North Shore Gardener February 2008

Feb 6, 2008: Tomatoes from seed, Wintering Tubers, Carefree Garden

Tomato Starting
Q: Every year I start some tomato plants in my house but they never come out nice and strong. What I do wrong? Thank you

A: Without knowing all of the details about how you are starting your tomato plants, I would guess that you start them indoors too soon. Everyone is eager to have the first tomatoes - but plants from seed don't like to be kept indoors any longer than necessary - start your tomato plants 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in your area-

You can find your last frost date by searching for a frost schedule by zone on the computer – or there are schedules in some seed catalogs-

Germinate tomato seeds at about 75-90 degrees - they like it warm! After they sprout, reduce growing temperature to 60-70.

Give the plants lots of light - if you don't have enough sunny windows, you'll have to use grow lights to supplement the sun-

When the plants have 2-3 true leaves, transplant to individual four- inch pots (or start them in individual pots and eliminate this transplanting) Choose pots with as much depth as possible – tomatoes like to reach down as far as they can.

Use a diluted fertilizer weekly beginning after about a month of growth...

If you are a smoker, don't smoke near your plants and don't handle them before washing hands thoroughly – tomatoes are very susceptible to the tobacco virus.

Don't be too eager to move your plants outdoors until the ground is warm and all danger of frost has past - you won't want to ruin your work!

Now - does this sound like what you are doing with your tomato seeds??

Write me if you have any other questions-and thank you for your letter -

I know it's really spring when I get the first letter about tomato plants!! Thank you!

Wintering dahlia tubers in egg cartons
Re: wintering tubers - I have always avoided saving tubers because it seems too much work, I have the

original black thumb, and it's too much work for a black thumb! I might yet try them because I had beautiful

dahlias a year ago [regretfully tossed them at summer's end]. It would be more satisfying to grow your own

[and less expensive].

I have a question: For storage, could you use egg cartons? I usually buy Eggland eggs which come in the

white Styrofoam. But supermarkets sell eggs which come in some sort of rough grey material. Would the

rough-grey cartons work for storage?
M.G.

A: -A good idea - and it recycles the egg cartons, too! But I think the individual sections of egg cartons would be too small for dahlia tubers.....

But the egg cartons certainly could be use for smaller bulb storage - they'd take a bit more room than a bag of peat and bulbs. But if you had just a few bulbs to store, it could be very efficient! By the way, some gardeners do use the paper- mache cartons for starting small seeds each spring.

Let me encourage you to save your dahlia tubers in future years - it's really not difficult and they grow and multiply rapidly - then there will always be a few to give to other gardening friends who admire your plants-

And remember- there are no truly black thumbs! It's only dirt you see - and you can be proud of that!

Planning a carefree flower garden
Q: I am not a "green thumb", not even close, but would like a nice-looking flower garden that doesn't require a lot of work. What kind of perennials do you suggest that are maintenance free (and preferably drought & heat- resistant) from spring to fall?

Most of the garden gets sun all day, except for two small areas that get some shade from the house and a tree. Watering in dry periods is possible, but I would like to keep it to a minimum, and also, I tend to forget to water. .

There's sedum (I think) that does very well with my watering it once a week

As you can tell, I know close to nothing about flowers, plants, or taking care of them. I hope you can help me. Thank you.
J.T.G .

A: Do concentrate on perennials, which live through the winter and reappear bigger and better each year: they're initially more expensive - but you buy them once, plant them once, and care for them minimally – and you’ll have flowers every year, in their season.
Annuals are cheaper, and provide fast reliable color, but die with the frost..... they have to be replaced every year. But they do add instant color, which is particularly nice the first year as perennials become established.

For low maintenance in your sunny garden areas some perennials to consider:
The existing sedum are fine and do well with far less water - but this last year was an awfully dry summer - most unusual, but we all had to water far more than usual...
Daylilies - buy a daylily that is labeled a rebloomer and you'll have flowers from mid-summer and again late in the summer. (The only drawback with daylilies is that they aren't good as cut flowers -they truly ARE daylilies, each flower lasting one day!)
English daisies- an old fashion favorite, white with yellow centers, good for cutting…
Phlox - buy a mildew- resistant variety - lovely in mid to late summer…
Iris - both bearded and Siberian for early summer color…
Coneflower (Echinacea) - white, or pink, or yellows with a dark center, very
easy and don't need much water at all....
Liatris - med. size plant with poker shaped purple or white flowers – cut well-
Perennial mums – yes, plant perennial mums in the spring and they’ll have plenty of time to get established – and they’ll be back every year! -Make sure they are perennial mums!
Peonies - take a few years to get established, but last for decades! A traditional part of any flower garden- well worth the time and effort…start them now and enjoy them for decades.

Each spring, do buy few flats of annuals for color: Buy the colors you love:
marigolds of all heights, zinnias, snapdragons, sunflowers - and for the shadier areas,
some impatiens.
In the fall, plant some spring bulbs for early color - crocus and daffs and tulips....
If there is room for a large blooming bush, you might plant a Rose of Sharon -
the pink, blue, lavender, or white flowers are like small hibiscus , and give a glimpse of the tropics -
-or plant a smaller blooming bush , a Nikko hydrangea, which is easier to grow in our severe winters.
If you have a trellis or fence in full sun, plant the annual Heavenly Blue morning glory in the spring, – or splurge on the perennial clematis vine for mid summer to fall bloom....
You might even want to slip a veggie into the full-sun flower garden space -
try a small tomato or two, or edge the bed with lettuce - you'll be proud of your results!
This is very basic - I've tried to avoid plants with huge problems. Always know that we're here to answer your questions - and remember: there's a
green thumb lurking under every brown thumb -

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
What are the first signs? Robins hopping hope fully across the soon to be green lawn? A brave crocus pushing through the late snow? Pussy willows glistening on bare branches? The appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the official groundhog?

Nope! To me, spring is officially on its way when we get the first letter about starting tomatoes from seed…..

And when tickets go on sale for the Boston Flower Show – and we had both this week!

Feb 13: Pre-chilled Bulbs, Pigeons in Bird Feeder, Maybe they're Roses?, Crocked Clivia

Crooked clivia
Q: My beautiful orange clivia is beginning to bud! Last year, the buds opened way down between the leaves before they were tall enough to even be seen – they looked like something had stunted them. How can I prevent this from happening this year – I don’t see any bugs – could this be caused be something wrong in the roots? I’m keeping the plant in a warm, sunny window all winter, and plan on putting it outside during the summer.

A: No, it’s not the roots – it’s the direct sunlight and too much warmth! You have to decrease water, give the plant lots of light, but not direct sun, and cool winter rest period to cause a longer flower stems. It may be too late for this year- but immediately decrease the available warmth - do it now. Every day counts. The plant may bloom low again this year – next year, winter the plant in a cooler indoor place, but cooler than normal room temperatures! And decrease the water.
Watch carefully to see that the leaves don’t burn in hot, direct sun this summer – choose a carefully shaded area.

Maybe they’re roses?
Q: There are some rose bushes (or should I say branches) that have been here
since we bought our new house that I would like to save. These have flowered, but not much. Then there's something that is green, with thorns but currently have red berries on them this year --I don't know what this is, but guess it's some sort of rose bushes since it has thorns.

A: Roses will need pruning - and winter protection. ...and it all depends on the type of roses they are!
For this year, mulch well over the winter, fertilize in the spring, and pray! Depending on how they do next spring, you might consider removing them and giving them to a friend relocating them - roses require a full day of sun -
The red berries you mention, if the plant is indeed a rose, are rose hips, the seed pods of the rose plant. They are prized for their Vitamin C content - although you will probably want to snip them off.

Pre-chilled spring bulbs?
Q: I read about a sale on “pre-chilled spring bulbs” – what are they? And should I have pre-chilled the bulbs I finished planting last Oct. These pre-chilled bulbs are a lot more expensive than the bulbs I planted last fall-

A: These bulbs are indeed pre-chilled – they have been stored for months under refrigeration to give them the same feeling your fall planted bulbs have – they feel as though they have gone through winter in a refrigerator.
Most all spring bulbs need a period of cold temperatures to bloom – that’s why we plant them in the fall, - pots of bulbs you want to bloom in December can be planted in fall, and then chilled the weeks required – then brought into the warm house in winter to bloom –
The bulbs that are being sold now as “pre-chilled” are intended for planting as soon as the ground can be worked – they will bloom this spring. The pre chilled bulbs could also be potted and immediately brought into the house to bloom, or kept chilled until needed and used in window boxes in another few weeks, or even potted and forced for centerpieces for a party – they will bloom in 3-4 weeks after planting.
If they are planted in the garden in spring, and properly maintained, they will bloom this year and again on normal schedule every spring.

Pigeons in bird feeder
Q: In your column on 1-16-08 you had an article about bird feeders. I use to feed the birds. I did this for years, then last year, pigeons started to
show up. Pretty soon there were at least 200 more so I stopped feeding the birds. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them so that I can feed my birds again?
Thank You.   Bird Feeder.

A: Are you smarter than a pigeon?
You have to out- smart a pigeon in order to win the battle of the feeder – and since pigeon’s are pretty dense, that’s easy!!!

You can use a food they'd rather not eat: Avoid inexpensive birdseed mixes which are often filled with cheaper cracked corn, a food that they dearly love!

Feed black oil sunflower seeds in the shell - your other birds, especially the cardinals, love it - pigeons don't want it!

Place your feeder in the middle of a bush - a fat pigeon won't be able to get in-between the small branches and the bush will act like a fence! -And the other smaller birds will love to perch in the bushes while awaiting their turn to feed-

Use a feeder with very small portals - too small for a fat pigeon, but large enough for the small songbirds....

Or you can buy a special type of feeder to deter all heavier unwanted visitors, both large birds and squirrels. These feeders rotate with the extra weight of these larger creatures and spin like a carousel, which is frightening if you're a pigeon or crow or squirrel.....

You could try feeding the pigeons separately at a ground feeder, somewhere away from your main feeder -

Pigeons aren’t all that dumb – no matter what you do, you’ll still get a few pigeons pecking around your feeder – but you can certainly cut their consumption rate. Out-smart as many as you can and you’ll at least be ahead of the game.

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Valentines Day!
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day – That’s when over 175 million love-struck men and woman insist on buying roses - what could be sillier? It’s mid-winter and roses are at the highest prices they will be all year! (Watch! Next week, the prices will drop by up to 50%)
On this day, 1/3 of all American adults will buy a plant or flowers to express their affection - and they're fussy about their flowers – one half want roses -and the other one half want RED roses…
Florists are delighted, because this year Valentine’s Day falls mid-week – and it’s much easier on the delivery man because everyone wants their flowers delivered on the day and all the extra deliveries can be easily accommodated – even for the young man who wants to really impress his girlfriend – (and her co-workers-) and wants to have flowers delivered to her office on a workday, when everyone can admire them.

Why not be original this year? You don’t have to have red roses! There are plenty of other red flowers available this week – and how about considering pink or white? Other species, tulips, cyclamen, carnations, freesia, anemones, lilies, the list is long and beautiful.
Remember – there’s still time to order flowers for your sweetie!

Feb 20, 2008: Heirloom Tomatoes, Paper-whites, Stag Fern

A question of age!
Q: In your "North Shore Gardener" column published in the January 30 issue of the Salem News, you say that the stag horn fern is "one of the most prehistoric ferns" ... growing since before dinosaurs roamed. They date back to 3 or 4 million BC..." I don't know much about staghorn ferns but your dates do not make sense. Dinosaurs first came on the scene around 220 million years ago and they all went extinct 65 million years ago. So if
> stag horn ferns pre-date dinosaurs, they must be over 220 million years > old. If they are only 3 or 4 million years old, then they did not appear until the dinosaurs had been extinct for more that 60 million years. Which is correct? Are they older than dinosaurs or are they only 3-4 million years old? I enjoy your column.
Sincerely, Alan M. Young Ph.D.
Biology Department, Salem State College
Salem, MA 01970

A: According to my sources (I wasn't there, although some of my editors may disagree) dinosaurs ate ferns and many of the primitive plant forms which were evolving at that time - so you are indeed correct! They must be older than dinosaurs, over 220 years old.
I'm a gardener not a scientist - but I love the really old plant forms which have continued to exist, some with very little change, through the millions of years as life evolved - the water plants, the ferns, mosses and lichens - and later, trees like the ginkgo and tulip.
Thank you for the correction. I appreciate having you as a reader!

Heirloom tomatoes
Q: I would like to try to grow heirloom tomatoes this summer. Which varieties are the tastiest and most resistant to disease? Where do you suggest I purchase the seeds?
Sincerely, A.C.

A: First of all, let's explain what an "heirloom" tomato (or any plant) is:
it is a plant which is open pollinated, not hybridized - not selectively manipulated to produce a certain traits.
Heirloom seeds are generally are non-hybrids and chemically untreated. No chemicals, unstable hybrids or genetically engineered seeds!
Now, this is good - and bad! Certainly with our industrial agricultural methods of growing foods, there are reasons to hybridize:
For instance: Tomatoes can be directed to ripen the entire vine at the same time, making it easier to harvest.
Or selected to produce a certain preferred texture, or color or taste, like a less acid tomato or a sweeter sweet corn, or a thicker walled tomato or pepper, suitable for stuffing......
And there are even many bug and disease resistant traits that can be bred into a plant!
But not all our food is grown mechanically for the retail and wholesale markets- there are more and more local farms and home gardeners raising good, safe food as well.
What fun you will have growing your heirloom tomatoes this summer - just the names of the old varieties from around the world are enough to make your decision-making fun! And won't your neighboring gardeners be surprised!
Look for Lemon Drop, a small yellow tomato, Bloody Butcher, (!)a very juicy red tomato, Black Prince, a dark red, almost black tomato from Russia ---and who could resist Silvery Pine Tree with beautiful, soft ferny foliage like a carrot? And Arkansas Traveler, with its disease resistant qualities? I don't know what qualities you are looking for and the list of heirlooms is too long to even begin to print here - get onto a search engine for heirloom tomatoes on your computer - and spend an evening searching out the exact tomato you want and need.
Also, look at Heirloomseeds.com and ParkSeed.com, both well-known and reliable....ask for their catalogs and have fun!
This year, you’ll be joining the many gardeners who grow heirloom vegetable seeds for many reasons, including historical reasons, to assure old seeds are saved and cherished as well as to produce good safe food for their your families.
Thank you for your note - Let me know what you decide to grow - I’d love to
know! And I predict that by this time next year, you’ll truly be hooked on growing heirloom tomatoes!

Paper-whites
Q: I recall that you wrote instructions for adding something to the water so that paper-whites will lose their odor. I can not find it in the archives; could you send me the information? I have a few more bulbs to start.
Thank You, A DeL.

A: There is a shorter variety of narcissus on the market called Inbal, which is a bit shorter than most narcissus– it has as many flower stems as Ziva, the usual forced variety, but a lighter scent – and it has a pure white trumpet, instead of yellow – Inbal is what I grew for gifts this Christmas-
But this is what I think you remembered and I have sent you the entire column – please note that this formula is not for scent reduction, but for height reduction:
“A professor at Cornell's Flower Bulb Research Department has discovered that paper-whites grown in a solution of 5% of alcohol bloomed beautifully on stronger stems that were 1/3 shorter than average! Gin, vodka, rum, whisky and tequila all work! Seven parts water to one part booze is the correct mix, since most liquors are 40% alcohol.”
Remember: Stick with the proportions given! As with humans, more booze is not necessarily better!" – but it’s certainly a good use for any left-over holiday gift bottles!!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Finally, I’m sorry to say that you have to toss the spent narcissus bulbs after they’re finished blooming - they’ve used all of their energy – and can’t be resuscitated as some other bulbs can – and they won’t grow outdoors in our climate! They’re not a total loss – you can add them to the compost pile! If you figure they cost less than a dollar a bulb and gave you the joy of 2-3 stems of long-lasting, heavenly-scented flowers from each bulb during the bleakest time of the year, they were a bargain….you’ll do it again next year with fresh bulbs.

Feb 27, 2008: Winter Moths, Zones and Watering, Forcing or "Coaxing" Spring to come a Little Early

Coaxing spring to come a little sooner!
Q: I always jump start spring by forcing forsythia – but this year I’d like to try some other things as well. What else can I force?

A: Forcing - or coaxing - branches at this dull time of the year is guaranteed to cheer you up – and it’s free! Flowers for free is always a good deal.
Most gardeners do start with forsythia because it’s the easiest and most reliable plant to force – but you can coax almost any spring blooming plant indoors, even tiny violets from the lawn. But remember: the earlier a plant blooms outdoors, the easier it will be to coax indoors – that’s why forsythia and apple and cherry branches are easier - and lilacs and dogwood and magnolias and rhodys are much harder.
To force successfully, you’ll need to simulate the natural conditions at the blooming time of the plant - early spring in New England means high humidity, with cool temperatures.
Cut branches with shears – don’t break or tear them. If possible, soak the entire branch in tepid water for a few hours – your bathtub is good for this! If a tub is not available, misting branches is helpful.
This is also the time to consider a little judicious pruning: the forsythia branch which hits you an the head when you walk by, or the branch of rhody which scratches the side of the car – you won’t feel as bad about cutting it if you prune it a little and then use the branch “coax” the branch to bloom indoors! (Note: this may not be the time for a major pruning job!) Occasionally, you will find a storm damaged branch that can be used for coaxing as well – it’s better than throwing out.
Keep branches for coaxing cool and in bright light – they may bloom faster in warm rooms, but the flowers will not last as long. Give them too much heat, and buds may drop before they even open. Change water every few days- and wash the container or vase too, to prevent bacterial build-up in stagnant water. Enjoy your free flowers – but if you don’t have access to a flowering tree or shrub, any branch can be coaxed for the sheer joy of fresh, green foliage and the sight of tiny leaves unfurling – at this time of the year, we’ll take any taste of spring that we can get!

White winter moths
Q: Last spring I printed for myself your info regarding trying to save my fruit tree this spring.
I have not seen but a few moths so far this winter unlike the last which was overwhelming. What is your opinion on this? Have they moved on do you think? Any info welcomed. Love your column. The hi-lite of my Wed reading!
J.

A: There is a possibility that you are correct! I certainly hope the moths have moved on! Wouldn't it be nice! They do appear in cycles, from seven to ten years - and we are about at the end of this life cycle.
Just in case you need to know they aren’t all white moths - the male moths are light brown and have four fringed wings – the female is gray, wingless and therefore cannot fly. They can be seen congregating anywhere, but often at the base of the trees, where they lay their eggs.

The crazy weather last fall could hasten their demise: Moths eggs hatch out after we have had 20-50 GROWING days of warm weather - near 50 degrees - and we certainly had the minimum number in early winter. What if the larva hatched and found none of the tender new buds in our gardens that they so voraciously attack/eat/kill every spring? And what if they then froze in the frigid days and nights that followed? It might have happened!
But just in case it didn't, we'll all keep an eye on the trees and shrubs this spring - it wouldn't take more than a few hardy survivors to damage plantings.

Watering and zones
Q: Regarding watering in the 02/06 column, last year I purchased several hoses with perforations for easy watering. They come in 50-ft and 25-ft lengths [possibly longer]. I placed them at the front/base and along the sides of the bushes abutting the house. And ran them in the early morning or sometime after 5:30 pm, depending on the weather and severity of the heat. And many days, I did not have to apply the hose at all. But the point is that these hoses really did work.
My question is: What zone is Beverly in? I thought it was either 5 or 6, but was recently told it was 9 or 10.
Thanks, Marcia

A: Beverly is Zone 7a with average minimum temperatures of minus 5 to minus 10 degrees - of course we know that those could be lower, but these zones are based on ten year averages. We are definitely NOT in Zone 10 - that includes the upper portion of Florida!
As the zone number increases, the average minimum temperatures increase:
Zone 1, the coolest zone, includes Fairbanks, Alaska where average minimum temperature is minus 50 -
Zone 11 ,the warmest zone, includes Honolulu, , Hawaii where average
minimum temperature is 40 degrees-

Now to further complicate matters, there are mini-zone areas in every garden -like a warm sheltered corner near the house where you see the first forsythia bloom, or an area along a stone wall where the crocus arrive earliest in the spring - or a cold, dry spot where the wind always seems to blow, and there is no sun and snow seems to linger 'til May - look for these spots and take them into consideration when you plant.

Perforated hoses are very useful as they conserve water -it's healthy for the plants as they keep the water in the ground, not on the foliage where it can cause plant diseases, and not flung into the air where a large proportion evaporates. Was your hose one of the "weeping" type, made of ground rubber produce, which literally drips water? Or was it a perforated hose which sprinkles gently at a very low level- most gardeners use the weeping variety for burying in garden or landscaping...and they last! I have one that I buried a decade ago when I transplanted some azaleas. I hope maybe it will last yet another year...
Thank you for this great water conservation reminder - can't wait 'til its warm enough to use it!!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
A flock of robins has descended - first I got a call from my neighbor: the robins were stripping his holly trees of berries and he wanted to do something about it (I suggested that since the robins had already stripped more than 90 % of the berries from the holly, that he give up – and try an owl scare device next year – and let the robins feed in the remaining 10%!
They next descended of my lawn, pecking through all the exposed wet leaves to find anything tasty to sustain them through the late winter-
Do the know something we don’t know? What has brought them back so early when food is scarce?
We can help by feeding for the next weeks, particularly if /when) we get the next snow cover and the delicious much needed live protein is covered again…
Replenish feed daily til spring finally arrives….we’ll need those birds when the bugs appear in our gardens.