Hyacinths

Good gardening friend Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club (http://www.paulparent.com/) 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 "Hyacinths" (I occasionally add a few comments in italics) and here it is:

"When I think of fragrance in the garden, there is no better flower than the hyacinth! When in bloom, the flower produce a perfume that will fill the air around the garden with unforgettable fragrance that will bring you on your knees to take deep breaths of its intoxicating fragrance. The original hyacinth is a wild flower that grows all over eastern Mediterranean, in Asia and from Syria to Persia, where it stills blooms wild.

The Dutch took this wild flower to their breeding fields in 1562, and began to hybridize the plant to what you see today. Today, this plant is known as the Dutch hyacinth all over the world. In the early eighteenth century, the plant breeders had developed about 50 varieties, but today there are about 2,000 varieties available and more coming every year. Madame de Pompadour recommended to Louis XV extensive hyacinth plantings for his palace garden. At the time each bulb sold for $500.00--I like today's prices much better.

A well-known Grecian myth tells how the hyacinth received its name. Hyacinthus was a gifted and handsome mortal youth, beloved by Apollo, the Sun God, and also by Zephyrus, God of the West Wind. Hyacinthus preferred to spend playful time with Apollo. Zephyrus became jealous and was annoyed that a mere mortal, however talented and beautiful, could command Apollo's affection and interest.

One day when Apollo had challenged Hyacinthus to a game of quoits or throwing the discus, Zephyrus let his jealous fury go. He blew strongly on the discus and caused it to strike Hyacinthus on the forehead, ending his life. Apollo was grieved and vowed the beauty of the young Hyacinthus would always be remembered. From the blood of the slain youth, he caused a path of fragrant, purple flowers to spring up and named them after the dead youth.

The original purple hyacinth has been hybridized to a wide range in colors and many shades of each color for you to choose from. Hyacinth flowers have the truest and largest variety of blues of any spring flowers. Besides blue, look for white, yellow, pink, orange, scarlet, maroon, salmon, violet and just about every color in the rainbow. Hyacinths are the easiest of all Dutch bulbs to grow in your garden. They do better if planted a bit deeper than most bulbs.

Hyacinths will flower longer than most bulbs because of short, thick stems and the way that the flowers are arranged on the stem in rows side by side and close together. This tight flower will not blow over in heavy winds or rain like tulips and daffodils do. If you do not move the bulb once planted, it will last for many years and usually outlast the time in the garden of most bulbs. Hyacinths will do best in a light soil with good drainage, a soil conditioned with compost or animal manure and a soil that is refreshed every year with fertilizer like Bulb-Tone when the plant is in bloom.

When the flower fades, remove the entire flower stem right to the ground but do not touch the foliage until it begins to turn yellow, as this foliage is making energy for the bulb for next year's flowers. Hyacinths do best when planted in a sunny garden but will tolerate a bit of shade early in the day. Plant early in the fall to give the bulb time to make big roots and get established before the ground freezes. Plant bulbs in groups so they can brace each other in stormy weather, and remember groups of colorful bulbs look better and are more eye-catching than bulbs planted in rows or scattered throughout a large flowerbed as single bulbs.

Dig your hole 10 inches deep; add a bit of Soil Moist moisture retention granules and Bulb-Tone bulb food, never BONE MEAL, to prevent animals from digging up flowerbed looking for real buried bones. Cover the soil and keep the garden soil well watered until the ground freezes. Space the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart in the hole to give them room to grow. I like to cover the planting bed with bark mulch for extra winter protection.

One of the nice things about hyacinths is that they are not eaten by rodents such as mice, voles and squirrels. In addition, when the plants begin to bloom, hyacinths will not be eaten by rabbits and deer--and that is one thing less we have to worry about in the garden. All the rodents and animals we just mentioned love tulips and will eat them in the ground and above ground--but not hyacinths. Hyacinths are easy to plant and care for--and the animals that live around your home will not bother them.

For forcing--if you have an unheated garage or tool-shed, pot some bulbs in containers filled with soil and keep them watered and cool with temperatures less than 50 degrees. For the next 10 weeks, the plants will make roots and begin to think of flowering, so keep them cool.

I have used the steps that lead down into my basement from the bulkhead door with great success. Halfway up to the outside doors seems to have the best temperatures. Watering the potted bulbs is necessary during those 10 weeks of growing. After 10 weeks, bring a pot or two into the house and watch the bulbs begin to grow; enjoy the fragrant flowers in a couple of weeks. If you are going to force the hyacinth to flower, always use the biggest bulb you can find and stay away from bag bulbs--as they are too small to force.

Also look for the pre-treated hyacinths for forcing, in the special hyacinth glass that looks like an hour glass that tells time filled with sand. This special hyacinth glass holds the bulb in place and keeps the bulb in water at the right level to prevent root rot. I always buy extra bulbs and store them in the vegetable crisper to keep them cold, as they were tricked to believe that they already had winter.

When the bulb finishes flowering, toss it into your compost pile or pot it up with soil and place it on a sunny window for 4 to 6 weeks so it can make energy for next year. After the 4 to 6 week period on your windowsill, place the potted bulb in the basement and allow it to dry up. Plant in the garden in April and it will flower next fall.

If you have a grassy area or wild flower bed on your property and would like spring flowers, look for the miniature hyacinths called grape hyacinths. Grape hyacinths come in blue and white and will spread quickly in these areas as long as they receive plenty of sun.

                                                                   (grape hyacinth)
If you have a shady area with good soil, look for wood hyacinths, which will naturalize very easily for you. Wood hyacinths come in white, pink, blue and purple. Just like the Dutch hyacinths, grape hyacinths and wood hyacinths are not eaten by rodents and other animals.

Like the Dutch hyacinths, these two beautiful hyacinths are fragrant, long lasting and spread in a soil that is well drained and fertile, so feed the when planting and every spring when they come into bloom with Bulb-Tone fertilizer."

Paul Parent Garden Club
October 2010

October (mid October) Garden Talks

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 timely 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 WBQW (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. Before you mulch though get some compost or cow manure down around the raspberries.

Rhubarb should be cleaned of all old foliage. Add a couple inches of compost or composted manure 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. "

*Amaryllis plants that have been growing outside all summer should be allowed to dry out (this is their dormancy period) then placed in dark space until their growth starts.

*For early Spring blooms, plant some Eranthis (winter aconite). The yellow buttercup type flowers are gorgeous and will often blossom 2 weeks before crocus!

*I keep my lawn high during the growing season. Now is the time to mow the lawn short and keep it short until it stops growing. Two inches of grass going into the winter is plenty (more than that can facilitate snow mold)

(Thanks to Organic Gardening Tips for the tips about amaryllis, eranthis, and mowing the lawn short).



Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 9, 2012

Designing WIth Bulbs

KCB is back. The following post will be used as the basis for our upcoming Bulb Class on 10/06 at all Skillin's locations at 10 AM (Falmouth is sold out at 10 AM but we do have an encore Bulb Class in Falmouth at 2 PM. Openings remain for Brunswick and Cumberland at 10 AM) Contact us at skillins@maine.rr.com to sign up! Just specify store location!

There is a new phrase in town

Dig a hole

                        Drop the bulb          

                                                Done!!!!!

 

Sounds easy, well…..it is almost that easy.  It has been found (by surveys of major bulb vendors and experts) that most failures with bulbs can be traced back to problems at the time of planting. Give yourself time to do proper planting, and don't ignore the details.

First, what is a bulb?  A bulb is the self-contained life source for the plant. A ‘true ‘bulb is the more rounded fleshier store house. Tulips, allium & snow drops are in this category. However, not all ‘bulbs’ are bulbs. 

Corms are usually smaller and flatter in shape. Crocus & Gladiola are common corms.

Tubers are more varied in shape and size with most being cylindrical. Many come in clusters. Begonias & dahlias are the most common. 

Now on to the fun aka the ‘DO’S & DON’TS OF ‘DIG, DROP, DONE’!

Before you DIG you must buy!

DO be adventurous. While you may not want orange, reds or yellows in your summer garden these bright primary colors are perfect tonics after the dull winter.

DO be as fussy picking your bulbs as you would a melon. Avoid bulbs that feel spongy or with visible mold.

DO shop early to get the best variety.

On a budget?  DO opt to select more of 1 or 2 -3 varieties in 2 or more colors.  This will create more impact than a few crocus followed by 3 or 4 tulips and/or hyacinth.

DON’T plant too soon.  Some look to the calendar to plant saying end of September to Mid-October is the time. Others wait until the evening temperatures average 40- 45 degrees, then there is the ‘rule’ that says once there is a ‘soft’ frost its ok. With the warming climates Mid-October until the ground is too cold or frozen to work works best for my gardens.

DO keep in a cool dry place until you are ready to DIG.

DIG. A variety of tools are available to make this task a little easier.

DO choose a place wisely.  Bulbs will rot in wet or poorly draining soil.  Full sun is required for most bulbs however what may be a shady spot in the height of summer may be the perfect spot early in the season. Visualize where you will get more ‘bang for your buck’.  Plant near entrance doorways, along the most used paths or close to your house.

DON’T plant too deep or too shallow. A good rule of thumb is a depth 3 x the largest diameter.  A bulb 1 inch across will be planted 3 inches deep; 2 inches would go 6 inches.  Mix a fertilizer such as BulbTone’ in with the soil. (Tulips should probably be planted 4 times as deep as they are wide--the deeper the better for tulips!)

DO prepare for pesky rodents such as chipmunks and use a product that will repel the perpetrators of bulb planting peril. It’s worthwhile to drench bulbs in taste repellent products, sprinkle repellents on the growing plants in spring, and surround or cover the bulbs with chicken wire. Or

DO use bulbs that animals don’t like: Alliums, Camassia, Fritillaria and Narcissus

DROP:

DO mass plantings. DROP a handful in then place pointed side up and leave a space about 2x the size of the bulbs between each neighbor.

DON’T sweat the small stuff, If a bulb should fall on its side while you are in the throes of planting, let it go. It will find its way.

DO plant with a companion plant.  Remember foliage should remain until all withered. Many nurseries have fantastic sales at the end of the season. Day Lilies make perfect companions as do many Sedums.

Design tips for spring bulbs

Combine flower bulbs with perennial for a succession of bloom. In addition, there's a big bonus: the emerging perennial foliage hides bulb foliage as it yellows and dies off.

Try a double-decker effect. You can plant small bulbs in a layer right on top of large bulbs. If you plant bulbs that flower in the same period you can create an interesting double-decker effect (picture bright pink tulips blooming above cobalt blue Grape Hyacinths). Or you can stagger the bloom time by planting mid- and late-season bloomers together, creating a spring display that blooms in succession, for a whole season of color!

Keep in mind the bulb color, time of bloom and height of the plants and consider which bulbs will mix best with nearby perennials and spring-flowering shrubs. Your combinations can be color echoes, such as the 'Ballade' tulip with bleeding heart, shown right, or color contrasts such as yellow daffodils with blue muscari.

Concentrate your display where it will be most effective in spring. Lots of bulbs in one or two areas of the garden close to the house will give you more bang for your buck than the same number spread all over the garden.

Avoid planting bulbs in rigid toy soldier-like rows. Generous "bouquets" are far more dramatic than a smattering here and there. Combine different bulbs by planting low-growing grape hyacinths and scillas in front taller tulips and daffodils.

Plant drifts of color in triangular patterns with the point of the triangle showing towards the front.

Try planting in layers. Place large later spring bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils or ornamental onions at the bottom of the planting hole, cover them with a layer of soil, then, on top, plant smaller early flowering bulbs such as scilla that require shallower planting.

Expand the bulb menu.  Look for a variety of alliums. Allium Bulgaricum, allium-moly-in-garden, or Allium-vineale-Hair. Fritillaria, Red-Hot Poker.

 

 

 

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

 

October 3, 2012

October (early October) Garden Talks

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.

*Fall is a great time for planting shrubs, trees and perennials. The ground is still warm, yet the air in Skillin's Country is cooling, and that makes a great combination for newly planted material to adjust to! 

*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!

*October is a great month to trim many perennials back to the ground--especially focus on all dead (yellow and brown) growth. Also the ground is usually moist this time of year. Pull on some old pants and get those knees dirty and pull some weeds. The moist ground makes for easy pulling! 

*As the month progresses, clean your perennial beds of weeds (as I just discussed) and also rake out any plant and other debris. Then you will have nice clean open beds and I use this opportunity to lay some Espoma Flower Tone or Plant Tone around my perennials. This natural or organic feeding will work to enrich the soil through the remainder of the fall and will leave a better soil situation with some nice nutrients for when your plants fully awaken in the Spring. I also lay some compost down around my plants. This is a great of way long-term investing in your soil. Fall is a great time for this as the weather is often spectacular in Skillin's Country and this means less to do in the busy Spring.

*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 late 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 3, 2012

Skillin's October and November 2012 Classes

Hello again,

Here is the list of October and November Classes for Skillin's!

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 to be used for extra savings the day of the class!

Class goers who attend 4 classes in this series receive a $25 Skillin's Gift Certificate upon completion of this series!!



OCTOBER

6-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!

The 10 AM class in Falmouth is sold out. There is also a 2 PM class in Falmouth with openings!


13-Fresh Floral Arranging (10 AM and 2 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! Coupon for floral discount good for Nov 18 thru 21.

There is a $15 fee to cover materials. You get to take home a beautiful arrangement!!

(The 10/13 classes in Falmouth are sold out; there is a 10/14 encore class at 1 PM with limited openings) 
(10/13 10 AM class is sold out in Cumberland)

20- 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.


Falmouth 10 AM Class is Sold Out. There is also a 2 PM class in Falmouth on 10/20.

27-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.


NOVEMBER

3-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!

The November 3 classes in Falmouth are sold out. The November 3 10 AM class in Cumberland is sold out.

Special encore class for balsam wreaths at Skillin's Falmouth on November 4 at 1 PM.

Special encore class for kissing balls at Skillin's Falmouth on November 7 at 5 PM.



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 awesome and thanks to the miracles of video we can all attest to her talents. And she is a great teacher!

10-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.

The 11/10 classes are sold out in Falmouth.

Special encore class at Falmouth on November 11 @ 1 PM. 

17 and 18-Holiday Open House (8 to 5 Sat Nov 17; 9 to 5 Sun Nov 18)

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
September 19, 2012

Caring for Winter Vegetables

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 out a great post about Caring for Winter Vegetables:

"Your winter vegetables are beginning to mature for harvest and storage this month. Because of the warmer than normal summer and the extra early spring this year, all vegetables, fruit, and berries are ahead of schedule. Here are a few ideas to improve this year's crop and next years as well. September can be very productive for both what you have in your garden today and what your garden can do next year.

If your onion foliage is beginning to fall over, it is time to pull them all up and give them time to dry in your garage while the weather is in your favor. Choose a day when the garden soil has dried out or stop watering for a couple of days. This will help the soil to come off the onions more easily and help them store better. Use a garden spade and loosen the soil around the onion plants before pulling them up from the foliage. The reason is that you want as much foliage as possible attached to the onion for when you dry out the plant for storage. As the foliage begins to dry out it will send energy from the foliage to the onion bulb for storage and this energy keeps the onion dormant longer, so never pull up the plant and remove the foliage until it has all turned brown. Also do not wash the onions; just rub off the loose soil, as watering the bulb can encourage disease during storage.

If you cut the foliage when it is still green it will create a soft spot where the foliage is attached to the bulb, and the spot never seals itself properly to keep out fungus and insects. Place the onions on the floor of your garage or even on a covered porch, as it will take several days to dry completely and onions should be in a single layer--not put into a pile on the floor. Also allow the roots to dry on the plant; don't pull them off, as they will dry up quickly and create a protective area on the onion to keep longer. When the foliage has all turned brown cut it from the bulb but leave an inch or two of brown dry foliage still attached to the bulb--they seem to keep better that way. Store them in your basement or garage where temperatures stay between 40 and 50 degrees all winter long. I put my onions in a wooden basket, check them weekly for possible rot development and remove anything that does not look good. Red onions do not keep as long as the white or yellow onions do, so eat or cook them first.

Potatoes are all finished growing if the foliage has lost its green color and has changed to yellow or brown. With a garden fork dig them up--but be careful not to get too close to the main stems of the plant. Use your hands when the soil has been loosened and dig them out yourself. It's like digging for buried treasure, so be sure to get every potato--even the small ones. Collect the potatoes and set them on the floor of your garage for a few days so they can dry properly, and any roots still on the potato will have time to dry up. Any potatoes that are damaged in this process should be eaten as soon as possible as they will not keep; they will quickly rot while in storage.

As with the onions do not wash potatoes; let them dry out of the sun and the skin will become thicker, helping to keep them better while in storage. Digging is best when the soil is dry, so do not water for 3 to 4 days before harvesting and the soil will come off the skin easier. Potatoes store best in a cool, dry basement or garage where temperatures stay from 40 to 50 degrees and never freeze. Those small potatoes you find in the garden are too small for baking or peeling but they are wonderful when washed and used for potato salads or a nice beef stew--with the skin attached, as small potatoes have a very thin and tender skin on them.

Winter squash is growing quickly now and September is the month they seem to put on most of their weight and size. This week, cut off the very end of every vine that has squash on it. This will stop foliage growth and new squash development that will not have enough time to mature. But fruit on the vines that have been pinched will continue to grow larger in size and flavor as cooler temperatures create less stress on the plant and more moisture and nutrition will move into the squash. Your squash is ready for harvest when the stem from the vine of the plant to the squash begins to turn brown and dry up; if the stem is still green it is still growing so leave it alone. Feeding your squash plant and foliage with a liquid feed can be very beneficial to the plant at this time of the year. Liquid feeds like Miracle-Gro or even Neptunes Harvest Fish and Seaweed blend are fast acting and will promote additional size to your squash and help thicken their skin for better keeping during the winter months. Watering weekly also helps promote larger sized squashes.

Pumpkins that have turned orange are finished growing and should be removed from the garden and kept in a cool place until the weather cools off this fall. Cut the stem of the pumpkin with a sharp knife or garden shears and be sure to leave a stem. Pumpkins without stems have a very short life span and rot very easily. Also, never carry the pumpkin by its stem, as most are not strong enough to hold the weight of the pumpkin--especially if it's a large one. Pumpkins and squash keep best in a cool and dry basement, crawl space, or garage where temperatures do not drop below freezing. Do not stack them on top of each other during storage, as they will become bruised and will not keep as long. Also do not wash them when you put them in storage as you will remove the protective covering on them--like your other winter vegetables--and increase chances of fungus problems on the skin.

Beets I leave in the garden until all the foliage has died and then pull them out of the ground. I let them dry on the garage floor for a few days and remove any foliage that remains before storing them in baskets that I keep in my basement on the floor. Beets keep until February in storage areas that stay 40 to 50 degrees and dry.

Carrots I dig up in November just before the ground freezes. I then cut off all the foliage about an inch above the orange carrot tuber and place the carrots in a wooden box standing up carrot to carrot. Buy a bag of sand box sand and pour it over the carrots filling in the spaces in-between them and cover them with an inch of sand. Keep in a cool basement 40 to 50 degrees with other vegetables and they will last most of the winter. When I lived in southern Massachusetts I would cover the row of carrots with bales of straw and that would keep the frost out of the ground so I could pull them up when I wanted during the winter. Cape Cod with its sandy soil is perfect for storage in the planting bed as long as you have a mild winter and the bed is open to the sunshine.

If you have a surplus of tomatoes and a freezer do this; you will have fresh tomatoes for sauce or soup all winter long. As the tomatoes ripen wash them well, fill a freezer bag with them and place them in your freezer. On a cold winter morning, pull out a couple bags of frozen tomatoes and place them in a pot of slow boiling water to crack the skin from the tomato. It will peel off very easily and you can then place the skinless tomatoes in a pot with low heat. In a couple hours they will be all soft and ready for soup. I mash them with hands or potato masher, then clean out the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator and use up whatever I have there. Add onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. and let it simmer all day long. With a few herbs and spices added to the pot, the entire house will soon smell great for supper. The last half hour I add a bit of rice or pasta to the mixture and supper is ready with nice crusty bread and a glass of wine. Let the snow fall!"

 

Thanks Paul Parent!

 

Mike Skillin

Skillin's Greenhouses

September 18, 2012

September (Late September) Garden Talks

Hello again,

I cannot believe we are approaching late September. The saying that time just keeps going faster is indeed so true!

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

Click HERE for mid September Garden Talks!


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." Late September and October can often bring some yellowing on the inside of the trees. This is not a huge concern for older trees; however, 2012 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: Deciduous trees are 40% off, freshly dug Skillin grown evergreens are 30% off and shrubs are buy 1 get 10%, buy 3 get 20%, and buy 5 get 30%, !!

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 Saturday, October 6 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 18, 2012