image from Vectorstock.com  Garden Royalty Free Vector image 

      Good morning, what a lovely morning.  Cool, clear blue sky and low humidity 72 at 12:00 noon high today of 78 low of 59.  What great weather just to sit outside and enjoy.  Fall isn’t here by the calendar, but it does feel like fall in the air.  I have been hearing some talk about the winter and how we are going to get lots of snow, and it will be cold.  This is what the Old Farmer's Almanac shared with our area this winter.  As I read it, it doesn’t say lots of snow and cold…what do you think? 

Region 10: Heartland
The heartland of America mainly covers Iowa, Missouri, and eastern Kansas, as well as Nebraska. Cities include Des Moines, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, and Topeka.
How Cold Will Winter Be?
Winter will be warmer than normal throughout this agricultural area. The coldest periods in the heartland will occur in late January and early and late February.
Will There Be Snow?
Precipitation and snowfall will be below normal as well. The most snow will fall when temperatures are coldest in late January as well as early and late February.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  [email protected]

image from dengarden.com

     It is a wonderful day and almost cool isn’t it.  Does feel like fall in the air?  We had rain so that helped but we are really dry so more would be good.  I noticed the crops are slowly turning and fall harvest will be around the corner.  WHERE O WHERE did this year go? 
The growers I get plant plugs from are calling and telling me about some new stuff.  I am not ready to think of that yet, but I suppose one of these days I better.
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I know this perennial is too late to plant for this year, but please give it some consideration for next year.  Bees and pollinators need this in the fall. 
Asters enliven the garden in late summer and early fall when many flower blooms fade—providing a late-season treat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators! Plant these deer-resistant native perennials to keep the color going
About Asters
Cold-hardy perennials with daisy-like flowers, aster flowers are the pollinator stars of the garden from late summer through fall. Growing 1 to 6 feet tall, depending on variety, these upright flowering plants bear cheerful star-shaped flower heads ranging from purple to white to blue.
Even though there are more than 600 aster species, the two most commonly encountered asters in home gardening are the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and the New York aster (S. novi-belgii). Several years ago, the Aster genus was split into multiple genera. Aster now covers most European and Asian asters, while those native to North America belong to Symphyotrichum.
Some hybrid varieties are available in showy colors, yet “wild type” species native to your region are generally a wise choice for the ecologically minded gardener despite not being quite as flashy as the cultivated varieties in some cases. Learn more about recommended varieties further down this page.
Aster is versatile: Depending on the height, it’s suitable for borders, rock gardens, or wildflower gardens. As well as being a valuable pollinator plant for bees and butterflies, its tasty seed heads are sought by cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, and many other seed eaters.
According to the North Carolina Extension, “Any species or cultivars of this genus would be a lovely addition to any home garden. It may be planted in a container for use on a porch or patio. It will also add color to a cottage garden or border garden. Butterflies and bees will appreciate the flowers, particularly as summer is ending and the evenings are getting cooler.”
Planting
Asters prefer areas with cool, moist summers and cool nights in sites with full to partial sun. In warmer climates, asters do not like the hot midday sun. Soil should be moist but well-drained and loamy. Wet clay soil will lead to root rot, and dry sandy soil will lead to plant wilt. Mix 2 to 3 inches of compost into the soil before planting.
When to Plant Asters
The best time to put young aster plants in the ground is in mid-to-late spring after the danger of frost has passed. (See local frost dates.)
Or, you can plant mature, potted asters when available at garden centers (typically in the late summer or early fall).
Asters can be grown from seed, but germination can be uneven. If desired, plant seeds in the fall or start them indoors in the winter.
How to Plant Asters
When planting young aster plants outside in the spring, space them 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the type and how large they’re expected to get.
Fully grown asters, such as those available in late summer or early fall, should be planted about three feet apart.
If planting seeds, sow 1 inch deep in pots or flats and refrigerate them for 4 to 6 weeks to simulate winter dormancy. This cold period will kick-start germination.
Water well and spread mulch around the plants to keep the soil cool and prevent weeds.
Aster and monarch butterfly
Asters are highly attractive to pollinators, especially bees and butterflies.
Growing
Add a thin layer of compost (or a portion of balanced fertilizer) with a 2–inch layer of mulch around the plants every spring to encourage vigorous growth.
If less than 1 inch of rain falls weekly in summer, water regularly. But beware. Many asters are sensitive to too much or too little moisture. They will lose their lower foliage or not flower well. Watch for stress and try a different watering method if your plants lose flowers.
Stake the tall varieties to keep them from falling over.
Pinch or cut back asters by one-third once or twice in the early summer to promote bushier growth and more blooms. Don’t worry; they can take it! Do the Chelsea Chop!
In winter, cut back asters after the foliage has died, or leave them through the winter to add some off-season interest to your garden. Birds may munch on the seeds, too.
Note: Aster flowers that mature fully may reseed themselves. The resulting asters may not bloom true to their parent. (In other words, you may not get the same color flowers you planted initially!)
Divide every 2 to 3 years in the spring to maintain your plant’s vigor and flower quality.
Types
The most common asters available in North America are the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and the New York aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii). Both of these plants are native to North America and are great flowers for pollinators. We recommend planting a native species of aster over a non-native species when possible, so talk with your local Cooperative Extension or garden center about which species are best suited to your area. Look for varieties with disease resistance.
North American Asters
New England asters (S. novae-angliae): Varieties have a range of flower colors, from magenta to deep purple. They typically grow larger than New York asters, though some varieties are smaller.
New York asters (S. novi-belgii): There are many, many varieties of New York asters available. Their flowers range from bright pink to bluish-purple and can be double, semi-double, or single.
Blue wood aster (S. cordifolium): Bushy with small, blue-to-white flowers.
Heath aster (S. ericoides): A low-growing ground cover (similar to creeping phlox) with small, white flowers.
Smooth aster (S. laeve): A tall, upright aster with small, lavender flowers.
Aromatic aster (S. oblongifolium): Multi-branched at the base, stiff upright stems, with lavender or pink flowers.
European/Eurasian Asters
Frikart’s aster (Aster x frikartii) ‘Mönch’: Hailing from Switzerland, this mid-sized aster has large, lilac-blue flowers.
Rhone aster (A. sedifolius) ‘Nanus’: This aster is known for its small, star-shaped, lilac-blue flowers and compact growth.
Harvesting
Cut asters for flower arrangements when blooms are just beginning to open. Vase life is 5 to 10 days.
Asters have side shoots, which will continue to develop. These can be cut for indoor arrangements once they are the size you like.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/asters
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa 641-794-3337   cell 641-903-9365  [email protected]  

image from Kelloggarden.com

image from agricbooks.blogspot.com 

We got rain.  It hasn’t rained here very much since July 4th. So, you know that the rain we got soaked in and don’t even notice it this morning.  I am hearing from 3/4 “ to 1 ½” of rain.  One of my gardeners wrote that now the weeds will pull easier.  It sounds like the Labor Day weekend will be very mild, cooler and less humid for us here in Iowa.  We will take it.  Stay safe all and enjoy.
I don’t know if you have grown any of these vegetables but here is the advice when to harvest. 
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Harvesting Eggplant, Peppers and Okra  By National Gardening Association Editors
The most important thing about harvesting eggplant, peppers and okra is to start as soon as there's something to eat. It's the job of the plant to make seeds, so too much of the plant's effort will go into ripening the fruit instead of producing new fruit if you don't harvest regularly and often. Make it a practice to go out every few days and pick what's ready to eat. Try to get the most out of each plant. After all, having good things to eat is one of the main reasons to garden.
You can harvest peppers when they're as small as golf balls. Most peppers, except for a few varieties like Sweet Banana, are green when young. Don't be surprised if you see your bell peppers turn red; many of them do as they ripen. Harvest them by cutting through the stem of each fruit with a knife. You can have an almost-continuous harvest from your pepper plants by cutting often, as this encourages the plant to keep blossoming, especially in the beginning of the summer. Later in the season, leave some green peppers on your plants to turn red. They taste wonderful and are colorful in pepper relish.
In the South, pepper plants can be cut back after the first big harvest to encourage another crop. That's because peppers are really a perennial plant, although they are most often grown as an annual. If your season is long enough, cut the plant back to a few inches above the soil surface. The plant will grow back and give you a second, large harvest. Don't forget to sidedress, though, so the plant will have enough food to continue its work.
Eggplant
Eggplant tastes best when harvested young. If you cut into an eggplant and find an abundance of brown seeds, it's already too late for prime eating. The fruit will be a dark, glossy purple when it's ready to harvest. The surface of the eggplant will turn dull and it will taste bitter as it gets older and past its prime. To harvest eggplant, cut through the stem above the green cap, or calyx, on the top. It's a tough stem, so have a sharp knife handy. The calyx can be prickly, so you may want to wear gloves. You can cut these plants back like peppers if your season is long enough for a second crop.
Okra
Gloves and a long-sleeved shirt are practically a must when you harvest okra. The pods and leaves are usually covered with little spines you can hardly see. These spines can get under your skin and make your hands and arms itch for days.
Overripe okra is too tough to eat, and it grows so fast you may have to harvest every day. A pod that's ready one day will have gone by the next. The best pods, those not more than four inches long, should be cut with a knife or broken right below the cap on the bottom. Only one pod grows beneath each leaf, so break off the leaf after harvesting the pod. This helps you remember where you've already harvested and indicates where to start the next time.
Okra plants grow so tall in the South you may have to stand on a ladder to harvest them! Okra doesn't get nearly that tall in the North. When the plants get too tall to harvest, southern gardeners can cut them back to 12 to 18 inches above the ground. This is usually done in July or August. The plants will sprout again to make a second crop. You can also grow dwarf varieties that grow less than six feet tall.
Taken from https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/535/Harvesting-Eggplant-Peppers-and-Okra/
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from creatlivelynature   underwatering

image from Jus_01  overwatering 

     Good morning…sorry I haven’t posted for a while.  I have been trying to get Larry’s Garage statements out from this spring.  I am almost there which is good.  IT is hot, humid out and this is the last day we are hearing.  I find going out and in with A/C is hard.  Uses up lots of energy for sure.  I see tomatoes are starting to produce for many, canning to starting for them.  I love to can but don’t know if it is the plans for this September.  See what happens.

Our church the West Fork United Methodist church will be having their annual Ice Cream Social Sept 3 at 5:00.  Beefburgers, homemade ice cream, chips, bars, drinks for a free will offering to the North Iowa Vietnam Vets.  All proceeds will go to them.  They use the money to give out $100 gift cards to the needed Veterans at Christmas.  Hope to see you there. 

Overwatering or Underwatering?  House plants  by Su Reid-St. John
Watering an indoor plant seems like a no-brainer—just pour in some water every week or so, right? But there’s more to it than that. Happily, learning how to water houseplants the right way is easy. We’ll explain how to tell if you’re overwatering or underwatering—and provide simple tips for ensuring your houseplants are watered correctly.  If you do an online search for “the number one reason why houseplants die,” you’ll see that just about every top result point to a single culprit: overwatering. If you’re blushing with recognition right about now, you’re not alone.
Photosynthesis, the process during which plants make their food from the sun’s energy, requires both water and air to create the glucose that provides energy to the plant.   Water helps transport the nutrients and sugars produced by photosynthesis, as well as nutrients from the soil to every part of the plant.
Water evaporates through the leaves (in a process called transpiration) to help keep the plant cool.  Plants are up to 95 percent water, and that water is key to strong, healthy cell structure.
Too much water can prevent oxygen from moving through the soil to reach the plant.  If that happens, roots may begin to rot and, ironically, can no longer deliver the moisture the plant so desperately needs.
Eventually, the roots will die—and the plant along with it.
Of course, there’s also such a thing as underwatering (also called, let’s face it, forgetting to water). Without moisture, all the important processes mentioned above can’t happen. The result? The plant stops growing, the leaves turn dry and brown, the stem becomes brittle, and the plant will eventually die.
 Houseplants can be especially susceptible to underwatering in the summer when they’re growing faster, there’s more light, and the surrounding temperature is higher—all of which translates into water disappearing more quickly from the soil through use and evaporation.
Signs of overwatering include droopy and/or yellowing leaves, leaves (even young ones) that fall off, mushy-feeling stems near the base of the plants, and soggy soil.
Signs of underwatering include leaves that droop (but perk up after watering), turn brown, begin to curl, and/or even get a bit crispy. You may also notice a gap between the dry soil and the inside of the pot.
Lots of people water their indoor plants every week on the same day, but while that may make it easier to remember, it’s not the best approach for your plants.
See, your houseplants don’t all use water at the same rate. Some may be thirstier than others, depending on the size of both the plant and pot, the amount of sun it gets, whether or not it’s actively growing, how hot and dry the room is, etc. That being said, it’s fine to choose one day a week as the check-in-on-your-plants day to see if they need watering! Fortunately, the best way to ensure your houseplants get the right amount of water is the same.
Every few days, stick your finger into the soil. Generally, if the top inch of potting mix (two inches for succulents) is dry, it’s time to water. You can also lift the pot to feel how heavy it is–if it feels oddly light, it’s time to water.  Using room-temperature water (not too cold!), water the soil evenly around the base of the plant until water begins to run out of the drainage holes in the pot—make sure you have a saucer underneath. (If there are no drainage holes, water until the soil is well moistened, then switch to a pot with holes the next time you repot in containers.)
 It’s fine to use tap water, but if you live in an area with heavily chlorinated water, let it sit out uncovered overnight before using it to allow the chlorine to evaporate. Better yet, use water from your rain barrel.
See? It’s a pretty straightforward path to keeping your houseplants happily hydrated.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-and-when-water-houseplants
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-930-9365 

image from pixnio.com

     What a lovely morning.  LOVE this temperature.  I will work outside at the greenhouse this morning.  Plastic to put away, of course watering to do, and will get organized to work with succulents.  Have many to repot.  Always have to plant for sure which is what I like to do.  Fall is coming and one sign will be the monarch’s migration.  Here is how you can help with that. 
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How to Help Monarch Butterflies
We can all help monarch butterflies! Their numbers have plummeted by 90% in the past few decades. The Monarch Migration If you grow plentiful Ascelpias tuberosa—orange milkweed (also called butterfly weed)—then you may be blessed with plenty of monarch butterflies. These gorgeous orange and black pollinators will shelter in your garden for months, from March until October. 
Then, the monarch butterflies migrate south every fall—the only butterflies to migrate as birds do! They’ll fly over 3,000 miles with the Sun as their guide, traveling about 50 miles a day.
The eastern population, which makes up the bulk of the monarch population in North America, travels from as far north as southern Canada down south to the border regions of Texas and Mexico, arriving at their roosting sites in November, where they’ll hibernate for the winter.  Some monarchs live west of the Rockies, who gather in southern California instead.
Monarchs may take as many as five generations to complete a migration south! Monarchs normally produce four generations in one calendar year. Each generation goes through a life cycle of four stages: the egg, the larva (caterpillar), the pupa (chrysalis), and the adult butterfly. The four generations are actually four different butterflies going through these four stages during 1 year until it is time to start with stage one and generation one again.
The 5 Monarch Generations
In February and March, monarchs come out of hibernation to find a mate. They then migrate north and east to find a place to lay their eggs. This starts stage one and generation one. In March and April, the eggs are laid on milkweed plants. They hatch into baby caterpillars, also called larvae. It takes about 4 days for the eggs to hatch. Then, the baby caterpillar eats milkweed to grow. After about 2 weeks, the caterpillar will be fully grown and will find a place to attach itself to start the transformation process. It attaches itself to a stem or a leaf, and then, using silk, it spins and transforms into a chrysalis. Within the chrysalis, the old body parts of the caterpillar undergo metamorphosis to become a butterfly that will emerge in 10 days and fly away. It feeds on flowers and fruit in gardens for 2 to 6 weeks. This first-generation monarch butterfly will then die after laying eggs for generation number two.
The second generation of monarch butterflies is born in May and June, and then the third generation will be born in July and August. These monarch butterflies will go through exactly the same four-stage life cycle as the first generation did, dying 2 to 6 weeks after they become adult monarch butterflies. If the process starts early enough, there can even be a fourth generation in late August.
The final generation of monarch butterflies is different from the others. It’s born in September and October and goes through exactly the same process as the previous generations except for one part: The butterflies don’t die after 2 to 6 weeks. Instead, they migrate to warmer climates like Texas, Mexico, and California, where they hibernate for 6 to 8 months until it is time to start the whole process over again.
The Right Food for Monarchs
Monarchs must time their migration to coincide with milkweed growth. No milkweed means no monarchs!  Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed (Ascelpias tuberosa), which contains all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed to transform the larvae into butterflies. Adult butterflies also rely on milkweed as a nectar source, in addition to other backyard flowers. 
Vivid orange milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) in my garden is a magnet for monarchs. The native plant is easy to grow, drought-resistant and a colorful addition to flower beds.  To attract and help adult monarchs during their fall migration, plant milkweed, native flowers, and a few fruit-bearing trees. They also like to drink from mushy slices of banana, oranges, and watermelon. Plant other fall-blooming flowers that provide nectar, like asters and goldenrods; there are native species of each in almost all parts of the country.
Of course, avoid herbicides such as glyphosate and insecticides such as neonicotinoids, especially on fall-blooming plants.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/travel-safe-monarchs
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Sue 

Sorry I haven’t been posting.  I am still working on cleaning up the wagons and the plants.  But mainly I have been working on bookwork for Larry’s Garage.  I am gaining on it and will have statements to send out I hate to say from this spring.  We had such a good season at the greenhouse, I couldn’t keep up with the bookwork.  I have some call and see if I am still open which warms my heart, but I really don’t have plants for their gardens.   I guess I would say I am closed.  It was hard to keep all of them growing and well-watered when it was so hot during the Franklin Co Fair.  Time to let them go.  Thank you for a great season.  Total of 83 days working in a row at the greenhouse, and then the next week attended the Franklin Co Fair.  Few weeks later we attended the herb fest.  That put us into the first of Aug.  Not bad for someone my age and with 4 artificial joints. 
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I have seen these tomatoes dry at the top, and was asked why they are wilting like this. I looked it up and this is what I found.  If yours did this, you will have to decide which reason why.  We have to be plant detectives when it comes to figure out why something isn’t growing correctly.   Good luck. 
Possible reasons for the tops of tomato plants wilting
Lack of water
Fungal wilt diseases
Tomato spotted wilt virus
Walnut toxicity
Stalk borers
Poor soil drainage
Root-knot nematodes (a common pest affecting tomato plants)
 Tomatoes Wilting Due to Fungal diseases
Fungal diseases  Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt are two different fungi that will cause your tomatoes to wilt once infected. The spores of these fungi can survive in the soil over winter or on plant debris that is left out in the field, and will enter your next seasons’ plants through their root system. Both diseases will cause wilting by growing up inside the xylem of the plant and blocking the transport of water and nutrients, thus causing leaves and stems to lose their turgor. Tomato plants and other vegetables in the nightshade family can be affected at any stage of growth, although it is thought that in Northern climates Verticillium wilt affects plants later in the season when soil temperatures are at least 70- 75℉. Fusarium wilt is more prevalent in Southern regions as it prefers temperatures of 80 – 90℉.
To confirm it is a fungal infection inside the plant, slice away a vertical section at the base of the stem and check for the presence of a brown substance inside.
With Fusarium wilt sometimes only one side of the plant will wilt and yellow, or just the lower branches.  Verticillium wilt starts affecting lower branches at first, and they may appear to recover at night only to wilt again during the daytime.
Solutions and prevention:
There is no cure for either of these fungal infections, and infected plants should be removed and thrown away immediately to prevent further spread- do not add to your compost pile!   Take many preventative measures to keep these fungi out of your garden, as Fusarium wilt can survive in the soil for up to 10 years!  Always remove plant debris at the end of the season, rotate crops in the nightshade family every season, solarize soil with tarps in the spring, buy resistant tomato varieties, and grow non-resistant varieties in pots to be sure these aggressive fungi have a very low chance of establishing themselves in your soil.
Viral infection Can Causes Wilting In Tomato Plants
Viral infection Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) will, as the name might suggest, cause your tomato plants to wilt and yellow.  It is transmitted by thrips, a common pest for tomato plants, which will pass the virus from their gut into the plant tissue of your tomatoes when they are feeding on them.
Identification:
Symptoms of TSWV include stunted or lopsided growth, brown flecks on the leaves, and raised circular areas and spotting on the fruits. Wilting usually occurs at the growing tips and new growth rather than on older, lower branches.  The only way to 100% confirm the presence of TSWV is to take a sample and send it into a local agricultural university lab.
Solutions and prevention:
Unfortunately, like the fungal infections, there is no cure for plants with TSWV. Infected plants should be removed ASAP and burnt or thrown out, and nearby weeds or plant debris should also be removed.   Purchase tomato varieties that are resistant to TSWV, and other preventative measures are focused on managing thrip populations in your garden, since they are the main vector for the virus.  Salicylic acid sprays can be used on tomatoes to ward off thrips, which won’t like to feed on plants with it on their surface. Sticky yellow and blue cards can be bought at plant centres or online and are particularly effective in greenhouses for catching thrips amongst other pests.
Pests Can Cause Your Tomato Plant To Wilt
Stalk borers and thrips  can cause your tomato plant to wilt after they enter or feed from it.  Stalk borers are small caterpillars- which turn into moths- that will bore a hole at the base of your tomato plant in the spring and tunnel into the main stem, impeding the flow of nutrients and water which causes wilting.
Identification:
There may be signs of a boring caterpillar such as excrement around the main bore hole somewhere near the bottom of the plant, or little holes that are used by the insect for breathing as it moves up the stem.  These will often be quite difficult to spot, so try to eliminate other possibilities and get to this cause through process of elimination.
Solutions and prevention:
If signs of the pest are noticed before extensive wilting has taken place, it is possible to remove this pest through a somewhat risky surgery. If you have located a bore hole and/or insect excrement, you can make a vertical incision on the stem and try to remove the caterpillar with tweezers. After removal, the plant must be patched up with horticultural tape and be carefully monitored, as this kind of opening can weaken the plant and create an entrance for other pests and disease.  If the plant is already severely wilted, the damage may already be done and the plant should be removed.
Taken from https://www.gardeningchores.com/tomato-plants-wilting/
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from mygardenandgreenhouse.com

     WOW it is hot and humid out this afternoon.  JUST like we were told it would be.  Clear, whisky clouds it had been overcast it wouldn’t be so warm.  But it is.  Now another round of storms tonight.  Stay safe, stay cool. 
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Which perennials to divide in fall versus spring  by Robin Sweetser
Even if budgets are tight, you can fill up any empty garden spaces by splitting up your perennial plants. You’re not being cruel. Perennials don’t grow or flower well when they get overcrowded and you’re doing them a favor by dividing them. See which perennials get divided in fall versus spring, plus how to divide your perennials.
Why Divide Perennial Plants?
Perennials are plants that grow back each year (versus annuals). Dividing or splitting your plant into multiple plants helps it perform better.   
When plants get too crowded they become weakened, their flowers get smaller, and some may stop blossoming altogether.
Annual vs. Perennial Plants: Everything You Should Know
If you noticed some of your perennials did not bloom well this summer, they might benefit from division so they have more space for roots to grow and can better absorb nutrients and water.
Splitting plants is also an effective way to keep spreading plants under control and manage their size.
When to Divide Perennials
Clump-forming plants like daisies, phlox, yarrow, feverfew, salvia, chives, daylilies, hostas, ornamental grass and many spring bloomers are easy to divide in the fall.
Leave the autumn flowering plants such as asters and chrysanthemums until spring and never divide a plant when it is in bloom. Also don’t divide single-stemmed or tap-rooted plants.
Which Common Perennials Are Divided in Fall Vs Spring
Allium, Fall
Aster, Spring
Astilbe, Spring or fall
Bee balm, Spring
Black-eyed Susan, Spring or fall
Catmint, Spring
Clematis, Spring
Columbine, Spring or late summer
Coral bells, Spring or fall
Daylily, Spring or after flowering in early fall
Delphinium, Spring
Echinacea, Spring or early fall
Goldenrod, Spring or fall
Hostas, Spring or fall
Iris-Siberian, Spring or early fall
Lily, Late summer/early fall
Mint, Spring or fall
Mum (Hardy), Spring
Peony, Early fall only.
Phlox, Spring or early fall
Hibiscus, Spring or fall
Sage (Salvia), Spring or fall
Shasta daisies, Spring or fall
Speedwell, Spring or early fall
Sunflower, Spring or fall
Yarrow, Spring or fall
Steps to Multiple by Dividing
1. Dig around the rootball of the plant with a sharp spade and lift the clump.
2. Pull clumb apart by hand if you can, otherwise pry apart with 2 garden forks placed back-to-back. If that doesn’t work, cut into pieces with a sharp knife, saw, or even an axe! My friend has an electric carving knife she uses just for this purpose. (It has never seen a turkey!) Make sure each section has a good amount of roots and some top growth. The soil around the rootball was dry and made it easy to pull the plant apart into many smaller sections.
3. Replant right away. If you have to wait, keep the divisions covered with wet newspaper or wet burlap to keep them from drying out or plant them temporarily in containers or a holding bed until you can get them into their new homes.
4. This is the time to enrich the planting holes with compost and any other needed amendments.
5. Plant the divisions at the same depth they were previously growing at. Too deep will smother the crown and too shallow will leave roots exposed to weather.
6. Water well to get them settled and keep watering until the ground freezes, especially if the rains don’t cooperate.
Some plants, like bee balm, Siberian iris or astilbe grow outward in a ring leaving a dead spot in the center. To renew them, dig up the whole clump, shake off as much soil as possible, and split the outer ring of healthy plants into smaller sections for replanting. Toss out the woody centers and any diseased or damaged parts of the plant.
Fall is a great time for strenuous garden activities like digging since the weather has cooled down and abundant autumn rainfall helps with the chore of watering. If you act soon there will still be time for roots to get settled in before the ground freezes.
If you can’t use all the new divisions, offer them up to your gardening friends or trade for a plant they have in overabundance. Some of my favorite plants have come from these kinds of swaps. Multiplying your plants by division is an easy way to get something for nothing but a bit of digging!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/when-and-how-divide-perennials
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from The Old Farmers Almanac 

​WOW here we are 25th of July….wasn’t it just the 4th of July, wasn’t it fair time at Franklin Co.  I am still watering 6 wagons of plants.  With the help of grandsons, we started again with the unplanting.  You always ask what we do with the extra plants, we unplant and compost them.  Not my favorite thing to do, but if I work a couple of hours each day at it, then it will get done.  I found that I go out at 6:30 and work my 2 hours out there early morning it is cooler and I can work outside and inside the greenhouse not too warm. 
I will be at the Herb fest in Greene on Sunday July 28th.  I will have perennials, some annuals, houseplants, succulents, and of course what herb plants I have.  Look for the 2 SNAP on TOOL awnings in the park.  I can remember my first herb fest and it was at the farm that the cruise boat would stop for lunch on the Shell Rock.  We are looking easily at 25 years ago.  I remember I had  lisianthus plants and not many gardeners knew what they were.  Now they are a great plant to grow for bouquets.  I must really look to get the starter plants for these and haven’t had them since.  I will continue to look for plugs so I can grow them for your gardens.
It sounds like it will be warm starting Saturday through next week.  I will be around Thursday and Friday and all next week if you are looking for anything to fill in your garden space.  I might be in the house working in the office, but I will come out when I see you drive up.  Give me a call or a text 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 to see if I have what you would like.  Of course, all on sale.  Trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals.  
Interesting article about humidity.  It's Not the Heat, It's the Humidity!
The uncomfortable weather of July is often due to humidity, not heat. Find out more about humidity and what it means to be humid!
In most of the Northern Hemisphere, July is the hottest month. But when folks grumble about feeling uncomfortable, they often say, “It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity.” Want to know if it’s going to be humid? Look up to the skies! Here’s how.
How Can You Tell That It’s Humid?
You can quickly judge moisture by glancing up.
A deep blue sky means dry air.
A light blue sky with a nearly white horizon means average humidity.
A sky that’s milky overhead is very humid. That’s the summertime norm in the Carolinas and the Gulf States.
Warm air can hold far more water than cold air. And the best measurement of the air’s dampness is dewpoint. That’s the temperature at which the current air mass, if cooled down, would not hold its moisture anymore, so its water changes from invisible gas to countless liquid droplets. It’s when fog forms and dew appears. When you breathe on a mirror, it fogs up because the cool glass has lowered your breath to its dewpoint.
What Is Humidity?
Let’s make sense of humidity. Bear with me.
Let’s say it’s early morning, the air is 68°F, and it’s holding all the water it can. This means that there’s fog outside or dew on the ground. Since this air is saturated at 68º, this air has a dewpoint of 68. Its relative humidity is 100%. The temperature and dewpoint are the same.
But six hours later at midday, the air is 95°F. This hot air is now capable of holding twice as much water, so the relative humidity is now 50%. Thanks to the increased temperature, the relative humidity has changed radically. Yet it’s the same air as before, moisture-wise. Its dewpoint is still 68°.
So, dewpoint is a much better gauge of air moisture than relative humidity. It’s the language spoken by meteorologists and weather nerds.
When Is Air Humid?
What’s important to know is that a dewpoint of 65ºF or higher means very humid air. A dewpoint in the low 60s is somewhat humid. A dewpoint in the 50s is pleasant. A dewpoint in the 40s feels wonderfully dry, like the air in Montana.
Here’s one more very cool fact: Air never cools below its dewpoint. So by looking up the current dewpoint, you instantly know the lowest the temperature can get to tonight. That’s assuming some new air mass isn’t marching in.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/its-not-heat-its-humidity
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from evertricks.com

GOOD morning, and what a lovely morning it is.  The low humidity and temperature are enjoyable.  I know it is going to change, this is Iowa, and it is July.  Hot and humid will come back.  Enjoy this while we have it.  I have the windows open, and the fresh air is awesome. 
We got back from the fair and unloaded. Now I need to do the next step which is composting the plants which isn’t my favorite so I will take my time to do that.  If you need some plants give me a call at 641-794-3337  or cell 641-903-9365 and I will let you know if we have it.  Email at [email protected]
We will be going to the Herb Fest in Greene on July 28th Sunday.  Looks like it might be a bit warm, but we will have the awnings set up so you can shop in the shade.  It is a great shopping experience for your gardening.
​
I have been asked what plants to help clean the air.  I found this article about that.  I learned so much as what we know as outside plants can be grown as house plants.  AWESOME and I have some of them here. 
 Discover Air-Purifying Houseplants For Your Home by Robin Sweetser
Did you know that houseplants help purify the air in our homes? We’ve long known that indoor plants improve our mood and reduce stress levels, but improving air quality is an additional benefit! See the best air-purifying houseplants.
Today, Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, often in places with little or no ventilation. The air inside our super-insulated modern homes and offices is often unhealthy due to harmful chemicals called “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs), which can cause short- and long-term medical problems.
Plants, on the other hand, can absorb these airborne chemicals through their foliage, break them down in their root systems, and turn them into sugars, amino acids, and other useful “building blocks” of life.
Indoor pollutants come in two major varieties:
Particulates such as dust, mold spores, and pollen.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases released from paints, fabrics, wallpaper, carpeting, plastics, and solvents commonly found in most homes. Even household chemicals such as bleach, ammonia, detergents, furniture polish, carpet cleaners, and moth balls give off harmful gases.
Mechanical or electrostatic filters can be effective in trapping particulates, but airborne chemicals are difficult to eliminate entirely unless we remove the source.
What Do Plants Have to Do with Indoor Air?
Let’s review a basic bit of botany: plants absorb carbon dioxide (Co2) and release oxygen (O2), which is used by all humans and living beings to breathe. Outdoors, tree planting makes use of that concept to atone for the effects of air pollution. So, would indoor plants do the same with indoor air?
Back in 1989, a NASA Clean Air Study tested 19 different species of plants to see if they would be effective at cleaning the air. They found that in just 24 hours, up to 87% of the formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene was removed from the air by the leaves and roots of the plants, while oxygen was returned to the room. Bottom line: common, low-light houseplants absorbed toxins and helped purify the air!
…Or so we thought. A 2019 study by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology concluded that the effect of indoor plants on indoor VOC levels has been a bit overblown. While they do purify the air, they do so at such a slow rate that it doesn’t make much of an impact in the end.
A study in India (2008) showed that workers in plant-filled office buildings had 24 percent fewer headaches, 52 percent less eye irritation, 34 percent fewer respiratory conditions, and a 12 percent higher lung capacity than workers in plantless environments.
An Australian study (2010) showed that ‘Janet Craig’ dracaena and the peace lily reduced negative moods (e.g., anger, anxiety, depression, stress) in office workers by 40 to 60 percent over 3 months.
We say: Every little bit helps! And, frankly, it’s not surprising that some houseplants purify the air.
Some of the best air-purifying houseplants are:
1. Spider Plants
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are powerful air purifiers that are able to remove formaldehyde, a gas that is emitted by cigarette smoke, dry cleaning, synthetic carpeting, fingernail polish, and more. Spider plants also remove carbon monoxide, which you may find in rooms with fireplaces or stoves. Fortunately, spider plants are very easy to grow and maintain. Just keep it moist in a semi-sunny to a shady spot, and it will thrive.
2. Philodendrons
Philodendrons, one of the most popular houseplants, are also excellent air purifiers and remove formaldehyde gases from the air. Plus, they are practically bullet-proof plants with quick-growing trailing vines and pretty heart-shaped leaves. They can take full sun to shade if watered regularly. Heart-leaf, Philodendron selloum, and elephant ear philodendrons are the best air cleaners.
3. English Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is also a popular, hardy plant that is easy to grow. It removes most pollutants. Ivy doesn’t like high temperatures and prefers to stay cool. Keep moist and spray the leaves weekly to discourage spider mites.
A very effective air purifier that can take on benzene, as well as other compounds, English ivy tolerates fairly low light (although varieties with variegated leaves will lose their markings in too much shade).
4. Peace Lily
The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.) is a beautiful plant with a lovely white flower that thrives nicely in average indoor temperatures. Peace lilies are known to clean the air of alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. Keep moist in a semi-shady location.
5. Snake Plant
The Variegated Snake Plant (Sansevieria trivasciata), also called “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” is very easy to grow. Water heavily, then let it dry out before watering again. It can survive any location, from sun to shade.
Snake plant (this 35-year-old Mother-in-Law’s Tongue actually did come from a mother-in-law).
6. Bromeliads
Bromeliads win a gold star for cleaning up most pollutants. They release oxygen and remove air pollutants at night while you sleep! These pretty plants, with their bright flowers and green foliage, do best with bright, indirect sunlight or fluorescent office lighting. This drought-tolerant plant doesn’t need much maintenance, but it will get root rot if you over-water it or don’t provide good drainage.
NOTE:  I thought I should know what these are so this is what I found out.  Tillandsia which are the air plants.   
Bromeliads are a group of tropical plants with colorful and ornamental foliage and flowers.  They can be grown as houseplants or outdoors in warm climates. They are either terrestrial or epiphytic, meaning they can grow on the ground or on other plants.  Bromeliads are slow-growing and long-lived, and they rarely have diseases. There are many types of bromeliads, such as Aechmea, Ananas, Billbergia, Cryptanthus, Dyckia, Guzmania, Neoregelia, and Tillandsia.
7. Dracaena
Dracaena likes to be kept moist in a semi-sunny to a shady location. Warneck, Janet Craig, red-edged, and cornstalk dracaenas have been rated the highest in removing air pollutants. The Janet Craig is especially good at removing trichloroethylene; this is easy to grow and tolerates neglect; buy one for your office and keep one next to your computer desk at home. 
NOTE:  on the dracaena, which I knew one variety is what use as a thriller in our containers outside but can be grown as a house plant.
Is Dracaena Spike An Indoor Plant?
The beauty of growing the Dracaena indivisa is that you can grow them nearly anywhere. The plant can thrive in partial sun to bright shade, which means it can be placed both indoors and outdoors, where you want some natural color.
 Furthermore, dracaena spike plants don’t mind growing in containers as long as it’s the right size. As a general rule, you’ll want to have a pot that’s a few inches bigger than the plant’s root ball. Fill it up with a well-drained potting mix and it should stabilize in a few days. In regions where temperatures plummet in winter, the spiked dracaena can be brought indoors so it can survive the season. If this is the case then you won’t need to cut the foliage or do a hard prune.
8. Weeping Fig
Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) likes bright indirect light, high humidity, and warm temperatures. Water is when the top of the soil feels dry, and mist the top regularly.
9. Rubber Plants
Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) tolerate dim light and cool temperatures and remove air toxins from any indoor environment. This plant is especially good at removing formaldehyde, the most common toxin in the home. It grows slowly and tops out at about 10 feet tall indoors.
10. Areca palms
Areca palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) are beautiful, easy plants that remove all indoor air toxins. They also humidify the air (a tall areca palm will add a quart of water a day to your home’s humidity). It is an especially good remover of toluene and xylene.
More Plants That Clean the Air
If you would rather have flowering plants, two that fared well in the testing were Chrysanthemums and Gerbera daisies. They are effective at removing VOCs and producing blossoms, too!
Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) like warm temperatures and medium to low light conditions. Allow it to dry a bit between waterings. Keep out of drafts, which can cause the leaves to brown.
Reed or Bamboo Palms thrive in low light as long as they are kept evenly moist. An excellent all-around air purifier that will cleanse your home or office of benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, these palms are very easy to maintain.
Other great air-purifying houseplants include Boston ferns, aloe vera, and bird of paradise.
No need to turn your home into a jungle, though: In a house with 8 to 9-foot high ceilings, only one or two plants per 100 square feet of floor space is beneficial. The roots and micro-organisms in the soil play as important a role as the leaves, so plants should be in 6- to 8-inch wide pots with the soil surface exposed to the air. Soaking up toxins seems to have no adverse effect on the plants studied. Research shows that they safely metabolize the compounds by breaking them down to harmless carbon, water, and salts.
We clean our homes of dirt, so why not clean the air—especially if it is as easy as adding a few more houseplants?
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/10-indoor-plants-clean-air
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  641-903-9365 

image from Kaye P. 

​       This picture was taken of us at the Franklin Co Fair.  You can see it isn’t work all the time, we do get to spend time together.  Larry was on a break from volunteering at Grandpa’s Farm at the fair.     
      Here we are home again, after last week being at the Franklin Co Fair, Hampton, Iowa.  We would leave by 8 and get home at 10 that night.  Long days but it was fun.  We want to thank all that stopped and said hi.  The fair was good, but it is also good to be home again.  We could wish we had weather like this week, but we had lots of rain, lots of mud and then the humidity and the heat came at the weekend.  But it is July, and it is the fair. 
      We unloaded on Monday and Tuesday, so plants are back on the wagons or inside the greenhouse.  I watered all day yesterday. 
       Now I will need to clean up the racks with the plants.  I have one more event to go to Herb Fest in Greene on Sunday July 28th, last Sunday of July.  I will be taking perennials, succulent containers, and house plants.  I might get some little junk containers planted but we will see how that goes. 
    We still have trees and shrubs.  They are on sale at $15.00 off the trees which is 10 % and the shrubs are $5.00 and that is 10%.  I am back to working in the house office.  But if you come to look, I will come out.  I have camera up so I can see you drive up. 
    We have lilies that look good, and perennials too.   Some of the annuals are still looking good, if you need filler. They will be here till it is time for the cleanup.  Again thanks to all that stopped at the fair.  I love growing the plants, but love it even more when the plants bring so much joy to the gardeners. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  beckysgreenhouse.com