image from Pinterest 

      ​Unbelievable out for the temperature is 31 degrees, sun shining, but the wind is blowing and the roads are drifting causing it to be slippery on the blacktops.  Stay safe.  BUT tonight cold temperatures moving back.  -8 with a high tomorrow of 11.  Here we go again.  Be safe.
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Sweet Pea Flowers  by Catherine Boeckmann
Few annual flowers have the lasting appeal and bucolic beauty of sweet peas. Twining lazily around a rustic trellis, they seem the very antithesis of our busy lives. With their seductive fragrance, sweet peas make great flowers for gardens and bouquets. Read our Sweet Pea Growing Guide for information on how to plant and care for sweet peas!
About Sweet Peas
The sweet pea—Lathyrus odoratus—is an annual flower that is at home in a cutting garden, border garden, woodland, or twining on a trellis or an arch. The flowers are now available in a huge range of colors, from pearly white through ice cream pastels to ritzy magentas and inky purples.
Their dainty winged blossoms are matched only by their honey and orange blossom perfume. The combination of the delightful scent and the ability to produce so many blooms for the house over a long period of cutting has ensured their popularity. 
Early sowing is one of the secrets to growing sweet peas! Despite their delicate look, sweet peas are quite hardy. In USDA Hardiness Zone 7 or colder, plant them in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. (Do not wait until last frost to sow!)
The first sweet peas were introduced to Britain in 1699 when a Sicilian monk, Francis Cupani, sent seeds of this highly fragrant annual to Dr. Robert Uvedale, a teacher from Enfield, Middlesex. They became hugely popular in North America, both as garden plants and cut flowers. By the late 1800s, California’s growers (including W. Atlee Burpee) shipped trainloads of sweet peas all over the country and developed many further varieties.
 
Some folks say that growing sweet peas is akin to making a pie crust. Some people have the knack, others don’t. This plant grows from large, easy-to-handle, pea-like seeds. Still, they’re a bit tricky because they are slow to germinate. It’s worth experimenting with different seeds each year.
Planting
When to Plant Sweet Peas
In most locations where frosts occur regularly (Zone 7 and colder), sweet peas should be planted in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. (Do not wait until last frost to sow! It will likely be too late.)
If you garden in mild winter climates (Zones 8, 9, or 10), plant sweet peas in the late fall (November) so they can develop and bloom in late winter and early spring. To get the best display, dig a trench and fill it with well-rotted manure or compost 6 weeks before you sow the seeds. Sweet peas are greedy plants and need a good boost of nutrient rich matter to thrive.
Sowing Sweet Peas Indoors
In the coldest parts of the country, get a jump on the season by starting sweet peas indoors in a seed tray. Sow in seed-starting containers in early spring about 6 to 7 weeks before the last frost date, then plant out as soon as soil can be worked; sweet peas can handle light frosts.
Soaking the seeds overnight first softens the outer coating and aids germination. Lightly scoring the outer shell with a nail file can help, too.
Sow the seeds about half an inch deep in individual cells of a seed tray—2 seeds to a module is fine, but be aware that their long roots have a tendency to tangle and can make separation difficult.
Once they are showing their first pea-like leaves, gently scoop them out and put them into a larger pot to harden off. The advice I had from one of the most respected sweet pea growers was “to treat the seedlings how I would my husband: stick them in an unheated greenhouse, ignore them, and they will thrive.”
As soon as the soil can be worked, plant them outside.
Sowing Seeds in the Ground
Sweet peas are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil. When possible, plant low-growing annuals in front of them to shade their roots.
Choose a well-drained site. Alkaline soil is best; sprinkle some powdered lime on the surface if your soil tends to be acidic.
Prepare a rich soil by mixing in generous amounts of compost or well-rotted manure to a depth of 2 feet. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
Prior to planting, you’re going to want to dig a nice deep “compost” trench of about 4 inches in depth.
After you dig the trench, make holes with a pencil, drop in the seeds, and press down on the soil to firm it and shut out any light.
Before planting, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Then nick the seeds with a nail file before planting to speed sprouting. You do not need to soak seeds in a temperate climate.
Care
How to Grow Sweet Peas
Once planted, germination can take 7 to 15 days, depending on the soil temperature.
As seedlings emerge and grow, gradually fill in the trench. Hoe more soil up to them.
Keep soil moist. Summer rain may be ample. If you put your finger into the soil bed to its first joint and the soil is dry, water them at the soil level and do so in the morning; sweet peas can suffer from bud drop.
If you use plenty of aged manure and compost when planting, you do not need to fertilize. If you do want to add nourishment, use high potash feeds, as nitrogen feeds encourage too much top growth.
When plants become established, mulch well to keep the soil cool and moist. If you mulch, you may not need to water your sweet peas unless the soil gets dry.
To encourage bushy growth, pinch off the tops when plants are 6 inches tall—not before or you’ll encourage premature side-shoot development.
Provide Supports
Sweet peas prefer cool days and nights and will start to fade when temperatures go above 65°F.
Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. Give them at least 6 feet of good support. Some varieties may climb to 9 or 10 feet. Other visually-pleasing supports are bamboo poles in a tee-pee style, a woven willow obelisk, or a trellis. If you don’t have a fence or trellis, provide brush or chicken wire or bushy, stubbly twigs that they can cling to.
Tie the first few stems in to the support to give the plants a good start and the rest will follow. When they get to 4-8 inches high pinch out the middle growing tip with your thumb and forefinger. This will lead to sturdier plants.
Picking Flowers
Pick the flowers for bouquets often and the plant will put energy into more blooms instead of going to seed. The more you pick the more they produce, right until the first frosts.
When the leaves start to lose their color let a few of the last flowers form seedpods. Dry them on a windowsill and then store in an envelope in a dry place to sow next year.
Pests/Diseases
Slugs and snails may attack young growth.
Fungal diseases such as Pythium root rot, powdery mildew, rust, gray mold, and various leaf spots are common.
Recommended Varieties
There are sweet pea varieties for every situation, from 8-foot-plus scramblers to dwarf bedding ones suitable for containers and borders without support.
In their native Sicily, these ornamental peas have weak stems and an intense orange-jasmine-honey scent. Modern hybrids are stronger-stalked and have larger blooms.
At the same time, some of these modern varieties with larger flowers and contemporary hues lack the fragrance of the earlier sweet peas. Sweet pea ‘Cupani’, with it’s bi-colored flowers, maroon upper petals with violet “wings,” is still deservedly popular and is easy to grow.
The deliciously-scented ‘America’ is an heirloom, dating to 1896. Its petals unfurl to show stunning wavy red and white stripes.
Look for heirlooms like the ‘Old Spice’ collection from Sicily. This strain blooms in shades of white, cream, pink, lavender, and purple.
While the common sweet pea is an annual, there is also a perennial unscented broad-leaved everlasting pea, Lathyrus latiflolius. These are clambering plants, which can reach up to 6 or 7 feet and are hardy to zone 5; they are low maintenance plants that flower regularly year on year.
Wit and Wisdom
The sweet pea is an essential member of a late-Victorian garden. Victorians loved sweet peas for their color diversity and fragrance.
Gather the flowers in the morning when the dew is still on them. This is when their scent is the sweetest.
Sweet peas are one of the April birth flowers.
“The odor of the sweet pea is so offensive to flies that it will drive them out of a sick-room, though not in the slightest degree disagreeable to the patient.”
–A tip from The 1899 Old Farmer’s Almanac
Here are sweet peas, on tip-toe for a flight:
With wings of gentle flush o’er delicate white,
And taper fingers catching at all things,
To bind them all about with tiny rings.
–John Keats (1795–1821), excerpt from “I Stood Tip-Toe Upon a Little Hill”
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/sweet-peas
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365
 

image from wallpaper cave 

     ​WOW the thermometer is saying it is -20 below accurate temperature with wind chill of -35.  Can’t believe how cold that is.  Glad I can stay in the home office and work.  I will just need to go out and feed the kitties.  High today is 13 degrees with that as the predicted low of 13.  THEN warming up during the night.  When it gets to 30 degrees we will think we are in a heat wave.  ALL I can say is stay WARM, stay SAFE. 
I am having good luck with these poinsettias, and I have to believe it is because of the new humidifier we are using.  Use a humidifier is one of the things to do for keeping them growing. 
Caring for Poinsettias—Especially after Christmas!  By Doreen G. Howard
Are your Christmas poinsettias still going strong? See our tips for keeping poinsettias alive well beyond the holidays.
Poinsettias: A Christmas Tradition
A week or two before Christmas, my Dad always gave my Mom a potted Poinsettia wrapped in shiny foil. And my Aunt Dodo had a nine-foot-tall one growing next to her front door. Bracts on it started turning pinkish around Halloween, then red, and remained ablaze until after Valentine’s Day.
For those unaware, the showy red parts of Poinsettia plants are not the flowers; rather, they are modified leaves known as bracts. The actual “flower” on a poinsettia plant is the yellow bloom found right at the center of the bracts.
After earning a degree in organic chemistry, which initiated my love of plants and growing them, it occurred to me that Poinsettias were the most unlikely flower to symbolize Christmas. They grow in warm climates, are native to Mexico and Central America, and are treated as pampered, delicate throw-away plants in most parts of this country!
Poinsettia’s Poison Myth
Let’s lay to rest once and for all the popular myth that poinsettias are dangerously poisonous. 
Thanks to an urban legend that began circulating in the early 1900s, it’s commonly believed that poinsettia leaves are toxic enough to kill a small child. In fact, poinsettias are not poisonous to a dangerous degree. According to the Poison Control Information Center, the average person would have to eat 500 to 700 leaves to see any harmful effects such as serious digestive problems. The USDA reports that it has no evidence of anyone dying from eating poinsettias.
Poinsettias are part of the genus Euphorbia, which includes many plants known for their white, milky, latex sap. Years ago, researchers at Ohio State University did indeed feed huge quantities of poinsettia parts to rats and no ill effects were seen. To replicate their test, a 50-pound child would have to eat 500 leaves. (That said, people with latex allergies can be sensitive to the milky sap and should be careful when handling the plants to avoid a rash.)
It’s still best not to have animals or children eating plants; the sap can cause a mildly upset tummy and skin irritation. Keep plants out of reach, but don’t treat them like poison ivy. Fortunately, poinsettia leaves have an awful taste that animals and children would have a hard time eating large amounts of them.
On a related note, holly and mistletoe are toxic to children and pets. They will induce vomiting and diarrhea—and can even be fatal in large quantities.
8 Poinsettia Plant Care Tips
Poinsettias are not frost-tolerant. As holiday plants, they are raised in greenhouses in cool temperatures (60° to 72°F) with high humidity and light intensity, so it can be tricky to duplicate the ideal environment for poinsettias.
To get the longest-lasting poinsettias, choose plants with little or no yellow pollen showing.
To get off to a good start, protect your new plant from cold temperatures and chilling winds on the way home from the store. As this is a tropical plant, don’t leave it in a cold car while you run other errands!
At home, follow these plant care tips:
The plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color (at least 6 hours a day) so place near a well-lit window. East-facing windows are best.
Keep it out of direct sun, which could fade or burn the leaves.
Avoid spots near heating vents and doors. Cold drafts will cause leaves to drop. No part of the plant should touch the cold glass. Excess heat can dry out the plants too much.
Keep temperatures between 65° and 70°F, ideally. Basically, maintain temperatures that are comfortable to people. Be sure to lower the thermostat at night so that plants cool off.
Overwatering is a common cause of death, so only water when the top inch or two of soil feel dry to the touch. If underwatered, plants wilt and shed leaves. Overwatering causes roots to rot and die.
Don’t let the plant sit in water. Be careful to remove any foil which may gather water. Don’t allow the saucers to fill with water. This causes the water in the saucer to continually keep the soil wet until it all evaporates. Treat the saucers like water catchers and 30 minutes or so after a good watering detach it in the sink and let it all drain out.
No fertilizer is needed while the plant is in bloom.
Use a humidifier or place plants on a tray filled with pebbles and water to increase relative humidity.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/caring-for-poinsettias
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from  ​https://www.almanac.com/why-plants-go-dormant-winter-and-how-they-do-it

image from ​https://www.almanac.com/why-plants-go-dormant-winter-and-how-they-do-it

      ​All I can say it is cold out.  -16 accurate temperature but with the wind chill it is 35 below.  I will have to research if that affects the plants or just the actual temperature is what the plants do with their dormancy.  Interesting article about plants survival.  All stay warm, and stay safe. 
The author of this article said they haven’t had much snow.  We have the snow to help covering the plants, but we are also having some really cold temperatures.  Interesting how plants do survive this kind of winter weather.
Trees and plants can't move. How do they adapt?  By Robin Sweetser
Nature is fascinating. Every wondered how trees and plants survive winter? They certainly can’t move inside to get warm! Plants go through an amazing process similar to hibernation called dormancy.  world.
We have had little snow so far this year and there is a lot of bare ground showing. For once I am hoping for a lot of snow to insulate the ground and protect my plants. Without that layer of insulation some of my borderline hardy perennials might not make it to spring.
Time to Sleep
What methods to plants use to survive cold winters and often freezing temperatures? Like hibernating bears, they slow down their metabolisms and enter a state of dormancy.
Longer nights and colder temperatures trigger a slowdown in photosynthesis and respiration signalling that it is time to rest up for the next growing season. Many perennials and trees lose their tender leaves and evergreens stop growing.
Excess sugars made during the summer are concentrated in the plant’s cells and act like a form of antifreeze. Water from the cells, which could freeze and cause them to burst, moves outside the cell walls where it can safely freeze without damaging the cells. As it thaws, water can be reabsorbed by the plant cells and prevent dehydration. This method of moving water in and out of cells helps plants to not only survive cold but also other extreme weather such as heat and drought.
What’s happening below ground? While all seems dormant above ground, a natural and amazing process of adaption is happening well below the soil. The roots continue to develop and thrive, keeping plants fed with stored up starches until warm weather returns. Soil temps are usually much higher than the air temperature in winter.
A layer of mulch or snow acts like a blanket to keep extreme cold from penetrating too far and damaging roots. More importantly, it can protect the ground from rapid freezing and thawing that can harm the roots and encourage unseasonable new growth which is susceptible to a sudden freeze.
Coming out of dormancy too soon puts plants at risk. This is why poet Robert Frost encourages his young orchard to keep cold. “No orchard’s the worse for the wintriest storm; But one thing about it, it musn’t get warm. How often already you’ve had to be told, Keep cold young orchard. Good-bye and keep cold. Dread fifty above more than fifty below.”
Grow Native
One of the best ways to insure your plants will make it through the winter is to plant natives that are adapted to your region and are appropriate for your zone.
Until spring arrives, take time to rest up like your plants. Grow a few new roots, eat some carbs, and get ready for the coming season!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/why-plants-go-dormant-winter-and-how-they-do-it
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 

image from ag.ndsu.edu 

      Winter is giving us very cold temperatures.  Sun is shining in a very clear blue sky but very misleading.  Temperature is 1 degree at 11:30 AM.  Wind is out of the south so still having a wind chill below zero.  BUT with the wind out of the south it is going to warm up.  Tonight a low of 7 then tomorrow high of 22.  Snow is in the forecast but don’t know if we will get it here in Iowa or more in Minnesota with the temperature going up. 
What are doing inside while it is so cold?  Working I am sure for you at your job, if you aren’t at work, maybe you are looking at the seed catalogs thinking of spring.  Here are some suggestions of what to do before you order those seeds.  Maybe you will do this on the weekend, when you aren’t at work. 
Ordering Garden Seeds (and Getting a Jump on Spring!)
Tips on ordering seeds, understanding catalog and plant terms, and more.
Even in winter, gardening can brighten our days—with colorful, beautiful seed catalogs! Sit back in the armchair and let’s talk about how to order seeds. Even if you prefer to go into a local nursery to find seeds, these tips will help you learn more about plant terms and planning your own garden.
After the holidays, garden seed companies and nurseries start introducing their plant inventories for the year and it can be exciting to see what’s new.
But even if you prefer to go into a local shop to find seeds, they’re still very useful for inspiration and can help you learn more about plants and planning your own garden.
How to Buy Seeds
Obtain catalogs from trusted national brand names who may work with local growers, but also consider some of the local growers. Some of the small regional seed sources carry heirlooms and special varieties best suited to your area.
Before you order, why not contact your local county cooperative extension service office and ask about varieties that are known to do well in your area. Discuss any specific problems you’ve had with pests or disease.
Make a list of what you’d like to grow, but check it twice before you order. A pause or two will give you a chance to change your mind. Remember that the garden is actually one-quarter the size you think it is.
Plan to buy enough seeds to sow them thickly. Inevitably, you’ll suffer some losses (bugs, birds, weather), and you can always thin later if you end up with an excess.
Look for disease-resistant varieties, especially if you’ve had problems in your garden previously. If you simply see the words, “disease-resistant” and no other information, that’s meaningless and probably marketing hype. Good catalogs will explain disease resistance specifics. For example, when purchasing tomato garden seeds, look for varieties labeled with a VFN designation after their name. This means the variety is resistant to several types of wilt and nematode damage.
Avoid discounted seeds sold at chain stores. They probably haven’t been stored under ideal conditions, and you may find germination to be spotty.
Garden Plant and Seed Terms
Days to Maturity: Pay careful attention to the number of “days to maturity” included in every catalog description. If your growing season has 85 predictable frost-free days, chances are you won’t harvest a watermelon that needs 120 days to ripen. The warmer the climate, the more frost-free days you’ll have. See our Frost Charts which will tell you your last spring frost, your first fall frost, and your growing season in days.
Days to Harvest: Also, if you’re a vegetable grower and seeding indoors, consider the “days to harvest” which is the number of days from when the plants are set out into the garden for that plant to bear the fruit.
Days to Bloom or Bloom Seasons: For flower lovers, it helps to know how long it will take a plant to flower and what month(s) you can expect flowers. Try to plan your flower planting so that you get continuous color with early, mid-, and late bloomers.
Determinate/Indeterminate: Growing tomatoes? Determinate tomato plants grow to a certain size, fruit all at once, and then stop growing. These are good choices for growing in containers. Indeterminate tomatoes are “vining “varieties” and continue to grow and fruit until frost and will need to be staked or caged.
Direct Sow: This describes seeds that can should directly into the ground when growing conditions are ready. Some crops or flowers are best planted as seeds and others are best bought as small plants from a nursery and then transplanted into the ground. See seed-starting preference by plant.
Heirloom versus Hybrid Seeds: “Heirloom” plants are the standard vegetables and flowers that folks grew for centuries before commercial hybrids came along in the 1950s through 1970s. Hybrids were created for for better shipping, durability, disease-resistance, and marketability; however, hybrids often lack the complex taste and character of heirlooms. You don’t need to pick all of one or all of another. Learn more about heirloom vegetables.
To avoid wasting seeds, you’ll want to first plan your garden out.
More Tips on Choosing Seeds
Make sure you understand whether a plant requires an early start indoors or not. If are open to starting indoors, a grow light can be as simple as a fluorescent shop light hung over your seedlings. See our article on choosing a grow light.
Remember that fast-growing vegetables, such as lettuce, radish, spinach, and beans, can be planted several times throughout the spring and summer so it may be worth buying extra seeds.
Buy only what your family will eat. Don’t buy vegetables that no one likes.
Consider the size of your garden space. If it’s small, don’t choose space-hoggers such as pumpkin or sweet corn; select higher-yielding, more compact vegetables, such as salad greens, tomatoes, beans, and peppers.
Clean your garden pots and be sure to give your gardening tools some TLC and an annual sharpening.
Start thinking about seed supplies such as collecting containers for starting seeds indoors (if that’s the plan) and perhaps a heat map for germination or an inexpensive grow light if needed.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/ordering-garden-seeds
​till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 

image from Central-valley.com 

      ​Weather update:  Warming up at 11:30 AM -6 while at 8:00 AM is was -14.  High today of 1 degree with another night of cold temperatures -19.  Sounds like we could have wind with these temperatures.  SO just stay safe. 
I am so thrilled to find an article about not starting seeds too soon.  We all want spring to come, we all want to get ready for spring, but starting seeds in January to tell you the truth it is too early.  Be patient and start in Feb and even March for those plants to grow and not get lanky.  There is a trick with that lanky part, will share later. 
How to Know When To Start Seeds by Robin Sweetser
If you are as eager to get the garden party started as I am, it is hard to refrain from starting them too early. When should you really start your seeds indoors?
There is always some debate about when is the best time to start seeds. If you sow seeds too early, you need to be prepared to keep potting them up into bigger pots.
Here in New Hampshire, I run a plant business with my partner and Memorial Day is usually our biggest weekend for selling plants. Therefore, we gear our seed starting to have the plants looking their best then.
As soon as I get my new annual calendar in January, I turn to May and mark Memorial Day weekend as our end date. Then, I number each Saturday back from there into February—in total, going back 15 weeks from Memorial Day. That’s when we begin, and as the season gets busy, we even do some planting mid-week—hence the half weeks.
Now—The Old Farmer’s Almanac has an online planting calendar based on your last frost date, which makes it really easy to figure out how early you can plant each crop. But it helps to have an idea of how this all works because every vegetable variety can be a bit different. Look at the number of weeks recommended on each seed packet. We sort our seed packets by week.
Every location is different, but here’s an example of the way we plant:  remember this is the author from New Hampshire
Week 15 - Gazania & calibrachoa. We want these plants to be blossoming by the end of May.
Week 13 - Onions, shallots, and slow-germinating perennials.
Week 12 - Petunias & ‘Profusion’ zinnias.
Week 11 - Impatiens & more perennials.
Week 10 - Parsley, thyme, coleus, last of the perennials.
Week 9 - Eggplant, snapdragons, cleome, hollyhocks, dahlias.
Week 8 1/2 - Peppers. We grow about 50 varieties, so they get a start day of their own.
Week 8 - Cole crops, asters, stevia, salvias, nicotiana, and other slow to start annuals.
Week 7 1/2 - Basil, cilantro & dill.
Week 7 - Tomatoes. This is another marathon planting day, since we grow over 80 varieties.
Week 6 - Marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, lettuce, and fast starting annuals. Vines are planted in individual peat pots so they don’t get their roots disturbed after they germinate.
Weeks 4 & 5 - Cukes, squash, melons, and sunflowers (get started in individual pots instead of the community flats)
Better Late than Never (or early)
It is best to err on the side of caution if spring is usually slow to arrive where you live. To avoid having leggy weak transplants, it is better to sow seeds a little late than it is to sow them too early. Younger, vigorously growing transplants will make the transition to the garden much more successfully than spindly, overgrown ones.
Bear in mind that small seeds usually take a lot longer to germinate than big ones, but germination time is usually on the packet. There might be a few seeds that need special treatment before planting so look for that when you are sorting them. You don’t want to find out at planting time that the seeds needed a month in the fridge first. Been there, done that!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/when-start-seeds-not-too-early
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from iawildlife.org 

      ​IT is just going to be DARN cold out.  -0 this morning at 9:00 AM, with wind out of the NW at 23 MPH.  So that makes the wind chill of -22.   High today is only 7 degrees with a low of the temperature of being negative 20.  IF we have wind it is going to be really cold out.  STAY safe, stay warm. 
Here is a fun bird to talk about the woodpecker.  Story for me when I hear woodpeckers, is we had a friend that wouldn’t cut down a dead tree in the fence line because it was home to a woodpecker.  When he finally had to cut it down after it fallen on his fence.  You know that woodpecker found another place to make his home. 
 Different Types of Woodpeckers—Plus Bird Fun Facts!
Everyone enjoys watching a woodpecker work (unless you’re a grub, a tree, or the owner of a wooden house!). But why does a woodpecker peck wood? Here are some fun facts about woodpeckers—including how to identify a few common types of woodpeckers—with beautiful photos of these magnificent birds.
Why Woodpeckers Peck at Trees
Most folks probably assume that woodpeckers peck at trees for food, which is true. These birds feed on tree-living or wood-boring insects, including larvae or ants from burrows within the wood. However, they also drill to build nests and they will “drum” at trees to announce their territory. This sounds like pecking in rapid succession and is done a number of times in a single day—and it can last for weeks or months!
How Woodpeckers Avoid Concussions
When woodpeckers are drilling for food, it’s forceful! They get hit with up to 1,400 g’s of force—14 times the amount that would trigger a concussion in humans. However, woodpeckers are particularly well-adapted for drilling on and into trees without getting a concussion. They have thick skulls with an enlarged brain case designed to absorb a frontal impact. Additionally, the lower part of the beak is longer, so when it strikes wood, the force is transferred through the lower jaw rather than through the skull. They hammer directly into the wood so that the force is evenly distributed.
The bill is a carpenter’s tool, but the tongue, which is long, barbed and sticky, obtains the food: usually larvae of carpenter ants and other insects. A woodpecker can stick its tongue through small tunnels in the wood. Because a woodpecker’s tongue is so long, it wraps around the skull and through the bill when it’s not being actively used. Muscles contract and relax as the tongue is extended to grab larvae and then retracted.
Woodpecker Nesting Habits
As you might expect, woodpeckers nest in holes that they’ve bored about 5 to 50 feet up a dead or living tree. They excavate a round hole 8 to 16 inches deep in a gourd shape; there’s no lining except for a few wood chips and they lay 4 to 5 white eggs, which hatch in 16 days. Young remain in the nest about 20 days before fledging.
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
The most likely woodpecker to visit your backyard bird feeder, the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is the smallest of North American Woodpeckers, about 6 to 7 inches long and barely outsizing chickadees and nuthatches. It can be found year-round throughout the continental United States and southern Canada. Audubon said, “it seems, in fact, to accommodate itself to circumstances, and to live contented anywhere”.
Males have a bright red patch on the back of the head, while females have a black patch, but otherwise the two look very similar. Males prefer to forage on smaller branches, while females prefer larger branches and the tree trunk. Woodpeckers like to drum on trees, preferably dead trees, and metal boxes on communication poles, usually in spring when attracting mates. 
To the casual observer, the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) looks almost identical to the Downy Woodpecker, but is slightly larger with larger bills. Scientists have determined that the smaller Downy Woodpecker has evolved to match the larger Hairy Woodpecker because it confers an advantage by being confused with the larger species.
Both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers can be attracted to feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, but especially love suet! 
Yellow-Bellied Woodpeckers
Often called the “Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker,” (Sphyrapicus varius) this medium-sized woodpecker is named for its habit of pecking rows of holes in trees, especially apple trees, and then drinking the sap and eating insects in the sap. The bird will breed in Canada and in the Northeastern U.S. but in winter months it migrates farther south; it’s the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory.
Though the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker isn’t usually a bird feeder visitor, you’ll be able to identify its work by the rows of shallow holes in tree bark, especially the bark of young maples or birch trees. They’ll often sit still on tree trunks for long intervals.
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
Poorly named (because the reddish-orange color is found mostly on the head), the medium-size Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) was once a more southern bird. With climate change, it has moved a little more northern and its range covers the wooded patches from the Midwest across to the Eastern coasts.
With it red crown, this bird looks similar to the Red-Headed Woodpecker but it has a paler tummy and does not have black on its back.
Red-bellied woodpeckers are also more common, and more easily found at bird feeders because the species eats a varieties of seeds and nuts and also likes suet!
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are one of the most common woodpeckers you’ll see at bird feeders!
Red-Headed Woodpeckers
Easily identified with its distinct crimson head and a snow-white body, the Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) has gone through periods of great numbers and near extinction due to habitat loss. They live year-round throughout the central and Eastern U.S. from Florida up through Canada.
What’s unusual about the Red-Headed Woodpecker is that it catches insect in the air and also enjoys eating nuts. They’ll occasionally visit bird feeders, especially suet feeders.
Pileated Woodpeckers
A large, striking, crow-sized bird, the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is the largest woodpecker in North America, reaching up to 18 inches in length. Its population has increased over the past 50 years as many farms have become forested land in much of the United States.
Its sight and hearing are excellent, so it is not seen as often as heard as it whacks at dead trees and fallen logs searching for prey, making wood holes as large as 14 inches in larger trees such as spruce and hemlock. Also listen for this bird’s amazing call. Hear the sound of the Pileated Woodpecker.
If you have dead or dying trees, leave them for the Pileated Woodpeckers!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/different-types-woodpeckers-plus-bird-fun-facts
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 

image from littlecityfarmblogspot.com 

      ​It is 20 degrees today, and high of 36.  BUT then it is going to change.  Below zero Wed night at -12 degrees, then Thursday night at -18.  Highs on in the single digits.  Unfortunately looks like that will be the next 10 days forecast.  Below normal temperatures…darn right COLD.  When the temperature gets warmer for Saturday then a chance of snow.  WINTER is here and changing every day.  I promise you spring will come.
I just found a group of purple vegetables.  ANY of you tried these?  Looks fun to grow.
Sweet, Lovely, Purple Peas!
It's so much fun to shake things up a bit in the veggie garden, to grow something unexpected, yet so comfortingly familiar. That's how we feel about purple Peas. What fun it is to see these vibrant jewels adorning our gardens as spring turns to summer!
We feature two purple Peas: Sugar Magnolia Purple Snap Pea, and Shiraz Purple Snow Pea. Both have bicolored flowers and deep, blue-purple pods. While each will turn green when cooked, luckily, both of these varieties are exceptionally sweet, so they are gorgeous and delicious raw. Enjoy them right off the vine, or adorning creative crudité platters with a savory veggie dip. However, we suspect that not many will make their way to the kitchen ~ you won't be able to resist munching on them as you pick them!
Sugar Magnolia Purple Snap Peas
70 days. This brilliant, beautiful tendril Snap Pea features bicolored pink and purple-red flowers and deep bluish-purple pods that add an extra dash of flair to both the veggie garden and crudité platters. The pods are sweetest when picked before they fatten to their maximum size. Vines grow up to 8 feet tall and cling tightly to any trellis. (OP.)
Shiraz Purple Snow Peas
70 days. This gorgeous Snow Pea will turn heads in your spring veggie garden, from the pink and purple bi-colored flowers to the high yield of sweet, deep burgundy pods on 3' to 4' tall, powdery mildew-resistant vines. Harvest the pods when they're still small for the sweetest flavor. To preserve the striking color, enjoy these babies raw! (OP.)
Tyrian Purple Broccoli
70-80 days. This stunning and delicious variety looks just as beautiful in the garden as it does in the kitchen. Rosettes of thick, vivid blue-green leaves frame loose heads of the most gorgeous cool purple-green Broccoli. Once the main head is harvested, additional side shoots may form, extending the harvest. While the purple color fades with cooking, it'll turn heads when served raw on veggie platters and in fresh salads. (F1.)
Amethyst Purple Filet Bean
70 days. Pretty purple flowers metamorphose into incredible violet-colored, long, slender, stringless pods. Crunchy and ever-so pretty served raw with dips and other crudites, gourmet Amethyst Purple is tender and richly flavored when lightly steamed or sauteed in butter. Its compact plants are perfect for containers and raised beds. (OP.)
Purple Passion Asparagus
Without question, Purple Passion Asparagus is a connoisseur's delight. Its tender spears are beautiful, deep burgundy with a creamy green interior, tight buds and a rounded tip. More tender, mild and sweet than standard varieties, Purple Passion is very vigorous and productive and will yield spears ready for harvest a year earlier than most varieties.Tender Purple Passion is best appreciated raw in salads or steamed with just a bit of butter and lemon (and chopped, hard boiled eggs-the Dutch way). When cooked, it develops a rich yet mild nutty flavor and a paler purple color. For a special treat, lightly toast a slice of French bread or garlic bread. Butter it and place steamed Asparagus on top of the warm toast raft. Pour equal parts fresh lemon juice and melted butter over the Asparagus. It is simple, and simply delicious. Asparagus ambrosia! (OP.)
Black Nebula Carrot
75-80 days. Black Carrots may seem like a new-fangled curiosity, but in all truth, they have deeper roots (pun intended) than their orange cousins, having originated in the Middle and Far East long before orange and yellow Carrots were cultivated. Their purple color comes from a high concentration of anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. Many so-called black Carrots are dark purple on the outside with an orange core, but our Nantes-style Black Nebula is deep purple through and through.
Purple Plum Radish
25-30 days. To complete our Radish rainbow, here is a plump, round, deep purple Radish with firm white flesh. It has a mild, sweet flavor that holds all season without becoming pithy
Taken from https://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/seed-index/fruits-and-vegetables/peas-and-pea-pods/snap-pea-sugar-magnolia.html
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  641-903-9365 

image from homedesign99.com 

image from reddi.com 

image from marinmommies.com 

We are in a winter weather storm warming till 3 AM tomorrow.  It is lightly snowing, but predicted to get more this afternoon.  I am going to work on these today.  Getting the material together is going to be the hardest.  I will post pictures of what I get done.  This will take a little time I am sure.  Stay safe all…. 
How to Make a Terrarium: Gardens Under Glass
Why not try your hand at creating a terrarium? These miniature gardens under glass have been experiencing a revival—and we can see why. It’s a mini ecosystem at work. An entire forest in a jar! Learn how to make a terrarium in five steps—to bring joy all winter long.
What Are Terrariums?
Originally popularized during the Victorian era, terrariums have made a big comeback. A terrarium is a miniature ecosystem made of soil, rocks, and plants arranged in closed glass jar or container. They are most suitable for ferns and moisture-loving tropical plants. A closed terrarium creates its own atmosphere and needs little from the outside except light. Think of a terrarium as a mini greenhouse!
As well as being low-maintenance, a terrarium adds a pleasing houseplant container to your home that’s green all year long.
Who Invented Terrariums?
A London physician accidentally invented the first terrarium in the early 1800s. Dr. Nathaniel Ward placed a cocoon in a covered jar so that he could observe the emergence of a sphinx moth. In time, several plants sprang up from soil in the bottom of the jar, including a thriving fern. This surprised Ward because he had unsuccessfully tried to grow ferns in his yard and blamed the failure on polluted air from city smokestacks.
After his discovery, Ward constructed several fern containers, later to be called Wardian cases. These early terrariums quickly became popular, especially with the affluent, who had large, ornate cases made to display houseplants, miniature gardens, and woodland scenes.
How Do Terrariums Work?
A terrarium is a great way to observe how an ecosystem works! Moisture that condenses on the glass runs down to remoisten the soil. Then the plants draw moisture from the soil and evaporate it through their leaves, in a process known as transpiration. Water droplets form and drip down the sides of the container, returning to the soil. This process mimics nature’s rain cycle, and sustains plant life. The glass protects the plants from insects and diseases as well as from the dry air associated with many homes.
There are two types of terrariums:
The traditional “closed” terrarium is completely covered with a pane of glass. This is great for creating a humid environment. Excellent for ferns.
However, you can also create an “open” terrarium, which is really more of a dry environment for succulents, cacti, and other desert plants that need very little water (but a lot of sunlight) and good air circulation.
The Glass Container
Use almost any clear glass container, such as an aquarium or big fish bowl, to construct a terrarium. Even a cookie jar, a giant brandy snifter, mason-jar, light bulb, or wide-mouthed bottle will work! If you are using an old aquarium, test it for leaks first; they can be fixed with silicone sealant to make the corners watertight.
Of course, you can certainly purchase specially-designed closed glass terrariums online, as well as display cloches more reminiscent of the old Victorian style.
Just a hint: Planting is easier if you have chosen a wide mouthed container! Otherwise, you may need to use long forceps to do your planting.
How to Make a Terrarium in 5 Steps
Supplies
A clear container of your choice
Pebbles, small river stones, or expanded clay balls used in hydroponics.
Charcoal (activated charcoal, horticultural charcoal, or lump charcoal will all work as long as the product does not contain any additives)
Potting soil (choose a well-draining soil to prevent it from getting compacted and waterlogged)
Decor (wood, rocks, or other decorations)
Plants (more on this later!)
Planting tools: a spoon, long-handle tweezers, or even chopsticks can come in handy when planting in thin-mouthed containers
Instructions
Start by covering the bottom of the container with a 1-inch layer of pebbles or crushed stone. This drainage layer is used to keep the soil from becoming waterlogged and swampy.
Add chunks of charcoal to the stone or cover it with a 1/8-inch-deep layer of crushed charcoal to cover the pebbles. This helps with filtration and any odors.
Next, add 2 to 4 inches of sterilized potting soil on top of the charcoal, depending on the size of your container and the size of the plants.
Now you get to be creative and design your miniature landscape. If your container is large enough, the soil can be molded into hills and valleys to add interest; add rocks and small logs for a natural-looking setting. You could even add lakes, paths, statues, and driftwood.
Finally, it’s time to plant. Look for dwarf or low-growing plants that all have the same requirements for light, humidity, water, and temperature. Combine different sizes, shapes, colors, and leaf textures to make things interesting. Select plants that don’t mind wet foliage, such as moss, ferns, or prayer plants. Plant a woodland scene, use flowering alpines, get carnivorous, or go totally tropical.    
Once the terrarium is planted, cover its top with a pane of glass. If the sides fog up from excess humidity, leave the top open a crack so that some of the moisture evaporates from the container. A sealed terrarium will go for months, even years, without needing water. Place your terrarium out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating; fluorescent lighting is ideal.
You will want to display your terrarium where it is sure to be noticed because it may just give the room—as well as your plants—a little atmosphere!
What Are the Best Terrarium Plants?
Most houseplants are tropical and make ideal residents for a terrarium. Miniature ferns, peperomias, African violets, and some orchids are all good candidates. Many woodland plants and mosses are also right at home under glass.
The two most important factors to consider when choosing plants for terrariums are their mature size and their ability to tolerate moisture. Plants that stay small and have a high tolerance for soil moisture and humidity will do best in sealed terrariums. Some plants that grow especially well in terrariums are:
Ajuga
Aluminum plant
Artillery plant (Pilea)
Baby’s tears
Bird’s nest sansevieria (for open terrariums only)
Bloodleaf (Iresine herbstii)
Bromeliads (young plants only)
Button fern
Carnivorous plants: Venus fly traps, sundews, butterworts, cobra lilies, and tropical pitcher plants are all carnivorous plants that like humidity. (However, most non-tropical species need to experience a period of colder weather to thrive.)
Chinese evergreen (young plants only)
Creeping fig
Earth star (Cryptanthus)
Flame violet (Episcia dianthiflora)
Mosses
Oxalis
Pellionia
Peperomia
Polka-dot plant (Hypoestes)
Rabbit’s foot fern
Small-leaf ivies
Spike moss (Selaginella)
Strawberry begonia
Swedish ivy
Aloe not suggested for closed terrariums
Most nurseries offer a wide variety of “terrarium plants,” though these are more often than not just young plants that will eventually grow too large for your container. In general, look for plants that like a tropical climate and that grow in a creeping, vining, or clumping manner.
Since cacti and succulents can’t tolerate humid conditions, they are not good candidates for a closed terrarium. Save them for an open dish garden, which can be created in the same fashion as a closed terrarium—just be sure to use a succulent soil mix for good drainage!
Taking Care of Your Terrarium
Once established, your terrarium will be very low maintenance.
Don’t plant too closely, allow some room for growth. Your terrarium won’t look instantly lush; plants need time to adjust and settle in.
Water after planting; soil should be damp but not soaked.
Place your terrarium where it will get bright light but not in direct sun, which will cook your plants. Artificial light is excellent.
Leave the terrarium open for a few days while the plant leaves dry off, then put on the cover and keep a close eye on the plants.
Excessive condensation, moldy plants, and limp yellow leaves are signs of overwatering. Open the cover and let your terrarium dry out a bit if that occurs.
No condensation and plants with wilted leaves are signs of underwatering. Check the soil and water lightly if it seems dry.
Leggy growth is a sign that your terrarium is not getting enough light.
It’s normal to see small insects crawling around in your terrarium after a while. Usually, these are springtails, which are beneficial insects that help to break down dead plant material. They’re your terrarium’s clean-up crew!
Sit back and imagine yourself strolling through your mini-landscape, enjoying the greenery and humid air. Spring will be here before you know it!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-make-terrarium-gardens-under-glass
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Pinterest 

      Definitely the calm before the storm.  Clear, blue sky, very little wind temperature at 1:25 AM is at 37 degrees.  We are in a winter storm watch for Friday.  Stay safe, stay warm…..
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Try Growing These Easy Veggies Yourself!
If you’re a beginner, it’s helpful to know which vegetables are easiest to grow from seed. Plus, growing from seed is less expensive, offers more variety, and has a higher success rate. Our list below includes vegetable seeds that can be sown directly into your garden soil. Some are also suitable for transplanting.
Should I Grow Vegetables from Seed or Transplants?
There’s nothing wrong with starting your garden from small plants which you purchase (known as “transplants”)—in fact, many people do! In fact, there are a handful of vegetables that can be challenging to grow from seed and are best purchased as young plants from a garden store/nursery (tomatoes, for example, can be finicky to start from seed). Transplants also allow you to get a head start on growing tender vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, which require a long, warm growing season.
That said—unless you have a short growing season—many vegetables are easy enough to start from seed at home.
Here are a handful of the benefits of starting from seeds:
Seeds are much cheaper, especially in greater quantities. They often keep at least a couple years, and they can be shared with friends and neighbors, too.
Seeds offer much more variety than the often limited choice of transplants in a nursery. Just take a look at these seed catalogs and let the dreams begin!
Some vegetables do not survive being transplated from one place to another.
Starting from seed means that you can sow seeds directly in the garden, which opens the door to growing crops such as corn, melons, squash, beans, and peas, which simply do not grow as well when transplanted from one place to another.
Starting plants from seed means you can ensure they are healthy and strong right from the start.
10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow Yourself
This is not a complete list, by any means, but these are considered some of the easiest and most common vegetables that can be grown at home.
1. Lettuce
We’ve never known a garden that cannot grow lettuce.
Lettuce can be sown directly in your garden bed, or started indoors for transplanting. It’s one of the few crops that can be grown all year in our climate, but in hot weather it should be shaded and harvested at smaller sizes. Lettuce growth slows in shade; it is also slower to go to seed, or “bolt,” which means that it can be harvested for longer.
An endless assortment of leaf shapes and shades of green and red means you’ll never get tired of growing new lettuce varieties. Leaf lettuces can be cut as they grow, and you can enjoy several harvests from the same plant by just snipping off what you need each time.
If you want full heads of romaine and head lettuce to develop, thin them. Allow for 8 to 10 inches between plants. As you thin young plants, save the delicate small leaves for salads.
2. Green Beans
Beans grow even in fairly poor soils, because they fix the nitrogen as they go! Bush varieties don’t require trellising, but pole varieties provide a more extended harvest. In cool areas, snap beans are easiest. In hot areas, lima beans, southern peas, and asparagus beans are also very easy to grow. All bean plants are fast growers and thrive in warm, moist soil.
3. Peas
Plant peas as soon as the soil can be worked—2 weeks before the average last spring frost for your region, if possible. To harvest a continuous supply of peas during the summer, simultaneously sow varieties with different maturity dates. Then sow more seeds about 2 weeks later. Continue this pattern, sowing no later than mid-June.
4. Radishes
Radishes can be harvested in as little as 24 days after planting, and can be inter-planted with slower-growing vegetables. You can plant radishes as soon as you can work the soil in the spring.
Sow each seed 2 inches apart or more, or thin them to this spacing after they sprout. Cover the seeds with about half an inch of compost or soil.
Here’s a tip: Radish seeds are natural companions to carrots. Mix radish seeds with carrot seeds before you sow, especially if your soil tends to develop a tough crust. The quick-to-sprout radishes will push up through the soil, breaking it up for the later-sprouting carrots. As you harvest the radishes, the carrots will fill in the row.
5. Carrots
We’re including carrots only because they’re super easy to grow as long as they’re planted in loose, sandy soil during the cooler periods of the growing season—spring and fall (carrots can tolerate frost). Not all carrots are orange; varieties range in color from purple to white, and some are resistant to diseases and pests.
Many beginners find their carrots are short and deformed. This is typically due to poor, rocky soil, so it’s important to provide soft, loose soil that drains well. Mix in some sand and really loosen it up. Also, it is essential to THIN carrot seedlings to the proper spacing so that they’re not overcrowded. Be bold! Thin those seedlings if you want carrots to form properly.
6. Cucumbers
Prepare in advance for cucumbers; amend the soil with a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potassium to support the plant’s large yields. If possible, plant cucumbers in the sun next to a fence. The fence will serve as support for climbing and act as a shelter. Or plant them near corn. The corn will trap the heat that cucumbers crave and also serve as a windbreak.
7. Kale
Like it or not, super-nutritious kale is very hardy and can grow in a wide range of temperatures. It can be harvested at many different stages, and the buds and flowers are edible, too! Mustards and collards are closely related to kale and are also easy to grow.
Set out plants any time, from early spring to early summer and kale will grow until it gets too hot. Plant again the fall, especially if you live in the southern United States. Another nice thing about kale is that it only gets sweeter after being hit by a couple frosts. Try kale baked, stir-fried, or steamed. Enjoy in salads, smoothies, omelettes, casseroles, or wherever you’d use spinach.
8. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard—or simply “chard”—is a member of the beet family. It does well in both cool and warm weather. It is a nutritional superfood, high in vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber—plus, its rainbow of colors are beautiful!
9. Beets
You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted beets you’ve grown yourself. We mean it! Nothing compares to garden-fresh beets, boiled or roasted until tender.
The quirky seed capsules contain two or three beet seeds, so the seedlings will always need to be thinned. Sow the seed capsules about an inch deep, and 4 inches apart.
Harvest the roots at any time up until they’re the size of a tennis ball. While you’re waiting for them to plump up, why not try a few of the leaves? They can be used just like spinach, giving you two harvests from one plant.
10. Summer Squash (Zucchini)
Summer squash and zucchini like well-composted soil and need plenty of space (plant them 3 to 6 feet apart in warm soil and lots of sun.) Soon enough, you’ll have so many zucchinis, you’ll be leaving them on neighbors’ doorsteps! Always water at the soil level—not the leaves—to avoid powdery mildew.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/content/10-easy-vegetables-grow-seed
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from togethertimefamily.com 

          Wow the temperature is at 33 degrees with predictions close to 50.  This will change as a snowstorm coming in Friday.  How much we get is the question now?  Enjoy this temperatures today. 
​
How to Identify and Get Rid of Fungus Gnats
Often considered only a minor houseplant pest, fungus gnats can quickly become a major issue (and annoyance) if an infestation gets out of hand. Here’s how to identify, get rid of, and prevent fungus gnat infestations in your plants.
What are Fungus Gnats?
Fungus gnats are a fruit fly–sized insect pest that primarily affects indoor houseplants. Attracted to the moisture of potting soil, adult gnats lay their eggs (up to about 200) on organic matter near the soil surface. After about three days, the eggs hatch into larvae, which burrow into the soil to feed on fungi and decaying plant material. Two weeks after that, adult gnats emerge from the soil to repeat the process. Adults live for about one week.
Fungus gnats are completely harmless to humans, since they can’t bite and don’t spread diseases. They can be a problem for houseplants, however, when their population explodes and their larvae starts to feed on plants’ thin roots. Fungus gnats may also spread Pythium, a group of plant pathogens that causes “damping off” in seedlings.
Once you have a fungus gnat infestation, using consistent management and prevention techniques is the key to ending it. Further down on this page, we’ve listed a few of the best ways to both get rid of adult gnats and prevent new gnats from emerging.
Size: Adult fungus gnats are tiny. Their size ranges from about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in length (1.5 to 3mm), which is about the same size as a fruit fly. Fungus gnat larvae may be up to 1/8 of an inch in length.
Appearance: Adult fungus gnats are a grayish-black color and have gray or see-through wings. Their long legs and long antennae give them a mosquito-like appearance, though they are much, much smaller in size. Compared to a fruit fly, fungus gnats have a thinner body with longer legs and antennae.
Larvae have a small, black head and a thin, white or see-through body.
Activity: Fungus gnats tend to spend most of their time on the soil surface of potted plants, but they may be seen flying around the outer edge of the pot or near drainage holes as well. They are not strong fliers, so they have a tendency to walk along the soil and fly only in short bursts. Their flight is erratic and they are much slower than fruit flies, acting more like mosquitoes while flying.
Annoyingly, fungus gnats have a tendency to fly into people’s faces and drinks, though they are completely harmless and a few well-placed swats will show them what’s what.
Fungus Gnat Damage
In small numbers, fungus gnats are more of an annoyance than anything. In fact, the adult gnats don’t actively harm plants nor people. If their population gets out of hand, however, the larvae may start feeding on plant roots, causing notable damage. This is especially bad for young plants, such as seedlings, which have only a few delicate roots. Fungus gnats are also capable of spreading the plant pathogen that causes damping off and the eventual death of seedlings.
Fungus gnat damage will appear similar to that of any other root-related issue, such as root rot. Lower leaves may turn yellow and drop, and the plant’s growth may slow down or stop completely. In particularly bad cases, wilting of the entire plant could occur, followed by the death of the plant if roots are extremely damaged.
How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats
Getting rid of fungus gnats is all about consistency. Catching the adults in gnat traps is fairly easy, but because the adult population comes in cycles, you need to make sure that your traps are refreshed regularly. For the best results, use a combination of the traps listed here as well as the additional preventative methods listed in the subsequent section.
Sticky cards traps: These traps consist of a yellow note card covered in a sticky adhesive. They are most effective when cut into small squares and placed directly on top of the soil or attached to skewers just above the soil. Adult gnats will fly or crawl onto the card and become trapped in the glue. Fungus gnats are attracted to the color yellow, so use the yellow sticky cards rather than the blue ones. Both can be bought at most hardware or garden stores, as well as online.
Cider-vinegar traps: Simple and effective, cider-vinegar traps consist of a shallow container with a small amount of apple cider vinegar, water, and liquid dish soap.
To make a cider-vinegar trap: Find a shallow container—a tuna can is perfect—and fill it with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. (The liquid should be at least 1/4-inch deep.) Put a few drops of liquid dish soap into the mixture and stir gently. Place the trap near the base of the affected plant or, ideally, inside the pot on top of the soil. Check it every few days to refresh with new vinegar and water.
Flypaper: Flypaper ribbons, such as those hung in horse barns to catch outdoor flies, can also be used to catch fungus gnats. However, these traps are usually overkill for gnats and can easily get stuck to things you don’t want them to stick to, such as furniture, hair, plants, and so on.
How to Prevent Fungus Gnats
Use these prevention techniques in tandem with the traps listed above for the best results.
Keep soil dry: Fungus gnats seek out moist soil, so allowing your houseplants to dry out a bit between waterings can slow down or stop an infestation. Let the top inch or two of soil dry out before watering again, and try to go as long as possible between waterings. Gnats may be deterred from laying their eggs if the soil is dry on the surface.
Mosquito dunks (with beneficial bacteria): Mosquito dunks are used to keep mosquito larvae from populating fountains, animal troughs, fish ponds, and other small bodies of water. The product consists of a dry pellet containing a type of bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies isrealensis. This beneficial bacteria infects and kills the larvae of flying insects, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, and fungus gnats.
To use mosquito dunks: Fill up a gallon jug (or watering can) with clean water and toss in a mosquito dunk. It’s a good idea to break up the dunk a bit before placing it in the water, or you can wait for it to soften before breaking it apart. Let the dunk soak in the water for as long as possible (at least overnight), then remove it from the water (the dunk can be reused) and use this water for fungus gnat–infested plants. The bacteria will have leeched into the water and will now infect and kill any larvae that come into contact with it in the soil. Repeat this process every time you water your plants for at least a few months.
Cover drainage holes: Though gnats typically remain near the tops of pots, they may find their way to the drainage holes on the underside of a pot and start laying eggs there, too. If this happens, cover the drainage holes with a piece of synthetic fabric to prevent the gnats from getting in or out of the hole, but to also let water pass through freely. Attach with tape or rubber bands.
Cover exposed soil with sand: Some folks report that covering their houseplant’s soil with a layer (at least 3/4 inch thick) of sand prevents fungus gnats from accessing the soil and laying eggs. This can be an effective deterrent if used in conjunction with other prevention methods listed above, especially covering drainage holes.
https://www.almanac.com/pest/fungus-gnats
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365