Garden Talks and Garden Thoughts

Hello again,



Welcome to another posting of Garden Talks and Garden Thoughts at the Skillin's Garden Log.


Garden Talks


Let's dive right in with some great questions this past week from some of our gardening friends like you. Email us your gardening questions at skillins@maine.rr.com!



Question: I have several plantings of Purple Dome Asters. Almost before they bloom, the lower leaves turn brown and become unsightly. Do bunches of these flowers have a tendency to get moldy because they are too close? The flowers are not bothered by the ugly stems, just me. Should I thin each bunch down to one or two stems? I tried thinning them this spring, but maybe I didn't divide away enough material. What should I do either now or next year?



Answer: I checked with Jeff Skillin to verify the answer to this and he indicated that the Purple Dome Aster has a high tendency for the lower leaves to turn brown.
If the plants do have some space in between for light and air circulation you will see less browning and consequently less molding but you will probably at least still see some browning.
I would wait until early next Spring to space your plants.




Question: Can you tell me if Hydrangeas should be cut back in the fall and mulched after adding the Holly Tone? What about the butterfly bush? We have four and one of the four did not do well at all this year. I have the Holly Tone which we bought at Skillins and I think we were told to put that on in November. Am I remembering that right?

Should all perennials be cut back? And as a general rule of thumb, do you recommend pulling all annuals up? I've had snapdragons come back when I didn't pull them up but I don't think any of the others have come back except the darling little pansies, which I now consider a perennial.



Answer: A light pruning on the hydrangea and butterfly bush is fine at this time, but I usually wait until spring to do any heavy cutting on those plants.
Usually by mid May it is clear where the new growth is and I prune out dead wood to that point. You are right about the HollyTone, so go ahead and give the plants a light feeding.

It is usually a good idea to clean up the majority of dead perennial foliage in the fall, as it helps to keep the garden free from diseases. The exceptions that I follow are: when the foliage or dried flower heads might offer some winter interest when covered with frost, ice or snow, and when the dead foliage might provide some extra winter protection for marginally hardy perennials.

I usually pull up annuals to make room for spring bulbs, but sometimes leave the pansies and snapdragons.

If you need a few bulbs to add a dash of spring color, we still have a nice selection!



(Above answer courtesy of Tim Bate of Skillin's Falmouth)



Question: I was just wondering if I can trim some bushes around the house. Lilacs, holly and some others?



Answer: This is a fine time to trim holly, but if you trim lilacs too much at this time, you risk cutting away next years flower buds. A rule of thumb that generally works for most shrubs is:

If it flowers before the 4th of July, prune it immediately after flowering
If it flowers after the 4th of July, prune in spring or fall.



(This answer too, courtesy of Tim Bate of Skillin's Falmouth!)

Question: Is mulch just laid on the ground around the plants or over the entire garden where my new plants are.

Answer: When mulching for winter cover, the "mulch" should be placed over the area where the stem meets the roots and then the mulch should be matted about 6 to 12" around the stem of the plant to about a 4" thickness. Generally speaking, this isdone in late November or so when that ground gets good and crunchy. The aim is to keep the ground frozen and to keep the ground from freezing and thawing. I would concentrate on mulching your specific plants rather than the garden as a whole.





Garden Thoughts



I checked in with good gardening friend Barbara Gardener and she is waging a fierce battle with some hard clay in her yard and garden. Hard clay is a tough foe for any gardener--it seems as if the inpenetrable clay that gets so wet in the Spring and so darned armor like in the summer and fall just keeps pushing its way to the top of the soil level.



Peat moss and sand are two old recommended soil amendments to battle against clay but I tend to favor better organic matter like a good rich compost to encourage a better natural fight by microorganisms. Aeration is key and we sell a product here called Soil Perfecter by the Espoma Company (http://www.espoma.com/) that consists of kiln dried minerals. These hardened minerals stay in the clay and form air pockets that let the oxygen in--again good for the microorganisms and bad for the clay.



It is a battle but I am going to sell Barbara Gardener a bag of that Soil Perfecter and she will defeat that clay. Clay is tough but I would never bet against Barbara Gardener!

We have had some very rainy weather lately. Now that we have some dry weather back, do not forget to check those bird feeders and clean out any wet seed. Wind driven rain can really dampen that seed and our feathered friends usually do not like wet bird seed.

Our good birding friend Liz Cardinale also would like to give us birding fans another reminder: the cold temperatures of winter often make it difficult for birds to find fresh water. We sell bird bath deicers here at Skillin’s that can easily keep that valuable water available for the birds! Just place the deicer into your bird bath and plug it in! We also sell heated birdbaths that will keep that water available for the birds. When sitting water starts to freeze it makes it really tough for our feathered friends to get the water they need. So don't forget them this winter!

Now is the time to wrap your young trees near their base to protect them for the winter from sun scald. Terry Skillin also recommends placing some rat bait in a coffee can and leaving that near the base of young trees. Mice love to burrow under snow cover and use young trees as their food source.
We do recommend Wilt Pruf as a spray for broad leafed evergreens such as rhododendrons and azaleas to help prevent leaf wilting and curling in the winter and early Spring. Wilt Pruf is an all natural product that is perfectly safe to use. Wilt Pruf is best applied in November on a nice warm day. Wilt Pruf essentially clogs the open pores of a plant’s leaves and this reduces transpiration or moisture loss through the plant’s leaves. This coating also helps protect the cells of the leaf against burning wind (much like lip balm protects us). If we get a particularly warm day or two in late February or early March it may be smart to reapply Wilt Pruf then. It also often helps to wrap your tender plants such as hollies, roses as well as evergreens in high wind locations. We do sell burlap for this purpose.
The folks at People, Places and Plants magazine (produced right here in Maine) check in this issue with some great gardening tips that deserve special mention. Their web site can be found at http://www.ppplants.com/:
“Begin cooling bulbs for forcing indoor flowering. Start paper white narcissus for holiday blooming.” Check out the Skillin's Garden Log entry for October 31 for some great tips on forcing bulbs. Paper white narcissus and their less fragrant cousins Soleil D’Or (all yellow) and Chinese Sacred Lilies (mix of white and yellow) do not need to be cooled for indoor forcing. Literally just place them in water and watch them grow!
“Mulch perennials with straw. Avoid leaves as mulch; they mat down when wet and cut off oxygen to plants. Mulch after the ground begins to freeze.” Mulching after the ground BEGINS to freeze is very important. Every season is different for the timing of the ground freezing but keep a careful eye and let us know if you have any questions!
Mark Your Calendar
Every Tuesday is Mature Gardeners Day at Skillin’s! Those customers who qualify will receive 10% off all regularly priced items. (Sale items and volume restrictions do not usually apply and some other restrictions may apply).
Every Friday brings Flower Power Happy Hour where we offer fresh cut flower stems and bunches at 30% off their regular prices. The Happy Hour lasts from 4 PM until we close at 7 PM!! Every Friday!
Thanks for reading the Skillin's Garden Blog; email us any comments @ skillins@maine.rr.com or feel free to join in on the garden conversation by clicking on "comments" at the end of this post,
Mike Skillin