Yard & Garden Tip of the Day

(5/31/02)
Vegetable Groupings
The vegetables listed below are grouped together by family and are subject to the same insects and diseases:

- chives, garlic, leeks, onions, shallots
- cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, Chinese cabbage, mustard
- endive, salsify, lettuce
- beets, Swiss chard, spinach
- carrots, parsley, celery, celeriac, parsnip
- pumpkins, squash, watermelons, cucumbers, muskmelons, gourds (non-edible)
- peas, broad beans, snap beans, lima beans
- potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers

(5/30/02)
How Close To Plant With Rotation
If your vegetable garden is small, you're probably wondering how far apart they need to be planted year to year. On a three-year plan, where you plant your "crop" should form the corner points of a triangle within your garden plot. As an example, your garden plot is a 10 foot by 10 foot square. This year, maybe, your tomatoes will go in the south-west corner. Next year, plant them due east of the center of the garden. The year after, you can plant them in the north-west corner, and then back to the south-west corner the following year.(5/29/02)
Seedless tomatoes are good for canning.
Did you know there are seedless, or parthenocarpic, varieties of tomatoes? Many who can or cook their tomatoes struggle with the jelly like pulp surrounding the seeds. Seedless varieties have been developed at Oregon State University. Many of these varieties are seedless only during the early part of the growing season, but become seedy as the season progresses. These seedless varieties lend themselves to canning and cooking because their textural flesh makes them somewhat less desirable for fresh use.
It may be hard to find sources for many of the seedless varieties listed below. The cultivar 'Gold Nugget' has been offered by Johnny's Seed Company.You may have to do a bit of looking if you want to give these a try. Here are some of the better varieties that have been released:

- 'Oregon Cherry' - Cherry type tomato, usually seedless
- 'Oregon 11' - Highly parthenocarpic, usually 75% of fruit is seedless
- 'Gold Nugget' - Cherry type with gold colored fruit, ~75% of fruit is seedless
- "Oregon Spring" - Early parthenocarpic, 50-65% of fruit is seedless
- "Oregon Star" - Large paste-type tomato, usually seedless
- "Siletz" - Early, large fruit, one of the best seedless tomato varieties

(5/28/02)
Encourage beneficial insects
Encourage the beneficial insects by growing flowers such as Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) as a nectar food source. While you are waiting for the good guys to come in, you can knock down aphid populations by rubbing them off, or spraying them off with water from your garden hose. Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization of plants, as it makes them more prone to aphid attacks.
(5/27/02)
Aphids
This is the time of year when aphids become plentiful. With the succulent new growth of plants in your garden, (whether vegetable or ornamental), come hoards of these tiny sucking insects. Aphids come in a multitude of colors (green, yellow, brown, red, or black) and have quite a complex lifecycle, including winged and non-winged stages in their development. They are small, but visible to the naked eye, and when disturbed, do not move very much. Usually you will find them clustered on the undersides of leaves or stem tips. They favor the newest growth of the plant.
Basically aphids suck plant juices and excrete a sweet, sticky residue called honeydew. This honeydew can become black and sooty looking after time. Ants love the sweet stuff and are usually present on the plant when colonies of aphids are about. Aphid damage includes distortion and stunting of leaves, causing plant stress. Aphids also sometimes can vector viral diseases between plants. So, what to do?
Fortunately aphids have some very effective natural enemies. Lady bugs and their orange and black armored larvae have a voracious appetite for aphids. Other predators include lacewings (whose tiny eggsacks are suspended from a leaf by a thin hairlike strand), pirate and damsel bugs, and hoverfly larvae. These beneficial insects will eradicate colonies of aphids quickly, as long as you refrain from using chemical sprays that are just as harmful to them, as to the aphids.
(5/26/02)
Thinning out seedlings
Since it is recommended to sow seeds thickly, inevitably, you will have some overcrowding of seedlings. You will need to thin them out to their correct spacing. Make sure that the soil is moist before beginning to thin seedlings. When your little plants have two or three leaves, pull up the weakest ones by grasping leaves by your thumb and forefinger. What remains should be spaced according to your packet instructions.You can also effectively thin by pinching off the leaves of the seedlings, leaving the stem to wither and die. This disturbs the root system of nearby seedlings less.
If not too crowded, some plants can be thinned when they are harvested. For example, beet and turnip thinnings make excellent greens for salads or sauteing. Radishes, onions, and lettuce can be harvested (thinned) when they are of size enough to eat.
(5/25/02)
Direct sowing vegetable seeds
Some vegetables lend themselves to direct sowing; that is placing seeds directly into the ground. Planting from seed is more economical than buying transplants, and can give you a sense of accomplishment, when tiny seed becomes a fruit. When planting seeds, the soil should be moist but not wet. A simple test for the right moisture-Squeeze together a handful of soil. If it crumbles, you are set to go. If it molds together like Play-Doh, wait a little longer.
Seed packets have the valuable information you need to plant at the right depth and spacing. Empty seeds from the packet into your hands, and drop them from your fingers into your prepared garden bed. If the seed is particularly small, sand can be mixed with the seed to make it easier to work with. Once the seed is in contact with the soil at the proper depth, cover over it with soil and tamp down with a rake or hoe.
Usually it's a good idea to plant seeds more thickly than recommended, in case some seeds aren't viable. Water your planted areas gently with a fine spray until seedlings grow firm and sturdy. Germination, (when a green plant emerges from a seed) is different for every plant. Some seeds, like carrot and parsley often take three to four weeks to germinate. During this time, seeds must not dry out or seedlings will die. To keep seedlings warm and moist, cover the seeded area with burlap, a board, plastic sheeting, or an old glass window. As soon as seedlings begin to emerge, remove the covering.
(5/24/02)
Keep bulb foliage growing
After your daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths have finished blooming this spring, continue to let their foliage grow, unhindered until it dies off on its own. Don't fold and rubber band leaves, or cut them down after the blooms are spent. The leaves are now in production mode-producing energy that is stored in the bulbs and used next spring for blooming. Bulbs are usually fertilized in early spring just before (or just when) they begin growth. They will benefit from another light application of a balanced fertilizer (e.g., 8-8-8) right after bloom.
(5/23/02)
It's Miller time! Slugs and beer.
Beer traps can work, but again have to be dealt with often to be really effective. Half-empty beer cans can be buried up to the lip in the soil near slug-damaged plants. The slug is attracted to the scent of yeast in the beer and falls into the can, drowning in beer. The beer and can must be changed every few days.
Your best bet for slug control will be a combination of habitat elimination, trapping, and if needed, chemical baits. A little diligence on your part will keep your plants beautiful and intact for the whole growing season.
(5/22/02)
Slug baits, chemical controls, physical barriers
Common ingredients in slug baits include metaldehyde and methiocarb, which provide effective control. Another product out there is Escar-go!? (catchy name) whose active ingredient is iron phosphate. Apparently after ingesting Escar-go, the slugs stop feeding and soon die. Baits come in granular, pelleted, and liquid forms, and it is very important to read the label of each.
Barriers of wood ash, lime, sawdust, copper stripping, salt, and diatomaceous earth, have all been offered as answers to the slug problem. These substances, applied to the ground around plants provide a barrier that the slug cannot cross without damaging it. Unfortunately, these must be re- applied often, and in some cases can actually be more harmful to the plant than the slug (e.g Salt).
(5/21/02)
Slug control
There are several ways to reduce the amount of slugs in your garden. First, eliminate their breeding and hiding places i.e., rotting boards, pots, debris. Do not mulch heavily too early in the season. Trim tall weeds and grassy areas that hold moisture in the soil.
Second, set traps for these critters by creating the perfect hiding place- a moist board set on top of the soil in an area you've seen damage occur. Every morning, check the board and remove the slugs that have gathered there. Destroy them, by whatever method you can stomach.
(5/20/02)
Get ready to battle slugs
Spring is the time of the year when new, tender foliage is springing up all over our gardens. With that new growth comes the slimy, rapacious slug, voraciously feeding on leaves, flowers, and tender stems. All kinds of plants are attacked by the slug and the damage left behind includes neatly chewed holes, missing leaf parts, and a silvery slime trail upon their retreat.
Slugs are active mostly at night, or on rainy, overcast days. On bright, sunny days, slugs are content to hide under boards, clay pots, rocks, mulch, or tunnel into the soil, feeding on decaying organic matter. Many slugs will return again and again to the same plant, foregoing the smorgasbord around them.
Mature slugs will lay eggs in batches of 20 or more in their protected hiding spots. Eggs are oval, clear or creamy yellow, and laid in a gelatinous substance. These eggs will develop slowly with adequate moisture, and a young slug can take up to a year to mature.
(5/19/02)
Transplanting hostas
The best time to transplant hostas is early fall. When weather has started to cool down, but well before freezes occur. Take as much of the rootball as possible, and keep the newly planted clumps watered until the ground freezes. Springtime is also conducive to transplanting, as there is usually an abundance of natural moisture.
Hostas don't need to be divided, however if you want new plants for other areas, hostas are best divided in spring or fall. You can simply dig away a portion of the main plant in a pie-shaped wedge, making sure to have a crown section with roots attached. (The crown is the fleshy, fibrous area containing the growing point, and attached to the root system.) Fill in the hole that is left with soil. Either replant the division, or cut apart sections with a sharp knife. Each new plant must have a section of the crown, and roots on it to live and grow. Keep divisions out of direct sun when working on them.
(5/18/02)
Fertilization and maintenance of hostas
Our leafy friends perform best in rich, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to neutral in pH. The addition of compost (organic matter) is always beneficial. There are many different schools of thought on when, how much, and with what to fertilize hostas. I fertilize my hostas in the spring when they first poke through the soil. I'll use either slow release pellets, or a little 10-10-10 around each plant. When the spring is very rainy, plants will benefit from another feeding in the summer, before they flower.
Moisture is very necessary for good hosta growth. If your soil is heavy, compacted, and poorly-drained, an excess of water can cause crown rot, a disease that is fatal to hostas. (It really pays to amend soil to improve drainage.) During the summertime, water slowly and deeply (soaker hoses are best) every few weeks if there isn't adequate rainfall.
(5/17/02)
Where to plant hostas
Although hostas can tolerate a wide range of conditions, the ideal spot to grow them is in dappled (not deep) shade, away from heavily competing tree roots. Oaks and maples, in particular can be a big problem, and I wouldn't bother trying to grow hostas near these trees. Around other trees, carefully dig shallow planting holes and mix compost in with the existing soil. This raises the planting area, and improves drainage in normally hard-packed soil.
An hour or two of morning or late afternoon sun is desirable, and actually preferable for some of the yellow, and green and white variegated varieties. Typically, blue-leaved hostas need more shade to maintain their bluish cast. If during the growing season your hosta leaves begin to turn brown and look burnt, then it's a good indication of too much direct sun. Too little moisture during the summer can also cause browning of leaves. If your hostas fail to bloom, they are probably in too much shade.
(5/16/02)
Hostas for the solar-challenged garden
Once you experience the ease of care and incredible variety of hostas available, you'll never be able to grow just one! Hostas are shade-loving herbaceous perennials that are mostly grown for their foliage--and what wonderful foliage it is! Hosta clumps can be only a few inches across, or a few feet. Leaves can be lance-shaped, cupped, heart-shaped, crinkled, and all are very textural. The range of colors and variegation patterns are almost endless.
Hostas provide a good foil for shade-loving ferns, and lacy-leaved astilbes. Some low-growing varieties can be used as edging; vase-shaped hostas such as 'Krossa Regal' can be planted alone as a specimen, or in drifts for a block of silvery-green. When at the garden center, young plants in pots show little of the mature form they will achieve in several years.
(5/15/02)
Fertilizing annuals and containerized plantings
Annual plants grow from seed to flower, set seed, and die in one growing season. They are usually vigorous growers and heavy flowering. Annuals do require a bit more fertilization than perennials, and I feed them monthly during the growing season (May through October) with a water soluble fertilizer. Miracle Gro, Schultz's Plant Food, and Monty's Joy Juice are a few water soluble products on the market. These come in either liquid concentrate, or crystal form, to which you add water. The fertilizer is then watered onto and around plants, which can absorb nutrients through the leaves as well as the roots.
Plants in containers also need more frequent fertilization, especially in rainy climates where nutrients are washed through the soil and out of the pot. Hot, dry summer conditions cause more frequent watering as well. Flowering plants in containers can be fertilized every two to three weeks with a water soluble fertilizer. Slow release products can also be used, according to the label.
Use caution when temperatures climb past 85 degrees. Fertilizers are best applied in the early morning during July, August, and September.
(5/14/02)
Fertilizing your perennial garden
Herbaceous perennials are plants that die back to the root system in winter and reliably return the following spring. Typically, perennials are fertilized in the springtime once growth has begun. A balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 can be used, or a slow release fertilizer such as Once or Osmocote can be applied in late spring when the soil has warmed. Once a season is all I suggest for perennials -- too much nitrogen will make many perennials grow too quickly and flop.
Do not fertilize in the fall. There is no point in stimulating growth in plants that are past their prime, and ready to go dormant for the winter. Succulent new growth will be damaged by frost, and possibly reduce plant longevity.
(5/13/02)
Fertilizing trees and shrubs
In general, woody plants don't have heavy fertilization needs. They are best fertilized with a balanced formulation; eg., 10-10-10, 8-8-8, 12-12-12 when they go dormant in late fall/early winter. This stimulates valuable root growth. No other fertilization is usually necessary, unless the tree or shrub is very young, and is a heavy flowerer. In such cases, plants can benefit from some slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote, applied in late spring as the soil warms up. Please read the label on any product for application rates. Slow release fertilizers are activated by moisture, and soil temperatures approaching 70 degrees. Don't waste money by using products such as Osmocote too early in the season.
(5/12/02)
Fertilizing your plants
Often thought of as "feeding", fertilization is a basic part of the plant nurturing processes that we as gardeners all wonder about. Plants do need certain minerals and nutrients to perform their best, but fertilization can sometimes do more harm than good. Applying a fertilizer when one isn't needed, or using the wrong formulation can cause fast, succulent growth that is particularly susceptible to disease and insect damage.
Fertilizing at the wrong time of the season can also cause problems. So what to do? Here are some general guidelines to fertilizing the different plants in your yard and garden.
(5/11/02)
Consider other eye directing tactics
Color changes and changes in height are focal points. In a shady, green corner, a brightly variegated plant will catch our eye. A flower border of cool blues, silvers and pinks will pop when a complimentary hot-colored orange is planted within it.
An unexpected vertical plant in a border is a great focal point. The "tall in back, short in front" rule of thumb should be occasionally broken in your garden. Many biennials (plants that grow in the first year, bloom the second year, and die) grow from a low-growing basal rosette of foliage. Their flowers are usually vertical, like Verbascum (mullein) that will send a flower spike soaring to heights of 3-4 feet. Biennials can be used effectively as front of the border focal points-they do not overshadow plants placed behind them. Use these natural focal points wisely, as too many changes can be confusing. Create a natural rhythm that is easy to follow.
(5/10/02)
Well planned focal points are essential
Geometric forms call for specific focal points. There is a strong physical connection between the human eye and certain geometric shapes. When you look at circular patterns, you expect to see something in the center. This is a natural spot to employ a specimen plant, or object. Curved bed-lines (arcs) are circle segments and can be used to draw the eye to a special view. Place your specimen (plant, statue, architectural fragment, bird bath, etc.) at the deepest point of an inward curve.
Symmetrical designs are more obvious in their call for a focal point. You can't go wrong placing a statue or other worthy item at the end of an allee, or double border. If you have created a parterre, or four symmetrically placed beds, the center is your focal point.
(5/9/02)
Borrow a view, if you can.
Are there any wonderful views or panoramas to be seen from your garden? A hillside, meadow, woodland, or a portion of a neighbor's garden can be claimed as a focal point in your own garden. A beautiful flowering shrub, or mature tree? If you have such a view, capitalize on it. Plan bed-lines to position the borrowed focal point at center stage. Frame the view with an arbor, open gate, tall hedges or trees.
(5/8/02)
What is the style of your garden?
Are you an urbanite with a bent for the classics, or a lover of the casual country feel? It is important that you settle on a single, stylistic feel for your garden -- very rarely does mixing a bent twig chair with a classic column, work. Look to the architecture of your home for clues to the most sympathetic style for the garden. This is very important. Careful placement of objects is the key-ideally, the ornament should be the centerpiece of that portion of garden, and plantings designed to enhance it.
(5/7/02)
Mood is everything
What is the mood of your garden? Is it a formal setting? Natural and restful? Tropical in feel? Wild and colorful? The way objects are arranged can have a great impact on the garden's personality. A formal setting may have a statue centered, with matched plantings radiating away from it (symmetrically), while the same statue can be used in an off-center site, backed by large, bold-leafed plants, and surrounded by colorful, casual mixed plantings. Same statue, different moods.
(5/6/02)
Create a focal point in your garden
Did you ever notice that some gardens are especially lovely, providing wonderful scenes as you move through them? Perhaps a bench appears in the perfect place to pause, or a statue catches your eye, and leads you to a wonderful, textural vignette.
This kind of magic doesn't usually happen by accident, but is a result of artful planning. A focal point in the garden is anywhere the viewer's eye stops. This should not be a result of jarring plant combinations, but of a carefully executed composition. Here are a few things to think about when trying to order your garden or landscape in a pleasing, and enticing way.
(5/5/02)
Annuals and tender plants
In our area, the beginning of May (here in Kentucky, Derby Day is our indicator) waves a green flag for planting annuals and other tender plants in the garden, or in containers. The threat of frost is (hopefully) now over, and colorful annuals, as well as tropicals and indoor plants can safely make their way onto porches, terraces, etc.
Slowly, ease houseplants outside, introducing them to direct sunlight over a period of SEVERAL WEEKS. I initially keep my houseplants in the shade for several days, and then step them up to a bright area, perhaps with only some morning sun. Those that can take full sun, make it to their sunny place in the garden about a week later.
(5/4/02)
Pre-emergent controls for summer annual weeds
By the middle of April, pre-emergent herbicides should have been applied to those areas of your yard that are plagued with crabgrass, and other summer annual weeds. If you haven't done this, there is still time to control some of those later germinating weed seeds. Do it now. Pre-emergent weed controls work by disrupting the germination process of a seed. The chemical dries out the emerging seedling before it has a chance to root. Pre-emergents are best applied underneath mulch, just before a rain. Yes, sprinkle it down before you mulch a bed. The mulch will keep it moist and prevent volatilization of the product. You can also water it in. Just be sure that the herbicide is in contact with the soil.
On lawns, be sure to use a product that doesn't include fertilizer (feed) at this time of the year. In herbaceous plant beds, don't use pre-emergent herbicides if you have plants that regularly self-seed. Obviously, if you do not desire seedling growth, pre-emergents labeled for use in herbaceous beds are OK. Be sure to READ the LABEL on any product you buy.
(5/3/02)
Some plant choices for container growing
Again, I want to emphasize choosing plant material that is hardier than your gardening zone. The following plants will give you some ideas to start with.

- Hedge Maple (Acer campestre) A slow grower getting 20-25' at maturity
- Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) Slow growing, reaching 20'
- Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) Slow growing to 20'
- Winter King Hawthorne (Crataegus viridis "Winter King") A medium growth rate to 20'
- Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) A slow grower reaching 15'
- Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) Fast growing, getting 15-20'
- Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargentii) Slow grower, topping out at 8'
- Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) Slow/medium growth rate; 12-15'
(5/2/02)
Plant maintenance during the growing season
Container grown trees and shrubs only get a small amount of the water they need from rainfall, especially if they are in a protected area. Your watering schedule will be determined by the kind of plant you are growing, how much sun it's in, how humid or arid your climate is, and even the kind of container you've chosen. During the summer you may need to water your plants daily. Not enough water can cause leaf scorch (browning around the edges), defoliation, root loss, and reduce your plant's winter hardiness. Too much water can also cause problems. During periods of heavy rain, water collects in the bottom of the pot , and kills sensitive roots. Even if a pot has good drainage, damage can occur. Did I mention this container gardening stuff can be tricky?
Fertilizing your container grown plants can also be tricky. With all the watering you'll be doing throughout the season, minerals and nutrients will each easily from the soil. Therefore, trees and shrubs in containers need more frequent fertilization than their counterparts in the ground. Water-soluble fertilizers are recommended, and apply them at the rate listed on the label for houseplants. Too much fertilizer can damage a plant's root system, so go easy. Also, do not fertilize after July to allow the plant to harden-off for the upcoming winter months.
(5/1/02)
Plant hardiness
The major concern with growing trees and shrubs in containers is hardiness. A plant that is hardy in your landscape, may not survive in a pot on your deck. The least hardy part of a plant is its root system. In winter, containerized root systems are gradually exposed to temperatures equal to that of the air. Pots that are in contact with the ground, or a heated building may have additional protection, keeping the soil temperature slightly warmer. Also, the larger the pot, the more protected the root system. Pots can be bundled with burlap, bubble-wrap, or caged and filled with mulch, as added protection.
In general, it is smart to use plants that are hardier than your zone as container specimens. If you garden in Zone 6, than use trees and shrubs that are rated as hardy to zones 3, 4, and 5.

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