Gardening flowers and trees: September 2012

Friday, September 14, 2012

Composting the Minimalist Way!

By Dr Rob Turner

Frederick County Master Gardener

There is no single, right way to compost or wrong time to start. One needs only to designate a place to pile unwanted "greens" and "browns" (more about that later) and then let nature run its course, decomposing the organic matter to free nutrients that fertilize the soil.
I have been composting for four decades, now, but the way that I do it has evolved--eliminating precise measurements, costly additives and labor along the way. Now, I am a minimalist who works with nature to accomplish my gardening goals. Good compost, applied once a year, enriches the soil and, so, is an important part of that approach.
We live in a townhouse so our compost bins are small and compact--a couple of heavy, perforated, plastic sheets that wrap into cylinders secured with plastic bolts, tucked into a corner by the chimney, out of sight. We use one as a holding bin and the other as an active composter.
This spring, my husband simply lifted the compost bin out of the way, shoveled the cascading pile of "black gold" into the yard cart and dumped it strategically around our yard. Then he spread it evenly throughout the raised annual vegetable beds, raked it around the sprouting plants--staying several inches from the woody stems of shrubs and trees but extending it to their drip lines--and sprinkled it on our grass.
Since there was insufficient compost to provide every plant with a half-inch or so, we will purchase more in bulk from Frederick County or in bags of Montgomery County’s Leafgro, both of which are high quality products though they may contain residual chemicals from people’s yards so we use our own, organic mix in the vegetable beds.
We do not till the compost into the soil because the latest scientific research shows that it does more harm than good, disrupting the active web of life that carries organics down and pushes rocks (minerals) up to the zone where the symbiotic plant roots feed in the top 4-6" of soil, for herbaceous (green-stemmed) plants, and 8-10" for shrubs and trees. So, following nature’s lead, we layer compost on top of the soil and then, in turn, top it with water-retaining, botanical mulch.
After clearing out this year’s harvest of compost, we replaced the active bin and transferred into it, from the holding bin, a thick layer of last year’s semi-composted tree leaves. Then, we started adding the new "greens"--herbaceous (green) stems, leaves and trimmings, from which we carefully removed the roots of perennial weeds, seed stalks and plants. The latter were consigned to a huge paper bag for garden waste, (available in grocery stores) that the County picks up and hot-composts professionally.
The key is to feed the bin, over the course of the summer, with layers of greens and browns, the brown layers being about twice the volume of the green. If we have insufficient tree leaves, we use other "browns" such as clean paper, ripped cardboard and untreated wood chips.
That is the only maintenance that we do. We neither turn the compost nor ensure that the bin stays moist in hot weather. After all, nature doesn’t. It takes longer to produce compost that way but I have learned patience.
For me, the process of creating compost is eminently satisfying, not only because it provides the best possible, pure, organic fertilizer for my garden but also because it is a method of recycling what would otherwise be destined for expensive landfills. Just think what would happen if everyone did it!
For more information about the science and practice of composting, download "Backyard Composting" from the online publications at Worlds Best Compost

Related Articles:- Compost is King When it Comes to Garden Nutrition
How to Make Money at Home Growing Small Landscape ...

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Compost is King When it Comes to Garden Nutrition

Rosemary Stalker

Rosemary has been working in journalism for 32 yrs and specialises in gardening projects. Her articles are published across a number of medias
View all articles by Rosemary Stalker

Compost is King When it Comes to Garden Nutrition

When growing flora they will develop in normal soil as well as compost, particularly when nurtured in green houses as vegetation grown in green houses are exempt from creepy crawlies and pests. Superior quality composts should contain fragments of differing sizes to make the effective compost light, uncomplicated to aerate, provide essential nutrients to the plants, conserve dampness and drainage for the roots of the flora. The more masters of gardeners make their individual effective composts with their personal remarkable elements and never disclose the formula but these days many manufacturers offer better composts for the glass house gardeners. Acquiring ready made finer composts is a sure bet for glass house developers as you know interest has gone into the foundation to confirm the best results are certified.
Two varying types of superior great composts available are seed great composts and potting quality composts. When nurturing flora in greenhouses seed fertilisers are well suited as they are skimpy in nutrients which are spot on for newly germinated plants. Higher grade great composts for seeding are high in peat and of a fine texture. As soon as the time arrives to repot the nurtured seedlings then you need to choose higher grade quality compost products suitable for the steady growth. It is important to remember that selective flora require selective needs and it is always prudent to get expert advice when picking fertilisers.

When it comes to gardening potting quality composts then the better quality composts are loam based or soil-less. Using a soil less compost more moisture is held on to sanctioning excellent aeration however nutrients are diminished very expediently. These types of potting fertilisers are only suitable for use with flora that are in pots for a short time. If you use loam based fertilisers then you are guaranteeing your flora with a steady supply of nutrients over a longer period of time which makes these types of quality effective composts ideal for slower nurturing plants. The plus points of both loam and soil less potting great composts is they drain freely which avoids the roots becoming water logged.
To haste up the composting activity there are various quick effective compost products available that turn down the procedure of turning the fertiliser into a effective product. This class of compost is the ideal choice for gardeners whose soil is all together clay based. Using this type of compost on a clay based soil will continue to supply supply your gardening ideas with the essential nutrients that will break down up the clay and consent the roots of the flowers and flora to get into the soil. However, if you have soil that is mainly sandy then composting will combine together the unconfined particles to help retain moisture and water for the flora to feed off as well as adequate aeration approving the plants to breathe. Choosing the perfect compost is a matter of personal choice but all will benefit the garden.
If you would like to make Compost yourself I would highly recommend that you check these E- Books :-
Worlds Best Compost
Worm Farming Secrets - Best Selling Guide To Worm Composting
High Density Gardening
Gardenrack.

How to Make Money at Home Growing Small Landscape Plants on 1/20 Acre or Less

by Michael J. McGroarty
You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. You must include an active link back to the author's website, as well as an active link back to House Plant Secrets.

Small town, big town, it doesn’t matter, if you have a small area in your backyard that you can use for planting, then you can make money growing small plants at home. Actually you can make pretty good money on 1/40 of one acre. That’s an area about 30 feet by 40 feet.
You will be amazed at how many plants you can fit in an area that small, and at how much money you can make. Even apartment dwellers can do this! If you live in an apartment, just to get a feel for how fun and rewarding a tiny nursery can be, find somebody with a little piece of ground that they will either let you use, let you rent it, or do a joint venture with you.
Is there really a market for small plants? The market is huge, something like 4 billion dollars last year alone, and the demand is tremendous. As a small grower, you have a tremendous advantage over the larger nurseries, their overhead is very high. As a backyard grower yours will be almost nothing.
You might be asking; "I live in a small town in a rural area, how many plants can I really sell?"
Tens of thousands if you want to. Most people don’t realize it, but large wholesale growers are the largest buyers of small plants in the country. They sell so many plants that they just can not produce them fast enough themselves, so they buy them from where ever they can find them. Just pack them up in a cardboard box and ship them anywhere you want.
I routinely buy large quantities of small plants and have them shipped thousands of miles to my house. Why do I buy plants if I know how to grow them myself? There are a lot of reasons, but one is because I am impatient and don’t like to grow Japanese Maples from seed. I can buy Japanese Maple seedlings for as little as 75¢ and all I have to do is pot them up and watch them grow.
I also buy large quantities of flowering shrubs that I would like to start propagating myself. I buy them for 50¢, pot them up, and often sell them the next year for $4.97. But in the mean time I take cuttings from them to propagate for next year’s crop. Then I never have to buy that variety again.

Those are the same reasons that many wholesale nurseries are always looking for great deals on small plants. When they find someone like you, growing in their backyard they are delighted, because they know they can buy what they need for less money from a small backyard grower than they can if they buy from a large nursery.
It only stands to reason, your overhead is almost nothing, you don’t have to raise the price of your plants to pay for buildings, hundreds of acres of land, trucks, tractors, and dozens of employees.
How much money do you need to get started?
Almost none. All you have to do is root some cuttings, and you’re on your way! There are dozens of easy plant propagation techniques that are so easy to learn that young children can do them, and with great success I might add.
This propagation information is available to you free of charge at How To Plant An Organic Vegetable Garden
The size of the area you need to get started is really up to you, but an area about the size of a picnic table is a start. I’m serious. I root my cuttings in flats that are about 12” by 15”, and can get between 100 and 150 cuttings per flat. In an area about the size of a picnic table you should be able to root several thousand cuttings at a time.

And guess what? As soon as they are well rooted, they have a value and can be sold immediately! Isn’t that cool? Typically a rooted cutting is worth about 50¢. Let’s see now, 1500 cuttings at 50¢ each, that’s $750.!!! Wow!!! The wheels should be turning now.
But you don't have to sell 50¢ plants, you can grow them until they’re bigger and get more money for them. That’s what I do, I pot them up in small pots and they sell like crazy right from my driveway at $4.97 each.

This spring we sold over $25,000. worth of $4.97 plants right from our driveway. One the people that bought my Backyard Nursery E-book held a sale this spring and sold $2,800. worth of plants her first weekend. She was ecstatic! Of course we also sold plants for much more than that. I used to grow Japanese Red Maples and we sold those for $45. each, and they sold like hot cakes!
This is one of the most fun and rewarding home businesses you could ever get involved in. My kids have learned work ethics, the value of a dollar, and skills that will last them a lifetime. Anytime they needed a little extra money all they had to do was step out the back door and earn the money they need.

It costs very little to get started, and the rewards can be quite high.
It’s certainly not a get rich quick plan (because there is no such thing!), but plenty of people have done very well in the nursery business. All it takes is determination and hard work. You can learn it as you go along. It’s much easier than you think.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, Food4wealth

and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by,Our Vegetable Garden Secrets

. If you use this article the above two links must be active.

The Secret of Rooting Cuttings

by Michael J. McGroarty

The secret of rooting cuttings can be summed up in two words.

“Timing and technique”.

When you do your cuttings is every bit as important as how you do them. So if you do the right thing, at the right time of the year, your efforts are sure to bring success. Through this article you will learn both.

"Rooting Hardwood Cuttings of Deciduous Plants"

Hardwood cuttings are much more durable than softwood cuttings which is why hardwoods are the best technique for the home gardener. A deciduous plant is a plant that loses it’s leaves during the winter. All plants go dormant during the winter, but evergreens keep their foliage. Many people don’t consider Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and and Mountain Laurel evergreens, but they are. They are known as broad leaf evergreens. Any plant that completely loses it’s leaves is a deciduous plant.
There are three different techniques for rooting cuttings of deciduous plants. Two methods for hardwood cuttings, and one for softwood cuttings. In this article we are only going to discuss rooting cuttings using the hardwood methods. If you are interested in softwood cuttings, you'll find a very informative article at Getting Started In Hydroponics: Expert Tips, Plans & Secrets
Of the two hardwood techniques is one better than the other? It depends on exactly what you are rooting, what the soil conditions are at your house, and what Mother Nature has up her sleeve for the coming winter.

I have experienced both success and failure using each method. Only experimentation will determine what works best for you. Try some cuttings using each method.
When doing hardwood cuttings of deciduous plants, you should wait until the parent plants are completely dormant. This does not happen until you’ve experienced a good hard freeze where the temperature dips down below 32 degrees F. for a period of several hours. Here in northeastern Ohio this usually occurs around mid November.
Unlike softwood cuttings of deciduous plants, where you only take tip cuttings from the ends of the branches, that rule does not apply to hardwood cuttings of deciduous plants. For instance, a plant such as Forsythia can grow as much as four feet in one season. In that case, you can use all of the current year's growth to make hardwood cuttings.
You might be able to get six or eight cuttings from one branch. Grapes are extremely vigorous. A grape vine can grow up to ten feet or more in one season. That entire vine can be used for hardwood cuttings. Of course with grape vines, there is considerable space between the buds, so the cuttings have to be much longer than most other deciduous plants. The average length of a hardwood grape vine cutting is about 12” and still only has 3 or 4 buds. The bud spacing on most other deciduous plants is much closer, so the cuttings only need to be about 6- 8” in length.
Making a deciduous hardwood cutting is quite easy. Just collect some branches (known as canes) from the parent plants. Clip these canes into cuttings about 6” long. Of course these canes will not have any leaves on them because the plant is dormant, but if you examine the canes closely you will see little bumps along the cane. These bumps are bud unions. They are next year’s leaf buds or nodes, as they are often called.
When making a hardwood cutting of a deciduous plant it is best to make the cut at the bottom, or the butt end of the cutting just below a node, and make the cut at the top of the cutting about 3/4” above a node. This technique serves two purposes. One, it makes it easier for you to distinguish the top of the cutting from the bottom of the cutting as you handle them. It also aids the cutting in two different ways. Any time you cut a plant above a node, the section of stem left above that node will die back to the top node. So if you were to leave 1/2” of stem below the bottom node, it would just die back anyway. Having that section of dead wood underground is not a good idea. It is only a place for insects and disease to hide.
It is also helpful to actually injure a plant slightly when trying to force it to develop roots. When a plant is injured, it develops a callous over the wound as protection. This callous build up is necessary before roots will develop. Cutting just below a node on the bottom of a cutting causes the plant to develop callous and eventually, roots.

Making the cut on the top of the cutting 3/4” above the node is done so that the 3/4” section of stem above the node will provide protection for the top node. This keeps the buds from being damaged or knocked off during handling and planting. You can press down on the cutting without harming the buds.
When rooting cuttings this way it helps to make the cut at the top of the cutting at an angle. This sheds water away from the cut end of the cutting and helps to reduce the chance of disease. Once you have all of your cuttings made, dip the bottom of the cutting in a rooting compound. Make sure you have the right strength rooting compound (available at most garden stores) for hardwood cuttings. Line them up so the butt ends are even and tie them into bundles.
Select a spot in your garden that is in full sun. Dig a hole about 12” deep and large enough to hold all of the bundles of cuttings. Place the bundles of cuttings in the hole upside down. The butt ends of the cuttings should be up. The butt ends of the cuttings should be about 6” below the surface. Cover the cuttings completely with soil and mark the location with a stake, so you can find them again in the spring.
I know this sounds crazy, but rooting cuttings this way does work. To increase your chances of success you can cover the butt ends of the cuttings with moist peat moss before filling in the hole. Make sure you wet the peat moss thoroughly, then just pack it on the butt ends of the cuttings.
Over the winter the cuttings will develop callous and possibly some roots. Placing them in the hole upside down puts the butt ends closest to the surface, so they can be warmed by the sun, creating favorable conditions for root development. Being upside down also discourages top growth. Leave them alone until about mid spring after the danger of frost has passed.

Over the winter the buds will begin to develop and will be quite tender when you dig them up. Frost could do considerable damage if you dig them and plant them out too early. That’s why it is best to leave them buried until the danger of frost has passed.
Dig them up very carefully, so as not to damage them. Cut open the bundles and examine the butt ends. Hopefully, you will see some callous build up. Even if there is no callous, plant them out anyway. You don’t need a bed of sand or anything special when you plant the cuttings out. Just put them in a sunny location in your garden. Of course the area you chose should be well drained, with good rich topsoil.
To plant the cuttings, just dig a very narrow trench, or using a spade, make a slice by prying open the ground. Place the cuttings in the trench with the butt ends down. Bury about one half of the cutting leaving a few buds above ground. Back fill around the cuttings with loose soil making sure there are no air pockets. Tamp them in lightly, then water thoroughly to eliminate any air pockets.
Water them on a regular basis, but don’t make the soil so wet that they rot. Within a few weeks the cuttings will start to leaf out. Some will more than likely collapse because there are not enough roots to support the plant. The others will develop roots as they leaf out. By fall, the cuttings that survived should be pretty well rooted. You can transplant them once they are dormant, or you can wait until spring. If you wait until spring, make sure you transplant them before they break dormancy.
There really is no exact science when it comes to rooting cuttings, so now I am going to present you with a variation of the above method. This method still applies to hardwood cuttings of deciduous plants. With this variation you do everything exactly the same as you do with the method you just learned, up to the point where you bury them for the winter.
With method number two you don’t bury them at all. Instead, you plant the cuttings out as soon as you make them in the late fall, or anytime during the winter when the ground is not frozen. In other words, you just completely skip the step where you bury the cuttings underground for the winter. Plant them exactly the same way as described for method number one. As with all cuttings, treating them with a rooting compound prior to planting will help induce root growth.
Hardwood cuttings work fairly well for most of the deciduous shrubs. However, they are not likely to work for some of the more refined varieties of deciduous ornamentals like Weeping Cherries or other ornamental trees. Rooting cuttings of ornamental trees is possible, but only using softwood cutting techniques.

Now let's discuss rooting cuttings of evergreens, using hardwood techniques.

Hardwood cuttings of evergreens are usually done after you have experienced two heavy frosts in the late fall, around mid November or so. However, I have obtained good results with some plants doing them as early as mid September, taking advantage of the warmth of the fall sun. When doing them is early, they need to be watered everyday.
Try some cuttings early and if they do poorly, just do some more in November. Hardwood cuttings of many evergreens can be done at home in a simple frame filled with coarse sand.

To make such a frame, just make a square or rectangular frame using 2” by 6” boards. Nail the four corners together as if to make a large picture frame. This frame should sit on top of the ground in an area that is well drained. An area of partial shade is preferred.
Once you have the frame constructed remove any weeds or grass inside the frame so this vegetation does not grow up through your propagation bed. Fill this frame with a very coarse grade of sand. The sand used in swimming pool filters usually works. Mason's sand is a little too fine. If you have a sand and gravel yard in your area visit the site and inspect the sand piles. Find a grade that is a little more coarse than masons sand. But keep in mind that most any sand will work, so just pick one that you think is coarse enough. If water runs through it easily, it's coarse enough.
Make sure you place your frame in area where the water can drain through the sand, and out of the frame. In other words, don't select a soggy area for your cutting bed. Standing water is sure to seriously hamper your results.
Making the evergreen cuttings is easy. Just clip a cutting 4-5 inches in length from the parent plant. Make tip cuttings only. (Only one cutting from each branch.) Strip the needles or leaves from the bottom one half to two thirds of the cutting. Wounding evergreen cuttings isn’t usually necessary because removing the leaves or needles causes enough injury for callous build up and root development.
Dip the butt ends of the cuttings in a powder or liquid rooting compound and stick them in the sand about 3/4” to 1” apart. Keep them watered throughout the fall until cool temperatures set in. If you have some warm dry days over the winter, make sure you water your cuttings. Keep in mind that sand in a raised bed will dry out very quickly. Don't worry about snow. Snow covering your cuttings is just fine, it will actually keep them moist, and protect them from harsh winter winds.
Start watering again in the spring and throughout the summer. They don’t need a lot of water, but be careful not to let them dry out, and at the same time making sure they are not soaking wet.
This method of rooting cuttings of evergreens actually works very well, but it does take some time. You should leave them in the frame for a period of twelve months. You can leave them longer if you like. Leaving them until the following spring would be just fine. They should develop more roots over the winter.
Rooting cuttings of the following plants is very easy using this method. variegated Euonymus varieties, Taxus, Juniper, Arborvitae, Japanese Holly, Boxwood, and English Holly. Rhododendrons and Azaleas prefer to have their bottoms warmed before they root.
Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, Organic Vegetable Gardening
and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. E-Books provided by,Sacred Geometry Gardening
. If you use this article the above two links must be active.

Composting the Easy Way

by Michael J. McGroarty

You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. You must include an active link back to the author's website, as well as an active link back to composting Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners' dream.
It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn’t qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms.

I built two composting bins. Each bin is five feet wide, five feet deep, and four feet high. I built the bins by sinking 4” by 4” posts in the ground for the corners, and then nailed 2 by 4’s and 1 by 4’s, alternating on the sides.
I left 2” gaps between the boards for air circulation. The 2 by 4’s are rigid enough to keep the sides from bowing out, and in between each 2 by 4 I used 1 by 4’s to save a little money. The bins are only 3 sided, I left the front of the bins open so they can be filled and emptied easily. Photos of my compost bins are on this page:

I started by filling just one of the bins. I put grass clippings, dried leaves, and shrub clippings in the bins. I try not to put more than 6” of each material on a layer. You don’t want 24” of grass clippings in the bin, you should alternate layers of green and brown material. If necessary, keep a few bags of dry leaves around so you can alternate layers of brown waste and green waste.

When we root cuttings we use coarse sand in the flats, so when it’s time to pull the rooted cuttings out of the flats, the old sand goes on the compost pile. In our little backyard nursery we also have some plants in containers that do not survive. Rather than pulling the dead plant and the weeds out of the container, and then dumping the potting soil back on the soil pile, we just dump the whole container in the compost bin. This adds more brown material to the mix, and is a lot easier than separating the soil and the weeds.

Once the bin is full, the rules of composting say that you should turn the material in the bin every few weeks. There is no way that I have time to do that, so this is what I do. I pack as much material in the bin as I can, before I start filling the second bin. I pile the material as high as I possibly can, and even let it spill out in front of the bin. Then I cover all the fresh material with mulch or potting soil, whatever brown material I can find.

Then when I’m out working in the garden I set a small sprinkler on top of the pile and turn it on very low, so a small spray of water runs on the material. Since I have a good water well, this doesn’t cost me anything, so I let it run for at least two hours as often as I can. This keeps the material damp, and the moisture will cause the pile to heat up, which is what makes the composting action take place.

Once I have the first bin completely full, I start using the second bin. As the material in the first bin starts to break down, it will settle, and the bin is no longer heaped up, so I just keep shoveling the material that I piled in front of the bin, up on top of the pile, until all the material is either in the bin or piled on top of the heap. Then I just leave it alone, except to water it once in a while. The watering isn’t necessary, it just speeds the process.

Because I don’t turn the pile, I can’t expect all of the material to rot completely. The material in the center is going to break down more than the material on the edges, but most of it does break down quite well. The next step works great for me because I’ve got a small nursery, so I keep a pile of potting soil on hand at all times. But you can really do the same thing by just buying two or three yards of shredded mulch to get started, and piling it up near your compost bins. If you do this, you will always have a supply of good compost to work with.

Shredded bark, left in a pile will eventually break down and become great compost. The potting soil that I use is about 80% rotted bark. I make potting soil by purchasing fine textured, and dark hardwood bark mulch, and I just put it in a pile and let it rot. The secret is to keep the pile low and flat, so that it does not shed the rain water away. You want the mulch to stay as wet as possible, this will cause it to break down fairly quickly.

So I keep a pile of rotted bark mulch near my compost bins. When both bins are completely full, I empty the bin containing the oldest material by piling it on top of my rotted bark mulch. I make sure the pile of rotted mulch is wide and
flat on top so that when I put the material from the compost bin on top of the pile, the compost material is only 5 to 10 inches thick.

My mulch pile might be 12’ wide, but it may only be 24 to 30 inches high. Once I have all the compost on top of the pile, then I go around the edge of the pile with a shovel, and take some of the material from the edges of the pile and toss it up on top of the pile, covering the compost with at least 6” of rotted bark. This will cause the compost material to decompose the rest of the way.

Once you get this system started, you never want to use all of the material in the pile. Always keep at least 2 to 3 cubic yards on hand so you’ve got something to mix with your compost. If you use a lot of compost material like I do, then you should buy more material and add to your pile in the late summer or fall, once you are done using it for the season.

Around here many of the supply companies sell a compost material that is already broken down quite well. This is what I buy to add to my stock pile. But I try to make sure that I have at least 3 yards of old material on hand, then I’ll add another 3 yards of fresh material to that. Then in the spring I’ll empty one of the compost bins and add the compost to the top of the pile.

The pile of usable compost will be layers of material, some more composted than others. Kind of like a sandwich. So what I do is chip off a section of the pile from the edge, spread it out on the ground so it’s only about 8” deep, then
run over it with my small rototiller. This mixes it together perfectly, and I shovel it onto the potting bench.

Having a pile of rotted compost near your compost bins is great because if you have a lot of leaves or grass clippings, you can throw some rotted compost in the bin in order to maintain that layered effect that is necessary in order for the composting process to work well.

Sure this process is a little work, but it sure is nice to have a place to get rid of organic waste any time I like. Then down the road when I have beautiful compost to add to my potting soil, I am grateful to have done the right thing
earlier, and I know that I have wasted nothing.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, Gardening and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by High Density Gardening
. If you use this article the above two links must be active.

POTATOES IN POTS AND OTHER APRIL GARDENING TIPS

Charlie Nardozzi, Horticulturist and
Leonard Perry, UVM Extension Horticulturist

Planting potatoes in large tubs or pots, removing strawberry mulch, and dividing rhubarb are some of the gardening activities for this month.

If you don't have room to plant potatoes in the garden, try planting them in tubs or large pots. Using chicken wire or wire mesh, fashion a cylinder that's about 3 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter and place it over a tilled bed. Place a layer of hay along the inside walls of the cage, then add a 2- to 3-inch layer of rich garden soil and plant 4 potato tubers. Cover the tubers with more soil. As they grow, continue lining the inner edge of the cage with hay and covering the young sprouts with soil until you reach the top of the cage. Keep the plants well watered and harvest when the vines naturally die back.

Another method is to buy one of the relatively new black potato bags—a heavyweight fabric bag that is somewhat porous, and holds about 15 gallons of soil. Fill it about a third full of soil mixed with compost, then gently press the seed potatoes in near the top. If large potatoes, cut them in half or pieces such that each one has at least 2 or 3 healthy emerging shoots or “eyes”. Then once the plants begin to grow, add more soil until the bag is eventually about full. Start your potatoes indoors now in a bright, somewhat warm location, then move them outside later in spring after frosts. This way you can harvest potatoes by mid-summer.

Check strawberry plants twice a week for signs of new growth. As soon as you see sprouts, remove the hay or straw mulch and spread it in the rows to help control weeds. A topdressing of an inch or two of compost will give plants a boost.

If your rhubarb plants seem crowded, plan to divide them as soon as the ground thaws. Choose a cloudy, cool day, dig up the whole crown, and break off the young side shoots, trying to keep as many roots intact as possible. Transplant the mother plant back in the original hole amended with a shovelful of compost, and plant the babies in a full sun location. Harvest the young plants lightly, if at all, the first year.

Don't rush into the garden to till; wait until the soil has a chance to dry out. Tilling too early can cause soil compaction and poor growth later in the season. To know when to till, do a squeeze test: grab a handful of garden soil and squeeze it -- if it drips like a sponge it's too wet to till. It should form a ball in your hand, then crumble when lightly squeezed.

Spray horticultural oil on fruit trees such as apples, plums and cherry to smoother any overwintering insects. Choose a calm day when temperatures are above 40 degrees (F), and be sure to cover all sides of the branches. You can also apply it to evergreens to control spider mites and other insects -- carefully follow the instructions on the label for proper usage and appropriate plants.

Once the snow melts you may start to see browning damage on lawns from road salt. To help flush the salt from the soil, water the lawn near roads and walkways several times, especially during dry periods. This will help move the salt down into the subsoil. Once this salt is removed, then you can begin to prepare the thin spots in the lawn for reseeding.
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INDOOR WATER GARDENS

By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
If your space is limited or you just don't like to make a mess with soil, try growing your garden in water. It's also the best solution for anyone who can't master the art of watering plants properly.
Many foliage plants will grow in water. This method permits the use of many interesting and unusual containers and allows for flexibility of plant arrangements. Although growth will be slow, the plants will remain attractive for a long time.
You can use any receptacle that will hold water for the containers for your water garden. Avoid those made of copper, brass, or lead, however. Fertilizers can corrode these metals and may cause plant damage. A dark container will help prevent the formation of algae in the water.
Once you have chosen a container, fill it about three-fourths full of a support material such as florist's foam (your best choice), crumbled styrofoam, gravel, pearl chips, pebbles, coarse sand, marbles, beads, or any other similar materials. Use your imagination. A small piece of charcoal or a pinch of powdered charcoal added to the support materials will help prevent the water from turning foul.
Next, prepare a dilute water and fertilizer solution using a water-soluble fertilizer at one-fourth the recommended rate. Add this solution to the support material.
For plant materials you may use either cuttings or rooted plants. Be sure to wash all soil off the roots and cut off any dead or decayed material. Arrange the plant materials in an attractive manner. Examples of plants suited to water gardens are the Chinese evergreen (Aglaonemas), Dumbcane, English ivy, Philodendrons, Moses-in-a-cradle, Pothos, Wax plant, and Wandering Jew.
Keep the water-fertilizer solution at the proper level by adding more to the container as needed. Every four to six weeks, replace the nutrient solution. If green algae becomes a problem, change the water solution more frequently or use an opaque container.
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The Ultimate Water garden Design Manual

CHOOSING FRUIT TREES

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Winter is the time to order fruit trees from catalogs (to be shipped in the spring “bare root”—no soil on the roots), and spring the time to find them in large pots at local nursery outlets. In addition to choosing them for their fruit, whether you’re planning to incorporate them into landscapes or to plant a mini-orchard, you should know a few facts about the main types of fruit trees to best choose ones matching your site and your expectations.

The very first step is to only order or buy trees of fruits you’ll like to eat, but make sure they are hardy in your area. Beware in national chain stores of ones selected for a large geographic region, ones which may not grow in your particular area. There can be differences among cultivars (cultivated varieties) too, usually with not all growing best in all regions. Even if a tree will survive in an area, it may fruit poorly if at all. Some tree fruit cultivars will have buds killed by frosts, so no fruit, if they bloom too early. Catalogs, and trained nursery professionals, should be able to help in cultivar selection.

How much space do you have, or are willing to plant and maintain? This will determine the number of plants, based on their width and spacing. Keep in mind there are dwarf, and semi-dwarf selections of many tree fruits, which of course take less space than standard-size trees. Being lower, they are easier to maintain and harvest too.

Related to size, as well as other traits such as disease resistance, soil adaptability, hardiness, and vigor, are rootstocks. Rootstock refers to the plant onto which the cultivar is grafted. You’ll often see these listed, going by letters such as for apples the B9 dwarf or M111 semi-dwarf, or Lovell for peaches. Just be aware of this if you see these letters, but unless you want a particular one for specific traits or want to get involved with your own grafting, there is no need to study up on these.

Expected yield may impact how many you want, or need, of each fruit type. Keep in mind that many can be stored in various ways, or processed into jams and fruit leathers for instance. If planting more than a couple cultivars, choose ones that fruit at different times if you want to spread out your harvest season.

Although some tree fruits are listed as “self-fertile”, with no cross pollination needed, even these often bear more heavily with two or more cultivars. Make sure the ones you choose will flower at the same time. And when planting, make sure these are close enough (often within 50 feet), so the bees can find both plants.

Apples are perhaps the main tree fruit most think of, especially in the north. Their hardiness varies from USDA zones 3 (-30 to -40F average annual minimum temperature) to 9 (20 to 30 degrees F), depending on cultivar. While standard apple trees grow 20 to 30 feet tall, semi-dwarf grow 12 to 15 feet and dwarf cultivars grow 7 to 10 feet. Respectively, they should be spaced 25 to 35 feet apart, 15 to 20 feet, or 7 to 10 feet.

Years to bearing from planting apple trees, and yield, for mature standard trees is 5 to 8 years and 8 to 18 bushels, for semi-dwarf 3 to 5 years and 4 to 10 bushels, and for dwarf trees 2 to 4 years and one to 6 bushels. The variation in these is due to cultivar, climate, and particular growing conditions.

Peaches are perhaps the main tree fruit that comes to mind with southern gardeners. Closely related are the nectarines (basically smooth-skinned peaches) and apricots. Although there are a few more hardy peaches, most peaches and nectarines grow in zones 5 (-20 to -10 degrees F) to 9, while apricots generally grow in zones 5 to 8 (10 to 20 degrees F). Madison, Red Haven, and Reliance are peaches that may grow into zone 4. Standard peach trees reach 10 to 15 feet tall, dwarf ones 5 to 7 feet tall. Space these, respectively, 18 to 20 feet and 7 to 8 feet apart. Crimson Rocket is an upright, columnar peach tree.

Although most peaches are self-fertile, so you can get by with one tree, most bear more heavily with a partner nearby. Peaches are less tolerant than other fruits of extremes in soils and climate. Expect fruit starting for standard trees in 2 to 4 years, 2 to 3 years for dwarfs. Mature trees, respectively, may yield 4 to 6 bushels or one to 2 for dwarf peaches.

Pears, depending on cultivar, grow in zones 5 (sometimes 4) to 8. Luscious, Parker, and Patten are a few of the more hardy cultivars. Standard trees reach 15 to 30 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet for dwarfs. Space these, respectively, 15 to 20 feet or 8 to 10 feet apart. Expect fruits in 4 to 6 years for standard trees, with 2 to 8 bushels when mature. For dwarfs, fruiting begins in 3 to 5 years with one to 2 bushels per mature tree.

Plums come in one of three main groupings—European (hardiness zones 5 to 9), Japanese (zones 6 to 9), and American hybrids (zones 4, maybe 3, to 8). Make sure you have two of the same group for cross pollination. Standard trees reach 12 to 25 feet, semi-dwarf 12 to 15 feet, and dwarf 5 to 8 feet. Space them, respectively, 18 to 20 feet, 10 to 15 feet, and 6 to 8 feet.

Be careful about bloom time when choosing, as early bloomers can be injured by frosts. Expect yields in 4 to 6 years for standard trees, and 3 to 5 years for semi-dwarf and dwarf ones. Standard and semi-dwarf, when mature, usually yield 2 to 6 bushels per tree, with 1 to 2 bushels for dwarf plums.

Cherries come in two main groups, sweet and sour (or tart). Hardiness varies with cultivar, but generally for sweet is zones 5 to 8, and for sour zones 4 to 7. Standard sweet cherries often reach 20 to 30 feet, 15 to 20 feet for sour. Space them, respectively, 20 to 25 feet, and 15 to 20 feet apart.

Sweet cherries generally need cross pollination, sour cherries usually don’t need this to fruit. Expect yields in 5 to 7 years for sweet cherries, 3 to 5 for sour. Both, when mature, yield one to 3 bushels or 60 to 80 quarts. Keep in mind that, when growing cherries, bird netting or control is usually needed unless you’re willing to share with the birds.
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