Thanks to our mild summers, there is still time to plant whole new crop of warm season vegetables.

Here is your handy set of June gardening tips (including some tips for dealing with the gopher’s that have taken over portions of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos) from Agromin, a Southern California manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products made from organic material collected locally.

Plant Vegetables That Can Withstand Heat: A number of vegetables can be planted in June that can thrive even in the soon-to-be-here heat of summer. These include summer squash, pumpkins, corn, lima beans, okra, and all types of peppers, zucchini, melons and eggplant.

Trim Herb Plants: Herbs planted in early spring should have full, healthy leaves by June. Keep an eye out for signs of blooms and remove them immediately whenever spotted. This will keep herbs focused on growing bigger leaves. If herbs are allowed to go to seed, their leaves dry and become bitter tasting.

Prepare Lawn For Summer: Thatch is dead or decaying debris between a lawn’s grass blades and roots. If allowed to become too thick, water will not absorb into the roots. You may find yourself watering your grass but most of the water will either run off or evaporate. Aerate and dethatch warm season lawns (such as Bermuda grass and St. Augustine) now by using a dethatching rake or aerator (available for rent at large home centers). The aerator punctures holes in the surface of the lawn enabling water to penetrate and deeper root growth. Apply a light layer of lawn topping to keep in moisture and reduce water usage. This is also the best time to reseed lawn bare spots.

Harvest Early: homegrown vegetables rarely grow as large as those found in the store. Harvest them as soon as you see a slowdown in growth. This will encourage new growth. Vegetables left too long on the plant are a signal for the plant to stop producing. For some vegetables, it can be hard to tell when it is time to harvest. Carrots are ripe when their tops peak out of the ground and their leaves turn a dark green. Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest when the foliage begins to dry naturally. Once picked, let the garlic (with stems) dry on a slotted tray in a warm, dry and shaded area. 

Keep Rodents From Decimating Your Garden: Nothing can be more frustrating to a gardener than to wake up in the morning to find that rabbits have spent the night feasting on vegetables and flowers.  One line of defense is to build a fence around the perimeter of the garden at least one foot deep and three feet high. Another natural way of reducing rodent invasions is to plant strong smelling plants around the garden such as marigolds, garlic, onion, sage and rosemary. Also try spraying a mixture of 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper with 1 quart of warm water on and around plants.

Trellis Vegetables: A variety of vining plants will produce more crops when grown on trellises. Trellis gardening also requires less space than traditional gardens.
Vining vegetables that do especially well when grown on a trellis include cucumbers, squashes and tomatoes. Because the vegetables are kept off the ground, mildew and bug damage is reduced.

• If your melons and squash aren’t setting fruit, give the bees a hand. With a small, soft paintbrush, gather some pollen from male flowers, then brush it inside the female flowers, which have a tiny swelling at the base of their petals. (That’s the embryo melon or squash.) Within days, that little swelling should start growing.

– Debbie Arrington

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

PHS Pops Up

Posted: Friday, June 22, 2012 9:19 am
|


Updated: 11:20 am, Fri Jun 22, 2012.

PHS Pop Up Garden opens today!

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A vacant lot in the heart of Center City Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood has been transformed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society into a temporary garden and gathering place, highlighted by a communal table that emphasizes the need for healthy food for all residents.

The focus: the PHS City Harvest program, which grows fresh produce through a network of community gardens and helps feed more than 1,000 families in need each week.

The message: “Bring everyone to the table.”

Everyone is invited to get involved in the issue of food security, connect with one another, and bring ideas, recipes and urban gardening tips to the table.

A celebration to mark the opening of the new PHS Pop Up Garden, Sponsored by Chipotle, will be held at 1905-15 Walnut Street today from noon to 1 p.m. The public is invited to the opening ceremonies and to visit the garden during the regularly scheduled hours.

The garden will be open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Visitors to the PHS Pop Up Garden, which covers about one third of an acre, will find raised beds brimming with a variety of vegetables and herbs, annuals and perennials; fruit trees and shrubs; a tranquil urban meadow of grasses and wildflowers bordered by a walking path; and small event and performance spaces.

Programming in the garden will include talks and demonstrations about edible gardening, growing vegetables, city meadows, and rain gardens; children’s activities presented by the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Philadelphia Free Library; special events and celebrations.

The urban meadow in the back half of the site will feature an art installation that changes – like any garden – throughout the summer by Mat Tomezsko, of the Mural Arts Program, whose work will complement the theme and ambiance of the garden.

Last year’s Pop Up Garden at 20th and Market Streets hosted visits by 6,000 neighbors, Center City workers, children’s groups and other guests, who enjoyed a variety of programming and special events at the site. The 2011 garden was chosen for inclusion in the official U.S. presentation at the 13th International Venice Architecture Biennale to be held Aug. 29 to Nov. 25 of this year.

The 2012 PHS Pop Up Garden will be open through mid-October. For more information, please visit www.PHSonline.org.

© 2012 www.phillyburbs.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Posted in
Going green

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Friday, June 22, 2012 9:19 am.

Updated: 11:20 am.

Work on weeds Weeds are thriving so pull them up before they set seed.
While re-staking or cutting back fallen border plants, remove any lurking
bindweed.

Protection policy Protect bare ground, piles of manure or open compost
heaps from downpours with heavy-duty polythene or a tarpaulin, ensuring
covers are well-anchored. Bring wormeries under cover.

Diversion tactics Water butts quickly overflow in heavy rain, so fit a
diverter that will direct excess water down the drains.

Pot rescue (1) Pots soon fill with water but you can unblock drainage
holes with a cane. Don’t allow plants in pots without drainage holes to sit
in water or they’ll die.

Pot rescue (2) “Shrubs kept in pots for many years are vulnerable if
they haven’t been repotted annually,” says Guy Barter. “The roots completely
fill the pot, leaving very little air space. If the compost gets waterlogged
you can save the plant if you act quickly: remove it from the pot, cut off
the dead roots and repot in fresh compost. A foliar feed will help too.”

Try again later Many salad crops can still be sown in July – for
example, pak choi and other oriental greens. Sow undercover in small pots
and plant out when they are big enough to cope with the wet and slugs.

Leave lawns alone Keep off the lawn as much as possible when the ground
is sodden. You can make repairs in early autumn.

Go shopping There are still plenty of bedding plants around such as
pelargoniums and verbenas, so you can easily revamp summer pots. There are
also discounts on summer furniture and barbecues – assuming you have
somewhere dry to store them.

Flood dangers

Flooding due to rivers bursting their banks, or broken drains releasing
diluted sewage into the garden, are potentially serious. Any crops covered
in flood water should not be eaten. When clearing up, cover any cuts with
waterproof plasters and wear rubber gloves and wellies. For more advice, see
the Health Protection Agency website (hpa.org.uk). Damage to garden
outbuildings, but not plants or containers, is usually covered by insurance,
but check your policy.

Today in “Gardening Texoma” we are talking about the south’s favorite summer plant., Crape Myrtles. The Master Gardeners are joining us with a few tips that will bring color to your landscape.

Crape Myrles by Barb Grisham

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH CRAPE MYRTLE TO CHOOSE?

Carefully study the area you have in mind to decide proper height and width that is best. Large varieties need to be at least 8-10 ft. from the house. Some tall varieties are capable of reaching 28 feet in height. A majestic Natchez is spectacular when it has the proper space to show off this height and its cinnamon colored trunk.

Avoid unnamed varieties that are only tagged by color as you will never know whether you’ve chosen one that will be six feet or sixteen. In the past that is how many were sold but with the effort that is being made to educate the public to choose the right size rather than prune to the right size most are available by name. Waiting until seeing the bloom color also is wise as occasionally there can be a labeling error.

The Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney prepared one of the very best lists to consult. The chart divides the plants by size categories and then lists Flower Color, Growth Form, USDA Zone, Trunk Character, Fall Leaf Color, Year Introduced, and Mildew Resistance. With that much information to help in your selection, why would anyone ever so grossly disfigure these plants. Unfortunately, you see examples everywhere of Crape Myrtle Murder. (www.crapemyrtletrails.org) The MG office has the chart in poster form for anyone that would like to study it.

WHEN AND HOW DO I PLANT A CRAPE MYRTLE?

Full sun location is best, but a minimum of eight hours should produce reasonably good blooms. It is best to plant container grown plants and spring or fall is best time.

Dig a hole twice the circumference of the container but no deeper. They grow well in native well-drained soils without added amendments.

Although classified as drought tolerant plants that means once well-established. Newly planted it is important to water the soil ball well on three day intervals if no rain. The first year is the most important time. Mulching will help, but not piled up high against the trunks. In severe winter temperature drops it is equally important to make sure the young plants’ roots are not dry.

WHAT ARE THE CARE REQUIREMENTS THAT I NEED TO KNOW?

Generally, they are easy management plants. For best growth and bloom apply high nitrogen lawn type fertilizer without weed killer in drip line area in early April and in June after first big show of blooms. Old spent blooms may be deadheaded if reachable, but prune nothing larger than a pencil in diameter. A young plant should be trained to have an odd number of trunks, with five being the most usually and should have some inside branches removed to remain open and airy in appearance.

Older varieties are more prone to powdery mildew. Occasionally, crape myrtle aphids will attack the leaves and the resulting honeydew drips and collects to form black sooty mold. It is not harmful just unsightly. In the last few years a crape myrtle scale has made its way northward. Ladybugs are attracted to this particular scale and may take care of the problem. If not, labeled treatment may be needed.

WHAT PRUNING IS RECOMMENDED?

As previously stressed and encouraged, choose properly and then only prune to guide shape for best esthetics not to recreate a new size every year. If you buy property and inherit knarley looking disfigured plants it would be best to cut back to just above ground and retrain. If too large in height and still able to move it please do so.

There is no good preventative yet for the little sucker shoots at base of trunks; they just have to snapped off. As plant reaches maturity it is less of a problem.

HOW DO I PROPAGATE CRAPE MYRTLES?

As these plants do not “come true” from seeds, it is not recommended. Nurserymen propagate by softwood cuttings in May or hardwood cuttings in winter. The sucker root plants that often occur out a few feet from parent plant will be true and can be dug with a sharpshooter shovel with enough new roots separated from a main root. These can successfully be transplanted. Just care for it more carefully, as it is not as established as container grown ones would be.

WHERE MAY I SEE MANY VARIETIES OF CRAPE MYRTLES GROWING?

In addition to viewing at a good local nursery, there is a new EARTH KIND Texas AM Crape Myrtle Test Garden at Myers Park in McKinney. In Craig Ranch area of McKinney you will find the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney World Collection Park.

Historically, the old Sherman Nursery was a major propagator of crape myrtles such as Twilight and Watermelon Red. The land in Pottsboro these were grown on still has some existing plants. If interested the Sherman Museum could help you research this local horticultural history.

In Oklahoma, the past few years Dr. Whitcomb has developed many new successful and striking varieties such as the beautiful bright red Dynamite, Red Rocket and Siren Red. Pink Velour is one his most popular with its burgundy leaves.

WITH WELL OVER A HUNDRED CRAPE MYRTLE VARIETIES RANGING FROM TWO FEET TO OVER TWENTY FEET IN HEIGHT AND BEING ONE OF THE EASIEST PLANTS TO GROW WHY NOT PLANT SOME OF THE SOUTH’S BEST PLANTS. ENJOY ITS COLORFUL BLOOMS IN THE SUMMER, SPECTACULAR FALL LEAF COLOR, AND BEAUTIFUL SMOOTH BARK YEAR ROUND.

Heavy rain, continually wet soil, frost and even hail can make gardening in winter seem more like a chore than a hobby.

Add root rot to the list of hurdles and you have fungi issues to deal with too.

Root rot is caused by Phytophthora, a soil-borne fungi, explains Lyn Bagnall, author of Easy Organic Gardening and Moon Planting.

The fungi, Bagnall says, can occur in a wide range of native and exotic trees and shrubs, as well as small perennials, including strawberries, carnations and pineapples, and emerging seedlings.

To help us understand more, Bagnall explains how root rot occurs and what we can do about it:

WHAT HAPPENS? Fungal spores spread in wet soil and cause death or severe damage to affected plants, Bagnall says. These plants can then no longer absorb water through their infected roots.

WHAT CAN WE DO? The best defence against root rot is to maintain a moderate level of mature compost in garden beds, particularly compost that included manure as an ingredient.

“Humus in mature compost provides a habitat for beneficial soil fungi and bacteria, some of which protect plants from soil-borne diseases by out-competing pathogens,” says Bagnall.

Home gardeners should avoid using fungicides as soil drenches because any fungicide capable of killing the disease that causes root rot will also kill beneficial fungi.

Garden beds raised to 20cm above ground level are a simple way to improve drainage in gardens, she says.

DURING EXCESSIVE RAIN: In areas where prolonged rain periods are common, Bagnall says constructed raised beds and agricultural drainage pipes will help prevent soil-borne diseases.

She advises against planting in poorly drained soil.

Before planting, Bagnall suggests digging a hole much wider than it is deep, filling it with water and leaving it for an hour.

“If a small amount of water remains in the hole, plant the shrub or tree in a mound above soil level to reduce the risk of disease. Do not plant in the hole if water drains very slowly.”

Watering the hole before planting also reduces post-planting stress, she says.

Another way to reduce Phytophthora fungi is to avoid putting citrus in the compost heap. Brown rot on citrus fruit is caused by the fungi and spores may survive in compost heaps that are not turned regularly.

IF PLANTS SUCCUMB TO ROOT ROT: Apply seaweed extract at weak black tea strength to affected plants, says Bagnall.

“Seaweed extract contains considerable amounts of potassium which strengthens cell walls of plants, as well as many trace elements that plants require for a healthy immune system.”

The extract can be applied as a foliar spray if soil is water-logged.

“Apply a 3cm-layer of mature compost or well-rotted manure to the soil surface around the affected plant, extending to the outer edge of the foliage but keeping it well clear of the trunk,” says Bagnall.

Then, cover the compost with a 5cm-layer of organic mulch to keep the compost damp, keeping the mulch a hand span clear of the trunk.

The seaweed tea application should be repeated in a fortnight.

If a plant has been killed by root rot, Bagnall recommends removing as many of the roots as possible and then disposing of the entire plant. Do not add diseased plant material to the compost heap.

SEEDLINGS: What is referred to as “damping-off” in seedlings can also be due to Phytophthora fungi, says Bagnall.

It is difficult to save affected seedlings because their tissues are very delicate.

To prevent the fungi on seedlings, don’t sow seed too closely or over-water seed beds.

“Watering seed beds with a chamomile tea solution after sowing is an effective organic fungicide in seed trays.”

To create Bagnall’s tea solution steep a chamomile tea bag in a cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, then dilute it to 1.5 litres with cold water.

Story By Caitlin Harrington

June 19, 2012

A “green oasis” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when picturing a Tucson backyard during the summer.

But one local organization shares tips and tricks to keep backyard ponds and gardens greener than ever during the hot summer months, and year round.

“Our purpose is really to promote good water gardening practices, good ponding practices. It’s to share both lessons learned, the good, the bad, the ugly,” says JoAn Stolley, president of the Tucson Watergardeners.

The Tucson Watergardeners get together to discuss everything from plants and gardening to fish and ponds, as well as to promote and trade plants.

Members can join for $10 a year, and can participate in aquatic plant sales, meetings and garden tours and receive newsletters.

For people interested in attending the Watergardeners meetings, they are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Junior League of Tucson, at 2099 E. River Road.

Members are encouraged to bring extra plants and fish to share with new members.

Are you looking to start your own garden but worried you don’t have enough space? It’s possible to start your own garden anywhere.

Emily Jodka from New Urban Farmers gave us some tips on how to turn your small space into a luscious garden.

Jodka says most plants can grow just about anywhere.

Herbs are perfect for beginning growers. Sage, thyme, rosemary and basil can grow in any container. Sunny windows make perfect spots for these herbs to grow. Jodka recommends these plants for their low-maintenance care. All you need is potting soil, some compost, and a container. Place them in a sunny spot and water daily.

Strawberry plants are another big trend for city living. These plants can be bought at most stores and can be placed anywhere from a patio to a staircase.

New advances in small space gardening are also helping people with a small space work on their green thumbs. Jodka suggests looking into a grow tube, a piece of fabric that can be stuffed with soil or compost and then have plants placed inside.

Starting with these small space tips will allow anyone to nurture their inner green thumb!

In this film Brian Hutchinson, who is plant advisor at Daisy Garden Centre offers some seasonal advice for gardeners in June.

Q • I transplanted my hardy mums to a new location in my garden last fall. I fertilized them this spring, and they are growing fast and getting tall but are already starting to set buds. I have not cut them back yet. To develop bushy plants, I know I should pinch the growing tips. Could you provide information on the method of pinching and when to pinch and what time to stop pinching?

It’s always best to cut mums back every spring shortly after they first begin to grow. Timing is everything. If you don’t cut mums back in early spring, then they are more likely to produce a premature and disappointing period of poor bloom in summer and a lackluster season of poor bloom in fall.

Now that your mums have gotten too tall, they might be too woody to pinch, so you may have to cut them back first with a pair of hand pruners or sharp hedge shears. Lower the height to about 6-12 inches from the ground, even if it means cutting off the flower buds that have already formed. Then, when they produce 4 to 6 inches of new growth, pinch out just the growing tips.

Pinching is just that — using your thumb and forefinger to nip off the succulent new growth at the very tip of the stem, removing no more than the top two leaves on each. As a result, two stems will grow from below each pinch, so once those put on another 4 to 6 inches of new growth, you’ll have twice as much work to do. However many “pinching sessions” you have to make is determined by how fast the mum grows. Then you want to pinch them one last time close to, but no later than, mid-July. By then the days are already starting to get noticeably shorter, and in response to decreasing daylight, your mums will set flower buds on the tips of all those stocky new stems you’ve encouraged to grow.

If you pinch too late, you may delay their flowering until after their normal blooming time. For some varieties this could cause them to flower so close to frost that it hardly makes it worthwhile to have grown them in the first place.

Write to Chip Tynan at chip.tynan@mobot.org or Horticultural Answer Service, Department PD, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Mo. 63166. Check his blog at: mobot.org/gardeninghelp/hilight.asp