon colored hardy
hibiscus. (No name yet.) They are diligently
working to introduce the colors yellow and orange into hardy hibiscus.
The new
hibiscus are being hybridized from 4 hibiscus species : H. coccineus, H.
dasyacalyx, H. militaris and H. moscheutos. Some of the 80 breeding lines that
the University has developed or are working on have unusual flower shapes from
double to “spider” petals and unusual foliage also.
In 1999
another group, the Fleming brothers, introduced the purple colored hardy
hibiscus ‘Plum Crazy’. Since then plant breeders have released a
number of plum purple cultivars. ‘Berry Awesome’ is another new hibiscus with lavender flowers
(Proven Winners). You won’t be buying these hibiscus directly from Texas
A&M but from licensed nurseries that are propagating them from cuttings.
Brown marmorated stink bug
Michigan
has a number of native “stink” bugs that often come to our attention when they
invade our homes in fall looking for a warm place to over winter. Recently a new variety of stink bug, the
Brown Marmorated Stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, has invaded Michigan as well as
35 other states. This stink bug is an
invader from Asia and probably arrived about 20 years ago on the East Coast in
shipped items. Brown Marmorated Stink
Bugs have been in Michigan since at least 2012.
 |
| Bwon Marmorated Stink Bug- USDA |
As the
numbers of Brown Marmorated Stink bugs increased and the bug began its spread
across the US, it was found that the bug was an economic threat to farmers as
well as a nuisance to home owners. Like
most alien invaders the Brown Marmorated Stink bug doesn’t have natural
controls here and it is also difficult to control with common pesticides. And because a pesticide must be registered to
control a pest before it can legally be used, farmers and homeowners have a
dilemma to face.
The Brown
Marmorated Stink bug feeds on a number of plants, both on foliage and
fruit. It can invade home gardens and
damage ornamental plants as well as vegetables and fruits. Some of our native stink bugs also feed on
plants but since they have natural controls, rarely become a serious problem. Commercial fruit farmers and growers of some
vegetable crops like tomatoes and peppers have suffered a lot of damage and
crop losses in some states from this stink bug in both its larval and adult
forms.
How to recognize the brown
marmorated stink bug
The Brown
Marmorated Stink bug is mottled shades of brown, about the size of a dime and
shaped like a shield. Adults have wings
which leave a narrow edge around the body with alternating yellow-white and
dark triangular markings showing. The
antenna of the bug also have alternating bands of color.
The nymphs
or young Brown Marmorated stink bugs are yellowish and marked with blotches of
red and black. They are wingless. Their antenna are banded like the adults. Eggs of the Brown Marmorated stink bug are
oval and greenish and are generally laid in clusters on the backs of leaves.
Both the
nymphs and adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs give off a very unpleasant smell
when they are chrushed or even disturbed.
Female stink bugs lay eggs all summer and some of the early hatched
stink bugs may begin laying eggs of their own before summer ends.
When stink
bugs feed on fruit and vegetables they leave scarring and the damage may change
the texture of the fruit. On foliage the
feeding causes black, unslightly spots but rarely causes more than cosmetic
damage to the plant. On some plants
however, the wounds may leave the plants susceptible to disease.
In the
winter when the stink bugs invade homes they do not bite people or pets, and do
not normally eat human food. They are not a health threat although some people
could have an allergic reaction to them.
In the home pesticides are not recommended, vacuum them up and promptly
empty the bag into a container of soapy
water or seal the contents in plastic bags and dispose of them.
Reporting Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in your yard or home
If you
think you have Brown Marmorated Stink bugs in your Michigan yard the government
and Michigan State University would like to know about it. Call your local county Extension office to
see how they would like you to submit a sample.
In general the best way to submit a sample is to put a whole, un-smashed
insect into a clear container and freeze it for a few hours before taking it to
the Extension office.
If you want
to control the stink bugs outside on ornamentals or crops the best thing would
be to look for a pesticide that is safe for your crop and that says it controls
stink bugs. The label always lists what
crops and insects a pesticide can be used on.
Then use that pesticide the way the label recommends. It probably isn’t
legally registered for Brown Marmorated stink bugs but should control them if
it says it controls any type of stink bugs.
You can
also handpick the Brown Marmorated Stinkbugs off plants and drown them in soapy
water. Try to pick off and destroy egg
clusters on the backs of leaves also.
A tiny
parasitic wasp is being released in some areas to try and control the Brown
Marmorated Stink Bug. It may be the
answer to controlling the pest but don’t hold your breath.
If you are
a homeowner- back yard gardener the Brown Marmorated Stink bug should be lumped
with other now classic winter home invading insects such as Asian lady beetles,
box elder bugs and our native stink bugs or garden invaders like Japanese
beetles and rose chafers and treated as such.
Unlike the Emerald Ash Borer this bug is unlikely to exterminate any
species of plant or cause widespread landscape damage. It’s unfortunate that farmers have another
economic threat to deal with but that is the price of global trade.
Japanese Knotweed – don’t get too
scared
MSU and others
are suddenly getting worried about this invasive plant that’s been around at
least 50 years. When I was a teen-aged-
and poor gardener- I “rescued some Japanese Knotweed that had grown under a
neighbor’s fence and into the alley. The
plant had small white flowers that smelled really good and interesting leaves. I
brought it home and planted it in my parent’s yard where it remains today. There were times when my dad cursed the plant
that rapidly took over the back of the yard but over the years the Japanese
Knotweed and my folks have come to a compromise.
Now that my
parent’s yard is shaded by trees that have grown quite large the plant isn’t as
vigorous. It does sprout each spring and
rapidly make a tall hedge along the back fence.
My parents actually appreciate it hiding the neighbors- who have changed
over the years too. The plant is kept
close to the fence line by simple mowing- now done by my son. He lives next
store and he actually encouraged the Japanese Knotweed to grow along his fence
too, to hide the neighbors. He has more
sun- but still regular mowing keeps the plant from spreading.
When I
worked at Extension people often brought Japanese Knotweed into the office to
be identified. That’s why it boggles my
mind that MSU and the DNR are suddenly really concerned about this plant and
want people to report it. Where were
they 50 years ago? It’s kind of late now
to get excited. Don’t get me wrong- you
probably don’t want to deliberately plant Japanese Knotweed. It can spread quite quickly and damage
foundations, driveways and sidewalks.
But so can wisteria, trumpet vines, and several other garden plants.
Does it
spread into natural spaces? I guess it
could. But by now most of Michigan’s southern
natural spaces should be pure Japanese Knotweed if it was as aggressive as MDNR
and MSU are now trying to make it seem.
I think after 50 years in Michigan this plant is unlikely to become a
major invader of parks and natural spaces.
I smell some grant money for educational outreach or control research
floating around. Anyway there is a webcast to ask and answer questions about
Japanese Knotweed tomorrow. Go here to
be a part of it. https://www.stewardshipnetwork.org/stewardship-network-webcasts
Japanese
Knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum, is also known as Japanese Bamboo when it is
being called polite names. However, this exotic escapee from gardens is often
called names that are not so polite because of its aggressive spreading
behavior and the difficulty in controlling it. In just a few years Japanese
Knotweed, left alone, can claim large areas of land.
Japanese
Knotweed looks like bamboo because of its jointed, hollow stems but the leaves
are large and round or heart shaped. The shoots that come up in spring are
reddish in color and some red may persist in young leaf veins and stems. The
young shoots of the plant are edible. Plants grow quickly and in one year stems
may become 8’ tall.
The plants
produce little spikes of tiny, white flowers in late summer from the leaf
joints near the top of the plant. The flowers are pleasingly fragrant. Although
each flower can make a single triangular seed the plant seldom produces
seedlings in Michigan.
Japanese
Knotweed is a perennial that dies back to the rhizomatous roots each winter. It
spreads aggressively through these roots and soon makes huge thickets of stems.
The root rhizomes are thick and sturdy and difficult to dig from the ground.
The plant will grow in sun or shade. It loves rich, damp soil but will tolerate
many other soil conditions. It will grow
in the root zone of Black Walnuts too.
 |
| Japanese Knotweed, young plants. |
Continuous
mowing and cutting and the application of strong herbicides are needed to
control this plant once it gets a foothold.
MSU says that mowing only encourages it to spread and to some extent it
does because damaged plants put out a big effort to keep themselves alive. But my experience shows that repeated mowing
and the diligent cutting back of shoots that pop up in places it can’t be mowed
will control if not eliminate the plant.
The DNR
says it’s illegal to possess this plant.
But there are hundreds, if not thousands of homeowners who have this
plant on their property. Most people
would probably not be unhappy if they reported the plant and the government
came and got rid of it. But you can bet that’s
not what will happen if you report it- maybe in a few townships. Instead you will be asked to foot the bill
and apply certain pesticides that are expensive and very toxic. If after 50 years Japanese Knotweed isn’t
taking over Michigan it’s unlikely that the plant will conquer it in the next
50.
Growing popcorn
Popcorn is
another one of those excellent foods that America gave the world. As a food popcorn has relatively few calories
(until you add butter) yet is filling. There are about 35 calories per cup of
popped corn. It’s high in carbs but does
have lots of fiber to lessen that effect.
The little hulls that stick in your teeth can be annoying but if you
grow your own popcorn you can grow varieties that are hull-less or at least
less annoying.
Americans
consume more than 13 billion quarts of popcorn each year. Popcorn is a fairly cheap snack but you can
grow your own supply even cheaper and have lots of fun doing it. It’s a great garden project for kids.
Choosing what varieties to plant
Choose
popcorn sold for seed to plant and don’t try to plant popcorn sold in the store
to pop. It may grow but this popcorn is
often old and doesn’t germinate well. It
may not be a good variety for your area either. And growing your own popcorn
allows you to choose varieties that taste better, have unusual colors or other
qualities that commercial popcorn doesn’t have. You want to choose a seed popcorn that will
have time to mature and dry on the stalk in your growing zone. In Michigan you can safely choose varieties that
mature up to 90 days and in southern areas 100-120 days will probably be fine.
Popcorn
stalks are often shorter than other types of corn. The ears of corn are often smaller and
narrower and popcorn varieties often have more ears per stalk than sweet or
field corn. Most have yellow or white
kernels although there are colorful varieties of popcorn also. Color doesn’t
affect the taste, although some popcorn varieties do taste slightly different
than others.
Here are
some varieties to consider. Japanese hull-less
(white or yellow) – small yellow or white ears, less annoying hulls, and
pops nice large kernels. Open pollinated
so seeds can be saved. Miniature Pink- tiny
pink ears are pretty, Mini-colored-
pretty ears in an assortment of colors but the popped kernels are small, Japanese Striped – a very pretty
heirloom popcorn often grown for its variegated, striped foliage. The ears are small and burgundy colored but
popping quality is not the best. Calico- another
variety with multicolored kernels, average popping quality and open pollinated.
 |
| Japanese Hull-less popcorn |
Giant Yellow hybrid- the commercial type, large stalks
and ears, big fluffy kernels when popped. Snow
Puff hybrid – a hull less variety with tender large popped kernels but
won’t come true from saved seed. Early Pink-
an open pollinated pink that’s good for short seasons and pops into fluffy
white kernels. Robust Yellow or Robust
White- good commercial types with large ears and kernels. Strawberry-
small red ears. Baby Blue- a hull-less blue variety with small kernels. Dakota Black- an heirloom open
pollinated that has dark red-black kernels.
Mixed Baby Rice is the closest
thing to true hull-less popcorn. The
kernels are small and long like rice in a mixture of red, white and striped
kernels. However the popped kernels are
small and popping quality only average.
Note- all
popcorn looks white or pale yellow when popped.
Traces of colored kernels can remain on the hulls. Hull-less varieties
actually do have hulls, they are just smaller, softer and thinner so they don’t
stick to the teeth as badly. Popcorn varieties can have slightly different
tastes, some are said to have a more “nutty” flavor but the taste range isn’t
great.
Planting the popcorn
Anyone who
has ever grown sweet corn, and even those who haven’t, can grow popcorn. A small area, say 4 feet by 20 feet, can grow
all the popcorn a small family can use in a year. Two things are necessary though. Your popcorn
patch must be in full sun. You must also
be able to isolate your popcorn patch at least 50 feet from other types of
corn, such as sweet corn, field corn or ornamental corns. Otherwise your popcorn will cross pollinate
with the other varieties and probably won’t pop very well. You’ll probably want to choose only one variety
to plant each year, (unless you have lots of room), because different varieties
of popcorn will also cross pollinate.
Prepare the
popcorn patch by tilling up the soil and removing large rocks to make a smooth
seed bed. Fertilize at planting time with a garden fertilizer high in nitrogen
(the first number on the bag) such as 15-6-6 or 12-5-5, according to label
directions. Corn is a heavy “feeder” and almost always requires fertilization
for optimum growth. A slow release
fertilizer is good to use. Mix the fertilizer
into the soil of the bed and don’t sprinkle it into the seed row or holes. You can actually use grass fertilizer on a
popcorn patch because corn is a grass.
But the fertilizer should have no weed killers or pesticides such as
grub control because you are going to eat the seeds of this grass.
Plant
popcorn after the danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm. (In Michigan that’s probably mid to late
May.) Any kind of corn does better
planted in several short rows in a block rather than one long one row. That’s
because corn is pollinated by the wind and in one single row one side of each
corn ear often doesn’t get pollinated well, leading to fewer kernels on the
ear. Plant the seeds about 6 inches apart in rows a foot apart. Plant them 1-2 inches deep, deeper in sandy
soil, less deep in heavy clay soils.
Some people
plant popcorn in mounds or circular patches which is fine. Some even add beans and squash plants to
these patches as the Native Americans sometimes did. You’ll get better production if you have
limited space to grow popcorn if you don’t add these companion plants.
If the
weather is dry you may want to water the popcorn patch at least once to get the
seeds germinating. You should see corn
sprouting up anywhere from 7-14 days depending on moisture and soil
temperatures.
Care of the popcorn patch
Keep young
corn weeded as it doesn’t compete well with weeds. Once it gets about knee high it will smother
out most weeds on its own but continue to remove any large weeds that pop up. Healthy
corn grows quickly in good weather. The
leaves of healthy corn are dark green, thick and either pointed upwards or
drooping in a graceful curve. If corn
leaves roll up the corn needs water. But
if you want the best production don’t wait until the leaves roll up to
water. If it’s warm and dry water the
corn once a week.
Some people
“hill” or mound soil around the roots of corn when the corn is 1-2 feet
high. This can help in sandy soil in
windy areas to keep large stalks from blowing over. But in most gardens this isn’t
necessary. If you choose to do this take
care not to damage the popcorn roots.
Take the soil from row space.
Don’t mound it higher than about a third of the height of the young
corn.
One of the
best things you can do to ensure good healthy growth and production of popcorn
is to add more nitrogen to your patch when the corn just begins to form tassles
at the top. Corn uses a lot of nitrogen.
Corn that isn’t growing quickly and looks yellowish green usually needs
more fertilizer. If you can find just
nitrogen – that’s a bag or box with just the first number on it such as 15-0-0
that’s great because the other nutrients are usually ok if you fertilized at
planting time. Sprinkle that fertilizer
among the corn stalks or along the edges of the row. Corn can also look yellow
if it’s cool and wet but there is generally little you can do in that situation
but hope for better weather.
In a garden
situation popcorn seldom has any serious pest or disease issues. Cut worms can be a problem when corn is a few
inches high. These cut the stalk at the base and leave the tops lying nearby.
In a garden it may be possible to protect each stalk with a 3 inch strip of
newspaper around the bottom. You may
want to fence your patch or protect it with electric wire because deer and
other critters are fond of young corn too.
Corn
earworm seems to be less of a problem in popcorn than sweet corn but the same
remedy, a drop of mineral oil at the top of each ear can help. There are also pesticides you can apply.
Harvesting popcorn
Popcorn
must remain on the stalk until the stalk is brown and dry. The ears should be covered with dry papery
husks. They can remain there through frosts. In late fall, before hard freezes,
the ears should be pulled off the stalks.
It’s always best to do this during a stretch of warm dry weather and
wait until the dew has dried in the morning before harvesting. If you must harvest during damp weather
you’ll need a warm dry place to spread out the ears and let them dry for a few
days.
It’s always
best to remove the popcorn husks from the ears and let the ears dry somewhere
warm, clean and dry in a single layer for another month or so before taking the
kernels off the cob. Some people tie the dry husks together and hang the ears
to dry further but this is labor intensive.
Check the corn from time to time and rotate the drying ears if
necessary. Moldy ears should be
discarded.
When
popcorn is thoroughly dry the kernels should feel hard and look shiny. Take an ear and remove the kernels. This is done by loosening them with your
nails and pushing them off with the thumb or twisting the ear in your hand
while gripping it firmly. (You can buy a shelling hand tool too.) When you have
a few tablespoons of kernels do a test pop.
Just pop the corn in the way you generally would pop popcorn. If the popcorn pops quickly and leaves few
“dead soldiers” (un-popped kernels) behind the popcorn has dried enough. If you have corn drying in different spots
you may want to test some kernels from each area. If the corn doesn’t pop well let it dry for a
week or two longer and try again.
Once you
know the popcorn is dry and pops well you can remove it all from the cobs. It’s
a good activity for cold, early winter nights.
You can store popcorn on the cob but it takes less room if it’s removed
and is less work when you want popcorn.
Once popcorn is at perfect popping stage you want to try and maintain
the moisture content of the kernels at that stage. You don’t want them to
absorb moisture or dry out too much.
Store the kernels (or ears) in clean dry glass or plastic containers. If moisture appears on the sides of
containers after they have set for a few days you must spread the kernels out
in a single layer and let them dry again.
Discard any moldy kernels.
Popcorn generally stores well for at least a year, although popping
ability will lessen as time goes by.
Your home
produced popcorn will probably pop better than that you buy in the store
because it’s fresh. Two tablespoons of dry popcorn makes a quart of popped
corn. If you have too much popcorn it can
make lovely gifts placed in pretty jars, especially if you grew a colorful
variety. Or donate your excess popcorn
to a food pantry.
All through
winter you can enjoy a healthy snack from your garden if you grow some popcorn. It’s always better if you grow it yourself.
Free seeds
I have
these seeds that I collected from my garden that I am willing to share
free. Look at the list and if you would
like some contact me at kimwillis151@gmail.com
I will tell
you where to send a stamped self-addressed envelope for the seeds. If you want
popcorn or black walnuts it will take several stamps. I have published this list on the seed swap
sites also. I’ll try to give everyone
who asks some until they are gone.
Lilies, a seed
mixture of assorted hybrids, oriental- Asiatic- trumpet- Casa Blanca, Stargazer,
La Reve, purple tree, yellow tree, Silk Road, more
Anise
hyssop
Morning
glory – common purple
Scarlet
runner bean - few
Japanese
hull-less popcorn
Hosta asst.of
seed from numerous varieties- lots
Ligularia desmonda
(daisy–like flower)
 |
| One of the lilies in the seed mix. |
Ligularia
rocket – spires of flowers
Yucca
Glad mixed
Zinnia
mixed
Foxglove Dalmation
peach
Calendula
mixed
Baptisia
blue
Jewelweed
Cleome
white
Columbine
mixed- small amount
Nicotiana
small bedding type- mixed colors
Nicotiana
alata ( woodland tobacco, Only the Lonely)
Daylily
mixed
Kangaroo
Paws orange
Hollyhock
mixed
Black
walnut- few hulled nuts
Go curl up somewhere warm
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or
seeds you would like to swap or share?
Post them here by emailing me.
Four inch
pots of spider plant (house plant) absolutely free. If you want one contact me, (Kim)
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch. Now open.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
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.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and
horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you
don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who
would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to
me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
