Bonus Clip of the Week: Spring Bulbs

Happy Wednesday everyone!  We have another clip of the week for you.  Today’s clip is about planting your spring-flowering bulbs, because if you want to plant them now is the time to do it!  It’s a great clip that offers a lot of tips and suggestions for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

As always, our videos can be viewed on our blip.tv channel (link to the right) or downloaded for free from the iTunes Store (search for “ed hume”).

Enjoy the rest of your day and we’ll see you at the end of the week!

Best,

Ed

Clip of the Week: Heather and Bulbs

Good morning everyone, and happy Monday!  Last week I mentioned the benefits of heather.  Our clip of the week goes a little further on this subject and explores a few varieties of Heather as well as some bulbs ideal for the fall season.

As always, our videos can be viewed on our blip.tv channel (link to the right) or downloaded for free from the iTunes Store (search for “ed hume”).

Have a wonderful rest of the day and we’ll see you here on Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Ed

From the Desk of Ed Hume: “Autumn Joy” Sedum

Happy Friday, folks!  We’re going to do a little switch-around in content while we iron out some kinks in the website.  Today will be another article and the clip of the week will come on Monday.  I hope you enjoy the article, and have a wonderful weekend!

————-

There are some wonderful sedums and succulents that provide great garden color and interest.  But there are none quite like the autumn flowering “Stonecrop” sedums.  There are over 600 species and the one I particularly like is the variety “Autumn Joy.”  We have several clumps of it in our Educational Garden and they are now bursting into full bloom.  It’s the combination of the prolific showy flowers and attractive foliage that make this one really outstanding.

Autumn Joy’s dome-like flowers are bright rose-pink, eventually fading to a soft coppery-pink.  The flowers are long-lasting and ideal for cutting.  Butterflies and bees love them too.  This season, the flowers are opening in mid-August and will continue for several weeks into September or early October, depending upon seasonal weather.  This variety is the one most readily available at this time of the year.  Since they are container grown, they can even be planted at this time of year.

Our mature plants are about two feet tall and two to three feet wide.  The typical sedums leaves are an attractive grayish green about two to three inches wide and long.  Be certain to mark where the plants are located in the garden, because like many perennials they die back during the winter and if you are not careful you are apt to damage them.

Clumps can be divided to make more starts or when they become too large for their space.  The best time to divide or transplant them is in late winter or early spring while the plants are somewhat dormant.

Since this is a member of the sedum family it should be noted that they grow and flower best in full sun and in soil that has good drainage.  The plant’s fleshy leaves store water, so it can go a considerable time without being watered.

The height and width of the plants makes them ideal to use in mid-bed planting in perennial borders or in areas where it is difficult to water regularly.  In windy areas, it is a good practice to give the stems a bit of support.

Plants are very hardy in zones 3 to 8.  We cut them back to the ground shortly after the first severe frost.

You can add a bright spot of color to your late summer and early autumn garden with the colorful sedum “Autumn Joy.”

Ed’s Podcasts: Fall Planting

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Just because the weather is getting cooler doesn’t mean it’s too late to add to your garden.  In fact, now is an excellent time to plant certain types of trees or shrubs.  This week’s podcast, available below, offers more insight on the topic.

Ed’s Podcasts: Fall Planting

As always, if you’d like to save the podcast for later playback on your iTunes or iPod, right-click the link above and select “save target as” (Mac users select “save link as”).

Have a wonderful day and we’ll be back on Friday with our clip of the week!

Sincerely,

Ed Hume

From the Desk of Ed Hume: Colorful Summer and Fall Heather

One of my favorite summer and autumn flowering shrubs are heather.  Covered with seasonal flowers, these evergreen shrubs provide a bright colorful spot in the garden at this time of year.  Heathers are easy to grow, take very little care, are evergreen, and while most flower for several weeks some flower up to a couple of months or more.

About the only care heather needs is pruning, and that is done after the plants have flowered.  In the case of the late summer and autumn flowering varieties, it is done in early spring before the new growth begins.  Pruning is simple; all one has to do is give the plants a light shearing and shaping.  The key is to simply remove the old spent flowers.  This type of shearing (pruning) encourages new multiple growth, making the plant bushier and encouraging even more flowers in subsequent years.

There are numerous varieties of heather, so one really should see them in bloom before choosing varieties for your own garden.  In addition, you might want to pay particular attention to foliage color, because you see the foliage all twelve months of the year.  Some varieties have wonderful golden foliage, others are gray, many are in various shades of green, and some have colorful brilliant new foliage growth.

I hesitate to mention varieties because there are so many really outstanding ones, and many nurseries feature a limited number of them.  However, here are a few of my favorites:

H. E. Beale: Four-to-six inch stems of double shell pink blossoms.  It blooms from August to October.

Beoley Gold: Bright gold foliage with attractive white flowers.  Does best in sun-part shade.  Blooms August and September.

Velvet Fascination: Noted for its blue gray foliage and white flowers.  It blooms in August and September.

Chase White: White flowers and bright green foliage.  It flowers in August and September.

Birch Glow: Dark green foliage and bright rose pink flowers.  It flowers from mid-August to early November most years.

Heathers are usually grown in 4” pots, gallon, or two-gallon containers.  They often have a very prolific root system, and if that is the case with your plant, the outer roots should be lightly combed so they will grow out of the original root ball after being planted.  Plant them so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.  They grow and flower best in a slightly acid soil.

If and when fertilizing is needed, use a rhodendron or evergreen type of plant food.  The best time to feed is in mid-February or mid-May.

Add a bright spot of color to your garden with the colorful late summer and autumn heathers.

From the Desk of Ed Hume: Fall and Winter Vegetable Planting Guide

Fall and Winter gardening, although an old practice, is an excellent solution for keeping the tilth and fertility of your garden’s soil at its peak levels. At the same time it yields crops of delicious vegetables throughout the fall and winter that cost a fraction of produce purchased in the supermarket.

When it comes to vegetable and flower gardening, the climatic patterns of the lower elevation areas west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Oregon, Northwestern California, and British Columbia are quite suitable for Fall & Winter gardening. Winter low temperatures range from 35oF. to 45oF. with occasional cold continental arctic air outbreaks lowering it to +20oF. to 0oF. or so. The garden soil can freeze 3 or 4 inches deep for short periods, but the usual winters are not severe enough to damage carefully mulched winter vegetable plants.

Many southern areas of the U.S. are actually more suited to winter crops, while some northern regions have to rely on cold frames, hot beds, or greenhouses.

The key to successful winter gardening is knowing the average date of the first killing frost in your region (for example late October in the Pacific Northwest). You then plant your winter crops early enough to let them reach their full maturity before that killing frost. Local garden authorities can give you information about the timing of first frosts and the hardiness of various crops for your area. The planting suggestions in this booklet are based on a late October first freeze. If your killing frosts come earlier or later adjust accordingly.

Late maturing crops – Approximate maturity 90 days. Plant by mid July for fall harvest, later for spring harvest.

ROOTCROPS

• Beets
• Carrots
• Parsnip
• Rutabaga
• Globe Onions

LEAFCROPS

• Brussells Sprouts
• Cabbages
• Cauliflower
• Fava Bean

Mid-season crops – Approximate maturity 60 days. Plant by mid August. Use any of the dates from above as well as the Best Dates below.

ROOTCROPS

• Early Carrots
• Leek
• Turnip
• Kohlrabi

LEAFCROPS

• Early Cabbages
• Winter Cauliflower
• Collards
• Perennial Flowers
• Perennial Herbs
• Swiss Chard

Early maturing crops – Approximate maturity 30 days. Plant by mid September. Use the dates from the previous page as well as the Best Dates below. The latest dates are for warmer climates, later frosts, or protected plantings.

ROOTCROPS

• Chives
• Bunching Onions
• Radishes

LEAFCROPS

• Broccoli
• Cover Crops
• Leaf Lettuces
• Mustard
• Spinach
• Lawn seed

LENGTHENING YOUR GROWING SEASON

Windbreaks and Walls

You can add from 10oF. to 15oF. of warmth to your fall and winter garden by taking advantage of windbreaks and walls. Many gardeners have discovered by surprise that a south-facing wall of the home, shed, or greenhouse is ideally situated for constructing easily built structures that use the free solar energy of the sun.

Cloches

Cloches provide an elevated warm climate around your winter row crops. They can best be described as portable green houses of various designs that work with solar energy to warm the immediate row or plant they are placed over. Many designs have been tried. Ideas range from very stiff wire frames holding glass panes, to clear gallon-size plastic bleach or pop bottles with their bottoms removed.

All cloches have two drawbacks to consider. First, on bright sunny winter days they have to be manually ventilated, to prevent excessive heat build up. Second, poorly constructed or “staked-down” cloches can become kites during winter windstorms.

Cold Frames

Cold frames are permanent structures that considerably lengthen the growing season. They are an excellent way to grow fall and winter crops. Cold frames provide protection from strong winds, elevate the daily and nighttime temperatures around the plants, and protect frost sensitive vegetables or flowers. They are easy to build and the vegetables and flowers in them will require minimal care. In short season areas, a cold frame will allow you to start seed up to 8 weeks earlier than you can outdoors.

You can use an old window sash of any dimension to build a cold frame. Fiberglass or polyethylene can be used if the glass is broken. The ideal cold frame is built about 18 inches at the back and 12 inches at the front. The slope allows rain to run off and affords a better angle for gathering the sun’s heat.

Your cold frame should face south for maximum exposure to sunlight. Also select a location with a slight ground slope to provide adequate drainage away from the frame. To provide ventilation, partially open your cold frame during sunny, warm weather. During cold snaps, cover the cold frame with burlap or heavy cloth to provide extra warmth.

Hot Beds are cold frames with a source of bottom heat. Today, that heat comes from electric heating cables. A few hot beds are still constructed using the old method of a layer about a foot and a half thick of decomposing manure beneath the soil of the cold frame as the source of heat. Either way the hot bed remains frost-free during the winter.  See Also: Cold Frame Gardening

Greenhouses

Greenhouses are structures that provide frost-free climates all year around. There are perhaps as many designs for greenhouses as there have been imaginative gardeners. Unheated greenhouses are great for raising seedling crops of many of the most delicious leafy and root vegetables. Greenhouses can also be heated for raising tropical plants. Some greenhouses as far north as North Pole Alaska have been used for extensive winter production of commercial crops of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Raised Beds

Permanently edged raised beds have been used for growing vegetables and flowers for centuries. They may be made of stone, bricks, concrete, or with either treated or untreated lumber. (These beds are made with untreated 2X10s.)  The soil in a well made and maintained raised bed can be between 8 and 12 degrees F. warmer than the same soil in the surrounding garden areas. Another advantage is the lessening of the need to bend over to work in, or harvest from, the raised beds.

Single plant raised beds can be made from old tires stacked together.  The black tires absorb heat from sunlight, warming the soil even more than ordinary raised beds.  They are great for growing tomatoes, peppers and potatoes during the spring growing season and are good for crops like cauliflower and brocoli during the fall and winter.

See Also: Raised-bed Vegetable Gardening, Wide Row Vegetable Gardening

MULCHING

Late October-early November is an excellent time to begin preparing the vegetable garden for normal cold winter weather ahead. Mulching serves many purposes in the winter garden. In addition to insulating the plants with a blanket of protection over the root system, it will help discourage the winter growth of weeds and pesky grasses. Mulch also helps reduce evaporation of moisture from the soil during dry periods. During winter’s heavy rainstorms it helps prevent the soil from eroding away.

The most common materials used for winter mulching are peat moss, bark, sawdust, and shredded newspapers. Both sawdust and bark leach nitrogen from the soil. Therefore, steps must be taken to replenish this nitrogen before replanting. We recommend a layer of one to two inches of mulch material. The best winter crops to protect this way include beets, carrots, onions, parsnips, rutabagas and turnips.

Occasionally, dig down through the mulching material and check to see that the soil has sufficient moisture. Plants that are in dry soil will not survive the winter as well as plants that are in moist soil.

As spring begins, and the sunlight warms the soil, a layer of mulch prevents the soil from warming. Remove or spade in the winter mulch to enable the sunshine to reach the soil and warm it as soon as possible. Seeds can be sown much earlier in unmulched soils.

ROTATION OF VEGETABLE VARIETIES

This is a very critical part of any garden scheme. Do not plant the same fall or winter vegetable crops in the same location as they were planted the previous year or the summer season. It is important to note that if the same crop is planted in the same location, not only will the soil be weakened through continual loss of the same nutrients but the plants will also attract the same insects and diseases to that part of the garden.

COVER CROPS – GREEN MANURES

Even though a portion of your acreage or garden lies idle for a time, the soil can be built up by growing cover crops. Cover crops are fast growing green plants that can be chopped up and spaded, plowed, or tilled into the soil, adding green organic matter that then composts into humus. Plants of the Legume family also add nitrogen to the soil. Some cover crops can be spaded into your garden and with others it is better to cut off the green tops, add them to the compost pile, and spade only the roots left behind into the soil.

In the Fall, sow the following cover crops to turn into the soil in Spring: Alfalfa, Austrian Field Pea, White Clover, Alsike Clover, Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Purple Vetch, Hairy Vetch, Woolly Vetch, Common Vetch, Fava Beans, Wheat, Oats, Cereal Rye, Winter Rape, and Lupines.

The following are some Warm Winter Cover Crops: Cowpeas (Southern peas), Hairy Indigo, Bell Beans (a small Fava Bean) Lana Vetch, Winter Peas, Lupines, and Purple Clover.  See Also: Cover crops

Quick Tips

Try successive plantings of quick growing items like leaf lettuce, beets, spinach and radishes.

Don’t be afraid to try planting some crops later than recommended. While it is a bit risky, the rewards are definitely worth the risk.

Harvest over-wintered carrots early in spring before they start to go to seed and the roots get woody.

Self-blanching celery makes an ideal crop in cold frames if planted during July.

The Chinese Cabbages and Mustards also grow especially well in cold frames. They taste great, too.

Parsnips are best when pulled in January or early February after the heaviest frosts have turned them the sweetest.

Try using cheesecloth or clear agricultural cloth over rows of leafy crops. It will keep out pests and may hold in a bit of heat.

Keep a record of what you planted and when, and what succeeded or failed to help you do better in the future. We hope this guide, combined with your own experience, will help you have a bountiful late season garden.

From the Desk of Ed Hume: Still Time for the Children’s Garden

Good morning, everyone!

Today, I wanted to remind you all about the Children’s Garden we have here at The Ed Hume Seed Company.  An interactive educational garden for children is something I’ve wanted to do for many years, and when we moved the location of our business I knew I had a chance to make that dream a reality.

Fun for both children and adults, the garden features fifteen zones, including The Quiz Garden, The Blind Garden, The Bird Garden, The Drought Garden, The Herb Garden, The Crazy Garden, and The Maze.  The idea behind the garden is to show not only how interesting gardening can be, but how fun it can be as well.

The garden is open Monday through Friday by appointment only, and due to its seasonal nature we cannot accept appointments after September 16th.  However, now is a great time to visit!  The weather is still nice and many plants are in bloom.  It’s ideal for teachers looking for an early field trip for their classes.  More information on the garden, its features, and its schedule can be found HERE

Call today for an appointment.  The Children’s Garden is a wonderful learning environment for children and adults alike and is the perfect backdrop for any company or group event.

Clip of the Week: Summer Garden Maintenance

Happy Friday, everyone!  As mentioned in Wednesday’s article, August is a time of reflection, a time to take a breath and enjoy your garden.  But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to do in the garden!  This week’s selected clip illustrates some of the steps you can take to keep your garden in tip-top shape in the late summer.

As always, our videos can be viewed on our blip.tv channel (link to the right) or downloaded for free from the iTunes Store (search for “ed hume”).

Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll be back on Monday with a new article.

Sincerely,

Ed

From the Desk of Ed Hume: August Garden Projects

August is the month to enjoy the garden, but unfortunately if a few things are not done the garden will go to ruin in a matter of days, especially if the weather gets hot. Therefore, watering, grooming and weeding head the list of projects for this month.

WATERING – Watering can be the biggest task this month particularity if the weather gets hot. It is estimated that the lawn needs about one inch of watering once every five to seven days, in order to keep it green and looking nice. See Also: Proper Watering

Be sure to check the hanging baskets and containers every day during hot weather and about every second day on moderate summer days. Water them thoroughly each time you water, but, at the same time be careful not to over-water them.

The vegetable garden will also need regular watering attention. When possible water in the morning or early afternoon so the soil has a chance to warm-up before the cooler evening hours set-in. Again, be sure to water thoroughly, and deeply each time you water, then it is not necessary to water as often. In my own garden I let the sprinkler sit in one spot for about one hour, before moving it to another location.

GROOMING – Take out a few minutes to pick-off the old dead flowers on Marigolds, Zinnias, Snapdragons and other annuals. Spent flowers on perennials should also be removed. Just a little time spent on grooming the plants really makes a big difference in the appearance of the garden. Also, once a plant flowers and goes to seed, it will usually stop the development of additional flowers, so by removing the spent flowers the plants should continue to flower longer into the season.

WEEDING – As the weather gets warmer and the garden is watered more there is a likelihood that weed seeds will germinate faster. Take time to keep the weeds cultivated out of all parts of the garden. Since weeds are hosts to many insects and diseases it is important to keep them under control, so pests and diseases do not infest your other garden plants.

FALL VEGETABLES – Right now is the time to start fall and winter vegetables. Plant or seed them directly into the garden early this month. Green onions, carrots, beets, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and over-wintering cauliflower are the most popular vegetables to grow in the winter garden.

LAWNS – Watering is by far the most important lawn project this month. Experts say it only takes three days for the lawn to dry-out, but it takes close to thirty days to restore it to good green color again. Water during the cooler parts of the day so there will be less water lost to evaporation.  See Also: Lawn

PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS – These plants can be started from seed sown directly into the garden this month or next. The spring flowering perennials can be divided and transplanted this month or next. Be sure to do it during the coolest part of the day and water-in the plants thoroughly after transplanting.

POINSETTIAS AND CHRISTMAS CACTUS – Late this month these plants should be brought back indoors and you should begin preparing them for Christmas flowering. Indoors the plants need to be placed in a spot where they will get ten hours of bright light and fourteen hours of darkness. The Poinsettia needs warm temperatures of about 65 to 70 degrees, while the Christmas cactus needs cool temperatures of about 50 to 60 degrees. The application of 0-10-10 fertilizer this month and again next should help encourage the development of flower buds on these two plants.

PLANTING – This is the month to select and plant fall Crocus bulbs. Also, summer and fall flowering chrysanthemums will begin to bloom this month and container grown plants can be planted directly into the garden now. Likewise, container grown shrubs and trees can be planted this month. Whenever planting any of these plants, always take time to properly prepare the soil by mixing generous quantities of peat moss, compost (if available) and processed manure with your existing soil.  See Also: Flowers Outdoors

SLUGS AND BUGS – Take time to examine the garden on a weekly basis to see if slugs or any kind of bugs are ruining the appearance of any of your flowers or shrubs. Your local Certified nursery-person or Master Gardener can help you determine what is causing the problem and recommend the appropriate steps to take to eliminate the culprits. See Also: Plants that Slugs Do Not Like Pest Control

From the Desk of Ed Hume: Fall-Flowering Kale and Cabbage

Looking for a bright spot of color for your Fall and early Winter garden?  I would suggest you take a look at the colorful ornamental Fall-flowering cabbage and flowering kale.  The attractive leaves vary in shades of magenta to green, white, cream, and deep rose to purple.  As an added bonus, these showy plants both intensify in color as the autumn weather gets cooler.

The difference in the plants is their taste and their shapes.  Flowering cabbage forms a ball shape (head) more like regular cabbage, while flowering kale has a looser, more open habit, often with attractive ruffled leaf edges.  Both are edible and the taste of both is about the same as the regular varieties of garden cabbage and kale.  Cut leaves are often used in green salads or as a garnish.

Nurseries and garden centers often feature a wide selection of varieties from the broad-leafed types to some that have narrow, lacy-cut, delicate looking leaves.  I do not recommend that you eat the varieties you buy, because one has no idea what might have been sprayed on the plants as they were being commercially grown.

Both flowering cabbage and kale are as easy to grow as the regular garden varieties.  I start mine outdoors in about mid-July for Fall color.  Simply sow the seeds in the open ground or in small 4 inch pots.  Then when the plants are about 2 to 4 inches high, transplant them to their permanent planting location or grow them on in larger containers until you are ready to plant them directly into the garden or into large decorative containers.

Winter pansies, fall mums (chrysanthemums), and the fall asters (Michaelmas daisies) make excellent flowering companion plants to use in the autumn garden with flowering cabbage and kale.  Fall and Winter varieties of heather are also ideal plants to include in your garden to help extend flower color later into the autumn and Winter.

It’s not unusual for flowering cabbage or kale to go to seed in early Winter.  You will notice the center of the plant will begin to form a pointed, upright new growth, which is the seed head.   Simply pick it out as it develops.  If you let it go to seed, the plant will begin to decline and it will also loose its brilliant color and shape.

Cut leaves or the entire plant is a flower arranger’s favorite for use in autumn floral arrangements.