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Grow Wyo: The sweet spot – Casper Star

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Back when I was a county agent, I learned a trick to help farmers and ranchers save 75 percent of their time, effort and water by establishing alfalfa with seeds. The trick was to delay planting this perennial feed source till late August. Think about it, in August, the soil is warm. If you apply water to this warm soil, the alfalfa seed quickly germinates, and by October an established crop is ready to go into winter. If farmers and ranchers plant in the spring, they had to water and care for their crops throughout the heat of the summer. This trick can be applied to gardening and landscaping as well.

If you’ve been procrastinating putting in a new lawn, now is the time. Your soils are warm. With a little water, grass seed germination takes place much quicker than in spring when the soils are cold. Most lawn grasses, and especially Kentucky bluegrass, performs at its best in the cool of the season. Sure, it’s hot now, but we’re heading into the cool of autumn, and by October the lawn you planted in August will be fully established. The same goes for sodding a new lawn. Planting now will save you enormous amounts of time and water compared to a spring time planting.

This is also an excellent time to be planting trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and ornamental. Plant food is made by the plant itself through photosynthesis – the conversion of sunlight into glucose (plant food). Most plants are done growing for the season, but they are still photosynthesizing and storing this plant food for the long haul of winter. Their energy levels are at their highest levels of the year right now, making for a wonderful time to plant. They will easily establish themselves before winter sets in at a fraction of the water and your time. As a garden center owner, I know that the 2014 crop of trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses are ready now at a time of year when most people are done gardening.

In other words, right now you have the pick of the litter, so to speak.

And if you want a late autumn harvest of veggies, consider planting spinach, radishes and other cool season crops like carrots and lettuce now. The same trick applies: warm soils, quick germination and heading towards the cool of autumn. Late season veggies, by the way, are much tastier than spring grown veggies because in late autumn they store their plant sugars for the onslaught of winter. That means sweeter food for you and your family.

So whether you’re a savvy gardener or a procrastinating one; now is the time to do some late season gardening for great results.

Home & Garden Events: August 25

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Ongoing

Critters and Humans: Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville, 830-257-4837, www.riverside
naturecenter.org. Guests will learn how to co-exist with critters and creatures. There will be children’s activities and visits with the animals at the center. Free. Donations accepted. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Daily through Sept. 9.

Tuesday

Growing Vegetables: AM AgriLife Extension Service, 3355 Cherry Ridge Drive, Suite 208, 210-467-6575. In the first of a two-part series, horticulturist David Rodriguez will focus on planning and preparation for a vegetable garden. $10 per person. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration is required. The second part on purchasing and planting is scheduled for Sept. 17.

Friday

Watersaver tour: Nominations are being accepted for the Watersaver Landscape Tour. Nominations, which must be for yards considered unique and water efficient, can be made at www.GardeningVolunteers.org or by calling 210-251-8101 by Friday.

Saturday

Fall Landscaping: Schulz Nursery, 3700 Broadway, www.schulznursery.
com. Horticulturist David Rodriguez will present an Earth-Kind Education Seminar: “Landscaping Chores for the Upcoming Fall Planting Season.” Free. 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Children’s Garden Program: San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, 210-467-6575,
www.sabot.org. Bexar County Master Gardener volunteers will mentor children ages 8-13 in growing their own gardens. Each child will have a garden plot to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers. $40 per child, $50 for two children to share a plot. The session is from 9 a.m.-noon every Saturday through Dec. 7.

Upcoming

Home tour and symposium: Crowley Theater, 98 S. Austin St., Marfa, www.designmarfa.com. Design Marfa will present a panel of architects, designers, builders and landscapers along with a tour of seven unique homes. $35-$250. Prices increase Sept. 1. Space is limited. Nov. 1-3.

Email event notices to hgcalendar@
express-news.net at least three weeks before the event. Fax: 210-250-3405.




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Up front about the harvest

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Friday, August 23, 2013 1:06 AM EDT

Up front about the harvest

BY MARK SCHLUEB | ORLANDO SENTINEL


Jason and Jennifer Helvenston stand among the sweet potato vines in their front yard garden in Orlando, Florida, on August 6, 2013. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

After an embarrassing battle with a couple of gardeners, Orlando, Fla., officials have drawn up new rules governing homeowners who want to plant carrots and cucumbers in their front yards.

It’s the latest salvo — and probably the last — in a literal turf war over what Orlando residents can plant in front of their homes. It started last year, when Jason and Jennifer Helvenston were hit with a code-enforcement citation for digging up their College Park neighborhood front lawn and replacing it with lettuce, kale, radishes, tomatoes and more.

The perception of big government cracking down on veggies drew media attention and a gardener revolt.

City planners responded by drawing up rules that specifically allowed front-yard vegetable gardens, but critics protested outside City Hall. The rules were so strict that they would drastically cut the space available for food gardens, they argued. Commissioners sent the planners back to the drawing board.

The new version, expected to go to the City Council for final approval next month, is quite a bit more relaxed.

“We’re going to get to keep our garden,” Jason Helvenston said. “There are going to be very few gardens that will be illegal under this particular wording.”

The first version of the garden regulations would have allowed residents to plant vegetables on no more than 25 percent of their front yard; required gardens to be screened with fencing or shrubs, set back at least 10 feet from the property line or put in planter boxes; and limited vegetable plants to no more than 4 feet tall. Green-thumbed protesters objected.

Gardens are on the rise, partly because of the still-struggling economy, partly because of a “clean food” movement that objects to pesticides and the environmental footprint of factory farming. Gardeners argued that city officials should be encouraging residents to cultivate their own food, not limiting how much space they can use or how tall their tomatoes grow.

Planners revamped the new rules with help from landscape architects, horticulturists and the Helvenstons themselves.

The new rules would allow veggies to cover as much as 60 percent of a front yard. The 10-foot setback was shrunk to 3 feet, and the vegetable-height limit was thrown out.

Jennifer Helvenston credited the gardening army with changing minds at City Hall.

“I think we arrived at the right spot in the end,” chief planner Jason Burton said. “That input from around the world and locally helped get us to the point we are today, where we have an ordinance I think everyone can live with. I think it’s a positive thing.”

Burton said Orlando unfairly got a black eye over the garden war. Planners simply want to ensure the landscaping is well maintained — vegetable or otherwise — rather than out-of-control weeds or a garden gone to seed.

“People thought we were against front-yard gardens, and we really weren’t,” Burton said. “People are not always successful with gardens, and what happens is, people will do it for one season and suddenly it’s dirt forever. We wanted to make sure there was a level of permanent landscaping.”

Helvenston predicts one portion of the new code will have unintended consequences. The city added a 5-foot height limit on temporary structures, which was meant to govern such things as tomato cages. But Helvenston thinks it would prevent homeowners from placing swings or fountains in their front yards.

Gardeners are likely to be as happy as they can be with a set of rules. But the Helvenstons wonder: Why adopt any rules, especially if they are so limited that they will affect few homeowners?

“It’s a perfect example of how a government reacts to something and tries to do their thing but goes way too far,” Jason Helvenston said. “They didn’t really need to do anything but say, ‘Front-yard gardens are OK.'”

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Speakers cover bees, bats, ferns, Victory Gardens

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Conference speakers cover a wide range of topics, from bees and bats to ferns and vertical landscaping. Here is the schedule.

Friday, Sept. 20

9-10:15 a.m., Keynote address,  Great Gardens of the World, Vincent Simeone. Detailed information on a wide variety of unusual and exotic species of plants, picturesque views of natural and cultivated areas and helpful information on garden design and popular trends.

10:45 a.m.-noon, Historic Landscape Preservation: Reinventing an Aging Landscape, Vincent Simeone. Explore the world of historic landscape preservation and how to rehabilitate a landscape.

Vertical Gardening, Mark Dwyer. Plant selection along with the use of various structures can maximize the beauty of your garden while minimizing the “footprint” of these plants in narrow or limited spaces. 

The Herbs and Plants of Beatrice Potter’s World, Jan Powers. A look at the herbs and plants of Peter Rabbit. 

River Clean-up, Michael Coyne-Logan. The history and mission of Living Lands and Waters, a Hampton, Ill.-based environmental organization founded by river clean-up man Chad Pregracke.

1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

Ferns and Mosses, Mark Dwyer. Ferns offer color and texture in the garden and moss have value as a groundcover.

Urban Agriculture Research, Sam Wortman. Economically sustainable food production and the potential environmental issues limiting the growth of urban agriculture.

Patterns in Nature that Inspire Japanese Gardens and the Connections Between Garden and Architecture, Tim Gruner. A sense of calm and peace, the opportunity for fresh, clear thought and awe of nature’s rejuvenative ability are some of the things that can occur in a garden space that might exist in the midde of a busy city or in one’s own backyard.

Plant Clinic Year in Review, Suzanne Bissonnette. Problems with trees and other ornamentals seen in Illinois during this growing season.

Gardening in Miniature, Kathryn Newman. Learn how to creat entire landscapes in a planter. Tips, techniques and easy-to-grow plants.

3:15-4:30 p.m.

All America Selections, Diane Blazek. A look into the past and future of this nonprofit plant testing organization.

Proper Tree Pruning, Less is not More, Scott Carlson. Learn to anticipate a tree’s growth and understand its response to pruning so that the proper cut is made today.

New Trends in Hardscapes, Dave Schneider. Concrete pavers and stone walls for outdoor living spaces.

Organic or Conventional? Jeff Hawes. Strategies of soil management, plant nutrition and pest management to improve your gardening.

Saturday, Sept. 21

9-10:45 a.m., Keynote address, American Home Landscapes, Denise Adams. A historical perspective of the evolution of America’s residential landscape.

10:45 a.m.-12 noon, Sustainable Gardens: Creating and Maintaining a Gravel Garden, Jeff Epping. Based on concepts developed by German horticulturist Cassian Schmidt, these gardens are as lush, green and colorful as any perennial border.

Horticulture Judging: and the ribbon goes to…, Jim Schmidt. The qualities that make common horticulture exhibits blue ribbon winners.

Ancient Gardeners and Gardens, Michael Wiant. Learn how early people laid the groundwork for the gardens and food we grow today.

Beekeeping Basics, Phil Crandall. Beekeeping and encouraging bees to your landscape.

Gardening in Miniature, Kathryn Newman. Learn how to creat entire landscapes in a planter. Tips, techniques and easy-to-grow plants.

1:30-2:45 p.m.

Made Wild by Pompous Catalogues from Florists and Seedsmen…, Denise Adams. How to use old plant catalogs as a research tool.

Sustainable Gardens: Designs and Plants for Greener Gardens, Jeff Epping. How to grow beautiful gardens that require less time, water and chemical inputs.

Bats, Vera Blevins. Putting fears aside, looking at bats as important indicators of a healthy environment and how we can play a part in planning for their future. Live bats present.

Chicago Victory Gardens: Yesterday and Tomorrow, LaManda Joy. The pivitol role of Chicago in the World War II Victory Garden movement and how the city is, once again, playing a leading role in urban food production.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Plant An Onion Garden

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One of the vegetables which needs to be grown in your garden is onions. This beautiful pinkish purple vegetable is so essential for us today because of its raging prices. Today, we share with you easy onion gardening tips. These onion gardening tips are essential for you to follow, in order to get a good and healthy crop. As we know that onions are edible bulbs and members of the allium family.

These onion bulbs is composed of concentric layers which is very unique in nature too. They have either a pungent smell, taste and sometimes this vegetable can also be quite sweet. It depends on the variety of onion you are growing.

How To Plant An Onion Garden

The onion bulb size is related to the size and number of the leaves. Each leaf translates to a ring of onion. The larger leaves make larger rings. With the rising price of onions, it is time we start to plant our own little onions gardens. Here are some tips on onion gardening.

Location – One of the most important gardening tip you should keep in mind is finding a perfect location. Onions should be planted in a partially shade spot wherein which its gets only a little wind. Onions should not be planted in heavy soils.

Soil – The soil has to be perfect for planting onions. The bulb needs to be placed in soil which is lose in nature. If the soil is not lose, you need to loosen the soil with a fork and remove the weeds.

Surface – If you are planting onion plants in your garden, you first need to create a leveled surface. With the help of a rake create a level surface for your onion garden soil.

Firm the soil – A gardener needs to use his feet to firm down the soil. Experts say that this vegetable grows well in medium soil (not too hard nor too soft)

Onion bulbs – To grow an onion plant, one of the main gardening tips you should keep in mind is to choose onion sets which are firm and plump. Do not use soft or too small onions when you plant.

Holes in soil – You need to make rows of small holes in the soil. You can lay a piece of string on the soil as a guide to make sure you dig the row in a correct straight line.

Planting the bulb – When you are about to plant the onion bulb in the soil, make sure that your soil is first set. The onion sets should be planted with the tips pointing upwards and positioned about 10 centimeters apart from each other.

Post planting – Soon after you plant the bulb in the soil, water the soil with only a little water. Keep a track on the soil and water it only when necessary.

If you follow these steps you are bound to have a healthy onion garden.

GOOD TO GROW: August Gardening Tips

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  Denise Norma talk about what we should be doing in our landscapes now that the worst of the summer temperatures are behind us.  Deadhead your flowering plants to keep them in bloom, water your fruit trees to ensure a good crop next spring, plan for the spring by reviewing your current landscape, and pull those pesky weeds!  Aired Aug. 24, 2013.

Fall maintenance: end-of-summer gardening tips

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Provided by Networx.com

It’s easy to get the gardening bug in springtime, when humans themselves feel like new sprouts finally getting out into the sun (or, for some of us, like vampires emerging from dusky lairs). But as the summer growing season comes to a close and the crowds at the garden centers and farmer’s markets dwindle, we feel resigned to letting it all die and shifting our attention to the fall lineup. This year, don’t let the changing seasons become an excuse to turn back into a vampire (or to watch them on TV). Fall brings plenty of reasons to stay active in the garden, including buying and planting new stuff and gearing up to extend your dirty pursuits into the cold seasons.

Killer Deals on Remainder Plants

Those poor specimens left on the racks at garden centers at the end of summera little droopy, a little dry, and surely a little sad, feeling like the forgotten gifts on the Island of Misfit Toys. But just like the square-wheeled train and the spotted elephant, those “aged” plants just need a good home, and they can be rescued for a fraction of what you’d pay for this year’s hottest toys (or healthiest plants).

Late summer is THE time to watch for sales at garden centers. Annuals are fire-saled, not surprisingly, but the real deals are the perennials that will thrive when planted in fall. Expect savings of 50% or more on many plants. And if something looks especially tired, try to negotiate the price down further; retailers know these plants have one last chance at yielding any revenue. Many sales also include garden tools, as the stores have to clear shelf space for winter merchandise.

Good Time for Planting

Flower children know that fall is when you plant many bulbs for spring emergence. It’s also a good time to transplant trees, divide and replant perennials and lay sod or re-seed the lawn. For many plants, late summer and fall are preferable to spring because the ground is warm (good for digging and encouraging root growth) and the sun’s heat is less intense (good for foliage and your water bill). You can even plant a late summer garden for one last crop yield.

When you’re emptying the shelves at your garden center, ask about planting and maintenance for this time of year and through the winter. Most perennials and trees will survive their first winter if their roots take hold before hard freezes set in, while some plantings should be watered periodically through winter, particularly if it’s a dry one. (Keep in mind that new trees do best in the long run if they’re watered regularly for three years, not for just the first season or year like most people commit to.)

Cold Frames and Hot Beds

A cold frame, for those who aren’t familiar, essentially is a mini greenhouse that lets you grow cool crops, such as lettuce, well into fall. Most cold frames are simple DIY affairs constructed with four short walls (or you can dig a hole instead) topped with an old storm window. As such, they’re perhaps one of the original examples of upcycling, back when it was referred to as “using up some of that old crap in the shed.” If you build a cold frame now you’ll get to use it twice before next summer because they’re also handy for starting and hardening plants a little early in spring. Nervous about making your own, or think now would be a nice time to build a garden shed? Call a handyman!

A hot bed is a nice, warm pile of poop. Horse poop, to be precise. You can turn a cold frame into a hot bed by digging down about 2 feet, adding 18 inches of manure — that is, fresh manure — and tamping it well. Top the poop with about 6 inches of sand to fill the hole. As the manure decomposes it creates heat, making the sand a toasty place to set pots and flats for growing plants in fall and even winter. If you’re not the kind of person who relishes a Saturday outing to gather manure, or you’re stuck in a one-horse town, you can create a hot bed with electric soil-heating cable (available online and through garden supply stores).

Homegrown Help

For fall and every other season, the best sources of gardening information are local gardening and landscape professionals, as well as state and local extension services. These folks know what works best in your climate and can steer you toward local stores and other resources for getting what you need. The most comprehensive extension programs typically are run by state agricultural (“ag”) universities and offer online content and call-in help lines manned by certified Master Gardeners. Many cities have small extension offices and can be great sources for finding cheap mulch and other garden materials, and don’t be afraid to call for help from a landscaper. Whether you’re a resident of Podunk, Illinois or Baltimore, Maryland, landscapers are there for you.

Philip Schmidt writes for Networx.com.

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Garden Tips: These tools can make gardening easier, fun

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I’m always looking for new garden gadgets and ideas that can make gardening easier or more fun. And I recently came across a couple of items that piqued my interest.

The first is a bit capricious: melon and squash cradles. These are 5-inch plastic cradles for propping up small (8 pounds or less) melons or squash to keep them off the ground, preventing rot. Their round, concave design keeps the fruit from becoming misshapen. There is a 3.75-inch spike on the bottom of each cradle that sticks into the soil.

The cradles come six to a package and are available at www.gardeners.com. The cradles are reusable and nest together for compact storage. Online reviewers say they work well and the design is great, but they are not big enough for large melons and squash.

While the cradles are not costly, one gardener suggested trying inexpensive concave plastic food baskets found in stores. They wouldn’t be propped up by a stake, but they would keep the fruit from touching the soil. If baskets have a solid bottom, drill holes in it for drainage. Gardeners who grow giant melons, squash and pumpkins often protect the fruit from contact with the soil by placing them on boards or tiles.

Another gadget that could come in handy is the Kombi tool. Its website says it is a “shovel with an attitude.” As the story goes, the tool’s creator, Theodor Fugel, from Georgia was a frugal man who did not want to throw away his worn-out shovel. In 1987, he decided to cut out the bad areas of the shove blade. He ended up with a tool with several large, sharp teeth instead of a rounded blade. Friends and family liked his recycled shovel and asked him to make one for them, and the Kombi business was born.

The Fugel family offers six styles of the Kombi tools, including a hand trowel, at www.kombigardentool.com.

Reviewers say the Kombi is an indispensable tool for the toughest digging chores. It works well for cutting through woody roots and dividing perennials. It also works well in heavy soil and as an edger. But make sure to wear heavy-duty boots and gloves.

Too many gardeners don’t wear good foot protection in the garden. I have suggested garden clogs and boots called Lawngrips, but I didn’t have experience with them.

One of our local Master Gardeners bought a pair after a twig punctured the bottom of his foot through an ordinary garden clog. He said that the Lawngrips are comfortable and offer better protection. The men’s and women’s styles protect feet with a steel toe and tough rubber sole. They are also designed for traction on wet grass. Find them at www.lawngrips.com.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

6 Tips for Using Seaweed in the Garden

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When fresh seaweed is applied to garden beds as mulch, the application can help mitigate weeds, and won’t introduce new weeds or pests the way some bark mulch can. As the seaweed breaks down, it contributes to a lightweight loamy soil. Seaweed can even be brewed into a nutrient-rich tea. Here are six tips for collecting and using seaweed:

Photograph by H Matthew Howarth.

How to Use Seaweed in your Garden:

1. Collect seaweed mid-beach: Says EarthEasy’s Greg Seaman, collecting seaweed from the middle of the beach is your best bet. Seaweed that’s mid-beach is far enough from the water to have had an opportunity to dry out somewhat, but it’s not so dry that land-lubbing bugs have had the chance to get to it.

2. Don’t over-harvest: Seaweed has a crucial role in the ecosystem of beaches, so it’s important not to strip beaches of it entirely. Greg suggests picking no more than a third of the seaweed from any one patch.

3. Use fresh seaweed: According to the Royal Horticulture Society, incorporating fresh seaweed into the garden can be a good substitute for farmyard manure. There’s no need to allow seaweed to dry before adding it directly to garden beds.

4. Layer thickly: Seaweed should be added to gardens in relatively substantial quantities. Greg Seaman recommends two applications of seaweed, each about 4 to 6 inches deep. The Royal Horticulture Society recommends a barrow load per square foot of garden. If you aren’t able to find seaweed in these large amounts, even a small application mixed with compost or other amendments will be beneficial.

5. Add it to your compost pile: According to the Rodale Book of Composting, digging fresh seaweed into your existing compost pile can speed up composting. Existing compost bacteria will feast on the alginic acid in seaweed leaves, kickstarting the process.

6. Make a tea: Fresh seaweed can also be used to brew a nutritive tea. Fill a large bucket with rinsed seaweed and fill with fresh rain or hose water. Allow the “tea” to brew for several weeks, stirring occassionally. Strain the nutrient-rich liquid into a spray bottle and use as an organic (and free) plant food! More details on The Hedge Combers.

Above: A 2011 study at the University of Rhode Island tested the effects of green seaweed (ulva spp) on sweet corn, proving its potential as an affordable resource in coastal agriculture. Photograph by Kqedquest.

Above: Gather seaweed into large trash barrels or net bags to transport to the garden. Photograph courtesy of Farm for Life Project.

If you’re not near a beach, consider Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer, recommended by Brooklyn gardener Marie Viljoen in 10 Secrets for Growing an Urban Balcony Garden.