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Gardener's Corner

Join us for tips, helps, questions and answers about the gardening world. Monitored by a Certified Master Gardener but wisdom is shared by ALL.

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Latest Activity: Nov 26, 2023

Gardener's Corner

GREETINGS MEMBERS, GUESTS AND VISITORS.
Chief Walks In Shadows is a Florida State Master Gardener.
He will post information that he feels will benefit everyone as a whole. But basically this will be a question and answer group.
IF A GROUP MEMBER KNOWS THE ANSWER TO ANY QUESTION PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ANSWER.
Chief Walks will answer all questions asked to him directly. He has over 40 years of experience. And a sizable personal research library.

We are here to meet ALL of your gardening questions and/or related subjects.

 

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The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate zones; each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. If you see a hardiness zone in a catalog or plant description, chances are it refers to the USDA map. To find your USDA Hardiness Zone or use the map below. 

 

 

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Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:47am

Farmers’ Almanac Top Ten Gardening Hints
1. Harvest your vegetable plants often. The more you pick tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, the more they’ll grow.
2. Place freshly picked, green tomatoes in a brown paper bag to ripen. (Contrary to what many people believe, its temperature, not sunshine, that makes tomatoes turn red).
3. Animal pests don’t like strong-smelling plants. Surround your garden with marigolds, zinnias, or wormwood. Sneaky yet easy: To keep small animals out of your garden, cut an old hose in three-foot lengths. Place the pieces around your garden. These fake snakes will scare away small animals.
4. Plant dill near tomato plants to prevent tomato worms. It works.
5. Start seeds in eggshell halves. It’s economical and earth-friendly. Fill shell 3/4ths of the way to top with planting soil and seed, then store in egg cartons. This will keep the shell safe and allow you to easily carry the seedlings to sunnier locations or out to the garden. When ready to plant, leave the seedling in the shell. The roots will break through and the decomposed shell will act as a fertilizer.
6. When choosing annuals, bigger isn’t always better. When shopping at your local greenhouse, choose the plant that is well proportioned, not the tall one that has become root bound. Watch out for signs of insects or diseases.
7. Sprinkling the lawn out of habit is wasting a natural resource and money, too. A healthy lawn will signal it’s thirsty when walking on it makes footprints.
8. Some vegetable gardeners use newspapers as a mulch when cold weather threatens. This practice is ecologically good but don’t use the colored sheets. They contain harmful chemicals.
9. Position garden stakes so the wind blows plants toward the supports, not away from them.
10. To catch slugs, put a dish of beer in the garden at night. They will desert the plants and drown in the brew.

Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:46am
Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:46am

4 Best Ways To Use Fall Leaves In Your Garden

The tree leaves that accumulate around your yard or garden can be a valuable natural resource for you to use because they provide a good source of organic matter and nutrients.
Leaves don’t always seem like a good thing however, especially when you have a lot of raking to do, but if you can, be thankful and hang on to your leaves.
Leaves contain 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients a plant extracts from the soil and air during the season, so if you can, use and recycle your leaves around your property rather than raking them up and throwing them away.

Here are 4 of the best ways to use leaves in your yard, garden, or landscape:
1. Leaf Uses – Mowing
Mowing leaves that have fallen on your lawn area is most effective when a mulching mower is used, but if the leaf drop is light, a regular mower will work just fine. In fact, during times of light leaf drop, or if there are only a few small trees in your yard, simply leave the shredded leaves in place on the lawn. They will act as a beneficial mulch and compost and will help your lawn.
2. Leaf Uses – Mulching
Leaves can be used as mulch in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around shrubs and trees. The best way is to rake the leaves into a pile and then shred them with your lawn mower or a shredder if you have one.
It you have the option, use a lawn mower with a bagging attachment because it is a fast and easy way to shred and collect the leaves. Leaves that have been mowed or run through some other type of shredder will decompose faster.
Leaves that are not shredded won’t decompose as well and will only smother what they are put on. Try and never let leaves remain on a lawn without raking them up or they can smother the grass underneath.
* Apply a 3 to 6 inch (7.5 to 15 cm) layer of shredded leaves around the base of trees and shrubs making sure not to put any right up against the trunk or main stem of trees or shrubs.
* In annual and perennial flower beds, a 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) mulch of shredded leaves is good.
* For vegetable gardens, a thick layer of leaves placed in between the rows work both as a mulch and as an all-weather walkway that will allow you to work in your garden during wet periods.
3. Leaf Uses – Soil Improvement
Leaves that have been raked and shredded can be worked directly into your garden and flower beds. A 6 to 8 inch (15 to 20 cm) layer of leaves tilled into a heavy, clay soil will improve aeration and drainage. The same amount worked into a light, sandy soil, will improve water and nutrient holding capacity.
Note: A basic strategy for using leaves to improve soil in vegetable gardens and annual planting beds is to collect and work them into the soil during the fall. This allows sufficient time for the leaves to decompose prior to spring planting. Adding a little fertilizer to the soil after working in the leaves will hasten their decomposition.
4. Leaf Uses – Composting
Leaves are great to add to your compost pile or bin. Once again, shredding them first will help them decompose faster, but whole leaves can be added in as well.

Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:45am

Active compost pile
An active compost pile means building a simple container; usually a three-sided wooden box. Be sure to balance the nitrogen and carbon-containing materials that you add to your compost pile; you can find helpful charts for this in most organic gardening manuals. Keep your compost pile moist and turn often. The hotter your compost pile gets, the more likely it is to kill off diseases and unwanted weed seeds.
A successful compost heap contains a proper ratio of carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials. Some of the best materials to put into a compost include composted dairy manure, composted chicken manure, worm castings, bat guano, kelp meal and ground oyster shells. Also, kitchen scraps are generally nitrogen-rich and hay, straw, bark and black and white newspaper articles are examples of carbon-rich materials needed to balance the nitrogen levels. These are often referred to as the “green” and “brown” ingredients in a healthy compost heap.
It’s important to remember, though, that a long list of popular plant food products actually derive their nitrogen content from petroleum. Not only is that gross, but it’s far from organic.
While almost any waste can ultimately be composted, some things should not go into your garden compost. It may seem obvious to many gardeners, but we it’s worth mentioning that cat, dog and human feces are big no-no’s in composting. That’s because they may contain unfavorable bacteria, which you do not want spread into your garden.
In addition, bones and meat are unfavorable as they will attract raccoons and rats, dairy and high-oil content wastes will take a very long time to compost and metal, rubber, glass and plastic may take decades to biodegrade! It is also important that you avoid adding pest or disease-ridden material to your compost as this will spread to the healthy plants in your garden.
Animal manure (provided it’s not from cats or dogs) can be added to your compost as a means for activating the decaying process. Fresh, rather than rotted manure is best for this as it still contains the necessary living bacteria. Also, manure can raise the temperature of the compost pile, thus helping to activate the existing bacteria and further speeding the decomposition process.
You will know your compost is ready to use when it is soil-like, odor free, moist (but not wet) and dark. Now it is time to add it to your garden. Only a little is needed, but it will make a world of difference. Compost not only adds nutrients to your garden, but aids with drainage, nutrient and water retention and disease prevention!

Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:45am
Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:44am
Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:44am

September is a wonderful gardening month. The last of the summer vegetables are ripe and ready for eating or preserving, apples are at their peak in many places, and it's time to clean up and preparing for next spring. The days are bright and mornings can be crisp. In more moderate climes, summer stretches yet a bit longer but autumn is in the air.

Once plants have started to peter out, it's time to pull spent annuals and vegetables. If you've had no significant plant problems like bugs or fungus, add them to the compost pile. If you have had problems, don't compost. Burn if you can, otherwise trash them.

Cut out dead shoots on roses. Destroy leaves with evidence of mildew or blackspot to diminish the probability of a recurrence in the spring. And stop feeding your roses. They need to prepare to go dormant.
Plant spring bulbs, peonies, and iris

September and October are the best months for planting spring bulbs. Decide where your bulb beds will be, then build them up with fresh compost. Beds should be deeply dug and well drained.

* Early planting in September is important for anemones, snowdrops, and winter aconite.
* Make sure tulips and daffodils go in the ground six weeks before freezing weather sets in.
* Plant lilies as soon as you get them.
* Peonies and iris can be planted from August through September. Anticipate a great show in May and June next year.

Also, now is a good time to prepare bulbs for indoor forcing. Fill clean, dry pots with fresh soil. You can leave them outside in a protected area and cover them with straw or leaves. In a month or so, after root development has had a chance to occur, you can store them in a basement or garage and gradually expose them to light and heat. They should begin to show signs of life in December.

Begonias will live happily inside throughout the winter. Next spring, you can create many new plants.

Prepare for next year's perennial vegetables now.

* Mulch rhubarb.
* Cut off old asparagus tops.
* Set up cold frames to prepare for early spring vegetables.

Annual veggies need attention now too. Where an early frost is typical, pull up tomato vines and hang indoors. The sap will be sufficient to ripen fruits. Half ripe tomatoes will ripen indoors on the counter. Green tomatoes can be turned into jam or chutney. Harvest onions before they resprout. Squash should be picked before frost. Root vegetables like beets and carrots, pulled before the first heavy frost, will do well stored in sand in the garage or basement.
September can be busy huh? Happy gardening.

Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:43am
Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:42am

Pesticide Registrations and Actions
* The FDACS has released EPA-approved wording for snake protection on sodium and potassium nitrate rodent control products.
* The EPA published its acceptance from the manufacturers for the voluntary cancellation of the final maneb product (Manex®) sold in the U.S. Existing stocks can be sold and used as labeled until supplies are exhausted. (Federal Register, 4/16/10).
* Intralytix, Inc., has requested an experimental use permit for the Escherichia coli 0157:H7 bacteriophage. (Federal Register, 4/14/10).
* On April 22, U.S. House representative K. Ellison (D-MN) introduced H.R. 5124, which would create legislation to prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or exportation of any pesticide containing atrazine. Also, EPA announced in April that at the upcoming September 2010 meeting of the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), EPA had planned to seek peer review on its evaluation of cancer and non-cancer effects of atrazine based on both laboratory and epidemiological studies. However, because some updated results will not be available, now EPA will present and seek peer review of its evaluation of atrazine non-cancer effects based on experimental laboratory studies as well as any new experimental laboratory data completed since the SAP meeting held in late April. The Agency had hoped that new results from the epidemiological Agricultural Health Study evaluating the link between atrazine and cancer risk would be available for consideration at the SAP meeting on September 14-17, 2010; however, the results will not be available at that time. (Beyond Pesticides, 4/27/10 & EPA OPP Update, 4/23/10).

Comment by Chief Walks on April 26, 2013 at 10:40am

Black Spot vs. Cercospora Leaf Spot on Roses
There are three primary diseases that affect the leaves of roses: black spot, powdery mildew, and Cercospora leaf spot. Black spot and Cercospora leaf spot are often confused because the symptoms are similar. However, each has some distinct features that can help you tell the difference.
Black spot on rose
The fungus Diplocarpon rosae produces black spots of about 2-12 mm in diameter, usually on the upper surface of the leaf (the spots don't show up the lower surface, or underside, of the leaf). Often, the spots have irregular, feathery borders, and sometimes yellowing may appear around the lesions. While leaves are the most susceptible, spots may be found on other parts of plant as well. Black spot is a fungal disease that can cause severe defoliation of affected rose plants. Considered the most serious disease of roses in Florida, black spot affects nearly all rose cultivars worldwide. It is a frequent problem for roses grown outdoors and reduces the quality and life span of the plants.
Cercospora leaf spot on rose
Caused by the fungus Cercospora rosicola, Cercospora leaf spot also causes severe leaf loss in heavily infected plants. Symptoms are circular spots, usually 2-4 mm in diameter, but some can be as large as 10 mm in diameter. The size is variable depending on the species or variety of rose on which the lesions occur. When symptoms begin to appear, a small purplish area becomes apparent. As the disease progresses, the spot will grow larger, the center of the spots turning tan to almost gray, as the infected part of the leaf begins to die. Lesions are primarily found on leaves but can also be found on other parts of the plant.
What to Do?
Luckily, because both diseases are caused by fungi, Cercospora leaf spot's impact is reduced when control measures for black spot and powdery mildew are used. Fungal sprays are available, and sanitation plays an important role in prevention. Remove dead and diseased leaves that have fallen by raking, and use mulch to create a physical barrier between the plant and fungal spores on the ground. Drip irrigation keeps the foliage dry and less susceptible to fungal infection.

 
 
 

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