Incredible Edibles

If nothing else, you have to admire the people of Japan for one thing- they've gotten it right when it comes to making things work in small spaces. Cars, electronics, housing and yes, even food. In order to conserve space, watermelons are grown in molds that shape them into perfect squares so that they will fit into the small apartment refrigerators commonly used in that country. So if your excuse is that you don't have room to grow your own food, think again. Many folks don't have the room for large gardens so this month I'm going to give you ideas and methods for producing incredible edibes in small spaces. There are two factors that need to be considered when planning your garden. The first would be location and the second would be the plants themselves. Small space gardening in the yard can be done in several ways. The first is simply a small bed. A second way would be to use to the popular "square foot" method, where you buid a grid and plant one variety in each square foot. This could contain as many square feet as you wish. Another way to accomplish small space gardening in your yard is to use raised beds. Raised beds are attractive for those of us whose aching backs are starting to let us know that bending over isn't as much fun as it used to be! But if planting in the dirt is still your calling and working in your yard isn't practical or even feasible if you live in an apartment, then consider vegetable gardening in containers. Get innovative! Practically any type of container can be used - a decorative plastic pot, whiskey barrels, Earthboxes, old tubs -- just about anything that will hold soil and water will work. If you don't have a place to set containers, then go vertical. Strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and other small space fruits and vegetables can be planted and harvested successfully in hanging baskets or topsy turvy planters. Give a gardener the opportunity and they will find the way to make it work! And the beauty of container gardening is usually, you can get through the season with very little, if any, weeding. Many vegetables can be grown in a limited amount of space. Crops such as lettuce, kale, spinach, mustard or any kind of greens work well. Lettuce can even be planted in a decorative "salad bowl" that can be grown in a sunny window, or put outside during the day and moved indoors to protect it from cool nighttime temperatures. If you are planting in your yard, beets, turnips, carrots, radishes, garlic, celery, onions, chard, and other leafy or oriental vegetables work well. Read the seed packages when you select your varieties- they will tell you what selections work best for small space areas. In many cases, spacing can be cut to about half of what's recommended. Select "bush" varieties rather than "pole" unless you have a pole to run the vines up. Pole beans, for instance, will work well if you have a fence or other vertical place to plant them, with out taking up too much horizontal space. Trellises or tomato cages can even be used in containers to support vining plants, provided whatever they are producing won't be too heavy once it matures. Pumpkins, for instance, would not be a good choice for trellising or caging. Succession planting is the practice of planting a crop in an area as soon as one is finished. This extends the life of the garden by producing several different kinds of vegetables from the same space over the course of the season. You'll have to watch your maturity dates and timing if you want to try this. Interplanting methods can also be used. This means planting one slow maturing along with one faster maturing crop in the same area. The short season crop should be one that takes less space, such as radishes, whereas the longer maturing one might be potatoes. Once the radishes are harvested, this allows additional room for the potatoes to grow, but you've only utilized one area of your garden for both crops. For more ideas, stop by visit with us. We can share some of our other customer's success stories and we'll be happy to show you the best varieties for your particular area and space. It's time to get your garden on!

Even though it's the dead of winter, ice and snow present some problems to your outside environment. Here are some helpful winter tips for keeping your yard in tip top shape in preparation for spring!

~Remove snow and ice from tree limbs and branches as soon as possible after a storm. Snow and ice can bend, break or shred trees and shrubs.

~If a branch does break or shred, prune it off cleanly so that any chance of disease or pests entering the plant are minimized.

~Use rock salt and ice melter sparingly. These can run off into lawns and hurt the grass and other vegetation in flower beds. Instead use birdseed or sand as anti-skid materials on walkways and paths.

~Check stored bulbs for any signs or rot. Discard bulbs that have begun to go bad.

~Seed catalogs will begin arriving soon. Pour over them, decide what plans you have for your garden this year and dream away the cold, snowy days of winter!

~Recycle evergreen branches left over from holiday decorations to lay in your garden. They'll help provide extra protection during a cold winter.

~If the winter is dry in your area, remember to deep water at least once a month. A good way to remember is to do this each holiday between Halloween and Easter.

~Set out food for the birds and other friends that you may wish to attract to your yard. This is especially important if the snow cover lasts throughout the winter.

Tips for Fall Planting

Fall really is the season for planting! Because the ground is warm from the summer sun, but the days and nights have cooled off, your new plantings will take less transplant shock. Get trees, shrubs, and perennials in the ground now to allow them enough time to become established before winter. In most parts of the country, it's time to do the following:

~Plant cold crop vegetables now for late season harvest. Some things to try- lettuce, radishes, brocolli.

~Freshen tired flower beds with fall mums and winter pansies. If you've never tried winter pansies, you should! Plant them from now until the first hard freeze. They winter over and come as the first great color in spring.

~Pay attention to watering if your area has been dry. We've been getting a lot of rain, but some areas have not. Make sure you water deeply and well on a regular basis. The warm fall days will rob plants of moisture.

~Bugs and pests are still an issue. Keep a close eye out for infestations and get them under control quickly.

~Use products like Weed Free Zone to keep bindweed under control. Weed Free Zone works especially well on bindweed-even in cooler temperatures.

~Share the harvest from your garden with neighbors and friends.

~Fall is a great time to plant new perennials or dig up and divide old ones.

~Buy your bulbs now but wait a bit to plant until the weather cools off. Depending on the weather, planting around mid-October is usually optimal in our area.

~Plant grass seed now.

~Fertilize lawns now using Winterizer Fertilizer.

~Watch for Frost and Freeze warnings and cover tender plants on nights that get cold if you aren't ready to surrender your garden.

~Apply tree wrap, rose collars and extra mulch late in the fall to give plants added protection for the winter.

~Gather and dry herbs now that you wish to preserve for the winter.

~Plant garlic now.

~In late fall, blow out and winterize your irrigation and sprinkler systems.

Summer Vegetable Care
Summer care of fresh vegetables is fairly easy. Pick fruit and vegetables when they are young and fully ripe. When possible, pick early in the morning and use or refrigerate quickly after harvest to maintain optimal flavor and nutrition. Here are a few other pointers you may want to help your garden thrive and to assist you as you work through your summer bounty.

1. Control insects and diseases by using Neem oil or Captain Jacks. Both can be used safely on fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
2. Store peppers in the crisper area of the fridge rather than on the shelves. Green peppers will store longer than red ones.
3. Apply fertilizer to your vegetable garden now to keep the harvest coming. Corn and squash are particularly heavy feeders. Be careful though- tomatoes, for instance, will stop producing if they are given too much nitrogen
4. Don't let your plants dry out. Many, like eggplant, tomatoes and peppers will get blossom end rot. Cucumbers may develop a bitter taste. Crops like corn and beans may get stringy and tough.
5. Pull weeds often. Don't let them compete for the precious water and moisture that we have.
6. Consider a fresh layer of mulch to aid in water retention and to help keep the weeds at bay.
7. Harvest regularly- visit the garden at least every other day. Remember those zucchini that seem to grow in feet, not inches, overnight? Start picking cucumbers and sumer squash when they are small to encourage heavier yields down the road.
8. Plant your Fall cool season crops now- broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, peas, etc for Fall harvest. There's still time to harvest a crop and the cooler days are ideal for growing these veggies.

I'm often challenged when I try to explain to customers how to care for newly planted landscape materials.

Today I had a lady that was under the impression that the larger a plant that she purchased, the less care it would need. The other day we had someone who thought, because the plant was "drought tolerant" that it would need no water. So let me put a few myths to rest right now.

Just because a plant is larger, it doesn't mean it needs less water. In fact, generally the larger a plant is, the more water it MAY take, depending on the plant. If a plant is xeric or drought tolerant, it does not mean that no water is needed. Every plant will have some water requirements until it is established.

Think of it this way. A new plant in your yard is similar to you moving into a new neighborhood. Until you get yourself established and put down some roots, you'll need the extra support of your friends and family. The same is true for a new plant. Until it spreads its roots and becomes established, it will need some extra TLC.

So the next time you visit your local nursery, be sure to ask for their planting and watering instructions - then follow them! If the plant is unusual or slightly different from the run of the mill nursery stock, or you think it may need special care, be sure to ask the nursery professionals there for their advice. This will ensure that your plants will thrive!

The weather in some parts of the country continues to be brutal. If frost and freeze warnings are continuing in your area, and you've already got plants in the garden, here are some tips to protect them.

First, just as a blanket will keep you warm, it will also keep your plants warm. Cover plants with a sheet, newspaper, or bucket. Make a tent using poles or some other kind of support and drape a blanket, sheet or even newspaper over it to keep the frost off of tender plants. Think about what you would use to keep warm... and use that.

Avoid using plastic coverings. Just like you wouldn't use plastic to keep you warm, plastic does little to protect plants against cold temperatures. Plastic can attract cold and may harm plants. Use Walls o' Water and hot caps to provide protection.

Water is something else to try. If you have access to irrigation water, set it to come on between 3-4am. This is the coldest time of the night. Let it run until the sun is up. If plants do show some signs of frost, wait a few days in order to give them time to recover before pulling them up.

Try FreezePruf, a new product that protects foliage and blossoms. FreezePruf is a topical spray that works both topically and systemically to improve a plants cold tolerance up to 9.4 degrees. It may be enough to get your garden through a cold snap. FreezePruf lasts up to 6 weeks, so one application should be all you need for the start of the season. Be aware, however, that you cannot apply FreezePruf right before the freeze and have it work well. In order for it to truly be effective, you need to apply it well in advance so that it has time to work through the system of the plant, as well as topically to protect it. In our experience, those who have done this have had the best results.

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's because we've been so busy getting ready for spring! The greenhouse is fairly bursting with color, all wrapped up and ready for Mother's Day. Even though it was snowing last Sunday and 38 degrees, we knew where Spring was!

Moms are special and sometimes there are many "moms" along the way. My own mom passed away when I was twelve and I had a lot of "other mothers" throughout my growing up years. Each year I spend Mother's Day morning watering among 700 roses in the garden center and call each of them to thank them for being such a big part of my life. They've all helped make me into who I am today.

Thank all of the Moms in your life this Sunday. Whether you give them flowers, take them to dinner, or just call or send a card, remember all they've done for you.

If you're looking for great gift ideas, we have them. Come into the garden center and personally look me up. I'll be happy to help you select the perfect gift for your special mom!