What Grows There :: Hugh Conlon, Horticulturalist, Garden Advisor, and Photographer

Time to Plant Early Vegetables

Posted by Hugh on March 14th, 2010

Photo credited to University of Illinois Extension

Spring weather seems to have finally arrived here in the Southern Appalachian region. While the weather has changed for the better. Night time temps have remained above 30° F over the past 8-9 days. Spring frosts in the morning are common in this region into early May. More snow showers will likely occur, so it is wise not to stow away the snow shovel just yet.

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) signals the traditional start for planting early veggies, called the cole crops, within USDA zones 6-b to 7a. Night temps in the mid-20’s are unlikely to injure these cool season vegetables.

Why the early start? Well-rooted young plants in March better cope with the warm 70°F days ahead in April and May. Poorly established vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower get “heat stroke” on hot days and likely will bolt (go to seed).

Plant your greens – lettuce, mustard, spinach, chard and kale. Turnips provide both greens and edible roots. Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and radishes are part of the early spring agenda.

For carrots to develop well, they require a loose, friable soil. Most of us garden in a tight, clay soil. I advise planting carrots in a raised bed, mixing generous amounts of compost into your soil, creating a porous and deep-rooting grow medium.

Re-blooming Amaryllis — Just Add Water

Posted by Hugh on March 10th, 2010

An amaryllis bulb is nature’s equivalent of a re-chargeable battery. In the fall stop watering to push the bulb into dormancy (sleep). Most leaves wither and die within 4-6 weeks. Remove a dried leaves (for neatness). The bulb must remain dormant for a minimum of 8 weeks. Store the pot anywhere, in a closet shelf or out in the garage, provided the storage temperature does not drop below freezing (32° F).
Every few weeks, restart a potted amaryllis bulb. Place in an east or south-facing window of your home, and add water. Pre-mix a water-soluble fertilizer in the water according to manufacturer’s directions. First watering requires that you sink the pot bottom in a pail of water/fertilizer for 2-3 hours to fully adsorb water and nutrients. Turn the pot weekly so the plant and flower stalk grows straight up.
Your amaryllis will bloom in 4-6 weeks. Enjoy it! After flowering, continue to water and feed the plant until it can be moved outside onto a sunny deck or patio in mid to late spring after the frost danger has past. Your amaryllis will flourish through the summer months and will be fully recharge by autumn.
Repot your amaryllis every 3-4 years in the fall after dry-down. Divide and give away the extra bulbs to garden friends to enjoy. I enjoy shopping for new amaryllis bulbs at local garden shops and on-line at http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/

“Pruning Cuts –Avoiding the Big Ones”

Posted by Hugh on March 8th, 2010

Question: was this pruning cut a mistake? You judge.
Driving home yesterday, I spied upon this extreme pruning cut (see photo). The tree pruner may have read the chapter in the pruning manual about cutting a damaged or broken limb on an angle to shed snow and rain. Had he/she missed the chapter that recommends making the smallest possible cut? This cut is very large.

Whenever possible, make small cuts and on a 30°- 45° angle. I have the advantage of seeing the oak tree up close. In this case, tree pruner may have experienced extenuating circumstances. I had not seen the extent of injury to this storm damaged tree. I’ve concluded that this tree cut is correct.

Each pruning cut is a wound. A small cut heals more rapidly than a wide cut. Cutting on an angle is correct, creating the smallest possible diameter wound. There is no need to apply a tree wound paint or sealant. These products are simply cosmetic.

Prune most trees and shrubs in late winter unless they flower in spring. If you delay, spring-flowering plants may be pruned within one month after blooming. Prune summer-flowering shrubs and trees in late February and March because their flowers are initiated on new spring -summer growth.

Aucuba — Major Shade Garden Shrub

Posted by Hugh on March 6th, 2010

Gold Dust Shrub (Aucuba)

On a recent trip to the Knoxville Botanical Garden, I was re-introduced to a plant not used as much as it should be – gold dust shrub (Aucuba japonica). Hardy to USDA hardiness zones 6b-10, aucuba prefers a partial sun to heavy shaded area of the garden. Direct sunlight, even in the mostly cloudy winter may scorch some leaves.

Over the past 20 years I have grown a “plain green” foliage variety in my northeast Tennessee garden. The 7-8 foot shrub is tucked in among three Japanese maples. Its holly-like leaves and bright red berries become more noticeable after the surrounding maples have surrender their fall foliage.

Several gold and white speckled cultivars sparkle in an otherwise dreary winter garden. I particularly like ‘Picturata’, exhibiting large bright golden specks over the leaf center and splashed by tinier yellow dots. Aucuba is diecious, meaning the red fruits are borne on a female plant.

Branches on this 8-10 foot tall shrub are upright in habit. Growing needs are similar to hollies (Ilex spp.) – preferring a well-drained, richly composted and moist soil. Gold dust is pruned mostly to shape and limit plant height. Two year established shrubs demonstrate exceptional heat and drought tolerance.

Japanese Apricot Blooms in Winter

Posted by Hugh on March 1st, 2010

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) is a beautiful reminder that the worst of winter may be behind us. On days barely above freezing, the light pink fragrant blossoms open, rarely in great numbers. Cold nights freeze the blossoms but other buds will open during the next warmup.

Japanese apricot is cold hardy in garden zones 5 thru 7. It is a small 10-12 foot tree, rarely bearing fruit. Plant in a full sun area of the garden, near decks and patios where you can visually enjoy the winter bloom from inside your warm home. The tree is likely to coax you outside.

Japanese apricot does not prosper in hot or dry locations. Plant in a moist, well-drained soil, mulch when needed, and prune to maintain an open branched tree. Over a dozen cultivars are available in white, pink, or red tones and single, semi-double or double blossoms.

‘Cassata’ -Not Your Typical Daffodil

Posted by Hugh on February 24th, 2010

photo by Susan C. Morgan, Horticultural Manager at the Dallas Arboretum

I found this among my daughter Susan’s Facebook photos: Narcissus ‘Cassata’. Cassata is her favorite daffodil -bar none.

The creamy white flower of ‘Cassata’ is a unique bright yellow split corona (cup) which matures to white. The reflexed “petals” from the split cup are ruffled and lie almost flat against the rear white petals.

Cassata blooms early to mid- spring among other narcissus. Plant size is 16 to 18″ tall.

Bulbs will naturalize in USDA Zones 4 to 8.

Cassata is for sale in the fall catalog of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a mail-order bulb emporium in Gloucester, VA. Check them out on thewebsite: http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/

Tips on Planting an Apple Orchard

Posted by Hugh on February 17th, 2010

Apples are easy to grow with a little planning. Select the varieties based on what you like to munch on. Visit the local supermarket and buy several to sample. Some apples taste better in pies and in sauce. Some varieties have a short shelf life and must be consumed within a few weeks after picking or purchase. Favorites like ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Rome’ are good for eating, baking pies and making sauce.
How long are you willing to wait? Apple trees grafted on seedling rootstocks begin bearing fruit in 7-8 years. Varieties grafted to dwarf (grow 9 feet tall) or semi-dwarf (12-15 feet tall) rootstocks begin bearing a crop within 3 years.

Young trees should be allowed to grow and never permitted to bear fruit. Space semi-dwarf trees 15-18 feet apart and dwarf trees at least 8-10 feet apart. Plant two or more different varieties for adequate cross pollination.
Plant trees either in late winter (before spring) or in the autumn in an open sunny site. Mulch trees to 2- 3″ depth with a minimum 18 inches diameter around each tree trunk. In late fall pull mulch away and loosely wrap the tree trunk to a 2 foot height (add another foot if you live in heavy snow zone) with hardware wire (cloth) to prevent rabbits and pine voles (mice) from chewing on the tender sugary bark of a young fruit tree.
Finally, order trees early and request delivery before the first day of spring.
Check with your local Extension agent or agricultural university for additional information about growing apples.
Popular apple varieties:

Gala-yellow-orange to red /fresh/early
Empire -dark red over green background/ fresh, cooking/ early

Red Delicious -red/fresh/early midseason
Jonagold-yellow with light red stripes /fresh, cooking /midseason
Golden Delicious-yellow green to light yellow/fresh, cooking /midseason
Fuji -green with red stripes/fresh /late midseason
Stayman-blush to red /fresh, cooking/late
Rome-blush to red /fresh, cooking /late
Granny Smith -greenish-yellow/fresh,cooking/late

Fragrant Wintersweet in Bloom Now

Posted by Hugh on February 15th, 2010

It’s mid-February and you may have already missed seeing the fragrant yellow blossoms of wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox). Its tiny flowers, 3/4 to 1 inch across, open in the coldest period of the winter season. Blooms are weather-proof, rarely injured when nighttime temps dip below freezing in zones 6 and 7. Bloom injury likely occurs as evening temps approach zero °F.
Wintersweet is a 10-15 foot tall and wide shrub, and grows well in any soil type provided it is adequately drained. Summer foliage is lustrous dark green, turning yellow-green in fall before dropping its leaves.
Every 5 to 6 years, a tall, often leggy fragrant wintersweet requires a complete rejuvenation. Prune the entire shrub back to within 4-6 inches from the ground after blooms have vanished in late March. It will grow back rapidly and bloom again next January.

Thermotropism in Plants

Posted by Hugh on February 15th, 2010

How cold is it outside this morning? Look out the window….perhaps your rhododendron is telling you.

On very cold winter mornings some broadleaf evergreen shrubs, like rhododendron and daphniphyllum in my landscape, droop down and/or curl up. (see photo). This is a specific response by some plants to sub-freezing temperatures, called “thermotropism”.
Scientists do not fully understand the cause of this foliar response. It may have something to do with leaf cell hydration. Thermotropism also may protect leaves during periods of high irradiance by sunlight. It may protect from cold temperature injury during daily thawing and re-freezing inside the leaf of some broadleaf evergreens.

On most days, leaves unfurl to their full natural position by late morning as temps rise above 32 °F (0 °C). Remember to water evergreen shrubs every 2-3 weeks if natural rainfall and snowfall are more than 60% below seasonal averages.

New Dogwoods for Mildew Resistance

Posted by Hugh on February 11th, 2010

‘Joy’ ‘Mist’ ‘Snow’ ‘Blush’

Powdery mildew has become more of a problem across the southeastern U.S. over the past ten years on flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). University of Tennessee plant scientists have developed a series of mildew resistant dogwoods (pictured above). Each cultivar is sold under the Appalachian series of dogwoods. In cool spring climates, the white floral bracts of ‘Appalachian Blush’ will develop a pinkish blush. Generally, the color blush is rarely observed in Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

These cultivars join ‘Cherokee Brave’ (dark pink bracts) as the only powdery mildew resistant dogwoods. Only in a rare occasion will you need to spray these dogwood cultivars.