North Shore Gardener March 2008

March 5, 2008: Tapping Maple Trees, Tuberose Begonias

Starting tuberose begonias
Q: When my neighbor moved away last fall, he gave me a big bag of tuberose begonia bulbs that he had grown the past years around his house – but he didn’t tell me what to do with them this summer. Do I just plant them? When? I think they go in the shade, at least his were in the shade.

A: Tuberous begonias need about two months growth indoors on a warm, sunny window before being put out into the cold, cruel world of a New England garden. Begonias are very slow to start unless they're kept warm. If we put them directly into the cold ground this spring they might rot and not grow at all - or they might survive and then eventually sprout around the Fourth of July, and bloom in August. We can’t wait – so we’ll start tubers indoors now. When the night air temperatures are reliably in the 50’s in late May, it will be time to transplant tuberose begonias outdoors in a shady, moist, protected place. Watch the thermometer very carefully!

Starting tuberous begonia tuber is no big deal – they’re much easier to start than seeds. Start the tubers in individual pots or in flats of moist peat moss or potting soil. I find individual pots are easier for just a few tubers. If you’re growing more than a few tubers, it is easier to start the tubers in a large seed flat, than in dozens of smaller pots. A seed flat will make a dozen or two tubers very simple to handle. However, the sprouted tubers will need to be transplanted to individual pots after a month or so.
Each tuber is placed in the moistened peat and pressed gently into the soil surface. Do not cover the tuber with soil. Water thoroughly, avoiding the tuber itself, and do not permit the pot to dry out at any time during growth.

NOW the moment of truth: Which side of the tuber goes up- and which side of the tuber goes down?
We get dozens of calls every year about which way is the correct way to plant these tubers. It’s simple to remember: - Plant the cup UP!
If you happen to plant them the wrong way down, or even sideways, the sprouts will eventually grow to the surface – they’ll survive, but the sprouts will have to grow around the tuber to get to the surface – and that’s a lot of time wasted.
Keep the planted tubers just moist, and at room temperature, until the pink sprouts appear, which won’t take long. Keep plants are kept in strong light – but NOT in hot sun. When the first shoots appear, it’s time to begin feeding with a weak 5-10-5 fertilizer or liquid manure fertilizer every week until fall frosts, being careful not to burn the leaves by splashing fertilizer onto the leaves.
Plant outdoors when the warm weather comes – in shade or dappled light, no burning sun, in SAFE place, away from running dogs and ball-playing kids and streaming gutters.
During the summer, remove all dead flowers and foliage to help prevent mildew and fungus. Good air circulation will also help prevent molds and mildews, which are common on most begonias, particularly in humid weather. Do allow yourself to cut a few blooms – they’re magnificent floating in water or tucked into a vase.

Tapping maple tree
Q: I have several large maple trees in the yard – and two children who have heard about early settlers tapping maple trees. Would it be possible for them (me!) to tap these trees myself without killing the trees? Could we really get enough sap to make it worthwhile for the kids?
Thanks, The Maple Man

A: The answer is yes – well sort of! The kids will see where the sap comes from – and you’ll understand why pure maple syrup is so darn expensive!
The season begins when temperatures are ideal for sap to rise in the tree each day as temps rise above the 32 degree mark and return to the roots each night, when temps are below freezing. If your trees are at least a foot in diameter, you’re set to go – this size would be a tree about 20 years old.

Drill a hole about 5 feet off the ground and insert the spout, which is called a spline. A hole drilled on the north side of the tree will drip more slowly – drill on the south side, where it is warmer, and it will drip faster. Do let the kids taste the slightly sweet sap.
Collect the clear sap at least daily – a good day’s collection can be as much as two gallons per tap! Store it in a clean container. Simple? Yes, but now the real work begins!
The sap that you have collected is 98 % water – and now the water has to be evaporated with adult supervision - and this takes time:

Put a quantity of the collected sap in an open pan, and simmer it gently. I recommend that you do this on your outside grill – if you choose to do it in the kitchen, I strongly suggest that you open the windows and doors, add an exhaust fan – and ventilate well! You won’t believe the steam that will be given off by the pot of simmering sap – it’s enough to steam the wallpaper off every wall in the house – which is why for centuries it’s always been done outdoors in open sheds called sugar houses or sugar shacks.
Reducing sap takes hours – and when you’re finished, you will find that you have about one quart (not a gallon!) of golden maple syrup for every 42 gallons of the clear sap you have collected!
Is it worth it?
You’ll be saving about $42.00 a gallon – but of course this doesn’t include any new equipment and the fuel used to evaporate the syrup!
Yes – it’s worth it when the kids get to pour their very own precious “home-grown” maple syrup over pancakes or ice cream!
And kids will also see that being a maple syrup farmer isn’t all sugar and spice! It’s a lot of hard work, too!
The final job of the season is to collect, clean and store your equipment for next year – maple sap collecting is a short-season crop!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Daylight saving time begins next Sunday morning at 2:00 am - Daylight Saving Time will end on November.2, 2008, the Sunday before Election Day.
Daylight Shifting Time, as some critics prefer to call it, was originally proposed in 1907, by William Willett. It was first begun to give the farmer an hour more daylight time to do his chores, but later was used with the thought of saving fuel, particularly during WW I –
Last year, the decision was made to extend Daylight Saving Time by a few weeks at either end –it was estimated that we could save over 10, 000 barrels of oil used by power plants alone if we all got up in the darkness and had an extra hour of sunlight in the evening – so on Saturday night we shall all “Spring or March forward”, then “Fall back” in November.
Some people say that we should stay on Daylight Time all year – might be a good idea!
No clock changes, no schedule changes, no confusion – just another hour of sunlight moved to the end of a day! Sounds good to me!

March 12, 2008: St. Pat's Day, Tomato Starts

Green flowers for St. Patrick’s Day
Q: Last year I saw green carnations being sold for St. Patrick’s Day – I thought that green flowers were sort of an oddity – are they real flowers? They just look weird to me.

A: You’re right – but hey! On St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish – and green is the way to go! You’re right! They do look weird! There are very few naturally green flowers – there is a green zinnia called Envy developed a few years ago by Burpee and there are Bells of Ireland, which look like green foxgloves, and some of the Jack-in- the Pulpits are green – but no green carnations, so the florist’s have to make their own for St. Patrick’s Day - and so can you! This is a great project for the kids – it also teaches them how a plant takes up water.
Any flower, such white daisies and carnations are good for this project, but a white flower is best: Simply cut the flower and put the stem in a solution of green food coloring and leave them for a day or two! If you’re really in a hurry, there are also colored floral sprays which are applied like hair spray or paint – but these do shorten the life of the flower.

Tomato starts
Q: Can I really start my own tomato seeds at home? I don’t know a thing about it – and don’t have any special equipment. I really don’t know how to do it – but my neighbor does and has promised to help me. What do I need and how do I do it?!

A: Tomato plants grown from seed need to be carefully timed and not started too early. Figure it this way: - a few days for the seeds to germinate plus about six-eight weeks of growing indoors - that will bring you close to the end of May - and that is plenty early for tomatoes on the North Shore.
Are you sick of those hard, pink tennis balls labeled tomatoes that the market sells all winter long? Are you ready for a home grown tomato, sun warmed, and so ripe that the juice runs down your chin? Don’t let the excitement of your tomato project carry you away. Just how many tomato plants do you need to grow anyhow? More accurately, the question should be “How many tomatoes is your family willing to eat?”
Is yours a family of tomato lovers who could feast on warm sweet tomatoes every day for the whole summer? One tomato plant will produce about three full size tomatoes, or about one pound of tomatoes a week. You’ll need about a tomato plant or two for each tomato lover in the family – and some for the raccoons. SO – if you’re growing six dozen plants, (easily the content of one package of seed,) you would produce about 72 pounds of tomatoes a week– can you really eat that much gazpacho and sauce? You’d better plan on doing a lot of canning and freezing. Don’t bother growing plants you’re only going to waste.
The solution? Share the packet of seed or the plants instead. Plan accordingly – grow a few good plants - and don’t end up growing tomatoes for the compost heap.
Growing from seed takes a lot of time and energy – you’re not going to save money but you can save energy.

Now – down to the business of actually planting tomato seeds indoors:
Tomatoes like space and room to grow deep roots. A tall seed container will give you the deep root growth to produce the strongest plant – tiny cubes don’t grow the best plants. A good and cheap container for starting tomato seeds is a one-quart paper milk carton. Punch holes in the bottom for drainage and use a packaged soil mixture, not garden soil, to avoid molds and mildews. Use a sterile packaged soil mix to avoid some early problems of bugs and soil fungi.

Seeds are cheap, but if you plant too many seeds in each pot, you’ll only have to thin them out later and waste plants. Plant only one or two seeds per pot – and then thin by cutting out the weaker of the two seedlings, leaving the stronger one to thrive alone. Don’t pull seedlings out of the dirt – you’ll damage roots of any plant growing nearby – cut them out with a pair of manicure scissors.
The real trick to growing any seeds is never letting them dry out - and right now, the air in our homes is dangerously DRY. You may need to water daily - use lukewarm water, please – cold water coming from the main is about 45 degrees – your tiny plants deserve something warmer!
Start seeds in a warm place – the top of a heating unit or the top of the refrigerator. As soon as the seeds sprout, move your tomato plants to the sunniest location in the house that you can find. If you are using artificial lights, set them about two inches above the tops of the plant – and move the lights up, as the plants grow taller to maintain that distance.
Keep artificial lights on for no more than 16 hours a day – keeping them on longer will hurt growth. Remember that plants grown under lights need to “go to sleep” for about eight hours out of every 24. Use a timer if you can’t be there to throw the switch. All plants need this “sleep time” to store energy to grow strong.

Tender plants grown indoors in the shelter of your home need to get used to life in the great outdoors gradually. This will mean seemingly endless trips to carry the small plants out into morning sun and then trekking them back into the house each afternoon as the sun gets low. It’s a drag – but it’s worth it. Well hardened off plants won’t suffer a setback when they finally get transplanted in late May.
Old adage: Set out tomato transplants when the first ladybugs appear – that’s about right!
Start tomato seeds NOW and you’ll be ready for a summer of good eating.

This week’s dirt……………………………………………………
Legend for Saint Patrick’s Day:
Forget the shamrocks – and plant peas!
According to legend, on the 17th of March, St. Patrick’s Day, if you plant peas or flowering sweet peas by lantern light, while dressed in a flannel nightshirt, they will be superior to seeds planted at any other time of the year!
Does it work if I have to wear a parka with the nightshirt - and carry a flashlight and snow shovel??……
Help! I can’t find the garden!

March 19, 2008: Raised Beds, Robins, Saving Old Geraniums

Raised beds
Q: Last year I made my first raised bed! Everyone tells be I can plant a lot earlier in this bed than in the ground. Is this true? And how much earlier? And why?

A: Raised beds are warm - and perfect for anxious gardeners! Your raised bed will certainly be ready to plant earlier – and if the sides of the bed are painted black., or wrapped with black plastic, the soil will absorb the heat much earlier than the surrounding ground – and you can grow later in the season, too!
The bed will also drain more easily, so the winter wet soil will be ready for plants and seed.
And if there is an early cold spell, a raised bed is much easier to cover and protect than a normal garden.
I’m sure you learned even in your first season of raised bed gardening the many joys and benefits:
You could put whatever kind of soil you wanted in the raised bed….acid or alkaline, sandy or rich in compost..
It’s easier to weed and harvest flowers and/veggies….hopefully, you made the bed no more than 4 feet across so you can reach easily into the middle...
A raised bed is easier to water – and economical, too! You’ll save water by being able to direct water where it’s needed, either by hand watering or a simple system of tube irrigation.
And yes! A raised bed is ready earlier - in general, you’ll find that you can plant cold sensitive plants like tomatoes, and eggplants and peppers about 2-3 weeks earlier in a raised bed - how’s that for getting a head start on the neighbor’s garden???

Robins
I am an Eagle Tribune subscriber from Southern New Hampshire, who enjoys your column on gardening. I was surprised to read in tonight's paper, that you think spotting Robins on your lawn is unusual at this time of year. Global warming over the past decade or so means that Robins don't fly South like they used to. We see them all winter on our Crabapple tree or on the Winterberry bushes in the woods around our house. I saw a large flock earlier this week under a group of Winterberry shrubs in Atkinson. They eat bugs and worms, so that must be available too if you're seeing birds on your lawn. They would never visit bird seed feeders except perhaps for bug laden suet. We have all types of feeders though, and have never seen that. It's time to tell people who cry "Spring is here" when they see a Robin, that they need to watch Al Gore's movie. Maybe you should too. The times, they are a changing.
Pat and Pete,

Our response:
Thank you for your observant note! MA robins seem to have a slightly different schedule than NH robins - and they are indeed a late winter rarity here! Our area seems to only be a handy refueling point on their way north and inland and occasionally a stray or two are seen. But you are quite right - I've been writing this column for nearly 25 years and we never got letters about such very early flocks of robins 'way back then - Easter might be the sighting date, except in an unusually cold year.....times are indeed changing!
We've found that certain foods become the food of last choice - birds will eat anything, anywhere if they are starving, including the seed we supply to winter feeders. You are correct that they would prefer suet laced with freeze-dried grubs, but beggars can't be choosers, so they can even be seen nibbling on the dry seedpods thoughtfully left behind by the flower gardener. Natural food sources often act as weather predictors: I find that in years where the Bradford pears are ignored early in the winter, winter is going to be severe or at least long-lasting, with late snow cover - birds will eat the good stuff first - and the pears are ignored until late winter when nothing else is available.
I thank you again for your attention to this - and delighted to have you as a reader - and I'm glad you care about our earth and everything on it, for we're all connected...
But now Easter is here, robins are seen and the first crocus has been seen – a sure sign that spring is almost here!!

Saving old geraniums
Q: I have an old geranium in my sunny bay window garden. I rescued it from my front steps last fall. It is very spindly, so I have pinched off all the new leaves, which try to grow at the ends of the plant. Yet, there is no new growth at the bottom of the stem where I want it. Should I just cut down all the leaves and just leave a small stem at the bottom? I would like to have a full geranium. Thanks.

A: There comes a time in the life of every geranium when you may have to take drastic action!
Why are you bothering to save it? Ask yourself - “Is it really special?” It may be! Otherwise...the time has come - Make a decision! The choice is yours…. It's cut - or die!
If you choose "to cut":
If the geranium really is one you want to keep, like a nice scented variety, you can take cuttings of the longer shoots. Root them in water, or sand or peat. You'll have several plants to enjoy or give away. After rooting, plant in soil and keep the new plants in full sun, and fertilize. They can be moved outside after the weather is warm.
If you want, save the old plant and reshape what is left - the "mother plant" will probably show lush new growth from the bottom very quickly once the taller, ungainly shoots have been cut.
And if you choose "die”: You don't need my directions to find your way to your compost heap or trash can…

This week’s dirt………………………………………………………
Let’s dance! March 20th at 1:48 am-
Tomorrow marks the vernal equinox! It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for!
At exactly 1:48 am, the first day of spring will arrive – and it’s not a minute too soon!
Let’s dance! The moon is near full, so there will be plenty of light. Let’s celebrate!
We’re halfway to summer. That’s the good news…
The bad news is in six months it will be fall again!

Some spring proverbs
When deer reappear, spring is near…..
Spring has come when you can put your foot on three daisies….
If the snowdrifts face north, it will be a warm, dry spring…
If trees split their bark, it will be an early spring…

March 26, 2008: Late Snow and Bulb Damage, Saving Easter Lilies, Determinate Tomatoes, Apple Trees, Keep Track of Purchases

Snow damaging spring bulb flowers
Q: Will a late snow hurt the bulb flowers? My tulips and daffs are definitely up – now what happens if it snows – are they gone for the year?

A: Don’t worry about a snowstorm if the buds aren’t showing – in fact a little snow could be helpful, certainly not as damaging as a dry, frigid period with no snow cover. The tips of the leaves may be damaged, but not the bud, if it’s still underground . During the summer, the leaves, even if somewhat damaged, will grow and regain strength for next year’s flowers.

Easter lilies
Q: What about Easter lilies? In my church, many people donate Easter lilies for the altars. Now that the holy day is over, could the dozens of plants be planted out in gardens – or do they have to be thrown out, as they have been in past years?

A: Not for sure – but certainly worth a try – they are only marginally hardy.
If someone is willing to take the plants home and keep them indoors until the weather is warm enough to plant outdoors, you certainly could try. But it will depend on exactly what variety of white lily has been grown by the florist. Some will survive – some aren’t quite hardy without a lot of protection in our area – but it’s worth a try. They have been forced – so it may take a year or two before they rebloom at their regular season, which is mid-summer - and they will be susceptible to the infamous Red Lily beetle, just as many of our other true lilies are, but it’s well worth the sight of a white lily appearing in the garden some summer day – and they don’t take much room.
Remove the dead flowers as they wilt and treat the remaining stem as a green houseplant indoors till the weather warms.
Plant the whole plant, dying stem and bulb and all, in the garden. Choose a warm protected area with at least a half-day of direct sun - and plant the whole bulb about 8” deep to give extra protection. Don’t remove the dying stem and foliage until it can be pulled easily from the bulb. Mulch heavily in the fall. Do mark the spot where you plant so you don’t damage the bulb with further plantings.

Determinate tomatoes
Q: What are determinate tomatoes? I see tomatoes being referred to in the catalogs as “determinate” and “indeterminate” varieties. What’s the difference?

A: Determinates are bushier. Their growth is pre-determined. Determinates grow to a certain height, and then stop. They take less space, and they don’t need as much staking. Each plant develops a flower cluster on the top of the main stem. Many gardeners will use cages for determinates just to keep the fruit off the ground and away from rot and pests.
Indeterminate varieties wander around on longer, taller vines. If well fed and watered, they just keep growing and blooming - This is the kind of tomato plant that is pictured is ads, growing up the side of a house! Indeterminates should always be supported by very tall stakes or caged – or they can be grown on the ground, with the fruit protected by a layer of mulch, or straw.

Keep track of all orders/ purchases
Q: Last year I had some real disappointments in the garden, I admit I bought from some companies I’d never heard of before and got stung. What can I do so it won’t happen again this year? What sort of recourse do I have when something is wrong?

A: Get organized! Keep track of every purchase you make for two reasons: A problem or a success (you’ll need the name of the company if you want more of their product) And do try to buy for established companies whether locally or by internet .Keep a notebook, keep all receipts and plant tags, and keep notes on your reaction to the product.
It is important to keep track of refunds and guarantees – it will make you a better shopper.
And don’t hesitate to complain if you have a real problem! State the problem, how you handled the plants, and what you expect the company to do in return: Do you expect a refund or replacement? Keep your requests simple and reasonable!

Apple trees dropping prematurely
Q: I have four Macintosh apple trees. When they were new, 37 years ago, they gave good apples with hardly any case I prune every year, I spray with Sevin spray five or six times. I start off the season with a lot of apples but when they get about the size of a quarter they fall off. The ones that survive are all deformed or bug laden.
I put cow manure around in the spring also. This all started years ago when I put fertilizer spikes in the ground.
Anything you could tell me would be helpful but I won't be available from mid February to mid march.
W.S.,Pelham NH

A: The manure you are adding in the spring may be causing too high an influx of nitrogen over a prolonged period of time, resulting in poor fruit color, excessive terminal growth, slower hardening off of woody tissues - this could have some bearing on the fruit drop. Add well-composted manure only in moderate amounts, and only in late fall or early spring.
Unfortunately, premature fruit drop can also mean that the tree is dying – I would also have some soil samples done – these trees should not be dying of old age quite yet-,
What are you spraying for? I hope you have correctly identified a pest - and are not just spraying indiscriminately – Sevin can kill pollinating bees as well as pests. Gardens Alive makes a good fruit shield which lightly coats the fruit, protecting it from many pests - and would be safer than repeatedly spraying with Sevin – I have to assume that you or someone else intends to eat the apples!!
Try to identify what is bugging your apples - they sound like fine mature trees, well worth a bit of professional advice and care. Call a local arborist, so he can come out and see and attack the problem at the source. But please be sure to mention what I have suggested....it might make his job easier!

This week’s dirt………………………………………………………
It’s the end of March – and I’m getting/ I’ve got cryophobia, a fear of extreme cold, frost, ice or snow. Actually I fear it more for my plants and shrubs: Will another ice storm and sub-freezing temperatures nip the hydrangeas – will the rhodys bloom in time for graduation?
Now that I can see the lawn, I’m worrying about all the leaves I didn’t rake! They are composting under a layer of snow. What else is living there? Probably a zillion bugs, grubs and molds, getting ready to attack the lawn at the first sign of a thaw - and later will come the skunks – to dig in my lawn and get the grubs!