Thursday, October 24, 2013

Winterizing The Garden


This blog is for Leta, a family friend, who emailed me recently asking me to tell her what I do to heat my greenhouse. No matter how much I know in advance that winter will be around the corner, I am always panicking at the last minute to winterize my garden.  I get the 7 day forecast and it says chilly arctic air blowing down in our area and temperatures will drop, I start to panic. I think, "Do I have my garden and greenhouse ready for the cold?" Here is a short list of what I try to do every fall about this time. The funny thing is I am totally aware that winter is coming the entire summer and fall. However, when that forecast is aired, it is as if  I didn't know it was coming. I jump into action like it is the gunshot at the beginning of a sprint. So, I usually try to complete this list in a panicked stressed out 3-4 days...impossible right?

1) Take all the clippings of plants that I can let root in water. (ie sweet potato vine, coleus, confederate rose, ivy, any running plant or vine)

sweet potato vine

coleus

2) Get all the cuttings that will require a moist medium. (ie begonia, coleus, impatience, sedum, geraniums, hibiscus, jade tree, tomato and herb clippings, succulunts and most perennials)

perlite and sand with geraniums and going to be impatience
 
another technique of sand and soil with tomatoes, strawberries and impatience
 
soda bottle seed starter


3) Dig up anything that won't last through winter (ie caladium bulbs, impatient plants, volunteers that might be too small)

gardenias


4) Mulch. I am a fan of just good ol' pinestraw. I have used plastics, bark, weed barriers, rock, peat, cedar and pine and all have had some negatives. I have found a good 3 inches of pinestraw lasts longer, covers better, still degrades (but slower), adds nutrients, cheaper and harbors less bad bugs. I cover the begonias, strawberries, bulbs and anything else that could use a little warmer soil, more moisture and frost nip protection

5) Greenhouse: Apply bubblewrap to ceiling to reduce heat loss, close all windows and holes along the top and bottom, set heaters up and make sure ventilation is adequate constantly on plants.

2 foot sections. layered and stapled to the ends.



This is the second year I have used this bubble wrap. I bought it on Amazon under shipping supplies. The bubbles help insulate with air and  provide light to still shine through. This technique helps heat up the greenhouse during the day and keeps it warm at night. At the end of the year, just take down and roll back up for the next year. I am anxious to see how many years I can get off this one roll. ( I believe 100ft roll).


I bought these utility heaters at Lowes last year. My requirements were that they were rustproof, tip shut off (in case they tipped over they would shut off vs burn down the greenhouse), most BTU's I can afford, thermostat ( my top priority). These were around $25 and worked better than the high powered high priced "Greenhouse" heaters.  I place 2 of them in the greenhouse in front of fans for circulation. The second picture (below) is how I control the temperature. I found this outlet online and I think paid around $30. I set the temperature I want the heater to turn on to and it automatically pops on when it gets below that temperature. The utility heaters do this as well, I will turn the knob at the temperature I like (right now it is 58 degrees) and when it gets below this temp they pop on too.





Lastly, I have a wireless thermometer I set up next to my plants. It has a high/ low temperature for that day, a humidity level, inside and outside temperature reading. So at night, I put this beside my bed and I can keep up with the temperature in my greenhouse in case something goes wrong. Last night, It got down to  the 40's and the low in the greenhouse was a consistent 58 degrees. This shows my thermostats were working perfectly. My next addition will be a ceiling fan or rotating fan/heater placed on the ceiling facing down to push the hot air down and improve circulation further.

Last year when we would have a hard freeze, I would drape a frost blanket over the plants just in case, but never lost any to the cold. I only lost  plants to other things like diseases, etc. Make sure you continue consistent watering, especially during cold spells. I hand water once a week till I see it coming out the bottom (avoiding the leaves). When I potted the plants, I used water absorbers mixed with the soil to keep it moist longer and I ALWAYS use miracle grow potting soil for containers.

Right now in the greenhouse I have avacado, pineapple, cherry, mexican lime, lemon, kiwi, pineapple, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, papaya, strawberry, onion, basil, green pepper, thyme, parsley and all my perennials I am attempting to start for next year.

So far so good. If you have a question about how I do things in my garden, just leave a question in the comment section below or email me. Until then...

Happy gardening!
Nicki

Friday, October 18, 2013

A Walk Through The Fall Garden


This morning in my walk through the garden, I noticed a few more migratory butterflies. I mentioned earlier the Monarchs were hitting my garden around September on their way to Central America and now I have two more species that are trying to find warmer weather. The Common Buckeye (below) is commonly found in the Northern United States and Canada. In the fall they migrate south in response to light and temperature where the overwinter in larvae form.


common buckeye

enjoying morning sun in my lantana patch



 The second butterfly is the Gulf Fritillary. This species named for the Gulf region can live year around in southern climates, but usually fly to the midwest in spring and then migrate back south in the fall. They are distinct for their feeding patterns, mostly the passion vine and their cocoon that looks like a dead leaf.

gulf fritillary on lantana



 Some bloomers right now, mid October, are the salvia's. I wait all year for these 8-10 inch yellow blooms to tower over my perennials.

giant yellow salvia


cardinal spires a hummingbird favorite

mexican sage with giant salvia and a volunteer cosmos..stunning color

red shrimp plant a simple bloom and pretty chartreuse green stem and leaf


again mexican sage, yellow salvia and firecracker bush to the left

and we can't forget about the simple bloomers...good ol' begonia, a repeat volunteer four o'clocks and butterfly ginger all in white. Lastly the beautiful white bloom of the chinese snowball viburnum.



begonia

white wonderful smelling ginger

simple volunteer four o clock

chinese viburnum
So just to give you a heads up...upcoming blogs winter seeding in the greenhouse, how to create a bird feeding station, hydroponic strawberry bed, how to make a diy filter for pond and diy fairy garden.

Happy Gardening!
Nicki

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A Rose Is Not A Rose?



The Confederate Rose is one of my favorite fall bloomers. It's huge showy 4-6 inch diameter blooms will stop most gardeners in their tracks. However, the most amazing feature to me is not the bloom size but the variances of the bloom colors all on one plant. (see picture above). 


Hibiscus mutabilis, "Confederate Rose", is an old-fashioned perennial or shrub that is not a rose at all. It is an Hibiscus.  The scientific name Mutabilis means "variable or changeable".  The Confederate Rose blooms change colors from white in the morning, pink in the afternoon and deep red when they close. Some specimens open pink and have varying shades of pink until it closes a dark burgundy red. Either way, this stunning shrub with amazing double and single blooms of varying colors can be seen in many southern landscapes this time of year. It blooms from fall to late winter.



The name also has an interesting story. There are a few tales that have been passed on suggesting the history of the name "Confederate Rose".  One story suggests that the shrub was in bloom during a particularly bloody battle of the Civil War. A slain soldier fell beside a Confederate rose, and his blood spilled into the ground at the base of shrub. The flowers, which had started out white in the morning, absorbed the slain soldier's blood throughout the day, so that by evening they had turned a deep, rosy red.  Another story simplifies the name by saying it is most commonly grown in the southern United States. The plant is also known as "cotton rose" due to its buds, which resemble cotton bolls. (funny enough...I have a picture of one. Last year a cotton farmer did show-n-tell with a cotton boll that was full of seeds, so this year, I planted it)

cotton boll in my garden. The leaves do look similar


Grown in full sun easily 20ft high
 I was surprised to learn the average height is usually 6-8 ft and can be grown in part shade to sun. I am told it can be grown farther north but will be more shrub like. As you can see above my plant is easily 20ft with a 10 ft diameter. Every winter, I prune the base to 4-5ft and collect all the fuzzy seed balls thinking I will plant them throughout the property. However, I find the most easy way to propagate one of these is to cut off the soft summer growth about 6 inches from the tip and put it in some water. The following spring you will have a new little confederate rose to start.  

notice the double bloom



the dark red closed blooms. There are many blooms on one stem.









This is a favorite "passalong" plant ( http://www.amazon.com/Passalong-Plants-Steve-Bender/dp/0807844187 ) for most southern gardeners. So, if you see one of these in your neighbors garden I am sure they won't mind giving you a cutting.  After all, southern gardeners are known for their hospitality and generosity!

Happy Gardening!
Nicki