Seed List - 2014

Vegetables
Arugula, ARUGULA Rocket (Burpee)
Beans, "Bush Blue Lake 274" (Burpee)
Beans, "Romano" (Italian Pole) (Burpee)***
Beans, "Turtle Black" (saved seed)
Cabbage, "Tenersweet F1" (Johnny's)
Carrot, "Scarlet Nantes" (Burpee)tape
Cucumber, "Marketmore 76" organic (Johnny's)
Eggplant, "Black Beauty Eggplant" organic (Seeds of Change)
Garlic
Kale, "Dwarf Blue Curled Vates" (Burpee)
Lettuce, "Burpee Bibb" (Burpee)
Lettuce, "Black Seeded Simpson" (Burpee)tape
Lettuce, "Giant Caesar" (Burpee)
Onions, Bunching, "Guardsman" (Johnny's)***
Pepper, "Yankee Bell" organic (Johnny's)
Pumpkin, "Dill's Atlantic Giant"
Spinach, ESPINACA Big Ruffles Hybrid (Burpee)
Tomato, "Bellstar" organic (Johnny's)
Tomato, "Brandywine" organic(Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Tomato, "Five Star Grape F1" (Johnny's)
Watermelon, "Crimson Sweet" (Johnny's)
Zucchini, "Dark Star" organic (Seeds of Change)

Herbs
Basil, "Genovese" organic (Johnny's)
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum (Burpee)
Cilantro, ""Coriandrum sativum" (Burpee)
Dill, "Bouquet" organic (Johnny's)
Parsley, "Single Italian Plain-Leafed" (Burpee)
Thyme, Thymus vulgaris (Burpee)
(There is already plenty of chives, oregano, spearmint and thyme growing in the garden.  Need to buy a rosemary plant.)

Flowers - Annuals
Ageratum, Ageratum houstonianum "Tall Blue Planet" (Johnny's)
Alyssum, "Carpet of Snow" (Burpee)
Alyssum, "Royal Carpet" (Burpee)
Cleome, "Queen Mix" (Burpee)
Cosmos, "Sensation Mix" (Burpee)
Foxglove, "Excelsior Hybrid Mix" (Burpee)
Marigold, Yellow (saved seed)
Marigold, Yellow and Red Stripes (saved seed)
Milkweed,  Ascelepias curassavica "Blood Flower" (Magic Wings)
Rudbeckia, Rudbeckia hirta "Indian Summer" (Johnny's)
Sunflower, "Mammoth" (Burpee)
Verbena, Verbena bonariensis (Johnny's)
Zinnia, "Cut and Come Again" (Burpee)
Zinnia, "Purple Prince" (Burpee)
Zinnia, "Zahara Scarlett" (Burpee)

Flowers - Perennial
Lavender, "True Lavender" Lavandula angustifolia (Burpee)
Poppy, "Oriental Poppy" Amapola Oriental Pizzicato Mix (Burpee)
Purple Coneflower, "Echinacea" (Ferry-Morse)

See Seed List 2013 and Running List of Winners

Working with fruit trees

I hadn't set aside enough time to prune the trees this season.  I finally took some time in April to examine the branches, though.  Leaves had already started to appear on the branches, so I decided to wait until next year to prune them.  It needs to be done at the end of March, no later than the first week of April. 

However, we learned in WMMGA that we can widen the crotch angles and improve the structure (or scaffold) of the trees.  The time to do this is in April, and  it takes about 5-6 weeks to accomplish.  So, I purchased some Gorilla Glue, gathered some rocks from the back yard, and made some weights to use on the trees.  Only 2 of the 6 fruit trees seemed to need some help:  the plum tree and one of the pear trees.

 

 



I noticed that there is a lot of damage on the plum tree.  The base of the trunk has been gnawed at by either mice or voles, and the trunk and lower branches have cracked, rubbed bark.  I don't know if it's been caused by deer or the sun, but I will make sure to wrap my baby trees in November to protect them from winter injury and pests.

Update on Blueberry Bushes

I put in my blueberry hedge in September.  Well, it didn't take long for the critters to discover them, and they immediately devoured the tender stems:



I recently surveyed the damage and could see that if these bushes are going to survive, they are going to need protection of some sort.  This picture shows nibbled branches:

I also needed to amend the soil, because the soil test reported that this soil is too alkaline.  I added some "Holly Food", which is good for blueberries, too.  It needs to be applied again in a couple of months:

So, I picked up some wire mesh and constructed some "cages" yesterday (April 22).  After I amended the soil, I buried the bottoms of the cages in the soil and covered them with some dirt and mulch, to help keep them anchored:

Today, I went out to inspect them, and I discovered that some creature was trying to dig under the cages!!! Four of them!!!!

I was glad to know that I had protected these plants.  Well, later in the day, I caught the creature in the act:







Guilty!

"Who, me?!"

Yes, you!

I had to put Shadow in the house after he did it again.

Anyway, like the fruit trees, I never got around to pruning the older blueberry bushes, and will have to make it a priority next March.  It's not the end of the world, but neglecting the bushes sure won't bring much fruit.

Incidentally - one of the biggest mistakes I made was buying such immature plants.  I should have paid more to have bigger plants, then we'd be eating blueberries so much sooner.  I'll be lucky if I get blueberries in 3 to 5 years!

Too Late for Pruning Fruit Trees, and Other Mistakes

Unfortunately, I have been so busy for the past couple of months that I never set aside enough time to prune my fruit trees.  This is unfortunate, because this is their second year in my yard, and I have never pruned them.  Fruit trees need to be trained while they are still young to encourage good framework.  They will be healthier, stronger and more fruitful in the long-run.  Fruit trees are supposed to be pruned while they are still dormant, but I saw today that all of my trees are in bloom.  The ideal time to prune fruit trees in Massachusetts is late March.  I have no choice but to wait until next year. This is already on my March To-Do List, but next year I will be sure to make it a priority.

I did take time to examine all of my trees today.  So many issues.  For starters, I have the wrong pruners.  These have a blunt edge.  I need to get pruners that have 2 sharp edges.  Also, I'm supposed to keep these things clean!

 

 

I noticed that most of the trees have multiple central leaders instead of one, and that most of the trees have very narrow crotch angles, which means that the trees are susceptible to breakage in storms.  This tree needs to be thinned out, but it already has buds.  Also, I need to start putting weights on some of the branches to encourage them to drop, creating wide crotch angles:

 



This tree has multiple leaders and needs to be corrected next year:

I also discovered other signs of abuse and neglect.  For instance, I just got around to removing the tags from all my trees.  Shame.  Also, I need to put mulch around the trees to protect them from weed-wackers and lawn mowers:

 

 

Lastly, I need to get some tree wrap to protect the trees from deer, mice, and sun.  My plum tree has suffered from either deer rubbing against it or sun-burn - not sure which.  I intend to wrap them as soon as possible and put wire mesh around all the tree trunks.  Also, some of the trees trunks are being chewed by mice or voles:

 

 

 

The pests can be brutal.  I didn't realize baby trees were so vulnerable.

 

Before I went out to prune the trees, I reread my post from early April about pruning fruit trees.  However, I didn't feel like I had enough information, so I did a little more research.  Here are some other useful sites:

 



http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/pruneapples.html

 

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A1959.pdf

 

http://www.weekendgardener.net/how-to/prune-apple-trees.htm

More Pruning - Spirea Bush

Here are two "before" and "after" shots of the spirea ("bridal veil") in my front yard:

Big difference!!  Should look nice when it blooms.  Of course, Shadow is right there!

Update May 28, 2012:

Scattering Annual Flower Seeds in the Perennial Bed

I have been dying to grow poppies for years, but have never had any luck, even when I've purchased the plants from garden centers.  They never do well, and they never grow back the next spring.

One of our instructors at the WMMGA told us how she scatters a variety of seeds in her gardens at this time of the year - late March/early April.  Some of these seeds are annual poppies!

So, using Tracy's instructions, I scattered poppy seeds, cleome seeds and foxglove seeds.  I was hoping to scatter some snapdragon seeds, but I never got around to purchasing any.

Tracy told me that I would have to rake up the mulch so the seed would have contact with the soil, and that I should run the rake over the soil a little bit to rough it up.  So, as I started to rake up the mulch, I realized that I would have to clear away all the oak leaves that had gathered during the end of the fall and winter.

There were actually a lot more leaves than this, but this is all I captured on my camera.  See all the green poking through!  Any way, it took me about an hour to rake up all the leaves.  I got a space among 4 rose bushes and the largest butterfly bush ready for the seeds.  What I didn't realize was how few seeds I would get in each packet, and I only purchased one packet each.  If I'm successful with this venture, I will buy at least 2 packages of each next year.

Tracy reminded us that it's very important to learn what the seedlings of each flower plant looks like, so that they won't be mistaken for weeds and yanked out.  After the seedlings have become a little larger, then we can replace the mulch.

April 7
I looked around the perennial bed yesterday for signs of life, but saw none.  It's been dry.  Our well hadn't been opened yet... I don't know if I was supposed to get out there and water.  I got the impression that you just scatter the seeds and voila!  Instant meadow of wildflowers.  It did rain tonight, and the next few days are supposed to be sunny and warm.

April 9
I scattered some seeds that Lynn Puffer gave me:  moonflowers and cleome.

May 6
Still no signs of life.  I read somewhere that the seeds need soil in order to grow, whereas my perennial bed is mostly mulch.  I did try to rake it away, but obviously not good enough!  Also, I read that foxgloves do best in "dappled shade".  This bed that I picked is in full sun.  Well, back to the drawing board!

Garlic, Lettuce, Green Onions and Spinach

I noticed last week that my garlic is growing.  I planted the little cloves in October (? - I'll have to check on this) and was so pleased to see their little green tops poking through the soil.

I remember reading in Joy of Gardening that it's good to grow green onions, lettuce, spinach and even carrots with the garlic.  I'm not planning on growing carrots this year, but I did sow lettuce, spinach, and green onion seeds in the garlic bed on Saturday, the last day of March.  All the books/seed packets say that the seeds should be sown directly as soon as the soil can be worked.  It seems like it should be so easy, but again, this is a first for me:  I read the back of each seed packet and tried to carry out the instructions.  We'll see how well things turn out!  I planted the onions in only half the bed - trying to avoid the garlic, and I planted 4 "bands" of lettuce, so that I can do some "succession planting".  Finally, I planted spinach in the other half of the bed.

After I planted the seeds, I realized that we haven't opened our pump, so I didn't have a convenient way to water the seeds.  Then, I couldn't find a watering can, and I couldn't find enough hose to reach the bed from the outside faucet.  Thankfully, it rained yesterday, and we're expecting more rain this week. 



I like this picture because all the garlic tops are visible.  That's my shadow.

Here's my other Shadow... in the shadows!

More Pruning

Today was sunny, windy and a little cold, but I took two hours to go outside and do some more pruning.  I thinned out the largest butterfly bush, I leveled a huge, thorny bush by the hemlock hedge, and I began tackling the huge job of cutting back the out-of-control burning bush/lilac shrub by our dining room window.  It's a big job, since it/they have grown so large.  I actually need to buy a saw to cut out some of the branches.  So, it is a work-in-progress.

Still have to do one blueberry bush, the spirea, lilac hedges, fruit trees, mock orange and forsythia.

This is what the butterfly bush looked like before I thinned it.

This is after... although I admit that it doesn't look like I thinned it much, but actually, I took a lot off!

The lilac/burning bush, in need of a major hair cut.

Still so much to do.  I still have to order a saw.  I could also use a better camera!

Pruning Shrubs and Trees - Late Winter

I learned in my gardening class that some shrubs and trees should be pruned in late winter, and March is the perfect time to do this: Lilacs, forsythia, butterfly bush, hydrangea, spirea - and other deciduous shrubs, apple trees, needled evergreens, and hemlocks.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I went to Tougas Family Farm to learn how to prune blueberries, since this is the time of year when they need to be done.  I will not be pruning my blueberries for at least 3 years however.  My poor blueberry bushes!

Those little twigs sticking up through the snow are what's left of my baby blueberry bushes!  This year, I am going to do everything I can to protect them.

I pruned several bushes this week - my butterfly bushes and my hydrangeas.  I took another look at them today and determined that I have to go back and make some "thinning cuts".  Thinning cuts can be done at any time of the year, as they don't really effect the fruiting.

This poor butterfly bush had a deer take a nap on it last summer.  It's still alive, but I have to find some way to straighten it out.

I still have our hemlock hedge to do - which is getting a little out of hand:

Also, forsythia, lilacs,burning bush (which is an invasive species) and spirea... all of which are a mess!

 

 

I like this picture of Shadow!  He loves to be outside when I'm gardening.

Anyway, I tend to tame all of these plants.  These pictures show we had fresh snow yesterday.  The yard looked a little bleak today - very soon we should see a lot of color (and neat looking hedges and shrubs)!

Sowing Pepper Seeds

Yesterday I put together a list of plants that need to be started indoors in the month of March.  I got the information for starting dates right off of the seed packets.  However, I decided to consult 2 of my "seed starting" books, Seed Sowing and Saving, and The New Seed Starters Handbook.  TNSSH suggested starting the pepper plants as early as late January or February, so I decided to start mine a couple of weeks before schedule: Today!

I decided to put my learning to use.  The first thing I did was drill lots of holes on the bottom of a large 20" x 10" flat.  The reason for doing this is so that it will fit into another flat of the same size, so that I can water the seedlings from underneath. This was very easy.

Then, I sterilized the flats, water sprayer and spoon in a bleach solution - 9 parts water, 1 part bleach (I did this in the bathroom while wearing my white bathrobe).  My only thought here was that I wasn't sure whether to sterilize all the flats, since I had the solution ready to go.  I guess my concern is that the flats will only get germy while waiting around to be used at a later date. March 26- I learned in my WMMGA class today that the sterilized containers are only good for 2 hours; you can't wash everything in the bleach solution and leave overnight.

OK. Now in the kitchen.  This is when I realized that it would be great to have my own little space somewhere in the house where I can do this work.  I think I'm going to have to invest in a table and shelves and more lighting.  This reminds me that I'd like to do a post on "equipment". 

So, I filled the flat with holes with maybe an inch of sterilized soil (8 qt. bag for $2.00 from OSJL).  I used a straw to make 1/4-inch indentations in the soil for the seeds.  I planted 2 different kinds of seeds:  sweet peppers (Carmen) and green-to-red bell peppers (Snapper). All was going well until I had to water them.  I poured a 1/2-inch of water into the bottom flat and laid the seed flat on top.  It just floated.  And that's when I remembered that it's very difficult to water seed starting medium, and that I should have moistened it before I started.

I emptied out the bottom tray and decided to spray the surface of the seed flat with a fine mist instead.  This, too, is difficult in that the water seems to stay on top instead of soaking into the soil.  Oh well.  I sprayed a couple of ounces and covered the flat with plastic wrap.  This step made me realize that it would be awfully nice to have durable plastic covers.  Maybe some day.  This "hobby" can get expensive.

The flat is now sitting on a bookshelf in my bedroom, with a heating mat underneath.  Pepper seeds need the soil temperature to be at least 80F in order to germinate.  I have my trusty little laser thermometer nearby to give me readings.  The soil was 66 degrees about 15 minutes ago. It's now 69 degrees... 10 more to go!

My book says the seeds could take 2 to 3 weeks to germinate, but perhaps not so long at 80 degrees.  In another book I read that pepper seeds take about 10 days to germinate.  Either way, I hope this works.  I tried to grow peppers from seed last year, but they never even sprouted.  I later learned that the soil was too cold.

Reminder:  Label the flats so you know which plants are which.

Starting Seeds - March

Indoors - March 29

• Pepper "Snapper" I actually started these on the March 18th
• Pepper "Carmen" I started these on March 18th as well.
• Eggplant "Galine"
• Thyme "German Winter Thyme"

Outdoors - As soon as soil can be worked

• Lettuce "Encore" - succession planting
• Spinach "Big Ruffles"
• Kale "Red Russian"

Outdoors - scatter seeds in perennial bed, end of March

• Foxglove "Camelot"
• Poppy "Corn Poppy"
• Cleome
• Snapdragon

March - To Do List

1. Send soil samples to UMass.  Take samples from perennial bed, vegetable gardens, orchard, blueberry hedge, apple trees and front gardens.  This can also be done in September; actually, it's better to do in the fall when the lab is less busy and well before anything is planted.
2. Prune butterfly bushes, hydrangeas, forsythia, blueberry bushes, and apple trees.
3. Purchase more self-watering containers.
4. Clean tools (if they weren't cleaned in the fall)
5. Start seeds indoors (see list)
6. Start cool weather plants as soon as soil reaches ____ degrees, and as soon as soil can be worked.
7. Clean out garden beds.
8. Scatter flower seeds in perennial bed:  cleome, poppies, foxglove, snapdragon.
9. Take pictures of everything!
10. Clean out/organize shed, basement and garage.

Seeds - Indoors:

• Peppers:  early March
• Eggplant:  late March
• Thyme:  late March

Seeds - Outdoors, direct sow:

• Lettuce: early spring, succession planting
• Spinach:  early spring
• Kale: early spring
• Green Onions: early spring
• Foxglove:  late March, early April
• Poppies:  late March, early April
• Snapdragons:  late March, early April
• Cleome:  late March Early April

Soil Test

I sent some soil samples to UMass on Thursday.  I did this last year as well; UMass sent back a report which I used when I planted my blueberry hedge.

This year, thanks to some guidance from the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener's Association, I sent several samples of soil to the lab - one for my perennial bed, one for my vegetable garden and fruit trees, and one for my blueberry hedge.

I dug about a cup of soil from different spots in each of the beds.  I put everything in plastic baggies, filled out the form to indicate the tests that I wanted ("basic" and "organic matter"), indicated what I am trying to grow, and sent it off (with a $37.00 check, for 4 tests and reports).

The only step that I didn't do was spread the soil out on a sheet and let it thoroughly dry.  I don't know how important this is - I'm hoping that it's not.

UMass Soil and Tissue Testing Lab - http://www.umass.edu/soiltest/