Photo: Alice with Bob (husband) and Eric (son), guest hosts
Secrets to Gardening Success
A Summary from the Gardening Shows through the Years
In recognition of Alice’s last radio gardening show, we wanted to share some highlights of the past 37 years. Through the years, certain questions would emerge repeatedly, at an almost uncanny level. This probably was an indication that people weren’t happy with their own attempts or with the answers they were finding. Sometimes it indicated that these are complex gardening problems and needed a deeper understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions –
How to get rid of moles. The answer is simple but the solution is complex. Trapping moles is by far the most reliable method of controlling mole populations, but it is a challenging process. It requires learning how, when, and where to use these traps. It takes a lot of trial and error. Hiring a mole trapping service is an option, but pricey.
Home remedies (juicy fruit gum, vehicle exhaust, and crushed glass placed into their runs), repellents (castor oil, hot pepper), and insecticides to kill grubs circulate as garden gossip. Even though these remedies may have worked on occasion, none of these techniques are reliable. The goal is to actually kill the mole(s). That’s the only way to solve the problem, at least until new generations eventually move in.
How to get Amaryllis to bloom again. The life cycle of an amaryllis is different than most bulbs or tropical plants, and this is probably why people struggle getting these plants to bloom again.
Once an Amaryllis flower has gone by, foliage emerges, and this is the time to make sure the plant is receiving several hours of sunlight daily. Plus, it needs to be fertilized regularly. A liquid fertilizer like Miracle-Gro should be applied at least every other time it is watered.
Amaryllis require a dormant period so the bulb can rest, which consists of a period of being dark and dry. In August, stop fertilizing. By mid-September, stop watering. By mid-October, move the plants into a dark place (closet, garage, shed) so that the foliage will die off. Only once the leaves have turned yellow or brown, they can be removed. Cutting off leaves that are still green can affect the ability of the bulbs to bloom. Read more here from Alice’s Log about getting Amaryllis to bloom again.
How to get Poinsettias or Christmas Cactus to bloom again. These plants are day-length sensitive, blooming only when the days get shorter, thus blooming in winter. The key to successful blooming is to make sure that the plants are exposed only to natural light. When sitting in a room with a lamp or artificial lighting at night fools the plant into thinking it’s still summer. The plants still need sunlight every day, but when the sun sets, the plant should be in the dark.
How to get ___(insert plant name)___ to bloom. Regardless of the plant in question, the answer is always the same. How to get a plant to bloom requires these factors:
- Sunlight – Know how much light your plant requires. If a plant isn’t getting enough light, it can’t produce flowers or fruit.
- Nutrition – When was the plant last fertilized? Many times the answer is never or not for a long time. Plants must have food to grow well, let alone to produce flowers or fruit. The second question is about the fertilizer being used. In order to produce flowers, a plant needs to have more phosphorus than nitrogen available in the soil. Phosphorus is necessary for flowers, fruit, and roots to grow. Nitrogen produces leaves and when present at higher levels will prevent buds from forming.
- Pruning – Cutting back plants at the wrong time of year will affect it’s ability to flower when it should. Almost all pruning should be done in Spring (with a few exceptions):
- summer-flowering shrubs – early spring (ex- crape myrtle, butterfly bush, roses, dwarf spirea)
- spring-flowering shrubs – after flowering but by early July. Pruning anytime between August and March can greatly affect blooming for the next season. (ex- lilac, forsythia, deutzia, weigela, viburnum)
- Overall Health of the Plant – If a plant is stuggling, it isn’t going to produce flowers or fruit. Take note of any stresses the plant may be experiencing that can be remedied – drought, soil compaction, poor drainage, poor soil (little or no compost, clay soil), improper planting, competition from weeds, or excessive pruning. Do what you can to improve the growing conditions.
How to Prevent Blossom-End Rot on Tomatoes? Seeing that rotten section that develops on the first-forming fruit is so discouraging. We are ready to eat fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, and they are already damaged.
This condition is caused by the plants growing quickly, usually right after a rainy period in early summer. Calcium moves slowly in the plant and can’t keep up with the fast growing plants. This condition is basically a calcium deficiency, though short-lived. A product called Stop-Rot can be sprayed on the flowers and forming fruit to prevent this. Or, remove the damaged fruit so the plant can pour it’s energy into the younger, unaffected fruit. The problem will take care of itself as the plant moderates its rapid growth. PS – Blossom-End Rot can occur on peppers, zucchini, potatoes, and various other veggies.
Timeless Gardening Wisdom
Compost – the #1 answer to most gardening problems. Simply by adding compost to the soil at the time of planting and as a mulch 1-2 times each year will solve or prevent most gardening problems. Compost will loosen the soil, retain moisture, improve drainage, feed the soil, increase soil microbes and worms, heal the soil, and heal plants.
Compost can be in the form of bark mulch, chopped leaves, composted leaves (also called leaf mold), manure, composted grass clippings, homemade compost, or bagged compost.
Keeping Trees Healthy – Controlling Borers. The best solution is to not get borers at all by avoiding stress to your trees. Stress is brought on when roots are damaged during times of drought, with soil compaction, and digging within the root zone. Avoid damaging the bark with weed eaters and make pruning cuts when the tree is dormant. Read more here about controlling borers.
More Basic Rules that will Reduce or Prevent Plant Problems:
- Understanding the Proper Season for doing specific Gardening Tasks – There is always a window of time in which each gardening task should be done. Understanding and preforming that task in the right time period will save a lot of effort and improve the performance of that plant. That window may be as short as a few days to a few months. Examples: The window to spray a disease like anthracnose or cedar apple rust is just a few days. The best season to prune spring-flowering shrubs is much longer, from late May-early July.
- Never Plant a Dry Plant – Dry soil repels moisture. If a root ball is dry, it takes a long time to thoroughly absorb moisture once it is planted, sometimes not in time before part or all of the root system dies. It doesn’t take but a minute to water that plant while it’s still in it’s container. Then, it can be planted in the new hole even if it has not recovered from wilting. This can mean the difference between life and death for your new plant. This principle applies to repotting houseplants or planting a container garden as well.
- Water heavily but not very often – It is more important to thoroughly soak a plant once in a while than to water lightly every day. Excess water drains away but light watering will never reach deeper roots. My rule of thumb for watering a newly planted tree or shrub is to water every day for 3 days (3 times rule). Use up to double the amount of water of the root ball size (a 5 gal container tree is watered with 5-10 gal of water each time). Water this same amount weekly from March to November, and follow this schedule for at least the first two years.
- Understand growing requirements for each plant – Don’t try to mix plants from different cultural environments. It can create unnecessary problems.
- Walk through the Yard or Garden regularly – Potential problems can be prevented if spotted quickly and in a timely manner.
House Plants – 4 Secrets to Success:
- Watering – Most people keep plants too wet or too dry. Check plants weekly Water thoroughly by following the 3 times rule (water the pot 3 times to completely soak the soil). This will cause excess water to run off, so place the plant in a sink, shower, or outside while the excess water drains away. Because the root ball has been soaked, don’t water again until quite dry.
- Fertilize – House plants need to fed regularly from early spring to early fall. Green plants – monthly. Blooming plants – 2-3 times each month. Some exceptions do apply.
- Don’t Ignore Your Plants – Plants are not furniture. They are a living entity and need regular care. They can’t talk, but they can tell you what’s going on if you learn to read them. Read this blog for a quick guide for diagnosing house plant problems.
- Repotting House Plants – Water 3 times after repotting in order to completely soak the new soil. Then, do not water again until the soil is very dry. This forces new roots to go looking for moisture. Watering before the soil has dried keeps the roots too moist and can cause root rot.
