 Thank you to member, Diane Manning, for this tip of the month. Plan Ahead for Late May/Early June: Pinch back your asters When asters are foot or more tall and before they bloom, cut back by 1/3 once or twice in the summer to encourage fuller growth and more blooms later. A thin layer of compost or mulch will also encourage growth. Every two to three years, asters should be dug up and divided. I hope this helps to produce abundant late summer blooms for you!  Thank you to member, Ellen Paseltiner, for providing the May tip of the month.
What can I grow in a container garden? Just about any vegetable or herb! Some of the more popular container crops are salad greens, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, beans, chard, beets, radish, squash, and cucumbers. More challenging crops include melons, corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The key is to experiment. Look for “bush” or “dwarf” varieties of the crops you want to grow. There are quite a few tomato and cucumber varieties bred for small-space gardening. New gardeners should start small in the first year. Best location for a container garden Containers can be placed on any level surface — decks, balconies, and along driveways and sidewalks. You can also set them on bare ground and allow the plant roots to grow down into the soil or place them on top of a mulched area. Edibles can also be grown in hanging baskets and window boxes. Southern and western exposures will be the sunniest and warmest, while northern and eastern exposures will be shadier and cooler. You’ll need 6-8 hours of direct sun for warm-season crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant, squash) and 3-5 hours of direct sun for cool-season crops (lettuce, spinach, Asian greens). Easy access to water is crucial. Some containers will need watering every day when the weather is hot and dry. Consider the microclimate in the container garden area. Watch out for heat sinks created by brick, concrete, and reflective surfaces. Words of caution about container gardening Containers and the water that drains from them can mark and stain concrete and wood decking. Using self-watering containers or plastic saucers to catch water will prevent this problem (and is very helpful if you are gardening “above” your neighbor’s balcony.) The lighter weight of large plastic containers leads gardeners to believe they can be moved easily. But a 20-inch diameter container filled with moist growing medium and plants can weigh 100 lbs! (You can buy or make plant caddies to make heavy containers portable.) Container Gardening: An Easy Way to Grow Your Own Food University of Maryland Extension Video on Container Gardening: An Easy Way to Grow your own Food www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIKXcxzK93M&t=16s Source: extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-containers/  Our harsh winter caused a lot of winter burn. Thank you to member, Margarita Egan, for this extra April tip of the month. Below are excepts from the Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension. Follow the link for the full article.
What is winter burn? Winter burn is a common problem of evergreens including those with broad leaves (e.g., boxwood, holly, rhododendron), needles (e.g., fir, hemlock, pine, spruce, yew) and scale-like leaves (e.g., arborvitae, false cypress, juniper) grown in open, unprotected locations and exposed to severe winter conditions. Read more in the link below. What does winter burn look like? Winter burn symptoms often become apparent as the snow melts and spring temperatures rise. Foliage starts to brown at the tips of branches with browning progressing inward toward the center of the plant. Read more in the link below What causes winter burn? There are many factors that can contribute to winter burn. In general, plants with shallow or poorly-developed root systems that do not efficiently take up water (e.g., recent transplants) are more prone to winter burn. Warm fall temperatures that delay the onset of plant dormancy can also contribute to winter burn. Read more in the link below. How do I save a plant with winter burn? For evergreens such as arborvitaes, boxwoods, junipers and yews, prune out dead, brown, damaged or dying tissue in mid-spring after new foliage is produced. If new foliage has not yet emerged by spring, scratch the bark on affected branches and look for green tissue underneath. Also gently peel back the bud scales to look for inner green bud tissue. If the stem or bud tissue is green, buds on the branch may still break to form new foliage. If the tissue is brown, the branch is most likely dead and you should prune the branch back to a live, lateral bud or branch. Such buds and branches may be far back inside the canopy and pruning may remove a substantial amount of the plant. Pines, spruces and firs typically produce new growth at branch tips in spring that will replace winter burn-damaged needles, and thus pruning may not be required on these evergreens. After a couple of growing seasons, new foliage will fill in the areas that were damaged. If an entire evergreen is brown, recovery is unlikely and the plant should be replaced with something (e.g., a deciduous shrub or tree) that is better-suited to the site. How do I avoid problems with winter burn in the future? Follow the link below for more information hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/winter-burn/  Thank you to member, Betsy Turley for the April tip of the month.
Branches and other natural materials are a wonderful addition to your planters and floral arrangements. They provide a sculptural and seasonal interest as well as height. Branches used in arrangements and containers don’t obstruct your line of vision at a dining table or block your front entrance. Unlike flowers and plants, these natural materials can be repurposed and last for years. You can purchase branches at nurseries but can also find them in your yard or on a walk. Branches also reflect holidays and a change of season. Pussy willows and other flowering branches connote Spring while bare branches are reflective of Fall and Winter. Alternative natural materials: - Branches: curly willow, pussy willow, magnolia, birch logs, fallen branches you might find on a walk - Flowering branches: quince, forsythia, cherry blossoms, dogwood ( these will lose their blossoms but are splurge-worthy for a party or gathering) - Branches with berries: winterberry, holly, serviceberry -Pine cones, pumpkins, gourds, osage oranges Branches can truly elevate your containers/arrangements and help you to celebrate the seasonal changes of your garden. Pinterest will provide you an abundance of images to inspire you to include branches and other natural choices in your planters and arrangements. Check out my saved ideas here! pin.it/3DvJeOGfo  Thank you to member, Lisa Elbert, for providing the March tip of the month.
Why not have fun with sowing seeds in your garden before the weather warms up for a welcome pop of color! The ideal time to sow hardy annual seeds directly in the garden is MARCH in the mid-Atlantic region. Hardy Annuals - These seeds can be sown directly in the garden BEFORE the last frost in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. They germinate and do well in cooler temperatures and can tolerate light frost. They do not do well as transplants and are an easy and economical to add color to a garden. Some of them, such as sweet pea, are strictly spring flowers, so enjoy them before the weather turns hot!
 Thank you to member, Mercedes Kavanagh, for providing the February tip of the month!
Want to bring more beautiful butterflies into your garden? Transforming your garden into a haven for butterflies is not only a delightful way to enhance its beauty, but also a meaningful step towards promoting biodiversity. By creating an environment rich in nectar-producing flowers, host plants, and shelter, you can attract these enchanting insects and provide them with the resources they need to thrive. In this article from Fine Gardening explore simple yet effective strategies for attracting butterflies to your garden, allowing you to experience the joy of their company! Check out this article on Fine Gardening Magazine: How to create a BUTTERFLY HAVEN Fine Gardening Magazine #211 - May-June 2023 https://finegardening.zinioapps.com/article/z/z-i666605/z-a19  Thank you to member, Leslie Kimball, for providing this tip of the month!
January is National Houseplant Month – and specifically, January 10th is Houseplant Appreciation Day. For many, January is a month of setting new intentions and goals for growth. What better way to begin a new year than caring for a houseplant (or a dozen!). Indoor plants have many benefits – they’re a natural air purifier, they’re therapeutic, they add aesthetic pleasure, and they improve psychological wellbeing. Consider setting aside a little time (20 minutes to 2 hours) to start caring for a houseplant or reinvest in the houseplants you already own. If you’re a beginner and you are worried about your ability to care for a plant - fret not. You’ve got this! When buying a new plant, consider if your window gets a lot of sun, or mainly shade. For under $20, you can pick up a moisture meter (this one is my favorite ) and an inexpensive houseplant, and you’re all set. The moisture meter will eliminate any doubts about when your new plant is thirsty, and you’ll quickly find a good rhythm of when to water it. If you have a bit more experience with houseplants, you know January means plants require a little less water but need more humidity since the air is so dry. If you don’t have a humidifier for your plants consider giving them one as a new year’s gift. They’ll thank you! Here’s a suggestion for a humidifier but there are lots of options for all price points. January is a great time to care for the plants you have by cleaning their pots, adding fresh soil, and giving all the leaves a good cleaning. You could pick up a pair of leave cleaning gloves to give your plants better airflow. More advanced plant folks could also consider adding some new winter blooming plants to your collection. Here are some stores to consider when looking for new houseplants and/or supporting items:
(Image credit: Vadim Kaipov/Unsplash - https://www.homesandgardens.com/advice/best-winter-house-plants)
For those of you tired of crawling under your Christmas tree to water it throughout the holidays, here's a solution I discovered several years ago: A water funnel. I bought mine at American Plant but they're readily available on the internet and at some hardware stores.
Just push the tube down through the branches so that the bottom of it slides into the water container of your tree stand and the top of it, with the funnel, is accessible at around waist level in the branches. Mine has a strip of velcro to secure it. Then just pour water in from a watering can while standing up. Some of the funnels have attachments that claim to be able to measure the water level in your tree stand, but mine doesn't, so I do have to check with a finger in the water container to make sure it doesn't overflow. But it's still a lot easier than watering your tree while flat on your stomach. One less ordeal during the holidays! Elisabeth Bumiller Thank you to member, Kaki Power, for providing the November tip of the month! 
 Thank you to Sharron Cochran for providing another tip of the month for November! It’s time to disconnect your garden hoses, empty them and store in a garage or basement. Turn off the inside valves for your hose bibs and then open the faucets outside and leave for the winter. In spring, you will do the reverse - first turn off the outside faucets, then open the inside valves. |
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