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KUSA – It’s been a warm spring. I’d guess my garden is two to three weeks ahead of its normal schedule. With warm days comes the temptation to throw caution to the wind and plant everything – don’t.

While it appears somewhat unlikely that we will experience a hard freeze again, it’s still prudent to wait to plant some plants that are very sensitive to cool nights.

It is safe to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and many vegetables and annual flowers. Just make sure they have been “hardened off,” meaning that they have been gradually exposed to sun and outdoor conditions. If you’re willing to take a slight risk, I’d bet you’d get by planting popular annuals such as petunias and geraniums.

The plants that I would not plant yet are the heat-loving annuals and vegetables. They may survive an early planting, but cool nights may stunt their growth. No amount of fertilizer will help them recover from a premature planting.

Here’s my advice on what not to plant:

ANNUALS: Impatiens, coleus, salvia, zinnia, marigold, sweet potato vine, caladium, gomphrena, sunflower, torenia, begonia, dahlia.

VEGETABLES: Tomato, beans, corn, peppers, eggplant, okra, squash, melons, cucumber, basil.

This is not an exhaustive list. Check with your garden center specialist to make sure a plant can withstand cool night temperatures before you plant, and keep some sheets handy to cover your plants if the weather changes.

(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)

By
This Is Money Reporter

PUBLISHED:

06:00 EST, 22 April 2012

|

UPDATED:

06:01 EST, 22 April 2012

Every Sunday we round up the newspaper share tips.This week William Sinclair, Royal Dutch Shell and Associated British Foods.

Sunday tips: We round up the Sunday newspaper share tips

Financial Mail on Sunday – Midas

Shares in garden supplies specialist William Sinclair should move forward as the company improves its green credentials by cutting down the amount of peat used in its  products.

The company specialises in composts, but the industry has become dogged by controversy in recent years because shop-bought varieties often contain peat and environmentalists say its widespread use damages habitats and adds to greenhouse gas emissions.

The moss that lies on the surface of peat bogs provides a home for rare wildlife and peat emits carbon dioxide once it has been dug out.

The greenhouse gas argument is complex. There is no disputing the fact that peat releases carbon dioxide when it is harvested. But it is also true that many gardeners prefer peat-based compost, as do most garden centres and nurseries.

William Sinclair offers two solutions to this quandary. First, it uses peat only from England and Scotland, which minimises transport use.

Second, it is involved in producing peat-free composts and has developed a product under the New Horizon brand that is consistently voted the best in the business.

William Sinclair traces its history back to 1850, when the eponymous founder set up a seeds business near Boston, Lincolnshire. The company is still based in the county but today it specialises in gardening products, supplying 35 million cubic feet of compost a year to retailers and specialist growers.

Most of this contains peat but a growing proportion is peat-free, using a substitute known as SupaFyba, which the company makes using garden waste.

William Sinclair also sells various other items such as growbags, sand and grit, slug killer and even a spray that stops squirrels from eating bird food. Customers include BQ, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Homebase and the Garden Centre Group as well as a range of independent centres.

Many retail suppliers have come unstuck in the economic downturn as consumers cut back on their spending. Gardening is slightly different.

Most people take to gardening once they are that little bit older. They tend to be more affluent than the average shopper and are able  to buy what they need to pursue their hobby.

William Sinclair’s products are also relatively inexpensive, particularly when compared with other garden items such as teak furniture and fancy barbecues.

The company’s peat-free range adds a valuable string to its bow. There are several peat-free options on the market but they tend to deliver results that are inferior to traditional compost.

William Sinclair hopes that as its New Horizon product becomes even better known, increasing numbers of gardeners will become converted.

The Government is keen to reduce peat use over the next two to three decades, but William Sinclair has put all the right steps in place to reposition the business as an environmentally friendly producer.

The group also has a thriving line in specialist topsoil, used by property developers in shopping malls, residential estates and similar projects. Demand has increased following the launch of a peat-free mix that has drawn an enthusiastic response and London’s Olympic Park is a major customer.

Profits for the company in the year to September 2012 are forecast to increase by about three per cent to £3.3 million. This sounds relatively pedestrian, but profits for 2011 were boosted by several one-off items, including a buoyant year for one of Sinclair’s products, vermiculite, an ingredient used in potting compost.

Encouragingly for shareholders, the dividend is expected to rise by eight per cent this year to 6.7p.

Midas verdict: William Sinclair is an established, well-run business operating in a sector that brings pleasure to millions of people. The shares are trading at 1891⁄2p and should move higher. Buy.

Read Midas here.

The Sunday Telegraph

Shares in Royal Dutch Shell have been under pressure this year, despite the price of Brent crude being above 120 US dollars a barrel for much of the year on concerns over supply from the Middle East and North Africa.

However, first quarter results should put a stop to the share price slide, with Shell on course to be the strongest of all the integrated oil companies due to post figures.

Shell is investing to increase output but any further spike higher in the oil price is likely to lead to “demand destruction”, where there is less usage. The company is looking at projects worth around 4 billion US dollars (£2.5 billion) to boost production in Nigeria and cut flaring of associated natural gas.

The company’s B shares remain a buy at 2202.5p.

The Sunday Times

One company has found the sweet spot. Associated British Foods may be better known for Primark, its über-discount retailer (£1 T-shirts, anyone?), but it also makes sugar. Lots of it. And these are good times to be in the sugar business.

The European Union is facing a shortage, which has pushed the price of basic white sugar up by 40% in the past year.

When ABF reveals first-half figures on Tuesday, analysts at Panmure Gordon expect it to report £169m in earnings before expense from the sugar arm, a 56% increase over the same period last year.

The commodities boom has a downside, though. The City expects a booming set of sales figures from Primark — analysts reckon turnover will be up 15% — but the rise in cotton prices is likely to have eaten into its margins.

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You may have put away your hosepipe – but there are other ways to keep your soil moist during a drought. Here are a variety of water-retaining mulches to spread on your borders. By HANNAH STEPHENSON

MULCHING is such a useful process and so simple. You spread a layer of something or other on top of your soil, around your plants, and it stops the weeds coming up and keeps the existing moisture in.

It also reduces soil temperature, which will therefore reduce water loss, and makes beds and borders look somehow tidier, creating a neat carpet under which to display your plants.

But there are many mulches from which to choose – from organic manures and garden compost to bark chippings, straw and leaf mould. So which one is best?

Well, from a nutritional point of view, you need to go for bio-degradable mulches, those which break down gradually to release nutrients into the soil.

You can’t beat a well-rotted farmyard manure, which is rich in nutrients, so it’s perfect for hungry feeders such as roses and fruit bushes. Just make sure that it is well rotted because fresh manure releases ammonia which will scorch plants and may kill them. If you find fresh manure at a cheap price, it will need stacking for at least six months to rot down before use.

If you don’t want to buy farmyard manure, think about making your own compost, but be warned that you need to follow certain guidelines to make rich, effective compost which is balanced. Don’t fill a compost bin with mainly grass clippings or you’ll end up with a soggy mess.

Use a mixture of household waste including vegetable peelings, egg shells, torn up newspaper and tea leaves or coffee grounds, along with dead plants, rootballs or used potting compost and autumn leaves. Don’t add any cooked foods or meats and avoid perennial weeds and diseased plants, which may leave spores in the compost which will do their damage when you add it to your borders.

Another homemade mulch is leaf mould, made from autumn leaves you rake up, which can then be stored in dustbin liners with holes for drainage. It will take a year to break down but you should end up with a dark, sweet-smelling material which you can add to your beds and borders. However, it tends to be shortlived and you’ll probably have to mulch again next season.

The best quality leaf mould is produced from the leaves of oak, beech or hornbeam. Thick leaves such as sycamore, walnut, horse chestnut and sweet chestnut need to be shredded before adding to the pile.

If you’re patient, you can use well-rotted leaf mould which is more than two years old as seed-sowing compost, or mixed equally with sharp sand, garden compost and good-quality soil as potting compost.

Other choice mulches include garden compost, spent mushroom compost, cocoa shells, wood chippings, processed conifer bark, straw for strawberries and seaweed.

Bark, a by-product from the timber industry, is available in various forms and colours. Composted bark is better.

Wood chips, a cheaper option, while effective as a mulch, take nitrogen from the soil and may slow plant growth.

’Spent’ mushroom compost, referring to the fact it is the compost left over from mushroom farming, is also widely available and as it contains chalk it is useful on acid soils.

It’s brilliant used in the vegetable garden, but should be avoided where ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and heathers are being grown, as these plants need acidic growing conditions and are chalk-hating.

Mushroom compost is also not recommended for neutral, alkaline or chalky soils, which would be made excessively alkaline by the addition of further chalk.

And on the subject of peat, without getting into a heated debate on the conservation issue – don’t use it to mulch the soil because it dries out, blows around and doesn’t contain many nutrients.

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Let’s plant the garden. If you create a good seedbed, plan for weed control and plant at the proper time, a garden will give you lots of great vegetables and a sense of pride.

Before you plant, prepare the soil. If you do a soil test, follow the recommendations given. Otherwise, place a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost over the garden and add 5-10-10 fertilizer, then work both into the soil. If you do not have compost, use a 10-10-10 fertilizer with more nitrogen. If you use manure as your compost, be sure it is well rotted so your vegetables are not exposed to bacteria. Create a fine, loose and level seedbed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. If necessary, add a rabbit fence, rain gauge and some reflectors to keep the birds away.

Next, create a planting diagram. Use a hoe or string to measure rows, keeping in mind the height and width of mature plants, direction of the sun and the amount of space needed for trellises, stakes or cages.

Once the design is in place, you can put mulch in between the rows to prevent weeds from sprouting. This can be in the form of grass clippings with no pesticides, leaves, newspaper or clean straw. Leave only enough space for the seed row or plant. The mulch will keep the weeds from taking over before your vegetables even sprout.

As you create your planting diagram, add the dates for planting. Everything doesn’t have the same requirements, so it’s important to have a schedule. In central Wisconsin, most gardens begin around the end of April. Onions, lettuce and peas all like cool weather and can tolerate some frost. Potatoes, carrots and beets also are early beginners.

The next planting is after the “normal” frost date for our area, about May 15. It’s important to think about soil temperature when planting seeds. If the soil is cold and wet, the seeds will rot. Pick a week when the sun will be out and the garden is warm. Green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli are good choices to plant at this time. Wait another week, then plant cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.

The last vegetables to plant are tomatoes and peppers. These plants are very sensitive to cold, especially nighttime temperatures. Even if it is hot during the day but drops to 45 degrees at night, it is too cold for these plants. Either provide them with some protection, or wait until the summer weather has definitely set in.

Seeds need warmth, moisture and air flow for proper growth. Follow the directions on the seed package for proper depth and spacing so seeds aren’t crowded or buried too deep. Many seeds need a required amount of light to germinate. Cover seeds with loose soil, then water. If your planting bed is very dry, sprinkle water into the trench before planting.

Use mulch and remove weeds as they sprout. Once the garden is established, monitor your rain gauge and add moisture if Mother Nature does not provide an inch per week.

Earth Day 2012: A handy list of tips and tricks to help your family go green this year, from gardening to recycling.

By

Harriett Shugarman, Guest blogger /
April 21, 2012

With Earth Day right around the corner, check out our tips and tricks to help your family go green this year. One idea is to build a rain garden, like this one created by Raingardens.org with the city of Grand Rapids, Mich., and the homeowner, that helps solve a storm-drain problem without expensive roadwork.

Courtesy of Raingardens.org

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Earth Day inspires and brings out different feelings, emotions and actions in each of us. We wanted to share with you some of our favorite Climate Mamas and Papas suggestions for Earth Day “to dos.” You may want to adopt some of these ideas and put them on your list of favorite family activities – for Earth Day or any day. All us Climate Mamas and Papas know that every day is and should be Earth Day!

Harriet is the executive director and founder of ClimateMama and a district manager for the Climate Reality Project.  She travels the country educating and informing audiences about the realities of climate change and how people can feel empowered to take individual and collective action – in their homes, businesses and in their communities. She is the mother of two teens who are her inspiration and motivation for everything that she does!

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Related: Around the world in 16 babies!

1. Get your “glee on” out in Nature – Get outside, sing a song, do a dance, have a picnic, BBQ, go camping, walk on the beach or take a hike. Whatever gets you there, gather your family and spend some time outdoors. Talk to you kids, introduce them to nature better yet, let them introduce nature to you! Remind yourself and the kids in your life of the treasures nature has given us, and why we need to fight so very hard to protect them.
2. Memory Lane Walk Down the Red Carpet “Favorite Earth Day Movies”– Watch, enjoy, lose yourself in the moment and learn something too. Movies for everyone: The Lorax, Chimpanzee, Avatar, Planet Earth, Wall-E and March of the Penguins. Documentary movies for older kids and adults: Queen of the Sun-What are the Bees Telling Us? Tapped, Gasland, Bag It, An Inconvenient Truth, Revenge of the Electric Car, Moby Duck – Learn something important., and have fun at the same time.
3. Spring Cleaning and Letting the Sun Shine In – Open the windows wide and get the kids to help you clean them. You’d be surprised to see what a difference a little water and vinegar, or even just a crumbled piece of newspaper can do to “shine up” and “clean up” your windows! Pack up winter clothes, in particular those that don’t fit anymore and give them to a local charity. Got other items you don’t need but someone else might use, consider selling them on Green eBay or giving them away at Craigslist, or Free Cycle! Get your kids to help you change the air filters in your air conditioner (maximum energy efficiency). Also, make sure there are no leaky faucets in or outside your house. Change your light bulbs to energy efficient CFLs or LEDs, and consider putting your outside lights on timers. Saving energy not only reduces power plant pollution but it can also save you money too.
4. Get “Down and Dirty” – plant a tree, or better yet plan a garden with the kids in your life. Vegetable, herb, or flower – the garden can be as big or small as you have room for…Herbs grow great on window sills, and corn, pumpkins and beans are fun and easy to cultivate and very cool to watch grow! Plant some milkweed and help the Monarchs find their way to Mexico. Have you heard of a rain garden? This is a “trending topic” all on it’s own and a great way to plan for and mitigate storm water run off that some of us are having to get used to as heavy rain events are becoming a more frequent occurrence of our changing climate. Consider getting a rain barrel too!
5. Stand up to Climate Change – Show your kids you care about their future. Climate Impact Day is May 5, 2012. Protest, educate, document and volunteer along with thousands of people around the world to support the communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. Grab the kids in you life, right now and sign up and commit to a family “Act of Green,” show your kids that they are one of a billion people ready, willing and able to make the commitment to a “greener” world! Find out what and who are caring for the Earth in your own community. Check out your town’s website, and attend an Earth Day Fair or event near you, get involved! If you live in the NYC metro area, check out our Featured Partner, Earth Day New York. 

Related: Around the world in 16 babies!

Lifetime Master Gardener Betty Sanders will present “Tips for a Best-Ever Vegetable Garden” at the Medfield Public Library on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.  There is no charge to attend the program, which is sponsored by the Medfield Conservation Commission.

Whether you’re a novice gardener or an experienced one, you’ll come away from this presentation knowing more about designing a garden, choosing what to plant, and caring for your crops.

If you’re interested in gardening but lack the space or sunlight, there are eight unclaimed plots at the Medfield Community Garden on Plain Street. Plots are available on a first-request basis through registration at Town Hall.

Plots come in 15’x20′ and 20’x30′ sizes; sufficient to keep a family in vegetables all summer. The garden has already been plowed and compost added. All you do is plant your seeds and then maintain the garden for the season. There are plenty of ‘old hands’ around you, ready to offer guidance if you have questions.  There is water on site, as well as additional compost and wood chips to create paths within your garden and between gardens. Registration continues through April 6. Small plots are $15 for the season; large plots are $20. If you have not previously had a Community Garden plot, there is a one-time $20 registration fee. To claim a plot, go to the reception desk at Town Hall.

For additional information, contact Neal Sanders at (508) 359-9453

The best looking flower gardens will be those that receive generous doses of tender loving care. Weeding, watering, adding compost, and keeping damaging insects out of your beloved blooms are all essential parts of helping your garden put on its absolute best display of healthy, vigorous color. One commonly overlooked practice that will boost your flowers’ productivity is to deadhead spent blooms.

The practice of deadheading simply involves removing dead blossoms from the plant. There are several reasons to do this, including the collecting of seeds for future planting. In addition, a garden in which the dead blooms are removed will look neat and tidy, with the live blooms taking center stage, without distraction.

Gardening Tips: How to Deadhead Flowers

Beyond these benefits, the procedure adds to the health of the plant in many ways. First, removing the dead bloom triggers the plant to stop sending vital nutrients in that direction. Secondly, those nutrients may then be used to nourish blossoms that are growing or currently blooming, so that they will produce their loveliest offerings for you. The result will be larger, more colorful flowers on all of your plants, both annuals and especially perennials. Rose bushes and flowering shrubs also benefit from the practice.

The process of deadheading is very simple. First of all, wait until the bloom is dead and drying out. Sometimes blossoms are only wilting due to a lack of water. Get out the watering can and revive wilting blooms! However, when flowers begin to turn color or lose petals, they are officially candidates for being deadheaded.

To properly deadhead a plant is very easy. Some gardeners prefer to use pruning shears or a pair of garden scissors to clip off spent blooms. Others prefer to do it solely by hand. If that is your approach, be cautious. First, firmly grasp the plants stem and hold it very stable. This will help to ensure that you do not pull on the plant’s roots, possibly uprooting them or causing damage that will affect the long-term health of your flowering plant. Secondly, grip the dead blossom and dig your thumb into the stem just below the spent flower. Thirdly, snap the stem to remove the dead blossom. With time and practice, you will get to know the level of effort required on each type of flower, and whether using your hands or a tool is the best approach.

Save the spent blooms for their seeds. If you do not plan to use them, a gardening friend might be thrilled to have them. Do not add them to your compost pile, because if the seeds do not fully break down, they might begin growing where the compost is spread – and you’ll have daisies or snap dragons popping up where you least expect them!