That Gardenin Guy Halloween Show

SPOOKY BLOOMS "These aren't your typical Halloween decorations"

  Halloween comes only once a year with all its eerie, spooky and scary ideas and myths. How does your garden fit in with the Halloween season? Do you have spooky plants, eerie plants, scary plants or plants with a mythical story behind them? Will they grow and sneak up behind you while wrapping themselves around your leg, or will they bite you or smell of death?
  Planting a Halloween garden can be a challenge here in North Mississippi, but can be attained easily in South Mississippi. For the most part, you need an enclosed garden or a way to create a microclimate within your garden. Hmmm, something a Witchy Woman or A Spooky Little Girl or a Black Magic Woman could create for you? Chances are that you already have plants in your garden with ghoulish qualities.
  Are you a witch or warlock? Have you planted the right things to concoct all your potions for love, pranks or just for fun? Did you know that in days of old, you could be labeled a witch or warlock simply by the plants you grew in your garden? You know, those plants believed to be used to make potions and cast spells. Things like witches’ thimble, more commonly known as foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), a biennial with tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers in white, pink, purple or red. The entire plant is toxic and while death is a rarity, there have been some cases reported. Some symptoms of ingestion are wild hallucinations and unusual color visions with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights. Devil’s nettle or yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is used to make a poultice for healing wounds. The ancient Greeks used fool’s parsley, or hemlock (Conium spp.), to poison condemned prisoners, the most famous being Socrates. Aconite, better known as monkshood (Aconitum napellus), easily mistaken for horseradish, can make one nauseous and even cause death. Its spiky blue flowers are shaped like a monk’s hood and the root looks like a white carrot. Verbena was used to make a powerful love potion. Opium from poppies (Papaver somniferum) was used for sleep potions and morning glories (Convolvulaceae) for casting wicked spells. There was also an abundance of birth flowers from every month to make sure they could cast a spell over anyone. They planted three or four rows of red-blooming flowers to keep the witch hunters away.
  Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s ride into the night for a look at what might be lurking in your garden. Watch your step as we walk about, careful not to step on a frog or a spider because if you do the “Wicked Witch of the Garden” just might be whipping up a potion from a strand of your hair along with frog eyes or spiders’ legs. The moonflower (Ipomoea alba), a night-blooming relative of the morning glory, fills the garden with its fragrant, large 5-6-inch white flowers that open at dusk to light your way. Moonflower planted from seed each year is a quick-growing climber with large heart-shaped leaves. Night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is a member of the cactus family. The plant itself is not that pretty, but the flowers completely make up for that. They’re huge, fragrant and snow white, coming from “pods” that emerge from the main stem. Cereus flowers are pollinated by moths, so the blooms appear only at night. It can’t tolerate freezing temperatures, but it makes a great potted plant that can be taken outside in the spring and back inside for winter. Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), a silvery gray plant that can be paired with anything, somewhat resembles the skeleton of a plant that used to be there. The passion vine (Passiflora incarnata), a butterfly plant that resembles a giant purple spider, can grow to 25 feet in a single growing season. Do you have that little plant called monkey cups or pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.)? These are carnivorous and feed on small insects for the most part; however, they can grow large enough to capture small birds or mice.

  There are many night-flowering plants to enhance your garden: evening primrose (Oenothera spp.), with sweetscented blooms of soft white, pink and bright yellow that open in the evening; angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp.) has huge 6-inch white fragrant flowers; night phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis), whose blooms are closed by day and open at night to fill the air with it honey/almond/vanilla fragrance; four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), with a jasmine-like trumpet-shaped bloom that opens late afternoon through the night; ‘Moon Frolic’ and ‘Toltec Sundial’ daylilies (Hemerocallis) only bloom at night; and the yucca (Yucca filamentosa) blooms are open day and night, but only release their fragrance at night. The last one on my list to grow is the ‘Casper’ pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), a small, white smooth-skinned variety.

The moonflower is a night bloomer that reflects the moonlight
so much that it appears to emit its own light.

   With the setting of the sun, the nighttime garden awakens. Many plants bloom exclusively at night while many more wait until the cool of the evening to release their fragrance. White-flowering plants and those with variegated foliage begin to appear as if they’re lit up as they reflect the moonlight. For those of us who work by day, the garden can be a peaceful refuge in the evening and night. Our nighttime gardening friends, nectar-feeding moths and bats, come out to feed on the nectar and insects.

Te night-blooming cereus is a member of the cactus family
that appears to glow in the night.

  These are just a few of the plants that I discovered to be common to the area. There are many more including the exotic orchids, herbs and vines growing in some of the more elaborate greenhouses.

This is foxglove, an upright biennial that is exceptionally
pretty grown in clusters, which keeps them from flopping over.

 

Getting Rid of Ants in Vegetable Garden

Ants invading your home or garden can be quite frustrating.   In the vegetable garden, they feed on nectar-filled flowers, sweet tasting vegetables and fruits and in the home they get into anything and everything they can.  No doubt, ants can prove to be beneficial to the gardener by feeding on destructive garden pests such as caterpillars, spiders and small insects, but some species of ants like black garden ants live together with the aphids for their honeydew.  In your vegetable garden ants sometimes even “farm” aphids, moving them onto better plants. Ants collect the sweet honeydew that aphids secrete after sucking plant sap.  In this case, the ants are actually inviting a notorious pest to come and live in the garden.  Then, if that’s not enough, ants make tunnels and nests in your soil and undermine roots.  The most annoying thing about ants is they bite you when you step on them accidentally; in fact, you won't get a chance to wipe away the ants, as they live in groups and swarm you before you know what’s happening.

Studying ants is an amazing lesson in survival.  If ants encounter a substance that kills them or forms a barrier, they set to work and pile up enough of each other, dead or alive, to make a bridge to cross.  Ants are some of the more intelligent and cunning insects that man has to deal with.  Now having said all this, there are over 14,000 ant species worldwide.  Some are useful as biological control in farming, many have painful bites and some eat crops.  

Controlling these pint sized monsters in the home and garden is the focus here, so no matter which type of ants you have, most of them continually scout around searching for food and if you see one, it's probably left a scent trail and the rest of them will be on their way. 

There are several methods for killing ants and I have listed some of the most effective methods that I have found for you to try.

1-The method of drowning the garden ants with boiling water is practical for small ant colonies.  For one ant mound, you will need about 3 gallons of boiling water.  Pour boiling water in the ant hills and kill them you will.

2-Collect citrus peelings (orange, lemon, etc.) and grind them with water and allow to sit for 24                                hours.  Strain the liquid and spray it over the ant mound.  This method is an effective natural remedy for getting rid of carpenter ants and other garden ants.

3- Spraying a mixture containing borax is another effective way to kill garden ants.  For this purpose, combine equal amounts of borax and sugar with water and spray the mixture randomly in the garden or wherever you see ants. Sugar attracts the ants to feed on the mixture and the borax kills the ants.  Watch your eyes, nose, use gloves and wash hands afterwards.  Borax can also be mixed with peanut butter or something sweet, such as honey, meaning when the ants eat it, they take it back to their nest to share with other ants, hopefully poisoning all in the nest.

4-Grits or hot cereals are a perfect choice for getting rid of ants in the yard and garden.  After ants feed on this hot cereal, it expands in the stomach and kills them.  Ok, to my knowledge this one doesn’t work.  I tried it and sat around waiting for the ants to explode and it never happened, much to my dismay.

5-Silly as it sounds, I have been told this one works.  You can supposedly control ants by using scented baby powder.  They say any kind of fragrance is a repelling agent for ants.  So, spray baby powder, cinnamon, or pepper mixed with vinegar to repel garden ants.  

6-Diatomaceous earth will kill them and keep them away.  I have not tried this remedy yet because of the cost factor.  It is pricy and I am currently looking for a source that is affordable.  This particular remedy does appear to have the best feedback of all the organic remedies.  You can get it at the feed store and most garden centers.  It is completely safe as it is very, very small seashells.  The sharp edges get between their body joints and they "bleed" to death.  They say it works on all bugs that are jointed - or segmented.  Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on ants' trails supposedly kills ants by dehydration when they're back in their nest.

In case, these methods do not work, you can use insecticidal sprays.  I know it’s not the natural way to control ants but, if nothing is working, you can use chemical insecticides for killing garden ants.  Baits and mound treatments are the two best ways to dispose of ants.  Baits are the more economical of the two and if you have patience you can get them under control this way.  Baits are usually broadcast over the infested area with a spreader and must be done on a regular basis, at least once a month.  You can also spot treat the mounds if you have “ants in your pants” and can’t wait.  These chemicals can be used as sprays and also come in granules.  Some examples are Talstar, Amdro Bait, Advion, Spectracide Once and Done, Come & Get It Bait, Sevin Concentrate Bug Killer,  Bonide Eight Insect Control, Permethrin (38% concentrate) Hi Yield 38 Plus Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer, Bayer Fire Ant Killer, Bengal Ultra Dust Fire Ant Killer, and Terro Fire Ant Killer.

*Sprinkle dry product on and around mound as directed on label. Do not disturb mounds before treatment.

*Depending on the size of the mound, it takes 1 to 2 gallons of water-insecticide.

As always please read the labels and follow them to the letter, remember more is not better.  When spraying chemical of any kind, please wear protective clothing and eye protection.

If you have any questions or comments, send me an email at thatgardeninguy@hotmail.com  . 

Happy Gardenin’ and Keep Diggin’ in the Dirt.

Hydrangeas

July is here and that means water, water, water your garden.  We have had some good rain in past weeks, but with the heat steady coming on and no rain to speak of in the last four weeks you will still need to water.  Plants need a good inch to inch and a half of water a week.  Containers will need more than that in the extreme heat, probably at least once a day if not twice a day.  The shade garden will also need that extra drink of water because plants will be competing with trees for water and nutrients. 

Hydrangeas are fussy plants this time of year due to extreme heat.  Do I water or do I not water? The hydrangeas are wilted when I get home, but in the morning they look normal.  Hydrangeas need water, but not too much water.  They require well drained soil and about six hours of sunlight.  If you give them too much water it will encourage disease.  They are prone to root rot and fusarium wilt when they get and keep wet feet, so before you plant your hydrangeas, amend the soil to help with drainage. Root rot is exactly what it sounds like, the root system get soaked for extended periods of time and rots away.  Fusarium wilt is a soil born pathogen and develops a fungus which clogs up the vascular system of the plant and keeps it being able to take up water.  The leaves will start to yellow and wilt from both of these conditions and make you think they need water when they don’t.  There is no real cure when they get to this point, except to shovel prune them.  Hydrangeas are also susceptible to leaf spot, blights, and powdery mildew.  These problems are best controlled also by water management along with well drained soil.  A good fungicide can also help with these.  I would recommend daconil combined with mancozeb.  After speaking with a plant pathologist friend today, he recommends that a systemic fungicide containing the active ingredient propiconazole.  I have observed these problems in my own landscape.  I have lost a couple of my hydrangeas, but managed to correct the problem and salvage the rest of them.  This problem also affected the homestead verbena and we lost a good sized area of that too.  I have always been content not to prune hydrangeas except to get flowers for drying.  A good friend who is a gardener’s gardener, laughingly told me that is why the ones up next to the door bloom so profusely.  He says to prune them when the blooms start to fade and this will promote new growth which will give more blooms.  He did agree that you should not prune the ones that bloom on old wood after the end of July as they start setting their new flowering buds at this time.   

Despite all this about disease, hydrangeas are relatively easy to grow.  Prepare the planting site by adding at least half again organic matter and you should have years of enjoyment from your hydrangea plant. Fertilize them in March, May, and July with a good general purpose fertilizer such as 8-8-8, 10-10-10, or13-13-13.  Be careful not to add nitrogen rich fertilizer as this could keep them from producing blooms.  Water in the morning and preferably use a drip system as opposed to watering overhead.

If you have any questions or comments, send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.  You can also find me on Facebook, mastergardner, and Saturday mornings from 8:00AM to 9:00AM on WNAU Radio 1470 on the radio dial or listen online at www.wnau1470.com 

Happy Gardening and Keep Digging in the Dirt.

Victory Gardening

Victory Gardening

 (Tim Burress, Mississippi Master Gardener)

My friend, Carl Wayne Hardeman, has been teaching me about Victory Gardening and giving away the food without taking a bite for myself for over two years now.  The Collierville Victory Garden has averaged around 4000 pounds of food a year on 1/10^th of an acre and every bite of it goes to charity. 

Stanley Wise and I have been talking about a project like this at great length for over a year and we decided that this would be year to make this project begin to happen.  We spoke with the Union County Fair Board and they gave us permission to do this project at the fairgrounds based upon the facts that the food would be given to the less fortunate.  

This project would also be used as a teaching garden. Originally we were going to plant corn, but the challenge here was figuring out how to keep the critters from getting more of the corn than the needy so this required a new plan. 

Stanley had been playing with this new, old idea of “No-Till Mini Gardening.” This plan seemed more practical and the crop, now tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers would produce more food in less area and could be contained easier.  No-Till Gardening is not new, but is new again and is ideal for the gardener with limited space and time.  We built frames twelve feet long and three feet wide with a brace in the middle out of pressure treated two by fours.  Next we secured landscape fabric on the bottom of the frames.  Next we selected a space that is relatively flat, has good drainage, and would have at least six hours of sunshine a day.  The grass was mown down as close as possible and then the area was fertilized.  The formula devised by Stanley is as follows: one cup of triple thirteen, one cup of calcium nitrate, one fourth cup of 0-0-60, and four cups of pelletized lime.  Spread this mixture, water in liberally, and then place your frame on top of this area.  It is recommended to place stakes in each corner to keep the frame in place.  Take a knife or a pair of scissors and cut an X in the fabric, then dig a hole, and place the plants in the hole.  We used a small auger in a cordless drill to dig our holes.  In our frames we planted two rows of six tomatoes and spaced them two feet apart.  We added composted leaves to the dirt when we planted to richen the soil. The squash and cucumbers were planted farther apart to give them room to run.  Peppers were planted in the corners of the squash and cucumber frames as they don’t require much room.

The mini garden frame with the landscape fabric attached will now serve as a mulch to prevent the need for weeding and will cut down on the chances of fungal diseases.  You can also add decorative mulch on top if you desire to make the frames more esthetically pleasing to the eye. The mini garden frame is reusable from year to year and can be moved to a new location each year if desired.  Once the tomatoes are tall enough we will be staking them with 3/8^th rebar and string in a fashion known as the “Florida Weave.”  The rebar stakes will be driven and string woven in a figure eight pattern to hold the plants off the ground.  The stakes since they are metal will also be reusable from year to year.

This garden is funded by grants given to the Union County Master Gardeners by The New Albany News Exchange, Walmart DC, and the Union County Development Association.  The area used for this garden was provided by the Union County Fair Board and the Board of Supervisors.  

This garden will also be a part of our teaching gardens and tours are welcome.  Stanley Wise has written an in depth publication (The Amazing No-Till Mini Garden) if you would like further information.  If you would like to tour our No-till Mini Garden and/or Hoop House, call the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.

Happy Gardening and Keep Digging in the Dirt!

That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost

That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost: Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it ...

Compost, Compost, Compost

Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it too.  Composting is a good way to improve your soil, while disposing of your kitchen, lawn, and garden waste.

Why rake and bag those grass clippings and leaves for the trash man to pick up when you can put them in the corner of your yard along with leaves and vegetable scraps to make rich living soil.  You can even add your old newspapers and magazine to the pile, although I would recommend shredding them first. As all this waste decomposes, you are making dirt, which when added to the hard red clay that we have around here will make better, richer dirt.

There are several ways or methods to compost.  Out on the Burress Plantation, we have several compost piles going.  We have one down at the foot of the hill where we put all the big stuff such as tree limbs and dead shrubs and other larger debris.  This pile is for things that don’t decompose very fast.  The next pile is about eight foot by eight foot.  This is where we put leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable and fruit scraps.  I keep a shovel down by this pile and turn it over every time I add to it or at least twice a week.  This pile decomposes relatively fast and I am able to harvest composted soil from it about once a month.  I usually add some nitrogen to this pile and about once a month I add a product called Carbon Boost to the pile to help it work a little faster.  The next compost pile is a little closer to the house and is a bin that my Adorable Wife made as an experiment.  She took a thirty gallon trash can and drilled one half inch holes all in the sides and also in the lid.  The lid is a snap on lid and fits tight to prevent critters from getting in to it.  She adds layers of grass clippings, leaves and food scraps to it along with some water about once a week.  She rolls the can over once a day to keep it stirred or fluffed.  She is able to harvest her composted material on the average about every two weeks.  Last but certainly not least is the compost bin that we keep on the porch.  This is a big blue tub with a lid that snaps on and is also Wiggles home.  We bought a tub and lid which can be purchased at any of the big box stores and drilled one eighth inch holes all in the top.  Next we shredded some newspaper and put in the bottom and wet it lightly.  Next we added a couple of shovels full of peat moss, then some vegetable and fruit scraps, and this is where we put most of our egg shells and some coffee grounds.  At this point we added about two or three hundred red wiggler worms, tossed in a cup of corn meal and then topped it off with some more shredded newspapers that have been lightly misted with water.  We add shredded newspapers and food scraps once a week and toss with a trowel.  This bin will yield about ten gallons of composted materials every six weeks or so that have been enriched with worm poop.  This compost, commonly known as worm castings is an excellent organic fertilizer and soil amendment.

In conclusion, I believe composting is something that everyone should be doing.  They even make small composting containers that you can use and leave on the kitchen counter.  This would be a good item for apartment dwellers to make organic fertilizer for their houseplants.  There are many kinds of compost bins available for sale at your local nursery or home improvement center or you can do like Ms. Janet and I do, make your own.

If you have any questions or comments send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.  You can also tune in to WNAU Radio 1470 on your AM dial or log on to www.wnau1470.com select streaming and choose your player Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM where I will take your call for gardening questions at 662-534-8133.

Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt and compost, compost, compost.