http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/ Real men do garden en Copyright 2012 Wed, 07 May 2008 22:13:57 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss eau de whatever stirs the sap like the sweet scent of lilac wafting on a balmy evening breeze. Lilac is the perfume of spring. My lilacs bloomed earlier than usual. I expect them at the start of May. The flower buds broke dormancy way ahead of schedule given the mild winter. But a prolonged April chill helped the cascade of seductively scented purple, pink and white blossoms linger longer. If you plan to prune your lilac, hurry! Now is the time to grab the clippers. Next spring’s flowers are conceived this season. Lilacs bloom on old growth. Prune now so you don’t cut off the developing buds. View image Also, immediately clip faded blossoms before the flowers go to seed to pump all the plant’s sexual energy into forming more abundant blooms for 2009. Pruning is great for shaping and rejuvenating lilacs. A light trim will stimulate lateral (side) growth for a bushy effect. For older plants cut a third of the old wood back to the ground. Flower buds will develop on the emerging new shoots in the next couple years, while the plant continues to produce flowers on the remaining old branches. Mulch and water lilacs consistently throughout summer and fall. Your nose will be rewarded next spring. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/05/the_perfume_of_spring.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/05/the_perfume_of_spring.html Wed, 07 May 2008 22:13:57 -0500 #@**%8!!# voles! Casualty count: two-thirds of the 350 Darwin tulips planted last October. Collateral damage: two nearby shrub roses; roots gnawed to pencil points by vole incisors. Planting spring-flowering bulbs is a gardener’s most hopeful act. We tuck them beneath autumn-cooled soil, and wait faithfully four dreary winter months for their resplendent spring awakening. And so it was all through last winter. I didn't see any telltale signs of vole activity: no entry or exit holes in the tulip beds, no surface zig-zags from underground tunneling. In March the tulip foliage poked through the soil right on schedule. By the start of April the stems were several inches tall. But each morning, backing out of the driveway I noticed a small “bald spot” among the stems. So subtle was the gradual expansion of the bare patch, I thought at first it was time to update my eyeglass prescription. On closer examination I found tulips either pulled under ground or stems being supported only by a collar of surrounding soil -- the bulbs devoured. View image I’ve come to accept the fact that total extermination of the voles is not gonna happen. I’ll just have to learn to co-exist in the same garden space with the vermin. Kinda like tolerating Mets fans at Citizens Bank Ballpark. You know they’ll be in the stands whenever the NY nine come to Philly, so we put up with them while enjoying the game. BTW, if you don’t know the difference between moles and voles (and a lot of folks don’t), moles munch on bugs in the lawn and soil; voles are vegan. To get rid of moles simply eliminate their favorite cuisine. Apply the same logic to voles and you have to eliminate the garden. Voles are such prolific reproducers they could make a bunny blush. Females mature to mating stage within a few weeks. A single female can put out five litters a year, averaging three to five offspring a pop. My postage stamp-sized yard may have as many as two dozen voles inhabiting it. So here’s my three-part plan for keeping the upper hand this gardening season: traps, poison, and barriers. Traps: Peanut butter applied to the bait trigger of a common mouse trap is all the tech you need. Place traps under a clay pot next to active vole holes (they think they are still in the tunnel). Drizzle a bit of peanut butter down the hole to draw them out. Tip: Don’t set the trigger on the trap for the first week so they get comfortable taking the bait. This will boost your kill rate. Poison: Supplement trapping by lacing peanut butter with anticoagulants such as mouse or rat poison. That's because the little suckers somehow manage to swipe the peanut butter without getting caught about a third of the time. More potent stuff is available, but should only be applied by a licensed professional, and in a bait trap device to protect pets and kids. One of the most commonly used single-dose toxicants for vole control is zinc phosphide. Zinc phosphide is a Registered Use Pesticide available as a concentrate, or in pelleted or grain bait applications. As a Registered Use Pesticide, application must be done by a certified pesticide applicator. Hardware cloth barriers: For new plantings, shape baskets of ¼ inch wire mesh to protect roots. View image Make hardware cloth baskets large enough to create an amply wide barrier; feeder roots will grow through the openings in the mesh while the major roots stay beyond the reach of voles. As for my tulips, next October I'm going to wrap every bulb in a little hardware cloth sleeve . . . even if it takes me a month to complete the job! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/05/the_great_tulip_massacre_of_20.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/05/the_great_tulip_massacre_of_20.html Fri, 02 May 2008 09:24:09 -0500 Sports Illustrated featured a climate change cover story. View image I’ve been around long enough to see environmentalism go from long-haired radical to so mainstream even Democrats and Republicans are hugging the same trees. Our culture elevates environmentalists to rock star status. Some even get to take home an Academy Award. View image Fortunately, protecting the planet has become almost second nature for most of us. My teenage daughter would never think to drop a soda can or cardboard Pop Tart box in the trash bin under the sink. That stuff gets recycled. When I was her age recycling meant dating the same girl more than once. The big fear with climate change is greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing ornamental cherry trees to bloom in January. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average household is responsible for the emission of almost 60 tons of CO2 annually. Charging all those iPods and cell phones, burning heating fuel, cruising the ‘burbs in SUVs, along with products we consume day in and day out add up to a pretty hefty carbon footprint. Yikes! If you’re searching for someone to save us from a climatic cataclysm, just look in the back yard. Anyone who gardens is an eco-hero. Let’s start with the three letters every gardener should know: IPM - - Integrated Pest Management. More than $5 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on fossil fuel-derived fertilizers that leak chemicals into the ground and accelerate the release of greenhouse gases. The basis of IPM is simply this: healthy plants are less vulnerable to insects and disease. You can significantly curtail the use of chemicals by monitoring and accurately diagnosing landscape problems, and then employing cultural, biological and limited chemical control strategies. Rutgers has a terrific fact sheet about IPM. Download file Composting vegetable food scraps and coffee grinds, sawdust, ashes, leaves and grass clippings makes for an excellent homemade soil conditioner and helps keep trash out of landfills. While you’re at it, return grass clippings to the lawn instead of bagging ‘em and placing them at the curb. Grass clippings are rich in nitrogen. Growing vegetables, fruit and herbs in the home garden saves energy. Home-grown produce rack up fewer “petroleum miles” than tomatoes trucked long distances to your table. They taste better too! Planting trees is another way to do something about climate change. A single tree can absorb up to a ton of CO2 over its life. Trees and shrubs in the home landscape also conserve energy. Trees shading A/C units, windows and walls, especially planted on the west and southwest side of a house can reduce the energy used for air conditioning and heating by 20 to 50 percent. While we’re on the subject of trees, composting leaves in the fall instead of blasting them with a gas-powered hurricane can help clear the air. The pollution spewed from a leaf blower in one-half hour is equal to the emissions from driving 2,200 miles - - that’s as much air pollution as driving 15 round trips on I-95 between Longwood Gardens and the New York Botanical Garden. Oh yeah, and the fewer mountains of leaves in the street, the less gasoline and oil being burned by those noisy township vehicles that lumber along sucking up curbside foliage. Planting native species and xeriscaping cuts down on watering, pesticides and fertilizers. Get a copy of Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. View image And if nothing else, when you’re out in the garden, you’re not using all those kilowatts running the TV or computer! So next time a neighbor chides you for spending too much time working in the garden, just tell them it isn’t easy saving the planet! P.S. – Happy Earth Day! Photo credit: Green Mountain Energy Company ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/04/saving_the_planet_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/04/saving_the_planet_1.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:59:23 -0500 It’s available in abundance at nurseries in and around the town of Hershey, PA. In fact it’s cheaper out there too, by almost half. But by the time you factor a tank and a half of gasoline and family tickets to Hershey Park, your true cost per bag is probably closer to 100 bucks. The stuff is good. It’s 100% organic. No dyes. Suppresses weeds. Conserves moisture and improves soil texture. Deters insects (slugs hate it!). Keeps its looks for a couple seasons. Lightweight and easy to spread - - it only takes a one inch layer to be effective. Cocoa shell mulch adds organic matter and nutrients to the soil as it breaks down, unlike manufactured mulches that actually rob the soil of nutrients. It contains nitrogen, phosphate and potash. It’s even environmentally PC. The Hershey factory in central PA generates more than 10,000 tons of the stuff annually making chocolate goodies, that would otherwise end up in a landfill. I’ve even heard a gardener claim it repels deer. Oh yeah, and it has the enticing aroma of brownies baking in the oven. Mmmm. Cocoa shell mulch has all the ingredients of a status symbol: it’s hard to acquire, it’s expensive, it’s exotic. I can just imagine McMansioneers bragging: “My landscaper won’t let anything but Hershey’s Cocoa Shell Mulch touch the inside of his wheelbarrow.” It may even have sex appeal: “Yo baby, wanna check out my perennial bed? It’s mulched with the husks of roasted cocoa beans imported from Honduras.” Kinda put’s a whole new spin on chocolate and roses as an aphrodisiac. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/04/in_search_of_cocoa_shell_mulch.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/04/in_search_of_cocoa_shell_mulch.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:39:31 -0500 A well-worn glove, retrieved from the shelf where it lay since last October, releases the satisfying aroma of leather, evoking memories of seasons past. I grip the familiar contour of the tapered wood handle of my favorite trowel. Yes, hope springs eternal this time each year for gardeners too. The “hot stove” deals and acquisitions of January and February, reaped from the tempting offerings of nursery catalogs, and combined with several returning veterans, promise a winning lineup in the mixed border this new season. There’s Misanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus,’ a lanky ornamental grass that can handle the high heat. View image Caladium ‘Thai Beauty,’ is a steady utility player looks equally good in the mixed border or showcased in a container. View image Standing just 15 inches tall, Verbascum ‘Sugar Plum’ is a powerful, pastel purple shortstop. View image ‘Blanket Flower’ Gaillardia x grandiflora has shown the stamina to go extra innings well into autumn. View image Geranium ‘Rozanne’ got all the buzz this winter on the covers of catalogs and in pre-season gardening magazines after taking honors as 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year. View image Heliopsis 'Prairie Sunset', a Ruthian specimen that pounds out golden-orange flowers from early summer to fall atop robust tall plants, anchors the lineup. View image A late-bloomer with some pop is lavender-blue Aster x frikartii. View image Still hanging on after taking MVP honors back in ’97 as Perennial Plant of the Year is Salvia ‘May Night.’ View image On the mound, of course, is South Jersey Pinelands league standout, ‘Pitcher Plant’ Sarracenia purpurea. View image Tinkering with the roster is irresistible. A couple of trades are contemplated: shall I finally send down Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Pia’ to a minor bed with more afternoon shade, and call up Geranium cinereum “Memories’ to The Show? Meanwhile, Astilbe will likely start the season on the DL after going under the knife to be divided. As June rounds third toward the Independence Holiday, the collection of perennials and annuals should really being showing their stuff. By the start of July, Calibrachoa ‘Cherry Pink’ will be busting out in blossoms like its on steroids. But a few short weeks after the All-Star break, when the delphinium have surrendered to the dog days of August, after powdery mildew strikes out the zinnias, and Japanese beetle have made the purple coneflowers look like bush leaguers, I will sigh the perennial late-season refrain of Phillies faithful (Baseballus frustratii): “wait till next year.” ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/03/opening_day_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/03/opening_day_1.html Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:45:19 -0500 Gardening is as rooted in American presidential history as campaign mud-slinging. Last February I penned a Presidents’ Day article for The Inquirer’s Home & Design Section about the Father of Our Country as mail-order gardener. Twice during the summer of 1787 George Washington took a break from the grind of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to drop by Bartram’s Garden, the historic nursery credited with producing America’s first printed plant catalog. Later, after returning home to Mount Vernon, GW placed an order from the nursery’s catalog for more than 200 shrubs and trees, including - - you guessed it - - a cherry tree. Download file So who will be the next Gardener-in-Chief? While political pundits focus this primary season on liberals, conservatives, women, African-Americans and young people, the largest voting block is being overlooked like a peony past its prime. According to the National Gardening Association, 83% of Americans participate in the country’s # 1 hobby. I’ll bet there are more than a few Democratic superdelegates with green thumbs. I want to know what ground the Democrat and Republican frontrunners have staked out on key garden patch issues. We know the major candidates’ respective positions on illegal immigrants. But what about the thorny topic of invasive plant species? What are their plans to bring the U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Map into the 21st century? The “current” map is based on temperature data collected at the beginning of the Kennedy Administration. Come to think of it, Barack Obama would probably embrace the connection to JFK. On foreign policy, will they impose sanctions against China in retaliation for the insurgency of Asian longhorned beetles that slipped into U.S. ports concealed in wooden crates and have since turned tens of thousands of maple, birch and willow trees in NJ and NY to sawdust? View image I want to hear Tim Russert get into the weeds with the candidates about whether they endorse the principles of Integrated Pest Management. And what can gardening tell us about the kind of prez each of the major candidates may blossom into? Will John McCain turn out to be prickly and dry like an Arizona desert landscape? Is Hillary a hands-on gardener, or does she delegate the dirty work to landscape contractors and their crews of “guest workers” like her affluent Westchester County neighbors? Mr. Obama has perhaps the most expansive experience in horticultural diversity, spending stretches of his life among the tropical flora of Hawaii’s Zone 11 and the cold-hardy prairie plants of Illinois Zone 5. But can he tell Hibiscus from Heliopsis? In a few more weeks the field of candidates will be pruned down to two. I sure hope one or the other grows on me by Election Day. Photo credit: Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/02/the_gardenerinchief.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/02/the_gardenerinchief.html Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:47:53 -0500 Paperwhite Narcissus from growing tall and flopping over, according to scientists at Cornell University’s Flower Bulb Research Program in New York. Lab time was never such fun when I was in school! Can’t you just picture the gang in lab coats downing shots with the bulbs, all in the name of science. When they sobered up, the researchers published a paper about their findings. Diluted solutions of alcohol result in Paperwhites that are 1/3 to 1/2 shorter, without sacrificing flower size or scent. Check out the research paper, titled “Pickling Your Paperwhites” at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf BTW, stick with the hard stuff. The Cornell researchers advise against beer or wine, as the sugars cause major problems with the plants. Gotta admire the thoroughness of their study. Here’s what you do: Plant bulbs as usual in gravel or other medium and add plain water. After the roots have sprouted and the stems are an inch or two tall, add a “cocktail” of 1 part gin, rum, vodka or whiskey (don’t waste the good stuff!) to 7 parts water with each subsequent watering. It actually works! The down side is your room smells like the morning after a frat party, at least until the Paperwhites emit their distinctive perfume. No word from Cornell on whether cigarette smoking stunts Paperwhites growth too. Cheers! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/01/tipsy_paperwhites.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/01/tipsy_paperwhites.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:21:37 -0500 66 degrees. Global weirding. Remember back to last January when cherry blossoms were popping out before the Christmas decorations came down? I run hot and cold about this waiver from winter weather. On the one hand I’m not dipping in to my daughters’ college fund to feed the furnace. But the gardener in me wouldn’t mind a good old-fashioned frozen-tundra-and-snowpack-till-March kind of winter. For one thing, it would help put a chill on the reproduction activities of promiscuous rodents like voles, chipmunks and squirrels. And since voles don’t hibernate, a string of days and nights in the 0 to 5 degrees range might make popsicles of a few of them. Seasonably cold temps also help control pathogens and other pests all snug and cozy in your garden soil. Some plants actually benefit from “real winter.” Peonies fail to bloom in spring if the soil doesn’t get cold enough in winter to complete dormancy. Peonies need 30 - 60 nights of freezing temperatures. While a string of 50 and 60-degree days may be easy on home heating bills, they can be hard on the home landscape. When plants awaken too early from their winter slumber dormant buds begin to swell. The first buds to open on spring blooming plants are the flower buds. They’re also the most sensitive to cold weather. For some species of spring flowering plants like lilac, forsythia, and azalea, that may mean reduced bloom. The flower buds on these plants form on the previous season’s growth. During winter dormancy, a protective scale covers the buds, providing a shield from cold temperatures. Once buds swell and break the protective scale, the buds may freeze and die. That’s it; show’s over. They won’t regenerate until next summer. Other plants, especially ornamental trees like cherry, quince, and plum, may get a second chance. A lengthy cold spell can replicate dormancy and induce a new round of bud development. Leaf buds are less sensitive to cold than flower buds, so there should be plenty of foliage to feed gypsy moth caterpillars in spring and early summer. Over the long haul plant hardiness is also affected by unseasonably warm temperatures winter after winter. Once plants get used to warmer weather, they can’t take the normal cold. It’s called de-acclimatization. Kind of like your Jersey relatives who move to Florida and then keep turning up your thermostat when they come back north to visit. Other landscape problems include frost cracks in tree bark, root injury from frost-heaving, and dessication of evergreens such as pine and rhododendron. Wrap young, thin-bark trees, such as maples and fruit trees, with light colored tree wrap up to the first limbs to prevent cracks and splits. Snow cover is usually the best guard against frost-heaving. Since Nature isn’t cooperating so far this winter, use wood chips or the boughs of that discarded Christmas tree to insulate the soil and prevent fluctuations in temperature. Mulch vulnerable areas just before a cold snap is forecast. And be sure to keep susceptible landscape plants watered if the warm weather continues, especially in the sandy soils predominant in parts of South Jersey. Burlap screens and windbreaks can be used to shelter evergreens. Anti-transpirants, or anti-dessicants, can also provide some protection by reducing the amount of moisture lost by the plant. As the saying goes, you can’t do anything about the weather. You can take steps to protect your plants or help them recover. And if the climatic flip-flop persists, you can always consider replacing your pines with palms. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/01/dont_be_fooled_its_still_winte.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2008/01/dont_be_fooled_its_still_winte.html Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:14:54 -0500 I shot this photo today . . . the third Wednesday in November. What other landscape plant blooms from Memorial Day until Thanksgiving? I’d like to see a peony do that. Even though autumn temps are spring-like and buds are swelling on rose bushes, don’t be fooled into pruning or fertilizing. Let those late blossoms turn into hips. Any deadheading or pruning at this time of year could result in new growth that won’t have a chance to harden off before the real cold weather finally shows up, causing dieback and stem damage. Same with fertilizing. You should have stopped fertilizing back in August. Roses need to toughen up before winter. On the other hand, go ahead and give the plants a deep drink. Roses and other shrubs always need water from the soil for the root system, even in winter dormancy. Especially considering how dry it’s been in our region over the last several months. Also, clean up leaves and debris from around the plant that could harbor fungal spores until next spring. The bottomline: preparing your roses for winter began last spring and summer. If you kept your roses healthy by watering, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, controlling diseases, and fighting off insects, they should be in good shape to face the winter. Meanwhile, I’ll be real impressed if Rosa ‘Prairie Harvest’ is still blooming in the front yard on Christmas! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/this_plant_is_no_turkey_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/this_plant_is_no_turkey_1.html Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:55:53 -0500 Planting spring flowering bulbs has to be the greatest act of faith there is in home gardening. Once you bury those bulbs all you can do is believe what you can’t see for the next five months or so: that six inches underground roots are developing (hopefully) to support leaves and stems that will eventually poke through the soil, reach skyward and bust out in blossoms. My faith isn’t completely blind. I take measures to help my bulbs survive attacks from above and below. Into the hole with each bulb I toss sharp gravel and castor oil granules to keep voles from snacking all winter on my Darwin Hybrids. (A couple years ago I dug out all the soil and lined the bottom and sides of my tulip beds with chicken wire. That stopped voles from tunneling in; now they just go over the top and down!). I also sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on the beds after planting to keep squirrels from digging up the bulbs. Same stuff you put on pizza. Nothing sends a message faster than a snoot full of capsaicin to train rodents not to nose around my flower beds. (NOTE: you’ll need to refresh your red pepper flakes after a rainfall; it only takes two or three applications for squirrels to get the idea). Those pesky pests haven't got a prayer! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/gotta_have_faith.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/gotta_have_faith.html Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:59:55 -0500 We had our first frost in Medford Lakes this week. It was a great run. Like the perfect baseball season, when your team plays late into October, my annuals and perennials performed with summer-like vigor till nearly Halloween. So, as I clean up the mushy remnants of the ’07 season, here’s a re-cap of a few notable all-stars, as well as a bunch of benchwarmers from my garden . . . Studs ‘Macarena’ New Guinea Impatiens – started from Burpee seeds; vibrant and vigorous; non-stop, eye-popping tangerine blossoms; the bold color worked terrific among foliage plants in my antique urn and the shade bed; self-cleaning; the leaves didn’t scorch from sun. ‘Pygmy Egyptian Papyrus’ (Cyperus haspan) – first saw these in containers in Longwood’s Idea Garden in 2006. Had to have them. After an extensive search I mail ordered from WorldPlants.com in Oregon. Great service, fair prices, unusual collection. Check ‘em out: http://www.worldplants.com The dwarf papyrus plants are like Fourth of July sparklers atop sturdy 12 – 18 inch stems. A cool centerpiece specimen in my patio containers. These babies are coming inside during the offseason! View image ‘Purple Heart’ (Tradescantia pallid) – The muted mulberry succulent foliage caught my eye last winter in Florida where they are used extensively as groundcover. Found a flat here at Lowes (you know - - where healthy plants go to die); drought tolerant, so I guess even big box retailers couldn’t dry them out; every morning petite pink flowers with yellow stamens. View image Bolivian Rainbow chile peppers – from Seeds of Change; a plant that really lives up to its name: red, orange, yellow, purple; bright color among the shades of green in our back porch herb collection. View image Sweet Shrub ‘Hartledge Wine’ (Calycanthus ) - Hank Schannen of Rare Find Nursery in Jackson, NJ sent me home with this native shrub two years ago. In mid-summer I decided to move it; pruned it by one-third to help it recover from transplanting. What do you know: a second show of mauve magnolia-like flowers in early August from this May/June-bloomer.View image Torenia ‘Catalina® Pink’ – neglect it, relegate it to a shady spot, and it keeps putting out. What more can I say about this quietly reliable annual. View image Duds ‘Red Lightning’ tomato – low yield; smallish fruit; cracked like eggs. View image Elephant Ear ‘Rhubarb’ (Colocasia esculenta) – sure the stalks were long and dark merlot, as advertised, but not very erect; more splayed than sturdy; the leaves were disproportionately undersized and drab in color and texture - - great legs, plain face; throughout much of the summer the foliage was mottled by brown discoloration and curling along the edges; I moved it from shade to sun to part shade to no avail. View image Corkscrew rush ‘Unicorn’ (Juncus effusus) – based on the catalog description I purchased one for a tall element to a container grouping; certainly didn’t reach to 18 inches. View image Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’ – Let’s see, we had one of the mildest winters on record last year. So what happened to this “perennial” rated hardy all the way north to Zone 4??? View image All the varieties of Osteospermum hybrids – these plants call out to nursery junkies like sirens from garden center tables every spring; look great for the first few weeks of the season then fade faster down the stretch than the 2007 Mets! View image Tell me about your 2007 Studs and Duds! Photos courtesy of Burpees, Plant Delights Nursery, Proven Winners, Seeds of Change, WorldPlants.com and Philadelphia Inquirer Sports. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/studs_and_duds_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/studs_and_duds_1.html Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:16:44 -0500 ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/whats_wrong_with_this_picture_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/11/whats_wrong_with_this_picture_1.html Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:37:08 -0500 But over the last few seasons, the tomatoes I’ve brought home from local farm stands aren’t much more flavorful than those bland, pale imposters from California we suffer all winter. So as the last tomatoes of the season finally give way to pumpkins at the roadside stands, I decided to investigate. I checked in with tomato expert Michelle Casella, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension, Gloucester County (does that fit on a biz card?). Michelle explains there is a direct link between tomato skin texture and taste. She says in the late ‘80s commercial growers here in NJ gradually began planting hard-skinned hybrid tomato varieties better suited for long-distance shipping, as well as bruise and crack resistance. Aha! I knew it! So what if it tastes like cardboard, at least it'll keep on the produce shelf for a month. Compounding the matter, tomatoes are being picked when barely showing a blush of pink. Tomatoes need to ripen completely on the vine for the sugars and carbohydrates to fully develop, which boosts the flavor. Good news: Rutgers is teaming up with the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey to look at tomato varieties from the past and a few new ones to breed for enhanced flavor. More good news: Remember the Ramapo tomato? One of the best tasting ever. It faded from the fields more than twenty years ago. A Rutgers ag prof has been keeping a stash of Ramapo seeds. Rutgers contracted with a seed company in Israel to produce a limited quantity of Ramapo seeds for release this winter. If you want to get hold of some Ramapo seeds you need to get on a list through your local County Extension office. Meanwhile to satisfy your lust for big, juicy Jersey beefsteaks, Michelle advises you find “backyard sellers” or a tailgate market offering oldies like Supersonic, Jet Start, Pik Red or Pik Rite. Better yet, grow ‘em yourself! ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/10/in_poor_taste.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/10/in_poor_taste.html Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:30:30 -0500 “Warning: Your Lawn May be Hazardous to Your Health.” Tell me something I don't know. Still, I was curious. More alarms leaped from the ad copy: Chemical Exposure . . . Carbon Emissions from Mowers . . . Fertilizer Runoff. Must be an ad for natural lawn care products. Not. Would you believe artificial turf for home lawns? Yup. The look of a verdant summer lawn can be yours 365. No August dog days brown-out, no drab January dormancy, no bare patches, no grubs, no mowing. Won’t be long before it catches on in the McMansion 'hoods. Well, if you prefer to go natural, get out in the yard this weekend. A lush lawn next spring starts in autumn. Fall Lawn Care ChecklistDownload file Test Your Soil Step One: get a soil test! Don’t buy a single bag of lime, don’t drag the spreader out of the garage, don’t even think about touching a rake until you have your soil checked. Get an accurate read on the existing pH and of essential plant nutrients in the soil. Soil pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkaline of the soil, which affects the ability of grass plants to take up nutrients. The grass gurus at Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station http://njaes.rutgers.edu/ recommend a slightly acidic pH level 6.0 – 6.5. If your soil pH is out of whack you can throw grass seed, and spread lime and fertilizer till you’re blue in the face, with little to show for your effort. Click here for Rutgers soil test instructions and forms: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/soiltestinglab/forms.asp Fall is the time to fertilize and spread lime Once you know what your soil is lacking you can finally bring the spreader out of the garage. If the soil is too acidic, apply the recommended amount of lime. Pulverized or pelletized garden lime activates quickest. Tip: pelletized limestone is less of a mess, and you won’t end up looking like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. To adjust high pH (alkaline), apply a proper amount of agricultural sulfur. Spread a final dose of fertilizer in late October to provide your grass with nutrients that will be absorbed and stored until needed for spring growth. Lawns that receive late-season fertilizing are often the first to begin growing in the spring. Help your lawn breath easier Aerating and dethatching in autumn is like a spa treatment for your lawn. A pale, tired-looking yard will respond with youthful vigor come spring. Your lawn needs to breath. Foot traffic, like walking and mowing, compacts the soil over time, making it harder for grass roots to grow. Rent a core aerator for the job. An aerator mechanically removes random three-inch plugs of turf to allow the roots to more efficiently take up oxygen, water and nutrients. Thoroughly water the lawn the night before you plan to aerate. Make sure to mark sprinkler heads and drains. Walk the aerator over the entire lawn just as you would a lawn mower. Too much thatch in the lawn can also suffocate grass roots. Thatch is not dried clippings. Thatch is dead tissue that accumulates between the soil and the growing blades of grass. Dethatching machines can be rented from most tool rental shops. Cut the lawn at a lower than usual mower height before dethatching. Dethatching may tear up the lawn a bit and cause browning for a short period. Don’t freak out. To help your lawn recover, rake up all the thatch debris, apply fertilizer and water the lawn thoroughly. Reap next Spring what you sow this Fall Whether you are starting a new lawn or filling bare spots, the mild, sunny days and rainfall of autumn will help your turf put down roots. Choose a cool season variety of grass seed suitable for your area and growing conditions. In general, a seed mixture of 85 percent Tall Fescue and 15 percent Kentucky Blue Grass does well for most home landscapes in the soils of the Delaware Valley. Gently rake over the seeded area to ensure soil contact. Water daily in the early morning to keep the soil sufficiently moist for the seed to germinate. You can reduce the frequency of watering as the grass grows. Water, cut, and rake Even though temperatures are cooler, your lawn still needs water. Grass is growing throughout the fall, so regular watering is important. Go ahead and water as needed until the ground is cold and beginning to freeze. It’s important to keep your grass two to two and a half inches tall throughout the fall. If your grass gets much longer than three inches it will mat, leading to winter lawn disease problems. If you cut it shorter than two inches, you’ll severely limit its ability to make and store food for growth in the spring. Remove leaves from your lawn on a regular basis. A heavy layer of leaves can mat the lawn and smother the grass, especially when wet. Those conditions can also be a breeding ground for some disgusting diseases and icky insects that affect grass. Grass is a plant. A lawn is made up of about a gazillion of these plants. Like any plant in your home landscape, grass has roots and leaves. Grass plants need oxygen, water, nutrients, and a gardener’s attention to grow. Giving your lawn some extra attention as the Eagles season gets under way this fall will help your yard look as good as the Phillies’ outfield by Opening Day next spring. ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/09/great_grass_1.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/09/great_grass_1.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:19:44 -0500 http://www.theworld.org/?q=taxonomy_by_date/1/20070817 Scroll down to the report titled: Spain's troubles with voles The correspondent describes "a plague of biblical proportions . . . hundreds of millions of voles" invading north central Spain's agricultural region. The vermin are wiping out corn crops and threatening vineyards in the wine country. Invading towns. Children playing alongside the rodents. Geez, I thought I had it bad in my hostas. Apparently the deep winter freeze that would normally kill off many of the voles didn't happen. This spring the rodent population exploded. There's a parallel to the increased vole damage affecting Delaware Valley gardeners this season. According to Rutgers Fact Sheet FS399 http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/, voles don't hibernate. That makes them susceptible to sub-freezing temperatures. Of course, that didn't happen around here last winter. The average temp in South Jersey last December to March was nearly 50 degrees! Those voles were plenty cozy under your mulch making woopie all winter. A single female vole can have up to 5 litters a year, bringing as many as 30 baby voles into the world. BTW, female voles mature to reproductive stage in just about a month! I'm an English major, but even I can do that math! I'm hoping for a cold winter! P.S. - I snagged 15 voles so far with peanut butter-baited mouse traps ]]> http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/09/vole.html http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/hortisexual/2007/09/vole.html Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:39:00 -0500