What's in this Issue:

#2 Lynne's Backyard Gardening Tips

#3 New Gardening Product of-the-Month

#4 Odd & Strange Gardening News

#5 Great Plant of the Month

#6 Invasive Plant of-the-Month

#7 Garden Pest of-the-Month

#8 Feedback - Anonymous

Cold Framing

Cold framing is a great way to create a mini-greenhouse in your yard or garden without the expense or space of a regular greenhouse. Cold frames use the sun as their heat source while a “hotbed” uses artificially introduced heating systems. Cold Framing is great for:

• Collecting warm sunlight
• Providing cold weather protection
• Allowing ventilation
• Head start on spring growing

Cold frames allow you to get a 4-6 week head start on the growing season. Because of the weather protection and ability to collect sunlight and heat, you can begin growing before your growing zone is officially frost free.

There are several ways to create a cold frame including buying various versions for sale at your local lawn and garden centers. Whether you buy a full kit or the parts at a garden center, it’s really easy to get cold framing going. Besides buying a kit, one of the easiest methods is to simply position 4 bales of hay into a square shape. Once in position, you can put an old window frame (with glass intact of course) on top for weather protection or use some form of plastic to cover over. A window frame probably has enough weigh to withstand wind, but if using plastic you’ll want to weight it down with rocks or boards on top of the hay.

Remember to do the following… In the day time when the sun is going full blast, pull the plastic or window frame back partially to allow air circulation or you’ll overheat your plants. Also, remember to water them regularly.

The concept of cold framing is pretty simple so there are many ways to do it. Besides buying kits or using hay, you can build them using all sorts of materials. Examples include:

- Build a wood frame with hinges to allow ventilation.

- Stack bricks and place plastic or a window frame on top.

- Use PVC pipes to build a frame and cover with plastic.

- Use other frame materials such as metal or fiberglass.

Cold Framing is easy and gives you a head start on the growing season.

Indoor Plant Care

We have plants indoors either because that’s where we want them (obvious) or we are over-wintering them until the weather breaks. Either way, there are basic things to consider for healthy plant care. A good rule of thumb is to try and match the environment the plants are used to as close as possible. Do a little research into what the particular plants in your home are used to and need for a good starting point.

The basics to consider are:

1. Air Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Watering needs
4. Lighting
5. Insects & disease

1- Air Temperature: You can have many different temperature swings in the same home depending on where in the plant is placed. Plants next to windows, doors and vents will get drafts and potential colder temperatures than if in the middle of a room. Be aware especially if the plant is tropical in nature. A final note… When leaving town for the weekend you may turn the temperature down to conserve energy. Move plants to parts of the home where they will get more sunlight and warmth.

2- Humidity: Temperature & humidity will drastically affect your plant's well being. When temperatures in your home rise above 67 degrees F, the humidity begins to drop dramatically. One way to tell if plants need more humidity is if you have leaf loss or yellowing. Plants can create certain amounts of humidity themselves and the more plants you have in a room the higher the humidity. One way to increase relative humidity is to set your pots in a bed of small pebbles with water. As the water evaporates it will give off humidity. You can also set containers of water in the room and allow the water to evaporate & add moisture to the air.

3- Watering Needs: More houseplants die from over-watering than from any other cause. As a result, it is better to keep the plant slightly dry than to over water. Watering needs will vary depending on the season, how dry or humid it is, and the plant type. Plants can sense shorter days and will go dormant, thus requiring much less water. In these periods make sure the soil stays moist to the touch. On the other hand, during periods of active growth thoroughly soak the plant when the soil dries. Final Note: City water is treated with chemicals like chlorine that your plants don’t tolerate well. You might consider allowing the water to sit in an open container for 24 hours prior to its use.

4- Lighting: When your indoor plant is getting insufficient light you’ll usually see pale foliage, lanky growth, and an overall lack of luster. The remedy is to move it to more light near a window or to artificially introduce light with lamps. If moving your plant from a lower light condition to a higher light condition do it as gradually as possible. The reason is that it has become tender from lack of light and will sunburn if moved too abruptly.

5- Insects: There is always the possibility of insects invading your plants whether inside or outside. Insects most likely to be encountered indoors include mites, thrips, whitefly, aphids, scales, and mealybugs. These can be avoided by following a few preventative measures:

If you catch pest early enough you can remove them by hand and wash the plants leaves with soap and water. Another option is to use insecticides. If you choose this option read the directions to insure proper usage.

Rubber Mulch

Every year millions of people mulch their landscaping for several reasons.

There are several types of mulching on the market including:

With all these except the rubber, you have to re-mulch 1 or 2 times per year because organic mulches blow away, wash away, fade substantially, and decay. These types of mulch products are easy to find and supposedly cost less money. The reality is they end up costing you a lot more in just a couple of years in both money, time and labor.

Not only do organic mulches end up costing you more money they have these additional disadvantages:

The safety value of rubber mulch versus other types of organic mulches is worth pointing out. These are critical heights as determined by fall height safety using 6 inches of uncompressed material. The rubber mulch is clearly the safest fall protection as evidenced below:

Wood Mulch: 5 feet

Fine Sand: 5 feet

Medium Gravel: 7 feet

Rubber Chips: 11-12 feet

Rubber mulch is really a great idea. It’s easy to use and has many uses and key benefits including:

Rubber mulches can be used in many applications including:

Rubber mulch is clearly the right choice for several reasons including Cost, Safety, Curb Appeal, and more.

Greater Bladderwort

The greater bladderwort is one of those plants that are truly incredible. This wonder of nature sits in the water and traps its prey much like a fish trap or crab pot, and then proceeds to eat. They are distributed throughout the world including Asia, Europe, North America, Mexico and Cuba.

The greater bladderwort has a beautiful yellow flower that is above the waters surface that puts off a sweet nectar smell and attracts many insects that help pollinate. But the real show is below the water surface. The root system of the greater bladderwort has multi-layered roots that spread out and contain tiny bladders that look like small berries. Before botanist figured out what they were, the tiny bladders were thought to be floats. Most of the greater bladderwort sits near the bottom of the ponds, marshes or slow moving streams. When the plant is ready to flower it then floats to the top but the root system and bladders are still below the surface.

How it Works:

The bladders are like miniature vacuums that suck up small aquatic fish and organisms that happen to swim near it. The bladders have small openings surrounded by tiny hairs. When an unsuspecting victim brushes the tiny hairs of the bladder, a snapping mechanism is activated whereby the creature is sucked inside. Note: small fish and other aquatic creates are attracted to the root system and bladders because it provides false shelter from larger hunters, and the bladders also release a slimy mucus that smells sweet and lures them even closer.

Once inside the bladder, the creatures cannot escape because the trap door shuts with no possible exit (Note: If you examined an entire plant under a microscope you would find nearly every bladder contains many creatures in various states of digestion). The bladder then releases enzymes that break down the food source and it is them absorbed by the plant for nutrition.

Food Types:

There are many examples of what the greater bladderwort dines on. Of course the bladders are limited by their size, but there are examples in captivity and in nature where the bladders contain small fish that are half in and half out of the bladder. The part in the bladder is dissolving and the part out looks normal. Some of the critters a greater bladderwort enjoys for dinner include:

• Mosquito larvae
• Water fleas
• Newborn tadpoles & fish
• Minute crustaceans
• Insect Larvae
• Worms & much more

Greater bladderworts may contain as many as 500 bladders on its root system that eat thousands of tiny organisms every day. A true survivor and natures vacuum cleaner in the water.

Camellias

The Camellia is a beautiful evergreen shrub that beautifies your garden in all seasons. It originated in sub-tropical southern China and was widely grown in Korea, Japan and other Asian countries for centuries. Camellias were displayed in Korean weddings as far back as 1,200 BC were they represented faithfulness & longevity. Gardeners in Britain grew camellias in the 18th century but interest died out until about the 1950’s where a rebirth of interest took hold worldwide.

Most of the varieties of Camellias were bred from 3 species… 1- Carnellia japonica; 2- Carnellia sasanqua; 3- Carnellia reticulate. Now there are more than 3,000 hybrids of Camellias. The Camellia japonica is the most famous species with glossy, leathery dark green leaves, perfectly sculpted petals both solid and variegated, and blooming in shades of whites, pinks, and reds.

There are 6 basic flower groups of camellias:

1- Single 2- Semi-Double 3- Anenome Form

4- Peony Form 5- Rose Form Double 6- Formal Double

Planting Camellias:

Planting camellias is pretty straightforward and can begin with preparation of the soil. Camellias need well draining soil so you’ll need to pay attention to the soil type. If your soil is clay for example you’ll need to dig out a large planting hole so you can mix in plenty of peat moss and compost for proper drainage. Excess water over time will drown out the fibrous root system and seal off aeration around the root pores and tips. You can also end up with problems like root rot or other diseases. In addition to well aerated soil, camellias need slightly acidic pH conditions (around 5.5 to 5.7 as a group).

You can purchase special potting mixtures for camellias to help in the planting process. These are especially good when putting camellias into containers or tubs. When positioning into the ground, do not plant too deeply and firm the soil lightly around the roots. The average person tends to pack the soil too loosely around the plant and the roots later become exposed as the soil settles down. Note: you should stake your camellias at first because the new growth will tend to bend over until the wood hardens.

Feeding – Fertilizing – Mulching:

This ties directly into the soil because the make up of the soil will influence how much you’ll need to feed, fertilize and mulch. Camellias are slow growing so they need a modest but steady supply of nutrients. Most new stems and leaves grow in the spring so this is the best time to fertilize. A great answer to this is to apply Camellia, Azalea, & rhododendron food along with time-released fertilizer. Do not fertilize too much and try to do so only in the spring or summer to avoid harming your plants. Manures are a good option but be careful not to use too much… a little more often is best.

Watering Camellias:

Camellias need enough water but too much will kill them. There is no easy answer because conditions such as soil, environment, and shade can be a factor. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the soil is moist but not soaked. Sandy soils will need more watering because the drainage is better than rocky or clay types of soil. It is especially important to make sure your camellias do not become dry during the hot summer months. Note: One way to ensure plenty of water is to install a drip system.

Light –> Sun & Shade

In general camellias need partial shade. Some variety will tolerate more sun but they do love the shade. Camellias will grow well in the sun as well but their foliage tends to turn yellow. The grower is compensated however because the plant will tend to produce more flowers in sunnier conditions. Note on Temperatures: Camellias tend to enjoy warmer climates but there are varieties that can grow fine if winter extremes do not fall below -10 degrees F. Consult your local gardening center to find out which variety can stand colder temperatures.

Pruning – Deadheading:

Your flowers form on the growth made during the spring time. As a result, it is best to prune in the winter when flowering has finished. Deadheading should be done as the petals fade to prevent energy from being wasted on setting seed. It also allows the buds that are left to grow stronger and larger. Remember to prune the old dead wood and weak spindly growth to help develop a strong healthy bush.

Propagating:

Camellias can be propagated by aerial layering and is best done in the fall or spring. To do aerial layering, strip the bark back from the stem, wrap the stem in sphagnum moss, enclose it in plastic to retain moisture, put aluminum foil around it, and wait. In 6 months roots will have formed and you’ll remove the wrapping, cut off the stem, and plant your new camellia cutting. You can also cut the seeds from the green fruit and plant them.

Camellias are a fantastic choice to add beauty to your landscape. They are really easy to grow and will last for many years.

Orange Hawkweed

Orange hawkweed (also known as devil’s paintbrush, red devil, and grim-the-collier) is one of those flowering plants that is both beautiful and considered an invasive weed at the same time. It is native to Europe and has made it around the world because flower enthusiast wanted its bright red and orange flowers.

Along with it’s pretty flowers orange hawkweed is easy to grow, tolerant of a variety of climates and conditions, and is a perennial. It can grow just fine in rocky or acidic soils, full sun or partial shade, and frosty or snow conditions. It is very adaptable and has more than one method of multiplying that includes spreading by runners or by seed.

Orange hawkweed has shallow, fibrous root with leaves that are hairy, spatula shaped, up to 5 inches long. Stems are usually leafless, although occasionally a small leaf appears near the midpoint. Stems may reach a height of 1 foot and bear up to thirty ½ inch flower heads near the top. Flowers are red to orange and appear in late May or June. Stems and leaves exude a milky latex when cut or broken. Seeds are tiny and plumed.

Damage from Orange Hawkweed:

Hawkweed plants have extensive stolons that create a dense mat of hawkweed plants that nearly eliminates all other vegetation. It thrives in disturbed areas like roadsides, gravel pits, pastures, etc. and can invade forested areas because it’s somewhat shade tolerant. It is also unpalatable to animals and crowds out the more palatable plants.

Control for Orange Hawkweed:

No biological control agents are available. When selective herbicides are applied in the spring and followed with nitrogen fertilizer then grass competition can keep this weed suppressed. Note: Read the herbicide directions for proper application. You can also pull by hand if the orange hawkweed has not spread too densely or in too wide an area.

Tomato Hornworm

It’s amazing that such a pretty caterpillar can be so destructive, especially when eating certain parts of your gardens and vegetables. These large & fat caterpillars feed voraciously on the leaves and fruits of your tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, and peppers. They leave behind damaged leaves and stems with a signature dark green or black droppings. Eventually they turn into adult moths called sphinx moths or hawk moths.

Life Cycle:

The adult moths lays eggs on the underside of tomato leaves in the springtime. These eggs hatch within 6-8 days and the larva goes through 5-6 stages before reaching full growth in 3-4 weeks. At this time the full-grown larva wander from the garden area and burrow into the soil where they transform into the pupal stage. Hornworms remain in the soil and in pupal stage all winter. After winter, the moths emerge from the pupa in about 2-4 weeks where it goes to the surface of the soil and mates. Then, the cycle continues with the females depositing eggs on the tomato plants for the next generation of hornworms.

Control:

Hornworms are difficult to see since they are a very camouflaged green color that matches the plants leaves. Gardeners usually spot damage to the tops of their plants before they actually see the hornworms. Hornworms do not like direct sunlight or heat so they tend to feed on the exterior of the plant at night where they can be more easily spotted. During the daytime they are more hidden on the interior parts of the plants.

There are 4 good methods to control hornworms:

1- Handpicking: This is especially good for the home gardener with smaller to medium size garden plots. They are easy to pluck off plants because of their large size.

2- Rototilling: By turning up the soil after your harvest you can destroy any pupae present.

3- Insecticides: A common spray for hornworm control is BT (Bacillus Thuringensis). There are various brands and you should always follow the instructions.

4- Biological: A natural enemy of hornworms are the parasitic wasp. These wasps seem to find the hornworms very effectively on their own so leave them alone when you see them. You’ll recognize them when you see a number of white egg-like projections protruding form the hornworms body. These are in fact the cocoons of the parasitic wasp. The parasitic wasp larvae feed inside the hornworms body during its life span and kill the host.

If you have tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, or eggplants you can expect hornworms to appear. Have no fear; they are easy to control once you identify their presence.

Feedback Form