Jesse Jenkins

Root veggies like carrots, beets, potatoes and onions make for a great fall and winter crop, but there are a few things to be said about them in order to get an excellent yield.

First off, root veggies need a finely granulated and well drained soil. Our inland soil is too heavy; it will not allow root veggies to develop properly and inevitably will lead to less than optimum yield. To remedy this, create a raised bed or use large planters that will provide plenty of depth for veggies like carrots to develop. Use a mixture of sandy loam, peat moss and Espoma Bio-Tone soil starter for the best results. If you live closer to the coast where there is more sand than clay, you can plant directly in the native soil, though it would be wise to mix garden gypsum with the sand to counteract the sands salinity as well as using the previously mentioned additives.

For potatoes, you can use a raised bed, or the ground if its sufficiently amended, but I hear a 15 gallon planter works great. With potatoes, as their foliage becomes more abundant, it’s good to add an inch or more of additional soil over the roots to increase your potato yield. When planting potatoes, they usually come as whole potatoes and should be cut at the very least in quarters before seeding. Last and very important, after cutting, they need dusting sulfur on cut surfaces to prevent potential fungus problem.

The second and most interesting part of this blog has to do with the moon.

We know the moon controls the earth’s tides, but did you know it controls the way plants grow? Mind blowing, right? This all has to do with the way gravity works!! So when the moon is waxing, there is less gravity pulling down towards the earth and when it’s waning there is more. Sooooo… with root veggies, it’s an excellent idea to do your plantings and liquid fertilizing when the moon is waning or losing light. The moon works on many other levels than plants. Fishing, deer hunting and even when to pour concrete are just a few other times to think about how important lunar cycles are next time you look up at the night sky!

Happy Gardening!

PS: You can get Carrot, Onion, Beet, Turnip, Parsnip, Radish seeds now at Gill’s. Onion sets will be in last week of November and Seed Potatoes will be here first week of January!

-Matt Pinkerton

1. Water.

Make sure all plants are watered thoroughly before a cold front blows in, especially a dry cold front. You will also have to water after the cold front, since plants dry out quickly in a cold dry wind.

2. Cover Your Tropicals.

Plants may need to be covered when the temperatures drop into the mid to low 30’s. Create a teepee over the plants when covering and not the lollipop look. The key is to capture the ground warmth. Using sheets or other light weight material on the plants and then plastic on the outer layer will add the extra protection against the wind and cold. If plastic is placed directly on the leaves of plants it will burn the foliage, so always put a protective layer between if possible.

We carry N-Sulate Frost Blankets. They measure 12’x10′, $16.99 each. You can use anchor pins, bricks, lumber, clay pots etc… to weigh down around the bottom. We also carry Frost Blanket by the foot. It is 12′ wide and costs $1.69 a running foot. Make sure to uncover during the day when the temperatures warm up, so your plants don’t bake from too much heat build-up. Then re-cover before the temperatures drop again.

It’s time to think about getting your fall bulbs.

Amaryllis is one of the easiest bulbs to grow that will bloom for you year after year. They can be planted in a perennial bed or grown in pots. When planting them in the ground, pick a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Every three years in October you can dig up and divide these bulbs as they multiply underground. Cooler temperatures in the fall will encourage your bulbs to bloom. Feed regularly with a water soluble plant food every 2 weeks or Hi-Yield Bone Meal every 4-6 weeks. Each plant will send up 1-2 bloom spikes with 4-6 blooms per spike. Holiday blooming Amaryllis are always a treat!

Another great holiday bulb is Paperwhite Narcissus. These can be grown in a vase with water or in a pot with soil. Most are forced in decorative vases in water for the holidays. All you need is a clear vase or bowl, small pea gravel to stabilize the bulbs and water. Pick your container, add several inches of pea gravel to the bottom. Nestle the bulbs side by side into the gravel and add water just to the bottom of the bulbs. Roots will emerge into the water and gravel. The bulbs will grow and bloom faster if refrigerated for 4-6 weeks prior to planting. We have them under refrigeration now. If they are potted Thanksgiving weekend, you should have pretty budded and blooming Paperwhites for the holidays. An optional tip to discourage tall floppy plants is to water them with 8 parts water to 1 part Gin or Vodka. That is approximately 4 cups water to ½ cup spirits. Both Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus make for beautiful holiday gift giving.

Paperwhite-Img

-DeAnna

It’s a wonderful crazy time each year as we ready for the arrival of Christmas trees. This year they are extra pretty and fresh! We look forward to helping you find your perfect tree!

Noble Firs

Our Noble Firs come from the state of Washington. They were discovered by Scottish Botanical Explorer, David Douglas, and are the tallest of the true firs. They have dark green upturned needles, exposing the lower branches. The tree is outstanding in its beauty, has a long cut life and its stiff branch holds heavy ornaments well.

Fraser Firs

Our Fraser Firs come from North Carolina. They are a native southern fir and naturally grow at elevations above 5,000 ft. The tree has excellent needle retention along with a wonderful scent. The 2-toned green and silver color and branches full to the trunk are excellent for lights and ornaments. Fraser Fir was named for Scot botanist John Fraser, who explored the Southern Appalachians in the late 1700’s.

How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh and Beautiful

1. Keep water in your tree reservoir at all times.

When we deliver your tree, or if you pick it up, we’ll make a fresh cut. It’s a good idea to make a fresh cut on your tree if it’s out of water for more than 15 minutes. If you can’t put your tree in your home right away, keep it in a cool shady area outside in water. Use a watering elf for easier watering.

2. Location, location, location.

Avoid letting your tree dry out by placing your tree away from the heater or AC vents and keep out of direct sunlight. Also, unplug lights when not at home; this reduces dry conditions and protects from fire hazard.

3. Use Christmas Tree Preservative

Use our tree preservative to keep your tree as fresh as possible – 1 oz. per gallon of water.

4. Use a Disposal Bag for easy removal.

Place disposal bag between the base of your tree and stand. At the end of the season, just pull the bag up over your tree and haul out – no needle mess!

How to Care for Your Poinsettias

Place the plant in an area where it will receive as much indirect light as possible and do not place it in a draft. Should your poinsettia be wrapped in foil, punch a hole in the bottom to provide good drainage and place pot in a saucer.

An easy way to water poinsettias is to set it in the sink, soak it, and at the same time, remove yellowed foliage off the bottom of the plant. Check your poinsettia every other day to every third day, depending on light.

Another way to water is placing ice cubes on the soil daily to maintain even moisture through the season. The amount of ice cubes depends on the pot size. For small 4 inch- 2-3 cubes daily. For 6 inch use 3-5 cubes and for larger pots use a few more. Double check the moisture occasionally with your finger or moisture meter.

Most enjoy the poinsettia for the holidays and then move on to other spring blooming plants in January and February. If, on the other hand, you want to grow it for your garden, in March, cut your plant back short and either repot or plant it in the ground in a sunny protected area. With a few simple steps, your poinsettia will give you blooms year after year.

Bonus Tidbit! Gill’s Connection To Today’s Poinsettia

Native to Mexico, the poinsettia can be traced as far back as the 14th century. The name poinsettia is credited to Joel Roberts Poinsett, a United States ambassador to Mexico in the 1820’s who brought the plant back to the US. In the 1950’s, Dr. Robert Stewart, a geneticist for the Agricultural Research Service Florist and Nursery Crops Laboratory in Beltsville, MD., started researching poinsettias to improve their quality. New colors like pink, white, and spotted variations are attributed to Dr. Stewart’s work, James Gill’s uncle!

There are some great alternatives to cut Christmas trees.

Norfolk Island Pines are one of the most popular because of their look. They are layered like many fir trees and resemble a Christmas tree.

Hollywood Junipers and Blue Point Junipers are another alternative with the look of a true Christmas tree. They grow well in our area and can be planted in the ground after the holidays or kept as a container plant and used for years to come.

Yaupon holly trees are also great with their red berries this time of year. Magnolia and Ficus Trees can also be used.

All of these can be strung with lights and used indoors for a couple of weeks before needing to be put back outside in their normal environment. Be creative. Look around the patio and see what you have to decorate. It’s always fun to decorate a non-traditional tree and surprise your family and guests!

-Sally

Just when you think things are going monochromatic for the winter, a bright stalk appears in the landscape, then another and another… the aloe plants have gone into bloom. Torches of red, orange, and yellow cigar shaped flowers assure the eye and the heart that in winter, gardens are beautiful!

Succulent plants like aloes, agaves, echeverias, kalanchoes, and sedums show off their best colors during the season of short days…winter. From mid-November through late January, these trendy delights shoot up spires of strange unique flowers one might think came from a Dr. Seuss book. What a treat!

Use them in containers as living art, and combine them to make beautiful mixed gardens that are perfect for gifts. Add succulents to your table setting in tiny pots, or even use as decorations in a living wreath or centerpiece.

Some tips and trivia on succulents and their care:

– Succulents prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.
– They have a shallow root system and need good drainage.
– Fertilize once a month with Hasta Gro.
– A good way to check your succulents for water is place a flat rock onto the moist soil. Pick up the rock every few days and when soil beneath is dry- give your succulent a good drink.
– Protect from heavy rains by bringing pots onto a covered patio, or if in ground have a soil mix that is mounded and very porous. You can even set out a patio umbrella to help protect sensitive in-ground plants, or dig up valuable specimens and replant after things dry up.
– Take broken plant pieces and lay on top of the soil to start new plants. Plant in Cactus & Succulent mix once the roots have formed.
– Some succulents get colorful foliage during winter and will tolerate freezing temperatures, but others should be brought inside if temperatures are going below 40 F. So research your succulents before the next freeze to be ready.

Let us share the season of wonder and surprise! Come see us soon.

-Debbie

Spectacular is the best word for Flowering Cabbage & Kale, with its purple hues on sage green leaves. These ornamentals are in the same family as edible cabbage and kale, and can be eaten, but do not have good flavor. They are bred for their colorful foliage. Their contrast to the golds and browns of winter makes them especially stunning.

Below are some tips to guarantee your success with Flowering Cabbage & Kale:

– Best planted in ¾-day sun to full winter sun
– Plant in well-drained soil or in a pot
– They grow up to 14″ tall, 14″ wide so give room if planting in the ground. Can be tucked in with other contrasting annuals and eventually may take over
– Let soil dry between watering
– Beautiful mixed with winter snaps, pansies, violas, alyssum, petunias, and geraniums
– Fertilize with Hasta Gro every 2 weeks