Summer Gardening 2016 Post #4 Fertilizing

I have tomato plants full of tomatoes but they are not ripening like I think they should. After looking at my garden calendar I realized they have not had fertilizer in 3 weeks, its time to feed.

When I choose fertilizer I always buy organic, the next choice is price. If the liquid is on sale that's the one otherwise I like the granular or dry variety. It can be less messy and easily resealed with a clip or painters tape.


Dry fertilizers work as well as liquids, but it takes longer to become available to the plant.  This is easy to fix. Soaking the fertilizer in a bucket for water for several hours will make it a solution, this makes it more readily available to the plant. If you plants are in containers make the soil is moist otherwise it will run out the bottom. Water, let sit and then water with the enriched water.



Storing the unused dry fertilizer is so easy, a clothes pin or masking tape works perfectly. I have also learned that if you keep them for to many freezing temperatures they will work well next spring.

Good luck and let me know things are in your garden. Join me on facebook at GardenCoach Northern Nevada, I would love to see pictures.

Marnie

Summer Heat in Northern Nevada 2016

Here we go again, Northern Nevada weather has been hot and dry and it’s been a challenge to keep plants cool and hydrated.  We are looking at more temps close to 100 degrees. Here are some things to help keep them as comfortable as possible. 

First, make sure your irrigation system is working properly, this means walking the garden while the system is on. Plants will show you if they need more water. Leaves on trees and shrubs will curl up or down, you will also see brown edges on the leaves.  The top of perennials will droop letting you know they need more water. 

Hand watering in between scheduled watering is necessary in this weather. They don’t need a lot, just enough to keep them from wilting.

Adding nutrients like worm casting, organic fertilizer or Super Thrive are safe ways to feed them needed nutrients without putting on more stress.

Make them Shade!!

When the temperatures get too hot you may need to provide shade to some of your plants. Here is my basil plant happy with new shade I made last week. All I needed was a couple of pillow cases, boarder fencing material and clothes pins.
I anchored the fencing material and cut the pillows cases sliding them over the fencing material using the clothes pins to hold the cases in place.  Instant shade and it was just in time. Once the heat wave was gone I removed them saving it for the next weather issue. Easy and saved my basil.
Let me know if you have any questions or ideas to help.
Marnie

 

Summer 2016 Post #4 Plant care in the Heat

Our summer started out very hot, not so unusual here in the high desert. The cool down helped our plants start blooming and tomatoes have set.  One can't ask for more than that here in the high desert of Northern Nevada.
We have already suffered through several 100 degree temps along with warm nights, and it looks like more is coming. The best you can do is make sure to keep up with your regular watering, clean up any distressed parts including deadheading your perennials and shrubs whose blooms are done.

1. Irrigation Check
Make sure to check that your system is running well, seeing that all the emitters are putting out water.
If plants looked stressed, hand watering may be needed on the days your system is off.
Trees and shrubs will benefits from soaker hose watering once or twice a month.
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2. Caring for Blooming Plants
Deadheading perennials and annuals will help with more blooms, while taking off stress, because they will not be able to make seeds. Seed production takes a lot of energy, so save that energy for more blooms. Below are photos of my Veronica before and after. This perennial is happy to re-bloom all summer.
Feed them! Plants that don't bloom regularly either need to be fed or more sun. Choose a fertilizer that has a 1 to 2 to 1 ratio; such as 5-10-5 or 10--20-10. The middle number is the amount of phosphorus, this it the nutrient for blooming.

Spring Gardening 2016 Post #3 Planting Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most popular edibles gardeners plant, so I do. I love cooking with them and who doesn't love a tomato sandwich with good old mayo.....delicious.

Like all other plants they have their challenges, here are some facts that will hopefully help. 

First, they don't really like full sun, especially here in the high desert heat of Northern Nevada. It is not only hot but windy, and that adds to the need for afternoon shade.

Second, watering can be a big issue. Ever have splits in your tomatoes, that is from watering. Like a few other plants tomatoes will take all the water they get and take it to the end splitting any fruit at the end. As the weather warms up watering every 12 hours will help with splitting issues.

Third, feed them regularly with plenty or organic materials. The photos here show my soils as I add amendments, I used worm casting and Amend from Kellogg's Garden Soils. I watered it well and let it warm up before planting.

Here are my plants in the ground, but well protected. The weather is not so comfortable so my 5 gallon water jugs with the bottoms cut off work perfectly to keep the safe from cold and winds.

Spring Gardening 2016 Post #2 Irrigation

Now that spring is slowly but surely springing our way checking and setting up  irrigation is very important here in the high desert of Northern Nevada. Checking each emitter and installing new ones to the plants that have grown large enough to need more water should be on the top of your gardening to do list.



First, make sure all emitters are working, set up each zone and walk plant to plant getting a visual of how much water is coming out. Next add new emitters to plants that have grown large and will need more water. Make sure emitters are spaced all around the root ball as best  possible. Remember, the root ball is round and needs water to the entire system.
Once a month walk your landscape while it is watering to make sure all is working well.

Second hand watering issues. I know many gardeners will be hand watering. Using a soaker hose for larger plants and trees will not only save the plant, but your time. Get a time and once or twice a month soak the area well. The water will get deeper in the soil allowing your roots to move down.


Third, be prepared to make changes to your irrigation as the weather heats up. You may find your plants showing signs of drought stress, these would be leaves curling up or down and dried crispy edges to the leave especially at the top of a plant. Adding more time to each watering should take care of it, or you can hand water on the days your system is off. Once September hits and the days get shorter and cooler the day you can reduce your watering.

Hope these tips keep your garden healthy and productive.

Marnie Brennan. GardenCoach in Reno Nevada

Spring Gardening 2016 Post #1 Soil Prep

Getting to know your NEW Landscape

Gardening Tip #1:

Know your soil! Before moving into our new home I knew of the issues with the soils in this area, but it didn’t stop me from moving forward. I have never gardened in clay soils, with medium to poor drainage and a higher amount of baron, but I felt pretty comfortable that adding copious amounts of organic amendments and mixing them well with the native would be the best thing to do. 

The first photo shows the dark rich Amend by Kellogg's Garden Soils. I dug the hole and mixed the back fill in the wheel barrel, it worked prefect. 

The drainage test I did was okay, not great but okay. Now I know that it took 4 hours to move 8 inches of water, so I have a plan as to how to set my irrigation. 
I used this bag of Amend by Kellogg's Garden Products, this was developed for just these soils. The nutrients are perfect for the high desert soils, and they add rice hulls to help with drainage. I am planning on using the same product for mulching in the fall.
You can find this product at Lowe's and Home Depot for about $6.00 a bag.


Marnie Brennan, GardenCoach in Reno Nevada


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Dear Readers!

Dear Readers,
I have been very busy with work, and we have bought a new home in the Reno Nevada area. We have choose to stay here in the high desert region of Reno Nevada and we are ready to make this yard our own.

The past 18 months we have rented a home that has been a challenge and fun to clean up. Our property management company is thrilled with my gardening but it is time for our own place.

So you can expect more blogs with photos on the changing I will be making. First, and most importantly is a soil test. Then pruning, watering and nutrients....its just that easy.

Here is a photo of the new home, I hope you join me on my remodeling journey of my front and back yard landscapes.


Marnie Brennan, GardenCoach Reno Nevada

Early Spring Weed Control

This is a great time to get a jump start with weed control. A weed is simply a plant you don’t want, flowers growing in your lawn or grass growing in your rose area are unwanted plants. Knowing what you want to target is extremely important. There are broadleaf weeds and grass weeds, and there are different products to target them. Herbicides have been formulated to kill one without affecting the other.




Mechanical:  Hand pulling mature weed is the safest, but seems like the most un-popular weed control method. Other mechanical methods are hula hoes, shovels and hoes these do a great job on the smaller weeds that are not producing seed pods. If there are seeds or flowers make sure to get rid of them, leaving them in the area will only create more seeds later. If you have a large property and want to use a tractor and drag as early in the season as possible when the plants are small.

Chemical: Herbicides include selective, non selective and pre emergent’s. All chemicals herbicides should be used carefully, if so they will work well. Most gardeners are familiar with contact spray weed control. Companies that make these products do an amazing amount of research and development and have put all the information on the package. Temperature and the age of the plant can make a difference in the effeteness of the product.
Crabgrass is tough to kill mostly because many wait too long before applying the herbicide. Spraying early in spring when the plant is young will give you the results you are looking for, too late and it just a waste of money and un-necessary use of chemicals.

Pre-emergent Weed Control

Another important consideration is the seeds lying dormant from years prior. These seeds are not only in garden beds but also in the lawn area. Seeds are dispersed in many ways wind, soil amendments, garden equipment and animals and they can remain dormant for many years under inches of soil. Seeds can work their way up getting close enough to get the required light and moisture giving them all they need to germinate.
Pre-emergent herbicides are designed to be applied before the targeted weed has a chance to germinate. Timing and water are very important to the success rate of pre-emergent products. Water is needed to break down the granular pieces allowing them to make a barrier inhibiting seeds to germinate. They will not affect established plants. Applying pre-emergent now will help with the early spring crops of weeds, then a second application in 60 10 80 days will control the summer emerging varieties.
February can bring snow and rain, I have had great success in applying these products right on the snow, as it melts it moves product right under the top inch of the soil.
These products work best in areas that low traffic, if you break the barrier seeds can and will germinate. Drive ways and walk ways will need both pre-emergent and spot weed treatments.

Most importantly good weed control starts with getting rid of the unwanted plants before they go to seed, no matter the method you choose do it before the plant spreads those seeds all over your landscape. If you pull out plants with seed heads, toss them, don’t count on a compost pile to kill those seeds.

Once you start good weed control habits you will be surprised and pleased that each new season will bring less and less weed population.

Seed Starting for Spring Planting 2016

Seed Starting

There are several reasons gardeners like to use seed starting as a part of their gardening routine, it will lengthen your growing season, gives you a greater choice of plant varieties, saves money and its fun.
It has become much easier to find just about any seed you want; if they are not here at Lowe’s there are companies on line that can fill your seed needs.

Starting Seeds for the Best Result

Seeds need air, water and light. It’s that simple. The seed packets will supply you with essential information, seed depth, spacing and germination timing. Here are a few more important items for healthy seedlings.

* If you are using recycled containers make sure to clean them with a 1 to 10 mixture of water and bleach
* Growing medium; use seed starting soils, or peat pellets; garden soils and native soils are way too heavy for good germination,   and they are free of disease and other issues inhibiting success
* Water with a mister until the first sprout appears, then water gently
* Using a seed starting tray is a great way to keep the moisture level correct, it’s much easier
* Use a heat mat until the seeds emerge and start to grow, and then remove it

Planting seedlings in the garden
* Once the seedlings put on multi leaves the first leaves will drop off, this is normal
* Before planting you need to harden-off your plants – this is a gradual acclimatization over a period of 7 to 10 days
* Set plants outside in partial shady spot for 2 to 3 hours a day, make sure to bring in at nigh
* Be careful not to disturb the roots, they are growing fast making them very tender
* Once planted protect them from wind until they get larger – stake, cover or screen until they begin to put on size   

Sowing Seeds directly into the ground

Because we live in what is classified as a short growing season sowing seeds directly into the ground has challenges, the exceptions are cool season varieties. Most cool season varieties can germinate when the soil is as cool as low as 40°; or 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost, check the package for the specific directions. The second issue is watering; the soil needs to stay moist, which means daily monitoring.
Work organic matter into the soil a week or so before you plant. This will allow the organic material to start to break down, enriching the soil for a healthy crop.
When the day has come to plant your seeds, work the soil again. For root crops such as carrots make sure the soil is loose 8 to 12 inches deep and make sure it drains well; this will ensure you don’t end up with stubby carrots