Garden Solutions - June 2016

                Let’s talk PERENNIALS! June is National Perennial Gardening Month.   Perennials are plants that grow and flower every year, and only need to be planted once!  Most perennials are considered low maintenance and just need some general care to keep them happy and healthy.  Pollinating plants fall under this category too, so join the efforts to help pollinators in your little corner of the world. 

                It is important to choose plants that are appropriate to your garden site. Full sun plants can be in areas with six or more hours of sunlight every day, four to six hours is partly sunny, and four hours or less is a shade garden.  Good drainage is essential for successful plants

                When planting, loosen the root ball and tease the roots so they will grow outward. The plant should be set at the same depth as they were growing in the container. After filling the hole back in with soil/compost mixture, water thoroughly.

                Perennials should receive 1-2” of water each week to develop a deep root system. A soaker hose works well for this purpose and saves water usage. Fertilize in Early Spring when new growth begins. During the growing season, fertilize once a month until the end of July. Mulch should be applied after planting to help hold in moisture and reduce weeds.  Additional mulch applied in winter is also recommended, especially for new plantings.

                The art of deadheading is removing the faded, spent flowers on a plant. It will help lengthen the bloom season of many plants as well as improves the appearance of the plant. Some perennials with attractive seedpods such as Rudbeckia, Sedum, and Ornamental Grasses can be left alone. Once the initial display of flowering has ended, cut back the entire plant by two-thirds. This will help promote additional blooms.

                Now in closing, let’s discuss several other tips for the month of June. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems make the most efficient use of water during dry times. Continue spraying roses with fungicide to prevent black spot. Mow lawns frequently enough so you don’t have to remove more than 1/3 of the total height of grass per mowing. There is no need to remove grass clippings from the lawn unless they are excessive. Prune flowering shrubs after they have bloomed. Hand prune or shear evergreens now. Watch for bagworms AND JAPANESE BEETLES. Milky Spore, Grub killer, and Japanese Beetle traps are available to eradicate Japanese Beetles. For bagworms, use insecticide with the pest listed on the label or hand pick them if the numbers are light.

                Plant pumpkin seeds now to have Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Stop harvesting asparagus when the spears become thin. Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season. As soon as cucumber and squash vines start to “run,” begin spray treatments of Permethrin to control cucumber beetles and squash vine borers.

                Enjoy your harvest………………………….see you in the garden.

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - May 2016

SAMPLE GUIDE TO EDIBLE GARDENING

Growing your own food can be a fun and satisfying activity that can nourish your body and your soul. Homegrown veggies and fruits can be more flavorful and nutritious than store-bought produce. Sometimes people think they don’t have the time to dedicate to an edible garden, but it can easily fit into ANY busy schedule. Once planted, an average-sized edible garden will require less than fifteen minutes a day to maintain. Most seasoned vegetable gardeners look forward to their time spent in their garden, because the rewards are so great! And the therapy it provides is even better!! Hillermann Nursery & Florist can provide you with all the plants and know how to make your garden a valuable, money saving asset for your home.

When it comes to location, choose the sunniest spot in your yard. Most edible plants prefer 6 or more hours of sun, although leaf veggies (like lettuce) can grow with less sunlight. Consider container gardens if you have a bright deck or patio. Edibles can also be incorporated into your flowerbeds and ornamental plantings as well. Be sure the area has good circulation or airflow.
When possible, raised beds offer ideal growing conditions for vegetables. This is done by mounding soil 8-12” high with or without framing it with word or blocks. Soil in raised beds heats up faster and produces a crop more quickly. If these beds are high enough, they may even deter dogs and rabbits from visiting, but be ready to put up screening or fencing if necessary. Raised beds also offer better drainage and reduce root rot. A garden bed should be no wider than 4’ to allow for easy access from both sides.

The key ingredient to a vegetable garden is the soil foundation. Amend the topsoil with compost, such as Black Gold (which is MO Botanical Garden Compost produced in St Louis!). Well-rotted manure and humus are also suitable for adding to the existing soil.
Base your crop selection on what your family likes to eat. Choose from Hillermann’s selection of plants that are known to be well suited for our area. We trail most of our offerings to ensure that they’ll be successful in your garden too!

Plant your tall crops (like corn and climbers) on the north side of the garden to prevent them from shading the other shorter plants. Plant medium sized plants (like peppers, tomatoes….) towards the center. Short crops, like carrots, radishes, and lettuce, should be planted on the south end. Try to orient your garden from north to south for best sun coverage.

Here is a sample plant list for a healthy family of four:
10 tomato plants:
-2 for munching (grape or cherry)
-2 for cooking (Roma)
-2 for slicing (Better Boy, Celebrity…)
-2 for colorful salads (Lemonboy…)
-2 for conversation (Mr. Stripey or other Heirlooms…)
4 cucumber plants
12 broccoli plants
8 cauliflower plants
20 lettuce plants
6 pepper plants
3 pumpkin plants
10 spinach plants
2 zucchini or squash plants

Essential herbs
-basil
-oregano
-parsley
-rosemary
-thyme
-cilantro
-dill
-bay
-French tarragon
-mint (very vigorous, so grow in a container!)
-fennel (for you and the butterflies!)

Other essentials…
Compost
Shovel, hard rake and tiller
Fertilizer—natural/organic or commercial
Tomato cages, stakes
I truly hope you enjoy the spring and summer season and try your hand a growing fresh produce for your family.  Here is a recipe you can try using your fresh produce:

Sweet and Sour Coleslaw
1 large head cabbage, shredded                       1 tsp. salt
1 large onion, chopped                               1 tsp. celery seed
1 large green pepper, chopped                   1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. sugar                          ¾ cup salad oil

Combine the cabbage, onion and green pepper in a bowl.  Pour the 1 cup of sugar over the mixture.  Let set in refrigerator covered for 4 hours or overnight.  Boil together 1 Tbsp. sugar, salt, celery seed, vinegar and salad oil.  Let mixture cool.  Mix with slaw ½ to 1 hour before serving.  Bon appétit!

See you next month,
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - April 2016

            April is the “opener” of spring. Grass greens up, trees leaf out, shrubs begin to bloom, perennials come back, and the birds continue to sing. This is truly my favorite time of year; the time of rebirth! The seasons move so fast, this is one that you really need to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and enjoy every day.

            One of the bigger movements across the country this year is “Protecting the Pollinators.” Last year a huge push to “Save the Monarch Butterfly” was seen everywhere. A few years ago, the Honey Bee had been known as declining. Well, the decline of these most important Pollinators is still a strong concern. Therefore, we need to make ourselves aware of the push to save ALL pollinators. We can help with this push by being aware of your surroundings and eliminating the use of synthetic insecticide products, especially on blooming plants that are visited by pollinators. It you have an insect issue, talk to a representative at your local garden center about methods of controlling pests without harming pollinators. Our food supply depends on it.

            The Washington in Bloom (WIB) committee is supporting this program 100%.  In fact, the WIB group is promoting a separate program to PLANT 100 Pollinator gardens in the Washington area.  This will gain recognition in the America in Bloom national program, which we are graded on every year.  Washington is so excited to be partnered with this National group.  If you have questions on how this program works, please call the City Parks Dept or Hillermann Nursery & Florist.  We have A LOT of exciting things happening in Washington to increase sustainability and pollination.

            There is so much to talk about in April, I have made a short list of some of the more common, timely items that will need attention or guide you as we begin this most wonderful season of Spring!

·         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.

·         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.

·         Start cucumber, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month.

·         Termites begin swarming. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae.

·         Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae.

·         Mole young are born in chambers deep underground.

·         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 birds.

·         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 start 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 here to stay………..keep your family safe and check out what organic/natural 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 2016, Monarch Butterflies Face New Threats

Monarch Butterflies Face New Threats  

The monarch butterfly has always been the most popular, recognizable and well known species of its kind. These butterflies bring smiles to people across the United States.

Monarch butterfly numbers have been decreasing at an alarming rate.  In 2010, monarch butterflies at their migration destination in the mountains of Mexico occupied about 9.93 acres of habitat. However, that number had dropped drastically to 1.65 acres.  Experts point to three major reasons for this decline:

Changes in Weather and Climate Change-Extreme weather conditions are causing a disturbance in monarch migration.

Midwestern Agriculture-According to researchers, the biggest and most critical factor in the decline is the expansion of cropland and a big increase in the use of genetically modified crops that are resistant to herbicides, which in turn has led to more herbicide use against native plants that compete with crops.

Illegal Deforestation-Over the past several decades, logging in Mexico has destroyed large swaths of the country’s forests, including the few sites where monarchs overwinter. The Mexican government ruled logging illegal several years ago. However, illegal logging is still occurring, leaving monarchs with less and less suitable winter habitat.

What can you do to help?

Lucky for monarchs, there are ways you can help. Gardening for wildlife is a great way to help provide food, water, shelter and place to raise young for all types of wildlife.

For monarchs, you can plant native flowering plants, especially milkweed, to help feed the larvae of these beautiful butterflies! Learn how your garden can help the survival of monarchs and other wildlife.  This year also get involved in the www.millionpollinatorgardenchallenge.org.  This is a national push for pollinators involvement.

The City of Washington, Washington in Bloom, FC Master Gardeners and the Washington Garden Club will be pushing efforts to not only make awareness for Monarchs BUT ALL pollinators in this year’s programs.  Stay tuned to see what they have in store! 

Garden Solutions - February 2016

You would think that we gardeners would spend the winter months curled up by the fire, perusing seed and bulb catalogs and daydreaming about our gardens in the warmer months ahead. That is well and good from about Christmas to mid-January and then we start to get the itch – you know the one – our fingernails are just to clean and it’s time to get our hands in the soil. A great way to satisfy your green thumb during the winter is to tackle a classic indoor gardening project. Mini gardens have become all the rage. They can be open topped terrariums, saucer planters or low dish gardens. The imagination can run wild with ideas to make it a “playful” space. My granddaughter loves to play with my gardens by moving in dinosaurs or fairies and playing “Princess Stories”. This is great way to get the children interested in plants.

 

It is also time to think about starting any garden and flower seeds in the house that you may want to grow this year. The choices are many. Our last frost date is around May 1^st, so back up the weeks on the calendar for seed starting so you know when the best time for planting in the house would be. Ample light is very important for this task. Seed varieties can be found in many forms also. Besides the tried and true varieties grown for years, heirlooms and organic seeds are now readily available. Botanical Interest is a wonderful line of garden seeds that offers health and recipe information on the packets. They are great for the beginner gardener.

 

Now going beyond the garden, we Americans have once again fallen in love with the great outdoors. Outdoor living is more than dressing up patios with a few containers. People are transforming their ordinary backyards into “specialty rooms”. Flowers, trees and shrubs are being used as accents, room dividers, carpets and curtains. As we go outdoors more often with our families, friends and pets, it is only natural to think more consciously about how safe our own backyards are, giving way to the new twist in outdoor living: the “eco-chic” movement. Environmentalism is on the upswing and is changing everything from the types of cars we drive to the food we eat and even the way we garden.

 

Last but not least, February is National Bird Feeding Month. So if you have not enjoyed this hobby before, it is not too late to start. Bird feeding is an entertaining and educational pastime that can be enjoyed by everyone. You can invite the kind of birds you want to your yard by choosing the right feeder and food they prefer to eat. They are many bird behaviors and seed preferences. The “sit and eat” birds stay at the feeder while they eat. Goldfinches and Siskins prefer Nyjer seed offered in tube feeders, and Cardinals and Grosbeaks prefer black oil sunflower seeds form a hopper, or platform type feeder. The “grab and go” birds include chickadees, Titmice, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers. They take a seed and eat it somewhere else. They prefer black oil sunflower and peanuts out of the shell or split. These bird types come to tube, hopper or platform type feeders. The “floor feeder” birds are the ground feeding birds that may also eat on an elevated feeder. Juncos, Sparrows, Towhees, and Doves are in the group.

 

Until next month,

Sandi Hillermann McDonald