image from Youtube Good morning, it is a bit chilly out this morning with the temperature at 30 degrees, but we have the wind. Result of the wind with this cold front coming in. BUT have you seen what the next 10 days going to be…highs in the 60’s. We will take it. ENJOY and STAY SAFE. How about those squirrels? What do you think of them in your gardens?
How to Keep Squirrels Away from Your Garden by Catherine Boeckmann Non-Insect Pests Squirrels can be entertaining to watch, but it can be very frustrating if they keep digging up your garden plants or take up residence in your garage. Here is how to keep squirrels away with natural squirrel-repellent ideas. Squirrels in the Garden With a fondness for fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, the common squirrel has long spelled trouble for home gardeners. From Maine to Montana, these wily critters yank geraniums from window boxes, pluck nearly ripe tomatoes from their vines, and strip apple trees like professional pickers. Though their foraging forays can happen any time of year, a squirrel’s raid at harvest time can drive a gardener nuts. Squirrels are especially active in late summer and autumn when they stock up for winter. They do not hibernate (although they may “lie low” during cold spells), so their underground pantries are vitally important winter warehouses. They have a significant instinct for hoarding food, which helps them to survive. Although North America is home to several species of squirrels, the suburb-savvy gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, gives gardeners (and people who feed birds) the most grief. Gray squirrels stash food by burying it scattered around their territory. How did the clever critters find those flower bulbs, anyway? All squirrels have a very keen sense of smell. The nose of these expert foragers is a tiny but powerful tool in searching for hidden nuts, berries, and bulbs. IDENTIFICATION Identifying Squirrels In the garden, the biggest troublemaker is the gray squirrel. Their most famous feature is their bushy tail, a luxurious puff of fur used for warmth, communication, and balance. They have fur that appears gray from a distance and white or light grey underbellies. There are also smaller red squirrels, which are more active and noisy and cause damage in gardens. Identifying Squirrel Damage Spring bulbs snacked on? You’re probably dealing with squirrels, chipmunks, or groundhogs. Squirrels eat the bulbs and also use the ready-made holes to store their foraged nuts. In the food garden, when you see bite marks on soft fruits such as squash, that’s often a sign of a squirrel. Yes, they’ll take one bite and leave the rest behind! Often, near the moment your crop is ripe, squirrels will steal the entire fruit, especially squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and melons. Squirrels relish digging up seeds and young seedlings, especially in your freshly-planted beds. Their holes tend to be shallow and small (the size of a golf ball). They love to dig around in your flower pots, too. Squirrels and chipmunks are known to look for insects or other goodies in containers, and may uproot plants in the process. If conditions have been especially dry, they may also be digging to access the moist soil. Squirrels will attack not only your gardens, but your bird feeders as well. If you notice your bird food disappearing rather quickly or piling up beneath your feeder, you may have a squirrel problem. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/pest/squirrels Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
0 Comments
image from Old Farmer's Almanac Good morning, temperature at 10:00 AM is 42 degrees. Partly cloudy skies with a high today of 54 and low tonight of 44. This is the normal average temperature, so it is seasonable temperatures. ENJOY and stay safe. I have bulbs to dig out of pots so will do what Robin tells us in this article to store them for next season.
Some Bulbs Need Extra Winter Care! By Robin Sweetser Some flower bulbs will not survive cold winters and need to be dug up and stored indoors over winter. Among these are cannas, elephant ears, gladiolus, tuberous begonias, dahlias, and other summer favorites. Many of these bulbs are expensive, yet they’re easy to keep, so it is worth it. Here’s how to store bulbs over winter. What Are Tender Bulbs? Unlike spring bulbs, your summer-flowering favorites all grow from a type of underground storage structure—be it a corm, tuber, rhizome, bulb, or root. We call them all “tender bulbs” even if they’re not all technically bulbs. What they have in common is needing a little special treatment to save for the next growing season. The most important thing is to keep them dry and cool, and to not let them get too cold before or during storage. By mid fall, many of us have had at least one light frost, so it is time to get those tender bulbs out of the garden and packed away for next season! Dahlia tubers. Photo by F.D. Richards/Wikimedia Commons.Dahlia tubers ready to be divided. Photo by F. D. Richards/Wikimedia Commons. Which Tender Bulbs Need Winter Care Popular tender bulbs that may need winter care include: -Amaryllis (Hippeastrum, bulb): Hardy to zone 9 (Blooms indoors in winter) -Caladium (Caladium sp., tuber): Hardy to zone 9 -Calla Lily (Calla sp., rhizome): Hardy to zone 7 -Canna Lily (Canna sp., rhizome): Hardy to zone 7 -Dahlia (Dahlia sp., tuberous root): Hardy to zone 8 -Elephant Ear (Alocasia sp., tuber): Hardy to zone 9 -Gladiolus (Gladiolus sp., corm): Hardy to zone 8 -Tuberous Begonia(Begonia x tuberhybrida,tuberous root): Hardy zone 10 Overwintering Pots I grow many of these as potted plants so that they can be easily overwintered by hauling them inside, cutting back the foliage, letting the pots dry out to simulate the dry season conditions of their native lands, and storing them out of the sun in a cool, dry spot where they will not freeze. Digging and Lifting Flower Bulbs If they are growing in the ground, they will need a few more steps to get them ready for their winter nap. Generally, they need to be dug after the foliage begins to die back, usually after first frost. Note: If the foliage is killed by frost, the bulb needs to be dug within a few days to make sure rot doesn’t set in. Dig carefully so as not to injure the bulbs. Wounds on the outside of bulbs may encourage rotting. A digging fork can be helpful (versus a shove). Dig several inches away from the plant to avoid injury and then loosen the roots gently. Lift the clump. Wash the soil off the bulbs with a gentle stream from the water hose, and put the bulbs in a warm, dry place to cure. Most need only 1 to 3 days of curing time before they can be packed away. Gladiolus and callas, however, need to cure or dry for about three weeks. Storing Bulbs Over Winter You’ll pack away your bulbs in a cool, dry place. An unheated garage that does not freeze can work well. Just keep in mind the ideal location has temperatures between 35 and 45ºF and relative humidity of about 50%. You’ll pack the bulbs in a cardboard box (NOT an air-tight container) or some other type of ventilated container. Store bulbs between 2-inch layers of sand or sawdust, coir, or vermiculite. Ensure none of the bulbs are touching each other. Here are some specific digging and storing tips for each plant: Gladiolus: Don’t wash gladiolus corms with water before curing; let them dry in the sun for 1 to 2 days, cut the stems down to a few inches, brush off the soil, and put in a warm (60-70°F) airy spot out of the direct sun for 3 weeks to cure. Remove any leftover dried pieces of the flower stalk and snap the old “mother” corm off from the bottom of the new corm and discard it. Take the baby cormels off too, saving only those that are the size of a quarter or larger. You can keep the cormels to raise if you want. (They need 2-4 years of growth to reach flowering size.) Gladiolus corms need a dry, cool spot, around 40-45°F. We hang them up in the pantry in old mesh onion bags. If you think thrips may be a problem, soak the corms in a solution of 1 Tablespoon of Lysol to 1 gallon of water for about 6 hours in the spring, then plant right away. Callas are another that doesn’t need to be washed. Just dry the bulbs for about a week in a warm location, remove the old stems, brush off the loose soil, and pack in layers in slightly moist peat moss or vermiculite in a cardboard box or paper bag so they are not touching. Store at 45-55°F. Check for rotting or dehydration. If they start to shrivel, lightly moisten the packing material. Dahlias: After washing the clumps, let them dry overnight and then pack away in slightly moist cedar chips or peat moss or in a black plastic bag with lots of holes punched in it. They should not dry out completely, but will rot if kept too wet. Store in a dark cool spot, around 50°F. Check them a few times over the winter for rotting or shriveling. Wait until spring to divide the clumps. Each piece needs to have a section of the stem attached where the buds for next year’s plant will form. Cannas don’t like to dry out completely either. Just dry the roots for 1-2 days to get most of the soil off. Like dahlias, pack in barely moist vermiculite, peat moss, or cedar chips and store at 40-50°F. Tuberous begonias are too pretty to lose to cold weather. Once the tops have died back, remove the dead stems, dig the tubers, and spread them out in a sunny dry place for about two weeks to cure. Store uncovered, in a single layer, at about 45-55°F. Caladiums like it a little warmer in winter storage. Remove the old foliage, dry the tubers in a warm location for about 1 week, then store in vermiculite or peat moss at 60°F. Colocasia and alocasia—the elephant ears—grow from huge (and often expensive) bulbs, so it is nice to be able to carry them over from season to season. They also prefer warmer storage temperatures. After the tops die back, dig them and leave them in the sun to dry for a few days. Brush off the soil and store in peat moss at about 70°F. Check all the sleeping beauties a few times over the winter to be sure that none are rotting or dehydrating. Remove any that have spoiled to keep them from ruining the whole lot. If the packing material seems too wet, replace it with dry material. If they show signs of shriveling, mist them lightly. Like Goldilocks, they need it to be just right! Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-store-bulbs-over-winter Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 641-903-9365 image from thornton weather.com I don’t know about you, but it is hard for me to think about Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Always a busy time, and lots to do. With the help of a grandson yesterday, I got the last of the things picked up on the blacktop. Now my work will be all in the greenhouse. Cleaning up, repotting, watering, I have bulbs in pots that need to be dug up, and the list goes on. To answer the question, now that the garden season is done, what are you doing?
What is in store for November weather? What will the weather be like on Thanksgiving 2023? It’s a busy travel time! Will it rain or snow? See the Farmer's Almanac extended forecast. Will it rain or snow on Thanksgiving? In 2023, this all-important American feast occurs on Thursday, November 23, with many Americans getting Thursday and Friday off from work for the holiday. This often means travel; Thanksgiving is one of the top times of the year to travel by road—over the river to grandmother’s house, we go! On Thanksgiving, we expect rain along parts of the East Coast, dampening some football games. It may even be cold enough for some early-season snow to slow the trek in the interior parts of New England. Odds favor a sunny Thanksgiving and Black Friday from the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Upper Midwest down through the Deep South and Southern Plains—good weather if you prefer to deep-fry your turkey! There will be some rain and snow showers from the northern Plains to the Rockies, while sunshine is expected across the Desert Southwest. Some rain could dampen travel plans and shopping trips in the Pacific Northwest. Veteran’s Day Weather For Veterans Day in the U.S. on the 11th, rain showers could dampen parades and celebrations across the eastern part of the country. The Sun will shine in the Deep South and much of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and southern Plains regions. Rain and snow showers may occur from the northern Plains into the Rockies, and some rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest. The Southwest looks sunny but cool. Overall November 2023 Forecast Throughout November, colder-than-normal weather is expected in northern New England. However, we expect a warmer-than-normal month in much of the eastern third of the U.S. Temperatures will likely be near or below normal from the Upper Midwest to the northern Plains and over into the Rockies. November also looks to be a chillier-than-average month along the West Coast, while much of Alaska and Hawaii will be on the warmer side. Most of Canada will likely be on the colder side, with the best chances for near- to above-normal temperatures in southern parts of Ontario and in the Yukon. We look for the month to be drier than average across the interior Northeast, while the I-95 corridor will be stormier. Above-normal precipitation is likely in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, western Great Lakes, Upper Midwest, and Plains. The central Gulf Coast and much of the Southeast will also be on the wetter side, although much of Florida will be drier than usual. November will be on the wetter side from the Southwest up through the Rockies, while it will tend to be drier in the Pacific Northwest. In Canada, near- to below-average precipitation is expected from the Maritimes into Quebec and British Columbia. Above-normal precipitation looks likely from Ontario and the Prairies northward to the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Winter is just around the corner! https://www.almanac.com/november-weather-forecast till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from blogspot. com Good morning, it is a pleasant temperature out but it is cloudy so seems a little more uncomfortable. Temperature is 48 degrees at 11:30 AM. We can expect showers with a high of 55 degrees and a low tonight of 45. Sounds like a great fall weekend. ENJOY and finish up your fall gardening chores. Stay safe.
How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis Bulbs by Catherine Boeckmann Although amaryllis can be purchased at any stage of development, for many, the real fun is growing the flower from a bulb. Amaryllis bloom about 8 to 10 weeks after planting, so get them ready in the fall if you want them to flower in time for Christmas! These big bulbs are easy to bring into bloom, and even a novice can expect success. About Amaryllis Like daffodils or tulips, the amaryllis plant starts out as a bulb—often sold as part of a kit containing the bulb, a heavy pot, and some growing medium (ideally, a sterile, soilless planting mix). They are naturally a spring-blooming bulbs, producing flowers at some point between late winter and mid-spring (February to April in the Northern Hemisphere). However, amaryllis are commonly forced to bloom earlier in winter, in time for the winter holidays. After the flowers die back, the plant’s large leaves soak up sunlight for the rest of spring and summer, providing them with the energy they’ll need to bloom again in the following spring. With the arrival of autumn, the leaves die back, and the bulb goes dormant until later winter, when the blooming process is begun anew. Historically, there has been some confusion regarding the name of this plant. Most amaryllis varieties grown today are hybrids and are not “true amaryllis”; they are instead part of the genus Hippeastrum, which is native to tropical parts of South America, from Brazil to the Andes. The true amaryllis—members of the genus Amaryllis—are native to South Africa and are also known as belladonna lilies (despite not being true lilies). That being said, both Hippeastrum and Amaryllis are part of the amaryllis family, so they are all amaryllis in some sense! The name “amaryllis” comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means “to sparkle.” When shopping for amaryllis bulbs, you can buy the boxed kits that contain a bulb, a pot, and some soil. These make a nice gift, though there are usually not a lot of color choices—generally, they offer red, pink, and white. The flowers are usually the smaller variety, though they should bloom just fine if you follow directions. Some garden centers offer larger bare bulbs that give you more choice of variety and larger sizes, and each one usually produces two or more flower spikes. Each spike will produce 2 to 4 large, trumpet-shaped blossoms. Amaryllis bulbs are classified by size, which is determined by measuring around the outside of the bulb at its widest point. Generally, the larger the bulb, the more flowers the plant is capable of producing. Another good reason for choosing a bare bulb is that you can see the condition of the bulb without having to rummage around in a box. Ensure it is heavy and firm—not moldy, squishy, or injured. It should have some fairly long fleshy roots attached, too. How to Plant Amaryllis Bulbs If you can’t put the bulb in a pot right away, store it in a cool, dry, dark place until you can. Amaryllis bulbs may not bloom if they are in too large a pot. There should be no more than 1 inch of space on each side of the bulb, and 1/3 of the bulb should be above the soil line. They prefer to be a bit cramped (pot-bound). Use a well-draining potting mix. Before planting, soak the bulb’s roots in lukewarm water for a few hours to rehydrate them. Put a layer of soil in the bottom of the pot and position the bulb so the top sticks up above the rim of the pot. Firm the soil around the edge, exposing the top third of the bulb. If planted too deeply, the bulb may rot. Place the pot in a bright spot and water, but be wary of overwatering. Allow the soil to dry a bit between waterings. Expect beautiful, lily-like blooms in 6 to 8 weeks. Tip: For a continuous display, start a few bulbs at 2-week intervals. As one finishes blooming, the next will be reaching its peak. GROWING How to Care for Amaryllis Bulbs Display the amaryllis away from drafts in a bright room, but not in direct sunlight. Amaryllis plants prefer temperatures in the range of 60° to 70°F (15.5° to 21°C). Keep them away from freezing windows and drying radiators. Water sparingly. Only water when the top inch of potting mix is dry, taking care not to get water on the neck of the bulb. To promote blooming, use a houseplant fertilizer with high phosphorus content. When the flower stalk appears, move the amaryllis into brighter sunlight. Turn the pot every several days for even lighting and to prevent leaning. If the stalk starts to lean, insert a stake next to it, taking care not to disturb the bulb. Amaryllis flowers tend to be top-heavy, so stake proactively. Once your amaryllis is blooming, you can move it to a cooler location out of direct sunlight to make the blossoms last longer. After the flowers have faded, cut them off to prevent seed formation. Cut the stem off at the top of the bulb. Grow the amaryllis as a foliage plant through the spring and summer until the leaves turn yellow. Then, store the potted bulb on its side in a cool, dark room or basement to rest for 8 to 10 weeks. See more “post-bloom” tips below. How to care for Amaryllis After Flowering One of the most frequently asked questions after the holidays is, “Now that my amaryllis has finished flowering, how can I get it to bloom again?” Those bulbs can take center stage again next Christmas if given proper care! After blossoming, the bulb must grow and store food for the next season’s bloom. Often, the bulbs actually shrink in size from the stress of blooming and will need time to recover lost nutrients. Once the blossoms have faded, cut off the flower stalk, but keep the leaves growing by placing the pot in a warm, sunny spot. Water regularly and fertilize weekly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. This is when next year’s buds are formed within the bulb. It takes a minimum of four leaves to produce one flower stalk, because the buds form in the axils of every fourth bulb scale. Keep the plant growing all summer long; you can even move it outside for the summer. Bring it in at the end of August and cut OFF the watering. Let it dry out to induce a period of dormancy. Put the pot in a cool (around 50°F), dark place. Pull off any dried-up leaves. To induce flowering in time for Christmas, bring the plant into a warm, sunny location and resume watering around in early to mid-November. We would recommend repotting it at this time to give the bulb better soil. Or, if you don’t feel like it, just scrape off the top 2 inches or so of loose soil and replace it with fresh soil. In about 6 to 8 weeks, the amaryllis should be in full bloom again. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES ‘Liberty’: rich, velvet red petals on 20-inch stems ‘Stardust’: large red flowers that fade to white ‘Samba’: red and white flowers with ruffled inner petals ‘Susan’ (also called ‘Dutch Belle’): rosy-pink blooms with green throats Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/amaryllis Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from fallafall.blogspot.com It is warmer this morning at 27 degrees. Boy that temperature and the wind chill made it feel more like Christmas than Halloween. It does look like the next 10 days will be warming up and more seasonable for us. It just gives us a taste of what is going to be coming. Makes us make sure we get our fall work done in the gardens. Enjoy working on the last chores while this weather warms up.
Here is the answer that is asked each fall. Can I plant my mums that I have for fall decorations, for coming back next year? Are Mums Perennials? Helping Mums Survive Winter There's a difference between florist and garden mums by Doreen G. Howard Mums produce such lovely fall colors, but what do we do with the mum plants when they finish blooming? It depends if your mums are perennials or annuals. Let’s learn more about types of mums, what to do when they stop blooming, and how to overwinter mums. Are Mums Perennials or Annuals? There are two different types of mums: 1) “Garden” mums (found at garden nurseries) are hardy perennial plants. 2) “Florist” mums (often found at grocery stores and flower shops) are treated as decorative annuals and not grown to survive the winter. Perennial “Garden” Mums The majority of mum varieties are hardy in zones 4 to 9, and will grow stolens underground as they get established, returning year after year. With perennial mums, both the flowers and lovely green foliage will be visible; with florist mums, foliage is largely sacrificed for flowers. Perennial mums have many flowers, but the blooms are usually smaller. Mums are “photoperiodic,” which means they will set buds when the days get shorter in late summer! Then, they will bloom from late summer to fall for about eight weeks. Note that both “early season” and “late season” mum varieties are bred in case you wish to time your flowering or have a mix of both types for a more extended season! You may keep your hardy perennial garden mum in the pot, but they’re genuinely happiest and grow better in the ground (which is where you should plant them if you want them to survive winter). In the ground, mums can grow up to 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide in one season. The annuals in the florist pots are already in full bloom with beautiful autumn jewel-hued colors. Florist mums are meant to decorate your house, along with autumn wreaths and gourds. Florist mums are usually ALL blooms; the foliage is more delicate, thin, and narrow versus garden mums because foliage is secondary. Once the flower is in full bloom, it’s actually past its peak and already declining. Although annual mums can be winter-hardy, they have shallow roots, so not well-equipped to survive winter. Once finished blooming, annuals can be thrown out. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/chrysanthemums-when-plant-mums Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 |
AuthorHi! My name is Becky and I am a Master Gardener. I own Becky's Greenhouse in Dougherty, Iowa. Archives
March 2024
Categories |