Tag Archives: How to

Cut Flowers : How to condition for freshness

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Helpful tips for conditioning cut flowers and foliage to stay fresh longer in bouquets.

1- Cut flowers and foliage the night before the sale or early in the morning when it is cool.
2- Use sharp and clean clippers and tools, scissors are not recommended. Cut stems at 45º, and under water if possible.
3- Place them in a 1/4 filled buckets of lukewarm water, and keep them in a cool place.
4- Flowers with strong and tall stems make the best cut flowers.
5- For bulbs flowers, cut the white section at the bottoms of stem so they can drink better.
5- Most flowers can be cut in bud stage as soon as they show a little color.
6- Zinnias, marigolds, mums, and dahlias, should be cut when the flowers are fully open.
7- For woody stems make a clean split at the bottom one inch, don’t crush or hammer!
8- Remove all the lower foliage which will be below the water level.
9- For hydrangeas, dip the head in cold water to firm up the petals for an hour, then drip
dry them, cut and place stems in warm water overnight.
10- Flowers like delphiniums, lupines, dahlias, hollyhocks which have hollow stems can be
filled water and covered with a cotton ball at the base.
11-  Flowers In a vase: Use a clean vase, maintain water level and change the water  frequently.

Submitted by Goly Ostovar, AGC Member

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Companion Planting

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The theory of companion planting is by placing beneficial plants together they help each other grow. Some ways companion plants help each other are:

  • Taller plants can provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants.
  • Vine plants cover the ground below taller plants for weed control, or to support vine plants.
  • Companion plants discourage pest, for instance onions repel some pests,
    while other companions, like marigolds, lure pest away from desirable plants.
  • Companion planting can attract beneficial insects to the garden, and improve flavor to some fruits and vegetables.

Below is a beginner’s guide to companion planting.  

Basil
Plant near: most garden crops
Keep away from: rue
Comments: improves the flavor and growth of garden crops, especially tomatoes and lettuce. Repels mosquitoes

Beans, Bush
Plant near: beets, cabbage, carrots, catnip, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, marigolds, potatoes, savory, strawberries.
Keep away from: fennel, garlic, leeks, onions, shallots.

Comments: potatoes and marigolds repel Mexican bean beetles. Catnip repels flea beetles.

Beans, Pole
Plant near: corn, marigolds, potatoes, radishes.
Keep away from: beets, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, shallots
Comments: same as for bush beans.

Beets
Plant near: broccoli, brussel sprouts, bush beans, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: mustard, pole beans

Borage
Plant near:  squash, strawberries, tomatoes
Keep away from:   Spreads by seed!!
Comments: repels tomato worms. Improves flavor and growth of companions.

Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts
Plant near: beets, buckwheat, calendula, carrots, chamomile, dill, hyssop, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, onions, rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: marigolds repel cabbage moths. Nasturtiums repel aphids.

Cabbage and Cauliflower
Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, chard, spinach, tomatoes.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: tomatoes and celery repel cabbage worms.

Cantaloupe
Plant near: corn
Keep away from: )

Carrots
Plant near: cabbage, chives, early potatoes, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, rosemary, sage, salsify, wormwood.
Keep away from: )
Comments: onions, leeks, and wormwood repel carrot flies

Chives
Plant near: apples, berries, carrots, grapes, peas, roses, tomatoes.
Keep away from: – )
Comments: Deters aphids and Japanese beetles. Improves flavor & growth of companions.

Corn
Plant near: beans, cucumbers, early potatoes, melons, peas, pumpkins, soybeans, squash.
Keep away from: -)
Comments: soybeans deter chinch bugs.

Cucumbers
Plant near: beans, cabbage, corn, early potatoes, radishes, sunflowers.
Keep away from: late potatoes
Comments: Radishes deter cucumber beetles. Cucumbers encourage blight in late potatoes.

Dill
Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, onions
Keep away from: carrots
Comments: Improves flavor and growth of cabbage family plants.

Eggplant
Plant near: green beans, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes
Keep away from: –
Comments: green beans deter Colorado potato beetles.

Garlic
Plant near: cabbage, cane fruits, fruit trees, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from: peas, beans
Comments: deters Japanese beetles and aphids. A garlic oil spray deters onion flies, aphids, and ermine moths. A garlic tea helps repel late potato blight.

Kale
Plant near: aromatic herbs, buckwheat, cabbage family, marigolds, nasturtiums
Keep away from: pole beans, strawberries

Kohlrabi
Plant near: cabbage/cauliflower companions (except tomatoes)
Keep away from: fennel, pole beans, tomatoes
Comments: kohlrabi stunts tomatoes

Lettuce
Plant near: beets, carrots, parsnips, radishes, strawberries
Keep away from: cabbage family
Comments: lettuce tenderizes summer radishes.

Marigolds
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth and deters bean beetles, aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, nematodes, and maggots.

Marjoram
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth.

Mustard
Plant near: alfalfa cover crops, fruit trees, grapes, legumes
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates growth of companion plants.

Nasturtiums
Plant near: apples, beans, cabbage family, greenhouse crops, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, squash
Keep away from: -)
Comments: repels aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, and Mexican bean beetles and destroys white flies in greenhouses.

Onions
Plant near: beets, cabbage family, carrots, chamomile, lettuce, parsnips
Keep away from: beans, peas
Comments: deters most pests, especially maggots.

Oregano
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: deters many insect pests.

Parsley
Plant near: corn, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from: –

Parsnips
Plant near: onions, radishes, wormwood
Keep away from: -)
Comments: onions and wormwood help keep root maggots from parsnips.

Peas
Plant near: beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, early potatoes, radishes, turnips
Keep away from: garlic leeks, onions, shallots

Peppers
Plant near: basil, carrots, eggplant, onions, parsley, tomatoes
Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi

Potatoes
Plant near: basil, beans, cabbage family, corn, eggplant, flax, hemp, marigolds, peas, squash
Keep away from: apples, birch, cherries, cucumbers, pumpkins, raspberries, sunflowers, tomatoes, walnuts
Comments: Basil deters potato beetles. Marigolds (dug into crop soil) deter nematodes, hemp deters phytophthora infestans (potato blight)

Radishes
Plant near: chervil, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, nasturtiums, root crops
Keep away from: hyssop
Comments: radishes deter cucumber beetles. Chervil makes radishes hot. Lettuce helps make radishes tender. Nasturtiums improve radishes’ flavor.

Rosemary
Plant near: beans, cabbage, carrots
Keep away from: -)
Comments: repels bean beetles, cabbage moths, and carrot flies.

Sage
Plant near: cabbage family, carrots, tomatoes
Keep away from: cucumbers
Comments: deters cabbage moths and carrot flies. Invigorates tomato plants.

Soybeans
Plant near: corn, potatoes
Keep away from: -)
Comments: chokes weeds and enriches soil.

Spinach
Plant near: celery, cauliflower, eggplant, strawberries
Keep away from: -)

Strawberries
Plant near: borage, bush beans, lettuce, pyrethrum, spinach
Keep away from: cabbage family

Sunflowers
Plant near: cucumbers
Keep away from: potatoes
Comments: can provide a trellis and shelter for shade-loving cucumbers.

Swiss Chard
Plant near: bush beans, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: pole beans

Tarragon
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: –
Comments: improves vegetables’ flavor and growth.

Thyme
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: –
Comments: deters cabbage moths.

Tomatoes
Plant near: asparagus, basil, cabbage family, carrots, gooseberries, mustard, parsley, onions, rosemary, sage, stinging nettles.

Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi, potatoes, walnuts

Turnips and Rutabagas
Plant near: peas
Keep away from: knotweed, mustard
Comments: mustard and knotweed inhibit the growth of turnips and rutabagas!

By Carlotta Lucas Ashland Garden Club

Propagation Tips: Rosemary Cuttings

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Cuttings are the most common way on how-to propagate rosemary.

Take a 2- to 3-inch cutting from a mature rosemary plant with a clean, sharp pair of shears.

Rosemary cuttings should be taken from the soft or new wood on the plant. The soft wood is most easily harvested in the spring when the plant is in its most active growth phase.

Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds of the cutting leaving at least five or six leaves.

Take the rosemary cuttings, dip bottoms in rooting hormone and place it in a well draining potting medium.

Cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic wrap to help the cuttings retain moisture. Place in indirect light.  When you see new growth, remove plastic. Then, transplant to your new location.

Photos & Article by Carlotta Lucas

Taking Care of Earth

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How to be a good caretaker of Mother Earth

A.  Follow the Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:

  1. Recycle everything you can!
  2. Buy only what you need, avoid use-once and throw-away products
  3. Buy from environmentally conscience companies

In 50 years plastic use has doubled worldwide. Reports show that 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been manufactured since 1950. Currently only 9% of plastic is recycled, 12% is burned, leaving 79% in landfills and in the environment. 73% of beach litter is plastic, and according to the United Nations, ingested plastic kills an estimated 1 million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each year.

B. How to reduce plastic use:

  1. Don’t use plastic straws, buy a reusable metal straw.
  2. Don’t buy or use Styrofoam cups or packing materials
  3. Carry reusable refillable cup
  4. Buy glass containers for food storage
  5. E-cycle computers, monitors, keyboards, and other electronics
  6. Keep your cell phone for years, instead of buying the newest greatest model.

C. How to conserve water and energy resources:

  1. Monitor your thermostat at home to save money and resources
  2. Turn off water while brushing your teeth
  3. Catch shower water to water plants
  4. Fill you sink with water to wash dishes; don’t just let it run down the drain
  5. Load dishwashers and washing machines to capacity before washing
  6. Car pool, ride your bike and walk more

D. How to preserve wildlife:

  1. Avoid using chemicals in your house and your garden, even the smallest insect has worth and chemicals kill vital pollinators
  2. Do not disturb wild animals or birds. Leave nesting sites, eggs, dens and animal babies alone.
  3. Protect all fish, retrieve fishing hooks and fishing lines
  4. Leave wild animals in the wild and don’t buy pets taken illegally from the wild
  5. Protect plants by not picking wildflowers or trampling vegetation
  6. Respect wild trees, avoid chopping tree bark or cutting trees

E.  Be aware of pollutants:

  1. Keep rivers, lakes and waterways clean, remove all bottles, plastic and other pollutants
  2. Toss trash in trash cans, don’t throw any trash on the ground anywhere
  3. In natural area pack out your trash and dispose of properly
  4. Dispose hazardous materials properly. Call your local Fire or Police Department to find out how.

If we all do it,  then little steps can make a huge difference!

Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

Peat Moss vs Coir (Coconut Fiber)

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Both products are used as soil amendments to improve soil structure by lightening the soil and holding moisture; neither adds nutrients to the soil.

COIR

Coir

Peat moss is harvested from peat bogs which are areas of decomposed sphagnum moss in swamps and marshes. Wetland ecologists consider peat moss a non-sustainable material because its harvesting rate is greater than its replenishing rate. Plus, it is harvested from delicate endangered habitats.

Coconut fiber (Coir) is a byproduct of coconut processing; therefore it is always available and sustainable. Coir is made from fibrous coconut husks which are water processed, ground up or decomposed, then made into Coir bricks. Most COIR comes from India, or Sri Lanka.

Differences: pH and water absorption

Product pH – Peat moss is acidic with a pH of 3.3 to 4.0. Therefore, it is used in potting soils for acid loving plants, or it’s used to acidify garden soils with high alkalinity.  A neutral pH is more desirable in most planting situations, so lime is added to peat moss to bring its pH closer to neutral.  Most commercially made peat-moss based potting mixes have added lime. In contrast, Coir has a pH range of 5.2 to 6.6, which makes it more suitable for a wider range of plants.

Water absorption –While proponents of Coir state its water retention is equal to peat moss; peat moss typically retains much more water than Coir.  Peat moss holds 10 to 20 times its dry weight in water, while Coir holds 8 to 9 times its dry weight in water.  Coir does saturate faster than peat moss, thereby using less water to “activate”.  To be fair, Coir comes in various textures and coarseness, which may increase its overall water-holding abilities, but they are not equal.

When given a choice, consider Coir for its closer to neutral pH and its environmental sustainability.