Beat the heat when home gardening

You can beat the heat while gardening in the hot NC summertime!

The following column from L.A. Jackson lists a number of steps you can take to keep gardening during the sweltering summer heat and help your plants survive.

News and Observer
June 30, 2007
L. A. Jackson, Correspondent

Early gardener can beat the heat

Is it hot enough for you yet? Well, if you're a heat lover, summertime in the simmering Southeast usually doesn't disappoint. Of course, such scorching conditions can take the fun out of gardening, but that is why it's better to do the hardest garden chores early in the morning or late in the day. If you prefer to work with your plants during the heat of the day, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, use sunscreen and don't forget that big, floppy hat!

* If you have recently placed a prized plant just beyond the hose, to get it through the dry times, poke a small hole in the bottom of a plastic one-gallon milk jug, fill it with water, replace the cap and set it next to the plant. The small hole and slight vacuum will let the jug slowly, thoroughly water the plant.

* For a good show of chrysanthemums this fall, fertilize the plants lightly with a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks and pinch out new tip growth early in the month to keep the plants bushy.

* For chrysanthemums that are good enough to show in competition this fall, let only one or two shoots develop on each plant and continue to remove any side buds that try to develop for the rest of the growing season.

* Strawflowers that are going to be used in dried arrangements preserve best if they are harvested when their flowers are only half open.

* Most herbs do best with minimal maintenance, but many benefit from a 2- to 3-inch mulch, which will help keep the moisture supply at a constant level.

* If you're considering potted plants or hanging baskets, keep three points in mind: (1) Clay pots allow additional evaporation, so plants in these containers must be watered more often than plants in plastic containers; (2) the smaller the pot, the quicker the soil inside it dries out; and (3) the more you water, the more nutrients leach out of the soil, so water with a liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks.

* Production from the vegetable garden should be in high gear now, but to keep even more crops coming, harvest such veggies as okra, cucumbers, squash, beans and indeterminate tomatoes every two to three days.

* Prune tomato plants to improve production. Prune lower leaves to divert more energy into fruit production. However, resist cutting off any upper foliage that shields tomatoes from the sun because this natural covering helps prevent sunscald.

* Patrol the potato patch for exposed spuds. If you aren't going to harvest them immediately, cover with mulch to prevent the sun from turning them green and making them taste bad.

* Hate how slimy boiled okra gets? Leave the edible stems on the pods and cook them whole.

* Japanese beetles are at their worst this month. If you opt to end their reign of terror in your garden with Japanese beetle traps, remember that they attract before they kill, so place them far, far away from any susceptible plants. The bait in these traps is usually a sex pheromone, so even in an out of the way location, Japanese beetles will find them.

* Don't forget your bird friends. At least once a week, clean the bird bath, and keep the feeder clear of old seed and refilled with fresh feed.

* If you still have bare spots in the garden, midsummer sales are in full force and are sure bets for finding great plant bargains.

* Think the summer garden is nothing but a sea of green? Visit your local arboretum or botanical garden to see how these professional public gardens add color to their summer beds.

Original article...

Saving your plants when traveling

When you go on vacation or a trip, take steps to save your garden and the plants you have worked hard for. The following tips from Beth Botts can make your gardening life easier...

Chicago Tribune
June 24, 2007
Beth Botts

15 Ways to leave your garden... and go on that carefree vacation

Soaker hoses, drip irrigation systems or a sprinkler,
shown above, can be set on a timer to come on once
in the middle of a vacation week.

Sometime this summer, chances are you’re going to go on vacation. But what about your plants? How will they live without you?

Their major enemies will be heat and moisture loss. But with some planning, you can be pretty confident that you will not come back to a garden or houseplant graveyard.

Choose survivor plants

If you know you are going to be away for a week or more this summer, don’t plant thirsty things such as impatiens. Smart owners of weekend homes who often leave their plants for weeks at a time rely on drought-tolerant species such as black-eyed Susans (rudbeckia) and coneflowers (echinacea), according to Linda Patejdl, co-owner of the Sawyer Garden Center in Sawyer, Mich. The most durable and resilient houseplants for frequent travelers are cacti, succulents and plants with stiff, fleshy leaves such as sansevieria and rubber trees, says Marion Parry, owner of A New Leaf in Chicago.

Use large containers

The larger the container, the better. A large soil volume, such as a half whiskey barrel, will hold moisture longer, while a 1-gallon pot on a hot day will dry out by noon, says Mike McGrath, host of the NPR and Sirius garden show You Bet Your Garden (can be heard at http://www.whyy.org/). And put those large pots on wheeled trays or trolleys so you will be able to move them into the shade. Hanging baskets are especially vulnerable, so a year when you plan a long vacation might be the year to skip them. You could also take them down for a time.

Avoid porous pots

Terra-cotta pots and hanging baskets with coir liners are handsome but they lose moisture quickly, McGrath says. If you like the look, do your actual planting in a plastic pot (with a drainage hole) and hide it inside.

Mulch

That doesn’t mean 6 inches deep, but a 1-inch layer of relatively fine-textured organic mulch over all beds and the surface of all pots will do a lot to hold moisture.

Buy a timer

Soaker hoses or drip irrigation on a timer, set to come on once in the middle of the week, can make a big difference.

Group containers

Move them to the shade. Their mass will tend to hold moisture and humidity, Parry says. If you don’t have a shady spot — probably on a balcony — move plants indoors and put them on saucers. A place where they might receive some rain is best, but even without it, their chances are still better in the shade than with the sun beating down on them.

Move houseplants

Place houseplants at least 4 feet in from a sunny window, Parry says. The heat from that window can fry them. Many can even be moved outdoors into the shade for the summer. And if you can’t give them plenty of ventilation, don’t turn the thermostat up too high. Only you can determine the tradeoff between your electric bill and your carbon footprint on the one hand and possibly cooked plants on the other. Consider a contribution to carbonfund.org.

Don’t overfertilize

It’s tempting to think you should stoke them up before you leave, but plants that have been stimulated by fertilizer use more water.

Water, water, water

Soak every pot and every bed, long and slow, before you leave, says McGrath. It will take a day or two of moving the sprinkler to do the whole garden, so allow for watering and other plant preparations in your vacation schedule.

Empty saucers

More potted plants die from overwatering than from drought. McGrath says, “Ninety-five percent of your wilting-from-drought plants are going to come back. But your drowned plants are dead forever.” So don’t leave potted plants sitting in water. It’s OK to set them on stones or bricks above the level of water in a tray or saucer to maintain humidity indoors.

Pick clean and deadhead

Fruit or flowers left too long signal the plants to stop producing. So pick every vegetable and cut bouquets of roses, says McGrath; if you can’t take them along to the cottage, give them away. Vegetables are edible “as soon as they are identifiable,” says McGrath, even the tiniest ones.

Forget about the lawn

Going dormant for a few weeks in late summer is natural for grass, McGrath says, and will make it less hospitable to grubs. If it’s really dry just before you leave, give the lawn one long soak to keep the roots alive. But turn off the sprinkler system before you leave for the airport and don’t panic if the grass is a little brown when you get back.

Cultivate your neighbors

No matter how you prepare your plants, if you are going to be away for more than a week, you will need someone to come and water a couple of times. Offer the neighbors all the vegetables or flowers they can pick while you’re gone or swap house-sitting chores with them.

Consider a babysitter

If you have an especially prized and delicate houseplant, such as a fern, you may need to deliver it to the care of a knowledgeable person.

What if they die?

Most in-ground plants will recover from a dry week or two, McGrath says. Container plants are far more vulnerable. But even if you lose a couple, don’t let it ruin your vacation memories.

Movable feast of flowers

Add a few containers to your gardening effort to create movable plants. Then you can put color where you want it and use your plants for any occasion. The options are limitless.

There are several advantages to adding containerized plants to your collection. When entertaining, move them to where they will help dress up your event. When certain areas of your regular plant beds are difficult to dig or plant in, simply place a few containers on bases in those areas to add color without the hassle of dealing with rocky or hard soil. When fall comes move the plants to safer areas or inside to keep them healthy for the next season.

News and Observer
June 23, 2007
Lifestyles

Portable Plantings
Container gardens put instant color anywhere

Container gardening is hot. That's no surprise because it's fun, it's easy and, in a pursuit where patience is often required, it is the ultimate in instant gratification.

There are other reasons to garden in containers. Container gardens can be grown where there is limited space or no soil, such as an apartment balcony or patio. Colorful flowers in pots dress up entryways, providing beauty and a bright welcome to guests (not to mention a nice homecoming to the resident). Container gardens are movable, allowing you to create instant accents in the garden, especially if you select containers that stand out.

A plant that might have added pleasant interest to a garden design can often provide a focal point if it is put in a colorful or interesting container and nestled into the garden bed. In areas where the soil is poor or difficult to work, containers remove the headache and expense of soil preparation.

Occasionally, container gardens can camouflage unsightly septic tank covers or well covers. If you're creative, you can make it look like you intended to have concrete platforms in that spot.

If you haven't tried container gardening, we've got tips to help you get started. And if you've already caught on, maybe you'll be inspired to try a new pot or some interesting plant combinations. Original article...