Vegetable Garden Planning

It is time to discuss Vegetable Garden Planning. I will be borrowing a great deal from Barbara Damrosch’s “The Garden Planner” (sold right here at Skillin’s) in this discussion. She writes the following:

“Vegetable gardening is so popular that to many people it is gardening. When they parcel out the limited time, space and resources they have for gardening, the vegetable garden gets a mighty share; only lawns, on the average get more. In fact about half of the families in the United States have some sort of vegetable garden.

Why, with ample fresh produce available year-round in the supermarkets, is this tradition still alive and well? Sometimes the initial goal is to save money. If gardeners are efficient and diligent they often do so, but not, I would guess, very often. Usually I hear them joke in fall about the squash that costs them a dollar apiece to grow, or the peas that were fifty cents a pod after figuring the cost of the fence, tools, fertilizer and other aids, and the cost of their time. The following Spring, undaunted by these economics, they are back in their gardens again.

I grow my own vegetables for two reasons: the quality of the crops I can produce myself, and the quality of the time I spend doing it. There is no question that food picked from my garden tastes better than food that is picked six states away, rides in a truck, sits in storage areas, waits in display bins in the store, rides home in my car, then idles in the refrigerator until it is the right item for the menu. Vegetables ripened in the garden and eaten right away have many more vitamins, too. I also appreciate the fact that I can control what chemical fertilizers, if any, are used to grow my vegetables and whether they are sprayed with pesticides….And as I investigate the selection of vegetables available to me as a home gardener, I realize more and more how much better it is than that in the produce department. Supermarket vegetables are usually bred for ease of transportation and storage…and the ability of the crop to bear all at once for most efficient harvest. In choosing what to grow in my garden, on the other hand, I look for better flavors and nutrition, new and unusual varieties to try out and, quite often, a crop that does not mature all at once over a long period of time.

All these are benefits I have discovered during the course of growing vegetables, but they are not what motivated me in the first place. Initially it was simply the itch to get out there in the Spring, to smell the warm earth, and grub around in the garden in the sunshine, feeling fit and contented, watching my bounty ripen. The harvest was extra. I think there is a basic satisfaction in growing food for the table, and that most of us who do it enjoy the activity of gardening itself just as much as the result.”

Here are some more pointers about planning a vegetable garden that Barbara Damrosch goes on to discuss:

*What type of vegetables to grow? The first criterion should be your appetite and that of the people you live with. But do keep in mind a vegetable garden is a golden opportunity to try the new and unfamiliar.

*Take our climate into account. In the northeastern USA, we have no problems with cool-weather crops such as broccoli, peas, lettuce and cabbage. Ask your neighbors what grows well for them or check with us here at Skillin’s!

*How big a garden? The most common mistake made by new and old gardeners is that they plant too much. Either the upkeep overwhelms them and much of the garden succumbs to weeds, bugs or drought or the harvest is too bountiful, and they cannot keep up with the picking, let alone the eating and preserving. You will probably find it more fun and rewarding to start small.

*Choose a site that receives lots of sun and drains well. Trees can be cut to let in more sun and we at Skillin’s have plenty of natural products to help your soil!

*Try to start with a sketch of your vegetable garden plot to make the buying of seeds and starter crops and the ultimate planting more efficient.

We have just scratched the surface of planning a vegetable garden. We will discuss more aspects as the season progresses, but please let us know of any questions you may have!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 7, 2008

Garden Happenings! Week of May 5

Hello again,

Gardening is Happening in Skillin's Country!

In this post we will be letting you know what we are doing or what we hear is going on out there in our local gardening world. We will be updating this post with quick supplements all through the week!

So check here frequently!If you would like to contribute just drop us a quick note at info@skillins.com OR leave a comment at the end of this post.

We would love any tips OR questions from you.

May 7:

We are getting many, many questions about whether it is time to transplant annuals outdoors yet. In most cases, I believe it is still too cold to plant outdoors. There is still potential for frost or COLD WIND damage. Besides, the ground is still fairly cold—many of the warm weather lovers like impatiens, marigolds, petunias and vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, vine crops would simply not grow in the ground yet. That being said, it is an outstanding time to “harden off” the material I just described above.

With warm weather we look forward to planting outside, but night temperatures can still be quite chilly and frost in New England; this can be a danger until the end of May. A couple of weeks before you plan to plant, you will want to start hardening-off any plants that you have started indoors or that we at Skillin’s have only kept in our greenhouses.

To start, find a protected, shady place outside to place your plants for “hardening off purposes”. The first day, leave them out no more than a couple of hours. If after two weeks there is no threat of frost, you may leave them out all night. If frost or bad weather threatens, you will want to cover or protect them. Most important during this hardening-off period: do not forget to water your plants! They will dry out much faster outside.When it is safe to transplant (when the lilacs are blooming or after the last full moon in May), make sure your soil is properly prepared. Add soil amendments if necessary to make a light, loose crumbly soil, well supplied with nutrients. Use a plant starter to aid in early root development and to promote a greener, more vigorous plant.

Plants that can be planted outside include trees and shrubs and most perennials, pansies and snapdragons. Make sure the pansies and snapdragons are “hardened off” as discussed above.

May 6:

We're already hearing from our customers that the Lily Leaf Beetles are emerging from the soil and attacking their Asiatic and Oriental lilies. The lily leaf beetle, native to Europe, was discovered near Montreal, Canada in 1945. Its damage was limited to the Montreal area for decades, but recently it has spread to the south and west. The beetles are strong fliers and excellent hiders.

If you only have a few plants in your garden, hand-picking adults and eggs can be effective.

There are two types of garden sprays that can be effective. One is the "Merit" based products by Bayer Advanced. "Merit's" scientific name is Imidacloprid. Merit is a chemical and needs to be used according to the directions on the container. We feel that many people "overuse" this product, so again please use the dilutions and frequencies that Bayer Advance recommends. We do sell the Merit based products here at Skillin's so if you would like to use them please come and see us so we can give you the best advice. Don't necessarily trust the guy who was working in the Plumbing Department last week (if you know what I mean).

Many of us here at Skillin's will be trying the all natural K Neem by Organica for the lily leaf beetles. K Neem is the purest form of neem (an insecticide based upon extracts from the neem tree of India). Neem kills insect larvae and repels adult insects. Neem must be applied every five to seven days after egg hatch for best effectiveness.

(Thanks to Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited for some of this tip)

(above photo from www.cornell.edu)

May 5:

Good birding friend Liz Cardinale reminds us that it is time to get fresh cut oranges outdoors to attract the migrating Baltimore Orioles! If you have never attracted Orioles to your yard you are in for a TREAT! You can nail the oranges to a tree or hang them in a caged feeder like a suet cage (we sell suet cages right here at Skillin's!). Also Liz has read that Orioles love meal worms and she is going to try some meal worms to better attract her Orioles. We do sell the meal worms here at Skillin's.

Also Liz urges us to get our hummingbird feeders set up in our gardens as the migrating hummingbirds will SOON be here. We have some great hummingbird feeders and all the nectar they will need right here at Skillin's!

Also, let us show you some of the plants favored by hummingbirds like fuschia, columbine, trumpet vine, bleeding hearts and other trumpet shaped flowers.

Garden Happenings! Week of April 28

Hello again,

Gardening is Happening in Skillin's Country!

In this post I will be letting you know what I am doing or what I hear is going on out there in our local gardening world. I will be updating this post with quick supplements all through the week!

So check here frequently!

If you would like to contribute just drop us a quick note at info@skillins.com OR leave a comment at the end of this post. We would love any tips OR questions from you.

May 4:

Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited in Rockport tells us "as your asparagus shoots start emerging, harvest spears at least pencil width from asparagus plants that are at least three years old. Cut the spears at ground level with a sharp knife and eat them that day for the best flavor. For asparagus, select a well-drained site in at least part sun; full sun is not necessary. Eliminate all weeds by repeated tilling, loosening the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches. Mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. Prepare the bed by digging trenches four feet apart. The trenches should be 12 inches wide and six to 12 inches deep. Soak the crowns briefly in lukewarm water before planting. Draw a hoe along each side of the prepared trench to form a mound in the center running the length of the trench. Set the crowns 18 inches apart on the mounds in the trench, draping the roots over the sides. Cover the crowns with a mix of one part compost to three parts topsoil , burying the crowns two inches deep. Water the bed thoroughly. After about a month, once shoots have appeared, carefully add more soil to the trench.”

This is excellent advice for planting asparagus. One point I may depart from is that I am not a fan of repeated tilling since that will raise havoc with the soil structure but you certainly want to rid your new asparagus beds of weeds. Another point I would make is that asparagus plants are ugly to look at as the season goes on so choose a spot somewhat far from your house if you have the option. I would also add scatter some Plant Booster Plus by Organica or Plant Tone by Espoma into the compost for some good natural nutrients. Later on in the season I would side dress the plants with one of these products for more nutrients.

Take advantage of the unexpected rain we received on Saturday to get out and pull "hard to pull" weeds that may already be prominent in your perennial beds or lawns. Even mature dandelions pull a little easier out of moist ground!

Many years ago now Jim Crockett of Crockett’s Victory Garden wrote about raspberries in his fine book, Crockett’s Victory Garden:

“Of all the delightful fruits for the home garden, none is more productive than raspberries. That’s a special bonus, because growing raspberries at home is about the only way to get them to the table in perfect condition; they are extremely difficult for the commercial market to raise and ship since they are so easily damaged in handling.

Ordinary raspberries ripen in midsummer on canes that grew the previous year.

I set the young bushes, which we bought in a local nursery, into our ordinary garden soil that had been enriched with cow manure and peat moss. (We would recommend planting with Shrub and Tree Mix by Jolly Gardener after pre watering the hole with a good root stimulator like Roots or a good natural fertilizer like Bio Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica which both contain natural microbes for all natural root stimulation, both products sold right here at Skillin’s). After that feed twice yearly with a good all purpose natural fertilizer like Plant Tone by Espoma or the aforementioned Plant Booster Plus by Organica.

I don’t expect more than a handful of fruit from raspberry bushes in their first year, but after a year or two in the soil they’ll yield bountifully for many seasons.” We have a great raspberry selection here at Skillin’s!

May 3:

Don't remove foliage from fading spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips until it dies back on its own. The plant needs the foliage to manufacture and store food in the bulb in preparation for next year's bloom.Removing green foliage weakens the plant. Wait until the foliage yellowson its own in midsummer before trimming it back. In the meantime, hide the unsightly foliage by doubling it over and tying with rubber bands.

Now is a great time to feed your bulbs with a good natural liquid fertilizer like Fish/Seaweed fertilizer by Neptune's Harvest. The bulb plants will take the nutrients and micronutrients supplied by this great fertilizer and both store them and also use them to grow bigger and stronger for more flowering next year!

DK adds to this: "I hide my fading bulbs with other flowers: my tete-a-tete
daffodils/narcissus are petering out right now, just as my daylilies
around them are about the same height. Soon enough, you'll never know the tete-a-tetes are still there."

(Thanks to Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited for the first part of this tip!)

May 2:

Customer JM checks in with a question: I purchased a tree from skillins 4 or 5 years ago. It has never bloomed since planting it in our yard. What should I put on it for fertilizer? I'm hoping that I can do something now that will encourage blooms for next year.

Answer: Location is very important as your crab should be in a day long (6 to 8 hours for maximum flowering) sunny spot.

For best flowering I would recommend twice yearly applications of a good natural food like Flower Tone by Espoma. Also I would try a couple of liquid feedings of Fish and Seaweed fertilizer by Neptune's Harvest to get some more natural ingredients into the soil that are conducive to the long term health of your tree and therefore it's flowering.

At some point it would probably be wise to do a soil test around the area of your tree.

Finally, it may be good to give the plant at least a light trimming or pruning but do it right after similar trees have just finished flowering. You don't want to wait too long for that.



May 1:

I am sure you cannot help but notice the beautiful Forsythia shrubs that are in blossom all over Southern Maine!

Forsythia is an easy shrub to plant and grow! Occasionally we will hear that customers have trouble with them blooming but that is usually because they may have pruned them in the fall. Forsythia grows fast and loves to be pruned and shaped but the time to do the pruning and shaping is right after they flower (think later this month). This pruning timing is the case with so many plants. Fall pruning of forsythia will mean you are shaping your bush BUT you are also cutting off the growth that will result in next year's flowers.

Forsythia loves full sun and a well-drained soil. I usually feed them with Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica twice per year.

As you can see, they make excellent hedges, borders or foundation plantings! We have some greatvarieties here at Skillin’s and would love to show you them

Barbara Gardener checks in:

"Not too happy that the heavy rain beat down so many daffodils and giant hyacinths. A friend ordered 25 giant stargazer bulbs and then gave them to me because she didn't want to plant them. And naturally I was stupid enough to take them. Also a huge trash bag of pachysandra. Have no idea how to spell that and neither does spellcheck. That stuff is terrible to dig up. Couldn't find where the main root was so we just pulled. Some of it is a yard long. Should be a fun afternoon! "

Barbara already knows this but pachysandra is a classic groundcover for a partial shade area. I just love it!

April 30:

I was driving from Falmouth to Cumberland earlier today and I saw my first “mowed lawn”. One of the most important steps in organic lawn care is to NOT mow your lawn too short in the Spring and summer. A 4” lawn is best, a 3” lawn will do and folks I can guarantee that these heights are taller than most of us are used to. Why so long? Well, keeping a “taller” lawn encourages deeper root growth, discourages weeds by having tougher lawn roots and more of a grass canopy, and reduces watering needs in the heat of summer.

With a taller lawn it is vital that you keep your lawn mower blade sharp throughout the season. Also, another good step is to aerate your lawn once or twice a year to let more sun and air down into your soil. We sell Aerator Sandles here at Skillin’s that you can strap on while doing your yard work and lawn mowing. With the sandles you just keep poking helpful holes into the earth!

April 29:

Happy Birthday to my mom Brenda Skillin. She and her sister in law Sally Skillin (wife of my late uncle John Skillin) married two hard working gentlemen named David and John Skillin who dedicated so much of their lives to building Skillin's Greenhouses and to educating thousands of Maine gardeners.

Dave and John were away from home a great deal and my mom Brenda and my aunt Sally raised 3 kids apiece and made a lot of meals and were the backbone of the house while Dave and John were working.

What you have done for so many should not be forgotten!

April 28:

Now is the time to plant "cole" crops. "Cole" refers to any of various plants belonging to the Cruciferae or mustard family. Even though you might not be familiar with the impressive scientific name or enjoy eating mustard you are certainly familiar with other members of this family which furnish gardeners with many gourmet delights during the season. The mustard family includes cool season crops such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, broccoli, turnips and watercress. These crops should be planted about 2 weeks before your last frost date in soil amended with compost. Don't be concerned if the leaves turn red or purple. It's often a sign of phosphorus deficiency due to cool soils and will go away once the soil warms. Other crops to plant include lettuce and peas.” I planted some broccoli and red leaf lettuce the other day (just before all this rain!) Terry Skillin is worried that his pea seeds may have drowned in all this rain. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

But sunny days lie ahead and with it great days for gardening!

(Thanks to Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited for this tip!)

So Happy Together by KCB

KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family.

First, I have to comment about the weather. Glorious. Just over a year ago was the now infamous Patriot’s Day Storm. The day’s ravages are still with us. Uprooted mounds where there once were mighty oaks, birch’s snapped like twigs, mismatched roof shingles reflective of those lost and replaced. Just a year ago this pas week I raked shards of glass from blown out sunroom windows.

On to the present and future! This will be my last installment of ‘Gardening 101’. My 3 previous installments are still posted here at the Skillin’s Garden Log. We’ve planned, prepared, tested and with all the walking are in shape. Now we are salaciously waiting to sow the seeds of our studies.

Right Plant, Right place.

Longing for the fragrance of lilac after a May rain yet wonder why they never bloom in your woodland setting? Dreaming of a tidy garden with tiny pinpricks of Gold and Lavender for color yet plant Nepeta (Catmint) and Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susans)? Wishing for a colorful low growing border for the shady side of your house and decide on Joe-Pye Weed and Garden Phlox? You love the abstract form and texture of the Mugo pine with a vision of installing several along the northern foundation. You feel these sprawling evergreens will work well under the canopy of your crabapples. Will they?

What is wrong with these scenarios? I have many such stories of woe but you don’t need to.

My recommendation is simple. Too simple, really. Research.

Does this mean you have to investigate arm loads of gardening magazines? Spend countless time searching on-line or fill your library with gardening books?
What to do?

With the exception of People, Places and Plants (found at http://www.ppplants.com/) , gardening magazines are often geared to the Hardiness Zones with longer growing seasons. Internet sites are only as reliable as those who create them. I trust the sites of known local nursery and garden centers and various University Cooperative Extensions.

Yes, all of this research may sound too much like work. Do not fret, fun is on the way. I’ve saved the easiest and above all totally FREE suggestions for last………….


Read, ask, buy...

Speak with the staff at your favorite family owned nursery and take away their gardening catalogs. A wealth of information on both accounts. It may seem obvious why asking questions is significant to picking the right plant but why a catalog?

The Nursery Catalog holds the key. Along with the common and botanical name, of each plant, shrub or tree are notations regarding sun exposure; growth habits and other conditions of interest. Carry these with you as a reference when shopping.

I’m not done yet. For I offer you the Pinnacle Plant Syllabus. Drum roll please!
A simple plastic strip stating a plethora of points-----the plant tag. Oh, how I wish I could purchase my own set and collect them as children do baseball cards. I’ll trade you the 1998 Perennial of the Year for the 2007 Cary Award Winner.

As you admire the plant, read before you proceed to purchase. Light exposure, height, spread as well as bloom time in words and symbol are included. Imagine all this time a world of answers waited at your fingertips. One final warning, however. As much as I adore plant tags, I abhor them in beds and attached to shrubs. You wouldn’t expose the care instructions or maintain price tags on your clothing? Remove those tags; keep them if you must (I keep one of each) with your journal or file just not in your garden. Many botanical markers are available or create your own.

Gardening 101 is now at it’s completion. Your passing grade will be what you make of these suggestions. We welcome your thoughts and will be gleeful at your successes and offer a shoulder for those plans that went awry.

Next time……….reports from the field…………

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses

April 28, 2008

Garden Happenings! Week of April 21

Hello again,

Gardening is Happening in Skillin's Country!

In this post I will be letting you know what I am doing or what I hear is going on out there in our local gardening world. I will be updating this post with quick supplements all through the week!

So check here frequently!

If you would like to contribute just drop us a quick note at info@skillins.com OR leave a comment at the end of this post. We would love any tips OR questions from you!

April 26:

Hammon Buck from Plants Unlimited in Rockport Maine has a great store and website and with his permission we have passed on gardening ideas from his email gardening column before. Hammon has some great advice on perennial care:

"May is a good time to dig and divide later blooming perennials if needed, such as hosta, ornamental grasses, perennial geraniums, bee balm, daylilies, helen's flower, and asters. If left undivided, plants may become unproductive and overcrowded, often bare in the centers. Wait until after bloom to divide overgrown early-blooming perennials such as yarrow and evening primrose. Dig up the clump, and with a sharp spade create wedges. Then, divide the clump in half, then divide each half further. Leave large divisions if you want plants to look better, and bloom more, sooner. After replanting, water often and deeply to reduce stress on these new divisions. "

April 25:

Sometimes you get a 2-for-1: landscape plants that look good and provide you with edible landscaping, too! So it is with blueberry bushes and fruit trees.

We have a great selection of easy to plant and easy to grow blueberry bushes and fruit trees here at Skillin's. Come see our great selection and let us show you how these plants can provide great tasting and healthy food for you and your family PLUS we can explain how they add quality year round beauty and character to your landscape!

David Beaulieu at About.com Landscaping writes the following good advice about fruit trees:

"Who says that only ornamentals can be used in landscape design? Apple trees (Malus spp.) are as lovely in bloom as any strictly ornamental flowering specimen. But unlike ornamentals, apple trees will provide you with a delicious harvest of fruit. And because you’ll be able to enjoy that fruit fresh off the trees (when it tastes best), you’ll have added incentive to adhere to the old maxim about having one a day to keep the doctor away!

Nor are the aesthetic landscaping uses for apple trees limited by their blooming periods. A row of apple trees can act as an attractive privacy screen all summer and fall, while fully leafed out. Or perhaps you already have a privacy fence, but it looks too bare -– you’d like to dress it up.

Dwarf varieties of the apple can serve as the “clothing,” trained along your fence in an art form known as espalier. Dwarf varieties (5’-8’ tall) and semi-dwarf varieties (12’-16’ tall) are better plants for espalier than are standard apples (20’-30’ tall).

But don’t depend on dwarf varieties to be as hardy as semi-dwarf varieties and standards. For a homeowner living in planting zone 3, for instance, it’s probably safest to restrict your selection to standards. Those of you, however, who live in a climate suitable for dwarf varieties should take advantage: you won’t have to wait as long for a mature yield of fruit (a couple of years) after planting as with standards (five or six years). Note, however, that in addition to apple tree variety, the other factors that I discuss throughout this article have an impact on how long it will take for the branches of your new apples to start straining under the burden of a bumper crop.

Selecting Varieties of Apple Trees: Climate and Taste

Beyond the consideration of dwarf vs. standard varieties, the first thing you should do to determine the varieties of apple trees you’ll be growing is to ensure that you select the varieties that grow best in your region....(we can help you with that here at Skillin's!)

The following are examples of varieties of apple trees that are good at producing fruit for particular tastes:

For a sweet fruit: "Honeycrisp"

For pie-making: "Northern Spy," "Liberty" apple trees and "Golden Delicious"

Selecting Apple Trees – Varieties Resistant to Disease

But not all of us will want to let our taste buds make the decision for us; it’s ultimately our muscles we listen to the most -– as in avoiding sore muscles by adopting low-maintenance alternatives. In the latter case, disease-resistant varieties of apple trees may carry the day over varieties that require spraying -– regardless of nuances in taste. Four diseases commonly attack apple trees: fire blight, apple scab, cedar apple rust and powdery mildew."

Here at Skillin's we recommend Freedom and Liberty as two varieties that are very disease resistant.

We also offer some "heirloom apple" varieties including Roxbury Russett and Newtown Pippin (a favorite of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson!).

Check out our 2008 Nursery Catalog in PDF form at http://www.skillins.com/ for more descriptions of the varieties that we offer!


April 24:

Onions are so good and so easy to grow! The easiest way to grow onions is by planting onion sets. Onion sets are grown from seed one year, harvested early and stored under controlled conditions and then sold in the Spring. They are easy and foolproof and they are usually the first harvest of the season in your garden. Here is some advice on how best to plant onion sets from Jim Crockett of Crockett’s Victory Garden:

Plant the sets in mid to late April. First, work any good garden fertilizer such as Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Plant Tone by Espoma into the soil. Plant 2 rows, 2 inches apart, gently pressing the sets down into the soft soil at 2” intervals until the tips are just under the surface. This is a dense planting, but pull every other one to be eaten as sweet juicy scallions later in the Spring, leaving half the crop to mature into full-sized onions.

The deep snows of winter offer a perfect opportunity for mice, moles and voles to hide from cats and other predators. However, such rodents will often spend their winter under the snow gnawing on young tender recently planted trees. Now that the snow has mostly melted such eating can easily be noticed. Too much eating can cause girdling and be fatal to the tree. If you notice bark missing and parts of your trees gashed on the lower trunk areas we urge you to wrap your trees with a good quality tree wrap (sold here at Skillin’s). Wrap your trees to a point of 1 to 2 inches in the ground and extend at least 18 inches up the tree. Again, such eating may eventually be fatal but if your tree is to be saved, any exposed areas should be protected from sun scald or disease spores. Also always avoid using mulch within a foot of tree trunks because that mulch can be a haven for rodents. Let us know if you have any questions!

Question from customer MF: "This spring we are going to attempt to be more organic with our lawn and flower gardens. We need some advice as to the order in which to apply various products. Last weekend we bought the Organica 4 step program and also we want to put down a layer of compost. The products in question are:

compost
grass seed (to reseed some bare spots)
Organica Lawn Booster
Milky Spore
Organica Kelp Booster

Answer: "The Organica Lawn Booster is an excellent product but it consists of corn gluten meal and you should not put that down on the ground at the same time you put down the grass seed because corn gluten will stop any seed from germinating as the corn gluten breaks down into a gel and thinly covers the ground.

I just applied the Organica Lawn Booster to my lawn EXCEPT in areas where I just put down some Jonathan Green Black Beauty grass seed (which I highly recommend by the way). In that spot I would recommend putting down the Kelp (Step 2).

In early June when it is time to go to Step 2 of the Four Step Program I would put the kelp in areas that you did not seed and I would put the Lawn Booster (step 1) in areas that you did reseed and have now germinated. So after you have done all this you have put both Step 1 (Lawn Booster) and Step 2 (Kelp Booster) down just in reverse order where you seed.

Confused? Just let me know and I will try to “re explain”.

The Milky Spore can be applied anytime.

Are you putting the compost on the lawn? I would put the compost down after the grass seed is germinated and you have mowed that area once or twice. If you do this apply the compost VERY THINLY—maybe an inch. Very thin; you don’t want to strangle your grass."

Question from VB in New Jersey: A friend from Maine recommended your site for a question I have. I have a problem with cats doing their duty in my mulched gardens... any suggestions that would deter them from wanting to go in there? Any type of treatment or something?

Answer: Cats are tough because they mostly do what they want!

The key is to change the area that they do their duty in; you can do this by sprinkling animal repellents to the mulched area (most garden centers would sell Repels All by Bonide or Critter Ridder by Havahart).

Some people also put things in these areas that swing in the wind or clang a little. We also sell a device called the Scarecrow that sprays water when it detects motion in the area.

Just a few thoughts, if I get more I will pass them on!

Skillin's customers IF YOU HAVE ANY GOOD METHODS TO GET RID OF CATS PLEASE LET ME KNOW AT info@skillins.com OR DROP US A COMMENT AT THE END OF THIS POST.

April 23:

More lawn work: This morning before I came to work (good thing the sun comes up early now!) I put down Lawn Booster by Organica. Lawn Booster is the first step in Organica's All Natural Four Step Lawn Program and I am quite excited about it. Lawn Booster is corn gluten meal which naturally prevents weed seeds from germinating in your lawn. This is a good time to put it down to help prevent crabgrass seed. I love the Organica fertilizer products because through a unique patent they are able to combine their excellent organic fertilizers with natural microbes. This combination works with your soil to bring much better "biology" to your soil; the microbes help the fertilizer to break down more quickly and to bring a much healthier cell structure to your soil. The Organica Four Step Lawn Program is normally priced at $143; we are offering all six bags in the 5000 square foot program to you for $119. And then we will give you a mail-in rebate coupon worth $20 that once redeemed will bring your net price to just $99! So you can EASILY and NATURALLY treat your lawn for an entire season for just $99. That is awesome. Come to Skillin's so we can show you how! So, back to my yard: I put down Step 1 (Organica's Lawn Booster) this morning!

April 22:

Now that I have raked my lawn I put some grass seed down in some bare and hard to grow spots. I am trying some tall Fescue seed from Jonathan Green called Black Beauty that should set some nice deep roots (much deeper than typical Kentucky Bluegrass and ryegrass mixes). Tall Fescue should give off a nice green color and those deep roots should enable the grass to better withstand hot summer stretches (we have those) and cold cold winter temperatures (we have those too in case you did not know!)

April 21:

Customer BCT checks in with this great note. She took our suggestion a couple of weeks ago and planted peas in a container (while the ground was cold cold) and placed her container in the sun.

"I did plant peas two weeks ago in containers. I put them on my front steps in a pure southern exposure and they are about an inch high!!!! Great idea.......Now that I have tried it and it worked I will increase my attempt next year!!"

I just planted a second container early on a recent morning. If you have space in a sunny area for a vegetable garden NOW is a great time to plant seeds like peas, carrots, beets, radishes, and swiss chard.

We will have lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and brussel sprouts plants available for sale this weekend AND they should be planted as well.

All of these plants need lots of sun. They can be grown in the ground OR in containers.

I Feel the Earth by KCB

KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family.

What a great day---what am I doing inside writing on such a day as this? Waiting for the consignment company to carry away some furniture I would like to sell. Yes—I’m leaving behind the rich carved mahogany of yesterday for the crisp clean lines of today……..

We’ve planned, walked our property and now to truly prepare. We are still in the preparation phase. Let us review:

Plan before you plant-done
Prepare before you plant
Know your property- almost there
know yourself
Right Plant, Right Place

I am going to by-pass ‘Know your soil’ and go directly to know yourself.

KNOW YOURSELF : A week or so ago I wrote, “Warming up before gardening is just as important as warming up before a vigorous workout. After warming up, stretching exercises for the major muscle groups that will be involved in performing the task can reduce the risk of injury.” Return to the posting, No 5K for Me! to review some of the stretches and suggestions to get yourself physically ready.

Other ways to ‘know’ yourself is to make sure you have all the proper tools and clothing. Knee pads are more practical than a kneeling pad, either is better than kneeling without cushioning. Wear clothes that wick away moisture to keep you cool and dry. Sunscreen and insect repellant are musts. There is a lot to be said about donning straw hats. Visions of ladies in pastel colored floral smocks, large straw hat, basket over the arm merrily pruning roses….or gentlemen farmers, sitting on a tractor, hat made of straw, and a sprig to chew upon…. The brim of such hats will shield the eyes and neck while the weave allows for air to pass thru. For me, I feel naked without a baseball cap.

To ‘know’ yourself is to ‘no’ yourself. Forgive me; I shake my head as I write this sad but appropriate pun. Say ‘no’ when you begin to feel stressed in any way. So many times our bodies begin to fatigue before our heart is ready. One last weed, one more prune….they’ll wait. The garden gnomes will not take away all your fun. Resist, re-hydrate, relax, rejuvenate. Begin again if you must.

Ah—for the least followed gardening advice of them all:



KNOW YOUR SOIL: I’m not sure about you; the smell of soil is one of my favorite scents. Rich, loamy soil………aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! How do you get to know your soil? ‘Soil, this is KCB, KCB, this is soil’. This is not to say I do not talk to the dirt but the best way to get to know your soil is to test it. ‘Soil, which soil contains the finest particles?’ (Answer below)

œ TEST SOIL
o pH = soil acidity or alkalinity
7 is Neutral
< = Acid (“sour”) Add lime to decrease (increase pH) Wood Ash > = Alkaline (“sweet”)
Add aluminum sulfate (decrease pH)
Sulfur
o Levels of Nutrients (only 3 are listed
Nitrogen (N) 1st # on plant food/fertilizer bag
Promotes foliage over-all growth in lushness and color
Phosphorus (P) 2nd # on plant food/fertilizer
Promotes flowering (blooms) & Fruit development
Promotes strong roots
Potassium (K) 3rd #
Promotes over-all health, strength and size of plant

There are many other nutrients and components of soil, so much more to say, so little interest…….

Why good soil? A good loam offers stability and support for 2 things. Soil with all the essential nutrients (16 per my hort studies) enables the plant to take in all that they need.

Therefore, my new mantra for 2008 is

‘Feed your soil and your soil will feed your plant’.

Speak with the staff at your favorite family run nursery, they even have do-it yourself soil test kits for sale. Your County Cooperative Extension is also a valuable tool. They may be contacted @ http://www.umext.maine.edu/counties/county.htm


Next time Right Plant, Right Place

See you then…………. Answer: Clay

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses
April 22, 2008

Spring Has Arrived!

Margie of Skillin's Falmouth is back with 3 delightful photos of Spring here at Skillin's!


The first photo is a young lady holding a friend and some cute pansies!



This next picture while not as colorful shows a crowded greenhouse just chock full of green perennials just waiting to find a new home!

And what would Spring be like without the colorful crocus that has been gracing our landscapes for the past few days!

Thanks Margie!