Composting Leaves and Pumpkins

Hello again!

From the folks at Botanical Interests who offer a great variety of vegetable and flower seeds that we feature here at Skillin's! I make a few comments in italics.

Leaves

"Are you wondering what to do with all those falling leaves? The easiest thing to do is rake them into shallow piles then mow over them with a mulching lawnmower. This excellent carbon/nitrogen mix of leaves/grass can then be dumped straight into the compost bin.

If your compost bin is full, it's worth buying a trashcan with a tight fitting lid to keep near the compost pile. The leaves will stay dry in there all winter. Then, you'll have 'brown' material on hand to alternate with 'green material' in the spring and summer. Before storing them, you can run them through a shredder or fill a tub with them and stomp them with your feet to break them up. (This is a great kid activity!) If you don't want to bother with breaking the leaves up now, you can store them whole and simply take handfuls of them and crunch them up with your hands before adding them to the compost bin. Breaking them up into pieces no larger than 1"-2" in diameter is best to encourage airflow and keep the pile from getting matted down.

Extra leaves that have been shredded also make an excellent mulch to cover your garden beds for the winter. Scatter them a few inches deep across the soil surface, but not too close to the crowns of perennials where they could cause root rot. With this method, the leaves will decompose slowly over the winter, enriching the soil. In early spring, any remaining leaves can be worked into the soil (along with some compost) to recharge your beds for planting."

Great advice above by the folks at Botanical Interests. I mow and grind as many leaves as I can into my lawn. These shredded leaves decompose nicely into the soil and help enrich my lawn growth. I don't recommend doing this if you do not feed organically. Too many ground leaves can add to thatch if your soil is not organic and alive. But I do feed my lawn's soil organically and my soil that is "alive" with worms and even smaller microorganisms incorporates the leaves quite nicely!

I also bag a fair amount of leaves and I know that these leaves are used by municipalities for compost. I do not add many leaves to my compost pile or use my leaves as mulch but the comments above by the folks at Botanical Interest are just fine in my opinion.

Pumpkins

"After Halloween, there's no reason to put your sagging Jack O'Lantern on the curb for the trash company to add to the local landfill burden. Why not let it enrich your garden instead? First, remove any melted wax inside or non-organic accessories. Then, use a sledgehammer (another great kid activity, as long as they're protected with goggles and a warning about safety) to smash the pumpkin up into small pieces. These pieces can be scattered around the garden, buried under soil, or added to the compost pile along with layers of leaves to decompose over the winter. The pumpkin pieces will add organic matter and nutrients to garden soil, helping to give you a head start on next spring's crops."

I recommend putting pieces of pumpkin into the compost pile and let it decompose into compost rather than adding bits of it straight to the vegetable garden!



Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
November 1, 2010

Keeping Carved Pumpkins Perky

From the folks at Botanical Interest Seeds:

Carved pumpkins look the best one to two days after carving and rarely look good after seven days. So, if you want your carved pumpkins to stay fresh until Halloween night, don't carve them until at least October 22nd.


Before carving, wash your hands well with warm soap and water or a disinfecting hand sanitizer, and make sure your carving tools are clean to avoid transferring bacteria to the pumpkin. You may also want to wipe the outside of the pumpkin down with bleach before making the first cut.

Once carved, you can keep your pumpkin perky for up to a week by wiping the inside and cut areas with bleach, spraying with a household cleaning spray that includes bleach, or spraying with one of the pumpkin sprays available in craft or party stores. Then, give those areas a thin coating of petroleum jelly like Vaseline. (Some people use vegetable oil, but it's more flammable---a consideration when using candles.)

Carved pumpkins rot the fastest in warm weather. Keep them out of direct sunlight and move them into a garage, cool basement, or a refrigerator when temperatures exceed 70 degrees. If your climate is humid or it is rainy, you should dry off and refrigerate your carved pumpkins at night. Freezing temperatures also speed decay, so move them to a protected location when temperatures outside are below freezing.

If a pumpkin starts to shrivel or gets a little mold prematurely, you can soak it for a couple of hours in a bucket of water to revive it. (Add 2 teaspoons of bleach for every gallon of water for disinfecting.)

If you are lighting up a pumpkin for more than one night, use a battery-operated candle or small flashlight inside instead of a candle (always safer anyway!). This will prevent soot and heat damage that could shorten the pumpkin's lifespan.


Check out a great variety of vegetable and flower seeds by Botanical Interests--many of them organic--here at Skillin's!

Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins

From the folks at Botanical Interest Seeds:

Checking for Ripeness


How do you know if your pumpkins are ripe and ready to pick? Mature pumpkins will be fully colored. Thump them to see if they have a hollow sound inside. Try denting the rind with a fingernail – a mature pumpkin may dent, but it won't puncture easily. The foliage is starting to turn yellow and decline. The stems are hard or starting to crack or turn brown.

Immature Pumpkins

It's best to leave pumpkins on the vine as long as possible to ensure that they are fully mature. (If frost threatens, go ahead and pick any green ones (leaving a 4" stem) and bring them to a protected location. If they are far enough along, you may still be able to ripen them enough for carving. Follow disinfecting and curing instructions below, and expose green areas to sunlight.)

Beware of Frost

Many pumpkin farmers leave their pumpkins in the field to let them cure naturally and to open their fields for "you pick" pumpkin patch sales. Mature pumpkins can withstand a light frost that kills the foliage and leaves the fruit intact. However, extended exposure to frost or hard frost can damage the pumpkins, leaving them vulnerable to fungal or bacterial problems that can result in rapid decomposition. Ideally, pumpkins should be harvested when the foliage has begun to turn yellow and dry out and before the first light frost (28-33 degrees).

Harvesting

To harvest, cut pumpkins from the vine with a knife, leaving a stem that is at least 2" long. (Shorter stems offer a route for air and pathogens to get inside and promote decay.) Handle your pumpkins carefully to avoid bruising or scratching it, and do not carry them by the stem.

Curing

Pumpkins will last longer when sprayed or dipped in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water to disinfect them. Cure them on a sunny windowsill or on a porch at 75-80 degrees for 1-2 weeks before eating, carving, or storing. The curing period helps to harden the rind and fully ripen them. Bring them in at night if frost threatens.

Storing

If you have extra pumpkins that you will not be carving or cooking within a few weeks, you can store them for later use. Mature pumpkins will store for 2-3 months if kept in a cool (ideally 50-60 degrees), dry location with good ventilation that is not in direct sunlight.

Check out a great variety of vegetable and flower seeds by Botanical Interests--many of them organic--here at Skillin's!

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

From the folks at Botanical Interest Seeds:

Whether you carve your pumpkin for a Halloween Jack O'Lantern or plan to us it for baking, be sure to save the seeds for roasting. Pumpkin seeds are rich in Vitamins B, E, and fiber. Homemade baked pumpkin seeds taste better and are healthier for you than the ones you buy in the store, because they are fresher and have less salt.


As you scoop out the flesh from your pumpkin, remove as much pulp as you can from the seeds. Rinse the seeds and spread out to dry on a clean dish towel. Spread seeds out evenly on a cookie sheet. Spritz them with a little olive oil and give them just a sprinkle of salt. (Additional seasonings can be added like garlic powder, chili powder, seasoned salt, or Parmesan cheese.) Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until they just start to turn light brown. Remove and cool. Store in an airtight container.

(P.S. --- All winter squash seeds can also be roasted in this manner.)

How to Grow Your Own Pumpkin

Hello again!

I found this great article with solid tips on pumpkin growing at
http://gardningforbeginners.com/?p=1344

This site has lots of good posts this is one that stood out. We have everything here at Skillin's that you need to grow some great pumpkins! Plants, seeds and supplies! Here is the article:


"Growing your own pumpkin for Halloween is a rewarding adventure! The end result is a Jack O Lantern that you had a hand in from start to finish! While most varieties of pumpkins are fairly hardy, there are pointers that can help you produce a giant pumpkin sure to impress your family and friends when Halloween rolls around. Here is what you need to know about growing pumpkins for Halloween:

Starting the seeds. In order to have fully matured pumpkins in time for Halloween it’s important to start your seeds at the right time. Keep in mind that the earliest pumpkin starts are for Giant Pumpkins that require 150 days or more of growing time. Giant pumpkin growers time their starts for maximum growth in order to produce a world record fruit in time for the fall weigh offs which run from early to mid October. You should note that there is plenty of flexibility on the start date for other varieties. These can be timed to mature from September to October, and can be started indoors or out. Even though fully mature pumpkins are hardy, new growers should be aware that pumpkins are tender annuals. Frost will kill them, and cold weather will stunt their growth. You should keep this in mind when starting your plants. Recommended “ideal” starting dates for your pumpkin plants are as follows:

Giant Pumpkins: Start indoors from April 25 to May 15th Set outdoors after the first true leaves form. Provide cold and frost protection.

Jack-O-Lanterns / Field Pumpkins: Direct sow into the garden from May 15th to June 15th. Start indoors up to two weeks prior to setting outdoors Provide cold and frost protection.

Miniature Pumpkins: Direct sow into the garden from May 25th to July 1st. Start indoors up to two weeks prior to setting outdoors.

How many pumpkins will you get? One pumpkin plant will normally produce three to five pumpkins. Miniature varieties can produce as many as a dozen or so. There will usually be several more female fruit, but some of them will not develop for a number of reasons. If you are growing pumpkins for size and weight, eventually you will select one pumpkin and remove the rest from the vine. By doing this, you allow the plant to direct all of it’s energy into growing just that one pumpkin. It should be noted that a small number of growers keep a second fruit on the vine as an “insurance policy” in case disaster strikes the first fruit. You should understand however that this does not preclude the possibility that you can grow enormous pumpkins if you keep more than one on the vine.

Adding weight to your pumpkin. If you so choose you can turn your everyday pumpkin into a giant pumpkin. To produce the largest pumpkins you will need to fuel their growth. Of special note is that in August, you also need to be diligent and guard against insects and plant disease, especially powdery mildew. Here are some additional tips for adding weight to your pumpkins:

Keep your patch well watered. This is a great way to get your child involved. Turn over a small amount of soil and see if it is moist several inches down.

Adding a layer of compost feeds the plant and helps to retain soil moisture. It can also help to keep weeds down.

Keep in mind that big pumpkins have big appetites. Fertilize regularly to get the best results. To really bump up the weight on your pumpkin switch to a fertilizer high in potassium.

Cover the pumpkin vines with garden soil. This will promote secondary root growth, and results in much bigger pumpkins."

Let us know at Skillin's (skillins@maine.rr.com) if you have any gardening questions!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 1, 2010

Garden Talks September 6--Peonies, Pumpkins, Frost, Brussel Sprouts, Winter Squash, Fall Flowering Crocus

Hello again,

While putting together the latest Garden Talks Online for Skillin's email subscribers I came upon some past garden writings from some old Garden Talks Onlines that are very topical right now. Basically I ran out of space for the upcoming Garden Talks Online (sign up for Skillin's email list at http://www.skillins.com/ if you would like to hear from us that way but by following this blog you get all of that and more) I decided to post some of these past notes, updated of course for 2009 if need be!

Peonies can easily survive for over 50 years in the garden. Peonies are one of the showiest of garden flowers; their blossoms can reach 6 to 8 inches across in early summer and there are many neat colors available. Peonies can be left in the same spot indefinitely, but if you want to move your peonies or divide your old tubers to make new plants, the best time to do that job is in the early fall. It is important to dig the whole root system carefully. Leave any foliage so as to continue to build strength for the roots. Try to identify small pinkish buds that are the beginning of next year’s growth. (You may have to wash the garden soil off the peony roots). Any new division should have 3 to 4 buds on it; simply use a sharp knife and slice through the root system.

Place the divisions where the new plant will receive plenty of sun. Make certain you have placed plenty of good organic matter in the new hole as well! The real key to making peonies blossom is in the planting depth. If the tops of the plant’s buds are more than 2 inches below the surface of the soil, the plant will seldom bloom, though it will produce plenty of foliage! Don’t forget to water your new transplants well and make sure the ground stays moist right up until the ground freezes.

Pumpkins are ready for harvest when they are completely orange. They can be left on the vines beyond that time as long as the weather does not get too cold; pumpkins rot if they are subjected to a freeze, so if cold weather occurs (low temps around 40 degrees or lower), cover the pumpkins with a sheet or a tarp.

Use shears to harvest pumpkins because if the stem pulls away from the fruit, rot can set up quickly. Also avoid scratching the pumpkin’s skin. Pumpkins keep well if they are stored in a dry spot in temperatures in the low 50 degree area. A garage works great!

Terry Skillin wants me to tell you quickly about potential frost damage. Nighttime temperatures in some outling areas have been dropping to lows of right around 40 degrees. If temperatures drop much lower than that, then frost is very likely to occur. Keep an eye on those night time temperatures! Tender material planted in the ground (such as annual plantings and most vegetable plants) is really the plant material that is at risk. However, we still have many warm sunny days ahead of us, so we urge you to try and protect that plant material because we still have several weeks ahead where your flowers can be quite “showy” or your vegetables can still produce for you!

If you suspect frost damage is likely to occur on a particular night, try to cover the “at risk” material with a bed sheet. Or give this material a shower of water at dusk and then if frost has occurred give the material another shower to melt off the burning frost just before sunrise occurs. The early morning sun will touch those frost particles and cause the particles to in essence “burn” the plant material. Let us know if you have any questions about frost damage!


The best time to pick Brussels sprouts is right after a good stiff frost. This is when the sprouts are at their sweetest, so be ready to start picking your Brussels sprouts somewhere close to the middle or end of September. Leave most of the sprouts on the plant through the frosty fall weather, you can harvest Brussels sprouts until the ground itself freezes! I planted Brussel sprouts for the first time this year. I have to tell you, I underestimated the size of the plants and they are planted much too close. Apparently with all the odd weather sprouts are behind anyway but with the lack of light down into my plants my sprounts are tiny. So early this past week I decided to follow Paul Parent's advice on the topic (given a week ago) and snap most of the branches off my brussel sprouts plants. This has allowed much more sun and air "down into" the plants and it seems as if the sprouts are starting to grow well. Paul also recommended that we sprout growers pinch the tops of the plants to tell the roots stop growing plant and start producing side shoots (in this case sprouts). Paul also raved about his fresh Brussel sprouts he prepares with lots of butter each Thanksgiving. I am going to see Mr. Parent later this week so I am going to ask him for some cooking tips. Paul can be heard every Sunday morning on WBACH at 104.7 or online at http://www.paulparent.com/. His website is pretty darned informative as well if you have time to take a look.

Rosemary is a wonderful herb to use for cooking purposes and can be grown indoors in the winter. We have rosemary plants available here at Skillin’s! Or if you have a fine rosemary specimen in your garden you may want to take cuttings and start a nice fresh plant for the winter! To take cuttings, merely take a slanted slice of outer stem growth from the plant. Dip the cut into water and then into some rooting hormone (sold right here at Skillin’s). Then place the cutting into some good quality potting mix (also sold right here at Skillin’s). Keep the soil moist by misting the soil frequently (try not to mist the plant too heavily). Once the stems start to form little branches, pinch back the tips to encourage branching. At this point the rosemary plant can be watered from a watering can and not from the mister. Keep your plant in a sunny windowsill and enjoy the fresh herbs!

Winter squashes such as butternut, buttercup and acorn squashes are intended for long periods of storage but if they are picked in the wrong way, they will only last a few days. The quick and lazy way to harvest squash is to just pull the fruit from the vine, breaking the stem off where it joins the fruit. But this will leave the squash open to disease and rot. Instead cut the stems with shears about 1” from the fruit and also take care not to scratch the squash as you harvest it. Then put them into a dry room where the temperature will stay at about 55 degrees and you can be confident that the squash will last through most of the winter.

We have loads of spring flowering bulbs available right now--tulips, daffodils, alliums and crocus. We also have many unique bulbs available and one of those is the fall flowering crocus. Yes, it is true! You can plant crocus that will flower in the fall! Usually we think of crocus as being those darling little bulb plants that pop out and flower in the early Spring. Well at Skillin’s we now have available flowering crocus in whites, purples and reds that are best planted in August and September. They in turn usually flower in early fall (late September or early October)!

Plant the little bulbs in the same manner as you would the regular Spring flowering crocus. Plant about 4” deep and 2 to 3” apart. Be sure to add Bulb Booster for best results. Water the little gems well after planting. For the first year, it would not hurt to add extra mulch that can be cleared away in the early Spring. Similar to their Spring flowering counterparts, they prefer a sunny or half shade location. For best effect, plant the little bulbs in “naturalized” groups of 10 bulbs or more!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
September 6, 2009