 |
|
 |
 |
     |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joy in YOUR Garden Personalized Garden Consultations From Master Gardener Joy Bossi
Call or email to schedule an appointment |
FAQ's Howdy! Top Questions of the Season!!
Q: How can I make compost out of the leaves falling all over my garden? A: Try JOY'S QUICK & EASY COMPOST BAGS All you need is five things for good compost- 1. brown stuff - dry leaves, dry grass clippings, shredded branches, etc 2. green stuff - fresh clippings, veggie trimmings, newly pulled plants (no seeds or diseases) 3. dirt - from your garden, a couple of trowels worth 4. water - enough to make all the stuff damp 5. air - keep the top of the bag open, and poke holes in the bottom If your leaves are big ones, shred them with your lawn mower, use the bag to collect them. (or make a really big pile and invite all the kids to come over and jump and play for a while and THEN suck them up with the mower- (the leaves, not the kids) Layer a large garbage bag about a third full with brown stuff and green stuff (about half and half). Add a little dirt and about a fist full of nitrogen fertilizer (dirt supplies the bacteria and the fertilizer speeds the composting process) Repeat with two more layers. Place the bags where they can spend the winter and then poke several holes in the bottom of each bag.
Add water until all the stuff is damp and leave the top open through the winter. Rejoice in the spring as you dig this 'black gold' into your garden! RETURN TO TOP Q: What do we do to our yard before we plant our new lawn? A: Whatever the method of planting a new lawn: seed, hydro-seed or sod, the soil preparation should be the same. This is also true of all soil types – sandy, clay or somewhere in between, the preparation is the same.
Weeds will out grow the grass at first – don’t panic. Pull the largest ones and wait until after you have had to mow the new lawn at least 3 times before you start using a chemical weed killer. For sod, water deeply enough to keep the soil beneath the sod moist until the roots begin to grow into the soil below. RETURN TO TOP Q: Do my perennials need cutting back this fall? Which ones and how far? A: First some guidelines on care of perennials. Many of these plants die back entirely during our winters and new growth comes from the crown in the spring. The old growth should be removed (cut back) before the new growth begins. This process can be done late in the fall or very early in the spring. There are advantages to each time of year so it's up to you. Most perennials fall in this category. Some perennials keep their leaves year round and should only be cut back right after they bloom. A list of these plants includes: Basket of Gold *Ajuga Candytuft Dianthus *Yucca Liriope *Red Hot Poker *Texas Red Yucca *Hen & Chicks Creeping Phlox Rockcress Aubrieta Violets *Lamb's Ear *Campion *Oriental Poppy Most low growing ground covers *cut back only the flower stems Some woody perennials flower best when cut back to 3 or 4 inches in the fall. These include Butterfly Bush, Russian Sage and Blue Mist Spirea. Lavender and Culinary Sage are perennial herbs that should be cut back by half in the fall and then after growth begins in the spring, remove the oldest and woodiest stems to the ground. Rosemary is a more tender perennial herb and should be pruned only after growth begins in the spring. RETURN TO TOP Q: I had beautiful dahlias and begonias in my garden this year. Will they make it through the winter and come back next year? A: Summer bulbs- dahlias, begonias, cannas, gladiolas, caladiums, callas- generally freeze to death in the ground along the Wasatch Front. Although there are places in some gardens where these bulbs will winter over, it is safer to lift and store them during the cold season. Gently lift the bulbs just before a heavy frost or just after a light frost. Cut off the tops and let the bulbs sit somewhere dry until the soil crumbles off the roots. Line a box with a plastic bag and layer an inch or two of something like sawdust, vermiculite or peat moss and put a layer of the bulbs in the box. Don't let them touch each other. Cover with another 2 inches of the storage material and continue until the box is nearly full. To keep the bulbs from drying out or getting too moist use a container (drinking glass or small bottle) filled with water and nestle it in the box so the top is just above the top of the material used for storage. Lightly close the bag over the top. Check the bulbs every month or so to make sure they aren't drying out (add another small container of water to add to the evaporation) or getting to wet (open the top of the bag for a day or so). If they start to sprout too early, pot them into temporary homes in plastic pots and put in a sunny spot. A cool, dark place to store the boxes will minimize the early sprouting - 38-45 degrees would be ideal. If all this sounds too complicated, just call these plants annuals and start over next year!! RETURN TO TOP Q: Our lawn has looked beautiful this year, what do we do we do now to get it ready for winter? A: It's time to apply the last fertilizer dose for the year. Use a 'winterizer' formula that has a high level (20 percent or more-it is measured by the first number on the label ie. 28-10-15) of slow-release nitrogen. I like the Fertilome brand. Also, set the mower just one notch lower for these last mowings. You may still be mowing into November, the lawn may not need it but it's the easiest was to suck up the leaves from the lawn. If you don't mow then stay consistent with the raking, it is very necessary for a healthy lawn next spring - matted down leaves can kill spots of your lawn and encourage the ugly growth of snow mold. RETURN TO TOP Q: We have a lot of morning glory in our yard and I was wondering, what do we use to kill it? A: Wild morning glory, or field bindweed, is one of the most troublesome perennial weeds we have here in the mountain west. The first question I usually ask is: could you just move?! OK, so much for that idea. A few pieces of information about bindweed will help you understand why this is such a persistent weed. The seeds can hide deep in the soil and still germinate decades after they are formed and scattered. All it takes is you stirring or digging up the soil to put them near the surface and away they grow. In that first season it is possible to pull the entire little plant but from the second season on the roots grow so deeply (up to 15') and so widely that pulling is usually out of the question. Because of the food stored in the large root system even covering them with black plastic for a year or two won't discourage them much. Dedicated pulling will eventually wear them down but don't be fooled. Given a year on their own and they're back! In areas where there are no desirable plants a combination of glyphosate(RoundUp) plus a broadleaf weed killer plus a tablespoon of vinegar and a surfactant(like Spreader Sticker) will kill them back. It is most effective to apply the mixture while they are blooming or late in the fall when night temperatures are 45 degrees. Around the plants you love, you will need to cover or screen the good guys before going after the bad guys. Any drift onto the leaves will do lasting damage to any desirable plant. Though not necessarily to any nearby weeds! In the lawn area use a 'dandelion killer' with the addition of the surfactant. Wait until just before it is time to mow and use a light leaf rake to gently tease the bind weed to the surface of the lawn. Spray and then wait an extra day before mowing. The two times in this stubborn weed's life that the treatment is more effective are when the little flowers appear and in the fall when the temperatures at night fall to around 45 degrees. Are you sure you can't just move? RETURN TO TOP Q: We have 3 quakies in our front yard that we decided needed to come down since there are hundreds of shoots in the grass (and our neighbor's lawn too!) Any recommendations? A: Quakies (Quaking Aspen) are so beautiful in our mountains and put on such a spectacular show in the fall that it isn't surprising that many folk like the idea of having them move into their garden. For the first 3 or 4 years they usually grow nicely, turning golden yellow in the fall, and bringing smiles to all. About here is when the problems start. The only way Quakies reproduce is by sending out shoots from where ever the roots have grown. As soon becomes obvious, the roots extend for MANY feet out from the trunk and up come the little Quaking Aspen. The shoots are particularly happy when they are in well watered warm, sunny soil. Like, maybe, in lawn areas? Oh yes, we have created the meadow areas that Quakies love. Of course we mow the little darlings off every time we cut the lawn which simply makes the little stems thicker and really painful to step on in bare feet. You can try pulling them but, hey, they are still attached to the mother tree! Treating them like dandelions with spray can do a little good but remember, anything that goes in the shoots transfers via roots to the original tree. If the push has finally come to shove and the trees MUST go, please remember to kill them before cutting them down. They don't usually go quiet into the night- it takes a while to make sure they are dead. To start their decline take a knife or small hatchet and cut into the bark with a downward slice. You only need to barely hit the wood under the bark and then gently peel the cut back leaving a 'flap' that creates a small area where you can put herbicide. Continue making the little cuts until you have created a kind of flange all the way around the trunk. Now, pour CONCENTRATED weed killer into the the flange. Pour slowly and let it soak in. In a couple of weeks the poison will circulate out to the root and the decline accelerates. THEN cut down the trees. Sometimes the cutting is urgent and they must come down now. There is still hope for killing the root system. Pour the concentrated weed killer (RoundUp, Brush Killer, WeedOut, etc) directly on the outer edge of the newly cut stump. No need to pour in the middle of the stump - the area that will trans locate the poison to the roots is barely inside the bark. Continue to enjoy our delightful Quakies, especially in the fall when the colors are so fantastic. But you might be happier visiting Quaking Aspen in their home rather than inviting them to be a garden move-in. RETURN TO TOP Q: We have tons of green tomatoes but they aren't ripening very fast. How can we speed up the red tomatoes before frost kills them? A: Time to take off the kid gloves and stop being Mr/Mrs/Ms Nice Guy! Reality-check time for the tomahtoes (sorry, just got back from England) and that means no more water. Honest, you have to shock them into believing the season is about to come to a dire end and if they want to propagate the species they better start ripening that fruit to produce seeds. You can even take more drastic measures by taking a shovel and cut straight down about 6-8 inch out from the stem and slice the roots in about 3 places around the plant. Don't worry if the plant starts to wilt, the tomahtoes will begin to ripen. And as a last resort when the frost is due, pick the fruit and let them ripen on the countertop. They will still be better than store bought. Plus in the recipe section of this web site there are terrific green tomato ideas. Q: My house is full of little black flies. I think they are associated with my houseplants. Can I get rid of them without throwing out all my plants? A: These little pests are called fungus gnats and they ARE living in your house plants. The good news is that they don't bite people or kill your plants. The bad news you already know - they fly into your ears, up your nose, float in most of your beverages and dance before your eyes. Because they feed on fungus growing in your potting soil and under your pots, part of the control comes in the form of reducing the fungus growing with your plants. The first step is to kill off existing mold (fungus) by thoroughly washing the saucers and bottoms of all pots with a 10 percent bleach solution. Make the solution by adding one part bleach to nine parts water. After washing the surfaces, let them dry well. Now for the "15 cent cure". Make three stacks of 5 pennies each on the saucer spaced apart like a triangle. Put the pot back resting on the penny stacks. As moisture collects in the saucer, it reacts with the copper pennies creating a mild fungicide. However, don't let the extra water stay in the saucer for longer that 10 or 15 minutes - that would only encourage more fungal growth in the potting soil. For a short term reduction in pesky flies, spray the top of the soil in each pot with a houseplant insecticide every five days for three applications. RETURN TO TOP Q: This is my first year to grow tomatoes and they look like they are rotting from the bottom up. What have I done wrong? A: The leathery black or brown bottom of the tomatoes is called "blossom-end rot" and is most often seen on the first fruits of the season. The cause is thought to be a calcium deficiency caused by the plants not having enough water to draw from the soil, especially during the night time hours. The way to avoid this problem is to keep the soil moisture consistent by using an organic mulch 3-4 inches deep or a woven plastic mulch. The top side of your tomato is fine to eat but by the time you cut off the leathery bottom there usually isn't too much left! Later in the season the roots have extended into more soil and they are likely to find enough moisture to keep the problem from occurring. Q: How do I control weeds in my lawn and garden during the hot summer season? A: First and most importantly, don't use a broadleaf herbicide These are commonly called 'dandelion' killers. The chemicals in these products volatilize at temperatures above 85 degrees and that causes them to drift around as vapor and when the air cools down at night they settle on what ever plant is below them. Often they travel several houses or even blocks away before they come down to do their damage. RoundUp or other non-selective plant killers have a broader range of temperatures that are safe for usage, but remember these chemicals kill every green thing they touch. Well, except the nasty weeds you
Q: My grandma has a beautiful rose that I would like to grow in my garden. How do I take a cutting from her rose? A: After the first flush of blooms, usually near June, cut an 8 inch length of stem, including a spent flower. Clip off spent flower and the lower two leaves - this should leave about a 7 inch stem with one or two leaves. You can now place the cutting directly in the ground or start it in a pot with potting soil. Either way, moisten the soil, poke a hole with a pencil to receive the cutting. To help insure rooting it helps to dip the cut end of the stem in Rootone, which is a rooting hormone that can be purchased at most full service nurseries. Cover the little cutting with either a a plastic bag (for the pot method) or a quart jar that has had a little muddy water swished around in it - that coats the glass with a little 'sun screen' for the baby plant. Keep the soil just moist and new growth ought to appear in about 6-8 weeks.
|
|
|