Sunday November 22, 2009
I asked this question a couple of years ago and most people who responded said yes. This year a lot of novice gardeners tried their hand at vegetable gardening for the first time. I do hope it was a great success and you've become a gardener for life. And I'm hoping you saved some vegetables to enjoy at Thanksgiving, the harvest festival.
Living in Zone 6, my garden is pretty much cleared out for the season, but I've managed to stash away some potatoes, squash and a freezer full of green things. The only thing I'll be picking fresh for Thanksgiving will be herbs, but it's still a treat. The only thing better than eating food you've grown yourself is watching other people enjoy it. So I'm curious, will any of your harvest be part of your Thanksgiving feast?
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Saturday November 21, 2009
It's the rainy season for many of you. With some unseasonably warm temperatures up north, it's the rainy season for more gardeners than usual. And with rain comes snails and slugs. Yuck! Like deer and free plants, slugs are a never ending source of befuddlement. The quest for a non-toxic slug control goes on. You may recall that I stopped using beer when my neighbor's dog began using my garden as her neighborhood drinking hole.
The last time I asked for suggestions, a couple of you recommended a product called "Sluggo". Unlike other slug controls that use Metaldehyde, Sluggo's active ingredient is iron phosphate, which is labeled safe to use near kids, pets and around edible plants. I tried it and I thought it did a pretty decent job for me this summer.
If you're entering your slimy season, here's the list of slug control suggestions, so far. Please, please feel free to add your suggestions or comments. I'm sure there's a purpose for snails and slugs somewhere, but not in my garden.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Friday November 20, 2009
What would Thanksgiving turkey be without sage? Sage is one of those wonderful Mediterranean herbs that asks only for sun and warmth and then takes care of itself. Being an evergreen, even northern gardeners are able to harvest fresh sage leaves at Thanksgiving (snow permitting). And it's beautiful enough to have on display in the herb garden or the perennial bed. Makes an attractive edging plant too. Here are some tips for growing great sage.
To Get You in the Holiday Mood:
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Thursday November 19, 2009
I get a lot of questions about plants that don't behave the way the books say they're supposed to. Plants and deer really should pay better attention to all the research we've done on them and play along, don't you think? Until then, we have to learn to go with nature.
Amy wrote me that she's had her Amaryllis for about a year and it won't go dormant. It still has 4 or 5 green leaves on it. Should she cut the leaves off? Also the plant seems pot bound. Is now a good time to transplant it?
Sometimes the leaves just won't cooperate, but that doesn't mean the Amaryllis bulb isn't going dormant. Don't bother cutting the leaves off. They'll whither on their own eventually.
Do stop watering the plant and move it to a cool spot out of direct sunlight. Start checking for a flower stalk in about 8 weeks. When you see it poking up, move the plant back into light and start watering again.
Unless your bulb is bursting out of its pot, it's probably fine. Amaryllis need to be snug in their pots to flower. If you think it really has squeezed out all the soil, now is a good time to repot. Only go one size larger and still follow the dormancy instructions above. The cross your fingers and hope your plant learns to read.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
