Bruce Company Blog

Perennial Bed Spring Clean Up

The warm weather has prompted me to start inspecting my plants to see if anything is emerging besides my little Snowdrops that true to name lifted their heads out of the snow that fell last week-end.  Crocus and Daffodil foliage is peaking out of the wood mulch.  Too soon to tell how my hardy shrub roses have survived the winter, but we need to remind ourselves that it is only March.  If the forecast for weather in the 6o’s is correct next week I will get an early start to clean up foliage of any perennials that are brown or broken. My Hellebores and ornamental grasses are not attractive anymore so I will remove the old foliage to make way for the new growth that may be emerging soon.  Angelina Sedum is displaying its reddish coppery winter/early spring foliage that I find so attractive before it turns its yellow/chartreuse color that makes it such a showy ground cover during the growing season.

 

This winter was so mild that perhaps a few plants like speedwell and Firewitch Cheddar Pinks may actually have good looking green foliage at their base.  Leave all of the plant that looks healthy  and remove any brown leaves or last year’s flowers if you did not cut them down last year.   I cut down all Hosta and Daylilies in fall because they turn to mush when it freezes. If you did not clean up the leaves last fall remove any foliage on these before new growth emerges.  Cut off perennials such as Coreopsis, Astilbe, and Turtlehead before new growth emerges this spring.    It is important to cut any Peony stems as close to the ground as possible if they had any black spots on the leaves or flowers last summer.  This black spot is caused by a disease called Botrytis that can survive on the leaves and then will infect the new growth.  In future years cut Peonies down to the ground in fall to avoid any disease issues.  The exception to this rule is if you are growing tree Peony.  The woody stems of tree Peony should never be cut to the ground.

 

We should be past the coldest part of the winter at this time  so you could do your clean-up anytime that the weather is nice.  If you do not have time now, do not worry you still have plenty of time before the soil warms up enough to push new growth on most perennials.  Just keep in mind that it is easiest if you cut things back before new growth emerges because new shoots are so delicate and can be damaged easily.   In a typical spring we have to wait till mid May to be sure if a plant has survived or not.  This year has been an odd one so I am just waiting and hoping everything survives the winter!

Annoying fungus gnats in houseplants

If you are seeing tiny black insects fly up from your house plants when you water or touch the plant these are called fungus gnats.  Fungus gnat larvae live on decaying matter in the soil and are not damaging the plant. They are similar to fruit flies in appearance and merely an annoyance.  The gnats seem to be more of a problem at this time of the year perhaps because the potting soil in our houseplants does not dry out as fast as during the summer months. Many people mention that they water on a routine number of day bases—weekly or biweekly.  It is better to actually check the weight of the pot well watered versus dry or by checking the soil moisture with your finger about ¼- ½” below the surface.  Amount of sunlight and the temperature of your home will affect how much you need to water during the winter months.  Fungus gnats need moisture in the soil to survive.  Sometimes you can get rid of them by simply allowing the soil to dry longer between watering. 

Tips to getting your Amaryllis to rebloom

Enjoy the flowers of your Amaryllis and as they start to fade you can cut them off so they do not detract from the other flowers that are still looking great.  Leave the tall green stem that they are blooming on until it starts to sag or turn light tan then cut it off at its base.  By this time you generally have green strap like leaves developing at the base of the flower stem.  These green leaves are how the existing bulb will rebuild stored energy so that the plant can develop new flowers next year.  Treat the plant as you would any other house plant.  Keep it in a sunny window and water when the soil is dry by sticking your finger in the soil.  Check the soil down about one half to one inch depth. Fertilize it about every 6 weeks using a water soluble fertilizer or a slow release granular fertilizer.

In May when temperatures are past danger of frost move the plant outside.  You can either plant the entire root ball in the annual or perennial flower bed or leave it in the existing pot and keep it watered during the summer.  Be sure to keep fertilizing it during the summer to keep rebuilding the bulb.  Late September or early October bring the bulb inside.  You can either dig up the bulb if you had planted it in the ground—let the roots and green leaves dieback and store in a cool dry area.  If you left it in a pot bring it in before danger of frost and stop watering it and let the green leaves dieback.  Let the bulb rest for approximately 2 months stored in cool, but not freezing conditions—40-50 degrees F is ideal.

After a minimum of a 6 week rest period and about 6-8 weeks prior to desired bloom time pot up the bulb in fresh potting soil.  The pot should be no larger than 2 inches than the bulb.  Leave a small portion of the top of the bulb visible about the soil so that you do not plant the bulb too deeply.  At this time the bulb should be placed in a warm environment—about 65-70 degrees F.  When the flower stem emerges place the plant in sunlight and rotate the plant so the stem does not lean.  Water more when the stem elongates and be prepared to stake the stem if needed.  Enjoy flowers and repeat it all over again! 

Larger bulbs yield more flowers.  A healthy larger bulb can yield as many as three flower stalks with four flowers per stalk.  I have only achieved this on the larger size Amaryllis.  There are miniature Amaryllis available as well as many variations of multicolored varieties.  I have a friend that has a collection of about 30 different kinds and he varies the potting time so he has Amaryllis blooming for months in sequence.

Happy Gardening!
Linda

Tender Bulb Care - time to check condition

If you have stored any of your summer blooming , tender “bulbs” such as Canna Lily, Dahlia, Gladiola, Tuberous Begonia, or Elephant Ear this is the time to check on them.  Check all of them for soft spots and dispose of any smaller bulbs.  If you have a large Elephant Ear with a soft portion you can cut it out and let the exposed cut air dry.  Sterilize the tool with bleach or alcohol.   Any tubers of Dahlia roots that are rotting can be cut off from the remaining tubers.  Again air dry this cut for a day.  In the case of Dahlia you may be storing them in peat moss that you moistened slightly last fall.  You can re-moisten the peat moss, because Dahlias can dry out too much while stored and develop dry rot.  Dry rot is when the bulb does not get soft, but is quite hard and sections can break off and portions of it actually are powdery dry when squeezed.  We will be potting these bulbs in a few months to prepare them for next year’s flowers.

Reducing Needle Drop from your Christmas Tree

When you are trying to prolong the bloom time of cut flowers no one has a problem cutting off a half inch of stem, because it is easy to do with a knife or scissors.   Making a fresh cut on your Christmas tree can be a bit more challenging, especially if you do not have a pruning saw.  The theory is the same for both the flowers and the tree—the fresh cut allows better uptake of water.   When either plant is cut air fills the cells at the cut surface and creates an airlock that prevents water uptake.  A fresh cut exposes cells that are able to take up water and this prevents needles dropping from your tree.  That is also why it is important to keep water in your tree stand so that cells at the base are not exposed to air which could cause airlock to occur.  If you do not have a pruning saw available our staff will be happy to make a fresh cut for you.  If you do not plan to put your tree up as soon as you get home you can prevent airlock by setting the trunk of the tree in a pail of water till you find your stand.  After Christmas you can extend the enjoyment of your tree by placing it outside for the birds to use as cover from the cold winter winds.

Harvesting and Growing Vegetables during the late Fall and Winter

If you have not harvested all of your root crops such as carrots and parsnips there is a great and easy way to "store" them in the ground as the temperatures drop below freezing.  Cover them with a layer of marsh hay or straw to keep the ground in this area from freezing hard.  You will be able to harvest the carrots even after snowfall occurs.  The snow will actually increase the insulation over your root crops.  You will be able to harvest them even into February if you have enough of them planted.

Brussels sprouts have the amazing ability of tolerating cool temperatures below freezing without protection.  Growing up as a kid my Mom would never harvest brussels sprouts until after a frost, because the frost turns the starches into sugar so the sprouts are even tastier.

Carrots will not grow during the winter, but leafy vegetables such as spinach can grow outside if they are protected in a cold frame.  A simple cold frame is a wooden structure with a glass window over the top to allow light for growing plants.  Depending upon our weather you may have to check if the soil is dry in the cold frame.  Keep in mind that soil dries out much more slowly with cooler temperatures.  Cold frames are very handy as an unheated "greenhouse" to start both spinach and broccoli seed earlier than when you can start them unprotected in the ground next spring. If you are sad to see the gardening season end these are some ways to extend your harvest a bit longer!

OVERWINTERING ELEPHANT EAR

Elephant Ear add a tropical look to our gardens with their dramatic large heart shaped leaves that do resemble elephant’s ears. The underground stem is very fleshy and will not survive our winter temperatures in the ground or in pots in Wisconsin. The
light frosts we have had recently cause the leaves to wilt and should be cut off before you store the underground stem in peat moss. Storing elephant ears in temperatures ranging from 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Check the fleshy stem for soft spots periodically during the winter and cut away any soft spots and let this section of the stem air dry to prevent the entire stem from rotting. Repot 8 weeks before the last expected spring frost,  which is May 15 in Madison. Starting the elephant ear inside in a pot gets the plant growing earlier like fibrous begonias and caladiums. The fleshy underground stem of elephant ear tends to rot if planted directly into soil in spring when the soil is still cool.

If your elephant ear is in a container you have a couple of options. Bring the plant inside and add to your house plants. If you do not have the room in your home—bring plant inside and stop watering. When the leaves dieback cut them off and store the entire plant in the pot in an area that is 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. This way you can enjoy this tropical addition to your garden year after year!

Time to get fall bulbs planted for Spring Color Display

Our wonderful Indian Summer has come to an end and it is time to get the array of fall bulbs planted before the ground freezes.  For the most impact plant clumps of daffodils, tulips, or crocus.  If you have limited space you can dig a hole and lay out the taller bulbs at the rear and shorter in front for a big splash of color.  Check the time that the bulb will bloom--early, mid, or late spring to create a longer sequence of blooming in your garden.  If you have had issues with chipmunks, or voles eating your bulbs it is a good idea to spray your bulbs with a liquid repellent or place chicken wire over the bulbs to hamper their digging.  Place soil over the bulb then the wire and then cover the wire mesh with an inch of soil.  Incorporate bone meal in the soil before you plant your bulbs and be sure to water them in to eliminate air pockets and to promote rooting of daffodils this fall.  There is nothing more delightfull then seeing the first snowdrop, crocus, or early iris popping up from the ground in spring.

Extending Fall Color in the Garden

The combination of cooler temperatures and the early frost warnings we had last week has us thinking about how to add some color to our flower beds and decorative pots.  Adding cold tolerant plants are a great way to keep color going into November.  Incorporating mums, pansies, or ornamental kale and cabbage will add great texture and color to our gardens.  In some cases the heat of our extended hot weather this summer has some beds and decorative pots looking pretty sad. This is a great time to change out the annuals that will need to be covered at night to protect them from frost and plant ornamentals that tolerate these frosty nights that are coming.  Happy Fall!

Meet Linda Barcz, Horticulturist at The Bruce Company. Linda will now be giving you tips, tricks and information about all of your outdoor living needs. Follow her posts!