But proper pruning and training pays dividends, not only keeping them manageable, but saving space in the garden and making it far easier to pick the fruit. The best time to prune is shortly after fruiting finishes – but by the end of autumn at the latest.

Make a support framework
• Ideally, put in supports before adding a new plant, though they can be added after if you are “taming” an existing bush that has been allowed to run wild. Hammer in a row of two or three five-foot-long wooden posts six feet apart, with the plant at one end. Fix three evenly spaced horizontal wires along the row of posts or use large-mesh wire netting to make a “fence” for the fruiting canes to grow on.

What to cut out
• First work out which are old and new stems. Old stems look woody and darker in colour with deeper green leaves that may look a bit battered. You should see bunches of calyces where the fruit has been picked. This year’s growth is shorter and more vigorous, usually with greenish stems often growing upright from the base of the plant.

Alan Titchmarsh

• Cut off all of the old fruited stems a few inches above ground level, leaving the current year’s shoots untouched. Since the old stems tend to be tangled, cut them at the base of the plant then snip through the ties fixing them to the horizontal wires of the support system and clear away carefully without breaking the young growth.

• Uproot any weeds or grass from around the base of the plant and along the supporting “fence”.

More…
• More gardening tips and news here
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• Alan Titchmarsh shows you how to make the most of your conservatory

Tying-in new growth
• Divide the young stems into three even bundles. Use soft string to tie each bundle horizontally along the three wires of your support framework. If the plant has produced several weak short stems as well as plenty of strong ones, cut out the weak ones at the base as you won’t need them.

• If you have a strong-growing variety that will take up more room than you are prepared to allocate, concertina the stems up and down one side of the “fence” to compress them into less space.

• Anyone choosing cane fruit for a small garden would be advised to buy a good modern variety that only reaches around six feet. This can have new growth bundled into a sheaf and tied loosely up to one vertical supporting post several feet high. Alternatively, train a pair of them up each side of a garden arch (thornless varieties are best for this).

Aftercare
• After pruning and tying in, keep weeds controlled along the foot of the support framework. In March, mulch heavily with well-rotted garden compost or manure, applying it up to two inches deep to suppress weeds and keep soil moist.

• In April, sprinkle some general-purpose feed generously around the base of each plant (cane fruit are heavy feeders).

• Throughout spring and summer, tie in extension growth regularly so fruiting stems are supported and easily accessible. As new growth starts to appear round the base of the plant, keep it carefully apart from older canes so the two don’t become tangled. If need be, bundle new growth up together and tie it loosely into a sheaf. This makes it much easier to prune the plants this time next year.

• Established cane fruit rarely need watering but in a dry summer, water thoroughly while the fruit is swelling and ripening or it will be small and not very juicy. Use netting to protect your crop from birds. 

University of Illinois Extension will be hosting a Youth Community Gardens Roundtable on Thursday, November 8, at 10 a.m. at Rock Island County Extension 321 West 2nd Ave., Milan, IL The meeting is open to anyone who is interested in starting or has already organized a youth community garden. The purpose is to bring groups together to help learn more about what is involved in planning and implementing a successful youth gardening program. Participants who have had a garden as a part of their program are encouraged to share their success stories, tips and lessons learned. Extension will share some educational resources and curriculum for youth gardening programs. For agencies or groups who may have space for a garden plot but no kids, they will share tips on recruiting volunteers and kids for a successful youth gardening program.
 
This will be an interactive session which will cover: The purpose of Youth Community Gardens; An overview of planning and implementation steps that will serve as a guide for the more in-depth meeting in January; The sharing of success stories and ideas; The types of educational curriculum and resources available to you through University of Illinois Extension’s 4-H and Master Gardener programs
 
Based on interest at this November session, additional sessions will be offered prior to the growing season: A January training on how to plan and implement a community garden with youth engaged in learning; and a follow-up session in March to finalize your specific garden / educational plans. RSVP to (309) 756-9978 or online at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/hmrs If you have any questions contact Diane Baker, 4-H Metro Youth Educator at mailto:bakerd@illinois.edu; or Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator, mailto:smithma@illinois.edu
 
 

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Q. Why do the tips of some of my houseplants turn brown? Patricia D., Somerville

A. There are several possible reasons that there are brown tips on your houseplant leaves:Improper watering; be sure to water the potted plant over the sink and let the water run through the soil and out the bottom of the pot. Frequent shallow watering can cause leaf tips to dry out.

Most houseplants are tropical and are used to heat and humidity. If the home air is dry, spritz the plants with water every few days to add moisture to the leaves and/or run the leaves under the faucet to give them a bath.

Too much salt build up from soft water or too much fertilizer. If your water is softened, use distilled water for the plants.

Q. There are these tiny little bugs flying and jumping around my houseplants. I use organic soil, too. What are they, and how do I get rid of them?　Patricia D., Somerville

A. These tiny flying bugs are most likely fungus gnats and are a common houseplant problem. Any houseplant can be a host for the fungus gnats, as adult fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist potting soil and around the plant base. The hatched larvae feed on fungi, decaying organic plant matter, and on plant root hairs. The fungus gnats are native insects and can be found in lawns and garden soil. They generally appear indoors in winter and early spring, as they mostly spend the late spring and summer months outdoors.Using the following control methods can help reduce their numbers:

Limit plant watering so the soil dries out completely between watering.

Provide good drainage, and be sure there is no standing water in planter trays to attract gnats.

Fill a jar just about to the top with vinegar. Poke several small holes in the lid and place the jar near your plants. The gnats will go down the holes, get trapped and drown in the vinegar.

Place yellow sticky trap strips on the potted soil or near the plants to trap the flying gnats. These can be purchased at your local garden center or hardware store. 　

Put an inch of sand or coffee grounds on the exposed soil to prevent eggs from being laid.

Don’t leave fresh fruit on counters during warm months, as gnats are attracted to the fruit.

Screen and caulk leaky windows and doors to prevent gnats from coming into the house.

 
 

International News

France’s president opens Elysee garden to public
October 28, 2012 13:33 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of Parisians and tourists lined up Sunday to get a rare chance to visit the gardens of France’s presidential palace.

Visitors were taking advantage of a new policy inaugurated by President Francois Hollande to open the 18th-century Elysee Palace gardens to the public every last Sunday of the month. In the past, the palace and gardens were only open to the public once a year on France’s Heritage Days weekend in September.

Access to the gardens is just off the Champs Elysee avenue via an ornate wrought-iron gate topped with gilt rooster, the French national symbol.

The gardens are open from noon to 5 p.m. the last Sunday of the month from October to March, and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. from April to September.

During the fall plants like mums can typically be found in pots on porches, but when the weather drops to the low 30’s, a freeze is something you should worry about.

Freezing is something Pittsburg resident Colton Boyer says can be a problem.

“It’s not so much the actual cold that is too bad, it’s whenever it frosts when its that bad, so I didn’t want it to do that,” says Boyer.

There are two tips local gardening and landscaping companies suggest when temperatures get as cool as they are now:  bring your potted tropical plants inside and make sure your plants outside are staying properly watered.

“The main thing you have when you have a freeze or a frost coming, is to make sure your plants are adequately watered,” says Bob Schooley of Garden Center Seasons Nursery in Pittsburg.  “If they freeze dry you’re going to have damage.  When you water the ground and you water your plants and it does freeze you’re going to form a crust over it and it’s going to keep the cold air from driving down into the ground and damaging the roots.”

Charis Emmerling from In The Garden agrees, but says when bringing plants inside, think about using insecticides.

“Before we have any good hard freezes, you want to go ahead and spray them down, check and then maybe spray them down with an insecticide, so that you’re not bringing in aphids, spider mites, or other pests,” says Emmerling.

Specialists say that Fall is the time to plant things like trees and shrubs, but to just make sure everything that is kept outside is being watered as close to the ground as possible.

Gardening authority and author Tovah Martin uses her own home in Roxbury, Conn., to illustrate all the possibilities of indoor gardening in a new book, “The Unexpected Houseplant: 220 Extraordinary Choices for Every Spot in Your Home” (Timber Press, $22.95). She begins the book in fall, and follows with plants and care tips for every season. Some of her choices might surprise you.

“I never felt I had to limit my houseplants to what supermarkets tell me are houseplants,” she explains. “Anything I can grow indoors, I do. In many ways, my indoor garden is reminiscent of the garden outdoors. They may not be officially sanctioned houseplants, but they work.”

Nor is Martin one to leave houseplants in the plastic pots they come home in. She strives to be creative with her containers, using them to add a decorative touch to her rooms.

• Maps

• Roxbury, CT, USA

“People need to think of houseplants as little masterpieces,” she says.

Leaf through her book to see the possibilities. A compact Calamondin orange tree sits by the window in a rugged-looking white square pot. It bears fruit and fills the room with fragrance. (Scent is important. “Think of your house as a perfume bottle,” Martin urges.) Conifers, like the dwarf juniper variety known as “Nana,” are set in tall pots to provide the needed room for roots to dig deep into the soil. And even though Martin is a vegetarian, she happily tends a carnivorous pitcher plant, setting its blocklike container in a pan of water to slake the plant’s mighty thirst.

“I’m not a plant snob, I’m really not,” Martin says. “I am always seeing something and saying I have just the right thing to make that look great.”

Martin’s book makes use of a very vinelike typeface on the cover and in the section headings. It’s an apt and deliberate choice.

“When I lecture, I open with the vine. A plant twining its way through your life says it all,” she said. The type is a visual reinforcement of what Martin sees as an essential connection to nature, a link she believes is made even more intimate when gardening is brought indoors.

“I get a little passionate about it,” she acknowledges. “It’s so therapeutic because, you know, green is such a soothing color and everyone wants to be a nurturer deep inside. It makes you feel so good.”

10 tips for houseplants from Tovah Martin

1.Tropical plants aren’t the only choices for indoors. Many outdoor plants can work with the right light, water and pots.

2.A happy, well-tended plant is a healthy plant.

3.Grow only plants you like. “Find something you can bond with,” Martin says. “You’ll pay attention to it.” The plant will thrive and like will turn to love, she predicts.

4.Don’t hang on to a plant just because it was a gift. Pass it on promptly if it’s not for you.

5.Specialty nurseries aren’t the only sources for plants. Try the supermarket. “Most supermarket plants are real survivors,” Martin said. “Give them a little care and they will look like a million.” That said, be choosy. “Don’t try to be Mother Teresa to all the benighted plants in the supermarket,” she writes in her book. “If they look like they are on their last legs, galloping to their rescue is probably not worth the investment.”

6.Want to grow shrubs or trees indoors? Root them in tall, cylinderlike containers so there’s plenty of room for roots.

7.Hanging baskets aren’t the only choice for droopy or vining plants. Go with a tall container.

8.Pay attention to your plants. “Plants will slowly tell you if they are stressed,” Martin says. If that happens, check the amount of light or whether the plant is in the right container. Plants in pots that are too small need watering much more often.

9.Unless you have south-facing windows, don’t choose plants that demand lots of light. Be willing to move plants around a room as lighting conditions change with the seasons.

10.Don’t be scared to prune a plant back, especially if it’s gotten too bushy after a summer spent outdoors.

— B.D.

This week, let’s consider the tender bulbs. Your first option is the simplest — do nothing. There is no law that says you can’t treat these plants as annuals. They will probably die in the cold of winter, but if you don’t plan to use them again next spring, don’t dig them up. A second option, if they are in containers, just move the containers in for the winter.

If, however, you want to save them, take action after the first killing frost. Pick a time when there will be several days of dry weather, if possible. Loosen the soil around the plant and, using a garden fork, gently lift the cluster.

Bulbs and corms are relatively straightforward: cut off the dead foliage, lay them out to dry for a day or two; brush off soil; and store them in a cool but frost-free area. They can be placed in boxes of peat or sand, wrapped in newspaper or stored in mesh bags. If you see small bulbs or corms attached to the main one, they can be removed and planted to grow new plants. Be aware however, that it will often take several seasons for these to reach blooming size.

Tuberous roots such as dahlias, or rhizomes like cannas often dramatically increase during the growing season. These need a bit more care as damage now can seriously affect your results next year.

Again, as with bulbs, remove the dead foliage, taking care, particularly in the case of dahlias, to preserve a few inches of the main stem with the clump of tubers. Dry and brush clean but now, before storing, consider dividing them into new plants.

While this can be done in the spring, large clumps are difficult to store without breakage. There are specific procedures for dividing some of these plants, so, for now, after they die back in a frost: dig, brush and dry them and gather together your storing material, a knife with a sharp but strong blade, sanitizer and rooting hormone powder. Next week I’ll discuss dividing dahlias and cannas.

If you grew tender tropicals, they need to be stored in warmer locations than the cooler frost-free conditions mentioned above. For example, here are the ideal storing temperatures for a few popular tropicals: Caladiums (70-75 degrees), colocasia/alocasia (Elephant ears) (70-75 degrees), freesia (75-85 degrees), calla lilies (50-60 degrees), and ranunculus (50-55 degrees).

See: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/bulbs-summer/bulletin32/storage.html for a good general reference on storage requirements for many tender bulbs.

Readers on voles and moles

Dear Sue: You wrote about keeping pests like moles and voles away. I have had much success with a product called Sonic Molechaser that I purchased from a company called Northern Tool and Equipment. The cost is $25and it covers 11,250 square feet. It’s rather funny that I have such a problem as I have cats that I allow outside when I am home and working in my yard. I guess they have seen me all too often attempting to revive the pests after one of my little fur ones brings me a gift. I actually have two little field mice that I found after disturbing their nest while cleaning out pulled plants. They now have a very cool cage complete with a wheel and all. http://www.northerntool.com

Growing fruit in the home garden can be interesting, fun and a rewarding hobby. Many homeowners dream of going outside and picking perfect fruit off trees in their yard. A few chores done now will help your fruit trees get through the winter, lighten your workload next spring and help you pick those wonderful fruits next summer.

Raking up leaves around your fruit trees will help prevent many diseases. Also, removing leaf debris can reduce insect population.

Remove all fruit that remains on the tree or has fallen to the ground. This also helps prevent insects and diseases from spreading.

Make sure the grass is cut around the base of your tree; this will prevent mice and voles from making a nest around your fruit trees. These pests chew on the bark of the trunk and cause severe damage that can kill the tree.

Fall is the best time to add lime to your fruit trees. Rain will work the lime into the soil all winter long. Most fruit trees need a pH between 6.0-6.5. A soil test is the only way to tell your soil pH. Your local Agriculture Extension Service has soil boxes and information sheets for taking a soil sample.

The best time to prune fruit trees is in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. You can prune them as long as the branches are not frozen and a freeze is not predicted within 24 hours of pruning. Use sharp, well-maintained tools. A smooth cut heals faster and provides a less favorable site for disease. Make cuts near the supporting limb; stubs do not heal quickly and result in decay that may enter the main trunk and weaken it.

E-mail your gardening questions to bleigh1@utk.edu. Include your name and the area where you live. For more gardening information, call the Tipton County Extension office at (901) 476-0231 or the Shelby County Extension office at (901) 752-1207. Booker T. Leigh is Tipton extension director.

View full sizeThe OregonianTOUCH OF CHINA: I fall for these colorful garden stools every time. They are so pretty and functional. From Apartment Therapy:

“As we learned last month in a quick history of the garden stool, these handy and often colorful little seats have been used in China for at least 1,000 years. We see garden stools in a lot of today’s homes, too. They’re great to tuck under a table for emergency seating and they can stand in as a makeshift side table as well. Plus, as their name would suggest, they can be used outdoors.”
 
DESIGN INDULGENCES: I agree with Erika at Houzz about ways to avoid costly mistakes.

“When it comes to shopping for the home, there are very few things that I absolutely hate. Buyer’s remorse is one of them. As I’ve become more experienced in making purchases for clients and my own home, I’ve learned that the quality of certain items shouldn’t be compromised due to lack of research or the inability to delay gratification.

“I’ve always appreciated the saying “Buy once, buy right.” In other words, purchase the best quality you can afford. Here are seven guilt-free purchases to allow yourself — plus budget-friendly alternatives should you come up a few dollars short.”

10 KITCHEN MISTAKES: Well thought-out kitchens work – and that’s important. If you ever have the luxury of designing your own space, here are 10 mistakes to avoid from Freshome:

“A lot of life happens in the kitchen. No matter how different our lifestyles may be, a lot of activity revolves around the kitchen: Cooking , preparing a quick snack, eating breakfast or a 3-course dinner with family or friends. Not only do we socialize in the kitchen, getting together with family and friends over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, the kitchen is one place that needs to be both beautiful and functional. This raises a double challenge of do’s and dont’s in kitchen design. Because of this specialists warn us about the 10 mistakes we should avoid in order to achieve both practical and elegant kitchen design.”

— Bridget A. Otto