Well, this is it; the last month of the gardening season around here. There's a chill in the air, and the leaves are starting to turn all shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown. The Adirondack Mountains look like they're on fire. It's certainly the most beautiful time of the year in these parts. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to write about from November to March, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something. We ate the last of the lattice not long ago; a bit sad about that, but then again, we usually end up throwing out a lot of lettuce, since we grow so much of the stuff. When the rabbits and deer leave it alone, it grows like mad. I harvested the yellow carrots already, and they were quite delicious. Carrots come in a number of colors besides orange, though few people know this. I also planted orange carrots, which I haven’t gotten around the harvesting yet. I’ve been quite busy with other projects. The next steps as far as the garden is concerned is tilling, fertilizing, and mulching in preparation for next spring. My hope is that the marigolds will go to seed, and I can maybe plant some of those next year as well, maybe get a little cross breeding going on. Same for the sunflowers, but we’ll see.
Anyhow, I wish you all a pleasant autumn, and a happy Halloween!
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Hello again, and happy September! Well, the summer gardening season is drawing to a close, and the final harvest is nearly upon us. Once again, I spent the last month weeding and guarding the lettuce and carrots from pests, and I can say with confidence that mission was a success. The lettuce has finally produced edible leaves, and they taste amazing! The carrots I’m still waiting on; I want them to ripen a lot more before I harvest. Meanwhile, I have a bit of sad news from the zucchinis. The pickleworm infestation simply became too severe, and I had to compost the remaining plants. However, they did produce much more fruit than I was expecting, and I now have a freezer stocked with shredded zucchini, and zucchini pickles in the fridge. Zucchini pickles are amazing, by the way; better than I expected. Probably the best pickles I’ve ever had, if I do say so myself. Anyhow, I plowed the zucchini patch in preparation for fall, and I’ll probably plow it again before it snows, just to be sure the soil is good and stirred up. The peas, however, were a complete failure. I’m not entirely certain what I did wrong, but I’ll blame a combination of pests, bad weather and soil problems. I’ll try again next year and see if I can get them to grow. The wildflowers, meanwhile, are doing really well. The black-eyed susans have lost all their petals, meaning their season is over. I distributed the heads in my “rewilding” area, where they will hopefully sprout next year. I did the same with the bee-balm seeds, so we’ll see next spring how they perform. The echinaceas are still going strong, making new flowers and attracting bees, and my French marigolds are finally blooming. Well, that’s all for this month. Thanks for reading and happy planting!
Well, after a protracted combat with our herbivorous neighbors, I’ve finally gotten the garden somewhere near decent looking. The lettuce is still below what I would consider standard for this time of year, but considering that every time it started to look healthy, the rabbits got after it, I’d say it looked pretty good. I’ve had to do a lot of weeding, fertilizing, and chasing off vermin to get it this far. Fun fact; the Old English name for the month of August is Woedmonath, meaning “Weed-month”. I can see why they’d call it that. The peas seem to be doing alright as well, considering they were nearly eaten to oblivion a month ago. Part of my success I credit to the French marigolds I purchased last month to combat the deer, woodchucks, and rabbits. French marigolds are the tallest and strongest smelling of all the marigold types. Most pest species hate them, so naturally I had to plant them. I had to kill one of my zucchini plants, due to an invasion of pickleworms. Pickleworms are the caterpillar of a species of moth that is actually native to parts south, but it migrates up to Northern New York to lay its eggs on our cucumbers and squashes. I’ve had to deal with them a couple of times before. Zucchinis seem to be oddly susceptible to them. Fortunately, my other zucchini plants appear to be unaffected by the worms, and they’re still producing fruit. The comfrey I planted this spring has grown to an enormous size. I’m quite pleased with its progress. If this continues next year, I will be well supplied with comfrey leaves for my liquid fertilizer. The other herbs seem to be doing great as well; this is probably the best year ever for echinacea.
Well, it’s been about a month since gardening season officially began, here. It started late on account of snow in May, but that’s all over now. This year, I planted several varieties of local wildflowers, some of which sprouted, others didn’t, and still others were ravaged by herbivores. Not too pleased about that, as you can imagine. Since my sister’s rabbit died last year, I’ve had to find alternatives to manure-based fertilizer. I planted an herb called comfrey, which, in addition to soothing aches and pains, makes a great liquid fertilizer. You can read more about that here. I also decided to make banana peel tea as a liquid fertilizer. It’s easy to make; all you need are some banana peels, water, and a mason jar. Place the banana peels in the jar and cover with water. Let them sit for a few days, and you’ll have a good liquid fertilizer. Be careful when opening the jar, as the tea will fizz out as soon as the top comes off. I found that out the hard way. Mix about one cup of tea to a gallon of water, and water your garden with the mixture. I tried it a few days ago, and my plants seem to be improving. This year, we’ve been using a neem oil mixture as a natural pesticide for our rose bushes and other plants. We’ve had great results from it. It hasn’t stopped all the scarab beetles from eating our flowers, but it did stop most of them, and that’s what matters.
So that’s what’s going on. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next update in August. Happy planting! Well, it’s May Day again. It’s probably one of my favorite days out of the year, as it usually marks the time when winter finally meets its death and spring officially begins in the North. Living in a cold climate means that there is a potential for wintery weather all the way through April and sometimes into early May. I’m very interested in folk traditions, particularly regarding spring and harvest festivals. In rural England, there is much pageantry associated with the first of May, including several folk tunes. In Helston Cornwall, for example, they celebrate the Hal An Tow dance. The dance dates back to at least Shakespeare’s day, and is probably even older than that. Various costumed players take to the streets to act out certain events from religious and folk history of England, such as Robin Hood, St. George, and other figures. All the townsfolk gather to sing the Hal An Tow song decked in traditional garb, and wearing leaves and flowers. It’s a rather jolly occasion. Padstow, another village in Cornwall, celebrates the Padstow May Dance. This dance involves two hobby horses (‘Obby ‘Osses) known as the Old Oss and the Blue Ribbon Oss, who are paraded through the street at the first light of day. The locals sing an old folk song, waking up various citizens. It is a great honor to be awakened on the morning of May Day in Padstow. The citizens then parade through the town, gathering about the May pole, where the ‘Obby ‘Osses then dance around the pole. In Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, May Day is known as Beltane, and has its roots in ancient Celtic religion. The day is celebrated with dances, feasting and bonfires. It is said that faeries walk among mortals on Beltane, and it is customary to leave them a gift, such as beer or porridge. Other rituals to protect crops and cattle are frequently practiced.
For me, May Day is a day to celebrate the end of the cold weather, and act a little bit silly. Seeing the return of spring always makes me jolly, even if there’s a little snow on the ground. No plant can grow without adequate fertilization. Sometimes they get enough nutrients from the soil, but if you find your plants are looking a bit less than green, it might be time to give your dirt a helping hand. Obviously, there is always the option of commercial fertilizers, but that can get expensive and some folks would simply prefer a DIY approach to fertilizer. It’s cheaper, and you have the confidence of knowing exactly what’s going in your soil. Here are four fertilizers that I know are cheap and easy to make. 4) CompostCompost is so easy to make, a kid could do it! But there are a few dos and don'ts regarding what you put in your compost bin. It should be entirely plant-based: grass clippings, leaves, newspapers, last year’s annuals; whatever! You can compost animal excrement as well, just as long as it is not from your dog or cat; goat, sheep, or rabbit droppings are best. Meat, eggs, and oils are big no-nos.; avoid at all costs. Stir and water your compost regularly to keep the environment healthy and you should have your own “gardener’s gold” in a matter of months. I’ll write a more in-depth article on composting another time, but these are the basics. 3) Rabbit ManureRabbits are probably one of the best critters to keep as a pet. They’re low maintenance, most of them are pretty friendly and best of all, they make great fertilizer. Veggies go in one end, fertilizer comes out the other! Best of all, unlike other animal manures, rabbit excrement can be applied to your garden beds without pre-composting! Even if you don’t or can’t own a rabbit yourself, you can find someone who does and bum some manure off them. I’m sure they’ll be glad to get rid of it. 2) Banana PeelsThis is not a fertilizer that I have used myself, but I will be trying it soon. According to this article, all you have to do is leave a banana peel in a jar of water for a week or so, and bam! You have an all-natural liquid fertilizer. 1) Worm CastingsWorms are awesome little creatures. They eat garbage and excrete the most nutrient-packed fertilizer money can’t buy! There are three ways to benefit from nature’s fertilizer machines:
And there you have it. Four fertilizers to make your plants healthy and green this summer. Thanks for reading, and be sure to share this article with your friend. Happy planting!
And now the final article in my series on un-kill-able plants. For all the people who’ve told me that their garden is brown, there are at least two people who’ve told me that they kill houseplants. It’s even become something of an internet meme. But there really are a few house-plants that simply cannot die. I’ve tried killing them. I really have. So if you can’t seem to keep your plants alive, this article is for you.
Kalanchoe
Originally from Madagascar, Kalanchoes are mostly found in semi-arid or arid landscapes. Their bright flowers, and deep green succulent leaves are sure to brighten any room, and they are near indestructible! I was once pruning one of ours (we have several) and left a branch on a window sill for weeks. It was completely dry, but the MINUTE it came in contact with moisture, it sprouted new leaves and roots! It was the most astounding thing I’d ever seen. While they are un-kill-able, they need the right amount of light and fertilizer in order to thrive and flower indoors. Make sure they have a good soil mixture and indoor fertilizer (I recommend Miracle Grow). Water the soil once weekly, giving it just enough moisture that it’s about as wet as a wrung-out rag, and they should remain happy and healthy plants.
Aloe
Most of us who know anything about plants know about the aloe vera plant, famous for its healing qualities. They, and many of their close relatives, are extremely easy to keep in your home. I’ve never had one die on me. Given proper watering (about 1/3 cup once a week should do it) they should live and thrive for many years.
Philodendron
Philodendrons are a trailing vine from tropical America with mottled-green, heart-shaped leaves. This may be one of the most indestructible plants on this list. Put ‘em in a sunny room and they will grow and spread. 1/2-1 cup of water a week, and they might even take over a room if you let them!
Crown of thorns
The crown of thorns is an arid-climate plant from Cambodia, which, as the name suggests, has a very thorny stem. Probably the only drawback to this otherwise great houseplant. As an arid plant, they can go for weeks without water! But that being said, don’t push it. 1/3 cup a week should be enough to keep them healthy, depending on how big your plant is. Put them by a bright window, and you should expect white flowers all through winter. I hope this list was helpful for you as you attempt to find your niche in the plant world. Please feel free to comment about your own experiences below, I’m happy to hear from you. Happy planting! Last time I wrote to you, my dear readers,I gave you a list of un-kill-able garden plants, mostly flowers and ornamentals. Today, I’m adding four vegetables to that list. These veggies are ones that I’ve found are virtually idiot-proof! A child could grow them! So let’s get right to it.
Well, that rounds out the un-kill-able veggies. I wish you all the success in the world with your gardening efforts this season. Happy planting! Every so often, somebody tells me that they have a “black thumb”. They reportedly kill every plant they touch. This may be a fact for a lot of folks, or it may be that they just haven’t found the right plant. There are some plants that you genuinely cannot kill. I know. I’ve tried. They simply won’t die. In this three part article series, I’m going to outline a few plants that I’ve found to be virtually indestructible. In this first part, I’ll discuss common garden plants; these include ornamentals, herbs and flowers. The second part will be houseplants, and the third part will be garden vegetables. Let’s start things off.
And there you have it; 8 plants for people who don't know jack about gardening. I hope you have good luck this coming season, and let me know if these work for you. Happy planting!
One of the main challenges to beginning gardeners and even seasoned gardeners is finding good seeds. You receive these free catalogs from various companies, all bright-colored and shiny, and you have no idea which company is really worth dealing with. Here are my top 5 seed companies that I’ve worked with. 5. Gurney’s I think Gurney’s was the first seed company I ever ordered from; of course, I didn’t know of any other seed company, so there was really no contest. Their inventory is pretty fair. They’re not as diverse as they used to, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any heirloom varieties. I don’t know much about their customer service; I’ve never had a problem with them. 4. Jung’s I discovered Jung’s early in my gardening career. They’re a fine, family-owned company, and their customer service is spot on. My only complaints are that sometimes the seeds I bought didn’t sprout (they did replace the product I complained about, however) and they’re lacking in variety. 3. Agway Agway is a well-known and well-liked company in the Eastern US. They are a wholesale product distribution company, specializing in the agricultural industry. Each Agway store is locally owned and operated, featuring products specifically tailored to the needs of the community; including seeds. I’ve bought Agway seeds at the country store several times, and have always had good results. Variety may be limited based on where you live. 2. Everwilde Farms Everwilde Farms is a family-owned company that prides itself on offering high quality, environmentally sustainable, Non-GMO, organic seeds for a fair price. I have never had a problem with them or the seeds they offer, they are certified organic and non-GMO. I was very pleased with the seeds I bought. 1. R.H. Shumway Probably the best company I’ve bought seeds from was R.H. Shumway. They have the widest variety and the best prices on vegetable seeds. You can order small packets, you can order in bulk. Almost any vegetable you can think of, they have seeds for it. If you’re a repeat customer, they will even send you free seeds! I’ve gotten lots of free vegetable seeds from them, with mixed success. You can’t pick and choose which free seeds they send, but come on, free seeds! So these are my top five. If you have any other companies that you’ve used, drop a comment. I’ll be happy to hear from you. |
AuthorI'm Ian Wilson, a slightly eccentric amateur horticulturist bumbling his way through the garden. Archives
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