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Archived Monthly Tips

Winter Sowing OVGC Conservation and Environment Report for January 2022
Winter sowing is a fun “hands in the dirt project” that you can do in January.  While you can start many seeds this way, it is an effective way to grow native plants, which are often hard to find at local nurseries.  Many native plant seeds have protective characteristics to keep them from germinating immediately when the seeds drop.  Conditions may be too hot, too dry, or too close to the winter season for them to succeed.  Many require a cold moist period, known as stratification, in order to germinate.  Winter sowing in a clear one-gallon milk jug is one way to provide that cold stratification and get seeds off to a good start.   (For details see http://www.hamdenlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milk-Jug-Wildflower-Propagation.pdf)
For suggestions on what to grow, try the Native Plant Trust plant finder (http://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org)  to  plants native to our Northeastern Coastal Zone Ecosystem. 
You can use saved seed or seed obtained from a native seed exchange or seed library.  While it is best to collect seed just as they mature, it still may be possible to gather seed from plants that were not cut back last fall and use them now.  Native seeds can also be ordered from seed sellers who specialize in native plants.
Growing Garlic  Christie Kuriger
​The pH of your soil is very important, so aim for a 7.0 by adding lime a few weeks prior to planting as well as organic matter. Plant when the night time temperatures are frosty but before a hard frost. Separate the bulb into cloves and plant with the pointed side up, three inches deep, about 6 inches apart in narrow rows so you can walk between the rows. Water once you finish planting so the roots will get started growing.
Garlic does not compete well with weeds, so be sure to mulch with straw (no weed seeds). Apply the mulch once the ground has frozen so you aren’t creating winter housing for munching rodents. Use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen (5-4-8) and in the spring add fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen (7-2-4) and when the plants are about a foot tall, use fertilizer that with more nitrogen (16-0-0). Garlic plants will need lots of water in April, so be prepared to water unless Mother Nature cooperates. Keep the bed well weeded. Plants will send up scapes that get will longer and curl around. Many gardeners cut these off in mid June to direct all the energy into the bulbs. Scapes, if left  on are also edible if harvested in early June. Harvest garlic bulbs once your plants have
four or five leaves left or when you pull soil away and see clove divisions. Use a pitch fork to loosen the soil below the bulbs for easier removal. Use it fresh now or cure it for storage. To cure garlic, leave on the stalks and hang them in an area of low humidity. The wrappers, the skin around the cloves and the cloves will all dry at the same rate for the best shelf life. Now you can use garlic in your favorite recipes or even make your
own garlic powder!
 Using Garlic in the Garden
Garlic planted at the base of fruit trees can be beneficial in attracting beneficial insects as well as deterring peach borers. Roses and tomatoes may also benefit by having garlic plant neighbors since they keep pests away. You can also make a garlic fungicide to deal with mildew or fungus. To make the fungicide, puree 5-10 garlic cloves  in one pint of water, let it steep for about an hour and strain it and spray it on your plants. Do use caution when spraying since it can also act as an insecticide. To control pests such as bugs or deter rabbits from eating your garden, you can make a spray concentrate. Chop 4 ounces of garlic bulbs and soak in 2 tablespoons of olive or  mineral oil for a day or two. Strain, and add the oil to 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion and one pint of water. Stir well and store in a glass jar (no plastic or metal). Dilute the concentrate one part to 20 parts water and spray on insect pests or on greens that rabbits are munching on. Garlic is also the base for some natural mosquito repellants.
Resources: Tips from Gary Cirullo, Garlic Farm owner and Laurie Neverman’s article on Common Sense Homesteading site (2015).
​​​
The Benefits of Houseplants Laura Sorensen
Most of us grow houseplants to beatify our homes and bring a little of the outdoors inside. But research shows that growing houseplants can help us maintain healthy homes by cleaning the air of common indoor pollutants.
The four most common pollutants found in our homes are formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide. These are released from several household sources. For instance formaldehyde is found in particle board in furniture, in carpets, permanent press clothes and paper products to name a few. Benzene is found in dyes, detergents and gasoline. Trichloroethylene is used in inks, paints, varnishes and adhesives. Carbon monoxide results from combustion in cars, furnaces and cigarette smoke.  In the winter, levels of these indoor pollutants can rise in homes that are well insulated and sealed against the weather.
In the late 1980’s, NASA studied low-light requiring houseplants and their ability to filter the air of three trace organic pollutants in a sealed chamber. The results showed that all the plants tested were effective at filtering out pollutants, though different plants were more effective against some chemicals than others. For example, English Ivy (Hedera helix) was found to remove 89.8 % of Benzene from a sealed chamber in 24 hours while Chinese Evergreen (Aglonema modestum) removed 47.6%.  NASA found that the plant root-soil zone was the most effective area for removing pollutants. Plants where the soil was left uncovered, that is no pebbles on the surface and surface foliage removed, did a better job of filtering the air. Results also showed that the longer a particular plant in the same potting soil worked to filter the air, the more effective it became. They concluded that over a period of two years, the microorganisms in the potting soil were able to evolve to become more efficient at removing those compounds. 
Some of the most effective air cleaning plants tested include, Gerbera daisy, Chrysanthemum morifolium (pot mum), Dracena marginata, deremensis “Janet Craig” and “Warneckei”, and Spathiphyllum ( Peace Lily). A complete list of the plants tested can be found at the sources below.
Sources:  Pettinelli, Dawn, Houseplants for Cleaner Indoor Air, 2009, www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/houseplants-for-clean-air.php    Wolverton ,B.C; Johnson, Anne; Bounds, Keith, Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement, Sep. 15, 1989, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930073077.pdf​​
Amaryllis Care  Laura Sorensen
You have received a potted amaryllis (Hippeastrum) or perhaps a loose amaryllis bulb as a gift. Now what? With proper care, your bulb can thrive and bloom for years to come.
When you purchase an amaryllis bulb, it has already been through the necessary dormant period and is ready to bloom. Amaryllis prefers to be potbound, so choose a pot that is only about an inch wider in diameter than the bulb and deep enough for at least two inches of soil below the bulb. Heavier clay pots with drainage holes are preferable to avoid root rot, and to prevent the somewhat top heavy plant from toppling. Plant your bulb in potting soil with about 1/3 of the bulb exposed above soil level.
Place the pot in a sunny window and water sparingly until green shoots appear. After shoots appear, water when the top ½ to 1 inch of soil is dry. Bulbs usually take 4-6 weeks to bloom. At that point, moving the plant out of the sun and keeping it in a cooler location will prolong the bloom.
When blooming is finished, remove the spent flowers, but allow the stalk to yellow and wilt before cutting to aid in photosynthesis. Put your plant back in a sunny window. Growing in bright sunlight is the most important factor in the bulb’s ability to bloom in subsequent years. Fertilize your plant at each watering with half strength houseplant fertilizer rich in phosphorus (the second number of the three fertilizer percentages) to encourage bulb development and blooming. After all danger of frost is past, place your plant outdoors. Gradually increase the amount of sunlight until the plant receives at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Continue to water and fertilize throughout the summer.
To initiate dormancy, gradually reduce watering in late summer, early fall. Be sure to bring your plant indoors before frost hits. At this point, stop watering and place the plant in a cool, dark place such as an unheated basement. The leaves will turn brown and wither. Let the plant rest for 6-12 weeks. You can time your next bloom by counting the weeks needed for dormancy and the 4-6 weeks necessary for bloom and planning accordingly.
At the end of that dormancy period, repot the bulb with fresh soil, return it to a sunny window, and resume careful watering. If the plant was able to store enough nutrients in the bulb during the spring and summer, it will rebloom. Young bulbs forming at the base of the original bulb can be removed and potted up separately but will take several years to attain blooming size (3-4 inches).
Sources: Ray Bosmans, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland Extension https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/amaryllis-care    Mary Meyer, horticulturalist and Julie Weisenhorn, Extension educator, University of Minnesota Extension, https://extension.umn.edu/house-plants/amaryllis​​
Putting the Garden to Sleep by Dr. Carol Grant
 
November can be as busy a month in the garden as the spring is.  Now is the time to put the garden to sleep to have a wonderful start next year.  Cutting back, dead heading, planning...the list goes on and on.  One thing that is important is to address the tender perennials that you have so they will come back again.
 
One such plant is one known as Elephant Ears also known as Colocasia.  This is a very dramatic plant and is a wonderful addition to your garden.  If you try to over winter the plant however, it will not survive the cold and frost.  So digging them up is important if you want them to come back.  And the fun part is the plant will have made many more tubers so you will be able to share with your friends.
 
Once you dig the plant up, trim the roots, split the baby tubers off and rinse the dirt off.  Then let the plant dry for a day or so.  Some people will rinse the tuber in a fungicide but personally I have never needed to.  Then put the tubers in a paper bag with shredded newspaper.  Seal up the bag and store in a cool place but not where it might freeze.
 
This year, I had so many tubers that I took the paper shredding that I had, placed a good amount in the bottom of a box, added the tubers and then layered more shredding and more tubers.  I sealed up the box and in my cool basement they will stay.
 
This technique can also be done with other tender perennial bulbs like Canna Lilies.  Just make sure you mark you bag so you remember what you planted.
​
Roses
​Floribunda, Climber/Rambler, Shrub, Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, English/Austin, Miniature, Old Garden/AntiqueRoses…with so many types, it is only natural to be hesitant to try to grow roses!  Here are a few tips to help you get started. 

First, choose a disease resistant variety.  Roses do best in rich, humusy soil and need at least 8 hours of morning sun or 6 hours of afternoon sun.  As with all planting, check the pH of your soil and amend it prior to planting so that it is between 5.5 and 7.  When planting, be sure to make a saucer around the plant and water it slowly and deeply. 

Deadheading is a must if you want your roses to keep blooming.  When cutting roses be sure to leave a five-leaf sprig on each shoot as a base for new flowering shoots and make pruning cuts half an inch above an outside bud eye or sprig.  Fertilize your roses in the early spring, early summer and early fall.  Roses do require some winter protection from cold and wind.  When the cold weather starts, stop deadheading and allow the plant to form rose hips and after the leaves have fallen, remove all debris from around the plant.  Spray dormant oil on branches and on soil around the plant.  Water plant thoroughly before ground freezes.  Once the ground freezes, mulch the plant with about a foot of mulch, (straw, salt hay, compost or pine bark mulch). 

Some common problems with roses are Japanese beetles, black spot, and powdery mildew.  You can use milky spore in your yard to naturally kill the larvae, (grubs), of Japanese beetles and this becomes effective during the second year.  You can also remove the beetles in the morning while they are still sleepy and put them in a cup of soapy water.  For mildew and black spot, a spray can be made using a recipe from Cornell University.  Combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of ultra-fine horticultural oil in one gallon of water.  Use a spray bottle and cover all sides of the leaves, stems and soil.

Enjoy all of nature's beauty.

This blog was written by Christie Kruger

 May Garden Tasks
                                              
Since we have a more compact gardening season in New England, the OVGC of So
uthington would like to share its knowledge with the public in order to make the most of our warm months. Hopefully, we may encourage and inspire agricultural interest and provide a forum for questions regarding everything from tools to plant selection to when to plant what to watering to composting and pest & disease control.

The following lists of garden activities for the month of May were taken from "Crockett's Victory Garden"   by James Underwood Crockett  
​
"During the month of May, some of the items you can PLANT include: Asparagus, basil, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, dahlias, garlic, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, shallots, and squash. 
 
 Also during May, you should THIN any "cool weather" vegetables you may have planted previously (such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn,endive, kohlrabi, onions,, squash, and turnips).
 
  In my opinion, the best part of growing vegetables is the harvest. It is when all of our hard work and patience comes to fruition. May is the month to harvest your asparagus, lettuce, onions, radishes, spinach and turnips."

 
​August Monthly Tip (Taken from Better Homes and Gardens; August 2016 and Crockett Ketts Victory Garden)

Now we can look forward to August and the beauty of Hydrangeas, roses and other beautiful flowering plants.  Hydrangeas need a lot of sun light, preferably five hours a day in the morning to get the best flowers.  Minimal pruning should be done after the flowers fade or not at all.  Some hydrangeas can be color controlled by changing the soil  For blue flowers, make the soil PH level 5.0 or lower.  Pink flowers need an alkaline soil of PH 6.5 or higher.  Special products can be purchased at garden centers.

Roses are beautiful now and come in a variety of colors.  To have more continued growth, they must be properly pruned.  Find the first leaf with 5 leaflets on it and cut it 1/4 inch ABOVE that leaf.  Roses are not immune to disease so check for aphids, red spider mites as well as black spot.  Black spot is a fungus that turns the leaf yellow with black spots.  Specific insecticides may be purchased at garden centers.

Certain pars of our state are being attacked by gypsy moths and the Asian Long horned beetle.  If you notice these destructive bugs or if you have any other plant and garden questions, call the UConn Home and Garden Education Center at 877-486-6271.  You can also e-mail your questions to ladybug@uconn.edu.

​This blog was written by Marion Olhm


Are you stir crazy?  A nice recipe to try!  Linda Mazur

I don’t know about you, but by the time January rolls around, I’m going stir-crazy for the great outdoors.
Longing to get some dirt under my fingernails, I wander the local nurseries just to mingle with the plants.
Outside in the garden, the ground is frozen solid and perhaps even snow-covered. Sadly, I can
only dream of planting…that’s when I come up with an alternate plan to get close to some vegetables…eat them!
More specifically, I am, in the mood for the delicate, nutty flavor of of my favorite vegetable...asparagus. Enthused, I whip out my trusty Victory Garden cookbook by Marian Morash and leaf through the pages until I locate the asparagus section. Hmmm, recipes for Sautéed asparagus, asparagus soup, stir-fried asparagus and beef, pasta with asparagus? 

Wait a minute, I DO have a huge hunk of my favorite...munster cheese…how about the oven asparagus puff on page 7 of Marian’s wonderful cookbook? Yes, this will do nicely! I hope you enjoy it as well…Here’s the recipe:
 
Oven Asparagus Puff
Here’s an easy luncheon or  light supper dish. The mild Muenster cheese will accent, not overpower, the delicate 
asparagus flavor. 
3/4 -1 lb asparagus
4 Tb butter
2 Tb chopped onions
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt
6 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Muenster cheese
 
Peel and roll-cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. You should have 2 cups. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan, 
sauté onion until soft and golden. Add asparagus, sprinkle with sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss for one minute. 
Add two tablespoons water, cover, and, shaking pan, steam-cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove cover, and cook until liquid is evaporated. Cool slightly. Beat together eggs, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon  salt and pepper to taste. Melt 2 table-spoons butter in an ovenproof 10 x 10-inch baking dish. Pour in egg mixture and cook over medium heat until bottom is set (about 3 minutes). Arrange asparagus an onions in a single layer on top of the eggs. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, cover asparagus with grated cheese, then bake an additional 10 minutes. When the eggs have puffed and the cheese has lightly browned, the dish is finished.
​ (Serves 4)  
​
​Start by Finishing (the Harvest)

You worked hard all summer to painstakingly weed, trim, fertilize, rake, hoe and generally toil away in the garden to cultivate happy, healthy plants so they’d produce a bountiful harvest. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the fruits of your labor all summer, as well, but I’m sure there’s still one final harvest to get. Don’t let anything go to waste!

For your herbs, you can go a couple of ways. If you’ve planted herbs in the ground, cut them all back and get them in the freezer, dehydrator, or into some oil to infuse. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can dry your herbs in the microwave or use the oven to dehydrate them. Once you have your herbs dehydrated, transfer them to airtight containers (like Mason jars) and store in a cool, dark place. Dig up the remainder of the herb plants (including as much of the roots as you can get) and discard them in the compost bin. If you have planted herbs in pots, you can actually bring them indoors to a warm, sunny spot. Water well and harvest throughout the winter.

f you’re growing berries, you’ll want to get them processed immediately. Freeze them into some healthy whole fruit popsicles, or preserve them. You can even freeze them whole. Just rinse them gently, allow them to drain, and pat them dry. When they’re completely dry, put them on a baking sheet in a single layer, pop them into the freezer for a couple of hours, and transfer to a freezer bag. The same general principles go for your veggies, too (…and by “veggies” I’m including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other things that are technically “fruits”). Pickle cucumbers, freeze tomatoes, dehydrate onions, make and freeze zucchini bread – anything to keep your precious food from spoiling.  Be sure to save your seeds, too! Anything that has bolted to seed or fruits still on the plant can be used to seed your garden next year – especially if they’re heirloom variety.


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