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Posts tagged ‘How to Plant’

May 17

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How to Plant, Feed, and Prune Roses

How to Plant, Feed and Prune Roses

Do you have roses?  My friend Karen has them and she has always said that with a  little extra effort, there is a huge difference in how they look.  They add a ton of color to her yard, and as an added bonus, they always bring in the bees she needs for her garden.

If you plan on getting roses, or already have them, here’s a few tips on how to plant, feed, and prune them:

First, planting.  If you have soil with lots of clay, make sure to add compost when you plant them.  Also, choose an area with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.   If your roses don’t get enough sun, it will totally affect how many flowers you get.  {Do a little research to find the type of roses that do best in your area.}  Finally, add a little mulch to ensure the roses stay cool and moist during the hottest parts of summer.

Next, feeding  and watering your roses.  Roses need to be fed about once a year–usually in spring as soon as the first leaves are out.  Your local nursery should have some organic options for feeding roses.  As far as watering goes, roses typically need about 1″ of water per week.  Try, if possible, not to let sprinklers hit the leaves of your roses, because they are super susceptible to fungal infections.

Finally, pruning.   A standard rule of thumb is to prune your roses when the forsythia blooms in your area.  Pruning helps to make sure you get blooms all summer long.  To prune, always cut the stem at a 45 degree angle.  How often you prune depends on the variety of rose you chose.  You can ask your local nursery for the specifics.

That’s pretty much it when it comes to maintaining your roses, as far as I’m concerned.

Do we have an prize-winning rose gardeners out there with more tips?

~Mavis

Roses Love Garlic Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers

Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers

Feb 22

10 Comments

How to Plant Raspberry Canes

raspberry canes

We’ve been growing raspberries in our backyard for 4 years now. 2 years ago we had a bumper crop. Last year, not so much. But after a recent inspection of the canes, things are looking good for this year and we are excited. If you have never grown raspberries before, give them a try. They do take a few years to really get going, but trust me, they are worth the wait.

Brief Description:  Raspberries are a sweet delicate fruit.   An established raspberry patch pays for itself very quickly, as they are typically super expensive to buy.   {If you decide to buy them in bulk as I did, they will look like this.  Basically a bunch of roots.  You can place an order online or simply go to your local feed or hardware store to pick some up.  Individual canes run about $1-4 depending on the variety.  3 years ago I placed an order for 100 Cascade Delight canes I purchased from Spooner Farms in Puyallup, Washington.}

Where to Plant:   Raspberries require 1-2 inches of water per week during the growing season, so plant in an area with adequate access to water.  They need full sun and good air circulation, so avoid planting them next to a building or fence.  

Growing Tips:  Once established, raspberries must be pruned.  Consult with your local nursery on how to prune, as different varieties have different needs.

How to Plant:  I created  7 rows of raised beds each about 8″ high.   I filled the rows with a mixture of old compost and topsoil and covered the roots with about 2″ of dirt.  I then planted the canes about 1′ apart {the experts say plant them 2′ apart, but I’m a rebel}.

raspberry cane how to plant

My raspberry patch  has 7 beds with each bed about 12 feet long.  I left 2 feet between the rows for walking.  I also installed 6′ posts at the end of each row and stung string {you are suppose to use wire} at 3′ and 5′ heights to support the canes.

raspberry patch

How to Harvest:  Pick the berries when they are a deep red color {or whatever color is appropriate for the variety you chose.}  They should be soft, but not squishy.  You should be able to pull them from the cane quite easily, if you need to tug, they are not ready.

My Favorite Raspberry Recipes:  

summer dessert recipes raspberry buckleRaspberry Buckle

how to make raspberry sorbetRaspberry Sorbet

Little Known Fact:  About 90% of all the raspberries sold in the United States come from Washington, Oregon, and California.

Feb 20

8 Comments

How to Plant Fruit Trees in Your Backyard

How to Plant Fruit Trees in Your Backyard

Fruit trees are best planted when they are dormant–in most locations that means somewhere between November and April.  The key to getting a great crop of fruit from your fruit trees is to have more than one tree, because most fruit trees require cross pollination.  If you don’t have enough space in your yard for more than one tree, try drafting off of your neighbors–think beyond the fence, another fruit tree next door will still provide pollination in your backyard.  Keep in mind, too, that most fruit trees take a couple of years to bear fruit.  So, while you might not get a crop this year, they are an investment in the future {shall we all hold hands and sing at that thought?}

After you have decided on a variety that will thrive in your climate, it’s time to put that sucker in the ground.  Most fruit trees prefer a sunny, well drained area.

how to plant a fruit tree in your backyard

First, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball.  It should be deep enough for the bud union to be slightly above the ground and the root ball to be covered completely.  Fruit trees have varying depth requirements, though, so use this as a guideline and check with your nursery for individual depths.  Depending on your area, you may need to amend the  soil.

Next, place your tree in the hole.  You can throw some bark and mulch into the hole around the root ball to deter weeds from invading your precious little tree’s turf, but it is not absolutely necessary.  Remember that the tree will settle a bit with time and water, so plan placement accordingly.

basket of apples

Finally, back fill the hole with dirt.  Break up back fill dirt as you place it around the tree.  Once you have back filled completely, you can compact the dirt back down with the back of your shovel.  Stake your trees for the first year while they are developing a strong root system.  Dwarf trees typically require support permanently, as the heavy fruit on their small frames can be too much.  Water your newly planted tree thoroughly.

Fruit trees {most trees, really} need religious watering as they establish themselves.  Water thoroughly every 7-10 days in the warmer/hot months.

Now, sit back and enjoy the “fruits of your labors”–ha!

~Mavis

 

Jan 27

35 Comments

How to Make Newspaper Seedling Pots

How to Make Newspaper Seedling Pots

Have you ever made your own newspaper pots before? If you haven’t, they are are super easy to make. Some people use tin cans, but I prefer to use the Pot Maker. I’ve found I can whip out a batch of 50 pots for me seedlings in about 20 minutes.

I’ve also heard of people using toilet paper rolls, but I’ve always worried the cardboard would not breakdown and the roots would compact, so I prefer making seedling pots out of newspaper instead.

Here is how to use the Pot Maker.

pot maker

newspaper

how to make a paper pot

make your own paper pot

how to make a paper pot

how to make a paper pot

how to make a paper pot

how to make a paper pot seedlings

how to make a seedling paper pot

paper pot for seedlings

DIY paper pot seedlings

These pots are not only easy to make, but thrifty too. Free newspaper √ Free labor √ {have your kids make them} Life is good!

Bontanical Interests has the Pot Maker on sale right now for $12.98.

Do you make your own pots? Which method do you prefer?

~Mavis

Aug 24

17 Comments

Mavis Garden Blog – Planting Strawberry Runners

Every year around this time our strawberry plants go wild and throw out runners.  Now, I’m not sure what YOU do with your runners… But I try to save each and every one of them.  One summer I had “rescued” enough strawberry runners to supply two of my neighbors with enough strawberry plants to start their own berry patches.

But this fall, I have something else in mind.  After we harvest all the pumpkins from our pumpkin patch, I plan on filling the area with strawberry plants.  Because we live in a pretty mild climate, transplanting strawberry runners in the fall isn’t an issue.  Typically I will transplant runners in both the spring and the fall.  But since I planted 500 new strawberry plants this spring, I have an abundance of runners right now.

If you have never replanted strawberry runners before, it’s simple.

This is what I do -

  • Carefully lift up the strawberry runner,  leaving the roots intact
  • Place the roots in a 3 inch container and cover with moist potting soil
  • Leave potted runners where they are for about 6-8 weeks, watering as needed
  • When the roots are well established, snip the runner about 6″ from the “vine” and move to the desired planting area.  Remove from the pot, plant new strawberry plants and cover lightly with straw or leaf litter until spring, to protect the new strawberry plants.

The following spring your new strawberry plants should emerge and you’ll be able to enjoy strawberry desserts all summer long.  Wahooo… Three cheers for fresh strawberries that actually TASTE like strawberries.

~Mavis

P.S. Do YOU save your runners, or am I the only one?

P.P.S. Did you know you can actually BUY strawberry seeds?  Yep, Amazon has them for sale HERE.  Has anyone ever grown strawberries from seed before?  I haven’t, but I’m curious about it.

Aug 21

20 Comments

Mavis Garden Blog – Planting Broccoli For a Late Fall Harvest

This morning I pulled up all but 1 of the remaining heads of cabbage to make room for the next crop.

Broccoli.

The broccoli I planted in the spring did so well, I decided to try it again this fall.  Up until this year I had never been too successful with broccoli.  In years past I had just plopped the seeds into the ground.  But this year I used grow lights and they made all the difference in the world.  I think by starting the broccoli indoors it helped to produce hardier plants as well as allow the broccoli starts to get nice and fat so they could defend themselves a little better from the slugs.

I started these broccoli plants about a month or so ago, and in my opinion, I think they look just like the ones you’d find at a nursery.  With any luck, we should be harvesting our fall crop of broccoli in about 55 days.

Now, if I can just keep the slugs away everything will be alright. Only time will tell.

How are YOU keeping slugs out of your garden?

Have you tried the old beer in a pie tin trick?  Does it really work?

I usually just pick them off and toss them in a bucket of salt.  Maybe I need to try something new.

~Mavis

Apr 6

2 Comments

How to Plant Asparagus

A few weeks ago I came across asparagus plants at the Nursery.  I had no idea how many plants I should buy so I picked up an assortment of 10 asparagus roots. At $1.49 each I didn’t want to go hog-wild and buy to many.

I have since learned I should have bought more like 50 plants {Ha Ha Ha}.  Every on-line source has said when planting asparagus you should plant 10 -15 crowns per person.  Wowza!  10-15 seems a little high to me. Although we like asparagus, we wouldn’t want to eat asparagus every day for 6 weeks. So, I’m happy with my 10 plants for now.  If I find 10 plants is not enough down the road, I can always plant more.

Here are the varieties I purchased:

  • Mary Washington {excellent flavor}
  • Purple Passion {nutty flavor}
  • Jersey Knight {performs well in clay soil}

Planting asparagus is rather simple.

You will of course want to start with good soil.  I like to fortify pretty much every garden bed I grow food or plants in with Tagro and chicken fertilizer, but any well rotted compost will do.

  • Dig a trench 12″ wide by 6″ deep
  • Mound soil in the center of the trench and place crowns on top
  • Space crowns 12″- 18″  apart, in rows 4′ apart
  • Back fill trench with soil, covering crowns with 2″ of soil
  •  Add soil every once in a while until the soil is slightly mounded around the base of the plant.

If you are planning on planting asparagus roots this year, Soilman has an excellent video on the subject. He’s British, has a potty mouth {on his blog}  and his video library is an excellent source if you are new to gardening.  Just remember, you will not be able to pick any asparagus the first year, or the second {torture, I know} but after that… You’ll be in asparagus heaven!

Want to learn more about vegetable gardening?

Amazon currently has a great book on sale for $15.51 called Grow Vegetables: Gardens – Yards – Balconies – Roof Terraces. It is a perfect book for the beginner veggie grower!

Mar 27

2 Comments

How to Grow Your Own Food: How to Plant Potatoes

This morning at breakfast I asked the monkeys “If you could only have 1 fruit or vegetable to eat for the rest of  your life what would it be?”

Monkey Boy was quick to answer  “Bananas”.  The Girl took a little longer with her reply, “An Irish potato from the late 1700′s. {I gave her a blank stare}.  She then went on to tell me how the people of Ireland practically lived off potatoes and yada yada yada you know the rest of the story.

Luckily we will be planting more than 1 crop this year.  We also have multiple grocery stores nearby in case of a major potato failure.

This year I’m shooting for a 200 lb potato harvest.  I actually have no idea how many potatoes my family eats in an average year, but as you may know, the Handsome Husband is Irish, and his people have a thing for tubers.  So we will grow potatoes.  Lot’s and lot’s of potatoes.  First on my planting list was the mighty Yukon Gold potato.

I am taking a risk, as these Yukon Golds came from the grocery store and not a certified seed grower.  We did not get a chance to eat them and when the potatoes began to sprout, rather than tossing them out, I decided to plant them.  I’ve never had a problem with starting potatoes from the grocery store before so hopefully with a little luck, I’ll have a crop of baby Yukons by the end of summer.

If you have never planted potatoes before, it’s a piece of cake.

Simply dig a trench about 12″ deep, plant your potatoes about 10″ apart and cover with about 4″ of good soil.  When the potatoes leaves begin to break through the soil, cover them with a few more inches of dirt.  I like to create hills about 12″ high so my potatoes have plenty of room to spread out and grow babies.

Towards the end of summer when the leaves die and turn brown, it will then be time to harvest {I like to save that job for the Handsome Husband}.

Then you can make a nice pot of potato soup and break out the fiddle.

Wahooo!  Things are starting to get busy around here!  What’s next?

Will YOU be growing potatoes this year?
If so, what kind?

PacSci Potato Clock

Mar 26

5 Comments

How to Grow Your Own Food: Planting Radish & Spinach Seeds

With sunny skies and temps in the mid 50′s, Sunday was a perfect day for planing spring crops.  This time around I planted French Breakfast & Crimson Radish seeds as well as Monstrueux de Viroflay Spinach from Botanical Interests Seed Company.

The French Breakfast Radish is a new one for me.  I’ve seen these yummy radishes at the farmers market before but I have never tried them.  According to the package I should expect to be pulling up radishes in about a month.  I can’t wait.

And the spinach… Well let’s just say the Handsome Husband will be excited when the leafy greens are ready to be harvested.  Ever since he bought The Girl a blender for her birthday he has turned into a smoothie freak.  The HH intends to make spinach smoothies {oh yum} as soon as it’s ready to be harvested.

Is it just me?  Is he weird?  Have you tried a spinach smoothie before?

My new garden assistant: Big Martha.

I still have about 45 days until the tomato plants are ready to go into the garden boxes {Mother’s Day is the best time to plant tomatoes in the Seattle area}. So I went ahead and planted both the radish and spinach seeds in my raised garden boxes.  Just to be on the safe side though, I planted the seeds about 6″ from the edges as well as down the center of the garden beds.  Although the radishes are supposed to be ready to harvest in 28 days, the spinach can vary from 28- 50 days.

By planting the seeds near the edge of the garden boxes and down the center, if the radish and spinach are not ready to harvest by the time the tomatoes need to go into the ground, everything will be fine.  There will still be plenty of room for my tomato starts.

Planning ahead is key when you are dealing with a limited amount of growing space.  There is nothing worse than planting to much of one item and running out of room for the next.  Tomatoes, potatoes and squash are my first priorities this year.  But with a little planning, I think I’ll be able to fit everything in I want to grow.

Ye–Haw!  Now we’re farming!

Did you get a chance to work in the garden last weekend?
What’s on your to-do list?

 

Botanical Interests Heirloom Seeds

 

Mar 24

4 Comments

How to Grow Your Own Food: Planting a Perennial Herb Garden

Yesterday I was able to spend almost the entire day in the backyard.  It was pure bliss.  When I woke up this morning my hands were all rough and dry from playing in the dirt.  Ahhh yes, we are getting close.  Pretty soon I’ll be heading out to the garden at the crack of dawn to fend off slugs, water the crops before the afternoon heat and to spook the squirrels out of the garden.  I can’t wait!

Garden project #1 on my list yesterday was to spruce up the perennial herb garden.

This year I will be growing:

Chives {planted 3 years ago}
Sage {new this year}
Rosemary {died last year, planted again this year}
Oregano {planted 3 years ago}
Mint {planted 2 years ago}
Thyme {I’ll pick it up at the Farmer’s Market}

This year I also planted about 100 green onion bulbs in the herb garden.  I figure they’ll be ready to harvest around early June, just before the oregano & mint take off, overwhelming the raised herb garden.

I’ve also started a tray of cilantro and basil under grow lights . My plan to move those out to the greenhouse in a few weeks as soon as the temps average about 70 degrees in there.

Plus, I have a ton of chive seeds I collected last year. Once the weather stabilizes a bit I’ll be looking for a nice patch or two of land near the greenhouse to plant them.  I can’t wait!

Is it finally starting to feel like spring in your garden?

What kind of herbs will YOU be growing this year?
Am I missing something?

The Cook’s Herb Garden

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