Volunteer Tomato Plants

Volunteer Tomato Plants

June 25, 2010

We've had a fair amount of warm days followed by rain in the afternoon and evenings mixed with rainy days.  The combination has seen weeds sprout up on the garden paths so they are getting to the point of needed to be cleared again.  A couple of days ago I noticed two volunteer tomato plants on one of the paths and there is another one in the first raised bed.  Volunteer tomato plants are fairly common, sprouting up from seeds that survived in the soil over the winter.  I've even had volunteer tomato plants come up around the compost bin and the year the squirrels kept snitching tomatoes I found tomato plants coming up along the fence. 

I tend to keep any volunteer tomato just to see what kind of tomatoes I get.  If the volunteers were from hybrids the results can be interesting.  If they are from heirloom tomato seeds then I end up with a few more heirloom plants (eg. Brandywine).  Depending on where the volunteer tomato plants are I will transplant them into 5 gal containers or to a more convenient location.  I don't plant them in with the main bed tomatoes so I can try identifying them if and when they produce fruit.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Road Daylily in Bloom

Road Daylily

June 24, 2010

The large clump of road daylilies are in bloom, waving gracefully in the breeze.  These are a common daylily here quite often found growing wild in ditches and along farm fences.  As such they tend to be fairly common daylilies in many home gardens.  Most daylilies are rather problem free, low maintenance garden plants that naturalize easily.  The road daylily is perhaps a bit hardier than some daylilies with a stronger tendency to naturalize.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Burlesque Daylilies

Burlesque Daylilies

June 24, 2010

The Burlesque daylilies are in full bloom now putting on a lovely show.   They are in with the Stella d'Or daylilies and their numbers have increased over the last couple of years.  The Stella d'Or daylilies were fewer this year with only a couple appearing.  I don't know if they have hybridized with the Burlesque or this just wasn't a good year for them.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Plant Purchase from Richters Herbs

I looked high and low for horseradish for the garden unsuccessfully at all the local nurseries.  I even tried the local grocery stores for horseradish root in the produce section hoping I could plant it.  I had had success a few years ago with a piece of horseradish root that grew in the house for awhile.  A kind soul on one of the groups I followed suggested I check out Richters.  Richters Herbs are located in Goodwood, ON  so shipping wouldn't be an issue.

It has been quite some time since I ordered live plants to be shipped.  I went to Richters' website, placed my order and paid for it then patiently sat back to await my plants.  Of course I could buy just the horseradish.  I also bought a couple of herbs and a scented geranium.  The minimum order for live plants is 6.  My order came to $31.93 with shipping and handling.

I thought the plants would be delivered by courier to the house but instead they came by Canada Post's Xpress Post to the post office.  At one time the rural post delivery would bring the parcel to the door but now you have to go pick it up at the post office.  When I saw the size of the box the first thing I though was it was only part of the order.  The box measured 9" long x 6" wide x 6" tall.  The plants were carefully secured by a inner cardboard insert.  Once I pulled the insert from the box it became clearer why there in a 6 plant minimum per order. 

The insert had cutouts for each plant stem that closed over each pot.  The sides folded up then in to protect each set of two outer plants from the two inner plants.  Each pot was secured within a plastic bag to prevent soil and moisture loss.  Each plant was labeled as well.

I was quite impressed with the packaging.  The plants were well protected from damage during shipping. The invoice and order forms were included in the box along with an informational sheet on how to care for the plants on arrival and an informational pamphlet on growing herbs indoors or out.  I carefully removed the plastic bags and watered them well then placed them in the sunporch.

Pictured are the 6 plants I bought - 3 horseradish (back), chocolate-mint geranium (right), chocolate mint (centre) and pesto perpetuo basil (left).  The plants that I'm growing indoors will be repotted in 4 - inch pots.  Two of the horseradish plants will be planted in large pots outdoors.  Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is invasive so needs to be contained in the home garden.

I am quite pleased with my experience buying live plants from Ritchers Herbs.  The selection and service is excellent.  Given that I ordered outside the main shipping season my plants arrived quickly (13 days).  The plants were well packaged and quite healthy looking.  I definitely will be ordering from them again!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

First of the Zucchini and Tiny Tim Tomatoes

Things are progressing nicely in the garden.  I am still planting but that is normal for the square foot garden method.  I have a lot more vegetables and herbs planted in containers this year.  This does seem to be the year of dealing with various insects and their damage but with the wild rabbits mysteriously absent there is no large scale damage so far. 

I only have one zucchini plant this year planted in a 5 gallon container.  It is growing well and appears to be quite healthy.  I haven't noticed any signs of squash borer yet so that's a good thing.  Hopefully I can get through the growing season without having to deal with squash borer!

There are 4 small zucchini on the plant but the first one to the left of the picture started shriveling shortly after the zucchini was planted.  This is like due to a bit of transplant shock.  The largest zucchini is about 2½- inches long so it won't be long now.  I can hardly wait to harvest the first zucchini!

All of my tomato plants were planted late by some home gardeners planting but the majority of mine were planted when the local farmers were planting theirs.  So they are still in line with our area's growing conditions.  I have 4 Tiny Tim tomato plants in one of the raised beds and 2 in 5 gallon containers.  The plants in the raised beds now have small green tomatoes on them so that was a surprise.  They appear to be healthy with plenty of blossoms although they are shorter than I expected they would be.  Hopefully the abundance of blossoms are is a sign the garden will yield plenty of tomatoes this year.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Earwig Damage on Parsley

Earwigs (Forficula auricularia) are a common sight in many gardens.  They are attracted to damp locations so can be found under plants, in mulch and anywhere else damp like decaying vegetable matter.  Earwings are more of a nuisance indoors.  Despite their appearance earwigs aren't harmful to humans.  There is the old wives' tale that earwigs get into your ears when you are sleeping and while it could be possible, this is quite unlikely.  Earwigs can be found indoors under damp clothing on the floor, in basements and walking across the floor as they look for a damp area to hide.  Two areas were they can get into the house is patio doors and windows at ground level.

Earwigs are predators that prey on other insects so it could be that the damage often blamed on earwigs is due to another insect that the earwigs targeting.  Earwigs are also scavengers that feed off of decaying plant matter.  They are known to feed on clover, dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bush, hollyhock, lettuce, cauliflower, strawberry, sunflowers, celery, peaches, plums, grapes, potatoes, roses, beans and beets.  From experience they damage clematis, marigold, petunia and some herbs.  They tend to agregate under and in outdoor potted plants where it is cool and damp. 

Earwigs can be controled by removing decaying material and mulch from around the perimeter of the house and/or as sprinkling diatomatous earth around the perimeter of the house.   They can be controled indoors by keeping all damp clothing and towels off the floor.  Insecticidal sprays to control earwigs are available but simply picking them up with a kleenex and squishing or vacuuming them up is as effective without adding chemicals to your home. 

A couple of days ago I noticed damage on one of the potter herb combination planters.  I had brought both planter up to the lower patio to protect them from the storms going through.  Moving one of the planters revealed several earwigs with many more coming out of the plants when the planter was tapped.  Both planters were loaded with earwigs.  The damage to the parsley is quite obvious and that happened all within about a day and a half.  I tapped out all the earwigs from each planter then brought them indoors for a good watering.  I put them in the upper sunporch to recover.  The parsley is looking better.  We have had several earwigs getting through the patio door into the house but other than that I think the damage is under control.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Using SoilMoist™ Granules in Houseplants and Planters

I posted awhile ago about my waterball garden using Deco beads by the makers of SoilMoist™.  I was impressed enough with the Deco beads that I wanted to try the SoilMoist™ as well.  SoilMoist™ has been successfully used in the horticultural industry as a water management system.  Essentially what the granules do is absorb moisture like a sponge then releases it to the soil as the soil dries.  It is used for planting trees, shrubs and containers.  While it is used for transplanting edible fruit canes like raspberries to lessen transplant shock I've decided not to use it for any edible plant until I can be sure there are no issues with the polyacrylamide breaking down to acrylamide after several seasons of use.

I bought 4 - 3oz (85 g) packages of SoilMoist™ online ($3) for use as a cutting starting medium and for water management in my non-edible containers.  According to the package you mix half of the required amount of the granules evenly in the plant hole, add the balance then backfill.  The granuals are added when dry then the plant is watered well.  If using to prevent transplant shock the granuals are hydrated first then the plant is dipped into the gel and planted in the prepared hole where the gel will give back moisture as needed.  The amount needed per container size or tree are on the back of the package.  It is important to not use too much as the gel when it expands can force the plant out of the container or tree out of the ground.

I did a test run of the SoilMoist™ granules just to see how they would perform.  I placed 1 tsp of the granules in a 4 oz (125 ml) bowl then poured the 4 oz (125 ml) water over it.  The granules did not look like they would expand as much as they did.  These granules expand considerably faster than the Deco waterballs.  They also seem to hold a lot more water as I had to add more water.  I added water again.

The granules should be kept away from all drain systems as there is the potential to cause blockages.  They should also be kept out of reach of children and pets.  One of my concerns when using outdoors in planters is to be sure the granules are buried well below the soil surface.  Shiny objects tend to attract some birds but this is one item that should not be where birds could get at it whether it is hydrated or still in granule form.

After about an hour the SoilMoist™ gel was over flowing the small bowl.  I ended up dumping the gel into a larger bowl then adding more water where to my amazement the gel pieces just kept growing.  I ended up with about 8 oz of gel from the 1 tbsp of granules.

The granules are a milky white hard crystal.  Once they expand they turn into a shimering clear jello-like substance looking very much like crushed ice except sparkly. It is easy to see from the expansion how the gel could push plants from the container when they expand.  I will report back on how the gel performed in my non-edible containers and houseplants.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

What's Eating My Sweet Basil?

Herbs generally are rather problem free plants in the garden yet this year I have encountered more problems with herbs than in previous years.  The oregano has been attacked by spider mites and fungus gnats.  Earwigs attacked the potted parsley and I just discovered an unidentified caterpillar attacking the potted sweet basil.  I'm hoping this isn't a sign of things to come for this growing season!

Like many gardeners I also have several plants growing in pots.  I bought this pre-planted basil combo at the nursery thinking it would look good sitting on one of the picnic tables.  The planter is planted with sweet basil, purple ruffles basil, Siam queen basil and boxwood basil.  The wind blew it over so I moved it onto the covered patio for protection.  A couple of days later I noticed signs of the sweet basil blooming so brought it in to trim up.  The planter was filled with earwings that I blamed signs of damage on.  After knocking all the earwigs out I watered the planter well and made the clippings.  I placed the cuttings in water hoping they would root.  I put both the planter and clippings into the sunporch out of harms way from earwigs.  The next morning I checked the planter and cuttings to discover the black frass under the cuttings, a tell tale sign of some type of caterpillar.  Sure enough upon closer inspection I found a caterpillar happily munching away on the sweet basil cuttings!

How I missed this caterpillar the day before remains a mystery.  While knocking out the earwigs I likely knocked the caterpillar deeper into the plant then during the night the little critter crawled from the planter back up to the cuttings where it resumed feeding.  I carefully removed the caterpillar for it's photoshoot then set about trying to identify it.  So far I have not had any luck with the identification.  The caterpillar obviously is a foe to sweet basil but had not damaged the other basil.  It is about 1¼- inch long.  It has a black and yellow stripped body with 4 distinctive yellow bumps.  The body is hairy.  The antennae are black and the head is an orangish red.  Any help in identifying this caterpillar would be greatly appreciated.  If you know what this caterpillar is could you please leave a comment. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Spider Mites

Spider Mite

June 17, 2010

It would appear that my oregano in the raised beds has been hit with the double whammy of fungus gnats and spider mites.  Both are known pests to oregano as are white flies and aphids.  At this point all I can say is I'm not amused.  At any rate the infestation isn't too bad so can be controlled.

Spider mites are 8 legged, spider-like creatures ranging in colour from black to brown to a rusty orange.  They thrive in hot, dry conditions like heated houses but can also be found in outdoor gardens.  They feed with piercing mouth parts that cause plants to appear yellow and stippled.  Heavy infestations can result in leaf drop and plant death.  Spider mites can multiply quickly.  Signs of spider mites other than the damage are webs that can cover infested leaves and flowers.

Controlling Spider Mites

• Remove infested plants.  This is quite often the best course of action for infested houseplants.  Remove them entirely or isolate them from other plants and treat with an insecticidal soap (homemade or commercial).
• Keep plants regularly watered especially those preferring high humidity (eg. tropicals, tomatoes).
• Isolate all new plants coming into the garden or house to be sure they are not infested.  If they are infested treat to get rid of spider mites before introducing to the rest of your houseplants or garden. 
• Introduce ladybugs to your outdoor garden.  Wait until a heavy dew or water your garden in the early morning hours. Release the ladybugs onto the wet plants where they will linger because of the moisture and coolness of the day giving them a chance to discover prey such as spider mites and aphids.
• Spider mites generally live on the undersides of leaves so be sure to spray that area well with an insecticidal soap.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Fungus Gnats

Fungus Gnat

June 17, 2010

The gardens and yards have been hit with fungus gnats.  Fungus gnats are comprised of a number of species in the insect order Diptera, family Sciaridae (dark winged fungus gnat species Bradysia coprophila, impatiens and paupera) that are about the same size as a mosquito.   These tiny little creatures cause minimal damage to herbs such as oregano where they were having a field day.  They can however, cause considerable damage to young seedlings as well as aiding the introduction and spread of disease in the garden and houseplants.  The biggest problem with gnats in general outdoors aside from the damage is their swarming tendency.  Walking through clouds of gnats is not the most pleasant thing.  Fungus gnats are more of a concern for houseplants and in greenhouse operations.  In these confined spaces every time you walk past infested plants a cloud of them will be set into flight creating an annoyance along with the damage they cause.  Fungus gnats are attracted to wet soil and since we've had a couple weeks of rather wet weather we have fungus gnats both indoors and outdoors.  Adult fungus gnats lay their eggs in the damp soil where the resulting larvae stay until developing into adult fungus gnats then the cycle repeats itself.  The key clue here is the fungus gnat larvae cannot survive in dry soil.  Fungus gnats control is dependent on where they are but most likely if you have them outdoors some will get indoors simply by coming in the door while you are going out.

Outdoor Fungus Gnat Control

• Allow soil to dry between waterings.  This will kill off fungus gnat larvae reducing the fungus gnat adult population in your gardens.
• Place small bowls of cider vinegar with a drop or two of dishsoap amongst infested plants.  They are attracted to the cider vinegar so will try to feed but the lack of surface tension caused by the dishsoap will serve as a trap.
•  Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacteria that feeds off of the larvae of certain insects.  It can be applied to the soil and sprayed on the leaves of plants to kill off certain carterpillars and larvae.  Two brands are Bonide Organic Thuricide (concentrated liquid) and Safer's 5161 Caterpillar with BT Garden Dust.  Before you resort to using Bt, there is some concerns that it is not as benign as first appeared.  There is a good report here for things to consider before using Bt.
• Standard white incandescent and CFL outdoor lighting will attract fungus gnats to your gardens.  Change these bulbs out for the yellow insect repelling bulbs or better yet go solar or low voltage on a timer.  Put any security lights on a motion activated sensor so they are not constantly on to attract insects.
• Do not resort to using a bug zapper.  Electronic bug zappers are popular but very much eco-unfriendly and your neighbours will hate the constant noise.

Indoor Fungus Gnat Control

• Let the soil dry in potted plants before watering.
• A fly swater works well but can make a mess.
• Use lights to your advantage.  The gnats are attracted to lights including television.  If you let your soil dry between waterings the larvae will be killed off.  The remaining adult flies will die off in light fixtures they can get into leave these on for an hour or so.  Turn off anything that lights up including televisions and computers for the same period of time.
• Insecticidal soap (homemade or purchased) can be effectively used to control fungus gnats on houseplants.
• Set out a few bowls of cider vinegar with a drop or two of dish soap near where the fungus gnat infestations are to trap them.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Sad Gardening Memories

In June 2007 I sadly said a final goodbye to my garden at our former house.  It was a bitter sweet day filled with memories of how the garden had come to be and excitement at the prospects of starting a new garden at the new house.  I did shed a tear or two that day.  The garden that had been just a though ended up a reality and had matured nicely.  A walk through my garden showed the five older raised beds, three smaller new raised beds and the greenhouse.  I was pleased with how the garden had become one of the selling features of our home.  Pictures from that garden are in the archives from the start of this blog in 2006 until we moved in 2007.  The actual garden was started in 2004.  I hoped that the new owners would continue on with what I started.  Sadly that wasn't meant to be.

We drove by the house about a month after moving.  The beautiful heirloom rose bushes were gone! That was a sign of things to come.  The first winter after we moved here we drove by the house again to see the greenhouse had fallen down.  The people who had bought the house sold it again in 2009.  We had heard a lot of rumours so drove by the house again a couple of days ago.  The yard is now fenced with chain link fencing looking very much out of place in the neighbourhood.  The garden paths and raised beds are gone.  In their place is pristine grass.  The only thing left of my gorgeous garden are pictures and memories.  It was sad to see the garden gone and it re-inforced my bit of melancoly losing over my current garden if or when the house sells. 

This garden is not what the former one was because the first couple of years here we spent ripping out.  This year I have been making a lot of progress in the garden but each time I see the For Sale sign I'm reminded that the garden is important to me but the next owners likely won't view it the same way.  We are now debating taking the house off the market so I'm continuing on as normal with a couple of new raised beds going in.  Still I'm taking lots of pictures and creating memories of this garden just in case.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

A Few Tips for Identifying Insects in Your Garden

Quite often you will see the signs of insect damage in your garden well before you see the insect itself and there are times that more than one insect species may be responsible for the damage.  Proper identification is very important because you don't want to kill off any beneficial insects but at the same time you want to control or kill off harmful insects.  In reality my goal in the garden is to control rather than kill off harmful insects for the most parts.  Insects attract toads, lady bugs, birds and bats that all help to keep the insect population in balance.  Quite often harmful insects attract beneficial insects as well so there is always striving for a balance in the garden.  Here are a few tips to help you when identifying insects in your garden:

• dawn/dusk - These are two very important times to be checking your garden for insect problems.  In the early morning hours the air is cool so insects like the Japanese Beetle are sluggish making them easier to manually remove for identification.  Simply knock them into a container with a little soapy water that will kill them but leave features intact for picture taking.
• fly traps or insect traps - These are yellow coated sticky cards that can be attached to a stake or similar in the garden.  Their sole purpose is to trap insects to the bright yellow colour.  Once the insect hits the trap it becomes stuck and dies.  These traps are an ideal tool for identifying the insect population in your garden.  
• camera - A digital camera is a must for helping to identify insects.  Set the camera to the meta setting for clear close-ups and take several shots.  If possible take a short video clip.  You can then download your camera to your computer to use the pictures on gardening blogs, forums and Twitter to get help with the identification.  Quite often someone will be able to identify within a very short period of time.  Another option is to leave the pictures on your camera and show it to the staff at your local nursery who will more than likely be able to identify the insect immediately.
• immobilization - Once you have taken pictures of what plants the insects are on and how they move it is time to immobilize if possible.  The easiest way is to use a trap of some type (eg. soapy water in a pail, fly traps).  Immobilization allows you to get pictures of the insect with greater detail.  That detail becomes important when trying to identify insects.
• scale - It is common practice to include some familiar item like a penny in the photo to give whoever is helping you identify the insect a sense of the size of the insect.  Including a scale guide when the insect is alive may be difficult depending on the insect however once immobilized it is quite easy to include a scale guide when photographing.
• include any notes of interest - Like all animals insects display certain behaviours.  For example gnats may swarm so if you notice tiny insects swarming especially during periods of wet weather it gives you a clue that perhaps you are dealing with gnats.
• take pictures of the actual plant damage - It is very important to take pictures of the actual plant damage.  A leaf cutter or beetle will leave tell tale signs of damage that are very different from a sap sucking insect like aphids or spider mites.  Some damage could actually be the early signs of a plant disease such as blight but you think it is insect damage.  Soil nutritional deficiencies in the early stages can even mimic insect damage.  More experienced gardeners will recognize the type of damage immediately so showing the staff at your local nursery a picture of the damage will likely give you an instant answer.
• check spider webs - If you spot a spider web in your garden pay close attention and take pictures of what insects are in it.  That's a good indication as to what that particular spider is preying on and it wouldn't be in your garden if the prey wasn't there.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Winter or Summer Savory?

Summer Savory

June 9, 2010

The plant tag on this herb that I planted last year said Summer Savory which is an annual herb.  However, it came back up this year so obviously it is a perennial so I suspect that it is actually Winter Savory.  It does look like Summer Savory but I will be able to tell better when it blooms.  I don't like letting my herbs go to flower because the plant's energy is then put into reproduction rather than the leaf production I want for eating.  I planted a piece up in a pot so will let that one go to flower.  If the flower is white it is Winter Savory but if it is a lilac colour then it is Summer Savory.  Either way it is quite tasty!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Applying Round-Up® Herbicide

Pressurized Garden Sprayer

June 10, 2010

Round-Up® is an herbicide that is banned for home garden use under the Ontario Pesticide Ban except for special circumstances such as poison sumac and poison ivy.   Quite frankly I don't feel the Ontario Pesticide Ban goes far enough but when it comes to toxic plants like poison sumac and poison ivy that can cause extreme reactions that can cause death I am glad there are limited, responsible uses for certain pesticides.  Round-Up® is the herbicide of choice for poison sumac and poison oak. 

Every home gardener needs three pressurized sprayers.  One of those sprayers should be dedicated solely to chemical herbicides (eg. Round-Up®) which in most cases will not be any stronger than white vinegar.  One should be dedicated to organic herbicides (eg. white vinegar) The other should be dedicated to homemade insecticides (eg. soap solution).  If you do not have any poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac on your property then you can get away with using two pressurized sprayers.  Each sprayer should be clearly labled and stored properly out of the reach of children and pets. 

Round-Up® does kill on contact but it takes a few days to see the actual results.  It is extremely important that any other plants near the plant you want to kill are protected against overspray or run-off.  Round-Up® can be applied using a pressurized sprayer on a calm, warm, dry day.  It is best if it can be applied when the possibility of rain for eight hours following the application is zero.  Round-Up® can also be applied using a small paint brush to put the solution on the plant leaves where it will just as effective without the worry of accidental overspray onto other plants.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Chamomile

Chamomile

June 9, 2010

Chamomile is an annual daisy-like herb that gets its name deriving from the Greek from chamaimēlon meaning earth apple or the apple-like scent.  Chamomile is commonly made into a tea for it's calming effect to help relax before sleep.  In the home garden chamomile tea can be used to prevent dampening off in seedlings.  It can also be used as a dye to produce a green colour.

I love chamomile tea!  It is hard to find chamomile plants here most years I have to grow from seed.  However this year I got lucky and found a nice sized chamomile plant for the garden.  This was a nice surprise because I've had problems getting my chamomile to reach a good size for drying.  Drying chamomile is quite easy as you can pull up the entire plant, discard flowers, check for other infestations then simply break into stems and dry in a dark, cool, dry place on a drying screen for about 7 - 10 days.  Flowers must be removed because the yellow bits fall off as the herb dries.  Dry to the point that that the leaf crumbles.  Cut across the chamomile into 1" pieces then vacuum seal in glass jars for later use.   This year I'm hoping a couple of jars of home dried chamomile will grace my pantry for tea through the winter months.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

A Few Containers in my Container Garden

A Few Containers in my Container Garden

June 10, 2010

My main gardening method is square foot gardening in raised beds using companion planting.  This is a high density growing method.  Currently my raised beds give me 80 square feet of growing space.  Two new beds going in will increase the growing space to 112 square feet.  In addition to that I have several large containers that tend to be used more some years than others.  My largest round containers are 16" diameter and 11" deep, 5 gallon containers.  They have plugs in the bottom so I have used a couple of them in the past for small water features.  I also have a couple 5 gallon square containers, several 24" window boxes and of course all other miscellaneous containers home gardeners tend to accumulate.

Container gardening is another high density growing method.  This year is a year of heavier container use for no particular reason other than increasing growing space.  So I started planting containers as well.  Pictured are four of the planted containers.  Starting at the top and moving clockwise are: Veestar strawberry, Boston pickling cucumbers, zucchini and Tiny Tim tomato.  If you look close you can see the baby zucchini on the plant.  Zucchini grow so fast that they will be ready for picking shortly.  Currently in containers:

• edibles - Bonston pickling cucumbers (4), spearmint, brandywine (2), zucchini, Veestar strawberry, herbs (thyme, rosemary, summer savory, sage, sweet basil, purple ruffles basil, Siam Queen basil, boxwood basil)
• non-edibles - Pinnacle salmon geraniums (10), pink wave petunias (6), Ultra Blue petunia (8), 

I'm still planting though so within the next few days panseys, onions, Jalapeno pepper, Habanero pepper, and more will be joining the raised beds as well as containers.  I plant the large containers and window boxes to the same density as square foot gardening.  Growing in containers present both feeding and watering problems especially during periods of hot, dry weather.  I use a potting soil mix with 0.07-0.01-0.03 (N-P-K) slow release fertilizer that will feed the plants for upto 3 months as well as supplement with epsom salts and additional organic fertilizer as required.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Tomato Plugs

Tomato Plugs

June 9, 2010

Traditionally in our area home gardeners aim for having their gardens fully planted by the May 24 long weekend.  With recent climate changes there has been a push for some home gardeners to start putting their vegetables in too soon.  Our average day of last frost (ADLF) is usually around May 8 but we had a good frost here on May 14 this year so those with warmer weather plants like tomatoes already planted lost them.  I tend to follow the traditional planting time combined with using the ADLF as an indicator as to when to plant cold weather plants like spinach and lettuces.  I also follow the planting times of local farmers who are just now planting tomatoes and peppers.  I am still busy planting in the raised beds and containers with the plans to add two new 4' x 4' raised beds that will bring my total raised bed growing area to 112 square feet.

Planting is an ongoing process when using the square foot gardening method.  As a square is harvested it is replanted with another vegetable so there is continuous planting and harvesting throughout the growing season.  It occurred to me while planting my tomatoes that many home gardeners do not know what tomato plugs are.  Tomato plugs are small tomato seedlings that come in a tray much like cell packs but much smaller.  As you can see the cell in the tomato plug tray is considerably smaller as are the plants.  There are 288 tomato seedlings to one tomato plug tray.  The number of tomato plug trays needed depends on the size of acreage being planted.  The seedlings are planted using a mechanical tomato planter.  They are usually planted as soon as possible because there is very little soil.  Don't let the small size of the tomato plugs fool you.  While they look very small compared to the Tiny Tim tomatoes behind the marigolds, this commercial variety will quickly catch-up in size and out perform the Tiny Tims.  I planted 13 of this variety this year.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Poison Sumac

One of our kids reacts quite violently to poison ivy to the point of needing emergency medical attention from exposure on several occasions.  Most of the contact has come from when we were camping but the other day a large poison ivy plant was discovered in their backyard so called me for advice.  That jogged my memory to take another look around the yards to be sure there was no poison ivy. 

I discovered a potential problem bush coming up through some of the cedars.  Like poison ivy it had the characteristic reddish tinge on the young leaves and the leaves three.  There was one larger  shrub about 5 feet tall and a few smaller ones.  The shrubs have been identified as poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix).

Poison sumac is a wood shrub that can grow up to 20 ft tall.  All parts of the plant contain urushiol that causes skin and mucous membrane irritation in humans.  If the plant is burned inhalation of the smoke may cause the rash to appear on the lining of the lungs.  This can cause extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory distress.  The leaf consists of 7 to 13 oval to oblong tapering to a sharp point (acuminate) with a wedge-shaped base (cuneate) leaflets per leaf ending in the characteristic 3 leaf pattern.  Each leaflet is wavy-edged (undulate) with no hair to fine down-like hair.  Poison sumac grows in very wet or flooded soils in the eastern United States and Canada.  Some botanists indicate that poison sumac is the most toxic plant species in the US. 

We have encountered it before when hiking through boggy areas.  The poison sumac is growing in areas that were affected by our previous drainage problems with the largest of the plants growing in an area that routinely floods in the spring or heavy rains.  Essentially our paved driveway is higher than the neighbour's yard so our first year here we noticed the water problems.  Between the two of us we have been working on the drainage problems on both properties.

Since poison sumac is so toxic we have no choice but to destroy the plants for our own safety.  This is one of the few times that Round-up can be used here due to Ontario's pesticide ban.  I will wait for a clear, dry day then spray the plants.  Once they are dead we will remove them wearing protective clothing and bag them in yard waste bags for the garbage as the dead plants cannot be put in the compost or be burnt.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

At Risk Garden Visitors

As I work in the garden I am always on the look-out for garden visitors both friend and foe.  I find it amazing the diversity of critters that visit the gardens and yards.  For the most part all of the visitors are wild with the exception of a couple of neighbourhood cats that visit occasionally.  Currently the most noticeable difference in my garden visitors is the glaring absence of the wild rabbits and I have seen the cats for quite some time either.  Given our location on the water with bordering farmland I'm surprised we haven't seen any snakes either. 

A couple of days ago I was doing a bit of planting in the garden.  Close to the sidewalk under the cedars there was a tiny bird that had fallen from it's nest.  Obviously he was in a bit of shock from his fall but did not appear to be hurt.  The fall would have been roughly about 8 feet.  This poor little one was a critter at risk in my garden especially if the neighbourhood cats happened upon him.  There are also several species of birds of prey that frequent our area.  I kept an eye on him hoping that he would be able to get to a bit safer location under a nearby shrub.  At least there he wouldn't be quite so noticeable to predators.  The following day he was gone but there were no signs of harm so I think he may still be under the shrub.

Last year an  albino toad decided to call the gardens his home.  Toads are always most welcomed in my gardens for natural insect control.  An albino toad seldom survives long in nature because it is lacking the natural camoflage needed to protect itself from predators.  Despite that the albino toad managed to spend the gardening season with us. 

My husband was unloading the car from our vacation when he discovered the albino toad again.  He told me the yellow toad was back if I wanted to get pictures.  Sure enough there was the little critter waiting patiently with the gnomes for his photoshoot.  This reminds me I need to make a couple of toad homes to give him a bit more protections.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Herb Bed Progress

The herb bed is coming along nicely.  Most of the perennial herbs came up without a problem although I did lose the nasturtiums and rosemary.  The bed cleaned up quite nicely though.  I was quite pleased at how robust and healthy the perennial herbs looked!

To the top right there is sage and chives in bloom.  To the top left are two patches of lavender and to the left middle there is summer savory.  To the bottom are two patches of oregano that clearly have not read the square foot gardening manual.  Between the oregano patches is thyme.  I planted thai basil, lemon basil and purple basil as well a chamomile. 

As you can see there are still plenty of open spaces available for planting but there are still more herbs to go in.  I used one square for a cucumber plant that will be grown vertically using the wire support.  Last year this bed served as an overflow bed for the extra plants that grow well with herbs.  This year it will be mainly herbs.

If you have been following this blog you will know we have our house up for sale with a conditional offer on another house.  However, the housing market appears to have softened so with each passing day it looks more and more like we might not be moves.  I'm planning on adding two new 4' x 4' raised beds shortly so the garden will change once again.  If we move I will have at least had the use of the new beds for one season and if we don't they will be ready for next year's garden.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Missing From My Gardens

This will be our fourth and possibly last summer at this house if it sells shortly.  The house is in a rural area on waterfront property so we have an abundance of wildlife some that are not always as helpful in the gardens as they could be.  Early this spring I spotted a second pair of wild rabbits so fully expected to be defending the garden against rabbits this year as well.  However they are glaringly absent from our yard and gardens.  There are signs of the raccoon still visiting  and we catch the scent of an occasional skunk but nothing from rabbits.  It is as if they just disappeared into thin air!

Most of the homes on our short dead end street have some type of vegetable garden so the area has been quite popular with the rabbits.  Up until the last month or so it was common to see one or more rabbits daily as they moved from yard to yard, garden to garden.  It was easy to tell when rabbits were getting into the vegetable gardens as well via the various pest deterrents gardeners were using.   As far as I know no one is trapping rabbits here either.  In our area the primary rabbit predators include but are not limited to foxes, coyotes, wolves, fishers, birds of prey (eg. hawks, owls) and domestic dogs and cats.  Each year vehicles get a few rabbits here as well but I haven't even seen signs of that.  There were recent reports of coyotes about 25 km east of us but none for our area and there are foxes in the area but not that close to the houses.  We don't have any neighbourhood dogs running loose but have 2 resident cats I call citizens on patrol.  However, they too have mysteriously been absent from the yards as well.  Something has gotten to our rabbit population! 

I suspect perhaps birds of prey and foxes may be the problem but I've seen none around the house and no signs of either.  Another factor could be hunting of which our county does allow both resident and non-resident hunting with various open seasons depending on the Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).  This is a more likely explanation for the sudden disappearance of wild rabbits in our area. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Three Important Gardening Tools

I have three very important gardening tools that you will not find in the gardening section of any store. They are:

• digital camera - A digital camera not only gives a pictorial as to how my gardens are doing but helps serve as an important identifier for both flora and fauna. 
• cell phone/wireless phone - A garden can be a very dangerous place in many perspectives even though you don't think of it as such.  You could be bit by something you react adversely to or have a slip and fall or anything in between.  It is very important to have some type of phone with you that in the event you need help you can get it.
• water bottle - I always have a filled water bottle with me in the garden.  The heat of the day can be quite dehydrating and despite intending on only being in the garden for a few minutes it can easily stretch out to an hour or more.  During the gardening season dehydration can be a problem so to combat this always take a filled water bottle with you and make sure to take the time to keep your body properly hydrated.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Sun Protection when Gardening

I have been spending a fair amount of time in the garden the past week getting things which means some exposure to sun and insects. For years we have been told to slather on the sunscreen to protect against the damaging effects of the sun. As a result of a skin condition that worsens with sun exposure I have sunblock with an SPF 80 that I use on my face and any exposed body part. The problem with relying on sunblocks are two fold. First most sunscreens and sunblocks contain oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is a penetration enhancer that helps other chemicals in the sunscreen and sunblock penetrate the skin. Recent studies have indicated that oxybenzone is linked to allergies, disrupts hormones, causes cell damage and a low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. In addition to the health risks of oxybenzone, those living in the northern hemisphere using both sunscreens and sunblocks have been shown to be significantly deficient in Vitamin D. So it would appear the very thing I need to prevent one problem has the potential of creating several problems. The reality is sunscreen and sunblock is really only one type of protection and it should be used sparingly if at all given some of the health risks. There are other ways to protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun while gardening:

• anti-oxidants - These natural chemicals such as lycopene (in tomatoes) and Vitamin C help to protect against cellular damage from the sun and other toxins.  In the summer the brighter and darker the fruit and vegetables are the more anti-oxidants they contain so make them part of your daily diet.
• avoidance - Avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day when the sun is the strongest between 12 PM and 4 PM.  Gardening is extremely pleasant in the early morning hours and that is one of the best times to identify and problem insects. The evening hour just before dusk is another pleasant time to work in the garden.
• protective clothing - Wear light coloured protective clothing preferably cotton in the garden.  The clothing should be long sleeved to cover your arms and long legged or long skirts to shield your legs from the sun.  A wide brimmed hat is a must to shade your face and neck from the sun.
• sun shelters - Set up one or more sun shelters in your garden for use while you are working.  These can be vine covered sitting arbors or gazabos, patio sitting areas with umbrellas and small sheds where you can do a bit of planting in containers out of the direct rays of the sun.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Starting to Plant the Beds

The following day my husband stopped on the way home to pick up a flat of flowers and herb.  I was not specific in my instructions other than marigolds, petunias and herbs.  I figure he has been helping me around the gardens long enough to have a good idea what I like.  He brought an assortment of marigolds, deep purple petunias, thai basil, purple basil and lemon basil.  Apparently my comment that one can never have too much basil has not gone unnoticed :)

The flat of plants just looked so pretty!  I always love planting and buying flats of plants because in such a small space there is a lot of hope and anticipation of what is to come.  This year has been a bit off with the house for sale and a May vacation so I didn't start a lot of plants indoors.  I am relying on buying a few flats of plants this year as well as the free tomato and pepper plants I can get. 

Buying plants if you don't have the chance to start them yourself is still a good value.  A cell-pack of vegetables usually ranges in cost from 99¢ to $1.29 for 4 to 6 plants.  A flat usually holds 48 plants and ranges in price from $10 to $15.  A $100 budget for annuals, herbs and vegetables can buy a lot of plants! 

Marigolds are excellent companion plants for tomatoes, peppers and lettuces.  This bed will be planted with all three so I planted marigolds around the perimeter.  In less than two days the first bed is already taking shape and looking good!  Once the marigolds were planted the bed was prepped for planting the other vegetables.

Work has already started in the herb raised bed. The herbs there already look great so it was a matter of working up the bed a bit after weeding then stringing the grid.   Then that bed was ready for planting as well.  So really under 2 days of a bit of work and it wasn't difficult or time consuming work the beds were in the progress of being planted.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

My Waterball Garden

[Please note that this is not a paid post.  I am not being compensated by JM Chemicals but rather sharing a neat product I found with you.] 

We went to a couple of fleamarkets while on vacation.  It's a great way to spend the morning and  you never know what you will find.  Quite often there is one or more booths selling plants and there are always a few booths selling fresh local produce.  Well there you go fresh produce and plants in one location so how could you go wrong?

One booth we stopped at was selling Deco Beads aka waterballs in various colours.  The display was quite pretty so I ended up buying a large package of the very small crystal beads.  Waterballs are made by JM Chemicals.  SoilMoist™is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly polymer that stores water then releases it to the plant as needed essentially acting as a water reservoir.  The waterballs are the decorative form of SoilMoist™ meant for a variety of decorating purposes from water plantings to centerpieces with flowers and/or candles.  Unlike SoilMoist™ that must be incorporated into the soil at the root level of the plant, the waterballs are meant to serve a decorative function.  JM Chemicals has a wide variety of products to help with the home gardening watering needs.

The SoilMoist™ polymers reduce your plant waterings by 50%, reduce transplant shock is effective in the soil for 3-5 years. They are an effective water management aid that is ideal for interior and exterior plantings.  I can immediately see the usefulness for container gardening.  While the company says these polyacrylamide crystals can be used for  vegetables but there are some concerns that when the polymer starts to breakdown they release acrylamide a known neurotoxin and possible carcinogen.  For that reason I will not be using any form of these crystals in my edible garden beds or planters although commercial growers and other home gardeners are using them for edible plants.  I think they will be quite useful for the decorative funtion indoors as well helping with water management for my outdoor flower planters and houseplants especially when we are away from home.

I have to say these beads are really interesting to watch.  Mine did not come with instructions so I poured the contents of the small bag into a large stainless steel mixing bowl.   I poured a couple of cups of water over the beads then waited patiently (or not so patiently).  About an hour later this is what the waterballs looked like.  There was still a fair amount of water in the bowl so I just left it thinking that perhaps the waterballs weren't going to work.  However after another hour the water was all absorbed so I poured more water over the plumping little waterballs.  By late evening the water was once again absorbed so I covered with more water and left them until the following morning. 

In the morning all the water was absorbed with the middle section of the waterballs in the bowl indented so I poured in more water to cover.  By lunch time the waterballs were ready to use.  I was quite impressed by how much the waterballs had increased in size!  Each was now about the size of a marble that glittered and sparked everytime the light caught them. 

The real trick seemed to be over saturating them with water then giving them the time to absorbe the water.  I used a large slotted ladle to scoop the waterballs into 4 clear glass vases for planting.

As I filled the vases I wondered what to plant in them.  I figured they would be perfect for rooting cuttings and a bit prettier than a plain jar of water plus the waterballs would keep the cuttings upright with no further supports.  I made a couple of cuttings from my pothos plant that really does need a bit of trimming and a couple cuttings of English ivy, periwinkle and another smaller unidentified vine from the outdoor gardens.  These are outdoor plants I like but in controlled areas.   Once the plants are rooted I will pot them in soil with SoilMoist™ crystals added.  I set the planted vases in a couple of windows.  I really do like how the waterballs glisten and glitter!

I have these containers out of the reach of little hands.  The waterballs would be something any child would love playing with.  They are definitely on the textural side of things similar to wet gummy bears but not as sticky.  Even I loved the feel of running my hands through them!  I will be experimenting more with this type of soil-less potting medium.  For any plant left in the waterballs at some point a fertilizer will be needed but that would be the same as any plant left in a jar of water.  I can see lots of geranium cuttings lining my window sills this winter!  I have already ordered the non-decorative crystals for my flower pots and houseplants so hopefully they will be and effective part of my water management strategy during extended periods when we aren't home.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Preparing the Beds for Planting

I did not do anything to the raised beds before we left for vacation.  The weather didn't co-operate and despite the local predictions of a dry spring we had a fair amount of rainfall.  I would have liked to have had my beds planted earlier this year but knowing we would be away for 11 days there was little point especially with frost threatening just a couple days before we left.

It's amazing what a difference a week or two can do.  While we were gone the temperatures warmed to the point we came home to heat similar to what we had left.  The garden beds were a huge mess to say the least.  Weeds had taken over practically everywhere including along the paths.  To the right near the garage there were several good sized thistles as well as a larger one in the centre path.  Not picture were two more thistles in the herb garden.  I was tempted to leave one as thistles are herbs but I didn't mainly because the grandbabies like collecting cherry tomatoes.  I might try growing a thistle in a container well out of their reach though.

As daunting as the task looked cleaning the weeds out was not near as much work as it appeared.  Weeds in raised beds are seldom much of a problem because the soil hasn't been trampled so they pull rather easily.  It took us about a half hour to clear the weeds from the first bed and paths.  Although the square foot garden method is supposed to be no till because the soil is constantly being turned as a square is harvested then replanted.  I find that I get better results by turning the soil in the spring.  This is also a good time for me to assess the health of the soil.  There should be a good number of earthworms in the soil.  It is also a good time to add any soil amendments such as peat moss and compost.  

By the end of the afternoon the bed was prepped and ready for planting.  The original square foot garden method calls for using a rigid grid but right from the start I have always used left-over cotton yarn.  Yarn stretches a bit and sags when it gets wet but other than that it makes an effective grid.  This year I am using garden twine.  This twine has a bit of a coating on it that will prevent any sagging when it gets wet keeping the grid a bit neater. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Magnolia in Bloom

Magnolia in Bloom

May 24, 2010

The magnolia had one lovely bloom on it just before we left for home.  It was near the top of the tree so I couldn't get a good shot of the bloom.  Perhaps next time.  The blooms on our magnolia are white so it will be pretty in full bloom.  I need to do a bit of research on the care and maintenance of magnolia so I will be prepared for our next trip.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Mulching the Vacation Home Gardens

Mulch

May 24, 2010

Mulch is a huge component of most gardens where our vacation home is.  The reason being as with anytime you use mulch is to control moisture evapouration and keep the moisture where you want it in the gardens.  Mulch serves to help keep weeds under control as well however some mulches are problematic for certain applications and location.  For that reason a mulch should always be chosen based on how it performs in your particular location ensuring it is not creating more of a problem than it solves.  In some locations wood mulches should be avoided because they attract centipedes, millipedes, pill bugs and earwing.  In these same locations in the shady spots a wood mulch may also encourage moulding. 

In my home gardens in Zone 6A Ontario, Canada wood mulch is used mainly by those who do not realize the problems wood mulch can create especially close to the house.  The problem is by the time you realize wood mulch around the perimeter of you house in this area the damage is already done so not only do you have to remove the wood mulch you have to do insect control and damage control.  Wood mulch decays over time so it does attract all of the insects that feed on decaying vegetation matter.  In this zone wood mulch works nicely providing it is kept a good 6' from the house foundation making it suitable for mulching around trees and flower beds not close to the house. 

The gardens at our vacation home in Zone 9A USA differ in that wood mulch works nicely to keep the moisture in the soil but from what I've seen does not cause the insect problems common to northern regions.  The garden beds were already mulched but as mentioned previously needed topping up.  My husband picked up 6 bags of red wood chip mulch to dress the front bed.  I think the top dressing looks quite nice.  We ran out of both time and energy so did not mulch around the rest of the house so that is on next trip's agenda.

Happy Gardening!  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010