November, 2001
Dear Editors:
Lawns and landscapes are going dormant, and this year's garden will soon be a snow-covered memory. As gardeners go indoors, their focus turns to indoor plants, holiday decorating and planning for next year's outdoor growing season. The December, 2001, and January and February, 2002, winter mailing of the MSU lawn and garden packet contains stories on such timely topics as controlling insects in craft materials, award-winning new flower and vegetable varieties for 2002, transporting gift plants in cold weather, and growing cacti through the winter and garden planning. The Garden Corner is also on hand, as usual, with its questions and answers.
Rumors of spring begin here, where I'll soon be planning for the spring packet. So now would be a good time to suggest story topics or suggest questions for The Garden Corner. Think spring! (Then I won't be the only one with spring fever in January.)
Other comments are welcome, too. It's good to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Leslie Johnson
Extension Lawn and Garden Editor
ANR Communications
312 Agriculture Hall, MSU
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
517-432-1555
LKJ/bl
LAWN AND GARDEN RELEASES FOR DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY
ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS HONORS NINE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
CHRISTMAS TREE MAY BE 'BUGGED'
CRAFT MATERIALS MAY BECOME INFESTED
DECORATE SAFELY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
FOUR VEGETABLE VARIETIES WIN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
HOBBY GREENHOUSE MAY PROVIDE SPACE FOR YEAR-ROUND GARDENING
INCLUDE 'EVERLASTINGS' IN GARDEN PLAN
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT WORKS IN THE HOME, TOO
INTELLIGENT NEGLECT IS BEST BET FOR WINTER CACTI CARE
NATIVE CROPS FORM BACKBONE OF GARDEN
PROTECT GIFT PLANTS AGAINST COLD WEATHER
SEED CATALOGS: MORE THAN JUST PRETTY PICTURES
SEND A HOLIDAY MESSAGE WITH FLOWERING PLANTS
11/15/01
Contact: Leslie Johnson
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The fall lawn and garden chores are done and the tools put away until spring. The garden may be dormant, but chances are the gardener is either looking back at this year's successes and challenges or next year's gardening goals. Either perspective can generate questions on vegetable gardening, small fruits, insects, houseplants, landscape plants and other gardening-related topics. Extension specialists at Michigan State University answer a few timely queries.
Q. I was at an outdoor festival this fall where all the booths and canopies were literally crawling with ladybugs. Several people were complaining about being bitten, and several mentioned an odd smell associated with the ladybugs. Since when did ladybugs bite?
A. Though our native ladybird beetles ("ladybugs") rarely bite, an introduced Asian species is even more likely to nip. The odor comes from a yellow to orange liquid exuded from the ladybugs' legs. Catch a whiff of it and you'll understand why birds and other predators don't try to eat more than one ladybug -- they taste every bit as vile as they smell!
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Q. How can spring-flowering bulbs grow and flower in water?
A. The bulb contains all the food the plant needs to produce leaves and flowers.
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Q. I didn't get my vegetable garden in last year and have some vegetable and flower seeds leftover from the previous year. Is there any way to test them before I either plant them or throw them away to see if they'll still give good results?
A. Take 10 of each type of seed you want to test and roll each type separately in a moist paper towel. Place each towel in a plastic bag labeled with the name of the crop, and place the bags in a warm area, such as on top of a refrigerator. Give them a week to germinate, then unroll the paper towels and check them. The number of seeds in each towel that sprouted times 10 is your germination percentage. Any with a germination percentage of 50 percent below probably isn't worth keeping. Those with higher germination rates will probably grow in the garden, though you may want to sow them a little thicker than usual. Some seeds are naturally more long-lived than others, but often it's the storage conditions that make the difference. Seeds stored in a moisture-proof container in a cool area (even a refrigerator) are more likely to germinate well than similar seeds in packets stuffed into a coffee can and set on a shelf in a garage or utility area, where they're exposed to heat and humidity.
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Q. Is there anything I can do to make cut roses last longer?
A. Before you place roses in a clean vase with room-temperature water, make a new slantwise cut across the cut end of the stem to remove any bacteria or air bubbles that might block the take-up of water. Remove any leaves below the level of the water in the vase, and change the water daily. Set the vase in a cool spot, away from radiators, heat ducts and heat-producing appliances during the day; at night, place it in the refrigerator. Together these simple steps will extend the vase life of the roses.
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Q. I was leafing through a seed catalog today and saw "broom corn". Is this the source for the broom straws? How does it grow?
A. Broom corn does indeed provide the bristles for brooms. It's not really a type of corn but rather a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). If you can grow sweet corn, you will probably be able to grow broom corn -- their culture is similar. Plant it in the same sort of sunny, fertile site that you would use for sweet corn. Plant after the soil has warmed in the spring, placing seed about 3/4 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 31/2 feet apart. Plants can grow to a height of 15 feet, so be sure to locate them where they won't shade the rest of the garden. Brooms are made from the stems that hold the male flowers. These brushes, as they are called, are cut from the stalks and cured before being made into brooms.
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Q. What's the secret to growing ferns indoors? Mine always turn brown and dry up.
A. Ferns generally require higher humidity levels than most indoor environments provide. Anything you can do to raise the humidity around your ferns will help them. Placing plants on a tray of gravel and keeping the gravel wet is one tactic. Grouping humidity-loving plants in an area that's naturally more moist, such as a bathroom, is another. Using a room humidifier is another option. Misting plants raises humidity but only temporarily.
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Q. I noticed quite a few maple trees turned color early this past fall. What causes that?
A. Premature fall color indicates that the tree is under stress of some sort -- too much or too little water, infertile or compacted soil, disease and root damage are common stressors. Often one stress, such as drought, will make a tree more susceptible to disease or insect attack. The result may be a gradual decline that eventually results in the death of limbs or the whole tree, or the tree may show no signs of a problem next growing season.
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Q. I'm thinking of planting strawberries this spring. I've read that you don't want to plant strawberries after tomatoes, peppers and several other things that I've been growing in my vegetable garden, so I'm wondering about converting some lawn to a strawberry patch.
A. Turfgrass can become a troublesome weed in a strawberry planting, so it needs to be eliminated, along with any other perennial weeds and as many annuals as you can weed out. Killing off the grass the year before you plant is usually recommended. Then you can till repeatedly to eliminate annual weeds. Strawberries should be planted early in the spring, so you can get into a time crunch trying to prepare the spot and plant in the same year.
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Q. I've been seeing quite a few oval beetle-type insects in my old farmhouse recently. They're about 1/4 inch long with a hard back banded crosswise in black and brown. We find an occasional one in dog food, though the number seems to have increased in the weeks since a mouse found a place to die where we could smell it but not find it to dispose of it. Is there a connection?
A. It sounds like a larder beetle, a member of the family of dermestid beetles. These are the beetles that get into taxidermy mounts, bird's nests, pet food, carrion and other sources of animal protein. Adult beetles lay their eggs on food sources; larvae feed for about two months before they pupate, emerging soon as adults, which can live for up to a year. Adults must feed on protein-rich food to be able to mate and lay eggs. A dead mouse inside a wall or kibble that's rolled under a washer or dryer is a ready-made feast for the larder beetle. Removing the food source, if possible, is the first step in control. A thorough vacuuming of nearby cracks and crevices to extract larvae that have hidden there, and use of a flyswatter or hand-held vacuum to dispatch adults when you encounter them may be all that's necessary to control them. A household pesticide labeled for control of carpet beetles and their relatives may be used if needed. For safe and effective use, be sure to follow all label directions.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or N. Lownds
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 432-5657
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS HONORS
NINE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The nine ornamental plant All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2002 consist of seven flower varieties, one ornamental pepper and a sweet basil that's both ornamental and edible.
These varieties earned the award by performing well at AAS trial grounds across North America, including one at Michigan State University.
Four vegetable varieties -- a cucumber, a winter squash and two pumpkins -- also received AAS awards.
The award-winning ornamental plants for 2002 are:
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or T. Ellis
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 355-8478
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
CHRISTMAS TREE
MAY BE 'BUGGED'
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Your Christmas tree may be bugged -- not with electronic snooping devices but with living things -- insects and spiders, primarily.
And why not? After all, Christmas trees are grown outdoors. And like other outdoor plants, they have their share of arthropod residents. "Bring the tree indoors and warm it up and you warm up the bugs, too," says Tom Ellis, Extension entomologist at Michigan State University. "They become active as if it were spring."
Fortunately, the insects that come into houses on Christmas trees aren't likely to cause any problems there -- they are unlikely to get into houseplants, and they pose no threat to humans, pets, stored food, furnishings or the home itself. Those that are pests of the tree species that you have brought into your home will remain on the tree and leave with it when you take it outside after the holidays.
Others may leave the tree, but except for the occasional spider that finds a new home in a dark corner, they won't survive long indoors. Application of a vacuum cleaner or flyswatter is the only control needed.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or T. Ellis
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 355-8478
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
CRAFT MATERIALS
MAY BECOME INFESTED
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Gathering nuts, seed pods, pine cones, dried flowers, cornstalks and other materials for craft projects can be fun. But both the raw materials and the finished projects may become home to a horde of unwelcome houseguests.
"Some materials may be infested by insects, spiders and other creatures when you bring them home," says Tom Ellis, Extension entomologist at Michigan State University. "Other materials may provide food for pantry pests such as saw-toothed grain beetles, rice and granary weevils, Indian meal moths and other pests of stored foods."
One way to make sure that materials are not buggy is to bake them, he suggests. Spread in a thin layer in a shallow pan, turn the oven on at its lowest setting (usually marked "warm") and bake the items for an hour or so. This should kill any hidden pests that might otherwise crawl out later.
"One caution," Ellis notes. "If your range is getting old and you are not sure if the temperature settings are accurate, you should use an oven thermometer. For 'baking' insects, you want the temperature to be about 150 degrees F -- hot enough to kill the critters but not hot enough to burn the host materials."
Spiders, ants, weevils and moth larvae may come into the home on nuts, seeds, grains, cones, driftwood and other materials, Ellis observes. Meal moths, grain and flour beetles and other pests already living in your cupboards may find a ready source of food in craft materials and projects.
After heat treating to kill hidden pests, store craft materials in glass, plastic or metal containers with tight-fitting lids, Ellis advises. Check stored items occasionally and immediately remove from the house any showing signs of life.
Keeping cupboards clean, storing grain products such as cornmeal and pancake mix in glass, metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids rather than cardboard boxes, and discarding any infested foods as soon as you find them will help prevent pantry pest problems.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson, H. Doss, M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555, 353-3737,
East Lansing, MI
48824-1039
353-3774
11/15/01
DECORATE SAFELY
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In many homes, decorating with cut evergreen boughs, candles and lights is as much a holiday tradition as putting up a Christmas tree.
In the warm, dry air inside most homes, cut greens dry out quickly, observes Howard Doss, Extension safety leader at Michigan State University. The combination of lighted candles or worn or damaged light strings and tinder-dry evergreens can pose a fire hazard.
Doss advises people to use only freshly cut greens and to keep the cut ends in water whenever possible.
"If you're making an arrangement with candles and evergreen boughs, don't light the candles," he suggests.
Check strands of lights for frayed wires, broken sockets, bad plugs or other damage that could pose a fire or shock hazard, he adds.
If you're using lights outdoors, be sure to use those that are labeled for outdoor use, he advises. Indoor lighting equipment isn't made to withstand outdoor conditions, he explains.
Plug outdoor lighting into an outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to detect faulty wires that are leaking deadly current and protect you against electric shock.
The GFCI doesn't need a ground prong to work, he notes -- they work fine with the old two-prong cords.
Replace old, cracked, damaged outdoor light sets, Doss advises, and destroy the old ones rather than attempt to repair them.
To reduce the fire hazard of using greens indoors, select those that stay fresh longer and hold their needles better than others. Mary McLellan, Master Gardener coordinator at MSU, says fresh pine is probably the best of the narrow-leaved (needled) evergreens. Pitch from cut stems can damage wood finishes and fabrics, however. And December is not the best time of the year to prune pines, so if you're harvesting boughs from your landscape plants, you'll want to choose branches carefully to avoid damaging the trees' shape and ornamental value.
Hemlock and spruce drop their needles relatively quickly indoors, so they're better for swags, wreaths, roping and other outdoor decorating. Other evergreens -- fir, yew, cedar and juniper -- also dry out fairly quickly unless their cut stems are kept in water.
"If you can't keep evergreens in water, it's best to figure on replacing them every few days," McLellan suggests.
Broadleafed evergreens such as American holly and rhododendron and branches from berry-bearing shrubs are better used outdoors -- indoors, foliage and berries tend to drop quickly.
To keep indoor greens fresh longer, place them in cool locations out of direct sun and away from heat sources such as radiators, registers, woodstoves and heat-generating appliances such as televisions. Woodstoves and fireplaces, candles and strings of lights can provide sparks that will ignite dry evergreens, Doss points out, so the safest course is to keep the greens apart from them and to replace them whenever they dry out.
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ANR Communications
Contact: Leslie Johnson
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555
East Lansing, MI 49924-1039
11/15/01
FOUR VEGETABLE VARIETIES
WIN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A slicing cucumber, two new pumpkin varieties and a winter squash have received All-America Selections (AAS) awards for 2002.
These varieties earned the honor in side-by-side comparisons with previous winners and other outstanding varieties in trial gardens across North America.
The 2002 winners are:
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
HOBBY GREENHOUSE MAY PROVIDE
SPACE FOR YEAR-ROUND GARDENING
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- They may get tired of weeding the perennials border or picking Colorado potato beetles and tomato hornworms along with the summer squash and beans, but hard-core gardeners hate to see the outdoor gardening season end. By the week after Thanksgiving, they're eagerly watching the mailbox for the first seed catalogs to arrive.
By New Year's Day, they've repotted their houseplants and drafted their plant and seed order and started grumbling about never-ending winter.
Sooner or later, an ad for a hobby greenhouse in a gardening magazine catches their attention, and visions of year-round gardening under glass begin to entice them.
A guide to building a hobby greenhouse is as close as your Michigan State University Extension county office, says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at MSU. It's bulletin E-1784, "Solar Greenhouses for the Home." It explains the differences between a solar greenhouse and a conventional greenhouse and an active and a passive solar system. It discusses all the decisions that have to be made before the handy gardener starts gathering tools and two-by-fours: intended use, design, materials; whether you start with purchased plans or a kit; whether you'll heat it for year-round use; benches and other equipment; and control of environmental conditions such as ventilation, light and humidity.
"You need to think all this through before you jump into a building project," McLellan points out, "because changing one decision can influence many others."
For instance, if you want to have plants growing in your greenhouse year round, you'll probably have to heat it during the coldest months. This will put a stronger emphasis on energy conservation and possibly lead to changes in design. Instead of a free-standing house with the floor at ground level, you might decide that an attached pit greenhouse makes more sense.
If, on the other hand, you want a greenhouse to extend the outdoor gardening season in spring and fall, start flower and vegetable plants and maybe collect a little solar heat for the house on sunny winter days, you won't need to add heat. In fact, ventilation to let heat out in the summer may be more of a priority.
Most decisions will affect the cost of building and operating the structure, also, she notes.
Maybe what you really need is not a greenhouse but a hotbed or coldframe, or a plant germination station and growth unit with fluorescent lights. "Solar Greenhouses for the Home" covers these, too, and even provides plans to build them, as well as several styles of greenhouses, both attached and free-standing.
Even if you intend all along to use a kit or have a greenhouse built on site by a local firm, you can use the bulletin first to think through how your intended use affects how you choose from the options available.
Bulletin E-1784 is available from county MSU Extension offices or the MSU Bulletin Office, 10-B Agriculture Hall, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039. The cost is $2.50. Call 517-355-0240 for ordering information.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
INCLUDE 'EVERLASTINGS'
IN GARDEN PLAN
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The materials for dried wreaths and other projects will be as close as your garden if you include "everlastings" in your plantings this year.
These are garden flowers that are so easy to dry and long-lasting that some plant and seed catalogs even list them under "everlastings", observes Mary McLellan, Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University.
Though many garden flowers can be dried successfully, those usually recommended for drying include strawflower (Helichrysum bracteatum), sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), statice (Limonium sinuatum), money plant (Lunaria annua), celosia (Celosia), globe amaranth (Gomphrena) and baby's breath (Gypsophila elegans). These are all annuals, grown from seed or planted as transplants in the spring. Perennials for drying include yarrow (Achillea), false spirea (Astilbe X arendsii), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), sea holly (Eryngium planum), baby's-breath (Gypsophila paniculata), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi), perennial statice (Limonium spp.) and a number of ornamental grasses.
Most of the plants recommended for drying require full sun; a few, such as money plant and astilbe, do well in partial shade, so it's easy to incorporate them into your garden plan. Some, such as artemisia and lavender, are at home in the herb garden.
Annuals are usually sown in the garden in the spring or planted as bedding plants. Perennials may be grown from seed, in which case they may not bloom until the second year. Transplants can be planted in spring or fall. Spring-planted ones are more likely to bloom the first year. Annuals bloom only in the planting year unless they seed themselves and volunteer the next year.
To dry most everlastings, simply harvest them as they reach full bloom and hang them upside-down in loose bunches in a warm, well ventilated, shady spot, McLellan suggests. Avoid exposure to full sun after harvest -- this will fade their colors, she explains. Ornamental grasses and plants grown for their colorful seedpods can be allowed to dry in the garden.
Dried flowers and grasses can be used in arrangements in vases or combined with cones, nuts, weed seedpods, gourds, Indian corn and a host of other materials in dried wreaths, centerpieces, swags and other decorative arrangements.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or E. Jenkins
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-4494
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
WORKS IN THE HOME, TOO
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Integrated pest management is an approach to pest management that uses a variety of control methods to keep pests at tolerable levels. Commercial growers of many types of crops are using this approach to protect their crops while reducing use of chemical pesticides.
"Homeowners, too, can use an IPM approach to deal with pests in and around the home," says Erica Jenkins, academic specialist with the Extension Pesticide Education Program at Michigan State University.
IPM is an information-driven process, Jenkins explains. It begins when you notice a pest or signs of pests. The first step is to find out what pests you have, how many are present and whether they are doing any damage. If you can't identify the pest yourself, you can contact your county MSU Extension office for assistance and information on the habits and biology of the pest. This will help you determine whether it's a seasonal invader -- such as ladybugs or boxelder beetles coming inside in the fall -- or a year-round resident -- such as cockroaches or house mice.
"A pest that comes into the home looking for winter shelter and doesn't get into human food or pet food, doesn't bother people or pets, and doesn't damage goods or materials in the home may be a nuisance but certainly is no cause for alarm," Jenkins says. "Chances are you can deal with it with a flyswatter or a hand-held vacuum."
An infestation of house mice, rats or cockroaches, on the other hand, can cause health problems and should not be tolerated. These pests may require a concerted effort to eliminate. Such an effort will involve a total approach: caulking, repairing screens and closing up external openings that pests could use to enter; cleaning to eliminate food sources; removing clutter that provides hiding places; repairing plumbing leaks that provide water and cause structural damage that can allow pests such as carpenter ants to become established; and using traps, pesticides and other controls to eliminate the existing population.
"Eliminating food, water and hiding places will make control methods more effective," Jenkins observes. "Poison baits for mice, cockroaches and ants, for instance, are more likely to be effective if the pests have no other alternative food sources. Likewise, traps are more likely to work if clutter has been removed so that hiding places and travel runs are limited."
If pesticides are needed, be sure to use only products labeled for use indoors, and follow the directions on the label. Store and use pesticides where children and pets can not get into them.
"A key thing to remember is that pesticides are designed to kill living things," Jenkins says, "and careless or improper use can unnecessarily expose your family to these toxic chemicals."
A key step in IPM is evaluation -- checking to see how controls are working and then changing methods, if necessary.
Once an infestation appears to be under control, continued monitoring enables the homeowner to take quick action at the first signs of a new problem.
"One final step is education," Jenkins notes. "All family members can come to understand that a bug in the house is not a crisis and maybe not even a problem, that reaching for the bug spray may not be an appropriate response, and that they each can do their part in taking food, water and hiding places away from pests."
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
INTELLIGENT NEGLECT IS BEST BET
FOR WINTER CACTI CARE
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Cacti have a reputation as easy-care houseplants, but getting them through the winter can be tricky.
"Winter care for cacti is more a matter of intelligent neglect than tender loving care," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "Too much care in the form of fertilizer and water usually translates into dead plants."
Cacti native to North America are essentially dormant in winter, she explains. Therefore, they need no fertilizer and very little water, and they thrive on cool temperatures.
A light watering every few weeks to dampen the roots slightly and keep the plants from shriveling may be all that's necessary.
"If you water all your houseplants once a week, whether they need it or not, you're likely to be overwatering cacti," she points out. "Rot that begins in the roots may kill plants before spring."
How you water can also be a consideration, she notes. Watering from the top may be OK unless the plant is potted in peat. If the peat is allowed to dry, water poured onto the top will simply run down between the medium and the sides of the pot. The medium beneath the plant and around the roots will remain bone-dry.
Watering from the top is also not recommended with barrel cacti and others that fill their pots from side to side. In this case, it may be hard to moisten the soil without wetting the body of the cacti, which can dispose it to rot.
Bottom watering involves immersing the pot or filling its saucer so water is gradually wicked up through the container's drainage hole. McLellan points out that emptying excess water from the saucer is important to prevent the soil from remaining saturated for a long time.
Even when they're actively growing, cacti generally need less fertilizer than other houseplants. During the winter dormant period, they need none at all. When they're growing, a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus is best.
Cacti may thrive for years growing at room temperature year round, but cooler temperatures are recommended for dormant plants. An unheated bedroom or enclosed porch with temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees F is ideal. Growing plants on a windowsill is another option -- temperatures near a window are often significantly cooler than those elsewhere in a room. Be sure to keep plant tissues from touching the cold glass, however, McLellan notes -- cacti want to be cool in winter but not frozen.
The same conditions that keep cacti healthy over the winter may also promote the formation of flower buds, she adds, so plants may reward your efforts to neglect them by flowering in the spring.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
NATIVE CROPS FORM BACKBONE
OF GARDEN
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Imagine your vegetable garden without corn, squash and beans. These native American crops soon became staples to early European settlers of North America, who were taught how to grow them by the indigenous people.
Potatoes and tomatoes also originated in the New World. Though tomatoes were first grown in Europe as ornamentals rather than a food crop, potatoes taken to the Old World from the New quickly became so important that a disease outbreak in the potato crop caused widespread famine in Ireland in the 1800s.
"Today's vegetable gardener probably takes advantage of the variety of crops and cultivars in his or her favorite seed catalogs unaware of how many of those crops originated with the first gardeners here," observes Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University.
What the catalogs refer to as Indian corn is actually a mixture of types of corn developed by native people for different uses, she points out. That process has been continued by today's plant breeders to develop the dozens of varieties of sweet corn that gardeners can choose from now.
Jerusalem artichokes are another native crop, a perennial grown for its crunchy tubers. It's a member of the sunflower family, which also gives us annual sunflowers with their tasty seeds.
In the squash family, today's Connecticut field pumpkin is considered an heirloom variety. It's a direct descendant of the pumpkin that Native Americans were growing when the first European colonists arrived on these shores. Other varieties available today that would be appropriate for a garden featuring historic crops include Boston marrow, green hubbard, summer crookneck and white bush scallop squash, black Mexican corn, small-fruited gourds, Russian mammoth sunflowers, and Kentucky wonder or scarlet runner pole beans.
"The original bean pole was the cornstalk," McLellan notes. "Corn was planted in hills surrounded by hills with bean seeds and, farther out, hills planted to squash, gourds and pumpkins. An outer circle of sunflowers completed the planting. The beans were trained to climb up the cornstalks and the vining crops filled in the circle."
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
PROTECT GIFT PLANTS
AGAINST COLD WEATHER
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Whether you grow it yourself or buy it, a living plant is often the perfect solution to the holiday gift dilemma. To get the plant to the recipient in good shape, you may need to take special measures to protect it against cold temperatures.
"Try to move plants on a calm, sunny, relatively warm day, if nature provides one," suggests Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "Even then, wrap it in several layers of paper with some dead air space between the layers before you take it outdoors. Make the final layer a heavy paper grocery sack or cardboard box. Then rush the plant to your heated car and take it directly to the recipient."
If you have other stops to make, organize your trip so that you drop the plant off first. Most houseplants and florist's plants originated in warm climates and won't tolerate much exposure to cold wind or temperatures below 50 degrees, McLellan notes.
Limiting exposure to winter weather during transport is an important first step in ensuring that a gift plant will do well in its new home. Another is to help the recipient select an appropriate place for the plant, one that provides the proper combination of light, temperature and humidity.
Flowering plants generally need bright light, McLellan notes, cool temperatures (especially at night), and protection against warm and cold drafts. Foliage plants vary in their light, humidity and temperature requirements, but all plants need to be located where their leaves won't touch cold window glass and their roots won't be chilled. A table near a window is usually a better choice than the chilly windowsill itself, McLellan advises.
Florist's plants generally come with a tag with care instructions. Consider making up similar tips for homegrown plants, McLellan suggests, so the recipient can give them proper care and enjoy them for months or years to come.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
SEED CATALOGS: MORE THAN
JUST PRETTY PICTURES
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- They usually start arriving shortly after Thanksgiving, along with winter weather. If they turn up in your mailbox, you can temporarily forget about the short, gray days and long, dark nights, the frozen ground and the blustery wind swirling snow past your window as you turn the pages and immerse yourself in thoughts about next year's garden.
Ah, seed catalogs!
"The objective of seed and plant catalogs is to sell seeds and plants, of course," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "The gorgeous photographs of absolutely perfect fruits, vegetables and flowers, the little testimonials of satisfied customers, the snapshots of cute kids and huge sunflowers or giant pumpkins -- all are designed to imply that you, too, can be a successful gardener if you buy our seeds, plants, equipment, etc., etc."
Beyond all that, however, is a wealth of useful information on selecting and growing annuals, perennials, vegetables, small fruit, tree fruit, roses, shrubs and trees. Days to maturity on vegetables, for instance, tells you whether a particular crop or variety will have time to produce a crop in your area. Information on disease resistance can be the deciding factor between two equally appealing varieties. Knowing the mature height and spread on an ornamental tree or shrub will enable you to decide whether a particular plant will fit or outgrow the spot you're thinking of planting it in. If you're trying to put together a perennials garden, seed catalogs that categorize plants as shade or sun lovers can help you get the right plant for the light conditions in your garden spot. With catalog information on blooming times, flower colors and plant sizes, you can plan for a succession of bloom and create a pleasing mixture of plants of various heights, shapes and textures.
Other advantages of ordering from seed catalogs include variety -- seed catalogs offer many more varieties than you're likely to find on a seed rack -- and access to specialized lines of plants and equipment.
"Let's say you're interested in Oriental vegetables, dahlias, water gardening, wildflowers or organic pest control," McLellan says. "Specialized catalogs will probably be your best and perhaps only source of plants, seeds or equipment."
The convenience of catalog buying is another plus. Ordering early from the comfort of your favorite armchair means you have what you want when you need it without a lot of last-minute scurrying around and possibly having to settle for what you can find.
The hard part may be choosing. The variety that is a plus of catalogs can also be overwhelming if you're new to gardening and don't have a list of favorites. Your county MSU Extension office has lists of recommended vegetable varieties and an assortment of bulletins on landscape ornamentals, small fruit and other topics to help you choose, McLellan notes, as well as lists of seed companies if you're not already on catalog mailing lists.
"Don't be surprised if buying from one company one year gets you catalogs from a host of others next year," she observes. "Take advantage of this as an opportunity to compare costs, including how much is tacked on for shipping and handling. The highest price doesn't always mean the highest quality, and the cheapest may not be a bargain if plants arrive in poor shape. If you can, check with gardening friends and relatives to find out what their experience with various companies has been, and stick with those that consistently provide top quality plants and seeds and good customer service."
Many seed companies have their catalogs, or at least a way to order them, on their Web sites, McLellan notes. So, if the catalogs aren't rolling in fast enough or you prefer to do your browsing by computer, that's an option, too.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
11/15/01
SEND A HOLIDAY MESSAGE
WITH FLOWERING PLANTS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Sometimes a red rose sends exactly the Valentine's Day message you intend.
Its beauty is fleeting, however -- in a few days, it's gone.
For flowers whose beauty doesn't fade so fast, send your loving message in the form of a flowering potted plant instead, suggests Mary McLellan, Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University.
"African violets, azaleas, cyclamen and many other flowering plants may give weeks, months or even years of enjoyment," she points out. "If you're determined to send a rose, how about a miniature rose plant in a pot?"
Some are hardy and can be planted in a sunny spot outdoors in late spring. In the meantime, they will brighten a sunny windowsill or artificial light garden with dainty roses. They don't have to go outdoors, McLellan notes -- they can also be grown indoors year round, though they'll not bloom continuously -- plants will go through a winter dormant period.
African violets offer a wide range of leaf shapes, flower types and flower colors -- white through pinks, lavenders and purples to blue. Plants may be the standard larger sort or miniature rosettes only a few inches across. Given bright indirect light and typical home temperatures, they will bloom continuously indoors.
Azalea flowers in white, pink, coral, salmon and red, and bicolors, contrast with dark, glossy green foliage for an exotic look. In a cool, brightly lighted spot, a flowering azalea purchased just as the first buds are opening may continue to flower for two months or more. Look for one with healthy-looking leaves and lots of unopened flower buds, McLellan suggests.
Cyclamen, once strictly a Christmas plant, is now available year round. Flowers in white, pink, red and lavender are borne above the mottled, heart-shaped leaves, where they resemble a flock of exotic birds or colorful butterflies. Choose one for your Valentine that has lots of flower buds beneath the leaves, and place it in a spot with bright light and cool temperatures. Water thoroughly whenever the soil surface begins to feel dry to prevent wilting, which will result in small flower buds dying and leaves yellowing and collapsing.
Another former Christmas plant is the kalanchoe, a succulent with little flowers in yellow, orange, red and pink. The plant is interesting even without the flowers and will thrive in a pot with good drainage placed in a brightly lighted location.
Calceolaria, or pocketbook plant, bears pouchlike, velvety flowers in shades of red, maroon, rust, bronze and yellow. Like cineraria, with its daisylike flowers in pink, red, blue and violet, calceolaria does best in a cool spot with bright, indirect light. A clear northern exposure is good, McLellan notes. Water when the soil surface begins to feel dry and be careful to avoid splashing water on the leaves or flowers.
"This is good advice for most of these plants," McLellan adds. "African violets are also prone to leaf spotting from splashing water. Watering from below by setting pots with drainage holes in water until the soil surface is moistened is probably a good idea."
Florist's mums are available in a range of colors and flower types from daisylike blooms to the giant football mums. If kept in a cool spot and watered whenever the soil begins to feel dry so that they don't wilt, mums should flower up to a month.
Florist's mums are not hardy outdoors. You can move them outdoors for the summer, but they generally are unlikely to survive the winter in the landscape.
This is not true of potted lilies, she notes. Even Easter lilies can be planted outdoors, where they are likely to survive and rebloom, though not at Easter time.
Flowering potted plants last longer than cut flowers but not forever. Cineraria, calceolaria and mums are usually discarded after the flowers fade. Cyclamen and kalanchoe can be grown on as foliage plants; the chances of reblooming them in the home are slim. Azaleas put outdoors for the summer and retrieved in the fall may bloom again indoors. Azaleas require acid soil and so need special fertilizer to acidify the growing medium as well as nourish the plant.
"Light and temperature are usually the limiting factors when you're trying to reflower plants," McLellan observes. "Providing enough light or sufficiently cool temperatures may be difficult in the home. The great exception is African violets. Under average home conditions, they will bloom continuously in exchange for minimal care as long as they get enough light."
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