Author Archives: Ashland Garden Club

Ready Your Greenhouse!

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It time to get your greenhouseready for February planting.

  • Make sure the shelves are clean (use a bit of bleach mixed with water)
  • Wash your trays too
  • Purchase your seedling mix
  • Have a gentle water source ready
  • Assemble plant labels and permanent markers in your greenhouse

Let’s use May 1st as the last frost date, so February 16th will be 10 weeks until then: Fill your trays with seedling mix, water them thoroughly, and let them sit until the next day to warm up. You can now plant cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, beets, lettuce, cilantro and spinach.

Here is a list of flowers you can also plant in February in your GREENHOUSE; they need 8-12 weeks before the last frost date.

Petunias, impatiens, lobelia, lupine, echinacea, rudbeckia, coreopsis, salvia, lavender, scabies, delphinium, pansies, shasta daisy, forget me nots, gaillardias, nasturtiums…to name a few.

Make sure you read the package instructions of each plant.

When your GARDEN SOIL is ready, not too wet and breaks apart in your hands like chocolate cake, DIRECTLY SOW : peas, radishes, arugula and carrots. Transplant your greenhouse plants into individual pots, then hardened them off, after this you can plant them into your garden. There is no thinning this way and you get to put the plants exactly where they will grow for the season.

Keep your plants watered, the cold air will suck out the moisture if not watered. You can heat your greenhouse with a bathroom heater if you have no other heat, that’s what I do. You can also purchase a heating mat from a garden supply company.

Melody Jones

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Hardening off… “exposing your seedlings to outside conditions incrementally, over the course of six to fourteen days, depending on your patience, the temperature and the fragility of your seedlings.”….. Read more on how to harden off plants here:
http://Hardeningoff.htm
Link

Consulting “Old” References? Beware

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The article below came from the November/December 1993 Fine Gardening magazine, “Letters to the Editor.”
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Words of Warning: if you are going to consult “old” references be sure & check their accuracy for today’s growing conditions. This letter recommends Pampas Grass, which is classified as an invasive species under current gardening research. I agree with what the author says about red fountain grass, but NOT the pampas. Granted, this was for the southwest, but checking current resources is always wise. As a buyer & gardener, beware.

Good gardening, Viki Ashford
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Fine Gardening Article: Ornamental Grasses for the Southwest

“ In response to the request from Paul Endres for suitable ornamental grasses for the Southwest (FG #32, P. 6), I’d like to suggest red fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) and pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), which I’ve successfully grown in my Las Vegas, Nevada, garden . With an occasional watering from my drip irrigation system, they tolerate heat and drought, and their swaying flower plumes and slender leaves lend grace to the landscape.
(invasive species now)

The leaves of red fountain grass, which grows 4 ft. to 6 ft. tall, are almost maroon in color. In winter, the grass goes dormant, and I cut it down to about 10 in. above the ground. Don’t worry if it appears dead all winter; the leaves will return in spring with the same beautiful show. Pampas grass needs lots of room, because it grows quite tall and forms a fountain of narrow leaves. The plumes, borne atop tall stalks, are a feathery white. A word of warning: the leaves of both of these grasses are sharp, so wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants when planting or pruning them.” Author: Karen Kampfer, Nevada

GROW YOUR OWN SPROUTS

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During the winter months when our local Grower’s Market is not available, it’s fun to grow your own sprouts.There are other ways to do it, in glass jars, for instance, but here’s mine.First, I buy sunflower seeds (other types of seeds are also available) in the bulk food section at local grocery stores like Shop ‘n Kart or Ashland Food Coop.Then I use an ordinary planting tray without drainage.

  1. Put about a couple of inches of planting mix in the tray.
  2. Sprinkle seeds sparingly over the mix.
  3. Cover seeds with about another inch of planting mix.
  4. Place tray on a small table near a window and preferably near a furnace heating vent.The sprouts will think it’s summer.
  5. Water lightly with a watering can as needed.
  6. Turn the tray as needed when sprouts lean toward the light.
  7. Harvest with kitchen shears when sprouts are the height you like.Mine take about twelve days.
  8. Store sprouts in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, then use in salads, sandwiches, or whatever appeals to you.Delicious!
  9. Compost tray remains, and start over for a constant supply of nutritious sprouts.

Enjoy, Marjorie Hoeft

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A few suggested uses:

Raw snack
In salads
Inside tortilla or tacos
A powerful green juice
Sprinkle on soups, or pizza, before serving, as a topping
In sandwiches

…Carlotta Lucas

January 2012: Horticulture Report

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Plectranthus ecklonii is a sub-tropical plant from Africa which can be grown outdoors in Zones 9-11, but in colder climates it’s grown as a house plant.

P. ecklonii is an attractive fast growing plant which flowers profusely the first season after planting. The plant should be pruned back hard in mid-winter after its flowering season.

P. ecklonii is easily propagated from cuttings or seed.

The best time to take cuttings is spring or summer. Cuttings should be about 7 inches to 10 inches long, keeping the top leaves. Place cuttings in a shady, but well lit area, keeping them moist as rooting is rapid. Cuttings can be rooted in sand or other appropriate cutting medium.

P. ecklonii seeds can be planted in a shallow standard seed tray in standard soil. Cover with a thin layer of sand and keep moist. Keep in a shady, but well lit environment. Germination is rapid. The seedlings can be planted in individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle.

There are three P. ecklonii cultivars:

1. P. ecklonii ‘Medley-Wood’, which is the common garden cultivar with blue flowers

2. P. ecklonii ‘Tommy’, with white flowers

3. P. ecklonii ‘Erma’, with pink flowers

Read more here:
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/plectranecklon.htm