KCB Gardening 101

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 proud to tell you that KCB rules as the 2008 Maine Master Gardener of the Year. And we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family.

The following outline served as the basis for a terrific Gardening 101 class held Saturday, April 4 at Skillin's Greenhouses (http://www.skillins.com/) in Brunswick, Cumberland and Falmouth.

We will gladly email this outline in Word Doc form, just email us at info@skillins.com and put Gardening 101 in the subject line. We will also include two more informative outlines: "Soil Terms" and "Plant Hardiness" in what we email to you. "Soil Terms" can also be found added to this outline at the bottom of this post. You may in fact prefer that we email you these helpful documents rather than use this post as KCB's outline is better represented in the original documents than in the translation posted below. Either way, you and your gardens will greatly benefit from what KCB has to tell you!

Please email us at info@skillins.com with any gardening questions you have!

Whether a seasoned gardener, just beginning or somewhere in between, it is best to have a strategy before you begin. With some forethought it could save money and pain, both physical and emotional, down the road.

1. Plan before you plant
2. Prepare before you plant
3. What you need
4. What plants need
5. Right Plant, Right Place
PLAN BEFORE YOU PLANT
1. Think about how you wish to use your out-of-doors space:
g Recreation
g Relaxing & Reflecting
g Dining& Entertaining
g Theme Gardens
o Bird & Butterfly Magnet
o Culinary
o Mixed Border
o Moon
g All of the above
o Separate areas creating ‘rooms’

2. Imagine the garden beds and landscape you want to create
g Plants
g Colors
& Visualize a palette that you find attractive and not specific plants.
& Foliage!!!
g Textures
& Foliage
g Lacy
g Succulent
g Spiky
g Broadleaf

3. Budget
& For Materials & Maintenance

4. Maintenance
& Initial installation and on going
& Low Maintenance doesn’t mean NO maintenance
PREPARE BEFORE YOU PLANT1 Know your property
œ & Walk your property
o Check
§ Topography
§ Wind intensity
§ Drainage
§ Water Source
§ Micro-climates
§ Sunlight
· Time of day and duration
§ Wildlife
§ Known Pests

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

3. Know your self
a.“Warming up before gardening is just as important as warming up before a vigorous workout. After warming up, stretching exercises for the major muscle groups that will be involved in performing the task can reduce the risk of injury.” The American Society of Hand Therapists ASHT®
b. Your schedule; how much time you really want to commit to your garden
WHAT YOU NEED
APPROPRIATE TOOLS-sharpened and in good working order.
1. Tools for digging and/or planting
g Trowel
g Spade
g Digging/Pitch Fork
2. Tools for Pruning/Cutting
g Hand pruners
g Loppers
g Saws
0 pruning
0 bow
3. Tools for Weeding
g Garden Hoe
g hand fork
g Dandelion weeder
4.Tools for hauling
g Wheelbarrow
g Bucket
5.Tools for watering
g Watering Can
g Hose
6.Tools for comfort and Safety
g Gloves
§ Mud gloves
§ Light weight/flexible
§ Rose (long, up to elbow made of leather)
g Knee Pads
g Safety Glasses
g Sun Screen
g Hat
WHAT PLANTS NEED
g Good Soil
g Sunlight
g Degrees of light
· Full Sun = 6 hours of sun between 10 AM 6 PM
· Part Shade/Part Sun = less than above or sun earlier in day
· Filtered Shade/Sun = Under trees or structures in full sun
g Water
· Achieve Balance
· Slow deep watering
· Do not waste
g A Good Start
· See Plan & Prepare!
RIGHT PLANT/RIGHT PLACE


Things to consider
§ Amount of Sunlight
§ Growth pattern/height
o Will plant spread
o Will self sow
o Height
§ Maintenance needs
o Deadheading
o Dividing
§ Watering needs

MAKE A LIST BEFORE YOU HEAD TO THE NURSERY
g Select plants appropriate for your property
§ Sunlight, soil, maintenance needs, height and spread
g Read plant labels/tags
g Ask professional nursery staff
g Keep a Garden Journal!
§ Make notes of what and when of blooming, what works, what needs dividing, any special notations.

For Soil Test Kits, various publications or to learn more about the Master Gardener program:
Cumberland County Extension Office
15 Chamberlain Ave.
http://www.umext.maine.edu/counties/county.htm


Favored Web Sites:
http://www.skillins.com/ (great way to access the Skillin's Garden Log)
http://www.finishingtouchesgardendesign.com/ (under construction-check back soon)
http://extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu/
KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses
April 7, 2009
Also:

Common Soil Terms

Good Soil is essential for all healthy gardens. Feed the Soil not the plant. A better quality soil means deeper and healthier roots for your plants. Deeper and healthier roots mean healthier plants that are better able to produce more healthy growth!

Types of Soil:

Clay: Heavy & Hard. Feels much like modeling clay. Holds its shape when wet. Slow to warm in spring and slow to drain. Too compact and can stunt root growth.
It does hold nutrients more than other soil types.
g Amend Soil w/composted materials
g Gypsum adds air and space to heavy clay soils

Sandy: Gritty feel, loose and falls apart when squeezed. Dries out quickly. Good drainage.
g Amend w/composted organic materials
g When planting incorporate new loam w/organic mix and original soil

Loam: Almost ideal. Smooth, only partially gritty. Forms a ball then crumbles easily. Equal parts clay, sand and silt.

More Soil Terms

Silt: Mostly minerals and organic material. Feels/looks like dark sand.

Humus: Organic materials from animals and plants found in soil. Soils rich in humus are referred to as ‘rich’.

Acid Soil: A soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acid soil. (a soil pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline). pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil.

Alkaline Soil: A soil with a pH higher than 7.0 is an alkaline soil. (a soil pH lower than 7.0 is acidic) Basically, pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil.

Sour Soil: Acidic soil (pH lower than 7.0)

Sweet Soil: Alkaline Soil. (pH higher than 7.0)

Amending Soil: Adding organics or other nutrient to improve soil.

What & When:
Lime raises pH: Add to Sour or Acid soil to bring pH up.
Sulfur lowers pH: Add to Sweet or Alkaline Soil to bring pH down.

Coffee Grounds, Peat Moss (if sandy or dry) or Sulfur and/or Iron Sulfate for clay soil, will help sour or make more acidic.
Wood ashes will sweeten soil.

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses

April 7, 2009

Perennial Basics Getting Started

Let’s move from annuals to perennials! We sell a wide variety of perennials at Skillin’s. We define perennials as usually green or herbaceous plants that are best planted in beds with other perennials or as a complement to your shrub and tree (woody) or annual plantings or other aspects of your landscape world.

Perennial plants are intended to give us the ever hopeful gardener years of enjoyment as we nurture and feed them, pinch and prune them, and divide and worry about them. Yes, perennials become an extension of our family. Many perennials do not flower for long periods of time which only makes our appreciation of their colorful offerings that much sweeter when that time of year comes. Perennials are a blessing!

Lat year I came across a great article in a garden center trade magazine called “Green Profits” titled “Perennial Gardening Basics”. I think the article is fantastic for all perennial gardeners. For the next few weeks, I intend to give you small excerpts from the article (to whet your perennial gardening whistle). If at any time you would like the entire article emailed to you just let me know at info@skillins.com and I will send you a “Word” attachment.

Getting Started

“Chances are you are not starting from scratch and already have some trees, shrubs and possibly existing perennials in place. Feel free to work within existing gardens, but be sure to clean them up first. If your gardens require extreme trimming or removal, it’s a good idea to contact a professional for advice and service.

To begin, all gardens need a focal point to help draw the eye and give the garden an orderly look. Your focal point is completely up to you and can be anything from a spectacular specimen plant to a unique sculpture. Once you have this in place, it’s time to think about a color scheme. Try to pick three or four colors to create a scheme. If you spend a lot of time entertaining outside, it might be fun to match outdoor furniture and décor.

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty. Preparing the garden bed is as important as choosing the plants. Most common perennials prefer soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, but as always, there are exceptions. Be sure to read plant descriptions to learn about special light and pH requirements they might have. Be sure to rejuvenate existing soils with amendments like manure, humus or compost. This will help kick start new plants and keep them healthy as they establish.”

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
March 13, 2009