Posted: Friday, February 1, 2013 10:53 am

Gardening Tips: Controlling wild garlic in the lawn

By Matthew Stevens

RR Daily Herald

|
0 comments

Most lawns this time of year are almost entirely brown due to winter dormancy.

Subscription Required

An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety.

You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Have an online subscription?

Login Now

Need an online subscription?

Subscribe

Login

Or, use your
linked account:

Current print subscribers

• 
  1
  
  Print Subscription AccessNo additional cost.
  

  This digital subscription is included in the print delivery subscription. You will
  need to locate your account number to validate your account.

Need an account? Create one now.

You must login to view the full content on this page.

Or, use your
linked account:

© 2013 Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Thank you for reading 10 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 252-537-2505.

You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Have an online subscription?

Login Now

Need an online subscription?

Subscribe

Login

Or, use your
linked account:

Current print subscribers

• 
  1
  
  Print Subscription AccessNo additional cost.
  

  This digital subscription is included in the print delivery subscription. You will
  need to locate your account number to validate your account.

Need an account? Create one now.

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Columns

on

Friday, February 1, 2013 10:53 am.

View full size

Many vegetables get woodier, less succulent and lose some of their sweetness as they grow more mature. Some, however, like the beets show above, new potatoes, radishes, baby carrots, zucchini, miniature cucumbers, spring peas and turnips offer up their best flavors while young.
Associated Press Photos

 

Vegetable gardening is an exercise in patience. Sweet potatoes can take more than 100 days to ripen; some tomato and watermelon varieties require five months.

But there are ways to shorten the wait.

The easiest is choosing plants that taste best when harvested young.

“The one thing you will miss out on with speedy growing is bulk, but what you will get in return is layers of flavor; a sprinkle of hot and peppery micro-green radish here, a sweet and nutty, barely cooked new potato there, a garnish of cucumber-y borage flowers to finish a dish,” writes Mark Diacono in the new “The Speedy Vegetable Garden” (Timber Press). “These are the crops that will mark out your cooking as distinctly and unquestionably homegrown.”

Timing is everything.

“Be slow to harvest and you’ll miss their best moments,” says Diacono, who does his gardening on a 17-acre plot in Devon, England. “These are fresh, lively and zingy flavors, flavors that can either fade or become bitter and overly strong as the plant grows on toward maturity.” 

IT’S IN THE GENES

Many plants — notably fruits — are genetically wired for late development.

“Tomatoes, strawberries and apples all want to be left on the plant until they are fully ripe to get the fullest, lushest flavors out of them,” Diacono says. “Vegetables are a little different. Many get woodier, less succulent and lower in sweetness as they grow more mature, so really are at their loveliest picked young.”

That would include new potatoes, radishes, baby carrots, zucchini, miniature cucumbers, spring peas, turnips and beets.

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves can be clipped in as little as 21 days. Sprouted seeds (mung beans, mustard, lentils) can become table fare in just three days.

Check the maturity dates on seed packets as you shop. Heirloom tomatoes take 100 days or more to develop, while cherry tomatoes need only about 65 days.

The same goes for squash. Winter squash (acorn, butternut) generally require 110 days before they are kitchen-ready. Summer squash (crookneck, zucchini), by comparison, can be eaten in 55 days or less. 

View full size

Heirloom tomatoes, rear, can take more than 100 days to ripen, while the smaller cherry tomatoes, foreground, need only 65 days. Grow both varieties to stagger the dates of your harvest.

 

JUMPSTART THE SEASON

There are many ways to jumpstart the growing season so you can be harvesting a meal while other gardeners are just beginning to turn the ground. Among them:

*Choose the warmest site possible if you’re planting early. “Even a small change in temperature can make a difference during spring and fall frosts,” says Jo Ann Robbins, an extension educator with the University of Idaho.

*Use enclosures. Covering plants moderates temperature, wind and humidity. “Air and soil temperatures are warmer, and the cover will conserve heat radiation from the soil during the night,” Robbins says in a fact sheet.

*Start vegetable plants inside from seed, and transplant them eventually into the garden. “Research shows the older the transplants, the better they will resist cold weather,” Robbins says.

*Warm the soil early. “Throw a piece of black or clear polyethylene over the soil in early spring, pin it down with tent pegs or bricks, and wait,” Diacono says. “The sun will warm it and excessive water will be kept off, leaving it in a fantastically workable state a few weeks later and conducive to quick plant growth.” 

Online:

For more about plant maturity dates, see this North Dakota State University fact sheet:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/h912.pdf 

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

Q: I have moss growing in my yard. What do I need to do to get grass to grow? I did a soil test three years ago, and everything was normal.

— Jim House

A: Moss normally develops when soil is compacted, wet or in too much shade. Soil with improper pH also invites moss growth. Determining which condition is causing the problem is the first step toward eliminating it.

Have your soil tested again to see if the nutrient content and pH level have changed since your last test three years ago. If the soil is deficient in nutrient content or needs lime, the test report will indicate how much fertilizer and lime to apply and when to apply it.

Moss growth usually starts in early winter and reaches its peak in early spring. This growth is caused by excessive rainfall. Moss growth normally declines in summer as conditions become drier and the grass growth increases. In shady areas, the moss may continue to grow through the summer. Here are some ways that moss can be reduced in the lawn:

Maintain proper soil ph. Most lawns should have a soil pH between 6.0-6.5.

Apply fertilizer and lime according to soil test recommendations.

Increase air movement and light penetration to the soil. This can be done by pruning the lower limbs of trees.

Improve soil drainage by adding organic matter to the soil.

Booker T. Leigh is the extension director at the Tipton County Extension office. 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 901-476-0123 or the Shelby County Extension office at 901-752-1207.

Vegetable gardening is an exercise in patience. Sweet potatoes can take more than 100 days to ripen; some tomato and watermelon varieties require five months.

But there are ways to shorten the wait.

The easiest is choosing plants that taste best when harvested young.

“The one thing you will miss out on with speedy growing is bulk, but what you will get in return is layers of flavor; a sprinkle of hot and peppery micro-green radish here, a sweet and nutty, barely cooked new potato there, a garnish of cucumber-y borage flowers to finish a dish,” writes Mark Diacono in the new “The Speedy Vegetable Garden” (Timber Press). “These are the crops that will mark out your cooking as distinctly and unquestionably homegrown.”

Timing is everything.

“Be slow to harvest and you’ll miss their best moments,” says Diacono, who does his gardening on a 17-acre plot in Devon, England. “These are fresh, lively and zingy flavors, flavors that can either fade or become bitter and overly strong as the plant grows on toward maturity.”

Many plants — notably fruits — are genetically wired for late development.

“Tomatoes, strawberries and apples all want to be left on the plant until they are fully ripe to get the fullest, lushest flavors out of them,” Diacono says. “Vegetables are a little different. Many get woodier, less succulent and lower in sweetness as they grow more mature, so really are at their loveliest picked young.”

That would include new potatoes, radishes, baby carrots, zucchini, miniature cucumbers, spring peas, turnips and beets.

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves can be clipped in as little as 21 days. Sprouted seeds (mung beans, mustard, lentils) can become table fare in just three days.

Check the maturity dates on seed packets as you shop. Heirloom tomatoes take 100 days or more to develop while cherry tomatoes need only about 65 days.

The same goes for squash. Winter squash (acorn, butternut) generally require 110 days before they are kitchen-ready. Summer squash (crookneck, zucchini), by comparison, can be eaten in 55 days or less.

There are many ways to jumpstart the growing season so you can be harvesting a meal while other gardeners are just beginning to turn the ground. Among them:

— Choose the warmest site possible if you’re planting early. “Even a small change in temperature can make a difference during spring and fall frosts,” says Jo Ann Robbins, an extension educator with the University of Idaho.

— Use enclosures. Covering plants moderates temperature, wind and humidity. “Air and soil temperatures are warmer, and the cover will conserve heat radiation from the soil during the night,” Robbins says in a fact sheet.

— Start vegetable plants inside from seed, and transplant them eventually into the garden. “Research shows the older the transplants, the better they will resist cold weather,” Robbins says.

— Warm the soil early. “Throw a piece of black or clear polyethylene over the soil in early spring, pin it down with tent pegs or bricks, and wait,” Diacono says. “The sun will warm it and excessive water will be kept off, leaving it in a fantastically workable state a few weeks later and conducive to quick plant growth.”

___

Online:

For more about plant maturity dates, see this North Dakota State University fact sheet:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/h912.pdf.

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

{ story.summary|safe|escape }

• Judy Sharpe

WHILE gardening is somewhat governed by commonsense, nurseries are bombarded with a multitude of questions – here is some basic information.

Watering

Generally, inside is just once a week – ferns need more water than fleshy stemmed varieties that hold moisture.

Plants grown in containers on patios and balconies will require water more than once a week.

Plants in the ground can be assisted by water retention aids and mulches, but heat and wind will demand more frequent watering.

Watch those areas that miss out on rain.

Fertilisers

Inside a slow release such as Osmocote is ideal.

Shrubs and trees are a little more complicated – if unsure, ask at your local nursery, or use a fertiliser with a neutral pH such as Bounceback or Organic X-tra.

Acid-loving plants prefer cow manure while poultry manure will stimulate alkalinity.

For flowers and vegetables use cow manure in the summer and poultry in the winter.

Pest and diseases

If you can see the pest use a contact spray such as Malathon or pyrethrum.

Otherwise, you can take samples to a nursery for the best advice on what to do.

Plants and planting

Buy hardy plants for the sun and for shade try ferns, palms, azaleas, camellias, hydrangea and fuchsias.

Spring is the obvious time to plant but it means diligence with watering, whereas autumn planting is ideal as the milder weather allows the plant time to adjust to its new home.

The RSPB Wild Garden weekend at the Forum. Allana Townsend, 10, with some cuddly bird friends. Picture: Denise Bradley

By CHRIS HILL, Rural affairs correspondent
Sunday, January 27, 2013
9:30 PM

Nature lovers were encouraged to join the nation’s biggest wildlife survey this weekend – and to make their gardens more appealing to the birds they recorded there.

The RSPB Wild Garden weekend at the Forum. Sue Stephenson, RSPB volunteer, with examples of bird seed. Picture: Denise Bradley

The RSPB, in partnership with conservation groups including the Friends of the Earth, the Bat Group Norwich, and Master Gardeners, invited the public into the Forum in Norwich throughout the charity’s Big Garden Birdwatch weekend.

The survey asked the public to spend an hour counting the numbers of birds in their garden or local park, and report back to the RSPB to help build a better understanding of species’ habitats and population.

And to help boost the counts in future years, visitors to the Forum were taught about wildlife-friendly gardening, given a “pick and mix” choice of bird seeds, and offered the chance to build their own bird box.

Aggie Rothon, Big Garden Birdwatch project manager for the RSPB, said: “The survey is about getting as many people as possible across the East region sitting down and looking out of their window for an hour and counting the birds in their garden. “The most important thing is that they then submit the results to the RSPB so we get an idea of numbers and what we may be able to do to help them.

The RSPB Wild Garden weekend at the Forum. Adam Murray, RSPB social media officer, with a tray of fat balls for the birds. Picture: Denise Bradley

“Once people have done the big garden birdwatch this weekend, what we’re asking them to do is to take the rest of the year to improve things in their garden, so they can see the difference next year.”

David Cannon was one of the RSPB volunteers selling £3 bird boxes for blue tits and great tits, made from timber kits supplied by the prisoners at Wayland Prison near Watton.

He said: “It is critical that they face north-east, otherwise the birds won’t use them. But blue tits don’t care what they look like, as long as they keep the water out, so why would you pay £30 for one?”

Among the experts giving tips on how to make gardens more wildlife-friendly was Shirley Boyle, who tends the RSPB’s Flatford wildlife garden in East Bergholt, in Suffolk.

The RSPB Wild Garden weekend at the Forum. Spiderman, 5-year-old Frankie Welander, with one of the bird boxes that customers can build, helped by RSPB volunteer, Darren Clarke. Picture: Denise Bradley

She said: “One of the easiest things to do, although this is not always popular, is to be a little less tidy in your garden. It does not mean you have to let it all go mad, but leave a small corner of the garden for the grass to get a little longer, because it provides a good habitat for insects and invertebrates which provide food higher up the chain.

“People tend to take things down the dump straight away, but we say: ‘Why not use them creatively?’ If you have got tree prunings you can lay them down to make a ‘dead hedge’. Deadwood is a great source of food and habitat for a lot of creatures and it is a greener way of dealing with your waste rather than driving it to the dump or burning it.”

The event also included a gallery of wildlife photography, as well as nature-inspired face-painting and story-telling.

Anyone who took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch survey can record their results at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

Sign in to leave your comment

0
comments

Posted: Friday, January 25, 2013 10:45 am

Gardening Tips: Learn about square-foot gardening

By Matthew Stevens

RR Daily Herald

|
0 comments

Think about landscapes even in a small city like Roanoke Rapids compared to landscapes in suburban or rural areas.

Subscription Required

An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety.

You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Have an online subscription?

Login Now

Need an online subscription?

Subscribe

Login

Or, use your
linked account:

Current print subscribers

• 
  1
  
  Print Subscription AccessNo additional cost.
  

  This digital subscription is included in the print delivery subscription. You will
  need to locate your account number to validate your account.

Need an account? Create one now.

You must login to view the full content on this page.

Or, use your
linked account:

© 2013 Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Thank you for reading 10 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 252-537-2505.

You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Have an online subscription?

Login Now

Need an online subscription?

Subscribe

Login

Or, use your
linked account:

Current print subscribers

• 
  1
  
  Print Subscription AccessNo additional cost.
  

  This digital subscription is included in the print delivery subscription. You will
  need to locate your account number to validate your account.

Need an account? Create one now.

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Columns

on

Friday, January 25, 2013 10:45 am.

Monday of this past week has been scientifically proven to be the most depressing day of the year.

Maybe this explains my temporary bout of laziness. Looking out the window, the garden seems vast.

When I consider the amount of jobs I have to do, even before spring arrives, well, it’s enough to send me diving back under the duvet.

So how about a few tips for lazy gardeners, or gardeners who are going through a lazy spell like me?

Or maybe I’ll be polite and say we’re going to have a look at some easy solutions, some easy techniques and some easy ways out of garden troubles.

There’s a company called Easigrass. It manufactures wonderful but, wait for it… artificial turf, and it will fit it for you too.

There’s an easy solution – no need to mow the lawn because it looks green all year round, and Easigrass really knows its business. It’s not cheap but the product is fantastic. So is that lazy or is it easy? I can’t make up my mind.

If you want the real stuff, the traditional way is to prepare the lawn, dig out the stones, clear perennial weeds, make sure the ground is firm and, once the soil heats up a bit, sprinkle seed. You can do that, but an easier way is to just roll out a new lawn.

Rolawn do this nationwide. Mind you, you will still have to put in the hard work and prepare your site in exactly the same way as before you sow seed. The best time to do this is once the frost has gone, and that will depend on what the weather is like and where in the country you live.

Spring seems a long way away right now as the country shivers in the snow and ice. But come it will and the cycle of growth will begin once more. So let’s look forward to what we can get sowing and planting when springtime rolls around.

Let me tell you about a wonderful British invention. It’s called Grobox, and it’s a garden in a box. The brainchild of horticulturist Jayne Lawton, it contains everything you need to grow plants in one box – something to grow in, nutrients and seeds. All you need to do is dig a hole, bury the box about 2 inches under the soil, water and watch the plants grow.

The boxes are made from recycled wastepaper – cardboard, old newspapers – which will biodegrade once in the soil. They are made in a variety of shapes and sizes and filled with seeds, corms, bulbs and tubers, arranged at the right depth and space. These can be planted straight in the ground, or in containers, tubs or hanging baskets. The cardboard will provide some insulation to protect your plants as they settle in. Priced at around £6, there are a variety of different selections available for spring bulbs, summer colour, and vegetable gardening.

There’s something for kids as well – a children’s summerflower garden containing sunflowers, nasturtiums, pot o marigolds and anemones. These could be a great way to introduce children to the magic of gardening. They are also ideal for the apartment dweller who only has a small balcony on which to garden and just wants to pot up some window containers.

Since the wonderful gardens at the Olympics, there has been a resurgence of interest in wild-flower meadows. These can be tricky to grow so if you want to have a fragrant English meadow, you could try using a Gromat, made by the same people as the Grobox. It’s a three-metrelong mat which you roll out on a weed-free area and then cover with compost and water. The wild-flower mixture contains around 50 different species including corncockle, sweet alyssum, cornflower, California poppy, flax, borage, lemon balm, corn marigold, poppy, love-in-amist, soapwort, white mustard, crimson scarlet, fennel, and sorrel, among others. It’s all environmentally friendly, organic and 100% British – the boxes are produced in Manchester.

Jayne works with disadvantaged groups, training them on City Guilds gardening courses and transforming urban wastelands into community gardens to grow vegetables and flowers for all to enjoy. So if you are looking for a gardening gift, or want to try a simpler form of gardening for yourself, you will be supporting an ethical and environmentally aware gardening company.

Back to our lawns… this is really cheeky and easy but it’s also expensive so it’s definitely a luxury.

I’ve played with a few robotic lawn mowers in my time but Husqvarna produces wonderful and ever-more proficient Automowers.

If you do get someone to roll out a new, ready-made lawn, why not send out a robot to take care of it for you? But first, we must wait for the sun to come out and warm up the soil!

WHERE TO BUY: WWW.GROBOXGARDENS.CO.UK OR PHONE CUSTOMER service 07908 133 602. www.easigrass.com, phone: 0845 094 8880 www.rolawn.co.uk, phone: 0845 604 6050 www.husqvarna.com

Ask Diarmuid

DEAR DIARMUID

Can you help? I’ve bought a Loropetalum and I’m struggling to find out any information about how I should look after it. Is it best to keep it in a shady or semi-shady position? It did produce one flower recently.

MARY KING ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

HI MARY

 Loropetalum is related to the better known Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis.

Unlike its well-known cousin, with its spidery yellow or orange fragrant flowers on bare branches, Loropetalum has white or pink flowers, depending on the variety. It is also an evergreen.

You’ll find it does best when it’s in full sun or partial shade. Ideally, plant it somewhere that is protected from bitter winds as it can be a bit tender.

Your plant definitely won’t have liked the recent snow, so cover it up with fleece or hessian when there’s a cold snap.

Loropetalum prefers slightly acidic soil but will do well if you add humus-rich compost or manure to the soil before planting.

It usually blooms in February so hopefully the flower you saw is the first of many. A great choice for a smaller garden.

Enjoy!

by Miriam Hansen

It is time once again to order seeds, toss old seed packets (three to five years old, depending on the vegetable) and start planning the garden. I order my seeds in January because I don’t want to miss the lower prices Fedco offers on some of the hotter varieties. Even that approach doesn’t always work! This year, in spite of ordering super early, ‘Fortex’ pole beans (a stringless French bean that produces extra long pods) were already sold out. I’ll have to get the more expensive packet from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and pay a second set of shipping charges.

Lettuce, spinach, mesclun mixes and cilantro have continued to produce well through mid-January in my single-ply greenhouse and cold frames. We’re slowly working our way through two freezers of frozen vegetables, and I’ve been converting some of our stored squashes into delicious puréed soup, which I freeze and pair with empanadas for weekend treats.

The beautiful sweet purple onions, ‘Rossa Lunga di Tropea’, are not very good keepers, so I chopped them up when they started sprouting in December and froze them to use when the ‘Copra’ and ‘Varsity’ storage onions run out. The ‘Ailsa Craigs’, arguably the best sweet onion on the market, are just starting to sprout and may go to the end of February. For an onion that doesn’t store well, that’s pretty impressive.

A tip I recently shared with a young friend is to wring out frozen vegetables after you’ve defrosted them. They will be crisper and taste fresher. I run the frozen vegetables under hot water long enough to break them up. Then I just grab a handful over the sink and squeeze hard enough to get a stream of water out but not so hard that they get mushy or disintegrate. It gets rid of the extra moisture, which can make frozen vegetables soggy. I used to only do this with summer squash but have discovered it works equally well with everything from Brussels sprouts to cauliflower, green beans and snap peas.

This year, my seed order reflects how much I have come to appreciate annual flowers, the workhorses of the perennial garden. I’ve spent so many years trying to plan perennials to keep the color parade going, forgetting that annuals not only give continuous bloom but will continue to bloom long into the fall. Many flowers, such as poppies, cleomes and nasturtiums, will also self-seed so you can move them around in early spring.

In general, annuals are plants that germinate, flower and set seed in one season. Perennials bloom for a short time but come back year after year. Biennials flower the second year, set seed and die. Foxgloves, lunaria (money plant) and clary sage are biennials that self-seed copiously. With biennials, the trick is to start the plants from seed two years in a row. That way you have blooms every year.

Just when you think you’ve got it all straight, some annuals are described as hardy, tender and half hardy. Level of hardiness just refers to how much cold they can withstand in the spring. Hardy annuals, like alyssum and violas, can be planted in the very early spring. Half-hardy annuals, like cosmos and petunias, can be directly sown outside when all danger of frost has passed but the ground is not yet warmed up. Tender annuals (most bedding plants) can’t be planted until the ground has warmed up.

Then there are half-hardy perennials like dahlias, geraniums, tuberous begonias and sword lilies that must be planted each spring after danger of frost has passed, and you have to lift their bulbs in the fall before a hard frost. Some folks think this is too much trouble, but if you’ve ever breathed in the fragrance of the white-flowered sword lily, dancing in a breeze with backlit rosy pink Japanese anemones, you might think it’s worth the bother.

Some of the colorful, prolific flowering annual varieties I’ve chosen this year include, ‘Profusion Series Zinnias’, ‘Durango Marigolds’, ‘Sparkler Hybrid Cleome’, ‘Twinny Snapdragons’ and ‘Chantilly Snapdragons’ to plug into perennial beds for color through the summer and into late fall.

It is reassuring to note that after almost 40 years of gardening, I continue to receive revelations. Last fall, a commercial flower grower explained why my sunflowers did not hold up well in bouquets. Apparently, certain sunflowers are naturally pollenless or male sterile. These sunflowers don’t shed piles of yellow dust, are less apt to be allergenic and hold much better in bouquets. The Sunrich series from Johnny’s Seeds, as well as ‘Soraya’ and ‘Zohar’, are some of the varieties I’ve chosen for cutting.

Of all the books on perennial gardening, my hands-down recommendation is The Art of Perennial Gardening by Patrick Lima. Still, for an education from A to Z, my favorite reading at this time of year is garden catalogs. When I have a specific gardening question, I type my question into the computer’s search engine and check out the gardening forums where gardeners share tips, discuss and disagree. For more advanced gardeners, Johnny’s has some very helpful planning, planting and growing guides available at johnnyseeds.com/t-interactivetools.aspx.

Every year, my resolution remains to grow the flowers I truly love and the vegetables and berries that I and my family really like to eat. I’ve begun growing some vegetables commercially, and that adds another layer of complexity to planning the garden. But whether you’re a home gardener or commercial grower, Happy gardening in 2013!

 

Miriam and her husband, David, live in East Montpelier, where they grow most of their own vegetables, berries and meat on less than one-quarter of an acre. Your questions and comments are welcome. You can reach Miriam at freshair460@gmail.com.

Eat Fresh! Winter is the time to order seeds for spring gardens, and seed companies have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity as health and wellness moves to the forefront of the minds of not just gardeners, but consumers as well.

Western Washington gardeners are lucky because Ed Hume Seed company is located near Puyallup and as a local garden legend, Ed himself continues to oversee the operation of the seed varieties that do best in our cool summer climate. You can order seeds online at www.Edhumeseeds.com or just visit a local nursery or garden center and scan the display of seeds in the distinctive dark black seed packets.

The most important tip for successful gardening from seed is to read and follow the instructions on the label – and arm yourself with extra information on soil preparation and harvest tips to insure a productive experience.

Grow fresh tips for Western Washington

1. Slugs will eat everything soft and tender – and are especially attracted to lettuce and other leafy greens. Plan ahead and bait for slugs before your lettuce seedlings sprout. One way to beat the slugs is to lay damp newspaper on top of your lettuce patch right after you plant the seeds. Tiny baby slugs will collect under the newspaper so you can gather them up easily.

2. Heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, basil, eggplants and squash should not be planted too early. I wait until after Father’s Day to add these warmth-seeking plants to my garden.

3. Peas need to be planted in early spring because they fade quickly in hot weather. Pre-soak your pea seeds or wrap them in a damp dish towel so they are partly-sprouted before you plant. This helps to prevent sweet peas and garden peas from rotting in the cold wet soil..

4. It takes skill and lots of heat to grow amaranth, the ancient grain now being sold as a complete protein and the darling of the heirloom seed companies. Stick with seeds that do well in cool soil – carrots, broccoli, cabbage and kale are crops to start with for beginners.

(Want to learn more about heirloom seeds? Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has great information and fresh seeds for sale. www.rareseeds.com)

5. Crops in pots is the answer for beginning gardeners. Patio tomatoes, bush cucumbers, basil and other herbs all benefit from the extra heat generated by setting a clay or ceramic container on a sunny patio.

6. Plastic pots and light-weight foam containers (some look just like terra cotta and stone) keep the soil cool and do not release moisture. Gardeners in Western Washington have better luck growing vegetables by using clay or ceramic containers that absorb heat and release excess moisture. If you do use plastic pots, don’t over-water.

7. Most potting soils are sterile or made form what is known as a “soil-less” mix of peat, sand and perlite. This makes the potting soil light weight and quick-draining and excellent for preventing disease. But this also means that most potting soils have no nutrition for the plants. You must fertilize container gardens.

8. Berries are easier to grow in Western Washington than fruit from trees. This is because apples, pears and cherries are more prone to disease in our cool climate. Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries grow better here than almost anyplace in the world. Easiest of all, harvest native blackberries and huckleberries and reap the health benefits without planting a thing.

9. Perennial herbs from Mediterranean climates such as rosemary, thyme and oregano will return year after year but only if grown in a raised bed, rock garden or container with excellent drainage. Fresh herbs can be grown indoors but after a few months the plants will weaken from lack of sunshine. Most herbs do well in poor soil – they are great plants for beginning or busy gardeners.

10. Some crops grow too well. Mint will take over in a garden with damp soil and horseradish, hops, and kiwi have all generated lots of complaints about invasive growth from local gardeners. Just a reminder that growing your own food is not that difficult in our climate. So plan to plant something this spring – and eat fresh!