Category Archives: Gardening Tips

Plants to Propagate in October

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Rosemary:

  • Select Stems: Choose healthy, flexible tip growth (semi-hardwood) that is green and bends instead of snapping; avoid woody, brown bases or flowering tips.
  • Make the Cut: Using disinfected, sanitized pruners snip a 4-to-6-inch piece Strip Leaves: Gently pull the leaves off the bottom 2 to 3 inches of the stem.
  • Rooting: Dip the end in rooting hormone (optional) and place it in a well-draining mix (such as perlite and peat or potting soil) or water.
  • Overwintering: Keep the pots indoors near a bright window or under grow lights, cuttings need to be protected from freezing winter weather.
  • Transplant in Spring: Roots typically develop over several weeks to months. New plants can be individually potted or planted in the garden when spring arrives

 

Lavender:

  • Select Stems: Choose healthy, non-flowering side shoots from the current season that are firm and slightly woody at the base, but still flexible at the top (semi-ripe or hardwood). Avoid thick, old wood.
  • Make the Cut: Using disinfected sanitized pruners, snip 3- to 6-inch cuttings just below a leaf node where growth hormones are concentrated
  • Strip Lower Leaves: Remove the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of the stem, leaving only a few tiny leaves at the top.
  • Apply Rooting Hormone (Optional): Dip the bottom node into a rooting hormone powder to encourage faster root development.
  • Pot in Well-Draining Soil: Insert the cuttings into pots filled with a fast-draining propagation mix, multi-purpose compost, or a mix of compost and grit. Space them out along the edge of the pot.
  • Water and Create Humidity: Water the soil thoroughly to settle it. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag supported by small plant canes, like a bamboo skewer, securing it with an elastic band to maintain high humidity (remove the bag periodically to let air circulate and prevent mold).
  • Overwintering keep the potted cuttings indoors on a bright windowsill, or in a greenhouse. Do not let them freeze or sit in  waterlogged soil.
  • Transplant in Spring: Roots typically develop over several weeks to months. New plants can be individually potted or planted in the garden when spring arrives

Landscape watering during a drought

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1. Water plants before 10am
2. Water plants deeply, infrequently, and directly at the root zone in the early morning to maximize
absorption and reduce evaporation.
3. Aim for 1 inch of water weekly on trees and shrubs.
4. Let lawns go dormant.
5. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to conserve water.

Article and Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC President

March – Gardening Tasks

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March Garden Tasks (Rogue Valley, Oregon)  

 

Vegetable Gardens

Seeds to direct Sow in mid to late March:  Peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, kale, arugula, chard, carrots, beets, and parsnips. Also Plant:  Onion sets, and perennial roots like asparagus, artichokes, and rhubarb.

 

Seeds to start indoors for May Transplanting:

  • Tomatoes & Peppers:Essential to start NOW for transplanting in mid-to-late May.
  • Brassicas:Broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
  • Herbs:Basil, parsley and cilantro
  • Other vegetables :Celery, eggplants, and leeks
  • Potatoes:Buy seed potatoes, sprout (“chit”) them in a cool, dark place, then plant.

 

Fruit & Berry Crops

  • Planting:March is ideal for planting fruit trees, strawberries, and cane-berries (raspberries and blackberries).
  • Pruning:Finish pruning fruit trees (apples, pears, cherries, peaches) before buds swell.
  • Fertilizing:Feed raspberries and blueberries with organic, acidic fertilizer.

 

Flower Beds & Landscaping

  • Clean & Mulch:Clear away dead foliage, apply compost, and mulch beds to suppress weeds.
  • Divide Perennials:Divide and transplant summer-blooming perennials.
  • Bulbs:Plant dahlia, lily, and gladiola tubers.
  • Pruning:Prune winter-flowering shrubs after they bloom and ornamental grasses.

 

Maintenance & Pests

  • Slug Control:Actively monitor and manage slugs using baits like Sluggo or traps, as they love new spring growth.
  • Soil Care:Avoid walking on or tilling heavy, wet, or saturated soil to prevent compaction.
  • Fertilizing:Apply fertilizer to evergreen shrubs (rhododendrons, azaleas) and roses.
  • Lawns:Sharpen mower blades and set the mower height to 1.5–2.5 inches. Apply Lime to increase alkalinity, boost nutrient uptake.   Treat lawn for moss with ferrous sulfate (iron sulfate).

Allelopathic Sunflower Seeds

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As the weather turns chilly and bird feeders go up, here’s a new word for you…..ALLELOPATHY.

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Allelopathy is where an organism releases natural chemicals that affect the growth of other organisms. How does this apply to your bird feeder? Sunflower seeds. It turns out that many sunflower species, including those used for bird seed, are allelopathic to many other plants, so much so, that they are used as natural weed control. The chemicals contained in most parts of the sunflower, including the roots, seeds, and seed hulls, naturally block the growth of other plants. Basically, the sunflower wages chemical warfare against competing plants. The main allelopathic chemicals that sunflowers produce are terpenes and phenolic compounds. So, bear this in mind when placing your bird feeder (and when growing sunflowers in your garden). Dropped sunflower seeds and hulls, if allowed to build up under your feeder, will kill off most other plants. Plus, it’s always good to keep the area under your feeder tidy to avoid enticing unwanted visitors like rodents, raccoons, skunks, and more.

Cleaning Your Garden Tools

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Initial Cleaning

  • Remove Loose Debris: Use a brush or a stiff brush to remove any loose dirt, leaves, or other debris
  • from your tools.
  • Wash with Soap and Water: Dip the tools in a bucket of soapy water (dish soap or detergent) and scrub thoroughly to remove dirt and grime.
  • Rinse Thoroughly: Rinse the tools under running water to remove all soap residue.

Disinfection (Recommended):

  • Bleach Solution: For a quick and effective disinfection, soak the cleaned tools in a chlorine bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) for about 10 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
  • Alcohol Solution: Isopropyl alcohol (70-100%) can also be used for disinfection. Dip the tools in the alcohol solution, allow them to air dry, and then dry the tools thoroughly.  Add Isopropyl alcohol into a handheld sprayer and spray shears between each plant you prune.

Rust Prevention:

  • Dry tools:  Completely dry tools before storing them, otherwise moisture can lead to rust.
  • Apply Oil: To prevent rust, apply a thin layer of mineral oil, linseed oil, or WD-40 to metal parts, especially after cleaning.
  • Soak in Sand: For a quick way to clean and oil tools mix some linseed oil in a bucket of sand and then stab the tool into the sand a few times.

Specific Tool Cleaning:

  • Pruning Shears/Pruners: Disassemble pruners, wash each part individually with warm, soapy water, and scrub any sap or sticky residue left behind.
  • Disinfect Pruning Shears: Add Isopropyl alcohol into a handheld sprayer and spray shears between each plant pruning.

Cultivation Tools (Spades, Hoes, Forks, Rakes, Trowels): Use a stiff scrubbing brush to remove any soil from the blade and shaft.

Rusty Tools: Soak rusty tools in vinegar for several hours to loosen rust, then scrub with steel wool or a wire brush. After removing the rust, neutralize vinegar with a baking soda and water solution.

Tips for Larger Tools:
If your tools are too large to fit in a container, wrap them in a cloth soaked with vinegar and salt, then place them in a plastic bag. Check the tools periodically to see if the rust has softened. When rust is loose, then follow “After Soaking” steps.
 

Important Note: Vinegar is a mild acid, so it can dissolve and pit steel if left on for too long.

Article & Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Fall Seed Collecting 

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Collecting Seeds: Collect seeds that are open-pollinated varieties, which means the seeds being saved will produce plants with the same characteristics as the parent.

Annual flowers: Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Cosmos, Calendula, Snapdragons, Amaranth, Sunflower, Morning glory, Zinnias

Perennial flowers: Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan), Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower), Coreopsis (Tickseed), Digitalis (Foxglove), Centranthus ruber (Red valerian), Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William), Aquilegia (Columbine). Continue reading →