image from gardenwhisper.com Good morning. The temperature at 10:00 AM is at 23 degrees and only a high of 37 low of 27 degrees. Cloudy now, but the forecast says for sunny. We will see. Back to winter coats, but I say this is ok. More seasonable weather spring will come with in the right time of the calendar.
Personally, I am glad I didn’t take down the plastic walls because it was too warm and even too hot to work. Now the plastic walls are keeping the heat in 1/3 of the greenhouse we are heating and the plants are happier. Speaking of plants, we have lots of the plug tray here so planting will really continue and start. More hours at the greenhouse and less in the house and in the office. I do love this and take what gets done, gets done and it will come. I had a question about dying succulents. Here is what I found out. Why Is My Succulent Dying? By ALEXANDRA JONES Succulents are known for being hardy, low-maintenance plants, but that doesn't make them indestructible. Any succulent—including aloe, jade, echeveria, and haworthia—can be damaged or killed by improper care, the wrong conditions, or pest problems. Knowing how to identify and treat the issue can revive the plant before it's too late. If you're wondering why your succulents are dying, there's still hope. Once you diagnose the reason, you can use these tips to treat the problem and save your succulents. Here are six ways to save a dying succulent, plus steps for identifying the issue. Why Your Succulents Are Dying Before you can revive a dying succulent, you need to diagnose the problem. Overwatering, root rot, too much or not enough light, and pest infestations can all damage or kill succulents. First, examine the plant closely for pests. Look for signs that indicate scale (flat brown spots and sticky honeydew), mealybugs (white cottony masses), webbing (spider mites), or fungus gnats (small insects on or hovering around the soil surface). You'll also want to check out the leaves and stems. Soft, squishy leaves that may appear translucent and mushy, discolored stems are signs of overwatering. Leaves that are shriveled or brown and dry can indicate a lack of water. Look for signs of light issues, too. Dull color or a faded appearance, leggy or sparse growth, and loss of variegation can all indicate that your plant isn't getting enough light. Although many succulents require bright, direct sunlight, others need less harsh conditions. Tan or brown patches on leaves can indicate sunburn from too much light. Tip Dying or damaged leaves or stems can indicate a problem. But the occasional dead leaf, especially lower on your succulent's stem, is completely normal and nothing to worry about. Cut Back on Watering If your succulent appears to be overwatered, the first step is to stop watering immediately. In mild cases, you may be able to simply let the soil dry out and trim away any damaged leaves. Allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again. Repot in Fresh Soil In a severe case of root rot caused by overwatering, repotting may be necessary to save your plant. Use clean, sharp shears to cut away affected leaves. Remove the plant from its pot and examine the roots, trimming away any that are black and mushy. If rot is severe, it may be necessary to cut away all but unaffected stem tips or rosettes and replant those to propagate a new plant. Use fresh succulent soil with lots of drainage, and consider repotting into a terra cotta container, which wicks away moisture more quickly than plastic or glazed ceramic. Water Deeply If you haven't watered your succulent in quite a while and its environment is very hot, dry, and sunny, underwatering could be to blame. Give the soil a deep soaking, or try bottom watering the plant to rehydrate the soil. Going forward, allow the soil to dry out between waterings, but don't go too long without giving your plant a drink. Increase Light Leggy, etiolated, and faded succulents that are growing slowly or not at all may not be getting enough light. Succulents like prickly pear cactus, senecio, echeveria, aloe, and paddle plants all grow best in bright, direct sunlight, just to name a few. Move plants closer to a light source—ideally a south-facing or west-facing window—or use a grow light. Reduce Light On the other hand, some succulents can't handle harsh direct sunlight, even indoors. Lower-light succulents that can tolerate part shade include bear paw, aloe, haworthia, mistletoe cactus, snake plant, and ponytail palm. If you're seeing light brown or dry-looking spots on leaves and stems, your plant could be getting sunburned in its current conditions. Move it further from the light source or into an east-facing window, which gets milder light. Treat for Pests If you've identified houseplant pests as the reason your succulents are dying, you can take steps to treat the infestation. Dab away pests with a cotton swab or ball dipped in rubbing alcohol while avoiding getting alcohol on the stems or leaves to prevent damage. You can also wash them away with insecticidal soap or use organic pesticides to get rid of the bugs but make sure they're safe for indoor use. Taken from https://www.thespruce.com/why-is-my-succulent-dying-7558551 Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
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image from publicdomainpictures.net Good morning, here we go with another 70’s degree day. At 8:00 AM it is 40 degrees. Sounds like it will rain tonight and tomorrow. 15% chance if rain today, 90 % of rain tomorrow. I found this article that explains the chances of rain. All I can say hope all of us get rain which we need very badly.
How to Calculate a Chance of Rain by Bob Berman When the local weather station (or your weather app) says that there is an “80% chance of rain,” do you assume that this means you have an 80% chance of getting rained on? Not true. Bob Berman explains what a “chance of rain” really means! If you’re a sky watcher like yours truly, the first step in observing the sky is having decent weather. We probably all check the forecast from time to time. But relatively few of us know how to make sense of it. Many of us would assume that an ”80% chance of rain’ means you have an 80% chance of getting rained on. This sounds logical but is incorrect. Guess again. Does it mean there’s a chance of rain across 80% of the forecasted area? Nope. That’s because weather forecasts give their “percentage chance” in probability. The answer? An “80% chance of rain” means an 80% chance that rain will fall somewhere within the forecasted area. Rain refers to 0.01 inch or more. Confused? If you want to understand this further, read on. How to Calculate a Chance of Rain So let’s say the forecast goes like this: Sunday, 40% chance of rain; Sunday night, 40% chance of rain; Monday, 40% chance of rain. Now, maybe you’re a gardener and really want it to rain (consider catching the rain by using rain barrels in your garden!). Or, perhaps you have a stargazing session or outdoor event planned and desperately want it NOT to rain. The question is simple: If the Weather Service’s forecasts are accurate, what are the chances that it will rain sometime during the period? What do you think? With a 40% chance tomorrow, tomorrow night, and then again the next day, what’s the likelihood we’ll get rain any time during that entire time span? Here’s how you calculate it. Stick with me for a few minutes. This is fun, as long as you don’t totally hate math. First, you determine the odds that it won’t rain. In this case, it’s 60% for each of the three periods in question. So, you grab your calculator and punch in 0.6 x 0.6 x 0.6, which equals 0.216. Bingo: those are the odds that it will not rain during the entire three periods in question. It is 21.6%. Finally, you subtract this from one to get the chance that it will rain: 78.4%. Roughly speaking, there’s an 80% chance it will rain. Amazing, right? Let’s do another for practice. Say the Weather Service predicts only a 30% chance of rain or snow today, and again tonight and again tomorrow. First, you determine the odds that it won’t rain. In this case, it’s 70% for each of the three periods in question. Now you multiply 0.7 x 0.7 x 0.7, which equals 0.343, which means a 34% percent chance of no precipitation falling. Thus, there is a 66% chance that it will rain or snow during the period. If this sounds illogical and you’re unconvinced, consider that 30% is roughly a one-in-three chance. Pretend you had three marbles in a bag, one red and two green. You blindly reach in and pull out a marble. What are the odds you’ll get the red one? It’s one in three, right? But now, pretend you get three chances. If you first pull out a green one, you throw it back and get another try, and then a third try. Doesn’t logic tell you that with three chances, you’re likely to succeed? Similarly, with three chances for rain, even if it’s just a one-in-three probability each time, you’ll likely get wet when the three periods in question have elapsed. Just thought we’d get this out of the way. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/chance-rain-what-does-really-mean? Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 35th year Playing in the dirt Helping you grow Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa Good morning. The temperature at 7:30 AM is at 39 degrees with expected high of 70. Unbelievable. We are busy planting and what is planted is growing well because of the sunlight and the natural heat. All doors of the greenhouse north and south will be open. Josh came yesterday and checked on his bees. They are busy going in and out and finding pollen. He said from maple trees. He said they were very healthy and doing well. That is good. I am going to set out some shallow plant trays with rocks in them for water. See if they come around.
I am reading a lot about not starting the gardens yet or cleaning off the garden beds. I know how hard that is when it is still so warm out, but we are still in winter, and we could have some cold weather. It will be interesting to see how our planting will go. We need moisture and I have asked how the soil is and many are saying very mellow but very dry. The East coast is having lots of rain, let us hope that we have some of that soon and the month of April. This is the start of our 35th year of playing in the dirt and helping you grow. Where did this time go? Seed potatoes and onion sets will be here the last week of March. I have ordered onion plants. I am looking at getting sweet potato bare roots to plant for the garden but that isn’t till the end of May when the nights are warm. Fingerling potatoes are also ordered. We have on hand bulk vegetable seeds. I have started some peas, and radishes in containers for inside the greenhouse. This week will do spinach and lettuce. I will let you know how that goes. We have seed trays to plant, we have plant plug trays to transplant, we have succulents to transplant. My days are not wondering what I will do today. stay safe Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from Reneesgarden.com Good morning. We are at a seasonable temperature in the 40’s for this time of the year. I am so glad about that. With the above normal temperatures this early, I ask myself “ What temperatures will June, July and August be like?
Have you started any tomato plants? There is nothing more fun to watch to grow from seeds. Here are some ideas on growing them. I have finally seen the reason for the thick stock on the tomato plants. Cool and bright are the best conditions for growing healthy tomato seedlings. Finally I see the secret of growing a stocky stem….cool which I grow them at night at a cooler temperature. Simple steps to starting tomato seeds inside by Robin Sweetser By starting your own tomatoes from seed indoors, your fruits turn red earlier and fruit longer for a better harvest. Plus, you’ll have access to many more varieties than what you’ll find at a garden center. Check out these easy steps to starting tomato seeds for success. Any kind of tomato can be started from seed: beefsteaks for slicing, romas for sauces and salsas, and cherry or grape tomatoes for salads and appetizers. The cherry tomatoes are always a favorite with beginners; Texas Wild (a pea-size red heirloom), Aunt Ruby’s German Green cherry, Super Snow White cherry, Tumbling Tom cherry, and Chocolate cherry are all prolific. It’s always fun to grow a few heirlooms. Try Pineapple, Schimmeig Stoo, Amish Paste, and Japanese Black Trifele. How about a blue or black tomato? When to Start Tomato Seeds Tomatoes are a warm-season crop and can’t be outside until the soil is quite warm (65°). This is when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°F. The challenge is that tomatoes take a long time to harvest (60 to 100 days, depending on variety), so some gardeners don’t have a long enough growing season to get much yield. What to do? You can buy this mix at the store, or here’s how to make your own potting mix. Many gardeners start the seeds early inside so they can set the small plants (“transplants”) outside as soon as the soil is warm enough! It’s best to start seeds about 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost date. Don’t start too early, or you’ll just end up with leggy seedlings and later stunted growth and wilting. How to Start Tomato Seeds Required materials: Seeds, seed-starting containers, seed-starting mix, plastic wrap, and water. Any type of shallow container will do—from a traditional seed-starter tray to recycled salad containers or yogurt cups. Just make sure the container has drainage holes, or you poke in your own holes. A seed-starting mix is not dirt or soil. It’s a soil-less medium that is very fine, light, and fluffy so that tiny seeding roots can grow easily. How to Start Tomato Seeds 1. Use a fresh seed-starting mix. Moisten the mix and fill your seed-starting containers. 2. Press in your seeds about 1/2-inch deep, and water very gently (so you don’t dislodge the seeds). Tip: Some gardeners use mycorrhizal fungi inoculants when pressing seeds into the planting mix. Simply dampen the seeds and roll them in the powder. Fungal hyphae or threads form on plant roots almost immediately and gather extra nutrients and water to fuel development. Spray bottles are great for delivering a gentle stream of water right where you want it. 3. If you are growing multiple varieties, label everything so you can keep track of your plants. Popsicle sticks are a handy way to label varieties, but you can also use laundry pegs, wine corks, pot fragments, pebbles, or whatever is handy. 4. Cover the containers with plastic wrap or place them in a tray that has a dome lid to keep them moist. They shouldn’t need watering again until they germinate, but check them daily just to make sure they haven’t dried out. Water gently again if necessary. 5. Place in a warm, dark location. Tomatoes germinate best at 65 to 85 degrees. Tomatoes are a warm-season crop, so setting seed flats or pots on a heat mat promotes rapid germination. But don’t let it get too hot. Don’t go over 95 degrees. The seedlings should pop up in about a week. 6. Once the seeds are up, remove the heat source. Move them to a place with strong direct sun or place under grow lights where they will get bright light for most of the day. An LED grow light or fluorescent shop light kept on for 16 hours a day works best. Temperatures between 50 to 70 degrees are perfect for growing rugged plants. You want them to be short and stocky, not long and leggy. Keep the grow lights two inches from the plant tops. I have to adjust the distance every other day. Cool and bright are the best conditions for growing healthy tomato seedlings. Finally I see the secret of growing a stocky stem….cool which I grow them at night at a cooler temperature. 7. When your plants have two sets of true leaves, it is time to pot them up into larger individual containers, such as 16-ounce plastic cups with holes poked in the bottom. If they are getting leggy, bury the lower part of the stem to bring the leaves closer to the surface of the soil. They will grow more roots along the buried stem. True leaves are starting to form above the seed leaves. 8. As the plants grow, set up a fan to blow gently across them or brush the tops with your hand to encourage strong stems. I also run a small oscillating fan directed at the plants. The constant movement triggers the release of hormones that build thicker stems. The resulting tomato transplants end up stockier than normal with sturdy stems, which are more durable when set into the garden bed. You won’t have leggy plants, and you’ll avoid diseases and rot by having to bury long, thin stems. 9. Don’t overwater! It is the leading cause of seedling failure. Keep raising your lights to accommodate the growing plants. 10. If your plants outgrow their containers before it is time to transplant them outside safely, move them up into a bigger pot. Each time you repot them, bury the lower part of their stem to stimulate more root growth for a stronger plant. 11. When you’re ready to move them outside, you need to harden off the seedlings by gradually exposing them to direct sunlight, wind, and night temperatures outside before planting them out. For about 10 days, you will need to move them outdoors for a few hours of the day in a dappled shade area and then bring them back inside. Do not leave them outside in temperatures lower than 50°F or on windy days. If your climate is very windy, you may need to consider a cold frame or plastic sheeting for protection. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/starting-tomato-seeds-indoors Till next time from Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from Pinterest.com image from plants.shadeofgreeninc.com WOW 35 degrees all ready at 8:00 AM, high again today in the 50’s. Blue clear sky this morning, and clouds moving in this afternoon. Also with those clouds they are saying we will get rain tonight and tomorrow. The whole state so we will see how that goes. We need moisture.
What are you planting now, Becky? I am just working on Cool Wave Pansies. I have found that the yellow Cool waves pansies are the most colorful, so that is what I am growing. I have them in a big 4 pack, in baskets and in different sizes containers to use in your gardens. Here is the information about them. If you like pansies you will like these because they do bloom all season long. The Ultimate Guide for Growing Cool Wave® Pansies One trip to the garden center for lush baskets or pots for in-ground planting is enough to convince anyone that Cool Wave is a cool-season gardener’s dream! Good for containers and borders, as well as a ground cover, they are tried-and-true for reliable color in Spring and Fall. Pansies are beautiful on their own or when planted with other cool-season flowers such as violas, primroses, trailing lobelia and sweet alyssum. Here’s a guide to grow your best pansies ever. When to Plant Cool Wave Pansies can be planted in early Spring or Fall. Plant the seedlings in the ground when it softens up in the Spring. They grow best in soil temperatures between 45-65°F (7-18°C). Pansies can tolerate a light frost just after planting but try to hold off on putting them in the ground if temperatures are still regularly reaching well below freezing. Where to Plant Cool Wave Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Pansies like full or partial sun but thrive in cooler temperatures. The ideal planting site will get morning sun but avoid the heat of the late afternoon. Planting in the Ground Space the plants about 10-12 in. (25-30 cm) apart. They will spread about 24-30 in. (61-76 cm) and grow to 6-8 in. (15-20 cm) tall. Cool Wave Pansies in Planters Pansies are great for containers. Plant in potting soil in large, portable containers so the plants can be moved to a cooler area when the sun starts to get stronger. Early in the Spring season or in the Fall, a south-facing spot is best. During the Summer, move pansies to an east-side setting for morning sun and afternoon shade. Caring for Cool Wave Remember to water pansies regularly to avoid wilt. A general, all-purpose fertilizer applied every two weeks will help them grow. Remove faded or dead flowers to encourage the plants to produce more blooms and prolong the blooming season. Taken from https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us/Blog/2021/10/11/the-ultimate-guide-for-growing-cool-wave-pansies.html Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 images from Becky's Greenhouse Good morning…clear blue sky and temperature is 40 degrees already at 9:00 AM very little wind so it is an awesome day. Sounds like clouds will move in this afternoon but the high of 55 low of 35 degrees. I just saw the delivery truck stop at the greenhouse. More boxes of plugs are here. Stay safe and enjoy.
I am doing my greenhouse diary for the last week. The first picture you see is the plug trays come in a box. There are 3 trays in this box. So that is 500 plants per tray, total 1500 little plants. Second picture is planting them in 4 packs. I don’t know if you can see how small they are. They are pansies. The third picture is the plug tray I was planting from. 500 little pansy plants. The fourth picture is me planting them in the dirt. Just push them in and we gently tap the flat when planted to make the dirt fill in around the plant plug. The fifth picture is the finish planting of 12-4 packs of pansies. I will put on the table and water and watch them grow. The sixth picture is my little watcher over the plants, or maybe helping plant the baskets. This shipment of plants was in boxes and had 11 trays with over 4000 plants to do. Besides the pansy, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery will be worked on. This is just the start of planting 1000’s of little plants. Our season has started in the greenhouse. This is our 35th year of growing plants. Hope you enjoy my diary, I will share more. Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from atelieatenae, blogspot.com Good morning. Clear, blue sky but the temperature is at 21 degrees. High today of 54 and low of 24 degrees. More seasonable so this is good. Rain maybe on Friday. Stay warm and enjoy the sun light.
How about growing vegetables in containers? I did potatoes and onions last year and that worked well. Just as growing in a garden you need to know these things.
Vegetable Container Gardening for Beginners By MARY MARLOWE LEVERETTE If you don't have the space for a full garden, you can grow just about any vegetable in a container. The secret to successful container gardening is knowing what type of vessel to choose for each vegetable, selecting a nourishing soil, and providing the correct amount of light, water, and fertilization. Follow our tips for growing vegetables in containers to help you and your plants get off to a good start. Tip First time growing vegetables in a container garden? Start by growing peas and lettuce—they're both easy to grow and will produce satisfying results for your table quickly. Select the Perfect Container You can use almost anything as a planting container as long as it's the appropriate size for your plant, has good drainage, and is made of food-safe material. The larger your container is, the easier it will be to maintain: the more soil a container holds, the more moisture it will retain. Container Sizes Tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, cucumbers, cabbage, and beans should be planted in at least a five-gallon container. Beets, carrots, lettuce, and green onions can be planted in three-gallon containers. Most herbs and radishes grow well in containers of one gallon or less. Vegetables that require support like a tomato or squash plant will need a deeper container to avoid tipping over from imbalance or by offering too much wind resistance. Root vegetables like carrots and potatoes need a deeper container than shallow-rooted leafy greens. Wooden Containers Wooden containers are attractive and you can usually find optimal-size containers that aren’t too expensive. Or you can make a wooden planter box. Just remember that after a few seasons, wooden containers may begin to rot. Plastic Self-Watering Containers Growing vegetables in self-watering containers works well. They are large, easy to use, and incredibly durable plastic. They make watering plants a cinch because all you have to do is keep the water reservoir full. Ceramic Containers You can use glazed ceramic or terracotta pots, but it's harder to keep your plants moist in terra cotta because the clay allows the water to evaporate out of the soil more easily. To help solve this problem, you can line a terra cotta pot with plastic, use a plastic pot as a liner, or seal the pot with a stone sealing product. Tip Because ceramic and terracotta pots draw moisture into their materials, they can shatter if left outside in freezing weather. Make sure to store them inside during the winter. For an inexpensive container, use a 5-gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store and drill holes in the bottom. Another alternative is to make an unusual container from something you have around the house, such as an old laundry basket or toy bin. As long as it’s big enough and has good drainage, you can use anything. Drainage is key to keeping plants from drowning in a container. There should be one large hole or several smaller holes located at the base of your container to let excess water out of the bottom, so your plants won't sit in overly soggy soil and succumb to root rot. You can usually drill holes in the pot if the drainage is insufficient, and you can cover a large hole before adding soil with a coffee filter or plastic screening to keep the dirt from coming out the bottom. If your container sits on a hard surface, the hole might plug up. Elevate your container with pot feet or a pot cart to help your plants drain with ease. Use the Best Potting Soil High-quality potting soil is important for vegetables. Don't use soil from your garden, because it will compact in the containers and won't drain water properly. One of the reasons to garden in containers is to avoid the hassle of weeds and soil-borne diseases.2 If you use garden soil, you may import problems into your containers. Provide the Right Light and Temperature Most fruiting vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, need full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. But some gardeners might overestimate how much sun an area gets. For your veggies to thrive, you'll need an accurate assessment. Check the location every 30 minutes to confirm how long the sun hits where you want to put your vegetable container garden. You can also use a sun calculator to get an accurate assessment. If you live in a hot climate, you might need to shade your plants during the heat of the afternoon, so they don't overheat. Also, it's best not to use metal or dark-colored containers because they can become very hot and cook your plant's roots. Many vegetables don’t like cold soil. If you live in a cool climate, avoid putting your containers outside full-time until you know the temperature will be reliably warm. For many plants, the soil needs to be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a thermometer to find out the temperature of your soil. In addition, always make sure to harden off your seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. Water Correctly Most vegetable plants need lots of water to produce fruit However, you don't want to drown your plants. The goal is to keep the soil evenly moist but not soaking wet. To figure out whether your plants need water, stick your finger down into the soil about an inch. If the soil feels dry, add water; if you're not sure, wait and check later in the day. At the height of summer, you'll probably need to water at least once or sometimes twice a day. This is often the most high-maintenance and critical aspect of vegetable container gardening. Feed the Plants Plants need nutrition to thrive, and their food is fertilizer. If your potting mix doesn’t have fertilizer already mixed in, add some several times throughout the growing season, according to the directions on the label. Many gardeners mix organic, granular fertilizer into the containers before planting. Then, every couple of weeks, add diluted liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed to give the plants the nutrition they need. Another way to add nutrients is to make or buy compost to add to the soil, which helps feed the plants. You can start your veggies from seed or buy seedlings. There are some significant advantages and disadvantages to each. Planting seeds is much less expensive than buying seedlings and you can organically grow hard-to-find varieties. In addition, always make sure to harden off your seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. However, starting seeds isn't for everyone. They need 12 to 16 hours of light per day and good air circulation to grow strong. Plus, you absolutely cannot let the seeds dry out, or they're toast. Conversely, if you give them too much water, they’ll fail to thrive.4 Whether you start plants from seed or purchase seedlings from a greenhouse you must harden off seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. Best Vegetables for Container Gardens Tomato plant potted in gray container with small red tomatoes hanging between support trellis When choosing vegetables to plant in containers, look for bush or small varieties (often referred to as dwarf or compact), and be sure that your climate has enough growing days for the vegetables to mature. Vegetables that typically grow well in containers include: Peas: Put tall supports in the container when planting seedlings. Water frequently, and keep them fertilized. Potatoes: Some potatoes need a 120-day growing season, so look for varieties that mature early. Tomatoes: Like peas, tomatoes need a support system. Use a rod or tomato cage to keep your plants upright. Carrots: Use a container that's double the depth your variety will grow. Radishes: The container doesn't have to be that large for this spring and fall vegetable and you can grow them indoors. Eggplant: When choosing a variety to plant, know that many eggplants are fairly sensitive to cool temperatures (lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Summer or zucchini squash and cucumbers: Choose bush varieties rather than sprawling vine varieties. One plant can fill a 24-inch pot quickly, so don't crowd your seeds or seedlings. A trellis in the pot will supply support for the fruit and allow air to flow around the plant. Leafy greens: Spinach and leaf lettuce are among the many greens that you can snip to eat one day and then snip again a few days later. Grow the cool-season crops in spring or fall. They also tolerate partial shade. Peppers: Try traditional bell peppers, or spice it up with hot peppers that are perfect for homemade salsa. These vegetables don't usually work well in containers: Large melons Corn Large pumpkins or squash Taken from https://www.thespruce.com/vegetable-container-gardening-for-beginners Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from blogspot.com Good morning, more seasonable temperatures today. We could get some rain and it is dark to the north. We need moisture so I hope so. I know you enjoyed the warm weekend. In the 70’s yesterday but we had a very high wind, so it was harder to be outside. Always changing weather in IOWA. Stay safe.
Need your input, have any of you raised strawberries in containers? Let us know how it worked out. I noticed we need to plant 5 strawberry plants in the container, so it needs to be wider than it is to be deeper because strawberries are shallow rooted. Different than planting in the garden. Give this a read and see if this is something you would like to try. How to grow strawberries in containers by Catherine Boeckmann Last season, we grew strawberries in containers! It was a big success. Pots of strawberries can be squeezed into any garden, even if you only have a patio or balcony. Learn why these compact fruits are perfect for pots, the best varieties, types of containers, how many berries to plant in a pot, and other container strawberry tips. Why Grow Strawberries in Containers? Strawberries are a natural choice for container growing for several reasons. They’re perfect for aspiring gardeners with little or no space. They look good – especially when in a strawberry tower or trailing from a hanging basket. And strawberries love a well-drained soil, so by growing them in containers, we can better supply that. Plus, growing strawberries in pots makes them so much easier to protect the fruits from slugs and animal critters and they’re also much easier to harvest without bending over strawberry beds! Best Strawberry Varieties for Containers Before we get planting, let’s take a quick look at the different types of strawberries you can grow. There are two main types of strawberries. Everbearing aka perpetual strawberries. These, as their name suggests, crop over a longer period, producing berries all summer long. The berries tend to be smaller but are widely considered to have a superior aroma and taste. Quinault is a great variety for containers. Summer-fruiting aka June-bearing strawberries. They ripen in late spring/early summer. The berries tend to be larger and, because they come all at once, are great if you want to make jam, can your berries or freeze them. There’s also a third, less common type of strawberry – the day-neutral strawberry, which is unaffected by daylength. The plants simply crop once they’ve reached a big enough size and if conditions are warm enough. Then you have the alpine strawberries, and, unlike the other strawberries, they grow well in shade and can be left to pretty much get on with it! They are the sweetest, most aromatic fruits of all – but they are tiny, as you can see, so probably not worth growing in containers, but they would make a fantastic ground cover beneath, say, shrubs. Strawberries for pots are available anytime from spring and are best planted as soon as you get them. Types of Containers for Strawberries Strawberries are shallow-rooted, so there’s little point having a deep container to grow them in as it would just be a waste of potting mix. Strawberries tend to do well in classic strawberry urns with little pockets or strawberry towers, tucking one plant per pocket. (See an example of a strawberry tower.) Or, a typical 12 to 14 inch diameter pot can accommodate two to three plants. We prefer a wider, shallower container which should hold about 5 plants. You could, of course, plant a smaller 6- to 8-inch container for one individual smaller pots like these will dry out quicker and need watering more often, so just bear that in mind. Potting Mix for Containers Use a good-quality, peat-free all-purpose mix. We never advise using garden soil as, in a container, it will just compact and become slow to drain, which strawberries definitely won’t like. Strawberry plants prefer a free-draining mix – something that stays moist enough but never gets sodden. Something like this beautiful potting mix here is just perfect. To help plants along, try adding some blood, fish, and bone. It’s an organic by-product of the food industry. If you’re vegan, then there are plenty of alternatives available: look for a balanced fertilizer – or one, ideally, with slightly more potassium in it and less nitrogen, because too much nitrogen will encourage soft, leafy growth over flowers and fruits. Alternatively, you could just apply a liquid feed that’s higher in potassium at regular intervals – something like a tomato fertilizer every two weeks throughout the growing season. This way you could just add your container strawberries onto the same feeding schedule as your tomatoes, peppers and other fruiting veggies. Planting Strawberries in Containers Set the crowns so they sit just above the soil level. Don’t bury them or they could rot. Firm them in properly. If the crown is leaning to one side, then have it pointing towards the edge of the container. That way the plants will grow up and over the rim, hanging down from the container to make the most of the available space. You can get away with spacing them a bit closer than they would need to be out in the ground – aim for about 8 to 10 inches apart. Leave a bit of space at the top – an inch or so – to make watering easier and to leave room for your mulch. The last thing to add is a mulch of straw. What the straw will do is lift the foliage, fruits and flowers up above the potting mix. This will help to keep the fruits clean and ensure they’re not sitting on the damp surface of the potting mix, which could causing rotting – something these soft fruits can be prone to. Straw will also help to shade the potting mix so it retains moisture for longer while keeping the roots a little bit cooler – something very desirable on hot, sunny days. Its light color also reflects some of the sunlight back onto the fruits to help them ripen. Feed straw in around the crowns, making sure the foliage is lifted onto it, not buried by it. If you can’t get straw, you could use wood chips – anything to keep the top growth dry. Now let’s water everything in. And there – you can see that the potting mix isn’t splashing up onto our plants or washing away. It stays put where we want it because the straw cushions the pressure of the water. Water plants regularly to keep the potting mix moist. Set your container(s) in full sun, ideally with a minimum of six hours direct sunshine a day. A sunny spot on a patio will do well. If you have part-shade, look for a suntrap position, with warmth radiated from the walls and paving. Just expect a more modest harvest and fruits that aren’t quite as sweet and aromatic. Caring for Your Plants Now a few extra things to consider, to help you get the most from your strawberry plants. Birds love strawberries, and we love birds, but not when they’re munching on our berries! Keep them off by simply draping any old netting over your plants once they’ve set their fruits. Just peg it down to stop it getting blown off or birds from getting trapped inside. As easy as that! Should you let your plants produce fruits in the first year? These are decent sized plants, so if they do start to flower and fruit before the end of the season, let them. Plants may produce long stems. These are called runners and we can use these to grow more plants – but not just yet! Remove any runners that appear in the first year and, if you can, avoid leaving too many to grow in the second. By removing the runners we’ll be encouraging our plants to concentrate on getting bigger, better, bolder. If you’d like to know how to propagate more plants from runners – and it’s a really simple and effective technique. It well worth trying as plants will need replacing anyhow when yields start to fall after three to four years. Keep a beady eye out for our video on growing from runners later on in the summer. Pick your strawberries and enjoy them as soon as you can. Try not to refrigerate them, as this pretty much kills the flavor. Forget the cream, a little sprinkle of pepper really helps to bring out the flavor – honestly! Once the harvests are done, trim off the old foliage and tidy up your plants. Taken fromhttps://www.almanac.com/growing-strawberries-containers 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 image from Pinterest. Good windy morning. March is coming in like a lamb and we are having wind. The temperature at 10:30 AM is at 46 degrees with high of 54 low of 32 degrees. Temperature only going to go up and by Sunday in the 70’s. Still not a time to plant your garden. Just look at the calendar for that.
I found this plant which is good for pollinators, easy to grow and it is new to me. Grows in England, but we can easily grow it here. It is a Fried Poached Egg or known as Limnanthes douglasii . Now my plan is to find the seed and start some in bigger pots for you to put in your garden. Growing and transplanting into the garden isn’t recommended. See if I have enough seeds to sell in the Seedy Part of the Greenhouse ( bulk seeds) That is the plan see how it goes. Limnanthes doughlasii ( Poached egg plant) These bright and colorfully, low-growing annuals, which reach just 6in (15cm) in height, are ideal for brightening-up the front of the border. Tough and reliable and very easy to grow outdoors from seed. The single open flowers are highly attractive to pollinators and other beneficial insects. Common Names: fried egg, poached egg plant, meadow foam, butter and eggs. Foliage: Deciduous, pale green, finely divided leaves. Flowers: Small cup-shaped yellow flowers, with white-edged petals. Slight sweet fragrance. Flowering Period: June to September. Soil: Any moist but well-drained garden soil. Chalk, clay, sand or loam, any pH. Conditions: Best grown in full sun. South or west facing, in a sheltered or exposed location. Habit: Spreading low growing. Type: Hardy Annual. Origin: Native to America. Hardiness: H5. Hardy in most areas of UK (down to -15). Usually dies after flowering at the end of the season. Planting and Growing Limnanthes douglasii Good hardy annuals for early summer colour. Easy to grow from seed. Needs very little care and attention and attracts many beneficial insects to the garden. Suitable for town, city, cottage or courtyard gardens. Ideal at the front of beds and borders, as path edging or planted in containers. They also make good winter/early spring flowering pot plants in a cool greenhouse or conservatory. These fun little fast growing annuals are ideal plants for beginners or children to grow. Another use for this plant is as a green manure in the vegetable garden. It is not edible, but very effective and easy to dig in. Sow seed in soil, in spring for early summer colour or in the autumn for late spring blooms. Thin out seedlings to 4in (10cm) apart. Protect autumn sowings from frost. The main variety available in the UK is L. douglasii (California). Height 6in (15cm), spacing 4-8in (10 to 20cm). Taken from https://www.seasonalgardening.co.uk/hardy_annuals/limnanthes-douglasii.asp Poached Egg Plant What Is A Poached Egg Plant? The poached egg plant ( Limnanthes douglasii ) is an annual plant but as it produces so many seeds gets classed as a perennial. It’s common name comes from the flower, a bright yellow centre surrounded with white petals which looks like a poached or fried egg. Benefits Of Growing Poached Egg Plants Poached egg plants look attractive and brighten up any dull area of your garden. They are not only attractive to us but more importantly to beneficial insects including:- Bees Hoverflies Ladybirds Lacewings So they will attract pollinators and predators to your garden. Any plants that are likely to get infested with aphids will greatly benefit by having poached egg plants growing close by. Also any plants that need bees to pollinate their flowers to produce fruit will benefit from a nearby planting of poached egg plants. How To Grow Poached Egg Plants In Pots Select your pot and fill with soil / compost sprinkle the seeds onto the soil and cover with about 3mm of soil water gently and place in a fairly sunny position. This can be done from March to June and they will flower from June to September. Don’t let the pots dry out but don’t over water. That’s it really, they prefer full sun but will grow in slight shade. One word of caution, poached egg plants are so prolific that within a few seasons the areas around your pots will be covered with plants. Not really a problem but you will need to keep an eye on them. Also be careful that the pots don’t become overcrowded. Where To Grow Poached Egg Plants In Pots Most plants will benefit from being surrounded with poached egg plants so the scope is pretty wide on this one. Maybe underneath fruit trees, or next to beans or tomatoes. The list is pretty much endless. Poached egg plants are such great little companion plants that it is my belief we should all grow them. Encourage children to grow a few and record the various types of insects they attract. How Tall Will Poached Egg Plants Grow To? In perfect conditions poached egg plants will grow to around 15cms high (6 inches). Taken from https://growing-guides.co.uk/how-to-grow-poached-egg-plants-in-pots/ Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from growfully.com Good morning. It was cold yesterday morning as single digits and wind blowing make the wind chill below zero. Luckily it was just yesterday. Now we are talking 50’s today with a south wind. Clear, blue sky this morning and will just get warmer each day. ENJOY…
So of course, on the coldest morning, my plant plugs came in. But with a helping hand, I was walking over to feed the cats. I heard a vehicle, and it was the delivery van with my plants. I had to go and work a funeral at 9:00 so glad that I could get the plants inside the greenhouse. This was good. Now today, I will start the joy of planting and growing this season’s plants. You will read that planting of brussels sprouts should be done in the late summer or early fall. The plants need 80 to 100 days to grow, and like it cool. So I don’t think we have cool weather 80 days before we have a killing frost. What do you think? I would plant them in the spring and keep them well watered. I know of gardeners having good luck growing them, but they are a little harder to grow. Good Luck Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Brussels Sprouts by Catherine Boeckmann Learn how to grow brussels sprouts, a cool-weather crop that is planted in early spring or mid- to late summer for a crop that matures in the fall. These nutritious vegetables taste even better after a few light frosts! Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest brussels sprouts in your garden. About Brussels Sprouts Named for Brussels, Belgium, where they were first cultivated in the 16th century, brussels sprouts are a vegetable that is commonly seen in the grocery store, but not-as-commonly seen in the home garden. This is probably because they aren’t the easiest vegetable to grow! They require a fairly long growing season (80–100 days to harvest) and are a cool-season crop, meaning that they produce best when grown for a fall or early winter harvest. The sprouts improve in flavor after a light frost or two. As long as you plant them at the right time, keep them cool and well watered during the heat of summer, and protect them from pests, brussels sprouts are a rewarding vegetable crop to grow—an accomplishment! Brussels sprouts are a cultivar (cultivated variety) of wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which is the same plant species that cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and a number of other popular food crops stem from. Over generations and generations, this versatile plant has been bred in different ways to highlight its different features—flowers, leaves, buds, stem, and root—to provide us with a wide variety of foods! Brussels sprouts form as buds along the main stem of the plant, just above each leaf axil. PLANTING Choose a planting site that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day). Raised beds are especially recommended for cool-season vegetables, especially in the spring and fall, when temperatures are not consistent. Soil should be well-draining and moderately fertile. Work several inches of aged manure and/or compost into the soil to improve soil fertility and texture. When to Plant Brussels Sprouts Due to brussels sprouts’ need for a long growing season, we recommend planting them with a fall or winter harvest in mind. They do best when allowed to mature during the cool days of fall. To determine the optimum planting time, count backwards from your first fall frost date using the “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet. Generally, this means sowing brussels sprout seeds about 4 months before your first fall frost date. In regions with cold winters, where winter temperatures are often below freezing, start seeds in early to mid-summer. Plants will mature for a mid-fall or early winter harvest. In regions with mild or warm winters, where winter temperatures are occasionally or rarely below freezing, start seeds in mid- to late summer. Plants will mature for a mid- to late winter harvest. Brussels sprouts may be started from seed indoors or sown directly into the garden. We recommend starting seeds indoors, as this gives seedlings a headstart and helps to protect them from summer heat and pests. Direct-sown seeds can take a few weeks longer to mature, so add 20 days to your planting date calculation if you plan to sow outdoors. (In other words, sow seeds outdoors about 20 days earlier than if you were starting them indoors.) How to Plant Brussels Sprouts Sow seeds about ½ inch deep. If direct-sowing seeds outdoors, sow seeds about 2 to 3 inches apart. (Seedlings should be thinned to 12 to 24 inches apart when they reach about 6 inches tall.) Plant seedlings 12 to 24 inches apart. Water well at time of sowing/transplanting. GROWING Thin young plants to 12 to 24 inches apart when they reach 6 inches tall. Fertilize with a nitrogen-rich product after thinning. Repeat every 3 to 4 weeks. Mulch to retain moisture and keep the soil temperature cool through summer. If growing during hot weather, be sure to keep the plants well watered. Inconsistent moisture can lead to subpar sprout development. Brussels sprouts should receive about 1 to 1½ inches of water per square foot per week. Consider using row covers to protect young plants from pests. Brussels sprouts are usually planted outdoors right when pests are at their worst! Do not disturb the soil around the plants; roots are shallow and susceptible to damage. Brussels sprout plants usually reach heights of 2 to 3 feet, so plan accordingly; they may require staking. Remove yellowing leaves at the bottom of the plant to allow for more sunlight on the stalk and to focus plant energy on healthy growth. To encourage the sprouts to mature faster, cut off the top leaves 3 to 4 weeks before harvest. Note: If you intend to harvest sprouts into winter, leave the top leaves of the plant intact; they provide protection from snow. Also, cover plants with 10 to 12 inches of mulch. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES ‘Churchill’ is an early maturing plant, adaptable to most climates. ‘Diablo’ is known as a heavy producer. ‘Falstaff’ has a red/purple hue that holds when cooked ‘Jade Cross’ is a high-yield compact plant, resistant to some diseases and known for its tolerance for hotter weather. ‘Long Island Improved’ is an heirloom and a compact plant that prefers a cool summer. ‘Oliver’ is an early-maturing variety with a shorter growing season requirement (80–90 days). HARVESTING Sprouts mature from the bottom of the stalk upwards. Harvest sprouts from the bottom when they reach about 1 inch in diameter. If desired, after a moderate frost, pull up the entire stalk, roots and all. (Remove leaves first.) Then hang stalk upside down in a cool, dry basement or garage or barn. Store stalks (no roots) for about 1 month in a root cellar or basement. How to Store Brussels Sprouts Do not wash the sprouts before storing them, only right before use. Keep fresh-picked sprouts in a plastic bag for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/brussels-sprouts 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
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