Skillin's Garden Log

January Gardening Tasks

2012-01-27T16:36:00.000-05:00

Hello again,

Here are a few tasks for most January gardeners in Skillin's Country. They are numbered in no special order. I am meaning to be brief here, let us know at skillins@maine.rr.com or at our Facebook page if you have any questions! Or you can also call us at 781-3860 or 1-800-244-3860.

1. Be vigilant about checking your plants for pests. It is at this time of year that plants, pets, and even us are at pretty close quarters in our homes. And insect pests love close quarters. First of all, spray your plants with water in the sink fairly regularly. This will keep the leaves clean (plant pests love dusty leaves!). Moist leaves also are a good humidity source for your plants in our dry homes! If you do have some pests, chances are they are fresh insects clustered around new growth. Check this link for more detail on plant pests and how to safely deal with them!

2. Start planning your garden this year! Using a notebook, bulletin board think about what you would like to do. Think about what you would like to grow this year. Make some notes. And keep an eye on our many classes this Spring!

3. If you want to get outside, these are great conditions to prune your fruit trees to shape. I have a leaning flowering crab that may get a little trim soon!

4. Keep your bird feeders full, but make sure the food is dry! Birds do not like wet and soggy food! We have good quality food at very nice prices here at Skillin's!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
January 26, 2012

Skillin’s 1st Annual Garden Social!!!

2012-01-24T20:49:00.002-05:00

Skillin’s 1^st Annual Garden Social!!!

Hello!

We are looking for a few great gardeners to join us during our Spring Open Houses for Skillin’s 1^st Annual Garden Social. And this is not just any Social event. No, this event will be featuring the “Triple E”: Expertise, Experience and Enthusiasm! We are looking for a few volunteers among our Skillin’s Country friends to join us for the day—sharing your Expertise, Experiences and Enthusiasm! So if this is you please contact ASAP as we have limited space.

We are looking for experienced gardeners in—houseplants, specialty plants, vegetable gardening, trees, shrubs, perennials, bonsai or roses. Maybe you are a mushroom grower, beekeeper, a home orchardist or you want to share your canning recipes. You name it we want to talk to you! If you wish to learn more and become a part of this 1^st Annual Garden Social Event please contact:

Sally Bolstridge, Falmouth 781-3860 or 1-800-244-3860 Falmouth date is March 17

Terry Skillin, Cumberland 829-5619 or 1-800-348-8498 Cumberland date is March 24

Gordon Merrill Brunswick 442-8111 or 1-800-339-8111 Brunswick date is March 24

Gardening with Triple E is VERY exciting and we would love have you share it!!

Primroses

2012-01-24T20:42:00.001-05:00

As soon as the frost is out of the ground, the leaves begin to emerge from the ground, and before you know it the flowers pop out of the center of the foliage. The plant will grow 4 to 6 inches tall and spread to about 8 to 10 inches wide. Growth will start in most gardens during March if the snow has melted and the weather has begun to warm up. The flowers come on short stems, 3 to 4 inches tall, and hold clusters of flowers. Each flower has five petals and the bloom resembles a shallow trumpet. The flower colors are BRIGHT, in shades of yellow, red, blue, purple and white. All the flowers have a bright yellow center, like a "bull's eye." The flowers will last from March to May in the garden outdoors and for 4 to 6 weeks indoors, if you can keep them cool. The best temperature indoors is 50 to 60 degrees; keep them out of south-facing windows where they get sun all day.

The primrose will grow best in a soil that is well-drained, and rich in organic matter like compost and peat moss. Grow them in your garden as a border plant up front and in groups of 3 to 5 for the best show of color. Primroses also will grow well in shaded gardens, rock gardens and wall plantings. If you have a woodland or shaded wildflower garden, this plant is a must. Remember the primrose flowers early; if you are looking for early color to motivate you to get you out in the garden early, this is the plant with all the excitement!

As a houseplant, the primrose makes a great potted plant, all by itself. You can mix it with other flowering or foliage plants. I pick the faded flowers from the stems as they fade; when the stem has no more buds I remove the entire stem right above the foliage at the base of the plant. This prevents the plant from making seeds and the energy stays in the plant, so you can transplant it into the garden in mid to late April.

No fertilizer is needed in the house, but once you plant in the garden, use compost and a product like Flower Thrive, Bio-Tone or Dr. Earth Starter Fertilizer, as they contain microbes and mycorrhizae for a quick start to the root system. The new garden technology in fertilizer will astound you because it is a reproduction of what lives in your soil already--and plants love it. Treated with this technology, plants grow better, faster, healthier, bloom more and need less care. Enjoy indoors now and plant outside for years of enjoyment in your garden outside."

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin

Skillin's Greenhouses

January 23, 2012

What's On Sale at Skillin's!

2012-01-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Hello again,

*Every Tuesday, Mature Gardeners receive 10% off regular retail prices! All day--every Tuesday!!

*Every Friday from Noon to Close, we host our Flower Power Happy Hour where you will receive 30% off most fresh cut flower stems! And 10% off our already specially priced Market Bouquets. What a deal!! We stock up with fresh flowers for the weekend--so you get to choose from the BEST offerings of the week.

Here are some great ongoing sales:

*All Christmas and Halloween items are 50% off regular retail prices!

*Buy 1 box of Colonial Candles and receive 10% off regular retail prices! Buy 2 boxes and you receive 20% off both boxes!!
*Buy 5 bags of Mulch, Compost and Top Soil and receive 10% off regular retail prices! This is a Mix and Match so tailor the purchase to best suit your needs. We sell the BEST in mulches, compost and top soils from Coast of Maine, Jolly Gardener and Little River. The best amendments mean the BEST results naturally for your plants!

*Buy 6 4.5" potted Herbs for $3.99 each (regular retail price is $4.49 each!). We grow the best in herbs for your taste buds and also as a great complement to other plants in your garden!

January and February 2012 Classes and Events

2012-01-10T21:38:00.008-05:00

Hello again,

And Happy New Year to all of you in Skillin's Country.

Here are Skillin’s January and February 2012 Classes and Events

Brunswick 442-8111 or 1-800-339-8111

Cumberland 829-5619 or 1-800-348-8498

Falmouth 781-3860 or 1-800-244-3860

Our FREE classes will be held Saturdays at all three locations (unless otherwise stated) at 10 AM. Space is limited so reserve today for the classes of your choice! Just give us a call at any of the above numbers or drop us a note at skillins@maine.rr.com. Class participants receive a special Skillin’s 10% discount coupon for use on the weekend of your class.

SKILLIN’S CUSTOMERS WHO ATTEND 6 OUT OF OUR 9 CLASSES IN THIS SERIES RECEIVE A $50 SKILLIN”S GIFT CERTIFICATE!

JANUARY

14th -Growing Healthy Houseplants– (10 AM)

Time to learn how to make your houseplants green and clean! We kick off another exciting series of classes by talking indoor gardening. Houseplants bring cleaner healthier air to the home and office, indoor dish gardens can be fun—even without loads of sun! We will show some of the tricks of the trade and maybe a few family secrets! Come one, come all! We’ll help you Plant for the Planet by giving all class goers a free 4” potted plant of your choice. Free

Note: Falmouth is sold out!!

21st -Orchids and Their Care (10 AM)

Special guest instruction from the Maine Orchid Society! Orchids are one of the most rewarding houseplants you could ever have. Let us show you how to easily care for them in your home. This is a great class and one that we REALLY hope you can make! Free

Note: Cumberland and Falmouth are sold out!!

28th –Fresh Flower Arranging! (10 AM and 2 PM) We’ve got the flowers, have you got the time? Create your own colorful fresh floral masterpiece to brighten your home. This limited space class is our most popular Skillin’s class. It is no wonder; we are consistently voted as Maine’s Favorite Florist. $15.00 fee

Note: Cumberland and Falmouth is sold out; there are openings in Brunswick.

FEBRUARY (We are still in the process of confirming instructors for some of these February dates. It is possible some of these classes and dates could change. If so, we will let you know!!)

1-Spring Bonds Go On Sale!

2012 is the 22nd year of selling our pre-season SPRING BONDS. When you purchase a $50 bond you pay only $37.50!!! This 25% off coupon can be used anytime after April 1 for almost all regularly priced items. Supplies are limited so buy your SPRING BONDS before they run out! Purchase your bonds at any Skillin’s location OR http://www.skillins.com/!

AND: For the month of February ONLY, any purchase of a Skillin's Spring Bond entitles you to 25% off all regularly priced merchandise in the same purchase. This great idea by Terry Skillin was HUGELY popular in it's first year last year--take advantage; we will love it!!

4th-Indoor Gardening (10 AM Brunswick and Cumberland, 2 PM Falmouth)

Hydroponics is not new but options we offer for easy growing is definitely new and improved! Come see! Free

4th-Landscape Design Principles (10 AM Falmouth, 2 PM Brunswick and Cumberland)

Join Chad (5th generation) Skillin as he discusses landscape design principles. Chad is Skillin’s Landscape Designer and has great experience with landscaping and practical landscape designs. Let Chad educate you on some good solid landscape design practices as well as giving you some informal help with your yard design. This is also a great opportunity to schedule time with Chad to visit your yard and create an effective plan for your yard. We will have guest instruction for our Cumberland class. Free

11th-Terrariums (10 AM) (Also 2 PM in Falmouth)Plants in something like an Aquarium; Growing in Your Solarium; Performing so Well, You Get an Honorarium! Okay this rhyme time leaves your stomach churning but come to this new class for some really really good learning!! $30 fee--you get to make your own planted 8" terrarium!

14th-Valentine’s Day at Skillin’s! We are Maine’s Favorite Florist. For generations we have carried the message of love to so many. Make the call—we will deliver. Or come in and see us—we will give you the “can’t miss” message to take home!

18th -Windowsill Gardening (10 AM) (ALSO a 2 PM CLASS in Falmouth!)

The sun is getting warmer--oooh feels nice-- and the days longer. We have the containers and the color. Let us show you how easy it is to bring it all to your home or apartment! We will also show you how to grow some great herbs to spice up your life! Free

Note: Falmouth 10 AM class is SOLD OUT; 2 PM class has openings!!

25th—The Edible Landscape (10 AM Brunswick, 2 PM Falmouth and 2:30 Cumberland)

A good landscape makes perfect sense—and what is more sensible and useful than an edible landscape! Let us show you how to grow berries that are blue and red, cherries that are sweet and apples and pears that can’t be beat! Bring a bib; you will be drooling over the possibilities! Free

25th—The Garden Journal (9 AM Falmouth, Noon Cumberland, 3 PM Brunswick)

Gardening seasons are behind us and more lie just ahead. Learn some neat ways to record what we have done and what we have dreamed; Let’s plan on what we will do and on what we want to see! Join celebrity writer and gardener KCB of Skillin’s Garden Log fame and let’s learn together about how to be impulsively organized. It’s time! Free

Special Four Part Hands on Landscape Design Class

Falmouth

TBA

Brunswick

TBA

What a great chance to get a jump start on plotting how to landscape your home the right way! Class fee is $40 to cover materials—you will have a great landscape plan at the finish; this is a class that you will learn from; fun will be had but homework will be required! You will be drawing your own landscape design plan!

December Gardening Tips! And tips for the Holiday Season!!

2011-12-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

Hello again,

Here are some very timely tips for this early part of December:

“Mulch perennials and roses. If not completed in November, spread a heavy layer of mulch over your plants after the ground freezes. This will protect them from winter thawing.” I have still not had a chance to mulch around my roses and perennials. I am waiting for the next cold snap to freeze that ground up ( I shouldn’t have to wait long!) and then I am going to mulch around my roses and perennials.

“Mark driveways and walkways. Before the ground freezes, mark the areas that will need snow removed during the winter to protect the landscape and make plowing or snow blowing easier.” Great practical advice. We recommend using oak stakes and perhaps painting the tops of the stakes with a bright color. Though the ground might be frozen on the surface it is possible to get oak stakes into the ground.

“Dig a hole for live holiday trees. Living trees are often a popular choice for holiday decorating. For the best chance of winter survival, these beautiful trees need to be planted outdoors as soon as possible, usually after five days of being inside. Dig the hole before the ground freezes and store the soil indoors so that it remains unfrozen and can be used to plant the tree.” Live Christmas trees are one of our favorite options this time of year. Several years ago my former neighbor and his family planted some marvelous spruce and fir trees along our property line that had been their live Christmas trees. They have moved away but the trees are still there and make a nice hedge along our property line. We do have a great selection of live trees left at this point. Again it is still be possible to get that hole dug. If not we can talk to you about keeping those trees cold in a sheltered spot in your yard or near your home.

“Turn off all outside faucets. If your outdoor faucets are not self-draining, they should be turned off within the house to prevent freezing and cracking. Also, hoses should be drained and properly stored.” Again great advice!

“Mark perennials and bulbs. Marking plants in the garden before they become snow covered helps for early spring spotting and identifying.” The next time I do this will be the first time but it is an absolutely super suggestion. You always think you will remember just where you planted those neat plants—guess what when the snow melts it is HARD to remember. Make it easy; mark those plants with a permanent marker and at least some of those wooden “tongue depressor” labels. We have some classy metal labels that work very well also!

“Prepare plants for snow loads. Building small structures over brittle plants or wrapping with burlap will prevent winter damage and help keep plants healthy.” We have Maine made cedar A frames available for you at a great price that should do the job!

“Plant pre-cooled bulbs for indoor spring forcing. After bulbs have received eight weeks of refrigeration, it is now time to put them into a loose potting mix in a dark, cool location for another six to eight weeks. Water only as needed for continued dampness.” This is the essence of “forcing” bulbs such as tulips, crocuses and daffodils. We also have hyacinth and paperwhite narcissus that can be forced by merely placing the bulbs in water. Winter color that is easy to come by!

Also: some popular questions and answers for this seasonal time of year:

Does Skillins Greenhouses mail order wreaths?
Yes, we have a State of Maine Wreath decorated for $38.99 that we can
ship anywhere in the continental United States.

We make all types of wreaths! Check out http://www.skillinsmainewreaths.com/ for this and other choices of wreath and great gift ideas.

Which type of cut tree lasts the longest?

They will all last through the season providing you give them a fresh cut (about 1 to 2 inches) before placing them into their stand and they are never allowed to run out of water. If you are going right home with your tree, we will be glad to cut the tree for you here at Skillin’s!

We have a great selection of all native grown Scotch Pine, Balsam Fir and Frasier Fir cut Christmas trees. We grow about half our trees right here in Falmouth ME. The remainder is contract grown for us by another multi-generation family in the Skowhegan ME area.

How should a cut tree be prepared?

When the tree arrives home and is ready to be put up, cut about 2" from the bottom of the trunk. Then place the tree straight into the stand and fill with water. Add a tree preservative into the water and every time you need to add water to the stand. Check the water level twice a day and always maintain the highest possible level. Giving your tree a plentiful supply of water is critical to achieving a long and healthy “indoor life” for the tree.

How many lights are needed to light a tree?

Mini lights require 50 lights per foot of tree height, and the larger lights require 15 lights per foot of tree.

How do you care for a poinsettia?

Place the poinsettia in a bright spot, keep it from draft, and water when soil is dry but not to a wilt. Do not allow poinsettias to sit in water; decorative foil on the container may hold water so remember to check this and remove any excess water. Poinsettias are not poisonous! And have I told you we grow our poinsettias right here in Maine?

How do you keep holly and mistletoe?

Keep holly cool and misted, replace as needed. Do not use fresh holly outdoors, as it will freeze. Mistletoe will remain fresh if kept cool; it will also dry nicely holding its leaves and berries. All parts of mistletoe are poisonous.

Thanks to Terry Skillin for these questions and answers!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
December 6, 2011

Cyclamen

2011-11-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

One Lovely Color for Cyclamen--We Have Other Great Colors Too!

"Nothing is more beautiful in the garden than a large display of cyclamen. They are among the best fall-blooming plants. You can use them in pots on tables, by the front door, or planted in a nice shady spot outdoors before the frost arrives. They are great for atriums.

The flowers resemble a butterfly fluttering above the plant. The foliage is in the shape of a heart and they grow in a mound over the pot. There are miniatures varieties for small spots and the common larger plants for the table or garden. The foliage color can be green to silver and every combination in-between. The flower color ranges from white to pink, red, lavender and some multi-colored. Some varieties can also have frilly flowers or smooth edges. Hint: a great gift plant for someone with a cool home during the winter.

A few notes on growing cyclamen:

General:

• Try to keep water away from the crown area (they can get crown rot).

• Do not bury them too deep; keep the top of the tuber just slightly above the soil line.

• Keep your plants well fed; feed every couple of weeks while they are in full leaf.

• Pull out the stems that have gone by. Hint! Bend the stem down towards the foliage and quickly pull the stem out. It will snap free from the plant. Never leave old flower stems on the plant as they will rot and kill some of the leaves next to them.

• Pick a few flowers to go into a bud vase. They are lovely and last quite well.

• As the flowers begin to fade, gradually allow the plant to dry out for 2-3 months; do not feed during this time.

• Resume feeding when new growth appears. Repot at this time in a container 2 inches larger.

Outdoors:

• Cyclamen like cool weather (that's why they make great winter-bloomers). That means outdoors in a shady to semi-shady spot. If you have a spot that is full shade in summer and gets more light in cooler weather, that is ideal.

• Make sure they are planted in a well-draining area.

• They like cool weather--but not severe cold. Some are hardier than others are, but all need some protection against cold. These plants are bulb-like and will not survive outdoors during the winter. They must be brought indoors for the winter and they will bloom most of the winter for you. Great in mixed containers for the front step also. Try planting with flowering kale and cabbage.

Indoors:

• Pick a cool spot. Make sure they have good air circulation, but keep out of cold drafts. Also heating vents where hot and dry air can dry plants quickly. Hot forced air will force the plant to send all flower buds into bloom all at once. Cool temperatures spread out the flowering time over many week indoors.

• High humidity, especially during winter, is very important. Try putting the cyclamen on a tray of water with a layer of pebbles to form a shelf for pot to sit on. Don't put the cyclamen itself in the water. You want humidity around the plant, not soggy soil.

• Let the cyclamen have plenty of light in winter; sunburn is rarely a problem. In summer keep it in indirect light.

• Repot when the tuber fills the existing pot; it's best to repot it while it's dormant. Use a pot just a little larger than the old pot.

Thanks to Paul Parent for this great post!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
November 29, 2011

November Garden To Do's

2011-11-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM.

Paul recently sent out a post titled "It's Mid-November; Time to Put the Garden to Bed". He brings up many helpful points for this month.:

The weather has been mild for most of us but let's use these remaining nice days to our advantage and close up the garden for the year. The weather has a way of changing without much of a notice so let's get it done and move our gardening skills indoors now.

In the vegetable garden let's pick all the roots crops, such as carrots, beets, turnip, and rutabagas. Remove all the foliage but do not cut into the flesh of the vegetable, I usually cut the foliage to one inch of the top and toss the greens into the composter. Store these vegetable in your garage or cold basement in a box of sandbox sand. All I do is cover the bottom of the box with a thin layer of washed sand and then place the root crop in the box and cover with the rest of the sand. This keeps the air off them so they do not dry up while in storage. Sandbox sand can be purchased in 50 pound bags at your local garden center and it keeps the vegetables much cleaner than using peat moss. When you're done eating the vegetables, use the sand on the snow and ice on your walkways as needed.

If you have not pulled your onions, shallots, sweet potatoes, or regular white potatoes, now is the time to do so. Shake off any soil, wash them with the garden hose, and let them air dry. Remove any dried foliage and place them in your garage or cold basement in open baskets or mesh bags to create good air circulation while in storage. . Check often for possible rotten vegetables and dispose of them as needed. (One rotten potato can and will destroy all your work.) When everything is removed, rake the garden clean of debris and spread limestone over the garden to keep the soil from getting too acid.

All your winter squash can also be kept in the same storage conditions in baskets and dry. Butternut, acorn, buttercup, Hubbard and more will keep well most of the winter. Many places are having specials on winter squash right now so take advantage of the price and stock up while it is available.

Brussels sprouts can stay outdoors in the garden until you are ready to eat them; along with kale. Many years I have picked both of them right up until Christmas; several years I had to dig them out of the snow and they tasted real good.

Let's not wait any longer--winterize your roses now. First, if you have potted rose bushes, potted tree roses, or miniature potted roses they must spend the winter in an unheated building like your garage or tool shed, NOT your house or basement. Roses must go dormant for the winter and rest. If you keep them alive they will grow themselves to death. Like you and me, they need downtime and winter is their time to rest. Once all the foliage has come off or turned brown, water the planter well and move it indoors. Do not feed them, do not prune them; just let them rest in the cold building until mid-March. When the weather changes, move the container outside, water well, and wait until April first before pruning the plant and feeding it to begin a new season in your garden.

Roses planted in your garden need extra protection for the long winter if you live in a cold climate like New England. Right now build a mound of soil, compost or bark mulch on top and around your plant 12 to 18 inches tall and just as wide. This will help protect the delicate graft on the plant. I also recommend that you spray the branches or canes of the rose bush with an anti-desiccant like Wilt-Stop or Wilt-Pruf to prevent the winter winds from drying out the delicate canes. Do not prune your rose bushes during the fall ever; wait until April to prune them and at that time start your monthly application of rose fertilizer. If you have climbing roses, make sure to tie them up to the structure they are climbing on so the branches are not damaged with the winter wind and snow. In April, spread the mound of protection material around the plant to help keep the roots cool during the heat of summer.

Hydrangeas should be cleaned of all dead flowers on the plant to prevent heavy snow or ice damage. Those large dried flowers will catch the heavy wet snow or ice and the weight will bend, possibly breaking the branch. Just remove the dead flowers; do not cut back the branches until spring. Your summer flowering blue hydrangeas are the least hardy, and if you live north or west of Boston, in northern New York State or in western Pennsylvania, they should be protected much the same way as the roses are. Follow the same steps with the mound of mulch and a spraying of an anti-desiccant to help protect the delicate flower buds on the plant for next year.

Newly planted trees over 6 feet tall should be staked to the ground to prevent the wind from moving the plant around during the winter months. If the tree moves around during the winter, the root ball in the ground will also move and the small newly developing roots will snap off, preventing the plant from establishing itself. If you have a flowering or fruit tree, it should also be wrapped with tree wrap to prevent the bark from cracking or splitting with the fluctuating temperatures.

If these trees are planted near open fields or near a wooded area, there is the possibility of rodents damaging the plant by eating the bark the first couple of years, until the bark toughens up. Please take the time to build a ring around the trunk of the tree with hardware cloth wire from the ground to the first branch. Make the wire collar so it has a 1 inch space from the trunk of the tree to the wire. If you don't, mice, moles, and rabbits will feed on this tasty bark when the snow gets deep; if they eat the bark off the plant, the tree will die.

If you have new arborvitaes, look at them closely and see that they are multi-stem plants; ice and heavy wet snow will split them, breaking them apart. Just take a piece of rope, like clothesline rope, and tie a piece at the base of the plant and wrap the branches together like a cork screw around the plant. Go 3/4 of the way up the plant to prevent damage and leave it on the plant from November to April. This will need to be done for the first 2 to 3 years until the plant has begun to mature and the branches harden.

If you have a new or established birch clump it might be a good idea to tie them together to prevent them from falling over with heavy wet snow. Tie one tree with the rope and wrap the rope around the others--like the arborvitae--in a corkscrew pattern. T,here is strength in numbers, so tie all the individual trunks together. Birches have weak stems and easily bend under heavy snow never to return to the same position in your yard.

Any newly-planted broadleaf evergreen like azalea, rhododendron, boxwood, holly or mountain laurel should be sprayed with an anti-desiccant like Wilt-Pruf or Wilt-Stop NOW and AGAIN in early February to keep them fromdrying out in a windy location. To me it's worth spending a dollar per plant to prevent damage on a plant worth $25.00 or more, now, isn't it?

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
November 23, 2011

It's Not Too Late to Start a Family Tradition!

2011-11-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Do all good things come to those who wait? Is it really better late than never? Yes! Especially when it comes to planting bulbs.

Over the past 2 weeks I have been deluged, ok not exactly, but have received several comments of surprise from passersby as I plant bulbs in my client’s gardens.

In one densely populated neighborhood, where the garden abuts a well traveled sidewalk I was quite the subject of discussion between 2 walking friends. The planting area is framed by a stone retaining wall and is at waist level. I was diligently digging, placing, amending and back filling without so much as standing erect while I moved along the wall. I could hear the women wonder aloud as to what I was doing. When I stood and turned to exclaim I was planting bulbs one said to the other, ‘I told you.’ The doubter was sure it was too late. Similar questions were asked as I made my way throughout other gardens. Why would anyone think it was too late?

Now is the perfect time. As long as the ground can be worked holes can be dug. In fact most old time bulb planters claim the best time to plant is AFTER the first mild frost. My theory is that once the average daily temperature is in the 40s with evenings at freezing then is a wonderful time of the year, for bulb planting, that is. Don’t fret if we have the unusual 50 to 60 degree days, the bulbs will not suffer. Alternatively planting too soon may fool the bulb to think it’s time to sprout.

True, the selection of bulbs may not be at its optimum best, nevertheless many are on sale to make way for Christmas trimmings. If you are new to bulb planting this will give you a way to experiment without breaking your bank. Beware! It can be addicting.

Just what does this have with ‘Family Traditions’? The thought occurred to me when conversing with a client. She was excited as her daughter was flying in from Colorado for Thanksgiving break. This would be their first in Maine. Extended family members were coming from other locals to have a ‘Maine Thanksgiving’. Not sure if they expected snow or to go over the river and through the woods but she wanted to do something special. A tradition. Having a bag of 50 Narcissus and a jumbo bag of Muscari, Grape Hyacinth, I suggested ‘why not plant bulbs?’ Besides I was tired, cold yet still wanted to create a special spring for my new client and her new home. A few instructions and hand-on training and she was psyched. Perfect! So different with undertones of a long held tradition.

Some families may opt for an energetic game of touch football; others prefer to nap in through football as the television stream endless NFL games. Personally, I always applaud those who volunteer at a soup kitchen. I even know one family that go to bed early only to wake before midnight to start their holiday shopping. It is not unusual to have more than one tradition, something that becomes as much as a part of the day as Turkey and Stuffing.

So what If your family is not athletic, would rather rub sandpaper on a fresh sunburn then approach the mall or box stores on ‘Black Friday’, yet still would like to have some out of door time together. Planting bulbs is a perfect event. One can dig, others can place, someone can be in charge of incorporating the bulb food, don’t forget the critter repellent, next backfilling and then watering. An assembly line of assorted people, ages and skill sets. Just imagine the photo opportunities. This may be the only tradition that will result in as much anticipation after the main event as sliced turkey sandwiches.

I cannot wait until speaking w/my client to see how her new tradition was received. She had a strong feeling that it would give the college students another reason to look forward to a late spring visit to the coast of Maine. To relish in the fruits of their labor. Perhaps she will freeze some Turkey Soup to make its premier during their visits. A reminder that good things do come to those who wait.

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. KCB can also be found at the awesome Finishing Touches website

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses

November 22, 2011

November (early November) Garden Talks

2011-11-08T11:18:00.001-05:00

Hello again,

Think No-vember is a month for No-Gardening? Well No-Way to that! Here are some gardening tips for this time of year:

*Cleanup is so important. Stay vigilant with your leaves. I grind quite a few of them with my lawn mower. I feed my lawn organically so I have a nice live soil that embraces the chopped up leaves and breaks them down nicely in short order to help make an even better soil for my lawn!

As the leaves really start to tumble I do bag quite a few of the leaves. Most towns will haul away those leaves and turn them into a nice compost that makes it back to many garden centers as compost for us to buy. Just another way of keeping it local!

*"November is a good time to remove spent canes from raspberries. Use sharp pruning shears to remove this year's fruiting canes, which will have done their job and will not live any longer. Cut them off all the way down to ground level. Removing these canes will help prevent diseases such as cane blight or spur blight from overwintering in the plants. Remove weak or broken canes, and thin remaining canes to about five or six per row foot. (Always leave the strongest ones even if the numbers per row foot aren't perfect.) Thinning reduces competition and results in larger berries next year. Click HERE to read a complete post on Pruning Raspberries.

*Great gardener Margaret of A Way to Garden has some terrific November gardening tips. Check out her web site for her whole list and so many more gardening articles. Here are some very timely tips that stood out to me:

**Clear turf or weeds from the area right around the trunks of fruit trees and ornamentals to reduce winter damage by rodents. Hardware cloth collars should be in place year-round as well.

**Be extra vigilant cleaning up under fruit trees, as fallen fruit and foliage allowed to overwinter invites added troubles next season. Technically mummies (fruit still hanging) should be removed, too, but I like to leave it for the birds.

**Start a pot of paperwhites in potting soil or pebbles and water, and stagger forcing of another batch every couple of weeks for a winterlong display.

**Continue resting AMARYLLIS BULBS in a dry, dark place where they will have no water at all for a couple of months total. I put mine in a little-used closet, and they will come out late this month, since they went in around mid- to late September. Pot up new ones now.

Thanks Margaret! And again I urge you to regularly follow her website, A Way to Garden!

*More on amaryllis: As a rule, amaryllis plants are in bloom by Christmas (or at least heavy bud) if the're potted up in November. Begin with a pot that is about 2" larger in diameter than the bulb itself which allows for a 1" margin all around between the bulb and the pot. The planted bulb should be about 2/3 of the way out of soil, so hold the bulb suspended over the pot, letting the roots hang down and fill in around the bulb with a good quality potting soil (I suggest Coast of Maine's Bar Harbor blend--sold right here at Skillin's!). Water the planted bulb thoroughly and let the excess water drain.

Amaryllis perform at their best with at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day until they flower. They also like warm temps--60 degrees at night and in the 70s during the day. (Who doesn't like that?). Once they flower, move your amaryllis out of the direct sunlight to better preserve the bloom--blooms should last for about 3 weeks!

*Have you been good and active in your garden and done a good job cleaning out those vegetable plants and cut back your worn perennials? Well great job! But if the urge comes to you don't hesitate to spread some compost over these wide open spaces you have created! This is a great step to take now as this compost will break down and benefit your soil. And you SAVE so much time in the Spring by crossing off "Improve Soil in my Garden".

*Raking time is upon us! Now is the time to clean out the leaves from around your perennials and shrubs. Also it is a great time to do any weeding--the more weeds are pulled now the less weeding in the Spring. Later this month when your perennial beds are clean is an ideal time to mulch around the base of your perennials. The goal is to keep the ground frozen and to prevent too much freezing and thawing around roots of your plants. Read HERE for more timely tips about mulching around your perennials.

*We do recommend all natural 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 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 burlap for wrapping and also some easy to use Shrub Covers.

*Yes our fall bulbs are indeed on sale at 20% off. Too much snow at the end of October has left us with too many bulbs! One bulb I would definitely recommend you plant is the Snowdrops. (Galanthus). Plant them in a sunny spot and they will reward you with a surprise of nice white and green color when you want that color most--late March or early April. Our friends the Snowdrops are among the first bulbs to flower in the Spring.

*It is time to restock your feeders as our feathered friends will be looking for winter meals. Use good quality food that has mostly sunflower. If you can hang some suet--the extra fat and protein helps to keep our bird friends warm.

*Also consider using a bird bath de icer in a bird bath to keep water going all winter long for your friends. When the water is frozen everywhere birds can labor from being too thirsty. So help them out--we can show you how!

More November Gardening Tips to follow soon!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
November 8, 2011

IT’S NEVER EASY…

2011-11-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

To say good-bye!

It is at this time of the year it seems that we say those words the most. Not always aloud, not always the exact phrase. Nevertheless, there is a passage.

Children go back to school, some around the corner, others across the country or around the world. We say ‘so long’ to the heat of the sun and ‘I’ll miss you’ to the longer days. ‘Until next time’ to our warm weather clothing, seasonal friends, and gently pat the door of the summer camp as we turn our backs and walk away.

Gardeners face their own rite of passage by saying good-by to our gardens. It is made more difficult when our gardens continue to offer punctuated pockets of colorful blooms. Unseasonably high temperatures earlier in the month keep annuals & perennials aglow. Even the recent unusual early snow did not stop my Shasta Daisies or Ruby Purple cone flowers. New silvery blue orbs from my Globe Thistle rise above the fading foliage.

Earlier this week I was prepared to empty the overflowing containers of one of my clients. To my surprise the owner of the house pleaded, “Wait!” Purple Osteospermum smile at the sky, hot pink Superbells cascade and the gold/yellow of the annual Carex grass wave a hello. Ok, I’ll wait one more week to bid these plants adieu. I, too, am a little reluctant to walk away from my clients for another season. Moreover it pains me to see something so beautiful and apparently full of life go before it’s time. In Maine, time has a way of catching up to our plants and us. We may be just tempted to walk away and let nature take its course.

This is easier for us, but not the best for our plants, containers, shrubs or trees. Offer them the best good-bye you can by cleaning the beds of debris, cutting back spent perennials. Remember to leave the seed heads of those favored by the birds and wildlife choose to stay the winter and not chirp good-bye. Tuck your beds in with a top dressing of organic compost and offer a late season dose of slow release fertilizer. In other words offer a good-bye worthy of your garden all the while focusing on the knowledge you will be reunited.

Yes, if you care for something, someone or any special moment in time, saying good-bye wounds our hearts. Rejoice when it is not truly a ‘good-bye’--just a separation of time and space. Summer clothes will emerge from the darkness of the closet, camps will be re-opened, seasonal neighbors will return. Your garden will burst forward with new growth. The sun will continue to set, the sun will rise. However, that perfect melding of cerulean, teal, indigo, fuchsia and fire that captured your soul lingers only within. Memories of a Monet moment when peak blooms met perfect lighting offered an impressionistic vision that was one snap-shot of time. I have often tried to recapture the feeling of visiting a client’s garden several Octobers ago. A cornucopia of color awaited me; the foliage of the Golden Spirit Smoke Bush was fiery persimmon, Burning Bushes lived up to their name, berries of the cotoneaster rivaled the red of the cardinal singing in the yellowing Ivory Halo Dogwood. I revisit that day in my mind and heart. Nevertheless the day was never duplicated--no matter how many subsequent visits. Little did I know that the accumulation of nature, time and spirit would make these incidents unique? If I had I may have remained a little longer to enjoy it more.

Therefore, as I say good-bye to all the gardens in my care I know next spring they will reemerge and most, with much hope, I will see again.

Nevertheless, I cannot help but say a special prayer for all the good-byes said this year. While it is not easy, I can rejoice in the hello that ultimately led to the good-bye.

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses

November 3, 2011

October (mid October) Garden Talks

2011-10-18T17:42:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

What a pleasant month October has been so far. Very fine weather interspersed with some good soaking rains has been the rule here in Skillin's Country. Rain is about to arrive for Wednesday and into Thursday the 19th and 20th but our plants will use this rain to grow stronger roots so that they can perform even better in 2012.

But first there is a variety of good gardening tasks that can be done now. The general idea is to clean up well (it is always nice to clean up well I believe!) and then even take some steps for some good natural soil conditioning. This cleaning and conditioning will save you valuable chunks of time next Spring.

And again, the weather is so nice this time of year in Skillin's Country--frankly it is often nicer weather now than in April or May when you are hurrying to get these garden chores done now. So garden well--and smile and enjoy your time outside!

We start our Garden Talks with a print of a recent post by good gardening friend Paul Parent.

Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM.

Paul recently sent out a post titled "October is Fall Clean Up Month and Time to Prepare Plants for Winter". He brings up many helpful points for this month. It is so helpful I am including his entire post:

"Let's start with the vegetable garden and get all the plants pulled out and the soil raked and cleaned. This will remove some of the potential problems for next year, because all insects and diseases have left insect eggs and disease spores in the garden to continue the cycle of life in your garden. By cleaning the garden now, you should have fewer problems next season. By placing this plant material in your compost pile, you should have plenty of recycled organic matter to add back to your soil in June.

Conditioning the soil will make a big difference for next year garden if you do one of the following things. If you live near the seashore, go to the beach, collect seaweed after a big storm, and cover your garden with it. Most years I will add 3 to 6 inches of seaweed over the garden and till it under in early April. Seaweed is like adding peat moss to your garden but seaweed is full of the natural fertilizers, minerals and nutrients that will improve the quality of your soil and help your plants to grow better. (If picking up seaweed is not practical for you we have some great sea based composts that will help get you to the same place--I am thinking specifically of Quoddy Blend by Coast of Maine or Little River Compost; both readily available here at Skillin's!) This is a great time to take out worn out annuals and vegetable crops from your garden and to supplement the soil!

Rake your fallen leaves and pine needles into the garden and chop them up with your lawn mower. Never put them into trash bags and dispose of them, recycle them into your garden and turn them into wonderful soil conditioners. (I have many leaves in the fall and I mow as many as I can back into the lawn. Leaves will break down steadily into an organically fed soil--and that is what my lawn has!)

If you live far from the ocean and have no source of leaves, go to your local garden center, nursery or feed and grain store and purchase winter rye seed. Winter rye will grow a root system up to a mile long in your garden, plus provide wonderful shiny green foliage this fall. In the spring, as soon as the ground thaws, it will continue growing--reaching 18 inches by late April. Then, mow the grass down with your weed whacker, and then rototill everything together into the soil. The foliage of the winter rye and the root system is considered a green manure crop and it will help to condition your soil. This will help sandy soil hold more moisture during the summer months and it will also help to break apart clay-type soils to provide better root growth by plants.

If you live in an area where the soil is acidic, now is the time to add limestone to the gardens to help sweeten the soil. If you see moss growing in your lawn, if you have pine, maples or oaks growing in your yard, or if your plants never seem to have real green foliage and lack vigor, it's time to add limestone to the garden soil. If you have a wood stove or fireplace and you burn wood products, save the ash and spread it over your garden when you clean it for the same results. NEVER burn pressure-treated lumber inside your home and NEVER use that wood ash either in your vegetable garden because of the wood preservatives in it. Apply limestone at the rate of 50 pounds per 500 sq. ft. of garden and wood ash at one 5-gallon bucket per 500 sq. ft. of garden.

Either of the products should be added to annual, perennial and rose gardens to help them grow and flower better. If you have flowering shrubs and trees that are not productive but mature, the acidic soil could be preventing the plant from flowering. Clematis vines and lilacs love lime and should be treated every year in the fall. Even rhododendrons, azaleas and hollies can grow better with an application every 3 to 4 years where acidic soil is common. If you're feeding them and they still won't flower in your yard, try applying lime or wood ash around them now. The only exceptions are blueberry plants and if you want to keep your blue hydrangea blue--keep these products away from them or the blueberries will have fewer berries and your blue hydrangea will turn pink.

In the perennial garden, cut back to the ground all perennials that turn yellow and brown and remove the foliage to the compost pile or Compost Tumbler. Rake the garden clean, apply lime products, and fertilize the garden at half the recommended rate with organic Flower Tone plant food. If you have the time, add one inch of compost or bark mulch on the garden to help protect the roots of the plant during the winter months, it will be one thing less to do in the springtime. If you have open areas in the perennial garden, how about planting some spring flowering bulbs for early color in your garden?

In the rose garden, all you have to do in rake it clean and pull all the weeds growing there. Removing the leaves with black spots on them from around the plant helps to prevent fungus problems next year because you are remove dormant disease spores from the old leaves that will infect next year's new foliage. You can also lime the garden but do not apply fertilizer EVER after September 1, or you could promote new growth with the nice days we will receive in the next few weeks. You want your plants to begin to harden off or become tough for the winter and go dormant, that way the branches become woody and are better able to fight off the damaging winds of winter.

In addition, DO NOT prune your rose plants at this time of the year; ALWAYS prune in the spring, NEVER in the fall. Open cuts on the stem will allow moisture to escape during the winter months and the rose stems will dry up and die. If your roses are finished flowering, it's also time to build a mound of soil or bark mulch around the base of the plant to protect the graft of the plant for the winter. Make your mound 12 to 15 inches high and just as wide and, believe me, your plants will survive the winter much better if you live in a cold climate. Around Thanksgiving, spray all exposed branches with Wilt- Pruf or Wilt Stop to help the plant retain moisture in the stems in windy areas.

If you have fruit trees or flowering crabapples trees, be sure to rake all the fallen foliage from around them to remove potential disease spores left on the foliage for next year. When all the foliage is off the trees, spray them with All Season oil and liquid Copper spray to kill overwintering insect eggs and disease spores; repeat in late March or early April. These two sprays will make a big difference in the quality of your plants for next season.

If these trees are new and young, be sure to stake them down for the winter months with a staking kit available at your local Garden Center. This will prevent damage to the roots caused by winter winds and heavy snow bending the tree over and breaking. Also, if you live near a wooded area or an area with much tall grass, be sure to wrap the trunk of the trees with hardware cloth wire to prevent mouse, rabbit and porcupine damage over the winter. Push the wire collar into the ground a couple of inches and have the wire reach the first branches.

If you have new strawberries in your garden, you will not believe the difference with the plants for next year if you spread an inch or two of garden STRAW, not hay over your plants for the winter. Great protection for the plants, it will encourage new runners to develop faster and fruit will form faster and grow larger. For blueberries use 2 inches of straw, pine needles or bark mulch for root protection and feed them at half rate with Holly Tone evergreen fertilizer. Because these plants love acid soil, add aluminum sulfate plant food to acidify the soil to help make them more productive next year. Aluminum sulfate is also used to keep or intensify the blue color on your hydrangeas, and a fall application will make those flowers deep blue for next summer.

If you have raspberries or blackberries in your garden, be sure to remove the canes or branches that made fruit this year, as they will not fruit next year, just make foliage. By removing the old canes, you will encourage much new growth for next year that will be productive. Also, add 2 inches of straw, pine needles or bark mulch to protect the roots and help keep out weeds.

Rhubarb should be cleaned of all old foliage. Add a couple inches of compost around the plant, that's all. Asparagus should be all cut down to the ground when the foliage turns yellow to brown. If the fern-like foliage has small BB-shaped fruit on it, be sure to pull them off and spread them on the ground to start new plants next spring. Asparagus loves to be fertilized in the fall with cow or chicken manure fertilizer--use 50 lbs. of composted cow manure for every 10 feet of row or 10 lbs. of dehydrated manure. If you're using chicken manure and it's fresh. Use 25 lbs. per 10 feet of row or 5 lbs. of dehydrated.

Hydrangeas need special care also and here is what to do this fall. The white-flowering varieties should be cleaned of all their flowers as soon as they turn brown. If the flowers stay on the plant during the winter and you get an ice storm or heavy wet snow, the flower will hold the Ice and snow, causing the branch to break with the weight. I have seen many beautiful plants, especially the tree form, destroyed this way. White varieties can be pruned in the spring or fall to control size and to create a tree shape of the plant. Fertilize in the spring, not the fall. New hybrids are best pruned in the early spring before the new growth has developed and again in June to remove dead branches from the plant. Cutting back existing branches in half will help develop stronger stems with many side shoots off of them.

The blue or pinks should also be cleaned of flowers for the same reason but only remove the flower on both types, never cut back the plant during the fall. Prune only in the spring to prevent winter dieback when the winters have little to no snow cover. Keep limestone away from the plant or it will turn pink due to acidity levels in the soil. New varieties do not need winter protection, but I always spray my plants with Wilt-Pruf around Thanksgiving just in case we have a cold winter and little snow cover to protect them. If you have new plants, build a mound of bark mulch around the base of the plant 12 inches high by 12 inches wide for the first year to help give them extra time to get established in your garden.

If you have any containerized plants such as roses, needle evergreens or perennials, be sure to move them under cover for winter. An unheated garage, tool shed, or under a tall deck will do well and help prevent the container from filling with ice and killing the roots during the winter. If this is not possible, place the containers up against a solid structure like your house or garage for protection from the wind and weather. Always avoid placement where water runs off the roof and never cover the plant with plastic bags--burlap bags will work well as long as the top is open to the air and a bit of sunlight in. Spray evergreens with Wilt Pruf around Thanksgiving for added protection. Have fun!!!" Thanks Paul!

*Ripening green tomatoes: This is the time of the year that the cooler weather we have received have shriveled our tomato plants but we still have many green tomatoes on the vine. Jim Crockett of Crockett’s Victory Garden wrote: “for some reason, the common wisdom about green tomatoes is that they ripen if left on a sunny windowsill and that wisdom is absolutely wrong. Green tomatoes shrivel and become pink and bitter tasting in the sun. They ripen best in darkness in a spot that gets no warmer than 45 or 50 degrees. I put my tomatoes in an old picnic cooler and set them in the garage. The ripening process is given a boost if a ripe apple is stored with the tomatoes. These ripened tomatoes don’t have the quite the flavor of the vine-ripened fruit but they’re better than any available in the stores and they ripen so slowly that they will last through Thanksgiving. Be sure that all tomatoes to be stored are free of blemishes. Any cuts or cracks in the skin will allow decay to set in and ruin the fruit. It is a good precaution also to wash and dry the tomatoes before storage.”

*Forcing bulbs: There is no quicker way to bring spring indoors during the winter than with a pot of bulbs. Many different bulbs can be forced, including tulips, hardy narcissus, hyacinths, squill, and crocuses. These are all hardy bulbs that need a 15-week prerooting period before they can be brought into active growth. That period of enforced cold convinces them that winter is at hand; when they’re brought to a warm spot, they assume that spring has arrived and they bloom.

To begin the process usually several bulbs are potted together in a 6-inch bulb pan. Hyacinths, which are large-flowered, look handsome planted as singles in regular 4-inch flowerpots. Add a dusting of garden fertilizer to the soil so the bulbs will have additional nutrients. When they’re planted in the pots, the tips of the bulbs should peek just above the soil line, which should itself be about ½ inch below the rim of the pot. Then moisten the soil and the bulbs are ready for winter.

There are several different ways to store winter bulbs; the purpose is simply to keep the bulbs at 40 degrees or so. Also they can’t be allowed to dry out or freeze. A bulkhead, cool cellar, or refrigerator is fine. Also a cold frame or a bulb trench dug outdoors can be used. After 15 weeks, the first of the bulbs can be brought indoors. Plan on bringing in just a pot or two at a time to give you a sequence of flowering plants through most of the late winter and early spring. Put the pots on a bright but cool windowsill until the shoots are about 4” tall. Then move them into bright sunlight until the flower buds start to show color, at which point move them back into bright indirect light. While bulb plants are growing and in flower, they do best with night temperatures in the low 40s at night and the 60s in the day. Keep the soil moist but don’t feed them. Then enjoy an early taste of spring.

When the bulb plant’s leaves begin to turn yellow, reduce the amount of water and give them only enough to keep the leaves from wilting. By the time the leaves have withered entirely, the soil should be dry. The bulbs can be stored in their pots until the fall, or they can be taken from their pots and stored in a cool dry place. Most bulb plants can’t be forced a second time. But if you have an outdoor garden, you can save the bulbs and plant them outside in the fall. They may not blossom extensively the next spring, but they will regain their strength and eventually produce fine outdoor spring flowers. "

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 18, 2011

October Garden Talks Mailbag

2011-10-14T10:34:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

Welcome to October in Skillin's Country. Some might say that October is an "off" gardening month. Well after you read some of the Questions and Answers in this month's mailbag you may have to rethink that. October is a great transition month. Plants coming inside. What to prune. Vegetables to grow.

So ask the Questions and we will give the Answers! "We Know" gardening!

Check back to this post often--we will date the entries and keep the more current Questions and Answers near the top.

AND we will donate $5 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank for each Question and Answer we post to this Garden Log. At 10/14 we have 15 Questions and Answers! That means $75 so keep the Questions and Answers coming!

If you have a question you would like answered just send your question to skillins@maine.rr.com!

Question: (10/12) From Skillin's Friend Mary: "We have a weeping cherry tree that lost its weeping branches and the branches that took over don't bloom.Was it a graft? Should we wait or cut it down?

It is more than 3 years old, we (are) think(ing) the branches (may have) died as a result of the very cold winter(s)."

Answer: "Sometimes those trees have side grafts and sometimes top grafts. They are generally hardy to -15F and sometimes -20F.

Thoughts: Are the new, non-blooming branches weeping? If so, they should bloom if the winter is not too rough on the flower buds. Is the tree planted in a lawn that receives high nitrogen lawn food? That can interfere with blossom set and bud hardiness.

I would wait and see what happens next spring. The tree is given a little time, and if you decide to replace you will have many options next May/June. If your garden happens to be too cold for the weeping cherry, a weeping crabapple should work for you in its place."

Rhubarb Leaves Make Great Compost!

Question: (10/11) From Skillin's Friend Mary: "Is it alright to compost rhubarb leaves? Heard they are poisonous."

Answer: " Mary, it is absolutely fine to compost rhubarb leaves. The leaves in their pure form are toxic to humans but the toxic Oxalic acid breaks down very easily in any compost pile. So the composted leaves give plenty of organic matter to your compost."

Question: (10/10) From Skillin's Friend Roxanne: "I have a black walnut that finally produced nuts this year. It will take me a while to get the hang of harvesting, cleaning, and drying them though. My veggie garden and blueberry bushes are all within 80 feet of the dreaded drip line and I must make the decision to move the garden and bushes, according to websites I have consulted. They did not do well this season.

What advice can you impart on this loyal Skillin's gardener re preparing a new spot for both."

Answer: Congrats on the black walnut; we are excited for you. Tim and I have both looked at your email. We feel the veggie garden and blueberry bushes should be planted well beyond the 80 feet mark. We are reading the same 80 foot barrier that you are but our experience is that the black walnut can go grow roots beyond the drip line and secretions from these active roots can cause problems for your plants.

I have looked for revised distances but without much success. I think adding another 40 to 50 feet of distance would do the trick.

Be extra good about cleaning up black walnut leaves, branches and of course nuts.

As to the veggies and blueberries I would go "standard procedure" on the new location. A very sunny area--the more sun the better! Prepare the soil well with good doses of organic matter/compost. Fall is an excellent time to prepare a bed in anticipation of the coming Spring.

Question: (10/07) from Skillin's Friend Linda: "I read recently about a product called Bobbex to repel squirrels and other such animals. I noticed that red squirrels? (or some other animals) are chewing the top of some wooden posts on our unfinished shed. Would Bobbex be safe to use on the wood? If not, what might you suggest I spray to deter animals from chewing. "

Answer: “You could try the Bobbex or some sort of hot pepper spray. It might prove to be a little bit of a deterrent. We do not carry Bobbex but I hear good things about it. We offer a product called Repel by Bonide which might be effective. We also offer the hot pepper spray. Jeff Skillin also suggested you employ a small Hav a Hart trap and to keep it out only during the day as that is when the Red suireels are out. They sleep at night but skunks are out at night!”

Question: (10/06) From Skillin's Friend Barbara R: "I have had a bad season with snails and slugs; there's almost nothing they won't eat. I have used beer, Sluggo, homemade ammonia spray (You have to find them to use this) and still more bugs! My question is, is there anything I can do this Fall to prevent this onslaught next year?"

Answer: "I am not aware of anything you can do this fall to prevent the onslaught.Question: (10/05) From Skillin's Friend Barbara D: "We have a lovely cast-aluminum fountain planter that accumulates algae during the summer season in the water. A friend suggested we place copper pennies in the fountain to stop the algae. Does this remedy work?"

I pretty faithfully use Slug Magic by Bonide (similar to Sluggo) and that helps a great deal. Slugs and snails love to live in dark places—like under hosta canopies. When you apply Slug Magic make sure you put some near or under the Hosta. They almost always prefer the Slug Magic over plant material and that placement might help deter some more. “Get them where they live” during the day so to speak."

Answer: Copper pennies would work on a real limited basis—I would recommend picking up a good Pond Clearing algicide (sold at most garden centers). Besides pennies are not really copper these days, is that correct?

Question: (10/04) From Skillin's Friend Judy: "I have some bamboo growing right next to my foundation of the house who can i get rid of it.it is impossible to dig out the roots."

Answer: Judy bamboo is very tough to get rid of. Persistence is the key.

You can not dig out the roots without strengthening the plant in the long run.

Question: (10/04) Also from Skillin's Friend Holly: "I planted a bugbane last fall, and this spring it got early growth to about 6 inches, then nothing happened all summer. Was expecting it to do more this year. Should it next?"

Answer: "I love the bugbane--one of Mike's Must Haves. If the plant is was still looking healthy this summer and early fall despite its diminutive state then I suspect the plant was devoting more time for root growth. More roots should mean a much bigger plant next year and beyond!"

Question: (10/04) From Skillin's Friend Holly: " I know that foxglove is a biennial, but I thought when I bought a lovely, large plant from you this spring from White Flower Farm, that it would at least bloom this year.....nothing! Should it next year?"

Answer: "It should bloom next year Holly and furthermore those flowers should drop seeds which will mean a few more plants down the road."

Question: (10/03) From Real Skillin's Friend Bruce: "I have several amaryllis plants that have spent the summer outside in pots. How should I get them ready to bloom?"

Answer: "In late summer or fall bring the amaryllis indoors, reduce watering and allow the plant to die back. As the foliage dies, cut it back to the top of the bulb, remove the bulb from the pot and clean off the soil and old roots. Store the bulb in a cool (45-50 degree) dry area until mid December and then begin again! (The natural tendency of an amaryllis is to bloom in late January and well into February; this is when your amaryllis will bloom in subsequent years)."

Question: (10/02) From Real Skillin's Friend Holly: "What is your opinion on fall garden clean up for perennials? I have been advised to totally cut everything back to about an inch or two
from the ground, and then another person says to just leave it. Which do you
recommend and what would the best time do this, after the first frost?"

Answer: "As for the perennials, the rule of thumb I use is to prune back any dead or dying growth. Much growth this time of year can still in good shape. I would not prune that yet. Wait until late hard frosts have killed that growth off or prune such growth very early next year (March or so). An early Spring pruning is a neat way to stimulate the roots of your perennials to send out nice new growth. Back to this year: much of our earlier flowering material (peonies, astilbes, coneflowers) is dying off or has died off. That "worn" or "dead" growth is what I would prune. Cut everything back to fresh green growth and then look to cut more when more dead growth occurs! Also pick up and clean out any material lying on the ground. Such material will become great hiding places and incubators for next year's insects and diseases. Fallen leaves and branches should be picked up and composted."

Question: (10/02) From Real Skillin's Friend Barbara: " I have 2 miniature rose plants in pots outdoors. Can I plant them in the ground, will they come up next Spring or summer? Any special treatment needed ? "

Answer: "Miniature rose plants make great year round outdoor plants. I think they may be more hardy and reliable than many conventional rose plants. Plant them now and water them in very well when you do plant. Keep them well watered between now and when the ground freezes. I would also mulch them over late this fall as the ground is freezing. Pull that mulch off in early April or so."

Question: (10/01) From Real Skillin's Friend Lois: "I have two hibiscus plants that I put outside in their pots for the summer. They didn't produce blossoms and now they look terrible. The leaves yellowed and fell off. There are few leaves left. I just brought them inside a week ago. What should I do do with them. During the winter, they did blossom. They really need a lot of something."

Answer: Lois, great to hear from you! I am sorry about the hibiscus; here is what I would do:

First off your hibiscus need as much sun as possible through the winter. Second it is time to give them a solid, solid haircut to make a better shape. This haircutting will encourage MUCH new growth and the flowers always come from new growth.

Third, hibiscus can attract insects when outside. Next time you are here pick up a small container of Systemic Houseplant Granules by Bonide. They are easily applied and can provide weeks of protection against any harm that can come the hibiscus way.

Fourth, hibiscus love great soakings. Their roots are numerous and very fine. They drink a lot of water. So when you do water them, really soak them (think a couple of gallons at a time). Any excess water should be poured off. (Use your bath tub for convenience sake).

Fifth, hibiscus love consistent food and Miracle Gro does not do that. I recommend applying all natural fertilizer granules by a company called Dynamite (sold right here at Skillin’s!). Apply these granules every 3 months and let them work their benefits on your plants.

Lois, when that hibiscus is blooming beautifully bring me a flower!

Question: (10/01) From Real Skillin's Friend Mickey: "Please advise me when it is the best time to prune my rose of sharon bush. This year I had the most beautiful roses on it. "

Answer: Glad to hear about your great success with the rose of Sharon. The best time to give your rose of Sharon a good pruning is late this March or early in April of this coming year. Give it a haircut to a few inches BELOW where you would like to target it’s growth. That way when it flushes back it’s growth it should fill in nicely!
It is always a good idea to give the bush a protection of mulch around the base when the ground starts to freeze. This will keep the root ball in place and ensure a great amount of flowers for you!

Many people live with a segment of bamboo and then use a herbicide like Bonide Brush Killer to keep new growth at bay. I recommend being persistent with spraying Round Up on new growth that emerges. Vigilance and attention will cause the new growth to shrink back and will actually result in less overall spraying! You still have at least a couple of more effective weeks to use the Brush Killer by Bonide (sold right here at Skillin’s).

Many gardeners also do cut back the bamboo that they want to get rid of but they do this cut back for the purposes of having the bamboo send out new tender leaves. These tender leaves are ripe for spraying because the leaves will absorb the Brush Killer rather quickly. The Brush Killer will then go onto weaken the bamboo roots.

Persistence, persistence!

Mike Skillin
October 2011

Beautiful Berries on Your Shrubs and Trees for the Fall and Winter Months

2011-10-11T05:00:00.003-04:00

The Awesome Winterberry--Great to Plant Now!

Let's begin with the wonderful trees that produce clusters of fruit in many colors and shapes to feed our birds during the fall and winter months. Yes, the berries are beautiful to look at, but their main purpose is to provide food for birds and wildlife during the winter months when most native plants are dormant or covered with snow. My favorite is the European Mountain Ash because of the wonderful white flower clusters in the spring and large clusters of bright orange fruit that develop during September.

I planted an 8 foot tall tree at my parents' house in the late 70's and today it's well over 40 feet tall. I would often watch the birds pick the berries from the tree around the Thanksgiving holiday. One Thanksgiving morning, my grandfather and I were having coffee and watching the birds from the kitchen table, when he told me this story about the Mountain Ash tree. My grandfather's name was Romeo Parent but everybody called him POP. I always called him "The Fisherman" because he loved nothing more than going fishing--and he often took me along. When I got older, it was my turn to take him fishing and we spent many wonderful hours together fishing--but let me tell you the story he told me about the Mountain Ash tree.

POP lived in the days of Prohibition, when beer and liquor were outlawed but POP and his friends used to pick the berries from the wild Mountain Ash trees growing in Maine to make homemade wine with them. Despite the law, almost everyone he knew made their own alcohol with wild berries and fruit like apples, pears, and peaches. POP told me that his favorite homemade wine was from the Mountain Ash tree and every time I see the Mountain Ash Tree I think of my Grandfather. If you're looking to plant trees with wonderful fruit go to your local nursery and ask to look at the following trees:

The Flowering Crabapple family: Not all varieties make fruit, so be sure to ask for ideas from the nurseryman and for his suggestions. Some of my favorites are.
Japanese Flowering Crabapple: with yellow to red fruit.
Tea Crabapple: with golden fruit with a red blotch.
Sargent Crabapple: with red fruit.
Donald Wyman: with glossy red fruit.
Harvest Gold: with glossy gold fruit.
Zumi: with golden yellow fruit.
Red Jade: red fruit
Weeping Candied Apple: with cherry red fruit.
Spring Flowering Dogwood: with jelly bean shaped red fruit.
Kousa Dogwood: with a raspberry shaped red fruit.
Magnolias: red to pink fruit in a pod that will break open to reveal the fruit.
Sourwood: white early, then turning to brown.
The Flowering Pear family: green to yellow.
The Hawthorn family: Glossy red to reddish purple fruit.
Red Cedar: powdery blue fruit.
Russian-Olive: silvery green fruit.
Autumn- Olive: burnt orange to red fruit.

If your yard has no room for trees, here are a few wonderfulshrubs with unique fruit for both evergreen and deciduous plants. Here are some evergreen plants with much to offer your garden.

Oregon Grape Holly: clusters of dusty bright blue fruit.
The Holly family: clusters of bright shiny red and some gold fruit.
The Skimmia family: clusters of bright red fruit.
The Ilex family: shiny black fruit.
The Cotoneaster family: bright red fruit.
The Evergreen Euonymus family: red to pink fruit that will break open and reveal orange seeds.
The Daphne family: red fruit.
The Inkberry family: dark blue to black fruit.
The Pyracantha family: My favorite shrub with bright orange to orange-red fruit clusters, and also yellow.

Here are some wonderful deciduous plants with wonderful fruit clusters. Fruit is showy with and without foliage on the plant. With snow on the ground they are spectacular.

The Viburnum family: This is the largest family of fruit bearing plants; they vary in many shades of red to reddish-purple, blue, and black. If you want birds you will need the Viburnum family on your property.
Bayberry family: Dusty blue fruit.
Barberry family: Oval red to yellow fruit.
Snowberry; beautiful white fruit clusters.
Burning Bush: red to pink fruit that will break open to reveal orange seeds.
Privet Hedges: with wonderful blue black fruit clusters.
Rosa Rugosa: Bright orange fruit that changes to red.
The Beautyberry family: white, pink, and purple fruit clusters. A must-see plant in the fall.
Winterberry family: My favorite deciduous plant, with shiny red fruit clusters that cover the new growth on the plant. Winterberry is often sold during Christmas to put in window boxes outside for the winter with greens. "

Paul, thanks again for a great post that is rich with information! We would love to talk with you about any of these plants!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 11, 2011

The Colors of the Fall Foliage Around You

2011-10-10T18:45:00.001-04:00

The Gorgeous Norway Maple!

The Maple family: Has the best color in the fall and a wide selection of colors to choose from but there are many other trees just as beautiful to look at, so print this list when you go "Leaf Peeping."
- Norway Maple: best shades of yellow to gold and even a bit of orange on the same leaf.
- The Norway maple Hybrid 'Crimson King' has reddish purple leaves spring to fall.
- Red Maple: Brilliant and the best reds, with splashes of orange and yellow mixed on the same tree.
- Silver Maple: Yellow and orange blend with a splash of red on the same tree.
The Oak family: Known for shades of reds and deep green on the same leaf that will often develop later during the fall season and fade to reddish-brown. Some varieties hold the leaves well into winter.
The Birch family: known for bright golden yellow foliage and the wonderful white papery looking bark.
White Ash: known for the reds and purple shades mixed on the foliage.
Green Ash: known for superb yellow to gold foliage.
Beech family: known for bright yellow to golden brown to brown leaves that stay on the tree until winter.
Ginkgo: brilliant bright yellow for many days but all the leaves will fall from the tree at the same time.
Elms: shades of yellow with lines of green running thru it before turning brown and falling.
The Linden family: shades of striking yellow to gold foliage.
The Flowering Pear family: starts as a shiny yellow-orange then changes to red. Striking.
The Flowering Crabapples: shades of deep bright orange and red on the same leaf.
The Dogwood family: red to reddish purple and red to bright orange on the same leaves.
The Shadblow family: bright orange and very striking.
The Weeping Willow family: bright and shiny yellow foliage.
The Mountain Ash family: showy golden yellow foliage.
The Sourwood: begins yellow, then turns to shades of red and maroon foliage.
The Dawn Redwood: an evergreen needle that will turn orange-brown to reddish-brown and drop.
The Larch family: an evergreen needle that will turn bright yellow to gold and drop.

Here are a few suggestions for the best shrubs for fall foliage color for your yard and your gardens!

Many of these shrubs also have beautiful flowers and fruit on them so the fall foliage is just an added benefit to the plant. Fall is for planting, so take advantage of the sales at your local nursery and get your yard landscaped this month and save money at the same time.

The Burning Bush is the KING of all fall foliage shrubs. In some states it has been removed from the nurseries and is not available for sale because these states overplanted them along the roadways and they have become invasive. These states will not agree with me but see for yourself when you drive along the highways how many are planted on the side of overpasses to prevent erosion, to give color to the highway and make the roadways look more beautiful during your many hours of traveling.

You all know the Burning Bush because of its wonderful bright fire-engine red foliage during the month of October. I Have several in my yard and have never seen seedlings develop around the plants, but because state horticulturists who overplanted them have passed a law preventing them from being sold, you are no longer able to purchase them in my state. If you have a Burning Bush in your yard please look around your property for seedlings and let me know if your plants have become invasive!

The Viburnum family: varying shades of reds to reddish purple and very showy.
The Witchhazel family: brilliant yellow to orange foliage.
The Enkianthus family: bright red foliage with a bit of yellow splash on the inner leaves of the plant.
The Sumac family: rich reds, scarlet, maroon and some new hybrids shades of yellow foliage.
The Shrub-type Dogwoods: shades of red foliage with colorful stems that are red or golden yellow.
The Fothergilla family: wonderful shades of yellow, orange, and red blended on the foliage.
Oakleaf Hydrangea: unusual shades of reds to purples on the foliage.
Rhododendron PJM: burgundy red fall color
Rhododendron mucronulatum: Deciduous variety with yellow fall foliage.
The Cotoneaster family: shiny bright red to reddish purple.
Bridal wreath: orange and red combinations on the foliage.
Forsythia family: green and burgundy foliage
Kerria family: pale to medium yellow foliage.
Blueberries: shades of yellow, orange and changing to bronze and red foliage.
The Leucothoe family: rich wine to burgundy evergreen foliage during the winter months.

There are a few vines and ground covers with good fall color that you should also look for at your local nursery. Most plants stay green or the foliage falls off the plant green in the fall season, but look for these two plants and you will not go wrong.

Boston ivy: bright reds, crimson and even new hybrids with yellow foliage, the best vine for fall color.

Euonymus Coloratus: my favorite ground cover will turn a plum-purple color from the first frost and last until the new growth develops in the spring before turning green again.

When selecting plants for your yard and garden it is always better to select plants that will provide you with more than one quality while in your care. The flowers are nice but they can only last for so long and if fall color is also available you have a plant with two qualities, not just flowers for 4 to 8 weeks a year. Enjoy!

I have one more suggestion for you for this fall. If you have family or friends who live in an area of the country where the foliage does not change colors in the fall, do this for them. Pick an assortment of colorful leaves and stuff a bag with them, then send them out to them where they live. I do this every year and take a large zip lock bag. Place a couple paper towels that are wet to cover the leaves and place in the bag. The leaves stay moist and hold their color until they get there. I use a Priority Mail envelop from the post office and it gets there in a couple of days for less than $10.00. It's a wonderful gift for people who have moved out of the area; it will bring back many memories for them. Great for the grandkids who live in the South where the closest thing to colorful plants is ORANGES on a tree. "

Thanks Paul Parent for a super article! Folks we can talk to you about a number of these plants right here at Skillin's. And Paul is right our shrubs and trees are on sale!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 10, 2011

October (early October) Garden Talks

2011-10-04T05:00:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

It is time for some early October Garden Talks in Skillin's Country. We Know gardening and here are some great tips. Check back often as we will be adding to this post over the next few days.

*I know that I write about watering endlessly! But fall watering insures plants are not drought stressed and therefore weakened going into the harsh winter. Also plants will actually store water to help compensate for any evaporation that occurs on windy winter days. Evaporation can also be dramatically reduced by spraying broad-leafed evergreens like rhododendrons with WILT-PRUF. Finally moisture that is in the ground from fall watering will be used by your plants in the Spring--this gets your plants off to a Spring head start!

*It is nearly time to store our summer flowering bulbs such as tuberous begonias, dahlias and gladiolas for the winter. Unfortunately these lovely bulbs cannot survive our winters outdoors in the garden.

After a truly hard frost has knocked the life out of the foliage of these bulbs, I dig them carefully out of the ground. You will be amazed at the growth your bulbs have put on over the summer! Cut the foliage away from the bulbs (such foliage makes great compost!) and knock as much soil as possible off the bulbs. Let them sit for a couple of days on your porch or deck until all the soil can be easily rubbed off.

Dahlias and glads in particular will have added to the parent bulbs over the summer. By that I mean that the dahlia tubers will have added new tubers and the gladiola corms will have added new corms to the parent corm. Feel free to break off these new additions; they will mean more plants next year! Tuberous begonias will have almost doubled in size. There is really nothing to divide but in a situation where you may have had 4 or 5 begonia tubers in one container for 2011 this means for 2012 in the same container you can probably have 3 begonia tubers and still have the same showy look. This means more containers of beautiful tuberous begonias next year.

Winter storage of these bulbs should have 3 goals:

(1) Treat the bulbs for any mildew or little bugs they might have now. Bulbs are living creatures; mildew can reside on them or tiny bugs called thrips can also call your bulbs home. We recommend a product called all natural Garden Dust by Bonide. I put some dust in a plastic bag and place some bulbs in that bag. Close the bag and shake it well; this dust will cover the bulbs and help get rid of mildew and pesky little bugs such as thrips.

(2) Prevent the bulbs from freezing. The bulbs should be stored in a situation where the winter temperatures are cool—between 40 and 50 degrees. I have an unheated crawl space under my house that works well. Most people have heated basements that may well be too warm. I have heard of people digging a hole about 18” deep outside next to their foundation where the temperature hovers just above the freezing mark.(I have not tried this method myself). Some people have cool basement corners and store their bulbs against the cool basement walls.

(3) Prevent the bulbs from dehydrating. I store my bulbs nestled in some loose good quality potting soil or peat moss in the same plastic bags that I shook them with the Garden Dust. Once I have the bulbs snuggled in with the soil or peat moss, I tie up the bag and wish them a good winter’s sleep. A "zip loc" baggie works great as well!

In late February, it will be time to wake the tuberous begonias and pot them in fresh soil. They will have to stay indoors near a sunny window until the danger of hard frost is past in the Spring. “Ditto” for the dahlias except I would plan on starting them in early March. The glads can be started indoors in mid April.

*October to mid November is THE time to plant Spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocus. Daffodils are a Must Have--they are as hardy as can be and their yellows and whites are brilliant. Plus they are not a choice of deer or other roaming and munching garden plundereres. Crocus and snowdrops can be planted in a south facing spot and bring bright touches of color as early as mid to late March depending on the spot.

These bulbs can be planted later than early November too. So if you "forget" to plant your bulbs and find them in a bag indoors on Thanksgiving afternoon--don't stress. (Don't plant that day either; have another piece of pie and watch some football). I picked to mid November because it is usually colder after mid November. Just bundle up!!

*Margaret of A Way to Garden maintains a superior gardening site that I check in on often. *She gives a great tip here about vegetable gardening: "PREPARE A SEEDBED NOW for peas and spinach for next spring, to get a headstart on such early crops. Spinach can even be sown now through Thanksgiving, even in the north, and covered with fabric for super-early spring harvest; not the peas, of course."

*We talk a great deal about garden cleanup these days and for good reason. In most cases we recommend to compost what we clean out of the garden. Margaret points out with vegetable and annual plants that get pulled out: "before composting the remains, cut them up a bit with a pruning shears or shred, to speed decomposition. I sometimes just run piles of dry things over with the mower (nothing too woody or you’ll wreck your blade, of course)."

*We hope you have had a great tomato year! But your tomato plants and leaves should be thoroughly raked up, picked up and trashed. Tomato plants carry too much blight to be worth your compost pile.

*Have many green tomatoes and worrying about them ripening--especially with cold weather coming to Skillin's Country? Click HERE for some good tips on what to do with your tomatoes with cold weather approaching.

Mike Skillin

Skillin's Greenhouses

October 4, 2011

Bulb Gardening Thoughts

2011-09-28T15:07:00.001-04:00

Spring bulb planting begins in October as the night and day temperatures begin to fall and the air becomes clear and dry. Purchasing bulbs is another story and that can begin in September. Bulbs should be firm and show no signs of rot or damage. Some retailers sell inexpensive bulbs but be cautious of these, although they will survive they may be too young to produce flowers for several years if at all. Here are some of the products needed:

Bulbs of your choice Spring bulbs need to be planted in full sun (min. 6 hours) in little well drained soil. Each variety of bulbs has a mature height and bloom time so stag your planting low in front tall in back as well as stagger the variety for bloom time to lengthen the season.

Espoma Bulb Tone Bulbs like many of our garden favorites are not always growing naturally in our yards so the nutrients that they require mat not be available in the levels that they need to perform at their best. Bulb Tone is an all natural plant food (3-5-3) a complete blend aiding in the full development of our bulbs. Always follow the recommend amounts that are suggested on the packaging unless a soil test tells us differently.

Coast of Maine Cobscook Blend, Quoddy Mix or Little River Compost Bulbs like most of our perennials require a moderate amount of organic matter in the soil for them to flourish. The Coast of Maine products are the most consistent and general show the best results.

Bulb Planters Nothing beats a good shovel when creating a mass planting of bulbs. However for spotting bulbs throughout the garden in and around existing plants a bulb planter or auger that fits onto a cordless drill is a very effective tool. Bulbs should be planted at least 4 X their diameter. This is from the top of the bulb to the surface of the garden bed. This means the top of a 2” bulb should be 6” deep in the soil making the hole approximately 8” deep.

Ro-Pel Many of our native animals of all sizes enjoy our bulbs as much as we do but for an entirely different reason. They taste good. We have found that Ro-Pel has been one of the most effective repellant to protect our bulb investment. Before planting bulbs soak them in Ro-pel for one minute allow to dry before planting. For deer and other spring feeders spray all surfaces including both sides of the foliage.

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
September 28, 2011

September (Late September) Garden Talks

2011-09-27T17:59:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

Late September has arrived with an uptick in the temperature. Fall officially began last Friday in Skillin's Country and with the arrival of the season temperatures and humidity shot right up. Is this what our predecessors termed "Indian Summer"? That may be but whatever the term is I rather like the conditions. Sticky? Yeah a little. Warm? Sure...but the whole deal with Fall is we know what comes next.

Mike, enough of that type of talk. This time of year brings much in the way of gardening and decorating opportunities and it is time to get on with the show!

Pumpkins Galore at Skillin's! Along with Corn Stalks, Mums and Pansies!!

Click HERE for mid September Garden Talks!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1)

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

(Check Skillin's Moisture Meter Post for more detail about "Quality rain" and "Deep waterings"). We Know watering at Skillin's!

10/03/2011 update: Okay, okay! This past drenching weekend brought us close to 3" of rain in many parts of Skillin's Country with more rain being rumored for Tuesday the 4th. In almost all cases (sheltered containers perhaps the exception) our plants have received plenty of water for the next few days.

Check our October postings in another few days for further water discussions!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

Now much more Garden Talks for you. We Know gardens:

*Fall to an avid gardener with grass and dirt stained knees and dirty hands can be difficult to adjust to. However, fall is a great time of year to actually improve your garden. One of the first steps you should take is to apply lime to your lawn and gardens. Generally at the end of the growing season the production effort leaves a garden with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0, so we advise adding lime at a rate of about 5 pound per 100 square feet to eventually raise the pH to about 6.5 to 7.0. This higher pH level will allow your plants to receive a wider range of nutrients. Generally, we should only lime our areas one time per year. Also your garden may well not need lime every year. If you have limed for 2 to 3 consecutive years pick up a simple pH tester at Skillin's. Check out that pH. If your soil registers at about 6.5 to 7.0, do not apply lime that year. The lime I recommend is either Fast Acting Lime by Encap—it is a calcium based lime that is better than most limes for at least two reasons: 1) Calcium is an excellent organic additive to your soil. It benefits your plants tremendously by helping to “keep free” the flow of beneficial nutrients to your plants roots. 2) Magnesium based lime can actually aid weeds as magnesium adds a natural soil compactor. Many of the plants we prefer don’t like growing in compact soils but unfavorable weeds like plantain, dandelions, crabgrass and ajuga don’t mind compact soils a bit!

*Gardening friend Margaret of A Way to Garden writes: "DON’T PANIC IF EVERGREENS start to show some browning or yellowing of needles this month and next. The oldest, innermost needles typically shed after a few years on the tree." I am noticing that pines especially are showing some yellowing on the inside of the trees. This is not a huge concern for older trees; however, 2011 planted pines should receive good deep waterings once weekly between now and when the ground freezes. These waterings will make the pines healthier for next year and beyond. Also a light feeding of Hollytone by Espoma (sold right here at Skillin's) is not a bad idea for your evergreen trees if they have not been fed for awhile.

*More great tips from Margaret of A Way to Garden: "PARSLEY AND CHIVES can be potted up and brought indoors for offseason use, or freeze some (or give the plants some extra protection and keep harvesting from the garden). A few garlic cloves in a pot will yield a supply of chive-like (but spicier) garlic greens all winter for garnish." I think parsley makes an attractive house plant too! Nice and green!

DAYLILIES can be dug and divided as they complete their bloom cycle, right into fall, if needed.

PEONIES are best divided and transplanted in late August through September, if they need it. Remember with these fussy guys that “eyes” must not be buried more than an inch or two beneath the soil surface. Great advice--now is the time to re set those peonies!

MANY POPULAR ANNUALS can be overwintered as young plants if you take and root cuttings now rather than try to nurse along leggy older specimens. Geraniums, coleus, wax begonias, even impatiens (to name just a few common ones), if grown in good light indoors and kept pinched and bushy, will yield another generation of cuttings for next spring’s transplants. Probably best to expend this effort and space on things you really treasure—an unusual form of something, not the garden variety. Again great advice here. I love keeping geraniums through the winter. Margaret writes about keeping your annuals "pinched and bushy" and I agree totally!

REST AMARYLLIS BULBS by putting them in a dry, dark place where they will have no water at all for a couple of months. I put mine in a little-used closet.

Thanks Margaret and I highly recommend her Garden Website, A Way to Garden!

*Too many plants and too little space in your vegetable garden? Plan next years garden now and note how many plants you really should have in your plot. Make sure there is walkable space between rows of small plants and walkable space between each tomato plant and vine crop plant! Let us know if you have any questions about vegetable gardening! We Know vegetable gardening!!

*It is vital to thoroughly CLEAN your yard in the fall. However, just don't admire those newly cleaned wide open spaces in your garden. Fall is a great time for soil preparation! Get some Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Plant Tone by Espoma worked into the soil (especially if your soil has only had one natural feeding this year. Miracle Gro does not qualify as a natural feeding!) As I often write, these fertilizers are the best and most long-term way to bring nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium naturally to your soil.

Then lay some compost as a top dressing in those open spaces and around your plants. If you have no compost, my favorite bagged compost for this job is Fundy Mix by Coast of Maine. Fundy mix is an excellent product to "top dress" around plant material as great organic matter and as a nice mulch or cover. For VERY wide open spaces that is a future home to more plants, actually work some of your compost material OR a great garden compost like Little River Blend Compost or Quoddy Blend by Coast of Maine. (Composted Manure by Jolly Gardener would also work well!)

*It is just a great time to plant trees and shrubs. We have new plants arriving all the time as well freshly dug Skillin grown pines and spruce. And all on sale: Trees are 40% off, shrubs are buy 1 get 10%, buy 2 get 20%, buy 3 get 30%, buy 4 get 40%!!

Why is it a great time to plant? The soil is still warm, rains are more frequent and the cooler air temps make for great acclimation conditions for your plants. Plus with a great selection AND sale prices that means Fall is for Planting. WE KNOW shrubs and trees here at Skillin's!

*Continue to prune out and clean out dead growth in your perennial and annual gardens. By removing dead and brown growth you are preventing problems for next year. As good gardening friend Paul Parent reminds us, "Insects and disease know that cooler weather means the end of their life cycle, and to continue their future they must lay eggs on that dying foliage. Diseases make spores for next year also. If you clean the garden this fall, you will have fewer problems next year..."

*Store your harvest properly. Potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage and celery should be kept in a humid atmosphere at about 35-40 degrees. Squash and pumpkins should be stored in a dry area at 40-60 degrees. Onions and dry beans should be kept at 33 degrees in a dry area." Good storage habits make great tasting natural food.

*Begin placing your poinsettias in darkness for 16 hours each day. The reduction in light will cause the bracts to "bloom" in time for the holidays.” The best way to do this is to place a large bag over your poinsettias at about 5 or 6 PM and then remove the bag the next morning. Keep this routine going daily until the end of October.

*Your Christmas cactus should rest in a cool, dim room with little water. Bring it back out Nov. 15 for holiday bloom. One of the most gorgeous flowering plants around! We will have some young Christmas cactus available in November; these plants can grow to be quite old!

*Plant fall and winter crops. Lettuce, radish, swiss chard and spinach can all be planted now in a hoop house or cold frame for fresh produce in the colder months. Many gardeners have cold frames that they use in the Spring to grow tender plants. These cold frames can be used now for vegetables!

Red Sails and other Lettuces Can Still be Seeded in a Cold Frame!

*Bulb planning and planting time is upon us and we have an awesome Bulb Planning and Planting class scheduled for this Saturday, October 1 in Brunswick, Cumberland or Falmouth. We still have openings at Brunswick and Cumberland. The class is FREE and We Know bulbs! Contact us at skillins@maine.rr.com and just specify the location to sign up.

Here are 2 links to our Skillin's Garden Log that talk about popular bulbs for you to consider and plant: Hyacinths and Daffodils, Narcissus and Jonquils.

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
September 27, 2011

September (mid September) Garden Talks

2011-09-16T10:21:00.002-04:00

Hello again,

It is mid September. We have some good gardening tips for you. Check back often as we will add to this post on a regular basis until late September.

Click HERE for early September Garden Talks!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1)

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

(Check Skillin's Moisture Meter Post for more detail about what we mean by Quality rain and Deep waterings)

921/2011 update: As I thought it might turn out a few days back we have not had real rain for the next few days. This morning I watered some containers that needed the water. Good rain is forecast for Thursday. I am going to wait to see how that works out before I water a couple of 2011 planted shrubs and some annuals. If we get more than 1/2 inch I will postpone any watering considerations for a couple more days.
I will check back in another few days for further water discussions!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*Pruning Raspberries

Now is the perfect time to prune raspberries and to prepare for next year. Click HERE for a link that illustrates well proper raspberry care.

*Decorating Tip!

Sally in Falmouth placed some pumpkins in the midst of some established plantings at the Falmouth store and it has created quite a stir!

I took these pics and they are not great. This beautiful planting is actually fairly loaded with pumpkins and looks great! Bored with pumpkins on the porch? Place some pumpkins in your plantings--you will be pleased!

Check back soon for more Garden Talks!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
September 16, 2011

September (early September) Garden Talks

2011-09-05T17:08:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

My goodness! Where has August gone? Where has the summer gone? Ah well September in Skillin's Country is always beautiful and always an active time.

We press on--enjoy your time as much as you can; smile as often as you think of it--isn't it wonderful we are made with the ability to smile and to laugh? Look for life's joys in the smallest of places and in the quietest of times. Joy is here; joy IS there.

To the garden we go!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1)

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

(Check Skillin's Moisture Meter Post for more detail about what we mean by Quality rain and Deep waterings)

9/10/2011 update: Skillin's Country received a solid inch of rain late on Wednesday and I found this to be a real nice soaking rain. I have watered some of my containers in the last few days and today I did water some annuals that have been in a sunny area. Within the next couple of days I am going to give some 2011 planted perennials and shrubs a nice slow soaking if we do not get any measurable rain in that time period.
9/05/2011 update: Last week's plentiful moisture from Irene carried us through most watering needs (except for well established containers) for the last few days. This morning I did water some containers again as well as some material that spends most of its time in the sun.

We are supposed to get some downpours later today and tonight. Keep an eye on your Rain Gauge. If we get more than an inch then you can keep the hose unused for a few more days. If NOT, then I would recommend giving your material a good deep watering.

And again, well established containers need good soakings probably every other day (and some pot bound containers every day) right now!

I will check back in another few days for further water discussions!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*Irene left us with all kinds of fallen leaves and branches. Spend some time with a rake and get the dead material picked up from your lawn and garden. Not only will your area look better so that will help you to feel better but dead leaves and stems serve as a great "harbor" or host for insects, mildews and other diseases. Clean up the mess and put this plant matter into your composter or compost heap. Extend this thought to your gardening effort over the course of the next month or two as we pull any annuals or trim any perennials from our garden, a complete cleanup of leaves and branches that we cut or that are lying on the ground is important.

*It will soon be time to bring your houseplants back inside from the outside. NOW is a great time to treat these outdoor houseplants with Systemic Houseplant Granules by Bonide. These granules are easy to apply and provide plant protection for up to 8 weeks. Bonide changed their formula a few years back and we think this product is great at nipping all kinds of harmful little critters that can spread from plant to plant. The active ingredient in the granules works systemically within the plant and is very effective when a plant or leaf biting insect comes into touch with this product in the plant's system. At this point, the soomer you apply this product the more time it has to work to clean up any insects on your plant! Got houseplant questions? Come to our Thriving Houseplants class. See details on our classes HERE!

*I am not the best photographer in the world but I do want to show you quickly and easily how I carry my different garden products around my yard. (See the picture below).

We all need a good quality garden cart. (Yes, we have some at Skillin's!). I love a good garden cart because it features one of the best inventions ever--the wheel--and by using those wheels you can carry some heavy products around. I have over 100 pounds of products in that cart. It is easy to wheel and also the cart gets the products off the ground and allows me much less bending!

I had multiple goals (actually 2 which I will detail in a moment) that I wanted to achieve. The garden cart helps me to consolidate my products, to easily wheel them around my yard and to not bend down so much while picking up bags.

In the cart, I have Black Beauty Grass Seed, Seed Accelerator (compressed paper pellets that once wet gives the seed a nice cover), Espoma's Garden Tone and also Espoma's Holly Tone. So here are my aforementioned two afternoon goals:

1) Get some grass seed and Seed Accelerator down on some thin spots. More and more of us have tried and really like Jonathan Green's Black Beauty Tall Fescue grass seed mix. Black Beauty contains 3 very hardy blends of Tall Fescue and has a rich green look. Black Beauty roots grow very deep which means your lawn will look great with less water, show more insect and disease resistance, and endure the cold winter temperatures better.

I often overseed parts of my lawn that are getting a little thin. This is easily accomplished by scratching the soil, laying the seed down, scratching the seed in and covering the seed with compressed paper pellets such as Grass Seed Acclerator or Penn Mulch. These pellets expand and provide a nice thin cover to the seed. Water daily and you will have thick grass soon!

2) My second goal this afternoon was to give my perennials, shrubs and evergreens (like rhododendrons) their second feeding of all natural fertilizers for the season. Some of my gardening peers discourage feeding of flowering plants at this point of the year. I take a different tact. I know I can be accused of trying to sell lots of fertilizer. But I garden naturally and my take for most flowering situations (perennials, shrubs, vegetable gardens) is that we ask a great deal of our plants and soils in a short amount of time. Therefore, my feeling and experience is that most flowering plants perform best with 2 gentle, spaced apart, feedings of all natural fertilizers. This would be something like Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Flower, Plant or Garden Tone by Espoma for most flowering plants and Holly Tone by Espoma for acid loving plants like evergreens, blueberries and blue hydrangeas. Directions should be followed.

My thought is that the feedings should be spaced apart. For example, Spring and late Summer; Early Summer and Fall, etc. I believe that these foods work with the biology of the soil and the plant's roots benefit first. The roots become bigger and stronger with better biology in the soil. Then the plant's performance becomes more vigorous over time. The plant can then better withstand our cold winters, wet springs and dry, hot summers with deeper and stronger roots.

Most of my plants have had their Spring and early summer feeding. Now it is time for the late summer and fall second feeding!

*Great gardening friend Tom Atwell of the Maine Sunday Telegram just wrote a great article for September gardening. I highly recommend you read this well timed and well written piece.

Some highlights from Tom Atwell's piece:

**"September is the best time to do lawn work. Lawns grow best in cool, moist weather, and that is fall. If you want to put in a new lawn, get the work done before the end of the month."

**"Expanding or renovating perennial and shrub gardens in the fall makes sense for a number of reasons, not the least of which is financial. Garden centers generally lower their prices on plants in the fall, so you can get more plants for the money. (We are having a GREAT sale on shrubs, trees and perennials right NOW at Skillin's!)

In addition, the growing season is fresh in your mind. You know the areas where the garden was just a swath of green for a month during the summer. Buy some plants that will bloom during that period to give it a bit more interest.

You can also move plants. Sometimes you discover a shorter plant that is hidden by all of the plants around it. Or a plant that you put in the front of the border has grown taller than the label said it would, and is hiding the plants behind it. This is an ideal time to rearrange the garden to suit your preferences."

**"Fall is also my favorite time for cutting back roses, especially rugosas. Put on leather gloves, a flannel shirt and a sweat shirt so your arms don't get scratched. Wade right in and really cut them back. And pull out the weedy plants while doing it.

One other hint: If a plant is not doing well or if you just don't like it, it is perfectly acceptable to dig it out and throw it away. Life is too short to put up with a bad plant."

Thanks again to Tom Atwell for the above 3 points and the great article I cited above!

*Good gardener Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden publishes some great gardening chores each month. Her September list of garden tasks is excellent as always and a couple of pointers really caught my eye.

**From Margaret: "PEAK PLANTING AND DIVIDING time is upon us; make that work include some focus on the addition of fall and winter plants to the landscape.

Maybe something gold? Maybe something full of fruit?

AS YOU BEGIN to wind down and clean up, take notes of what worked and didn’t. Mark areas that would have been easier to maintain with a workhorse groundcover in place, for instance, or areas where more bulbs might fit. Last year at this time I made a walkabout and identified various shrubs whose days were numbered; just not enough bang for the buck (well, for the space they take up), or simply too big to fit where they grew anymore. Down and out they came early this spring."

**More great Tree and Shrub advice from Margaret: " IF YOU’RE ON THE DRY SIDE, unlike me, be sure to water trees and shrubs now through hard frost, so that they enter dormancy in a well-hydrated state. Evergreens (needled ones and broadleaf types like rhododendron, too) are particularly vulnerable to desiccation and winterburn if not well watered before the cold and winds set in. (I totally agree with this advice and further recommend an application of all natural Wilt Pruf in mid November to your broad leafed evergreens like rhododendrons. Wilt Pruf really helps to reduce transpiration or moisture loss that high winter winds and dry winter air effect upon vulnerable broadleafed evergreens)

DON’T PANIC IF EVERGREENS start to show some browning or yellowing of needles this month and next. The oldest, innermost needles typically shed after a few years on the tree."

Thanks Margaret for the above 3 points!

*Want to try some Simple Roasted Tomatoes? Click HERE for a great post and recipe by our friends at the Gardener's Journal!

*Seeing many holes in your hosta? And in your broccoli and some of your annuals (my zinnias are getting punished) ? Well that is the work of slugs. The moisture we have received lately has made Skillin's Country a very hospitable environment for slugs and they love to make big holes in our plants. Spread some Slug Magic by Bonide (very safe to use around kids and pets) around your plants and your slugs will disappear rapidly.

*Paul Parent sends out some great email advice and I highly recommend you go to http://www.paulparent.com/ to sign up for his weekly emails.

Paul reminded us this past week that now is the best time to eliminate Japanese bamboo if it is plaguing your garden space. The Japanese bamboo is producing beautiful white flowers and soon will produce seed. By spraying the plant now you not only set the plant back BUT you sterilize seeds and that will hold the plant back from producing.

*Paul also has this to say about fall vegetable growing:

"Now is the time to plant your fall vegetable garden, so clean up those spaces where the crops are done producing and plants seeds for fresh vegetables during October. you have time now to plant green and yellow beans, peas, leaf lettuce of all types, radishes, Swiss chard, and spinach. In mid-September, fresh garlic bulbs will be available, so make room for them now and condition the soil before planting them. (I just planted some carrot seeds today in some available space. Also Skillin's has garlic bulbs available right now!)

Prepare the soil just like you do in the spring with compost, animal manure, or seaweed kelp. Your soil is warm and the seed will quickly germinate, so be sure to keep the soil moist at all times to help speed up germination. If you can use a liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks, your plant will mature quickly and before long you will be eating fresh vegetables in early October. Fall vegetables have fewer insect and disease problems than those grown during the summer and cooler weather gives them more flavor. Extend your harvest to October, but you must plant now to give the plants time to grow. Enjoy!"

Thanks Paul!

We have 2012 certified Botanical Interest seeds available here at Skillin's as well as all natural fertlizers like Fish and Seaweed Blend by Neptune's Harvest to get the job done on a great Fall vegetable garden!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
August 30, 2011 (revised and expanded September 5, 2011)

Skillin's Moisture Meter

2011-08-30T08:24:00.002-04:00

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

Let us know if you have any more questions about watering!

Skillin's Free Gardening Classes are Back!

2011-08-24T16:30:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

Great news! Skillin's Free Gardening Classes are Back! It is Back to School Time even in Skillin's Country. Here is a list of available Skillin's classes through November. Stay tuned as well because we may well be adding a class or two along the way.

Our FREE classes will be held Saturdays at 10 AM (unless otherwise stated).

Call Brunswick 442-8111 (1-800-339-8111), Cumberland 829-5619 (1-800-348-8498), or Falmouth 781-3860 (1-800-244-3860) to register. You may also register by emailing us at skillins@maine.rr.com, just specify the date, time, and location! These classes can sell out fast so sign up today!

Class participants receive a special Skillin’s 10% off coupon!

Class goers who attend 7 classes in this series receive a $50 Skillin's Gift Certificate upon completion of this series!!

AUGUST

27—Dividing, Relocating, Transplanting Class (10 AM)

Don’t be shocked! We’ll show you how to move your plants so they can grow and grow and grow! Fall is a great time to replan and rearrange the garden; upcoming cooler temperatures make fall a great time for planting!

SEPTEMBER

Four Part Landscape Design Series (Falmouth Sept 7,14,21, 28 10 AM)

What a great chance to get a jump start on plotting how to landscape your home the right way! Class fee is $40 to cover materials—this is a “hands on do it yourself” class to create a landscape design; fun will be had; homework will be required!

10-Pruning for a Purpose (10 AM)

Make your outdoor plants take a new shape. Proper pruning helps rejuvenate established plants and start new plants on a great growing path!

10-It’s a Hydrangea World! (2 PM) (Cumberland and Falmouth)

It IS a hydrangea world and one of our most popular classes is back. Hydrangeas should be the Official Flower of Skillin’s Country. Let us show you old favorites as well as new friends. Flowers of tradition and new style trends!

17-Thriving Houseplants! (10 AM)

Okay the plants on your porch and patio are now back inside with you. Don’t want to bungle your jungle? Let us show you how a great variety of plants can thrive indoors. We’ll help you Plant for the Planet by giving all class goers a free 4” potted plant of your choice.

24-Composting Class (10 AM)

Let us give you “the poop” on making your garden soil richer in a highly natural way. Wise gardeners know the key to good gardening is the soil and the key to good soil is….COMPOST!

24-The Invasion of the Landscape Snatchers (2 PM) (Falmouth only)

As our landscapes grow, occasionally some unwanted plant guests may creep in. Like other life situations early detection makes for the easiest treatment. It is said that pictures say a 1000 words so let us show you what we mean!

OCTOBER

1-Bulb Planning and Planting (10 AM)

Fall is the time to plant bulbs for Spring color and we have the best selection in Maine as well as easy to use supplies! Remember that tu-lips are better than none and that one of the first steps toward Spring is the planting of bulbs in the fall! (Sold out in Falmouth, openings still in Brunswick and Cumberland!)

8-Fresh Floral Arranging (10 AM and 1 PM)

We are all about color and fun here at Skillin’s! Or is it fun then color? No matter because everyone’s favorite class is back! We will show you how to make the coolest, most colorist, most funnest arrangement! (Sold out in Falmouth, openings still in Brunswick and Cumberland!)

There is a $15 fee to cover materials.

15- Birds in the Back Yard (10 AM)

Gardening is great! And birding is awesome—they really go hand in hand; 2 outdoor activities that attract people of the same feather. HaHaHa! Let us show you how to attract and keep the finest of our feathered friends. We’ll talk about different types of bird foods and it really gets interesting when we tell you about some great plants that will help attract and keep the birds in your back yard!

22-Pumpkin Carving with Skillin’s (10 AM TO 4 PM)

Bring family and friends, purchase pumpkins for half price and let us help you carve the coolest, scariest, funniest and “ghouliest” pumpkins ever. Pumpkin carving is great family fun and we have some tricks and treats (yes refreshments for you!) up our sleeve!

No sign up necessary for this fun, fun event! Come anytime for carving between 10 AM and 4 PM. No attendance will be taken as this class will not count toward the gift certificate for attendance.

29- Beds to Rest (10 AM)

Getting a good winters rest makes the Spring look brighter. Let us share with you how to get your perennials, roses and shrubs tucked away for winter.

NOVEMBER

5-Holiday Fun Class (10 AM Wreaths, 1 PM Kissing Balls)

Let’s have some fun! At 10 AM we will show you how to make balsam wreaths. At 1 PM it will be balsam kissing balls. There is a $15 fee but you will have something fun to bring home! (Wreaths at 10 AM Falmouth and Cumberland sold out)

Can't attend the Holiday Fun Class or want to see on your own time how to make great holiday wreaths? Check out this video produced at Skillin's Cumberland. Wendi of Skillin's Cumberland is just super and she shows us all how to make our own wreaths, garlands and door swags. Wendi is truly timeless and thanks to the miracles of video we can all attest to her talents. And she is a great teacher!

12-Holiday Arrangements Class (10 AM and 1 PM)

Get hands on experience. We will show you how to make boxwood trees for the holidays! There is a $20.00 fee for this class. Special encore class at Falmouth on November 13 @ 1 PM. (Falmouth 10 AM class sold out!)

19 and 20-Holiday Open House (8 to 5 Sat Nov 19; 9 to 5 Sun Nov 20)

Lots to see and do at our Holiday Preview! You will regale when you see how much is on sale! Come one, come all you will have a ball! Even come both days for there will be much food to graze! And flowers and plants to see! Tee Hee! Tee Hee!

Check out Skillin’s own Garden Blog for regular gardening updates! We call it Skillin’s Garden Log and it can be found at http://www.skillins.com/!

Want good Skillin’s gardening info and more timely Skillin’s event notification? Just email us at skillins@maine.rr.com and say Sign Me Up for the Skillin’s email list. Or you may sign up at http://www.skillins.com/ or at any Skillin’s location. We try to be good stewards of your Inbox and send you quality info written by us that you can use in your home and garden because we want to stay out of your Junk Mail!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
August 24, 2011

August (late August) Garden Talks

2011-08-24T11:42:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

Skillin's Moisture Meter: (8/24/2011)

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.
(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1).

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

8/24/2011: Skillin's Country received a nice inch or two of rain this past Sunday night and that was a huge help to our newly planted material. I do have some containers of both vegetables and flowers that need water every 2 to 3 days now so containers are definitely needing more water than in ground material.

The weather is warming up again and now there is serious talk of Hurricane Irene hitting us later on this weekend. Irene is sure to bring wet but IF you have time between now and later this weekend I would recommend watering well your containers as well as new plantings!

I will check back in another few days for further instructions!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*We have some awesome perennials that are in great color and should be planted in your garden! These are all favorites of mine and I highly recommend them:

**Cimicifuga or Bug Bane is a great shade plant. The foliage colors range from green to a deep purple; the colors always look awesome late in the season. Cimicifuga grows to be a big plant and makes for a great anchor or highlight plant for any shade garden! Oh yes, a Mike's Must Have for sure!

Cimcifuga Brunette

**Looking for height, hardiness, standout long lasting yellow flowers and a rich green foliage? Then you are looking for the gorgeous Helianthus Lemon Queen. Many gardeners have spent hours gazing at the beauty and stature of Lemon Queen--the Time is Now for you to join in! This is a clear Mike's Must Have!

Helianthus Lemon Queen--thanks to diggingdog.com

**This is the classic time of year for the perennial Hibuscus. This plant is always a late starter but a very strong finisher. Gorgeous and large saucer shaped flowers with the most intriguing of colors await you!
Seeing may be believing but the bright colors will take a while to believe. A Mike's Must Have? Oh yes!

Perennial Hibuscus--Covered in Color--a great late summer and fall choice!

**Another great choice for the garden is the Ligularia. This is an absolute Mike's Must Have and here is why. This plant grows large in both shade and partial sun. The foliage ranges from a burgundy shade to a real dark earthy green. The flowers come out in late August and are a nice deep yellow. The plant is very hardy and reliable and makes for a great anchor plant. I give this plant my highest recommendation!

Ligularia--the Rocket!

*Some of my gardening peers discourage feeding of flowering plants at this point of the year. I take a different tact. I know I can be accused of trying to sell lots of fertilizer. But I garden naturally and my take for most flowering situations (perennials, shrubs, vegetable gardens) is that we ask a great deal of our plants and soils in a short amount of time. Therefore, my feeling and experience is that most flowering plants perform best with 2 gentle, spaced apart, feedings of all natural fertilizers. This would be something like Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Flower Tone by Espoma for most flowering plants and Holly Tone by Espoma for acid loving plants like evergreens, blueberries and blue hydrangeas. Directions should be followed.

My thought is that the feedings should be spaced apart. For example, Spring and late Summer; Early Summer and Fall, etc. I believe that these foods work with the biology of the soil and the plant's roots benefit first. The roots become bigger and stronger with better biology in the soil. Then the plant's performance becomes more vigorous over time. The plant can then better withstand our cold winters, wet springs and dry, hot summers with deeper and stronger roots.

Most of my plants have had their Spring and early summer feeding. Now it is time for the late summer and fall second feeding!

*I recently sowed another crop of red sails lettuce, broccoli and swiss chard in containers. It is not too late and we have a great selection of 2012 seeds available now from Botanical Interests! (Crazy thought: I have a hot southeast corner and some pickling cuke seeds. It may well not work but I am going to go for another crop. I will keep you all posted!)

*Now is a great time to divide and transplant peonies! (And iris as well). Plant both plants very shallow and start off the new divisions with some nice organic matter in the soil. I use Flower Tone by Espoma as a soil conditioner because of the beneficial microbes and bacteria the product contains.

*Rains will be more plentiful soon and along with the warm soil this means it is a great time to seed over gaps in the lawn as well as overseed thin areas. Click HERE for easy to do Skillin's Lawn Program.

*More tips soon!
In the meantime click HERE for some great mid August Garden Talks!

Thanks,

Mike Skillin

August (mid August) Garden Talks

2011-08-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

Hello again,
Okay the first week of August is behind us. What does that mean? Summer is going TOO fast for one.

Secondly, it is time for some mid August Garden Talks. I will be updating this post over the next few days so check back every now and then when you can!

Skillin's Moisture Meter: (8/09/2011)

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1).

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

Skillin's Country has received about a half inch of decent rain over this past weekend (Aug 6 and 7) and that has set us up pretty well for the next few days. However, we will be entering another dry stretch over the middle to latter part of this week and our new plantings will need another quality watering!

Stay tuned over the next few days--I will post any updated thoughts right here!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*From our friends at Gardener's Supply: Many of our popular back yard birds eat troublesome garden insects. Click HERE for a quick article about some of these popular birds and the pesky plant insects and other troublemakers that our feathered friends help to control! We sell many great bird feeders and top quality bird food to attract many birds to your yard! (8/09/2011)

Chickadees Help in the Garden by Eating Garden Insect Pests!

*Begin digging potatoes after the tops have died down. Many other crops are ready for harvest. Many, many vegetable crops should be starting to produce bountifully now. I have not been to Aroostock County lately (but I will be soon)and I do know it will soon be“new potato” season up there! (8/09/2011)

* Cornstalks are particularly rich material for the compost bin, a result of the nutritious soil they grow in. So after the crop is harvested pull the stalks up and chop them into the composter—a shredding machine is the simpler but noisier alternative—to decompose and enrich your supply of brown gold. If the compost bin is full, use hedge clippers to chop the stalks into 6” pieces, then bury them as you spade the ground over for another crop. (From Jim "Crockett's Victory Garden"). (8/09/2011)

*Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a weekly garden e newsletter which I urge you to subscribe to. Paul makes many good points about August garden tasks. I sum up quite a few right here:

PP:"Broccoli will continue to form 1 to 3 inch florets of flowers that I think are better tasting than the big first head of flowers you picked in June. Pick often and store these small florets in a storage bag in the refrigerator until there is enough to eat for the family.... The more you pick, the more the plant will produce for you, as long as you water regularly and feed every week or two .... Broccoli will continue to produce for you right until early October if you water and feed the plants." I recommend feeding with Fish and Seaweed Food by Neptune's Harvest.

PP:"Pepper plants will continue to grow if you remove the mature peppers as they ripen from the plant. When the color is right, cut the pepper from the plant--never twist it off or you could damage the branch it is growing on, preventing future pepper production. Like every other vegetable, water and fertilizer applied regularly will mean extra vegetables at the end of the season."

PP:"August is a great month for tomatoes, so keep picking as they ripen and the plant will keep producing right up until frost. Mid-August pinch the tips off all the branches to stop the plant from growing larger.

This pinching will send the energy to the green tomatoes and help them grow larger and ripen faster. August is usually hot and dry, so be sure to water the plants regularly or you will begin to notice that the top of the tomatoes will begin to crack due to water stress in the plant.

If your tomatoes start to ripen too fast for you and you can't use them all right now, here is what I do with them. Wash them well under the faucet with cold water to clean them, and then place them in a freezer bag to go into your freezer until the cold days of winter come. All I do is take the tomatoes out of the freezer and drop them into a pot of slow boiling water to crack the skin of the tomato and remove it. You now have a wonderful base for fresh tomato soup, so just add vegetables and a bit of pasta to slow cook for those cold days. Your kitchen will smell wonderful and your family will love it."

PP:"Your onions will be ready as soon as the greens begin to flop over. Pull them out of the garden and let them dry out in the sunshine until the roots are all dried up and the stems begin to wither away. Cut the stems to one inch of the onion bulb and continue to dry until all the green that remains turns brown and store in your basement for the winter. If you should start to notice onions making flowers on top of the plant, pick those plants and use as soon as possible, as the plant is trying to make seed; it's all done growing and will not keep well over the winter."

PP:"Your cabbages are growing bigger every day now, so begin to pick them and use them while they are not too large. How much coleslaw can you eat at a time? Smaller is better, but cabbage will keep for several weeks in a cool basement or garage in the fall season."

PP:"When the weather begins to get cold, the Brussels sprouts will taste better so do not pick those until we have had a couple good frosts on the plant. If the plant freezes solid, do not worry, as the small sprouts will have even more flavor. I eat most of mine during October, November and...yes...in December! I dig them out of the snow and all I need is a bit of butter, salt and pepper and forget the beef--I'm happy."

PP:"Now is the time to plant fresh seed in your garden for fall vegetables. The following vegetables will have plenty of time to mature if you plant in the next couple of weeks: peas, beans, radishes, spinach, leaf lettuce, and Swiss chard. So fill in those empty spots where you have finished harvesting in the garden now with fall vegetables." I have just planted new crops of lettuce, broccoli and swiss chard and they should do real well through the fall!

Thanks Paul! (8/09/2011)*Tomato plants are bearing fruit and will be doing plenty of "giving" over the next few weeks. One common problem with tomatoes is the cracking of fruit. Tomatoes often start to crack during warm, rainy periods (I tend to "crack" during cold, icy periods but really this is not about me!)--especially if this weather comes after a dry spell. Folks, we have had the dry spell and are embarking on a warm, rain period. The tomatoes simply expand too fast. They are most likely to crack when they have reached full size and are beginning to turn color. The best way to avoid the problem is to keep the moisture supply as steady and your watering as deep as possible during the entire gardening season.

Jet Star Tomato--Always Delicious, Always Plentiful, Always Sold at Skillin's!

So, we did get some rain Saturday night the 6th and spotty rain is being forecast over the next few days in Skillin's Country. Don't be fooled: your tomato plants need good deep waterings at the base of the plant SEVERAL times per week. This keeps a nice steady supply of water and nutrients going through your plant and keeps it on an even keep through the hot and dry and warm and wet time periods.

Several tomato varieties that we typically sell are more crack resistant than others. Some of these include Early Girl, Better Boy, Jet Star, and Sungold. (8/08/2011).

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
August 9, 2011

Russian Sage

2011-08-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

(Picture from Paul Parent Garden Club)

With all the heat of the last month, you need to know about a perennial flower that loves the heat and will thrive in dry, sandy soil. The plant is called Russian sage but is not native to Russia; it's from Afghanistan. Until 1995 it was not a plant that most gardeners had it their gardens but the Perennial Plant Association named it the "Perennial of the Year" and today it is found everywhere. Let me tell you about this plant so you too will know the story of this wonderful perennial garden plant and why it was named the perennial of the year.

First of all, Russian sage is not in the Sage family of plants, it's actually in the Mint family--a close relative. The Genus name Perovskia was given to the plant after a Russian general, V.A. Perovsky (1794 to 1857), who was much admired by the Russian people. The plant can be found growing all over Russia today. The sage part of the name came because, like the mint plant, it has a pungent mint-like scent to it.

Let me tell you why you need to have this plant in your garden. The stems of the plant are gray-white to silver in color and they develop at the base of the plant, like wonderful outward-arching branches. The foliage is small, less than an inch long and narrow, needle-like but a unique fuzzy gray-green color. When the foliage stops growing the plant will make wonderful tall spikes of light blue flower spikes. Each flower spike will quickly develop many side shoots of spike flowers that will quickly cover all the foliage of the plant. The flowers come in clusters on these spikes and resemble tiny tubular blossoms that cover the plant, giving them the appearance of lavender blue to pale blue cloud.

The plant itself is woody looking, and also looks like a shrub, because it will grow 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. If you want to control the height of the plant you can pinch the tips of every stem in the spring when the new growth reaches 12 to 15 inches tall. Each of these flower spikes can grow 2 to 3 feet tall on the plant. The flowers are long-lasting on the plant, usually lasting from June to September. If the blooms should end early, cut back the plant by removing all the faded flowers and one third of the foliage of the plant. Fertilize with a granular fertilizer like Flower-Tone or Dr. Earth Flower food with Pro Biotic and the plant will bloom again, lasting until the first hard frost in the fall.

Russian sage will grow best in a soil that is well drained; average to poor soil is best and never clay-like or heavy. This wonderful plant will tolerate a dry soil, sandy soils, acid soil, and open areas with a lot of wind like the seashore, making it the perfect plant to grow in a seaside garden or at a lake front garden where most plants fail. If your soils are heavy, make a raised flower bed or create a mound of soil to grow the plant on, as this will keep the crown of the plant and the roots out of the water especially during the winter months and early in the spring when the ground is wet.

Plant in a garden located in sunshine all day long for the best flowers on the plant. If you have a location that gets real hot during the summer and where watering can be a problem, this is the plant for you. If you plant in a partial shade or shade garden they will not do very well for you and will not flower. This is one plant for which conditioning the soil when planting is of little importance but you must keep the plant well watered the first year until is it well established and able to find its own water. Mulching around the plant is helpful in holding water in the soil during the growing season (along with weed control) but in cold climates like Northern New England mulch also helps to protect the root system.

In the fall, you can leave the plant as-is and enjoy the unique plumage-like winter branching or you can cut back the plant to 12 inches. This is a woody perennial and the new growth will develop on the branches that remain from the previous year's growth. New shoots do not develop from the base of the plant but from the woody branches.

In a cold climate, never cut back the plant right to the ground or it may not develop in the spring. If your climate is cold, be sure to build a mound of mulch 4 to 6 inches deep around the base of the plant to protect the plant just in case snow falls lightly to protect the plant from winter wind and frost heaves. The plant will tolerate temperatures that drop to minus 30 degrees when mulched in the fall. (This is an important paragraph. I lost my first Russian Sage because I cut the plant back too much in the fall and did not mulch enough. This plant is typically planted in the bright sun which means it is usually found in an exposed area in the winter so mulching through the winter is very important!)

You can plant Russian sage in containers like whiskey barrels as long as they have good drainage; you can also lift them off the ground with bricks or pot feet to encourage good drainage during wet weather and the winter when they freeze. If you're growing in clay or ceramic type pots, bring the pot into your tool shed or garage for the winter months and do not water until you move back outside in the spring; around March.

Put several plants in your cut flower garden for unique textures and the long flower spikes will be the most talked of among your fresh-picked bouquets on the dinner table. These flower spikes will outlast all of your cut flowers used in the arrangement. Blue is difficult to find in cut flowers and this flower will replace baby's breath or statice in your arrangement.

In a mixed border the Russian sage should be planted in the back of the garden or on the end of the bed, as the plant will get tall--3 to 5 feet. Give it room, as the flowers will develop from the ground up to the top of the plant. In a rock garden they will thrive with all the heat the rocks draw to the garden, and in a stone mulch garden they will outlast most plants in the garden.

I like the plant when planted in mass or in groups to create a splash of color in the planting bed for summer color. Mix with blue mophead type hydrangeas to create different textures in the garden. (Great idea!) You can plant just one on the end of a fence to soften the hard surface, and if you live on a street with a rotary or traffic island, it will make the perfect maintenance-free plant; use instead of grass that needs watering and mowing. Create a garden on a slop or steep hill where mowing could be a problem or the soil is not very good.

You will like planting Russian sage in flower beds with daylilies, coreopsis,r udbeckia daisies, Oriental lilies, fall-flowering sedum and, in the late summer with an under planting of flowering cabbage or flowering kale for wonderful contrast. They will also flower at the same time as perennial hibiscus, rose of sharon, butterfly bush and all the new types of hydrangea--P.G. hybrids--for wonderful summer color near your swimming pool or patio. If you're spending a lot of time outdoors this summer, the Russian sage is the plant that will give you more color than any other perennial plant in your garden today.

Fertilize in the spring with a granular organic fertilizer, once a year and then forget it. Russian sage has no insect or disease problems to worry about and butterflies love this plant. Enjoy!

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin

Skillin's Greenhouses

August 9, 2011

August (early August) Garden Talks

2011-08-03T20:34:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

I have been away from the keyboard for a few days but I am back where I should be able to bring a few early August Garden Talks and Tips over the next few days. So check back to this post often as we will be bringing different Quick Gardening Points to you!

*Now is a fine time to reapply some nice natural Garden Tone for your vegetable garden for that final push! Also Flower Tone for your perennial beds for the same reason. These natural fertilizers are great for the soil and will really help your plants--especially if all the fertilizer they have seen is Miracle Gro. Miracle Gro does get nutrients to the plants quickly but the nutrients also leach out quickly. Give your vegetable and flowering plants a good organic meal. (Plant Tone by Espoma or Pro Gro by North Country Organics can also be used for this purpose!) (8/03/2011)

*Now and through fall is a great time to overseed your lawn to help rejuvenate it. Your soil is nice and warm and the seed will just "pop" out of the ground. We have well priced but great quality seed and all the supplies you need to do the job right! (8/03/2011)
*Margaret of Away to Garden posted many great "August garden chores" for the upcoming month. They all apply well to Skillin's Country. Here are a couple of excellent pointers for the vegetable garden that should be acted on very soon:

"Sow another crop of peas right now for fall harvest (and perhaps freezing for offseason use)....another sowing of chard, radishes, carrots, arugula, kale, spinach, turnips, beets and lettuce means succulent fall crops. With salad greens, sow small amounts now and again in 10 days. Direct-sow one more row of bush beans if you don’t have later-producing pole beans to rely on for harvest now through fall, but do it fast." (8/02/2011)

*I have just fielded two customer questions about Tomato Blossom End Rot. Click HERE for a post from August 2010 that handles that dilemma quite well. Tomato Blossom End Rot is a common problem right now for gardeners in Skillin's Country--particularly those of us who grow tomatoes in containers. (8/01/2011)

Tomato Blossom End Rot (this can be treated!)

*Speaking of tomato issues, we should soon be hearing about and also seeing the semi terrifying Tomato Hornworm, quite often the biggest caterpillar you ever will see. Tomato Hornworms are voracious and they chomp lots of tomato leaves. In fact the Tomato Hornworm can eat up to 2 to 3 times its weight in fresh succulent tomato plants. This kind of eating really hampers the plant and the eventual tomato production.

Tomato Hornworm

Tomato Hornworm is best controlled with Spinosad--an all natural bacteria that only controls caterpillar type insects. Other old time insecticides like Sevin will harm bees--so don't use it! We offer Spinosad at Skillin's under the trade name of Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew by Bonide.

*I was looking at some of my beautiful Echinacea Coneflowers yesterday and I noticed lots of small buds lower on the bud below some of my profuse flowers. I do like to leave gone by flower heads for the birds to munch on BUT if we get "with it" and prune those aging flowers that will spur some very good re bloom by the Coneflower. So decision made. Spent flowers to be pruned over the next couple of weeks and I will get more flowers to enjoy! THEN the second and third waves of flowers will be left to age for the birds to pick at the seed heads. Everyone--birds and I--will be happy!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter: (8/03/2011)

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1).

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

Skillin's Country received a very generous supply of rain this past Friday night. That rain and some showers the previous Wednesday evening have served us well over the last few days. But some real sunny days over this past weekend have dried some areas again. Possible thunder showers are forecast over the next few days. Don't put those hoses away! I am thinking that a deep watering as described above will be needed by the end of this week or by this weekend of the 6th and 7th! Our plants are growing well and pulling moisture--do not deny them!

Stay tuned over the next few days--I will post any updated thoughts right here!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
August 1, 2011

July (late July) Garden Talks

2011-07-25T16:06:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

Welcome to warm and increasingly dry Skillin's Country! Summer is here folks and we are getting some heat! Try to enjoy the heat and stay well hydrated. A little sun will warm your bones and that is a good thing. (Well since I wrote those sentences we have had record breaking heat in Skillin's Country but are now heading into a much more seasonable week. Enjoy!)

Following are several late July Gardening points. This post will be added to a few times over the next few days so keep checking back!

*Paul Parent checks in with some great late July gardening tips. I highly recommend you sign up for his weekly emails at http://www.paulparent.com/. The following tips can be found in their entirety and in much more detail right HERE. From Paul (I make some comments in italics):

**"WARNING! With the heat and humidity in the days to come, PLEASE keep a close eye on your garden for a "fungus among us," called powdery mildew. This is our worst fungus during the summer months, and it will move quickly on many plants in your yard and garden. Powdery mildew will begin as a white dust like covering on the leaves of your plants, especially if you water your garden with overhead sprinklers--and especially if you do it late in the day. As powdery mildew spreads on your plant, it will block the sunlight from your foliage and the leaves will turn brown and black quickly dying. As the foliage dies, the plant is prevented from making fruit and flowers on the plant and your garden will quickly come to an end for the year. "

We have some outstanding remedies for powdery mildew. All natural Seranade, Garden Sulfur and Organocide will all treat powdery mildew. Now is the time to get after powdery mildew to get best performance and a longer life out from your flowering plants!

**Your perennials are growing like crazy right now, and if you can deadhead the faded flowers from the plant, many of your perennials will bloom again in just a few weeks. Some will continue to bloom right through the summer months if you remove the faded flowers so the plant cannot make seeds. Pick off the faded flowers from your hosta so the energy is sent to the foliage, making the plant larger and more colorful. Pick off the stems and seed pods from your daylilies so the seeds in the pods do not produce wild seeds or you will lose your hybrids with their wonderful colors and your plants will all turn orange like the wild plants.

Black Eyed Susans! Don't Be Afraid to Show this Plant You are the Boss!

If you keep cutting your daisy flowers like black-eyed Susans and coreopsis, they will become bushier; if you do not, they will reseed all over your garden and take over. You can allow the seed heads to dry up and ripen on the plant and then crush the pods to release the seeds and spread them over open fields or along the side of the road for your own wildflower garden.

**Your lawn will need one inch of water per week to keep it green during these hot days. Water first thing in the morning before it gets hot out, and water less often but apply more water when you water. This will encourage the roots to chase the water down into the soil and not encourage them to grow up to the water and dry out faster. Raise the level of the lawn mower blade to the highest spot to keep the grass tall, because tall grass does not dry up as fast as short grass in your lawn--and mow your lawn less often if it gets hot and dry to keep it green and healthy.

Many folks choose not to water their lawn and that is fine too but Paul still gives good advice here. Also I totally agree about maintaining a high lawn level and mowing the lawn less. I skipped a mowing last week because my lawn has not grown much at all in the last couple of weeks!

**"Your vegetables are beginning to ripen quickly now, so pick in the garden often and when the vegetable is young and tender. Young vegetables like peas, beans, squash, cucumbers, and lettuce will taste much sweeter and any seeds in the vegetable will be smaller, making them easier for you to digest. Remove any overgrown vegetables as soon as you see them or your plants will stop producing because they are making seeds on the plant; great for the compost pile."

**"Feed your containers and hanging baskets at least every 2 weeks, because the roots are stuck in the container and they have no way to leave the container to search for food needed to grow and stay healthy. A well-fed container at this time of the year will thrive and fill your life with wonderful color and vegetables. Also water often when the days get hot and dry because the plants are growing faster now than any other time of the year."

Our container plants are growing mightily right now and they are really pulling nutrients from the soil. Want GREAT flowers for the rest of the summer and well into the fall? Feed your containers regularly (I feed weekly with Fish and Seaweed Food from Neptune's Harvest) and you will not be sorry!

**"Keep weeding your gardens as the weeds continue to develop, because during this time of the year, many weeds are making seeds for next year's garden. Weed a little bit now or twice as much next year, it's up to you. If weeds and watering are problems, apply bark mulch or compost on these gardens after you clean them to prevent new weed problems and help hold moisture in the ground. "

I could not agree more. I spent quite a bit of time on a broiling day weeding but I drank a lot of water, worked on my tan and had a much better looking garden afterward! I love to apply Fundy Blend bark/compost to clean beds this time of year to keep more weeds down and to provide enriching material to the soil.

(Paul Parent tips added 7/25/2011)

*Skillin's Moisture Meter: (7/24/2011)

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (0).

Deep waterings required by you: (2).

Okay dry conditions in Skillin's Country continue to get dryer and dryer. Folks it is severely dry out there and even established plantings are thirsting for water. New plantings as described above need good slow deep waterings. I know this is a busy time of year but do what you can! Yesterday I also gave my Endless Blue Hydrangea a good soaking. The Endless Blue has been in the ground a few years BUT it has those big floppy leaves and moppy flowers so the plant is working hard in the heat. But the main focus of my watering efforts are new plantings--annuals, vegetables, a few perennials and a couple of shrubs.

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*Most of the time our cucumbers grow like crazy and yield very well once the plants are established and the weather is warm. But every once in a while problems develop. Here is a link by good gardener Margaret of Away to Garden that talks about a few cucumber issues that could affect any of us. (7/24/2011)

*KCB is back with a Gardening Quick Point. "When emptying all those bags of Penobscot, Quoddy or other Coast of Maine compost blends, I fill the empty bag w/water and use that to water in....I equate this to licking the cake batter bowl. So much good stuff is left behind in that bag but almost impossible to get out. Fill w/water and use the water almost like a 'compost tea'. This way every delectable morsel of the Coast of Maine product is used. Waste not want not!" (added 7/20/2011)

*Also from KCB about deadheading roses:

Deadheading roses. This time of year I do a lot of this. Most of my roses will bloom through Thanksgiving. Beyond that I don't know because I'm not there.

Here goes:

For many years, I used to let roses do their thing. I'd let the blossoms fall to the ground in delicate folds, allow the hips to dominate the shrub and eventually become the focal point of the plant, most notably in old fashioned Rugosa roses. Most often Rose hips are attractive in their own right, the bright orange of the Rugosa, the burgundy reds of many others.

The hips are a perfect accent to the fall landscape yet most of our roses begin their blooming in June. It’s a long way from June to October and I know from experience Roses want to be a part of the rest of the summer. To be more technical: Rose bushes are fruit trees in disguise and they will attempt to "set fruit." When you remove the spent blossoms, you interrupt the fruiting cycle and stimulate the plant to fruit again, producing another bloom cycle. If you don't cut the blossoms, they become the "hip" or seed pod and the bush stops blooming.

You want to deadhead weekly if not more often. The rule-of-thumb is to cut back the stem to just above an outward-facing bud above a five- or seven-leaflet leaf close to the end of the stem.

About Labor Day, do not cut the blossoms to allow the plant to begin to harden for winter.

The rule-of-thumb assumes the plant is healthy and strong. If not, cut back less.

If you own a type of shrub rose, like Rugosa, where hips are part of the display, just clear away the spent petals. (this gardening point added 7/20/2011)

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 20, 2011

It is a Hydrangea World!

2011-07-21T05:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I spent time on beautiful Cape Cod doing a live radio broadcast at Snow's Home and Garden in Orleans, and I was just overwhelmed with all the beautiful blue hydrangeas growing at most homes all over Cape Cod. I can remember that just over 10 years ago the blue hydrangea was the plant that everyone talked about when they came back from a Cape Cod vacation...and they just had to have one in their garden. Along the coast north to Boston they did beautifully (if the winters were not too severe) but if you lived inland and north the plant grew fine but flowers were few on the plant. The reason was that the best variety at that time, called the 'Nikko Blue' hydrangea, only made flowers on the "old wood," the branches on the plant that were made the previous summer. If the winter was severe, the plant had much die-back of the old wood, so flower production was minimal.

In the late 1990s, Bailey Nurseries in Minnesota found an unusual blue hydrangea plant and started growing it in the nursery's trial gardens. Dr. Michael Dirr from the University of Georgia was visiting the nursery and spotted this unusual plant; he took cuttings back with him for further research and testing. Thanks to Dr. Michael Dirr and Bailey's, we now have this new plant for our gardens. This new blue hydrangea is called "Endless Summer," because it was able to flower on old wood like the 'Nikko Blue' Hydrangea but, unlike the 'Nikko Blue,' it is also able to make flowers on the new growth made during the summer months. This made the plant a true perpetual-flowering hydrangea--the first of its type.

The original hydrangea, 'Nikko Blue,' flowered from late June to middle or late August. This new hybrid made new growth all summer long so it was able to flower until frost in late September, or early October in warmer climates. This gave the plant 8 to 10 weeks of additional flowering time. This new hybrid could also thrive in colder climates, zone 4 to 9, and was hardy to minus 20 to 30 degrees below zero. The 'Endless Summer' hydrangea will grow from southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Central Maine south to Florida, with some protection in colder locations.

The first thing to remember about blue hydrangeas is to NEVER Prune them in the fall of the year. Pruning the plant in the fall when it becomes dormant will cause problems with every branch you prune, because it has an open wound that will lose moisture all winter and the branches you cut back will slowly dry up and die. In the spring you can cut them back a bit to control the height of the plant and encourage new growth to form from the root system. If you cut back the plant to the ground, you are removing all the flower buds on those branches and the plant will not flower. Remember, old wood has flower buds on it and if you remove all that old growth you are removing the potential flower buds for the coming summer. In the spring the branches look like dead sticks but they are alive; leave them alone!

The Awesome Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea!

The new 'Endless Summer' hydrangea loves to be pruned lightly in the spring to control height and spread. If you can prune faded flowers on the plant during the summer, you will encourage additional flower buds to form on the new growth made during the remaining weeks of summer. Do not be scared to cut branches filled with flowers from the plant and put them in a vase of water for your enjoyment. This selective pruning will stimulate new growth on the plant, and in just a few weeks new flowers will form on the new growth being made on the plant.

The 'Endless Summer' blue hydrangea will grow 3 to 4 feet tall and just as wide and in just 2 to 3 years, once planted in your garden. Once the plant has matured and has become well established in your garden, winter protection is less required. The flowers of this new blue hydrangea will grow 4 to 8 inches in diameter, and like all mop head type hydrangeas, 3 to 6 inches tall. Each flower is made up of fifty plus individual flowers about one inch wide; the flowers have five petals arranged in a circular form with a flat center. The flowers can be cut for your favorite vase, dried when in peak color by removing the branch from your plant, stripping off its foliage and hanging it upside down in your garage to dry for a couple of weeks. Dried cut hydrangeas will last inside your home all winter long in a vase or when used to make a wreath.

Plant the blue 'Endless Summer' hydrangea in full sun to partial shade garden for the best flower production on the plant. The plant will grow best in a sandy soil that is well drained; keep the plant out of wet areas or where water tends to collect after heavy rains. This type of garden will form ice and the plant will have a lot of winter dieback during the winter months. If your soil has a bit of clay, be sure to blend peat moss, animal manure or compost to break up the heavy soil before planting. If your soil is very sandy use the same products to help hold moisture in the soil in the root growing area, along with Soil Moist granules.

Because the plant has large leaves and uses a lot of water, it will wilt easily on hot sunny days until it is well rooted in its new home in your garden. Mulching around the plant in your planting bed 2 to 3 inches thick with bark mulch, compost, pine needles or shredded leaves will also help hold moisture in the soil and control weeds during the summer months.

This type of mop head hydrangea is the ONLY plant whose flower color can be changed by controlling the acidity of the soil it grows in. If you keep the soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower, your flowers will range from a clear blue to deep purple, depending on acidity of the soil. This can be accomplished by using aluminum sulfate fertilizer at the rate of one tablespoon per gallon of water applied to the plant every couple of weeks.

If the flower gets to be too deep of a blue color--or even purple--apply a couple of handfuls of limestone or wood ash every spring and fall. If you want to make them more pink than blue, add heavy applications of wood ash or limestone several times during the growing season to raise the soil pH to 6.0 or higher. If you use a high phosphorus fertilizer, it will block out the aluminum fertilizer in the soil from entering the plant, helping to keep the plant on the pink side also.

Fertilize spring and fall with an acid-type fertilizer such as Holly-Tone by Espoma to encourage uniform growth and flower bud production. When planting new plants in your garden be sure to water every week during the summer for the first two years as plants are slow to get established in your garden. All I want you to remember is that if you live where the winter months are cold, always select the 'Endless Summer' blue hydrangea and never the 'Nikko Blue,' if you want flowers during the summer months. The extra $5.00 will insure that you always have flowers on your plant. Enjoy!

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin

Skillin's Greenhouses

July 21, 2011

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) for Wonderful Summer Color

2011-07-18T18:56:00.000-04:00

"As the summer weather begins to warm up and the soil begins to dry out, is your perennial garden beginning to wither away and lose all of its early color? If you live in a town that always has a water ban, if your soil is on the sandy side and watering is a problem, then I have a great perennial plant for you...the daylily. Daylilies love the sun and because of thick fibrous roots that can store water for long periods, are the perfect drought resistant plant for you. Daylilies are so easy to grow that they are today one of the most popular plants to grow for summer color.

Daylilies are not true lilies and the flowering stem has no leaves. The flower stem is round, strong, smooth and tall, often raising the trumpet-like flowers well above the grass-like foliage. All the foliage is at the base of the plant and grows in the shape of a fan. This foliage is grass-like, growing 12 to 18 inches tall and less than an inch wide. It is deep green in color; the center of the leaf blade is pleated to create the perfect gutter-like system to catch and move rainfall directly to the base of the plant.

As the plant matures the fans of foliage will thicken and produce a thick clump of soft foliage that weeps over on its tip and sways back and forth with the slightest breeze. (I like this foliage canopy as well because it crowds out weeds in the perennial garden!) Each fan of foliage is capable of producing multiple stems of trumpet-shaped flowers from June to September, depending of the variety you select. Most varieties will bloom for a 4 to 6 week season, but there are new hybrids that will rebloom on and off for most of the summer. Each of these flower stems can produce 6 to 10 flower buds, with only one flower blooming at a time; as one flower fades a new bud will open, keeping the stem in bloom for many days. The flower stems develop at different times on the plant, creating an almost continuously flowering plant for many weeks. This truly amazing flower is shaped like a trumpet 3 to 6 inches in diameter.

The best growing daylilies live in a soil that is well conditioned with peat moss, animal manure, or compost before planting. This will keep the plant's roots growing evenly in a soil that is moist most of the time and allowing the plant to produce more flower buds during the summer season. I always add Soil Moist granules and use a fertilizer that contains Mycorrhizae when planting. Look for Flower Tone or Plant Tone by Espoma. When the weather gets hot and dry be sure to water once a week for a very productive plant. The plant does love the sun but if the garden can get a bit of late day or midday shade for a couple of hours, the plants will flower longer during the season.

There is one garden task that all daylilies need, and that is to remove any seed pods that develop on the end of the flower stalks. When that stem is finished flowering, please remove it to the base of the fan of foliage. The seeds that are produced in these pods will not produce seeds that are the same color flower as the plant is. Also, if you allow the seeds to mature in the pod and the pod ripens and explodes scattering the seed in your garden, the new seedlings that develop will not be the same color and they could choke out the hybrids you were growing there.

If you have the wild orange daylilies growing near your garden, the bees can carry the pollen from the wild plant onto the hybrid growing in your garden. If this happens, the wild pollen is stronger than the hybrid and orange plants will develop, quickly choking out your hybrids. Most of the daylilies will drop the faded flowers without making a seed pod, so pick off the faded flowers or let them fall from the flower stem, but be sure to remove any seed pods that do develop.

If you want new plants, divide them in the early spring or in the fall of the year when they finish flowering. To make a new plant, divide the clump of foliage into single fans of foliage; each fan will make a new plant identical to the clump it originally came from.Space fans of foliage 12 to 18 inches apart; cut back the foliage by one third from the top and plant in a conditioned soil that you will keep moist for several weeks until you can see that the plant is well established. Cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch or compost to keep weeds out and the coil cool and to better hold water around the roots of the plant.

I think that most of us have seen the wild-growing orange daylilies growing on the side of the road. A lot of us have seen the dwarf yellow flowering hybrid daylily called 'Stella de Oro' planted in every parking lot where a big box store is located. This year look for the new varieties of hybrid daylilies at your local garden center; they com in every color but blue and true white. You will also find some double-flowering varieties, many two-tone varieties and even some that are fragrant. If you're worried about not finding what you're looking for in color, do not get worried, as there are over 40,000 cultivars to choose from and more new plants each year.

When you look for daylilies here are the four things you will need to know:

Number one, there are three types of daylilies: the old fashioned daylilies, the hybrid daylilies called "tetraploid," with thicker, larger flowers in brighter colors that are stronger growing than the old fashioned daylilies. And the reblooming /recurrent types that bloom more than just the normal 4 to 6 weeks; they will flower all summer long.

Number two, daylilies bloom at different times of the year from June to September, so try to select early, midseason or late blooming varieties for continuous color in your garden.

Number three, always ask for plants that are hardy for your planting zone when you order on line or the internet, as some varieties are better suited for heat and some for a colder climate. Any plants sold at Skillin's should be hardy for Skillin's Country! (or at least have a good shot at survival!)

Number four, ask about the height of the plant and flowering stems. Example--dwarf plants will grow under a foot tall; low will grow 1 to 2 feet tall, medium 2 to 3 feet tall and tall over 3 feet tall.

Plant daylilies in perennial flower beds, along a walkway as a border plant, near spring-flowering bulb that will go dormant as their leaves turn brown in June, and they are wonderful when used in plantings on steep banks to replace grass that could be hard to mow. You will love daylilies because they have very few problems with insects or disease and because they grow so strong any damage on the plant is quickly replaced with new foliage in just a few weeks. Daylilies, especially the wild orange varieties, will do well when planted on the side of the road to control erosion problems and will tolerate road salt.

One last thing to know about daylilies is that they are loved by butterflies and hummingbirds, so place a hummingbird feeder in the garden and sit back to enjoy the show as these unique creatures dance in your flower garden this summer. Enjoy!"

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 18, 2011

July (mid July) Garden Talks

2011-07-11T20:50:00.003-04:00

Hello again,

Okay time is going fast! We are speeding toward MID July. Skillin's Country will be at mid July by the end of this week.

What a great week of weather we had last week beginning with the Fourth of July. Nice sunny skies and warm temperatures! Oh boy!

But let me tell you it is dry out there!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (0).

Deep waterings required by you: (2).

The rain situation has been pretty simple the last week: We really have not had any! I believe Thursday night my rain gauge did actually show about 1/2" of rain but that was from a downpour. A customer who lives about 3 miles from my rain gauge received "zilch" for rain. So I am not counting any of that. Starting this past weekend my garden hoses have been getting used quite a bit for deep waterings as I have defined above.

7/14 Update!: The above paragraph was written on Tuesday 7/12. On Wednesday 7/13 we received close to an inch of rain in some parts of Skillin's Country but much of that came down fast and furiously and there was no doubt some run off. We can grade this rain event as 1 "Deep Watering". This means another Deep Watering will be required by you over the next few days--especially with warm dry weather forecast over the weekend.

If you have met the quality watering requirement for this past week, congratulations! If not, pay careful attention this coming week and beyond and make sure that your new plants get those required quality waterings!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*The weather is heating up and last July we listed 10 Hot Plants for you to consider planting for COLOR, COLOR and more color! Take a look at this list--it is pretty darned good (lots of my favorites on there!). I LOVE the plants listed and even the best Skillin's customers probably don't have all these plants listed (but probably should!).

Coneflower and Bee Balm; Quite Possibly My 2 Favorites:
Same Picture, Same Post, Same Garden!
2 HOT Plants!!

*Flowers are coming and going in our perennial gardens. Time for a review of the timeless Grateful Dead(heading) as written by the legendary yet timeless KCB! This is a great post that deals with the principles of just when to prune back your perennials for more growth AND more flowers!

Margaret of Away to Garden writes well about July deadheading: " If you were squeamish about cutbacks as spring faded, you may be regretting it now, and facing floppy, exhausted plants in certain spots. Some things (like certain perennial Geraniums, for instance) do better if cut back hard. Go for it. Others need just deadheading of spent blooms. Annuals that grow leggy can often benefit from a chop job, too. Do some experiments. Sometimes a plant can’t look worse, and you probably won’t kill it. "

*My rose bushes just finished their first round of blooming. A couple of days ago I pruned off the dead or dying blossoms and the stems the blossoms were on. This pruning makes way for more stems that produce blossoms and encourages the roots to put on new growth that will mean flowers down the road. When my roses get to this point I also sprinkle some more Flower Tone by Espoma around the base of the roses. I then water the Flower Tone in with a nice slow and deep watering. Just last week I sprayed my roses with all natural Vaccinate to help ward off diseases. I must tell you the foliage on my roses looks rich and green--and the flowers were gorgeous!

One big secret to continuing summertime blossoming for your rose bushes is pruning to prevent the plants from setting seeds. When a blossom begins to fade, cut it off the plant. You should cut just above the first leaf that has five leafs on it. Leave about ¼” above this first leaf that you cut, this will allow for sturdier blossoms.

*It will soon be time to rejuvenate those strawberry beds. Prepare to pull out older strawberry plants that will not be productive in the future. Also if you have not done so put down some Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Garden Tone by Espoma to further improve the quality of your garden soil.

*Gardening guru KCB told me that she has found a great technique to combat tall "flopping over" Nepata or Cat Mint. She first shears the middle of the plant and thus the blue/purple color is retained by the edge stems. In about a week the middle begins to re bloom nicely and that means it is time to prune those tall edge stems. In short order your garden has a compact Cat Mint that is ready to offer color for weeks ahead! My question is would this "inside out" pruning method work well with some Coreopsis--another perennial that will flower for a good period of time but can get floppy? Well...we are not sure BUT this method seems worth a try with coreopsis as well.

*Mike's Must Have Perennial Selection for this Week:
It is time to pick one of my ABSOLUTE favorites--the Monarda, "Bee Balm". And my personal favorite is the RED Bee Balm--right now we are featuring the Grandview Scarlet and Jacob Cline.

Why This is a Mike's Must Have Perennial:
The Red Monarda is just a premier eye catcher. I plant it in and near a perennial bed that can easily be seen out of my back kitchen window. Let me tell you the Red Monarda catches my eye out that window for weeks on end. And it looks great close up as well. The Red color is simply electric!

Monarda Red Bee Balm!

Bee Balm is a prime attracter of humming birds as well. They buzz around the Bee Balm all day long. This plant is a highlight of a perennial garden for weeks. I cannot recommend it enough.

The pink varieties are pretty as well--to me not as electric but a nice, nice pink.

*Raspberry season is upon us! Check out this video from July 2010 by Tim Bate and Jumpin' Joe Kubetz where they talk about raspberries!

*I KNOW that I am writing about them every week but slugs and snails are doing lots of munching in our gardens. Got holes in your hostas? Slugs. Got some munched on marigolds? Slugs Got some shredded leaves in your lettuce? Slugs. I have all of this and more and I know what the problem is. Slugs who hide under plants by day and nibble by night. Like you I am so busy for days at a time I do not do a good job getting Slug Magic (totally safe and effective) slug bait down on the ground. But when I do it works so well!

*Garlic is getting near harvest time. Again from Margaret at Away to Garden: "Garlic may start to fade and topple by later this month or next, as harvest time nears. When several lower leaves yellow, try carefully lifting a head or two to judge readiness, before lifting all to cure during a warm, dry spell in an airy, sheltered place."

*My lawn (and yours) is not growing as fast in the heat but just a reminder: Do not bag those clippings. Keep your lawn "high" for less weed growth and more moisture retention. Let those lawn clippings lie on the lawn and then decompose into your soil. What better organic matter can there be than lawn clippings. Plus if you are feeding your lawn organically a couple of times per season then you have "live soil" in your lawn that will quickly integrate those lawn clippings into the soil.

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 14, 2011

July (early July) Garden Talks

2011-07-05T14:49:00.005-04:00

Hello again,

We have turned the July corner. Spring is fully behind us in Skillin's Country--we find ourselves in early summer! Woo Hoo!

It has been a cool start to the summer (after a very cool Spring) but the Fourth of July time period has brought us a temperature bump. I know, I know the heat can be bothersome! But come on people--we don't get much of it in the long run. So let that sun and those warm temperatures soak into our winter hardened bones. What a warm feeling!

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (1).

Deep waterings required by you: (1).

Coming into this past weekend our soil was getting dry as any quality rains had occurred about a week ago. We did get "a good soaker" in most areas on Sunday night the 3rd and some passing thunder showers in some areas later in the day on the 4th. My rain gauge has shown over an inch of rain but much of it was fairly torrential and probably not all soaked in. Therefore I am going to give a grade of 1 Quality Rain with a Deep Watering needed by you over the next few days!

If you have met the quality watering requirement for this past week, congratulations! If not, pay careful attention this coming week and beyond and make sure that your new plants get those required quality waterings!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

Some of the following garden tips come from Margaret Roach's outstanding A Way to Garden website. I have picked out a few tips that I feel are quite timely and freely added my own gardening takes in italics:

*"MAKE A (WEED) PASS through each garden bed each week, since weeds are not just unsightly but steal moisture, nutrients and light from desired plants. Apply mulch to all beds to help. " Great advice here. By staying on top of the weeds they can easily be cultivated out with a garden hoe or cultivator. I have tamed quite a bit of my weeds and now I am going to mulch my perennial beds with the terrific Fundy Blend by Coast of Maine (sold right here at Skillin's!). The Fundy Blend is an enriching mulch with seaweed and will provide some terrific compost matter to my soil and plants. There is also some bark in the Fundy Blend that will help this compost hold well as a mulch.

*"HOUSEPLANTS, including amaryllis, and also clivia, among many, can spend the summer outdoors, in a sheltered location with filtered bright light (not direct sun). Pinch back and repot those that need it as you transition them, and feed regularly." Even our indoor sunloving plants find summer sun too strong so shade and filtered sun are best. I agree with the steady fertilizer and for houseplant success we recommend organic Dynamite granules or Plant Tablets by Organica. Apply these fertilizers every 3 months or so for great success!

*"ANNUAL VINES getting the support they need, whether twine, wire, lattice? What about perennial ones like clematis?" As our vines are putting on tons of growth it is easy to evaluate whether their support is large enough. Now is a good time to replace any trellises or plant supports while there are inventory choices to be had.

*"BE ON THE LOOKOUT for dead, damaged, diseased wood in trees and shrubs and prune them out as discovered. Ditto with suckers and water sprouts." This is always good advice and pruning out dead growth from any plant is the #1 way to avoid disease coming to the healthy part of the plant.

Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out weekly emails with some terrific gardening articles and timely tips. I highly recommend you sign up for his email list. Here are some highlights from this past week's article by Paul titled "A Few Tips to Begin a New Month":

*"If you have fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, grapes or other fruiting plants in your gardens it is now time to reapply your fruit tree sprays, as all the recent rain has washed off the protection off the foliage and fruit. Whether you use a natural or organic spray on your plants, these products protect your plants from insects and disease problems and they must be applied every 2 weeks during the growing season or more often during periods of heavy rains. Fungus and insect problems are more active when the weather is wet, your fruit and berries are young and more vulnerable at this time of the year, so keep them protected with a good spraying now. Organocide Spray, from Organic Laboratories and Fruit Orchard spray from Bonide are natural products that will keep all your plants safe when used on a regular basis."

*Tall growing perennials like delphinium, lilies, and hollyhocks have grown taller than normal this year due to all the cloudy weather. As the flowers begin to open the plants will become top heavy and fall over, so you might want to stake some of the plants that are beginning to show signs of this. Large clump plants like daisies, tall phlox, and coneflowers will spread apart as the flowers form on the plant so be prepared to tie the clump together so they do not topple over on other plants in your garden.

*Some of your annuals, perennials, and vegetables are prone to develop a disease called powdery mildew when the weather stays wet and cloudy. Check your tall phlox, bee balm, zinnias, roses, and vine crops like cucumbers and squash for a white film developing on the foliage. At the first sign --or better still, just treat them now with Serenade organic fungicide to prevent this problem for developing this year.

*If you purchased a hanging basket this spring, it would be a good thing to fertilize it again now and regularly every 2 weeks, to keep it more productive. Clean up the plant of the dead flowers and foliage also. If you purchased a fuchsia hanging basket this spring, I want you to look for burgundy fruit that has developed where the flowers were on the plant earlier. This fruit is forming seed on the plant and when this seed is mature, your plant will stop flowering, so please remove seed as it develops to keep your plant flowering. Also, do not be scared to cut back the long branches that form on your hanging baskets, as these branches will get even longer and all the flowers will form on the tip of these branches, not on the foliage near the pot. Pinching these branches back in half will promote new growth to develop from the center of the plant, keeping it bushier, encouraging more flowers on the plant and preventing those long branches from breaking from their own weight." A great fertilizer for your flowering hanging plants is all natural Dynamite pellets or Osmocote is good as well. These are both time released granules that only need to be applied once or twice in the season. The granules slowly break down to release fertilizer into the soil. This type of feeding is very effective AND convenient for the busy gardener!

*"If you have pine trees on your property and they are not as thick as you want them to be, now is the perfect time to encourage a thicker plant. All you have to do is cut the new growth in half, right now. The new growth looks like candles and if you cut them in half now, the plant will make more buds for next year on the new growth that remains. This is the method used to make Christmas trees thicker, because the plant makes less growth during the season but produces more buds for next year. You remove the terminal bud of the branch and that branch stops growing longer but side buds that normally stay dormant wake up and begin to grow making more side shoots for a thicker plant."

*"The first week of July is the week for you to prune back or pinch your fall-flowering mums, Montauk daisies, tall growing sedums and fall-flowering asters to control their height in your garden, increase the amount of buds on the plant and set the plants clock to flower in the fall season or they will flower in early August due to the cloudy weather this May and June. Cut plants back by 30% to 50%, depending on how tall they are in your garden, as they should be no taller than 15 to 18 inches tall right now!" Don't wait too long to do this--later in this month is too late for us in Skillin's Country for this task!

*This piece of advice was found in our last Garden Talks but it is still very appropriate. With the frequent moisture we have been having, slugs and snails are out in a vengeance. These chompers eat plants during the night while we are sleeping. But if your plants have many holes or even evidence of shredding that means slugs and/or snails are munching on your plants. Pick up some all natural Slug Magic here at Skillin's. This product is effective against slugs and snails but not toxic so it is very safe to use when you have kids and pets in the area!

*Mike's Must Have Perennial for the Week

The Clematis! Click HERE to learn more about this great plant--a Must Have for any garden!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 5, 2011

Clematis!

2011-07-03T16:48:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM. Paul recently sent this article out called "Clematis: The Queen of Our Flowering Vines " (I occasionally add a few comments in italics) and here it is:

"In 1968, I planted my first of many Clematis vines at a nursery in Scituate, Massachusetts, called Kennedy's Country Gardens. We received 200 two-year-old seedlings and my job that day was to pot these new plants in 2 gallon size pots. I had just finished blending rich top soil, peat moss, and cow manure together making a wonderful potting mixture for the new plants to grow in. My teacher at the nursery was a wonderful woman from England named Janet Burnett; she taught me how to plant and grow this plant. Janet told me many stories about how well this plant thrives in England and showed me many pictures of her gardens. One picture had clematis growing in the middle of a garden --what she called her clematis tree. I told her that I thought that clematis was a vine and could not believe that it grew into a tree.

What Janet had done was plant several clematis plants of different colors and flowering times at the base of an old apple tree that had died several years earlier and used the tree as a trellis for the plants to grow on. I can still see that clematis tree today in my mind, just beautiful. So if you have a small dead tree about 15 feet tall, don't cut it down--use it to grow clematis on. Janet told me that in England where she lived, the soil had layers of lime running through it and that was why her plants grew so well.

I had potted about 25 seedlings before Janet arrived to show me how to do it properly and she said to me how much lime did you put into each container you planted? I told her none but I had done an extra good job preparing the potting mixture. Janet had me dump all the plants out and start over because each pot had to have a cup of lime added to the potting soil mixture because clematis "LOVED" a sweet soil and only "LIME" made the soil sweet. After that experience, I always asked questions before starting the job! Janet was a wonderful teacher, and I will share with you what she taught me about clematis .

Clematis is the showiest perennial vine you can plant in your garden. They are among the easiest vines to grow in the garden, and their wide range of colors and flower size will please everyone. With over 1000 varieties to choose from and more new hybrids coming out each year, the clematis is quickly becoming the most popular vine for today's gardens. Clematis originated in the Orient about 500 years ago and has now spread all over the world because of hybridization to fit particular climates.

Janet showed me that the clematis plant does not produce tendrils nor do its stems twist around other plants. The leaf stalk, called the "petiole," will twist around any type of support from wire, string, wood, or vinyl lattice to even small tree branches for support. All you have to do is to provide something for the plant to grow on and it does the rest all by itself. Clematis can be trained to climb fences, archways, or trellis and can even scale the wall on the side of your house as long as you provide them with some type of support to climb on. You can also plant one on top of a retaining wall and watch it climb over it and cascade down to display its beautiful foliage and flowers or even let it run on the ground as a wonderful ground cover where you have outcroppings of ledge.

Clematis prefers to grow vertically, making this plant perfect for even the smallest flower garden or on your light pole at the end of your walk way. They do not take much room in your garden, so place a pole or trellis here and there for a bit of vertical height in your garden. Enjoy these pillars of clematis flowers poking out of your once horizontal growing garden as the clematis vine reaches for the sky. This is a great vine for a more natural looking garden; train it to grow where you want it to grow but let this plant do what it wants and don't prune it heavily. Grow the clematis vine like a rambling rose, let it surprise you with all its flowers and enjoy how unpredictably it will grow in your garden.

Plant clematis in a garden that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunshine; some varieties like clematis paniculata 'Sweet Autumn' will adapt easily to partial shade garden, so check at the nursery about special light requirements. This garden should also have good air circulation around it so the foliage can dry off quickly after long periods of rain fall. Avoid overhead watering in the evening hours to keep foliage dry and prevent disease problems. Water early in the day so the sun can dry foliage quickly and keep disease problems away. Water clematis plants regularly, especially during the summer months if the weather gets hot and dry. The roots of the clematis are strong and grow deep so be sure to water s thoroughly, especially when the plant is in bloom or the flowering period will be shorter.

Clematis vines will grow best in a rich soil that is well drained and never has standing water. Always condition the soil before planting with compost, animal manure, or peat moss. To help hold water around the roots of the plant in the summer months always add Soil Moist granules when planting. Clematis is a heavy feeder and will do much better when planted if you also add an organic fertilizer like Flower Tone by Espoma or Pro Gro by North Country Organics to encourage quick root development.

Your soil pH is very important, and one of the determining factors of a healthy plant. The sweeter the soil is, the better the plant will grow for you, so be sure to add Limestone, Magic-Cal or lots of wood ash to the soil before planting. Also yearly application of these products will keep your soil sweet if you live in areas where pines and oak trees are native. I use 2 handfuls of wood ash every spring around my plants and they just love it. Fertilize spring and fall with Flower Tone by Espoma or Pro Gro by North Country Organics to keep plant actively growing. If you don't have access to wood ash a couple of handfuls of Magi Cal by Jonathan Green is what I recommend!

Root and stem protection is also a determining factor for the clematis vine and it is very important to grow a ground cover or perennials around the plant to shade the soil to keep it cool during the summer months. Also place an evergreen plant--or stand up a brick or cobble stone on end--in front of the vine, facing south, to shade the bottom 6 to 8 inches of the vine during the winter months. This shading of the stem keeps it cool during the summer months and stabilizes freezing and thawing during the winter months. This is good advice although I get great results by mulching lightly around the base of my clematis with Fundy Blend by Coast of Maine. For the winter mulch cover I suggest a heavy cover with balsam fir boughs or Mainely Mulch straw (both available here at Skillin's!)

If you suddenly get foliage that turns brown or black on the plant, remove it quickly and the plant will form new growth from the base of the plant to replace it. Pour a bit of bleach on pruner blades before and between cuts to prevent moving disease problems from branch to branch; bleach will sterilize the pruners. When weeding or applying fertilizer to the plant, always use your hand and never use cultivating tools, as you can damage the roots of the plant. Bark mulch around the plant is encouraged at a depth of 2 inches to keep out weeds and help cool the soil.

Pruning is always a question with the clematis vine, when and how? If you see dead or damaged growth on the plant, remove it at any time you find it. As the clematis vine begins to age you will notice that fewer flowers form on the vine, usually after 4 to 5 years. The stems are getting tired, so these older stems should be cut back to within 18 inches of the ground in the early spring and before the new growth starts on the plant, during March early April. This will encourage new stems to develop from the roots of the plant in late April and these stems will flower the same year on the plant.

If your plant looks like a tangled mess of live and dead stems wrapped around your light pole or trellis, it is time for a major pruning of the plant. Try and save as much of the new and fleshy looking growth as possible but remove the older looking vines of the plant in the early spring.

If you have never grown a clematis vines before, this is the year for you to plant one in your garden. The vine has wonderful flowers that will last for many weeks, the flowers come in many colors, and the flower size varies from less than one inch in diameter to over 6 inches wide. Try one this summer, and next year, once the plant is established in your garden, you will thank me over and over again. Enjoy! "

Thanks to Paul Parent!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
July 3, 2011

June (late June) Garden Talks

2011-06-21T15:34:00.003-04:00

Hello again,

As I write this post we are in the midst of a warm sunny stretch here in Skillin's Country. Spring has officially turned into summer. Lilac flowering is over now replaced by beautiful blossoms like the Bridal Wreath Spirea.

And the ground is dry! I noticed earlier that my often "persnickety" Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea is marking the beginning of summer by telling me "hey you just transplanted me last fall and my location may be more shady but when the weather is dry I still need regular waterings." True (although hot days cause the Endless Summer to flag even when the soil is still somewhat wet). But let's lead off with:

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (2).

Deep waterings required by you: (0).

Our new plantings need water! We have had warm sunny days and quite a few breezy days. That being said good soaking rains of Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th have done the job for the next few days. Make a note to survey your plants on this coming Tuesday and Wednesday as warm sunny weather is forecast for the beginning of this coming week!

If you have met the quality watering requirement for this past week, congratulations! If not, pay careful attention this coming week and beyond and make sure that your new plants get those required quality waterings!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

*Slugs are out in abundance; living under larged leafed plants by day and chomping and tearing on fresh plants by night. Slugs can eat incredible amounts; your leaves will look torn. Slugs can easily be controlled by all natural Slug Magic (safe for pets and wildlife) sold right here at Skillin's.

*Mike's Must Have Perennial Selection for this Week:

Let's go with Cimicifuga (Bugbane) aka Snakeroot (found under Snakeroot in our perennial catalog).

The picture below is of the Brunette--my personal favorite. Other varieties have more green foliage. This is a great plant!

Cimicifuga Brunette

Why This is a Mike's Must Have Perennial:

I love the dark foliage of the Cimicifuga Brunette and the striking creamy white flowers. I have either the Brunette or White Pearl in a shade garden at my house. The plant prefers shade to part sun. This is a very hardy plant and can take up much space. Again the dark chocolate type foliage is a very rich look and the tall spiky flowers really stand out. The plant also has a nice fragrance!

This shade garden also features ligularia, brunnera and Solomon's Seal. All of these plants are very interesting and I would recommend any of them for a shade garden. They really "jazz up" a dark space!

*Want butterflies and hummingbirds? You can easily have them! We have dozens of flowering plants (big and small) that can be easily grown (hey check our Butterfly bushes!!).

*The neighborhood woodchucks are now out in abundance and those cute waddling woodchucks can devour a lot of freshly planted vegetables and flowers in your garden! Customer Nancy asked about woodchucks and here is how the conversation went:

"Do you have any ideas about getting rid of woodchucks/groundhogs and keeping them from cleaning out the young veggies and flowering plants?"

Here is my reply:

"Nancy, I have battled woodchucks with many methods over the years and most have not worked.

The method that HAS absolutely worked for me is a battery operated tube now called the Mole Mover (old name Go-Pher It). The Mole Mover is powered by 3 C batteries and emits a long beep every 28 seconds. The key is to know approximately (within 30 feet) where the woodchucks den is. Woodchucks typically live under sheds, decks, porches, croppings of stone, "other sides" of berms, someplace with a feel of shelter or protection.

They love to be in their dens so it is key to stick this tube in the ground as near (again within 30 feet) of their den as you can. After about a week of hearing this consistent beep every 28 seconds they and their family typically leave your area. If you are not sure of where they live, keep an eye on where they run to when you startle them above ground. They typically waddle straight for the den.

Other customers have their methods-fox urine, human hair in panty hose are two favorites. They may work for a time but I have found at the worst moment when the fox urine may be depleted or the hair scent is not there that they strike.

The tubes worked and are still working for me and for many other customers. I hope they work for you...let me know if you have any more gardening questions!"

It may be time to thin some seedlings started in your vegetable garden. Some of these seeds might be carrots, beets, radishes or even beans you may have started early. By the end of June, you may be able to harvest beets (they taste great when they are small). And those peas we talked about planting in mid April should be getting ready for harvest. My stomach is rumbling just thinking about it!

*If you have not planted bean or corn seeds, sunflower seeds or squash or cuke seedlings do not despair! The soil is just warming up and anything planted now and for the next couple of weeks or so will catch up in no time!

*This is a GREAT time to plant a crop of lettuce seedlings; plant this crop in a shadier setting (actual shady spot or underneath tomato or pole bean plants that will shade them). The hot summer sun tends to cause our little lettuce friends to wilt--they will grow great and taste better with quite a bit of shade! We have brand new lettuce seedlings now and will have another fresh crop in August!

*It is just about time to cover your blueberry and dwarf cherry trees to protect the fruit from birds. We sell plastic netting at Skillin's that is perfect for the job! The mesh can last for years if stored over the winter in a dry place.

*Many flowers of spring blooming perennials are passing by or are about to pass by. Take a few minutes to cut back these plants. In many cases (bachelor button, lupine to name a couple) a good sharp cutback will generate new growth from the plant and may well encourage some reblooming just a little later this season. In the case of lupine, a shorter lupine will give less of a home for pesky aphids that just love lupine as a summer home.

*If your garden plants have not had a good feeding yet this Spring; it is far from too late. We generally recommend a good granular feeding of all natural Plant Tone by Espoma or Pro Gro by North Country Organics. (We recommend all natural Holly Tone by Espoma for acid loving plants!) These are great all purpose foods that will very much improve the quality of your soil!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 22, 2011

It's Time for a Walk Through the Garden

2011-06-21T12:13:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM. Paul recently sent this article out called "It's Time for a Walk Through the Garden" (I occasionally add a few comments in italics) and here it is:

"We are now half way through June (this post was released by Paul on June 16, 2011), and so far the season has had its ups and downs--but the best of the ups are still ahead of us, and you should be excited about what's happening around you! The plants in your garden will make more growth in the next couple of months than they have so far all year. The flowers, the vegetables, the herbs, the berries and the fruit are now preparing for their special season in your gardens.

Try to explore your gardens every day if possible, because things are happening so fast now you will miss the changes. Today's walk through my gardens showed me that flower buds are now forming on my lilies, some of my daisies and on my delphiniums. The strawberries are beginning to turn pink and will soon be ready for picking, while the blueberries are growing larger on the plant but still need time and maybe a little extra fertilizer to help them grow larger and juicier.

Because of my garden walk, I noticed that my 'Annabelle' hydrangea are having a problem with a caterpillar type insect that has "stitched" the new leaves on top of many branches together, creating a bag look to the new growth. I pulled them apart to separate the leaves and found a small 1/2" long green caterpillar inside, preparing to eat the young flower buds. These small green caterpillars weave the leaves together and create a weatherproof home for themselves while they feed on your flower buds.

I took a few minutes and opened up each leaf cluster to free up the flowers so I would not lose them to the insect and then sprayed the plant with Spinosad organic insecticide or Captain Jack to destroy the caterpillars and prevent future damage. The plant looks great now, the foliage will continue to grow normally, and I will soon enjoy all those flowers on the hydrangea that would have been lost if I did not walk through my garden this morning.

With all the rain and cool temperatures, I was looking for a bug that is common at this time of the year called the "spittle bug." This unique creature can be found on many perennials, roses, and some evergreens--if you look at your garden you will see him right now. This insect resembles a tiny grasshopper about 1/4" long and pale green. To protect himself from predators, he will take the extra moisture on the plant and blow bubbles around himself. This bubble cluster looks like "spit" on stems of your plants and makes it easy for you to find him. As the weather dries up, all you will find is his damage--holes in the foliage. But right now he is easy to find, so just squeeze the spit-like formation on the plant to remove him, and then crush him. If you have many, use Garden Eight, Bug–B-Gone Max or Bayer Complete insect killer to control them or they will riddle the foliage with holes in that garden in just a few days.

I noticed that in the vegetable garden my cold weather crops like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are growing like crazy with all the rain and look wonderful, but while in the garden, I did notice several small dull white moths about an inch in diameter flying from plant to plant. This small moth is laying eggs on these plants that will in a couple of weeks hatch to become the cabbage lopper that will eat holes in the foliage. There is not much you can do right now but as soon as I see small holes in the foliage I will use Spinosad or Captain Jack to eliminate the problem naturally. Seeing the moth has given me a warning of the problem to come and time to prepare for when it arrives.

My tomatoes now have yellow flowers on them, so it might be time to give them a boost with a bit of liquid fertilizer (use Fish and Seasweed fertilizer by Neptune's Harvest) to help them make fruit faster. Also tomatoes are wind pollinated--not pollinated by bees--so I gently shook each plant to help make the pollen airborne for better pollination. Give your plants a shake every time you're in the garden to help them make more fruit if the weather becomes calm, so shake, shake, shake your tomatoes.

My peppers are also making flowers and now is the perfect time to give them a bit of Epson Salt in water to help them make bigger peppers. I dissolve one tablespoon of Epsom Salt to a gallon of water and give each plant about a quart of the mixture and you will not believe what it does for the plant. This was a garden tip from my Grandfather many years ago that stills work today.

I looked at my roses as the flower buds are just about ready to burst open and noticed some of the lower leaves had been skeletonized and had a white tinge to them. I found some small one-inch long pale green caterpillars eating away--a bit of Captain Jack or Spinosad takes care of them, and the damage will stop. All I want you to do is look at your plants regularly, so you can spot the damage on the plant before it gets out of hand and ruin your hard work in the garden.

Clematis is now growing fast and now is the time to train it, and tie it up on your trellis or arbor so you can better enjoy the flowers on the plant. Remember clematis loves a sweet soil so if you want your plants to grow better, be sure to use limestone or wood ash around the plant every year. If your plant is in full sun, place a brick or cobble stone standing up on the ground, on the south side of the plant about 2 to 3 inches from the stems. This will create shade on the stems as they develop from the base of the plant and prevent sun damage during the summer and winter months. Keeping the bottom six inches of stems cool during the summer and protected from the sun during the winter is the most important tip that I can give you for growing clematis.

If you're growing fruit trees, be sure to re-apply your fruit tree spray as soon as possible as all the rain has washed off the protection you put on the earlier. If you want to stay organic with your fruit tree, look for a wonderful product call "Organocide," a combination insect and disease control product developed for the citrus growers in Florida, which works great on all your fruit trees and berry plants. If you want clean fruit, you must apply this product every 10 to 14 days just like the orchards do--more often if you get heavy rain.

If you planted lettuce, Swiss chard or spinach by seed, it may be time to thin your planting bed or do a bit of transplanting while the weather is still cool. Give your plants room to grow and you will have better and more productive plants in your garden. Clean around your onions, leeks and shallots, as crabgrass is now beginning to grow in the garden--I know it is in my onion patch.

If you grew garlic for the first time and want larger bulbs and more garlic cloves on that bulb in the ground, look closely at your plants now for the flower bud that is forming on top of the plant. This flower bud looks like an arrow; it's a pointed bud. It looks like a garden gnome hat that grows by twisting and curling on its long stem. When this twisting begins to happen, remove the flower stems right down to the closest leaf on the plant and all the energy will go to the bulb--or you could leave it on the plant and it will make seeds for next year. I remove mine and use some of the flowers or "scapes," as they are called, for use in flower arrangements--cool looking with cut flowers in a vase. You can also steam them like you do asparagus and they taste wonderful with a bit of butter, salt and pepper. Try them this year if you never have before; they have a mild flavor of garlic. Enjoy!

Thanks Paul!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 21, 2011

June (MORE mid June Garden Talks)

2011-06-15T10:48:00.003-04:00

Hello again,

It is mid June and Skillin's Country has been enveloped by unseasonable cold and cloudiness (although our wet Spring trend of the last few years makes this relative darkness seem quite normal I am afraid).

Last week we posted a few mid June Garden Talks tips and here are some more!

*Want to grow some healthy snacks for your kids (and yourself) so that you teach them to LOVE some great vegetables?

Plant Sungold tomatoes (we have the plants), Sugar Snap Peas (we have the seeds) and the small "Pickling" cucumbers (we have the plants). I chose these 3 because (1) I love them myself; (2) they are easy to grow; (3) they always taste really good! The Sungold tomatoes just melt in your mouth and as you pick them they are so sweet that most never make it in the house!

Sungold tomatoes make a great snack for the kids--and for you!

Other quick snack choices are green beans; radishes (although they have a bite) and greens like swiss chard and spinach.

Any of these plants can be picked right in the garden and eaten on the spot OR can be easily picked and brought to the kitchen for the kids!

*Still have space in the garden? It is far from too late to plant many vegetables for a great harvest this season. AND many vegetables can be planted a second or third time IF you still have space.

This "successive" planting is in fact called "succession planting" and really helps to lengthen the season. Beans and peas are classic "succession" crops. Plant them now or in a few weeks and harvest them later in the season AFTER the first wave of beans or peas have been harvested.

There are many other great succession plants as well: Radishes, beets, lettuces and greens, broccoli and cauliflower all make great succesion plants for the vegetable garden!

*A great product to protect roses, tomatoes, vine vegetable crops like pumpkins, squashes and cukes, phlox, lilacs and many others against leaf spots, blights, mildews and other diseases is an all natural foliar spray called Vaccinate. (sold right here at Skillin's!)

It is a carbon based (molasses) foliar spray and contains Salicylic Acid for systemic acquired resistance. Vaccinate can be used on indoor and outdoor plants.

Vaccinate utilizes a holistic approach to plant health by building stronger plants. Salicylic Acid activates the plant’s natural immune system, reducing yellowing of foliage and building drought, heat and frost tolerance. Vaccinate is carbon based. Carbon is the building block of all life and buffers all nutrients in the soil. Without carbon, plants become stressed, which leads to disease. No carbon in the soil equals no growth -- it’s that simple! And Vaccinate works quickly -- your plant starts to absorb Vaccinate within 20-30 seconds of application.

Last year I used Vaccinate for the first time on many of my plants including roses, tomatoes, and phlox among many others. I was very pleased with the results and had almost no incidents of disease with my plants!

*Do your vegetable plants need pollinating? We sometimes hear from customers who planted a squash plant or a pumpkin plant that their plants blossomed but no fruit resulted. These plants need pollination! To best attract bees make sure you incorporate some other flowering plants in the same garden. Plant some flowering annuals like marigolds, petunias, zinnias, etc. The bees will come flocking to your flowers and you will have no pollination problems!

*Speaking of vegetable gardening, Terry Skillin recently appeared on WCHS's local program "207" and gave out some great information. (And I have heard many rave reviews!)

*This cold weather has very much delayed the growth of some of our warm weather loving vegetables. Take heart Skillin's Country! The weather will warm up and our eggplants, tomatoes and cucumbers will grow.

We have plenty of time left in the vegetable gardening season. Because of my schedule I have planted no vegetables yet and I will have plenty to choose from by August and September!

Customer Lynn asked about covering plants like tomatoes at night to try and keep them warmer during these cold nights. Lynn I would not do that--the temps should "uptick" and hopefully this slow start will just be a distant memory!

*Mike's Must Have Perennial Selection for this Week:

Let's go with Blue False Indigo (Baptisia Australis). This awesome plant was selected as the 2010 Perennial of the Year but many of us have known this reliable blue beauty for much longer than that! This is a plant totally native to America. In fact, Europeans used to pay Americans to grow it, for the dye they made from the blue flowers. That's why it's called False Indigo. Indigo was expensive and Baptisia is easy to grow. Baptisia is a member of the pea family and you’ll notice a resemblance in its foliage and flowers, as well as its fondness for cooler weather. Baptisia australis is a standout because of its striking blue flowers.

Blue False Indigo--a Mike's Must Have Perennial

Baptisa has an upright, shrubby form. It offers a long season of interest, with flower spikes, seed pods and foliage that is almost never bothered by pests or disease. Pea-like blossoms start as plump, tight buds. The flowers are borne on long racemes and are a vivid blue, often with flecks of cream or yellow. They are followed by seed pods which further demonstrate they are a member of the pea family. The pods persist and turn black and are often used in flower arranging. (Thanks to the garden writers at About.com for the above 2 paragraphs).

Why is this a Mike's Must Have? It's blue spiky flowers are a standout in June. There is no flower quite like it! The plant is darned reliable and will be a cornerstone of your perennial garden for years to come. I love that!

*Gardening friend Margaret of Away to Garden publishes a great piece called "5 Things to Read While I Savage My Garden". Margaret is a great gardener and writer and she gets right to the point!

In her June Garden Chores, Margaret also make a great point about pruning shrubs:

"SPRING-FLOWERING SHRUBS like lilacs get pruned now. Later pruning (after July 4th here) risks damage to emerging buds for next year’s blooms. Clean up unsightly deadheads of other big bloomers like rhododendron, things that don’t make showy fruit next, so leaving behind their faded blooms is just messy. Viburnums, on the other hand, need faded flowers left intact to set beautiful, bird-feeding fruit."

*I seeded some major parts of lawn earlier this Spring with Black Beauty Grass Seed by Jonathan Green (I love it!) and also fed my lawn with Espoma's Organic Lawn Food. Everything is growing pretty well but some parts of my lawn soil need some beefing up as our mini drought of early June caused some areas of my lawn to stress a little from lack of water.

I am not going to feed my lawn until early fall again with an organic food BUT the parts of the ground for the lawn that need a little boost are going to get an application of Kelp Booster by Espoma. The soil in this back area of my lawn is not as healthy as other parts of my lawn. So the extra "TLC" that the calcium from the kelp and the microbial bacteria in this product should really help my lawn over the long haul. Remember for a healthy lawn it is about great soil (for deeper roots!)

*Skillin's Moisture Meter:

New outdoor plantings (of vegetables, annuals, perennials, and certainly shrubs and trees) require 1 inch of water per week optimally spread out over at least two deep waterings per week. A "deep watering" is defined as a slow soaking of your plant's roots.

(More detail about "deep waterings": A soaking rain which brings a half inch of rain or more qualifies as a deep watering. In lieu of rain a deep watering can be accomplished by letting water run slowly out of a watering can or the end of your hose into each plant's root system or by having a soaker hose at work for several hours twice a week. In "non soaker hose situations", pause on your watering if the water starts to run off; let the water soak in and then begin to water again. Repeat this process several times and move onto the next plant. For larger trees and shrubs (and if you do not have a soaker hose) merely set a hose against the tree or shrub for 1 to 2 hours and let the water almost trickle into the ground and down into the plant's root system. Again if there is runoff, pause and let the water soak in. )

This Week's Moisture Meter Readings:

Quality rain (2).

Deep waterings required by you: (0).

I received just about an inch of water in my rain gauge this past week from Friday through Tuesday night. The ground was getting dry before that but I am going to grade this past week's rains as adequate for most situations in the ground. Keep an eye on hanging plants as well as plantings that are in high spots--this ground may dry out over the weekend if we get no meaningful rain this week.
If you have met the quality watering requirement for this past week, congratulations! If not, pay careful attention this coming week and beyond and make sure that your new plants get those required quality waterings!

Let us know if you have any watering questions!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 15, 2011

June (mid June) Garden Talks

2011-06-10T19:16:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

It has been more than a few days since my last typing of Garden Talks. The season (and our gardens) has exploded in Skillin's Country and that is very, very good.

I have spoken to so many of you and appreciate all your support for Skillin's. I hope your gardens are growing well and look forward to speaking to you soon again!

Now onto some Garden Talks:

*How to rid your flower garden of pesky cats? I am a cat guy myself but once the cats decide to use a space in your garden to "do their duty" they like to come back and back! One of the best ideas I have heard recently is to lay some chicken wire in the areas they are coming to. Cats will get annoyed trying to scratch through it and then will go somewhere else.

*Mike's Must Have Perennial Pick of the Week:

Let's go with the Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis). She is just breaking into form. The Lady's Mantle is very reliable and sends forth lime yellow flowers this time of year. These flowers match the healthy but rather light green foliage. Lady’s Mantle is an old-fashioned flower still popular today for it’s fuzzy, cupped leaves that hold water droplets after a rain and the frothy sprays of dainty yellow flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. Lady’s Mantle is also used in making lotions and soaps. Lady’s Mantle is a long-lived perennial flower that is fairly low maintenance. It thrives in part sun but can take mostly sun.

I like it because of it's reliability. I think the yellow flowers and lighter foliage can be quite striking--like a "Fair Lady". Lady's Mantle is a standout in any garden.

Lady's Mantle Planted at Skillin's in Falmouth. The Sun is Shining on the Lady's Mantle--note that it is planted just in front of a daylily! Great plant for nesting in a perennial garden!

*Stay on top of your weeding! Try to make a pass through your annual and perennial beds weekly if you can to keep those weeds at bay. "Clean" perennial beds can be mulched with compost or Fundy Blend by Coast of Maine. The compost will act as a mulch to hold weeds down and keep moisture in. Yet over time the compost will become integrated into your soil and bring great benefits to your soil.

*Remember to keep your lawn level high when mowing. This helps your grass stay lush into the summer longer. Also a grass canopy is a great natural way to keep weed seed from germinating in your lawn as successfully! Also do not bag leaf clippings. Let them lie in the lawn. They will quickly break down and return great organic matter to your soil. If you are feeding twice per year with a good organic lawn food then the grass clippings will really break down rapidly.

*Speaking of mulch: 2 inches of mulch or compost is PLENTY around your trees and shrubs.

*We have tomatoes and many other vegetables available. This is the PERFECT time to start your vegetable garden in Skillin's Country--let us show you how! Also remember to plant your tomatoes "deep"--bring the soil about halfway up the stem of the plant.

*Now is a great time to prune most trees and shrubs that are JUST finishing their flowering. (Lilacs, some rhodys, crab trees, etc.) Shape them to something smaller than you like them but with the same concept or shape. The new growth will fill in and grow up to the height you want. Most flowering shrubs should only be pruned within about a 2 week window of their dropping of flower petals.

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
June 10, 2011

May (Late May) Garden Talks

2011-05-24T19:23:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

Late May is here. I will tell you some of our recent days in Skillin's Country have been so raw and cold that I have been more chilled to the bone than some of the coldest days of winter. My goodness! But the upcoming forecast looks highly decent.

*With the exception of our vine crops like cukes, squashes, zucchini and pumpkins; tender flowers like morning glory and nasturtiums as well as basil I say if you want to, go ahead and plant in most areas! Just keep an eye on night time temperatures and be wary of high winds that could "burn" greenhouse grown plants. But the forecast over the next few days looks good!

*As I mentioned last week: this cold weather will give your plants will bring fungus and mildews for sure to many plants. Use all natural Serenade to protect your plants against many diseases! For further precaution in this potentially plant stressful time, make sure your soil is well packed with organic matter (we sell terrific composts here) and that your plants get a little bit of some all natural fertilizer included with their planting. Use Garden Tone or Plant Tone for your garden plants and Flower Tone or Plant Tone for your flowering plants. The microbial bacteria in these fertilizers will really help the roots of these young plants to develop well and anchor your plants through tough climate times.

*ALSO, give many of your flowering plants a little top pinch as you plant them. Yes, flowering will be postponed for a week or so, BUT you will get more shoots (yes this means more flowers) and this top or terminal pinching will give your roots a little extra boost!

*Click HERE for more tips about what to do with your garden after all this rain!

**Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club sends out a great newsletter every week with pertinent gardening topics. I encourage you to go to his website to sign up for his newsletter. Paul can also be heard every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 10 AM at his website or at WBACH (104.7 FM) every Sunday morning from 6 AM to 9 AM.

Paul has many great gardening points for May. I will list just a few of his tips; I highly recommend checking out the entire list of great May gardening tips and here they are.

*This is the time to spread limestone or wood ash around your clematis vines. (We sell great little packages of Magi Cal by Jonathan Green to spread around your clematis vine--as well as other plants like lilacs).

*Peonies are now growing quickly with the heat, and it's now time to place the cages around the plant before the flowers form.

*Your blue hydrangeas need to be fertilized with Holly Tone fertilizer now to keep them a nice hue of blue. (If the flowers have been just a dull blue then also apply all natural Garden Sulfur--sold right here at Skillin's!)

*If you have roses, feed them now (I love to use all natural Rose Tone or Flower Tone by Espoma for this task--or Fish and Seaweed food by Neptune's Harvest for a quicker application of food) and be sure to remove any dead or broken branches on the plant. Check for suckers growing on the plant, as this growth will rob the plant of energy needed to make flowers. Most roses are grafted and the graft looks like your fist, a swollen area at the ground area on the plant. Any growth above the graft will make flowers, anything below is a sucker and will never flower, just rob your plant. This growth will also grow very fast and tall with no side shoots; remove it whenever you see one on your plants.

*Spring-flowering bulbs must be fertilized now if you want flowers next year. (For a faster fertilizer application use Fish and Seaweed Food by Neptune's Harvest for your bulbs right now. The all natural fertilizer will greatly help the cells of your bulb become healthier and your bulb to become bigger--all the more flowers for you next year!) You also must remove the faded flower on the plants, or the plant will use its energy to make seed and not flower buds.

*Now is also the best time to prune back any non-flowering shrub in your yard before the new growth really gets going. All evergreen like yews, arborvitae, juniper, spruce, pines, hemlock, ilex, boxwood, and hollies are best pruned now to control height and size of the plant.

Thanks Paul for these great gardening tips and again check out all his May Garden Tips HERE!

Now more gardening tips:

*Sow bean seeds every two to three weeks for some great succession planting in your garden. Same goes for beets, radishes and even peas!

*Cut your asparagus often for better yield!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 24, 2011

Tips for Your Lawn and Garden After the Rain

2011-05-22T14:14:00.001-04:00

Hello again,

Good friend Hammon Buck of Plants Unlimited sent this great email out a day or so ago. The following from Plants Unlimited gives many great tips on what to watch for and what to do in your garden after all this cold rain we have received. (I make a few comments in italics). Plants Unlimited is located in Rockport ME and is well worth a visit!

"1) AVOID tilling your gardens until the soil has dried. BE PATIENT and allow the soil to dry! Try to avoid walking right next to the plants while the soil is saturated. During this time plants, and root systems, are very vulnerable to damage from stepping on them. Walking near plants can also cause soil impaction, which can limit root growth. Compacted soil has less air for proper root development. This is not a big concern if you have a well designed raised bed garden where you can reach each plant without stepping near them.

2) AVOID mowing wet grass. Again, let the grass dry because mowing wet grass is very damaging to your lawnmower, uses more gas and also can compact the soil under your grass. When the grass dries, you might need to mow it twice if your grass is tall. First, set your mower fairly high and on the second mow, lower your blades. (Note: a higher grass setting is much healthier for your lawn as well!)

3) PREPARE for slugs and snails. They were beginning to appear before all this rain and now, they'll be out in full force.... (We recommend Slug Magic--an all natural but very safe product). Apply it now! Eliminate possible slug or snail hiding places. Slugs and snails love damp places that have hiding areas. Remove any boards, stones, or other items that are laying around in or around the garden.

4) After a very heavy rain you may need to replenish nutrients. Having heavy water runoff can carry nutrients from the soil. Make sure to replenish these nutrients with fish emulsion or an organic all-purpose fertilizer. (The natural foods last longest in the soil).

5) Keep an eye out for fungal or bacterial diseases. Damp, humid conditions are perfect for fungal and bacterial disease development. Diseases, such as powdery mildew, will spread very quickly in these conditions. Treat these diseases as soon as they are noticed. Waiting too long to act can mean serious trouble for your vegetable plants.

6) Keep an eye on emerging weeds. Weeds love to pop up soon after a storm. The sudden charge of moisture to the soil will encourage weeds to spring up almost overnight. Put down some type of mulch to prevent weeds and to help ease soil erosion.

7) Observe areas of poor drainage and low spots where water has collected in your yard and gardens. Can these problems be corrected with proper grading or drainage?

8) Look for exposed roots in newly planted vegetable or perennial gardens where the rain might have washed away the soil. Cover these roots with compost or soil.

9) Empty outside pot, saucers and containers that hold standing water. You'll eliminate mosquito breeding and also help your plants from being overwatered.

10) Clean out storm drains and any drainage ways in your yard. "

Thanks Hammon!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 22, 2011

Growing Beautiful and Fragrant Lilacs

2011-05-22T05:00:00.001-04:00

Fragrant, Fragrant Lilacs!

"If you ask a gardener what the most fragrant plant in their garden is, the answer would most likely be the lilac plant. The lilac is a longtime favorite for most gardeners and it was even grown in the gardens of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Be sure to see some of the original lilac in their gardens when you visit their homes when the season is right for them to bloom. Lilacs are unique plants; if cared for properly and planted in the right spot, they will live for hundreds of years. Lilacs date back to the mid 1700s and were planted in our first botanical gardens and arboretums across the colonies.

Growing up in New England, I can always remember the lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston/ Brookline. These gardens are part of Harvard University, and the oldest public arboretum in North America. When the lilacs come into bloom the fragrance of the hundreds of lilacs in the garden is carried through the entire garden...

If you want to grow lilacs, select a location in your yard with full sun all day, though there are some varieties that will also tolerate a bit of shade. These varieties will have smaller and fewer flowers on the plants due to the shade. Sunshine is the number one reason your lilacs may not be flowering. Next to sunshine, ask what is the type of soil on your property and how it can affect the development of flowers? Lilacs prefer a rich soil that is well drained and never has standing water around it at any time of the year. One last piece to the puzzle is the pH or acidity level in your soils; lilacs do much better in a sweet soil than an acidic soil.

All soils can be changed by adding soil conditioners to them like peat moss, compost, animal manure, and even sand. If you can open up the soil and improve the texture of the soil, your plant will thrive. Sand will break apart the clay in your soils, allowing better air movement; peat moss will help hold moisture in a sandy soil that typically dries out during the heat of summer. Compost and animal manure will do both, plus help to make poor soil healthier and better able to hold nourishment and water.

If the soil around the lilacs contains clay, treat the area with a soil conditioner like Garden Gypsum from Soil Logic. In just a few weeks, your soil will expand and drainage will be greatly improved. For acidic soil, add lime stone, wood ashes or Magic-Cal from Jonathan Green to sweeten the soil and free up the phosphorus in your soil. Look at the ground in the area where you want to plant a new lilac. If you see moss growing, it is a signal that the soil is acidic and you will have to add soil sweeteners to help the lilac grow and flower. If you have an established plant that is not flowering very well and moss is growing in the area, apply soil sweeteners in the spring and fall until the plant begins to flower.

Lilacs will also grow better if you can remove the grass growing around the plant and create a mulch bed 2 to 3 feet in diameter at the base of the plant. Grass and weeds will rob the plant of moisture during the summer and nutrition during the growing season; this completion will limit the plant's ability to make new shoots at the base of the plant. A layer of bark mulch 2 to 3 inches thick will go a long way toward helping your plants prosper. (Consider using a good compost for this task!)

When the plants are young, it is very important to remove faded flowers from the plant. This cleaning prevents the plant from using its energy to make useless seed pods, and that energy will be used to make additional foliage on the plant. Pruning is also very important on both young and established plants, as it will stimulate new growth on the plant.

The best time to prune your lilac is when the plant has finished flowering or, in the case of no flowers on your plant, when the lilacs in the neighborhood are in bloom. Do not be scared to prune, as pruning will stimulate new growth and that is where the flower buds will develop during the summer. Say to your lilac, "I am doing this for your own good." Begin by removing any dead or damaged branches from the plant. You should remove 1/3 of the foliage on the taller growing branches. If some branches are very tall, cut them to your waist and leave this tall stump in the clump. Strong plants will develop new growth in the shape of a broom from this stump, and in just a couple of years these new shoots will be in bloom. You can also cut the branch to a foot from the ground and shoots will develop on it also.

Older plants can be rejuvenated by removing 1/3 of the branches each year for three years and allowing the new shoots that develop at the base to take over the plant. Those new shoots that develop at the base should be thinned by 1/3. You should remove the small, weak looking ones, keeping the thick and strong looking shoots to replace the older branches.

New lilac plants should be planted with compost and mycorrhizae to help the plant get established quickly before the heat of summer arrives. (An excellent source of mycorrhizae for this job is Flower Tone or Tree Tone by Espoma.) Water 2 times a week until the fall and fertilize the plant in September with mycorrhizae again.

The only problem lilacs have is powdery mildew on the foliage, and that can be prevented with 2 or 3 applications of Serenade organic fungicide beginning in mid-June and repeated every two weeks. Good air circulation around the plant and keeping plants away from irrigation systems that splash water on the foliage will prevent this problem.

If you like lilacs, look for a new hybrid variety just introduced this spring called 'Bloomerang.' (sold right here at Skillin's!) This new variety will give you months of flowers, not just weeks, as it is a repeat bloomer. It will flower in the spring for several weeks and, if you can remove the faded flowers, it will re-bloom in the mid-summer until frost. The beautiful fragrant flowers are lavender, and are great for cutting also. The plant will grow five feet tall and just as wide, very similar to the 'Miss Kim' hybrid; the flowers and foliage look similar also. This is a wonderful plant to have near a deck or patio where you spend time outside during the summer."

Thanks Paul!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 22, 2011

May (mid May) Garden Talks

2011-05-17T18:38:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

Mid May brings soggy weather to Skillin's Country but the plants and lawns are growing. And the night time temps while raw are not frosty allowing some gardeners near the coast and in Portland to tempt fate by planting a little early. So far so good...although these raw temps will do great harm to vine crops like cukes, squashes, and pumpkins. Also basil does not like this cold. So no planting of vine crops and basil in Skillin's Country yet! But that does leave many plants that you CAN plant with no frost in the forecast.

Still, keep the frost blankets handy; just in case....

*This cold wet weather will bring fungus and mildews for sure to many plants. Use all natural Serenade to protect your plants against many diseases!

*Don't like the shape of your flowering forsythia? This is an excellent time to prune your forsythia--while some color still remains. Prune it to somewhat smaller than the shape you want--don't worry it will grow back quickly. Just keep the same proportions so that even growth will result in the shape you want!

*Mike's Must Have Perennial for the Week is the Creeping Phlox--aka Ground Phlox or Phlox Subulata. Read all about this great plant HERE.

Mike's Must Have this Week: The Ground Phlox or Phlox Subulata!

*Forgive the appearance of our delivery area but take a look at the outstanding patio and pool area planters we can do for you! Great value too as these plantings will look lush and beautiful all summer and fall!

Keep these planters lush with regular feedings of Miracle Gro's Blossom Booster (sold only at independent garden centers like Skillin's) or with all natural Fish and Seaweed Food by Neptune's Harvest.
I recommend the Fish and Seaweed Food by Neptune's Harvest for all container grown vegetables as well!

*Got a great question today about asparagus. Established asparagus is growing well for people. Keep cutting it in portions you want to eat! Cutting asparagus will keep it producing for you into the season. The same holds true for rhubarb. Rhubarb stalks taste best when they are small and tender. So start cutting now for tasty rhubarb now and more growth and more rhubarb later!

*Margaret of Away to Garden has a great point about this misty, cool weather: TAKE ADVANTAGE of any bouts of cooler, moister weather to divide and move perennials. Water in well, and keep an eye out all season to watch that they don’t stress.

*Speaking of Margaret, crabapple season is upon us and Skillin's Country is just a perfect place to grow beautiful flowering crabapple and flowering cherry trees. Click HERE for a Crabapple Slideshow by Margaret of Away to Garden.

Phlox Subulata--Creeping Phlox

2011-05-16T18:26:00.001-04:00

Various Colors of Ground or Creeping Phlox

When most gardeners think of phlox they think of the tall-growing phlox with beautiful ice-cream cone shaped flower clusters. They think of the warm summer nights with cool colors of lavender-blue, purple, mauve, pink red and white flowers standing up tall your garden. Summer-flowering phlox is nice, but to me the ground covering varieties are more exciting, because at this time of the year color in the perennial garden is still very limited. Most perennials are still dormant or just beginning to poke through the soil, but this wonderful plant is in full bloom. Not only that, but the perennial ground phlox is evergreen to semi-evergreen, and on those cold winter days when snow is not covering the ground the phlox is greener than your lawn. The ground phlox will tolerate temperatures down to -40 to -50 degrees--how many of your perennial flowers can tolerate that and stay green all winter long? Not many!

Ground phlox grow like a carpet, hugging the ground. They are creepers, covering even rocks in your garden and creating a mat of foliage that will cascade or trail over a short wall. Ground phlox will grow on or over any surface as well as obstacles; truly a unique flowering plant. During April we all crave color and the weather can still be cold and unsettled, but this plant does develop flowers that will stay in bloom on the plant even if the temperatures dip below freezing. For this to happen, your plant must have good drainage; otherwise it will suffer from root rot during cold, wet weather. The roots of the ground phlox grow don't grow very deep in the garden. If your soil is on the sandy side you may have to water during the summer months if the plant is growing in full sun or the summer is hot and dry.

Ground phlox will flower for 2 to 3 weeks during April or early May. In a more northerly growing area the spring time temperatures always determine the flowering time. When plants finish flowering, shear back the plant to help control the size of the plant and encourage it to stay full and thick. As the plant ages, it will begin to die out in the center; that is normal. Dig it up, divide the plant into sections, and remove the dead sections from the clump. Plant the outer edges as clumps, with fresh soil that you have conditioned with compost or animal manure. If you can add mycorrhizae when planting, it will help stimulate the new roots to form more quickly and the summer weather will help new growth to develop.

Ground phlox flowers come in shades of white, pink, purple, red, lavender-blue and a new hybrid pink and white striped variety called "Candy Stripe.' This plant can spread 2 to 3 feet wide and will grow to 6 to 9 inches tall. When the flowers fall the Kelly green foliage will begin to grow, it can spread 6 inches or more each summer. When you plant a young plant, the foliage will feel soft and smooth but as the plant ages, the foliage gets prickly and becomes needle-like, almost like a spruce tree. The once soft and flexible green stems will also get woody, turn brown, rough, and more rigid. This is your signal to divide the plant into small clumps 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

A soil that is slightly acidic to alkaline will work well to encourage new growth and many flowers. If your garden is near oaks and pines, I would suggest that you apply lime, wood ash, or Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal every year to keep acidity levels down. Fertilize in the spring when the flowers begin to fade with a good perennial fertilizer such as Flower-Tone. (Or if your phlox are part of your lawn area like mine twice yearly lawn feedings with a good all around organic fertilizer will keep the phlox well fed.)
If you plant ground phlox in the front of your border, it will creep out into your lawn if not pruned after flowering. Grass will also grow into your flower bed from the edge and can create a problem if you do not edge the perennial bed every year. If the grass gets into the plant bed it may be necessary to dig it up and manually pull the grass and its roots from the clump. It is best to set plants 12 inches from the edge of the bed to prevent problems.

If you have a steep bank that is difficult to mow and you're looking for a ground cover, the ground phlox could be the right plant for you. Space plants on 18 inch centers in staggered rows and in a couple of years it will all grow together, creating a wonderful flowering hillside in the spring. When the flowers fade use the lawn mower to cut back the plants to keep them short and thick growing. Fertilize over the top of the foliage with organic fertilizer when rain is in the forecast or use your sprinkler to wash the food off the foliage into the ground.

Insects and disease problems are minimal, but if you see the foliage begin to bleach out a bit, it could be red spider mites. If this occurs spray the foliage with Tree and Shrub Systemic Insecticide to control the problem. The ground phlox does not get powdery mildew like the taller growing summer-flowering phlox does. Powdery mildew is the most destructive disease of the taller growing relative and many people do not grow phlox because of it. New resistant varieties are now available and better systemic fungicides are also available. If you want spring color that will brighten up your gardens at this time of the year there is no better plant than the ground phlox. Enjoy!"

Thanks Paul!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 16, 2011

May (Early May) Garden Talks

2011-05-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

The weather is slowly (operative word: slowly) improving by the day in Skillin's Country as we are getting a few more glimmers of sun and the temperatures are climbing a little bit.

*This delayed start for the Spring has allowed us more time to get Crabgrass Preventer onto our grassy areas to help keep crabgrass under control. Crabgrass Preventers come in a few forms--with either timed chemicals (for safer and more effective applications than older style chemicals) OR you can use all natural corn gluten (most effective if applied now in the Spring and then in the early fall (really around Labor Day or by mid September).

Crabgrass preventers are granular. They are spread on the lawn and once they become moist will spread a skin or cover over the soil. This cover prevents seed from germinating. Crabgrass is an annual weed that spreads millions of seeds over your existing lawn. The seed is cast in the fall once the crabgrass plants tassel and the seed heads burst. The seeds sprout--some in the fall--and the remainder once the ground starts to warm up in the Spring. So if the crabgrass preventer is put down just when the weather is more consistently warm the timing is often right to discourage much of the seed in the Spring from germinating.

We carry all types of crabgrass preventers at Skillin's--including a newer type that will allow you to put grass seed down and have it germinate despite the presence of the crabgrass preventer. But corn gluten should not be put down if you have put grass seed down on thin areas because the cover it produces will inhibit the grass seed from germinating.

The traditional deadline for applying crabgrass preventers is before the forsythia blossoms drop and we have about a week to 10 days before that time really hits.

*Speaking of forsythia, Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club reminds us that the best time to prune forsythia is just when it is reaching the end of it's flowering. Prune the branches at different lengths to better give the plant a natual more undefined look.

The Time is Soon to best Prune Your Forysthia

Pruning at the end of flowering will encourage much more growth during the coming year. This abundant new growth will be the branches that give us next year's flowers. So....a good pruning at the end of flowering this year means more flowers next year!

If you have not done so, now is a good time to spread some nice natural fertilizer around your forsythia. I would recommend Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Flower Tone by Espoma for the job.

Click HERE for much more information about care for forsythias--they are just an awesome shrub!

*Real customer Ted recently wrote and asked us to give him a "primer" on lime for the lawn and garden. Here is what I wrote:

We much prefer the calcium based limes like Magi Cal by Jonathan Green or Fast Acting Lime by Encap. We sell them both here at Skillin's.

Liming can be done anytime. I apply lime about every other year on my lawn and my garden. But a soil test is a good thing to do periodically. We do sell soil test kits here that work well in measuring pH.

Do not lime around evergreens but do around most deciduous shrubs like lilacs and your perennials.

Our soil will best and most efficiently use the nutrients we provide through our fertilizers with a neutral pH of 7.0 or just below, that is why lime and now Magi Cal is so often recommended. Plus our soils are often found deficient in calcium and other important minerals that a calcium based lime like Magi Cal provides.

**Margaret from A Way to Garden has some good garden pointers for early May:

*Now is a great time to get seed potatoes in the ground!

*Once the perennial beds are cleaned up, top dress with a good natural fertilizer like Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Flower Tone by Espoma. Both are great organic fertilizers that will work to improve the soil. Once that is done then apply a layer of a good compost as a mulch around your perennials. I use Fundy Blend by Coast of Maine but there are other good choices as well. If you have a large area to cover it may make sense to purchase some of our organic bulk compost from Skillin's.

Thanks Margaret!!

Also do not "stress" about this job (or any task for your garden). This process of top dressing with a good natural fertilizer and then a layer of compost is a great practice but can certainly done by small areas over a number of weeks if that is what your schedule and body joints permit!

*Speaking of feeding, your trees and shrubs are STARVING for nutrients right now. Rhodys in particular are not a rich green in many cases. Get the Holly Tone by Espoma on the Rhodys! Fruit trees should be on your list too. I recommend using a good garden fertilizer like Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Garden Tone by Espoma for the fruit trees. Take a stake and pound a hole about every 6 feet around the drip line of the tree. Then fill the hole with the fertilizer I just mentioned. Do this now and again in late summer or early fall. Consistent (twice per year) organic feeding around your trees and shrubs will provide a slow but steady source of nutrients for when the plant needs them and will go a long way to improving your garden soil NATURALLY!
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 1, 2011