Tips for the Garden - June 2020

By Sandi Hillermann McDonald

     I, for one, cannot believe it is the first of June already. This year is really flying by. This is the month for picnics, vacations, family reunions, and for just enjoying the outdoors in general. I truly hope we can get back to these ‘old’ traditions as our new norm.

     If you are new to planting or gardening this year, please stay in touch when you have questions so we can help you through your new experiences.

     The hot days of summer are stressful to every living creature, including your plants. Not only does mulch hold in moisture, it also keeps the soil cooler, so your plants will be less heat-stressed.

     One of the most common questions that we receive at this time of year is, “How much do I water my ______?” I will explain some basic guidelines here:

     Vegetables and Bedding Plants planted in the ground: established plants need at least one inch of water per week. Check the soil around the plants, when it is dry one inch down, it’s time to water.

     Container Gardens and Hanging Baskets: check your containers every day for water. Either test the soil by touch or lift the pot to check its weight. Most baskets and many containers will need to be watered once a day, depending on the weather. I suggest you fertilize once a week.

     Perennials: newly planted perennials need daily watering until established, at least two weeks, depending on weather. After they show signs of new growth, apply a one inch per week rule.

     Trees and Shrubs should be watered every 4-5 days for the entire first year after planting unless rainfall is abundant. Place the end of your hose next to the base of the plant and let the water trickle very slowly for about two hours. This will allow the root zone to become thoroughly saturated.

     Established Lawns: your lawn should be watered when the grass blades don’t bounce back after being walked on. One inch of water per week should keep your lawn green and healthy.

     Newly Seeded or Sodded Lawns: for better germination, I suggest you mulch grass seed with straw as soon as it is planted. Once seed has germinated or sod has been laid, they must not be allowed to dry out. Water daily with a sprinkler until there is good growth. Once established, go back to the one inch per week rule.

So, continue to enjoy your outdoor spaces and make relationships with your plants!

They can give you so much in return!

See you in the Garden,
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - May 2020

A SAMPLE GUIDE TO EDIBLE GARDENING……

            During this spring season it may be more important than ever to grow your own food. It can be a fun and satisfying activity that can nourish your body and your soul. 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!!

            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.

            The key ingredient to a vegetable garden is the soil foundation. Amend the topsoil with compost or well-rotted manure.

            Base your crop selection on what your family likes to eat. 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, 4 cucumber plants, 12 broccoli plants, 8 cauliflower plants, 20 lettuce plants, 6 pepper plants, 10 spinach plants, 2 zucchini or squash plants, and essential herbs

                       

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 at growing fresh produce for your family.

                       

See you next month,

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - April 2020

            Vegetable gardening is making a comeback, and this new fascination is like the Victory Garden rage of yesteryear. Not just because of COVID-19, another contributor to this fascination is 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. They taste a whole lot better home grown.

            If you’re thinking of growing a vegetable garden this year, you are not alone. Start small and expand as your interest and time permit. No summertime garden is complete without tomatoes. Also, bush cucumbers will fit in small gardens, and so will the bush summer squash varieties. They can be planted in nontraditional garden areas like flowerbeds or as a small addition to the landscape. You can interplant lettuce plants with your impatiens and harvest them long before the impatiens covers the area. You’ll get some salad greens and kill two birds with one stone. Taking care of the impatiens ensures the lettuce is never neglected. 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.

            Hang out your hummingbird feeders the first of this month. Use a solution of 1-part sugar to 4 parts water for the nectar. Change the solution frequently to keep it from fermenting. Food coloring is NOT needed, nor is it recommended for the birds. Asparagus and rhubarb harvest can begin!! Keep your hoe sharp. Start cucumber, squash, and cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month. The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops in the garden such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. You can begin to plant transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes outdoors now. This can continue through the month of May. This is truly the year of the garden. So, reap your own harvest and enjoy the scrumptious flavors of your own produce. Remember, that Natural Gardening will keep your family safe, so check out what organic options are available to you! There are many.

Enjoy!  See you in the garden……Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - March 2020

          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 warming sun on our faces is also a very great feeling.

Mowing time is around the corner.  Thin spots and bare patches in the lawn can be over seeded now if you don’t intend to use a crabgrass pre- venter on your lawn. Last summer’s heat and drought may make this a necessity this spring, if you missed the opportunity last fall.

          If you don’t over seed, now is the time to apply Fertilome Crabgrass + Lawn Food. We have long summer seasons here and recommend that you make two applications of this product (4-6 weeks apart) to keep your yards crabgrass free this summer. 

          Begin spring cleanup of perennial beds now. Cut perennials to 3” above the ground. Remove damaged foliage and old flower stalks. Ornamental grasses and hardy hibiscus can be pruned back to 6” above the ground as well.

          Once flower beds have been cleaned up, re-mulching can be done. Be sure not to mulch on the crowns of plants. Dry feed beds with a granular fertilizer, such as Osmocote, and apply a pre-emergent if you do not plan to plant any flower seeds. Pre-emergent products will put down a barrier over your flower beds that keep weed seeds from germinating, making weeding an easier job this summer. Divide summer and fall blooming perennials now, along with ornamental grasses if you so desire.

          Plant/sow peas, lettuce, radish, kohlrabi, collards, turnips, potatoes, spinach, onion sets, beets, carrots, and parsley outside this month. Set out broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower and pansy transplants now. This month is also great for setting out strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes and fruit trees.

          Start seeds indoors this month for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. And houseplants can still be repotted. Continue to check houseplants for over wintering insect populations.

          Nesting boxes for bluebirds can be set up as well as Purple Martin houses. Bluebird boxes are best at about 5’ off the ground on a fence post in the open with the entry hole facing away from prevailing winds. Purple Martins return to our zone 6 region between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of the month. So, now is the time to clean out those houses and be prepared.

          It is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!!”

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - February 2020

February is National Bird Feeding Month… this year the Audubon Society will be making national awareness of the decline of birds in North America. This awareness of loss of nature began more than several years ago with bees, then butterflies, to pollinators and this year will focus on the loss of birds and their habitat. The next will be frogs. Our world is losing nature and it’s help for human survival at an alarming rate. I truly hope by now that these declines in nature have hit home with you and that you realize that now it is time to do something about it ourselves. You will hear much more about these environmental efforts throughout the year. 

For winter care of birds one of the easiest things to provide is water. Providing shelter is another way to help. There is a shortage of nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds due to land development, and the use of pesticides. The use of birdhouses and nesting boxes has helped many species make a comeback. Landscaping that provides shelter can be a great help. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide a place out of the wind, snow or rain. Birds gather in groups towards the inside and huddle together to create more warmth.

The final piece of the puzzle is providing food. Here in Missouri, winter is a difficult time for the bird species that have chosen to overwinter here. There is little to no vegetation, and most of the insects are dead or dormant. 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. Enjoy the birds this season with these simple tips.

It is also time to think about starting any garden and flower seeds in the house that you may want to grow this year. 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.

Another cold weather job is cleaning up any containers or planters that you have stored away. While doing this, make a list of the flowers that you are going to need for these containers in the spring.

Until next month,    

Sandi Hillermann McDonald