Garden Solutions - May 2012

Gardeners, start your containers!! Spring has sprung! The weather is beginning to turn warmer and the sun is beginning to hang around a little more each day. Now is the time to plant warm season annuals and vegetables. Container gardening continues to be a trendy thing. The many choices, styles, shapes, and colors of containers make great accent pieces for inside or out. Let your imagination soar and express yourself. Use imaginative containers you pick up at flea markets and auction yards. Learn to mix annuals and perennials for great combinations. Try hostas with begonias and impatiens….or hydrangeas with groundcovers. These containers can make great accent pieces on the front porch, the back deck, in a flower bed, around the pool, or at the end of the driveway. And you can rearrange them as often as you wish.

No room for a vegetable garden? Try one in a container. You can enjoy fresh tomatoes easily this way. Even small space gardeners can grow enough nutritious produce to prepare a few meals, supplement your diet, and save some bucks. With a little planning and attention, container gardens can produce like mini farms. Almost any vessel can be used as a container, but it must have drainage holes that allow water to freely flow through the pot. Most veggies only need 8” of soil depth. Trays and smaller containers work fine for lettuce, radishes, spinach, and peppers. Root crops like carrots and onions, and large plants like most tomatoes and squash, require containers larger than 16 inches in diameter. Generally as a rule, bigger is better for root growth and overall vigor.

Take your houseplants outdoors once the evening temperatures will remain above 50°. Move sun-loving plants (hibiscus, gardenias, mandevillas, etc.) gradually to sunny locations, as they have not had full sun in your home and will need to be acclimated to those conditions.

Plant summer bulbs now and fertilize with bone meal or bulb food. Pinch hardy garden mums back now and continue to do so until July 4 to insure proper fall blooming. Treat slugs in your garden with organic diatomaceous earth. This powder product is 100% safe, and is good for the treatment of slugs, ants, fleas and ticks outside, as well as roaches and ants indoors. This organic product is very safe to use and a good one to have on hand. “Natural Gardening” with eco-friendly products is a very SAFE thing to do for your own health as well as the environment. Check out the chemical-free options available to you today. Then sit back and watch your kids and pets enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

“Coming home” at the end of a day can be even more important to us now than ever before. Times are changing and everyone is busier than before with kids to coach, meetings to attend, and work to do. In addition, the cost of gas makes us want to leave the car parked when possible. So, enjoy daylight savings time and extend your living quarters to your yard and garden. Think of your outdoor spaces as an extension of your home. And in doing so, consider the floor, walls, and ceiling per se. Adding resting areas is easy to do…hang a hammock in a tree, set a bistro set in the perennial garden, or put benches in your Hosta beds. Then invite friends over and have a cook out. Let the nature in your yard tickle your senses with the sounds of birds, fragrance of flowers, sounds of running water, and splashes of color. Hardscapes can enhance your outdoor rooms by adding a “floor” to your area of enjoyment.

Until next month,…Enjoy connecting with nature and….see you in the garden….

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - April 2012

Vegetable gardening is making a comeback since food has made dramatic price increases over the past year. This is also because of the fact that more and more people are concerned with what they put on the family table. When you grow it yourself, you control what goes in the soil and on the plants, and you get to pick a much broader selection of vegetable varieties. The supermarket may have 2-3 varieties of tomatoes, where you can choose from dozens of varieties to plant yourself. Why are there more varieties available at garden centers? Tomatoes don’t ship well, and they taste a whole lot better when they are home grown. In fact, a tomato from your own garden is the ultimate standard for taste. Some, who grow them annually, never buy them from the supermarket, because they pale in comparison to what they can grow in the summer.

If you’re thinking of growing a vegetable garden this year, you are not alone. If you’re a little timid, there is help available. Start small and expand as your interest and time permits. No summertime garden is complete without tomatoes, and the perfect accompaniment to fresh tomatoes on your table is basil. If your garden has anything this year, consider both. If you want a little more, some bush cucumbers will fit in small gardens, and so will the bush summer squash varieties. Most of these bush varieties can be planted in nontraditional garden areas like flowerbeds or as a small addition to the landscape. In short, a vegetable garden can find its way into every area of your home’s landscape. Whether it’s confined to its own area, combined into the annual or perennial gardens that you already have, or planted in containers on your deck or patio - it will provide the ultimate in fresh vegetable taste, and the safest vegetables you can produce for your family table.

The lengthening of daylight also seems to brighten peoples’ spirits and relieve some stress as we can now move outdoors and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. Therefore, I invite you to go outside and “dig in.” Here are other areas of consideration:

• Remove winter mulch now from your rose bushes. Trim out dead and diseased canes. Cut all other green wood to about 18” on Floribunda and tea rose varieties. A 24-30” height is good on shrub roses.
• Fertilize your roses with a slow release fertilizer and begin fungicide treatments to control black spot disease.
• When Crabapples are in bloom, hardy annuals can be planted.
• Transplant trees, shrubs and perennials early in the month for best success.
• Spots and bare patches in the lawn can still be over seeded if you did not apply a Crabgrass Preventer. During spring there are more issues to be aware of when seeding a lawn rather than in the fall. Talk to a professional about seed choices and procedures.
• Easter lilies can be planted after they finish blooming. Set the bulbs 2-3” deeper then they are in the pot.
• Liquid weed control should be applied this month to control dandelions, henbit and other broadleaf weeds. New grass from seed MUST be mowed 3 times to make it strong enough to withstand weed chemicals.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.
• Asparagus and rhubarb harvests begin. Keep your hoe sharp!!
• Start cucumber, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month.
• Shrubs such as Crepe Myrtle, Butterfly Bush, and Hardy Hibiscus can be pruned back to green wood this month. REMINDER—that these plants leaf out very late (early May) and should not be considered to have died or be replaced until after Mother’s Day.
• Termites begin swarming. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae. Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae.
• Apply Fertilome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insecticide Drench this month to control borers in shade trees and shrubs.
• Remove old tree wraps from trees planted last fall so you don’t make a place for insects to harbor.
• Mole young are born in chambers deep underground.
• Protect bees and other pollinating insects. Do not spray insecticides on fruit trees that are in bloom. Bees are in danger and it is very important to be careful around them.
• Ornamental Pear trees need to be sprayed “during” the flowering stage to prevent “Fire Blight” disease.
• Water gardens may be cleaned out and the water changed. Do not scrub the walls since this will remove accumulated beneficial bacteria. Begin adding additional bacteria and barley bales now to begin the natural cycle of pond clean-up.
• Hang out hummingbird feeders the first of this month. Use a solution of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Change the solution frequently to keep if from fermenting. Food coloring is not needed nor is it recommended for the hummingbirds.
• The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. Transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes can also begin being planted outdoors.
• Container gardening is good choice for flower and vegetable gardening if space is in short supply. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, check it out!!
• “Natural Gardening” is a wave of the future………..keep your family safe and check out what organic options are available to you when gardening this year. There are many.

Well, time is running short…see you in the garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - March 2012

Spring is almost here!! What a wonderful feeling to be able to spend more time outside enjoying what Mother Nature is unfolding before our eyes. The lengthening of days is a welcome site, and the warm sun on our faces feels great. We “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time on Sun., March 11 this year. That in itself is exciting.

March welcomes ‘Spring’, and it will be met with open arms!! This is the month to open up the gardens and get things in shape for the new growing season, which means there is plenty that can be done. To name a few; mowing time is upon us; have you sharpened those mower blades? To keep that lawn looking fantastic, it is time to add Fertilizer with Crabgrass Prevention. Make sure to follow directions and do not try to skimp on the amount of product used, so you get great coverage from the Crabgrass Prevention. If you feel you need to over-seed the lawn, check with the professionals on proper steps for spring treatments. Most crabgrass preventers will also prevent new grass seed from germinating.

Clean up those perennial beds and cut down all Liriope and Ornamental Grasses to about 3-5” above the ground. Once this has been done, it is time to re-mulch your shrub and flower beds. Top-dress these areas with a slow release fertilizer as well, such as Osmocote. Do not put mulch or fertilizer too close to the crowns of plants. You could cause either rot or burning of the plant crown.

Nesting boxes for Bluebirds and Purple Martin houses should be put out early this month. Purple Martins return to our area between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of the month. So now is the time to be prepared. Are you considering doing some vegetable gardening this year? Well there is no better time than now to start those preparations. You can start seed in the house for plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Plant or sow seed for peas, lettuce, radish, kohlrabi, collards, turnips, potatoes, spinach, onion sets, beets, carrots, and parsley outside this month. Set out broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and pansy transplants now. This month is also good to set out strawberries, blueberries, blackberries grapes and other fruiting plants. It is likely we will see an influx of home gardening this year because its popularity is growing. It can be done in containers on the patio, as square foot gardens, or large plot gardening. There is nothing better than a home grown tomato!! Check out our website for instructions on these items, www.hillermann.com.

Here is a fun project for the family to try --‘Taters in a Basket’. Have you ever tried growing potatoes in tough clay soil? The results are usually less than bad. However, here is the perfect solution for growing great potatoes. Grow them in a pot. Now, whether you’ve got clay soil, live in an apartment, or don’t have a garden at all, you can grow potatoes the ole’ yard boy way. And that’s in a container.

Here is what you will need:
1. The container, I like to use bushel baskets. They breathe well, allow for good drainage and look great! However, any container, plastic, wood or clay will work as long as it has good drainage and is at least 14-18 inches wide and at least 10-12 inches deep.
2. Soil-less potting mix works best. Use the good stuff for better results. If you have a compost pile, good compost will work too. Finely shredded is best. People have even used straw and ground leaves.
3. An all purpose garden food such as Osmocote is great.
4. Seed potatoes - these aren’t the ones you buy from the grocery store. They can be found at the garden center and are used specifically for growing potatoes. Do not use potatoes from the produce department at the grocery store; they have been treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting.

Fill the bottom of your pot with 2-3 inches of soil-less mix or compost. Take a large seed potato, or a couple medium sized, cut up into pieces that contain the eyes, and evenly distribute those on top of the soil-less mix. You can plant 6-8-10 pieces with eyes per basket. If you’re not sure about the ‘eyes’, you can plant whole potatoes, or cut them in half and plant the halves. Cover with another 3-4 inches of soil-less mix, add the fertilizer and water in thoroughly, and place in the sun. Water as needed, thoroughly moistening the soil, then letting it dry before watering again. Once your potatoes start to grow, water regularly, being careful not to over water, which can cause the tubers to rot.

When your potatoes are growing, you have a couple options: 1) As the potatoes grow, keep adding soil-less mix or compost to the container, keeping about 4 inches of foliage showing. Continue this process until the container is filled to within 1 inch of the top of the basket. 2) Let the foliage grow until it’s approximately 3-4 inches above the basket, and then fill in around the foliage with your soil-less mix or compost unit the basket is full. Now you’re set for growing potatoes! Let your potatoes grow all summer. Don’t forget to keep them fed too. Come late summer or fall when the foliage starts to yellow, cut the foliage off, dump out your soil, and you’ll have a basket full of taters! It is that easy. Good Luck!!

Now it is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!”
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - February 2012

Winter care of birds

Now that we are in the throws of winter, and the coldest month of the year is upon us, it is a good time to assess how the birds are doing. This time of year is especially difficult for them. If given a little assistance, their chances of survival are greatly increased.

One of the easiest things to provide, and high on the list of needs, is water. Adding a heater or deicer coil to an existing birdbath, or purchasing a birdbath with the heater built in, can provide the perfect winter oasis for your feathered friends. Just be sure to keep the birdbath clean. Frequent cleaning with a mild bleach and scrub brush and thorough rinsing prior to refilling will ensure a healthy water source.

Providing shelter is another way to help. There is a shortage of nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds due to land development, introduction of competing species like starlings, and the use of pesticides. The use of birdhouses and nesting boxes has helped many species make a comeback. Landscaping that provides shelter can also be a great help. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide a welcome resting place out of the wind, snow or rain. Birds gather in groups towards the inside and huddle together to create more warmth. Placing food and water near these nesting or respite areas allows them to make shorter journeys for these things, which means less time battling the elements and using up their energy reserves. More than 50 species of birds will use birdhouses including Chickadees, Bluebirds, Titmice, Woodpeckers, Wrens, Swallows and Nuthatches.

Requirements for a good bird house are: It must be able to open up for cleaning. Must have ventilation holes in the bottom (these should be plugged up for winter roosting). The houses should have a slanted roof to allow for water runoff, and it should NOT have perches. Cavity-nesting birds do not need them and the perches only allow predator access to the nest.

Placing the birdhouse on a pole will help discourage predators, however, certain species like Chickadees and Woodpeckers, prefer nesting in trees thus attaching the house directly to a tree is what works best for them. The house should face south or southwest so it is facing away from the direction most storms approach. Be sure you have provided a clear flight path to the entrance but approximately 10 feet away from other trees or structures. It should get direct sun for a good part of the day. At the end of the fall, be sure to clean out the old nesting material. Another source of shelter can be provided by your used Christmas tree, particularly if you have few or no other evergreens. Next year, once the holidays are over, take your tree outside and set it up near your house, feeder or winterized birdbath.

The final piece of the puzzle is providing food. Particularly here in Missouri, winter is a difficult time for the bird species that have chosen to overwinter here. The days are short and cold. There is little to no vegetation, and most of the insects are dead or dormant. Now is an excellent time to purchase a feeder if you do not already have one. Most songbirds feed on insects and spiders during the spring and summer, however, the non-migratory species switch to fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. Black oil sunflower seeds are preferred by the largest number of bird species. Not only are these seeds very nutritious and high in fat, but their small size makes them easier for smaller species to split them open. Be sure to scatter some seed on the ground and beneath trees and shrubs for birds that prefer to feed in these locations. Feeders with platforms provide the right type of feeding station for species that do not perch, such as Cardinals. High-energy food, like suet and peanut butter, are an added benefit for all birds and provide much needed fat. So I hope now you enjoy the antics of our feathered friends.

Until next month,
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - January 2012

LET’S TALK BIRDS AND TERRARIUMS….

There is only 80 days until spring! FOR BIRDS, a combination of sleet and deep snow makes many food sources impossible to reach. In normal winter conditions, most birds have ways of coping with the cold. To help survive cold nights, Chickadees can lower their normal 108-degree body temperature by 12-15 degrees to conserve energy. By dawn, they, like many birds, will quickly dart to a food source to fill their empty stomachs. That’s why early morning and late evenings are some of the ‘largest crowds’ at bird feeders.

Feed the birds hi-energy foods like black oil sunflower seeds, tree nut pieces and suet, which give birds more energy per ounce consumed. One need of wild birds often overlooked by consumers in cold weather is the need for ‘open water.’ The main reason they need water is to help keep warm. Birds fluff out their feathers so they can better capture a ‘layer of air’ that acts as heated insulation. Matted, dirty feathers can’t be fluffed out. Therefore, by offering food and water, dozens of your feathered friends will soon add brilliant flashes of red and blue, gray and white, across the snow, and you’ll hear their melodious songs as the sing “Thanks” to you for helping them survive.

TERRARIUMS, a great way to satisfy your green thumb during the winter is to tackle a classic indoor gardening project: terrariums. I have a terrarium that has thrived for months with low light and no additional water. It's not so much a miracle as it is the science of nature. The plants inside the terrarium create their own mini climate, transpiring water vapor that condenses on the glass and then flows back into the soil. Science aside, I find a terrarium fascinating to look at, like a miniature landscape in a jar. Speaking of miniatures, decorating these mini gardens are even more fun to do.

Don't be intimidated by the process of building a terrarium. Materials needed include a wide-mouth glass container, potting soil, small plants, pea gravel, and charcoal. For easy access, an apothecary jar with a glass top is a great choice. If your container does not have a lid, you can cover it with clear plastic wrap, a piece of Plexiglas or a sheet of glass. Leaving it open is another option, but watering needs will vary.

To avoid insect and disease problems, wash the gravel and use top-quality, sterile potting soil. Fill the bottom of the container with about ½”-1 inch of gravel. Next add about ½” to ¾’of charcoal, this helps keep the soil sweet and not sour, which can cause disease. Top the charcoal with 3 inches of soil. Now comes the fun part: planting the “landscape”. Select varieties of plants that all have the same growing needs when it comes to light, water and humidity. Slow growers with small leaves are best suited.

Remove the plants from their pots and plant them in the terrarium just like you would in the garden. Place the taller plants in the back, mid-size plants in the middle, and low-growing things like moss toward the front. If possible, keep the foliage away from the sides of the container. Once you have the plants in place, moisten the soil lightly and put the lid in place. How often you will need to water your terrarium depends on how tightly the lid fits. A loose-fitting lid lets moisture escape. A good indication of when to water is whether there is condensation on the glass. If there is no condensation, water the soil very lightly. If there is heavy condensation, remove the lid to allow the terrarium to air out.

The neat thing about terrariums is that you are only limited by your imagination. Add large rocks to represent craggy mountains or small mirrors for ponds. You can even create a desert landscape with succulents and cacti. Or make a mini landscape with pathways and furniture! So try your luck at indoor gardening this month! It will make every day feel like spring.

Until next month, Sandi Hillermann McDonald