Growing The Home Garden: Gardening in the Home Landscape

Garden Photo Updates from the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:15:00 +0000

Here's a quick look at my garden from the weekend!

The 'Diablo' ninebark is in bloom. It has beautiful purple-copper hued leaves and flowers with these clusters of white flowers each spring.

In the vegetable garden the lettuce is coming along - finally. It's taken a while this year to get some good germination. I think the weather fluctuations have influenced things significantly.

The strawberries are eaten more often outdoors than indoors...what a great snack to have available while weeding!

I have 13 pepper plants planted now ranging from spicy to sweet. Yep I planted the Ghost pepper. Will I eat it? Um...highly doubtful!

I mentioned on Facebook the other evening that I treated some Bermuda grass with vinegar. Here is the result after 24 hours. Some damage is obvious but it will need repeat treatments. I'll spray again tomorrow and measure the effect. I'm using simple non-horticultural grade white vinegar with nothing mixed in. Some people have had success with salt in the mix but I'm afraid of possible salt build up in the soil if that is done too much.

What gardening did you get done over the weekend?

Propagating Stevia from Cuttings

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

There are some plants that are tricky to propagate but stevia isn't one of them! Stevia rebaudiana is an herb used as a substitute sweetener for sugar. It isn't reliably hardy here in Tennessee even though I did have a plant come back one year. Since then I've kept a plant in a pot to bring indoors for the winter. I've tried to grow stevia from seed but had a lot of difficulty in getting good germination which is why I turn to cuttings. Taking a cutting of stevia is as simple as it can be. I trim a stem or branch just above a set of leaves, leave two leaves on the top of the cutting and stick the bottom end of the cutting in moist sand. Rooting hormone is not necessary.

I kept the cuttings moist for about 3-4 weeks and found the root system to be very well developed at that point. It's covered in sand in the picture which I don't ever worry about removing. I potted this cutting and a second one in 4" pots to grow a little larger.

I kept my cuttings under a fluorescent light, nothing fancy just your typical shop light, and a heat mat. The heat mat helps keep the temperatures consistent in the spring. It's set at around 70 degrees.

We don't use stevia a lot around here but some people like use it as a substitute for sugar. On occasion we'll mix it with fresh mint and use it in tea. It is sweet to the taste but does tend to have a slight bitter flavor to it. I'm propagating these for the local farmer's market.

Here are some more plant propagation posts.

Selling Plants at a Farmers Market

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:20:00 +0000

It's been a couple weeks since I updated the series on starting a nursery business and since yesterday was my first sales date at a farmer's market I thought today would be a good opportunity to talk about that experience. Going to the market is pretty much an all day affair. It takes time to pick the best looking plants to bring, load them, and if you haven't already done so labeling them.

To set up it takes about 30 minutes once I make it to the market. I have a 10'x10' tent that I set up but there are so many trees where we are that additional shade is not necessary. I think having the tent up gives my business a more established and professional look. I usually bring one folding table but I may have to bring a second one next week. Plants that are off the ground are closer to and easier for the customer to examine. I also bring as much as I can knowing that most of it won't sell. Having a full display is important because of the impression it makes with the customers. It looks more established and they can choose from a variety of plants.

The most important thing with a farmer's market business is to know your product. Most of what I sell I have grown and can explain exactly how they taste and how to grow them. When I have a plant that is new to me as is the case with some varieties tomato plants I'm upfront and tell the customers that this one is new to me as well. Honesty is extremely important. You're not just making a sale you are making a relationship. The respect you show your customers will be returned to you many times over.

The first two hours of the market I had a constant flow of people at my booth to talk to which was fantastic! The time flew by quickly as I talked to customers about the plants, how to plant them, and what the varieties were. If I didn't have what they were looking for I inquired about it so that I could add that to my list of plants to bring or grow.

What were the results? I had my best market day ever. It went extremely well for my small business but the plant sales will only be a seasonal thing. Once the weather gets hot this summer people will be want vegetables and not vegetable plants. Ornamentals do not sell as well as edible plants at a farmer's market. All of the plants I sold yesterday were herbs or heirloom vegetable plants. I brought Japanese maples, hostas, heuchera, redbud, daylilies, and several other plants but none of them sold. However the ornamental plants did bring people to my space. They came and looked at the Japanese maples and hostas which filled out my booth area and brought them to the heirloom vegetables and herbs.

I hope that this post is helpful to you if you are thinking about a farmer's market business of any kind. Have a good display, talk to your customers, and build a relationship with them and your business will be successful!

More from the Starting a Nursery Business Series from Growing The Home Garden

Tennessee Blooming in May

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Today is the 15th of the month which means that it is also Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Stop by to see a bounty of blooms from across the blogosphere. Today here are a few things that are blooming in my Tennessee Garden.

The irises are taking the stage.

'Loop the Loop'

Unkown variety - smells like grapes!

'Caesar's Brother'

'Solar Fire' Iris

Our snowball viburnum is in full bloom. This plant gets huge clusters of blooms every year.

Another unknown iris. I like the burgundy and yellow combination of colors.

Our new peonies are blooming. 'Wladyslawa'

Salvias, catmint and many others are also blooming strong!

What is blooming in your garden?

Propagating Birch Trees from Softwood Cuttings

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:27:00 +0000

Spring means it's time to take some cuttings! Today I took a few cuttings of a birch tree I'm eventually going to have to remove. I planted it way too close to our house and it has gotten too large. I didn't want to lose the tree so I thought I would get a few to root and maybe plant plant one in a better location.

For these birch tree cuttings I wanted the green stem tip growth. I was looking for cuttings that were between 2-4 inches in length and green. Here are a few pieces I trimmed off initially. they still have some of the older wood material from the birch tree.

I trimmed the greenwood off of the old wood and stripped the leaves off to make cuttings with single leaves. Then I put the cuttings in a jar of water to stay hydrated while I gathered a few other things together.

Next I dipped the birch cuttings in rooting hormone and stuck them in a cup of wet sand.

I covered with a second cup to maintain the humidity and taped them together. I've found that this is an extremely easy way to maintain humidity around the cuttings. I put the container under a set of lights and now I just have to wait for roots to appear. I'll keep them closed up until I see roots begin to form. One advantage of using the clear cups is the ability to see the roots when they appear.

After roots have appeared I'll take the top cup off and moisten the sand to make it extremely loose. Then I'll gently pull the cuttings out and pot them up into pots to grow to a larger size before eventually putting them in the ground.

A Few Garden Photos from the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:14:00 +0000

It's been a very busy week for me and I haven't had much time to write but I did want to post a few photos of what is growing in the garden. Today is a rainy soggy mess in the garden and not very well suited for gardening so looking back at the garden photos from the week is the perfect activity!

Ornamental Allium

I'm a big fan of heucheras. This beauty is 'Caramel'.

Not 'Caramel' but with a similar color.

A couple more irises with burgundy falls and yellow standards.

A flat of pak choi seedlings. The weather has been cool and wet this year which is giving me an opportunity to germinate a few things for sequential planting.

Our first peony flowers are in bloom.

The snowball viburnum is in full bloom. Those branches get very heavy!

Irises at the shed.

Cilantro seedlings are coming along.

African daisies are great annuals for the garden!

Comfrey

Another heuchera I added to the garden. 'Fire Chief' has beautiful red tinted leaves.

Our 'Solar Fire' Iris is in bloom. One of my favorites!

Pink phlox is in bloom too.

Of course we're also excited to see blueberries on the bushes.

Those are a few photos from our week in the garden. How's your garden growing?

How Easy Are Japanese Maple Seeds to Grow?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:40:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered about growing Japanese maple seedling in your garden? It's not hard to do at all! Watch this video and see how easy it really is!

Here is a little more info on growing Japanese maples from seed.

A Vegetable Garden Update (Early May 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:02:00 +0000

This year is going to be a challenge. I can tell already judging from the weather we're having. A delayed start combined with high moisture and strange weather is creating a tricky situation for gardeners. All this moisture may sound like a good thing but I'm very concerned about the potential for fungal diseases on our tomatoes and peppers. Powdery mildew will also likely appear in significant proportions for ornamental plants. We'll take each challenge as it arises and continue to grow through this gardening season. Every year is different in the garden and its outcome is partially dependent on the weather but also on the fortitude and determination of the gardener.

Here's a quick look at what's going on in the vegetable garden.

The pak choi from fall is now going to seed. I chose to let it flower and produce some seed to collect and save. If you look closely you can see where it's forming little seed pods.

This bed has been renovated and is now mostly ready for planting. The fence to the left will be replaced soon with a wooden lattice style fencing. This is where our peppers will be planted but also where basil and other companion plants will be. I planted basil, chamomile, and a couple other plants from seed here before our rainy weekend came along.

I picked up some bamboo poles alongside the road the other day and put them into a tee-pee trellis to use for our beans. I planted two seeds at the base of each pole. Bamboo is flexible and sturdy which makes it great for use in the garden.

The potatoes are coming along nicely. I need to cover them with more grass clippings from the lawn. I mowed yesterday and forgot to collect some grass for the vegetable garden.

We're also getting some blueberries on the blueberry bushes. I'm going to have to cover very soon with bird netting to prevent possible blueberry thefts by the wildlife. The mockingbirds and cardinals are prime blueberry thieves around here and have been known to snatch strawberries as well...

The strawberry bed is growing prolifically like always. It needs weeded but otherwise the strawberry plants look good with a bunch of blooms and berries. I need to move the strawberry plants out of the vegetable garden to make more room for vegetables but that will have to wait until after they have produced for the year.

How is your garden coming along?

5 Things to Do to Prepare Your Garden Soil Before You Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Planting time is here, but before you plant there are a few things you should do to prepare your garden beds. Here are a few things you should do to get the soil prepared before planting out your garden.

Weed - This one is pretty obvious but it has to be done! Weeding the garden removes competition for valuable nutrients, opens up the area to better air flow, and gives your plants some room to grow. Take the weeds and drop them in your compost bin to break down. Weeds have a knock for growing in places where other plants don't like. That means they are able to pull nutrients from those areas into themselves. When you compost those weeds (hopefully before they have gone to seed) the nutrients end up in your compost which then ends up in your garden.

Soil Test - I've gotten by in my garden without a soil test so far but it is a valuable tool. When plants don't grow right (or at all) there may be something wrong with the soil that a soil test will help to figure out. Soil tests can indicate nutrient deficiencies or an improper balance of pH. When in doubt though it's not a bad idea to add compost...

Add compost - Compost adds valuable organic matter to the bed. It creates an efficient environment for microbes to convert minerals and nutrients into usable forms for plants to use. It also helps the soil keep a good balance of moisture available to your plants. I've said this before but if you do nothing else for your plants add compost!

Amend - If you need to amend your soil with anything other than compost do it before planting to ensure that it gets mixed evenly into the soil. Bonemeal, bloodmeal, alfafa meal, cotton seed meal, and any other organic amendment can be better available to your plants if mixed into the first few inches of soil before you plant. An even distribution of nutrients allows the plants to grow evenly. If you only put the amendments in the planting hole the plant's roots will want to stay in the hole - which is not what you want. Large root systems make better plants!

Arrange Irrigation Lines - irrigation is best planned out before you plant but I generally tend to do it afterward. If you know where all your plants are being planted go ahead and plan our your drip lines and hoses. It's easier to work around the hoses than it is around the plants!

What do you do before planting your vegetable garden?

Propagating Lavender through Cuttings

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:44:00 +0000

This morning I went out to the garden and took a few lavender cuttings. Lavender is a popular perennial for many gardeners since it blooms beautifully, smells great, and is very useful for making various crafts. A few years ago I started some lavender seeds which have grown into a small lavender shrub in our front yard. The green softwood growth in spring is ideal for taking cuttings so I figured I would try to root some more for myself and my farmers market customers. (More on Plant Propagation)

I took several cuttings that ranged from 2 inches to 4 inches in length. The ideal length is about 4 inches but some of these cuttings came off as I snipped small groups of branches. Kind of a collateral cutting situation.

I stripped the lower half of the cutting of its leaves very carefully. Fragile greenwood cuttings like these are easy to rip in half when removing the leaves so be careful!

I used rooting hormone to help speed things along. It isn't always necessary but I've found that it helps to quicken the process.

Then I stuck the cuttings into a plastic cup with moist sand. I only stuck enough of the cutting in the sand to allow the cutting to stand up on its own. I'll need to keep the sand moist until the cuttings have rooted. I don't want the sand with standing water, just damp enough to keep moisture around the cuttings.

Once I added the rest of the cuttings I set them under my grow lights on a heat mat. You don't have to use either a heat mat or grow lights for yours. Just find a location with a little bit of gentle light (dappled) where the cuttings can stay adequately warm.

These cuttings should root in a few weeks then I'll place them in small 4" pots to grow larger. When I plant them in the pots I'll pinch the top growth to encourage branching for a nice bushy little lavender plant.

I used the leftovers to make an air freshener for my wife's car. I didn't take a picture of the air freshener but it was extremely easy to make. Just put the leftover leaves in a small jelly jar used for canning. Then cover with a paper towel and tighten on the jar ring. Peel away any paper left hanging outside of the jar and you have a nice little air freshener! When it loses its scent just replace with other fragrant herbs.

Look here for more on Plant Propagation.

An Update on my Harbor Freight Greenhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:27:00 +0000

A couple months ago I put together my little 6'x8' Harbor Freight greenhouse. It was an inexpensive greenhouse that I was hoping would be a good way to increase my growing area for my small nursery business. I thought it was time I gave an update on how the greenhouse is working out for me.

After one storm where a plastic window flew off the top of the greenhouse I haven't had any other issues. I intended to secure the windows better but didn't do anything more than add a couple extra clips. We've had several other storm storms and nothing has come loose. I'm planning on securing it and insulating it better so that it can be used in the winter.

I left the greenhouse unheated for now. I may heat it in the future but didn't want to mess with it this year. The greenhouse stays about 5 degrees warmer than the outside temperatures at night when it's cold. During the day when the sun is out the heat inside can get much higher. 15 degrees higher than the outside temperature is not unusual when it's sunny outside. The greenhouse's heat retention at night isn't as great as I would like. That's where insulating and caulking will help. Passive solar heating might be an option too. Passive solar heating is where the heat of the day is stored in containers like water barrels and releases itself at night into the greenhouse.

In the greenhouse I've been growing my tomato, cucumber, pepper, and melon seedlings for sale at the farmer's market. Since I put in some shelves I've been able to house a good portion of my crop inside. I was even able put my Japanese maples inside the greenhouse to give them a jump start on growing.

Overall I'm satisfied except for one thing...space. I could easily fill another greenhouse of the same size with plants. In fact I probably could fill up pretty much any greenhouse! There's just never enough space.

5 Favorite Perennials for the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +0000

Perennials are the work horse of just about every garden. Trees and shrubs provide structure, but perennials provide a consistent impact. Annuals are great for an instant punch but perennials give you a repeat performance year after year. Some perennials bloom consistently through the season while others give a nice show for a short period of time. Narrowing down the list of perennials to a few favorites is extremely difficult. There are so many and each plant has traits that make it unique and useful in the garden. I've attempted in this post to list 5 favorite perennials but please realize that these favorites are just 5 of many!

5 Favorite Perennials

For Shade:

Heuchera
Heucheras or coral bells are really great plants for dry shady areas. I just recently experienced root rot on on of mine due to a semi-wet location but generally heuchera are extremely trouble free. They are also an American native plant. The efforts of plant breeders (like Terra Nova) have made some spectacular varieties available to gardeners and have even developed plants that thrive in sun. Heucheras are a great alternative to hostas if you have trouble with deer and rabbits as they are much less palatable. Deer do graze on my heucheras in the winter but their nibbles act as a winter pruning session and in the spring the heucheras come back refreshed.

Hosta
I like hostas a lot but they can be more torublesome than heucheras. Still I find that they are worth it. Hostas have a great range of appearances and sizes. Some are miniature and others like 'Empress Wu' are huge. Their colors can be blue to green or have variegation. Hybridizers are even trying to bring red coloring found in the stems of certain hostas into the leaves to introduce new colors. Hostas are a favorite food of deer but mixing them with less palatable plants like heuchera or hellebore can offset the damage.

For Sun:

Coneflower (Echinacea)
Coneflowers are great plants for any sun filled garden. They attract bees and butterflies while adding a great deal of color to the garden. When you allow the seed heads to form in the fall they provide nourishment for the birds. Any seeds that happen to drop in the garden could self sow. When planting make sure you leave the crown of the plant slightly above the surface of the soil to avoid potential crown rot issues. Coneflowers can also be infected with the disease Aster Yellows.

Salvia
Salvia is one of the highest impact and most trouble free plants I have. Whether it's an annual like Salvia coccinea or perennial like Salvia farinacea all salvias add a tremendous amount of value to the garden. Hummingbirds in particular love our 'Black and Blue' salvia (Salvia guarunitica) which tends to spread into a large mass via its running roots. Salvia is also a great plant for beginning propagators to try.

Iris
Irises are a very neat perennial with the only downside being their short bloom period. The varieties available are staggering and more become available every year. Irises are a favorite of gardeners who like to experiment with plant breeding because of how easy it is to cross pollinate. They are extremely reliable performers but can be susceptible to borers. Some are fragrant and when well placed can cover a whole garden with their scent.

Those are five favorite perennials of mine but really are just a few I picked out from a much larger pool of favorites. I do have to reiterate that the salvias are one of the best plants for the garden for their low maintenance and high impact but all of these plants have a place in the garden!

Have a great weekend!

Irises in the Garden (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:05:00 +0000

Our first group of irises has just started to bloom. The iris blooms are coming much later than last year due to the cold temperatures that have pushed everything back about nearly a month. There are a just a couple types of iris here in my garden including the tall bearded irises, the Dutch irises, and some Siberian irises like 'Caesar's Brother'. Right now we have one bearded iris and several Dutch irises in bloom.

Dutch iris or Iris xiphium are extremely easy to grow. These I planted from a cheap pack of bulb bought last year. They were mixed irises and contained at least three color types from blueish purple to purple to white. These irises are showy but would have much more impact if planted in a mass grouping of similarly colored irises.

This purple Dutch iris is by my light post project from last year.

We have more bearded irises than any other type. This light purple one is in our rain garden area. It's fairly plain but has this interesting spider veining on the falls which are the petals that fall downward. (For more on the anatomy of an iris check out this page, great info!) This particular iris is not fragrant but another variety we have releases a strong grape scent throughout the garden. That one should be opening up within the next few days. Too bad I can't send the fragrance through a blog post!

Hopefully soon I'll be able to share the rest of our irises with you...if the cold weather relents! Do you grow irises?

Natural Rocks for Stone Garden Borders

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:28:00 +0000

I like the look of rocks for bordering my garden beds. Rocks define the border between the garden area and the walkways, help keep mulch in place, and give the garden bed a structural element. I've gathered rocks from several places over the years and brought them to my garden. It's not easy work but I like the end result.

In the picture above there is columbine, golden ragwort, and heucheras. A crape myrtle (on the right) gives us some summer color when in bloom on the corner of our front porch. The boxwood to the left is one of two that flank the pathway that goes underneath our side garden arbor. When you turn to the right you will see the front garden with its rock border. This garden is in transition at the moment. The daffodils are done blooming and the foliage is replenishing the energy the bulbs need to grow next year. Irises will take the stage next in this bed, many of which will be flowering within the next week.

To soften the borders I like to plant plants like phlox that crawl over the border. Phlox is not overly aggressive and is easily controlled by trimming after bloom. I have one plant that is sprawling on our sidewalk which has generated all kinds of roots underneath. After they finish blooming I'll take my clippings and plant them in other locations for spring color next year since the clippings are already rooted.

Our whole front garden area is bordered with rocks from the driveway to around the side of the house. It's fun to mix the natural roughly hewn stone with manufactured paver and patio blocks like around our front entry spot and our sitting wall border. Mixing the two types of stone makes the garden blend well with other natural elements.

Do you use rock and stone in your garden for borders?

A Weekend Gardening To-Do List For Mid-April

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

It's Friday! I think I may have heard you exclaim in glee from here...maybe that's just my imagination. The weekend is approaching and you are eagerly anticipating being outdoors in the garden. Have you planned out your chores and tasks yet? If not here are a few things that I need to do in my garden that you may need to do as well.

Late April Garden To-Do List

Continue weeding all the garden beds.
Mulch the pathways in the vegetable garden.
Mulch the ornamental gardens.
String up lines for my sugar snap peas to climb.
Propagate plants from cuttings: salvia, catmint, monarda
Transplant and/or pot up: coneflowers - too many in one bed! Catnip too.
Prune: Yew, butterfly bushes (way late on that one), honeysuckle (coral red)
Mow - yep always have to mow.
Inspect the fruit trees for any signs of pests. Apple trees should be blooming by now need to run up the hill and check them out!

I know that this garden to-do list is incomplete. I could come up a with a million things to put on it probably but as it is now I probably can't finish it all this weekend!

Are any of these items on your weekend agenda?

Starting a Nursery Business: Consider The Workload

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:12:00 +0000

One of the many things to consider when starting your own nursery business is the workload. You probably really enjoy gardening (or else you wouldn't even consider a nursery business!) but do you realize how much work goes into producing a plant for sale? We aren't just talking about one plant either. We're talking about lots of plants to make a decent income.

What kind of work is involved in starting a nursery business?

The obvious first job to talk about is propagating the plants. Growing from seed, cuttings, and divisions are three easy ways for people to make more plants but consider how many plants you will need to produce. After you think of your expenses per plant and calculate your profit per plant think about how many plants you need to produce to hit your goals. Suppose you can make $4 per potted plant after expenses. A goal of $1000 profit means you must sell 250 plants. Now expand that to an income of say $40k and you need 10,000 plants! That's a significant crop.

Once you've produced your plants you have to take care of them which means regular watering, application of fertilizers, weeding, and pest prevention. All of these activities take time and some take money for the equipment. You will have to lug around hoses or come up with a nice irrigation system to zonally cover your nursery.

Moving pots, trays, and planters takes some physical effort. It can be very repetitive work. (Pick up plant, walk across nursery, set down plant, walk back, repeat...) Carts are helpful and if you have a large number of plants trailers are excellent too.

You have to label your plants in some fashion. Writing 1000 labels for your plants isn't fun. At least I don't think so. Labeling printers can ease this some but most people don't start off that way. Hand written labels take time to put together and can be tedious.

Transporting the plants to markets or to other nurseries takes a lot of effort as well. You will have to load and unload your goods at every location. Trailer trucks with rolling plant carts are only accessible to the big guys for the most part who deliver to the box stores so your methods may have to be much lower tech and consequently result in harder work.

Marketing your product is essential. How do people buy your plants if they don't know they are there? Either you will have to hire someone or you will need to find routes to communicate your products. Facebook (The Home Garden, Blue Shed Gardens, Home Garden Box) is one free method but has its challenges. Other social media sites can be effective too if used properly. Craigslist, newspapers, and other classified type services also can work but all of it takes time to set up - and - maintain a presence.

Accounting is also essential. You have to keep track of expenses and profit. Both of which then need to be reported for tax purposes.

I'm not trying to discourage you from starting a nursery business at all. Just go into it with your eyes wide open for the work that is involved. Start small and build your business as you are able to with as low of a risk as possible. Don't ever let your gardening business become a chore!

More from the Starting a Nursery Business Series from Growing The Home Garden

Why Add Lime for Tomatoes?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:51:00 +0000

You've probably heard of adding lime to soil. Farmers and lawn experts recommend it frequently to add to gardens and lawns to help your plants grow, but why? Why should you use lime for your tomatoes?

Lime is calcium carbonate. Which leads us to one easy answer for why it might help tomatoes - to combat blossom end rot. Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant cell walls. Without enough calcium the cells cannot form correctly and break down in the fruit production of the plant. How does lime correct this? Obviously since lime is partially made of calcium it does add some to the soil but it also adjusts the pH levels of the soil. Lime will raise the pH (per Hydrogen) of the soil and will make the soil less acidic. Plants have certain pH levels that are ideal for their growth and tomatoes prefer to be between 6.0 and 6.8 which is slightly on the acidic side. Neutral would be 7.0. Usually there is plenty of calcium in the soil for the plant to use for fruit growth but sometimes it isn't available for the plant because of various reasons like the wrong pH, too much water, or not enough water.

Having a good pH helps microbes break down materials better and improves the transfer of nutrients into usable forms for plants.

Before you go about adding lime to your soil it is a good idea to have a soil test done to check for the nutrient content and the soil acidity. You can buy tests to check the pH or you can utilize your local agricultural extension service. Most agricultural extension services will soil test for you at a very reasonable rate. They can give you some valuable feedback too. Our University of Tennessee extension can give recommendations based on the types of crops you want to grow.

As plants grow and break down over time the soil tends to gradually become more acidic. How much depends on a number of factors so it is best to get a test done on your garden soil every now and then to gauge what is happening in your soil.

How much lime should you add? If you've had a soil test you probably know exactly how much lime you need. If you aren't going to get a soil test then you can work a small amount into the top couple inches of soil before you plant (if you don't know the soil chemistry you may not even need it). Lime takes time to break down so it probably won't be immediately available for your plants. Adding lime in the fall after you've cleaned out the garden should give lime plenty of time to break down and make your soil a better environment for growing your tomatoes!

Planting A Tulip Garden in Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:06:00 +0000

Springtime is full of all kinds of color. New foliage comes out, flowers bloom, and all kinds of fresh growth begins. One of the classic plants many people think of for spring is the tulip. Tulips are usually best planted in the fall about 6 inches deep in the garden, but sometimes we forget to plant tulips in the fall and might like to add some color to the garden in spring. This month Lowe's Creative Ideas gave me the opportunity to do that with my garden. I selected a few tulips and other flowers and added them to our front garden to create a fresh updated look for our front walkway based around the tulip!

I began by finding a few really nice red tulips. There is a little orange fringe on the petals of the flowers that makes them really pop out in the landscape. I wanted to put them in pots along our front walkway using the background of some tulips we've had growing now for several years. For pots I selected two glazed clay pots with a maroon base and tan color toward the top. The purple tulips are named 'Negrita' and the white ones are 'Shirley'. Both have returned reliably for several years now.

In the potted arrangement I gathered other hot colored flowering plants like these African daisies,

some Gerbera daisies, and some coreopsis. I also added in a purple sweet potato vine to spill out of the pot into the garden.

Together they made this arrangement:

and this potted arrangement:

When the tulip flowers fade leave the foliage alone to gather energy for the bulb. When the foliage turns brown or yellowy you can cut it back and let the bulbs rest. You can transplant tulips after blooming to another location and replace them in the pot with a summer bloomer or an ornamental grass. An annual purple colored grass like a pennisetum or cordyline would work perfectly! I'll probably plant a purple leaf basil into their spot once the flowers fade.

Look here are a few of other project posts for Lowe's Creative Ideas!

How do you use tulips in your garden?

5 Essential Vegetable Garden Chores

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:10:00 +0000

It's planting time in many areas of the country and many gardeners are just starting their first gardens. Figuring out just what to do in the garden can get a little overwhelming for beginning gardeners so here are 5 essential garden chores that gardeners can do to maximize their success!

11 Things to Consider When
Designing a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

Keep the garden weeded! I have been guilty of failing to keep up with weeding. I'll admit it! Weeding is not the most fun task in the world but it is necessary. Weeds can take away valuable nutrients from the vegetables you are growing. They use resources like water and when large enough can block out light from your garden. Keep your garden weeded on a regular basis. If you can get out there each day and pull a few weeds then your weeding will be simple and easy. If you wait until there are a lot of weeds you will have a lot of weeds to pull! Do yourself a favor and keep it maintained!
Mulch the garden. Mulching goes a long way toward reducing weeds, keeping moisture in the soil, and even replenishing nutrients. Organic mulches break down over time and feed the soil. Mulch keeps the soil cooler for roots in the hot summer and water is more available to plants since it hasn't evaporated as quickly. I use grass clippings from a pesticide and herbicide free lawn as a mulch but you can use straw, pine needles, hardwood mulch, leaves, or other organic mulches. I never use Bermuda grass clippings since they are able to spread into the garden from just a little cutting.
Amend the soil! I amend the soil each year with organic materials. I consider mulching as one step in the soil amendment processes but do use fertilizers. There are three numbers on fertilizers which are abbreviated N-P-K. Nitrogen is good for leafy plant growth and the other two (Phosphorus and Potassium) help with fruiting, rooting, and general plant health. I only use organic fertilizers on my plants since synthetic ones introduce salts and other chemicals into the soil. Organic fertilizers target the soil and fill it with nutrients rather than providing immediately available nutrients to the plant. If you build a healthy soil you will have healthy plants!
Composting is a must. You will end up with mountains of plant waste when you garden. Add that plant waste to your vegetable kitchen waste and you will have a good foundation for a compost pile. I'm always astounded in the fall to see bags and bags of leaves by the roadsides which would make great compost too. When your compost is all black and crumbly add it as an amendment to your soil. Just work it into the top 2 inches or so of soil and let it go to work. Finished compost adds microbial activity to the soil which helps in the transfer of nutrients into the plant.
Monitor the garden.

You should be in the garden every day. Just to walk around and see how things are going and pick the ripe produce daily to keep it coming. Pests, like these black blister beetles in the picture, can quickly come into the garden on those days you didn't make it to the garden and do damage. Daily monitoring allows you to see what is happening, what you need to do,how to fix it, and you can do a little bit of weeding while you're there! Walk through the garden before work, after work, at lunch, or whenever the mood strikes you and your garden will be better for it.

There's a saying that says "The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow." So get out there this weekend and put your shadow over some plants!

Spring Around the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:59:00 +0000

It is full fledged spring around our Middle Tennessee garden. There is no shortage of work that needs to be done in the form of weeding and mulching on top of a myriad of miscellaneous projects. For now though let's just take a few pictures of the garden and we'll think of that monster spring to-do list a little later.

This Japanese maple is called 'Beni Schichihenge'. I have to confess that I have to look up how to spell that almost every time! I may have finally gotten it though... The new foliage is rimmed in pink which eventually changes to a creamy white variegation.

My 'Walker's Low' catmint is always a standout performer. It smells great and is easily manageable. Once it starts to bloom it won't quit! (also it is very easy to propagate catmint!)

I haven't gotten an avocado from my potted avocado tree yet so for now I'll just have to enjoy this 'Guacamole' hosta. No it's not for eating, unless you are a deer...

Other hostas are coming up. These garden beds are a prime example of the weeding that needs done! Can someone please add a few more hours to each day? Please?

Oak leaf hydrangeas are good performers here in our Tennessee garden. I like watching the new foliage transform. They almost appear to be little hands stretching up in prayer.

I planted some strawberries as a ground cover underneath some trees in the front yard. Hopefully we'll get them before the critters do! Laying out some bird netting may be on my spring agenda.

A tall garden phlox. I believe this one is 'Franz Shubert'. It was necessary to have something musical in my garden.

The 'Yoshino' cherries are still impressive!

And of course I'm thrilled with my organically grown lawn. I need to run around with the spreader and some compost over some areas to improve the soil but I really can't complain with how the lawn looks right now.

What does spring look like where you are?

Aphids: One of the First Pests of Early Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:19:00 +0000

Every year I notice these little green insects. Well, sometimes they aren't green, I've seen them in orange and yellow and they come in red, brown, and black too. Whatever fashion sense these insects display one thing is for sure: you don't really want aphids on your plants! Aphids are a soft-bodied insect that love to suck on the juices of plants. New foliage is especially vulnerable to an infestation and as you can see so are tulip petals. While the sucking damage aphids cause may not be serious, aphids can spread diseases. Fortunately aphids are easy to remove without harsh chemicals.

Method 1: Water
Spray the aphid infected plant with water from a hose. It will knock off the aphids. Make sure to spray the undersides of leaves as that is one of their favorite places to lurk.

Method 2: Wipe them out!
Take a wet paper towel and wipe down the aphids to remove them from your plant.

Method 3: Introduce a predator!
This isn't as scary as it sounds. No lions, tigers, or alien creatures are necessary. Ladybugs however, are perfect! The larval stage of the lady bug (which looks like a little teeny tiny alien alligator) is a voracious aphid eater. Look around your garden and you'll probably find one like in this picture. Move it to your aphid infected plants and let it satiate its appetite. Parasitic wasps and lacewings are also great friends to have around!

Method 4: Insecticidal soap
Insecticidal soap will take care of aphid infestations. Repeat applications may be necessary.

Method 5: Neem Oil
Neem oil is made from the neem tree and will help to eradicate aphids.

Both the neem oil and the insecticidal soap may hurt predator insects so inspect your plants for their presence before spraying and remove predator insects if you find them. Although if you do find them you probably don't need the spray! Always try the least invasive method of control first and attempt Methods 1-3 before resorting to sprays.

For a little more on aphids including details on their life-cycle read this post I wrote back in 2008.

Building an Arbor Style Trellis

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:06:00 +0000

In the vegetable garden there is always a need for more space. You never have enough. The garden is constantly being filled with more plants than you really have room for and you have to find ways to organize it. That's why going vertical is a great option and the most classic way to go vertical is to use a trellis. For my March (yep I'm late) Lowe's Creative Ideas post I put together a trellis for growing my edibles with a little bit of arbor style. This trellis would be an excellent option as a stand alone feature or could be incorporated into a garden fence as I am doing. Lowe's sent me gift cards to purchase the supplies and I went to work!

To build this trellis I purchased 2 8ft. 4x4's, 2 deck boards, a box of 2" deck screws, a box of 1 1/4" deck screws, a set of black coated lag screws, 14 - 1x2's, a 1x4, a bag of gravel, and an 80 lb. bag of concrete. All of these materials together cost about $75-80.

I started by digging the holes for the 4x4's. My challenge in this was to match it up with last year's gutter planter arbor project. I wanted the height of both arbors to match. Then I measured the height of the 4x4's and cut them appropriately. You can cut them to whatever height you need for your project. Next I measured the deck boards to allow for an 8 1/2 inch over hang on each side of the posts plus the width of the posts themselves which comes to 72 inches. The posts needed to be exactly 4' across to match the other arbor. Then I cut the bottom corners off of the deck boards.

Into the holes I put a couple inches of gravel to allow for drainage. I put the arbor completely together on the ground before lifting it into the holes. I attached one side of the arbor top with some black coated lag screws then flipped the arbor over and did the other side. I like to build arbors on the ground before setting them in the holes since I can get the measurements like I want them without the need for a second person to hold everything.

Once the arbor was built on the ground I raised it up into the holes and leveled it. Adjust the level of it by adding more gravel or taking it away from the hole. To help with this I secured the arbor with clamps and sawhorses. Clamps are a necessity when doing a project like this by yourself! Once it was all level I put half the concrete into one hole and the other half into the other hole. I let the concrete cure over night then came back to do the inside lattice work.

For the inside trellis area I secured 1x2's vertically to each 4x4 with enough space to allow the horizontal slats to fit flush with the outside edge of the 4x4s. I used the 2" deck screws to attach them. These 1x2's were placed flat against the 4x4's to give my slats a piece of wood to grip into. Remember to pre-drill all the holes for any 1x2 you need to screw or you will crack them! Then I put the top slat just underneath top of the arbor and secured them with the 1 1/4" deck screws. I measured the slat positions at 6" on center and made marks across the top slat. I attached a 4' long 1x4 to the bottom of the side slats to secure the vertical pieces. Once the bottom and top were in place I cut and secured the vertical slats to the top bar. Each slat was centered on the marks I made and allowed to hang. After they were all hung on the top bar I leveled them and secured each slat to the bottom 1x4 bar.

I marked and measure the horizontal slats also at 6" on center and cut the 1x2s to fit between the posts. I pre-drilled the holes into the ends and began securing one side, leveling, then the other side. You only have to measure one side when you do it this way. Make sure that you are using fairly straight 1x2s for this. They tend to warp so you will need to inspect each one. It's not a bad idea to buy a few spare ones just in case! Then I worked my way down the arbor with the slats until I finished.

I used the same method to continue the fence around the vegetable garden. A fence not only prevents deer from entering but will also be a great place to grow climbing vegetables like cucumbers and peas. An arbor like this is not just great for a fence but would be a very nice stand alone project for any climbing plant. Unfortunately it isn't time to plant the warm season vegetable yet so I'll have to wait until after April 15th (last frost date here in our area of TN) before growing on the trellis!

Bees in the 'Yoshino' Cherry Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:35:00 +0000

What is my favorite tree? That's a hard question to answer, since there are so many trees that I enjoy. Some trees provide fruit, other trees, shade, and others flowers which makes them hard to pick a single favorite. I have to categorize. In the spring for the flowering trees I would have to say my favorites are the cherry trees. I love seeing the massive canopies of blooms each year. Our garden is home to several 'Yoshino' cherry trees which never fail to impress me!

This 'Yoshino' was the second one I planted in our yard and has grown fast and strong. It's been planted for about 4 years. The bees enjoy it immensely. I was out working in the yard yesterday and every time I passed by the cherry tree I heard hundreds of individual buzzes that made it sound as if the tree had an engine. I love the fact that I can provide the bees with something to enjoy.

I think spring has finally arrived. The warmer weather is here for the foreseeable forecast, the trees are pumping out the blooms, and the bees are trying to catch up on time lost to cooler weather.

And you know what spring means...lots to do in the garden!

Starting a Nursery Business: Other Expenses That Add Up

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:05:00 +0000

It all adds up! Everything you do has some sort of financial cost to it that can contribute to your business expenses when beginning your nursery business. Often we don't think much about them. I know I'm guilty of not considering certain items as part of the expenses. There are lots of things that sound so minor that you might think they aren't worth taking into account, but every expense adds up. Here are some other business expenses you should account for in some manner when starting your nursery business.

Water
All of your plants will need watering. You may be lucky and get adequate rain but I can't see ever having the rain at just the right times every time! You can gather your rain in rain barrels, cisterns, or retention ponds but all of those methods do take money to construct or purchase. If you use water from the tap you'll have to pay your municipality for the expense. Water is a variable cost that will depend greatly on the weather but you need to allow some room in your budget for supplemental watering.

Transportation
If you travel to a farmer's market like I do you will use gas for your vehicle. Even if you don't travel far the cost of gas isn't cheap. If you have to rent a trailer or a truck to transport your plants you should account for it as well. Delivering wholesale plants to nurseries is one way to run your business but you will have to account for the travel and equipment being used.

Structures
Do you use or need a greenhouse to start your plants early? A shed for storing equipment? You can find lots of different options for shed or greenhouses but they do take money for materials.

Plant Trays
Moving a few thousand little pots goes much easier when you have some sort of trays to move them! Trays are cheap and you can find them for free from other gardeners.

Fertilizers
Every now and then you will have to fertilize your plants as they use up the available nutrients in their pots. I use organic fertilizers and have compost in the pots initially but as the season progresses they need supplemental care. Ideally you can see your plants before you need to add more fertilizers. Some growers use slow release fertilizers which help them last through the growing season.

Plant Shelves
Last year I used pallets as plant shelves. They were free pallets that other people didn't need so I set them on cinder blocks and used them to house my nursery plants. They aren't the most attractive shelves but the cost made them worthwhile. I still had to purchase blocks to put the pallets on from a store since I did not have any on hand.

Pest Protection
I have deer and rabbit issues so my plants have to be protected from them. I used bird netting to cover my plants that would annoy any deer trying to eat them. It worked fine and was fairly inexpensive. I grow organically so I only used natural pest repellents to fight off insects like Neem oil. Everything you use to fend off nature needs to be accounted for in your budget.

Those are just a few things to think about. Make a list as long as you can with every possible expense on it. In order to be successful in your business you have to know where your money goes otherwise you won't be able to contain your costs. We talked about cost analysis in the last post of the Starting a Nursery Business series. In that post we analyzed the expenses associated with pots and producing the plants. All these other expenses should be accounted for with the profit you make from the sale of your plants. What you have left over after all the expenses is your actual profit!

You can follow my nursery on Facebook on these two pages: Blue Shed Gardens or The Home Garden Box.

More from the Starting a Nursery Business Series from Growing The Home Garden

The 20-Minute Gardener - Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Townsend) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:00 +0000

The 20-Minute Gardener
on Amazon

A couple weeks ago I was sent a review copy of the 20-Minute Gardener from Sunset Books. The idea behind the book is very intriguing: 20 minutes of gardening each day for a great garden. You may have heard this concept before. The idea is simple. If you do a little bit in your garden each day you save yourself a lot of work over the season. The 20-Minute Gardener puts together ideas, concepts, techniques, and designs that will help you maximize your gardening.

My First Impression
When I first looked at the 20-Minute Gardener I was expecting something a little more along the lines of an edible garden resource. (Sunset actually has a different book for that.) the 20-Minute Gardener is more about designing for aesthetics with ornamental plantings and has just a small amount of edible gardening inside. There are 3-4 designs that do discuss edibles to some extent including a keyhole garden a little about raised beds and some herbs but it is mostly about design. That's good for many gardeners who prefer to garden with ornamental plantings and landscaping rather than edibles.

The 20-Minute Gardener is geared for those who live in the western regions of the United States. That's not to say that there isn't some crossover. In the suggested plants area many of the plants do great here in the east too. Gaillardia and salvia are two of my favorites and both are listed as easy to grow plants with little maintenance. I can vouch for that! They have sections that include grasses, ferns, annuals, perennials, and shrubs that are good low-maintenance plants for gardens.

What Else is in the 20-Minute Gardener?
There are some creative project ideas included like a dry stream bed, a succulent hanging frame, and various pathway planting ideas. There's even a tabletop garden. The photographs are beautiful, plentiful, and provide a quite a few garden design ideas.

Composting is discussed, fixing the soil, and it even suggests some natural methods of pest control which are useful to all gardeners no matter what kind of plants you like to grow.

The 20-Minute Gardener is a good resource for gardeners needing advice on how to spruce up their gardens and may not have much time to spare. It's good for beginning gardeners who may be struggling with ideas to make their gardens more attractive and easier to handle.