Wildflower Talk in Otsego Co.

I will be talking about the importance and uses of native plants in the landscape at the Otsego County Conservation District in Gaylord on Thursday, May 24, 6:00 p.m.

I will be holding the talk in their greenhouse where they grow native plants and offer them to the public. They also have a woodland garden with trails you can walk and view beautiful wildflowers.

Tomato Update

Well, it’s been about two weeks since I took my Mighty Mato transplants out of a box and set them out in my greenhouse. These are grafted tomatoes that apparently have some type of super doper root stock that grows lots of mater’s.

The plants got off to a shaky start but are now starting to show signs of life. I’m sure the heat and sun of late has helped a lot. A little “go-juice”  (aka, Miracle Grow) mixed in with the water has probably helped as well—they’re greener and meaner looking now.

I’m happy  with the looks of all my tomatoes in the greenhouse. This year I planted my North Country Gardening mainstays: Early Girl and Celebrity (from Burpees), but I also experimented with a new variety called Posiedon 43. The latter were started the earliest and are very stocky for this time of year. Like the Mighty Matos, these tomatoes were a freebie so I figured, “what do I have to lose?” Still I feel a little trepidation with this variety which takes 78 days to mature on an indeterminate vine.

Today, I transplanted two of the Posiedons in the rich soil in front of my greenhouse. It will be fun to see how they’ll do. This garden plot is filled to the hilt with rich compost and manure and protected from the wind. Posiedon is a pink tomato with low acid levels.

I donated a few Celebrity and Early Girls to Austin, the Ameri-Corp coordinator at the Sault Middle School. Austin is going to plant them in the city’s community garden with students from the school. He said he’s going to plant tomorrow, since it’s the last day of school. Hopefully, we won’t get another frost, but if we do, he knows to cover the plants.

Have any good tomato tips? I’d love to hear how you get this all-American favorite to ripen here in the North Country.

Happy Gardening!

Birds in Our Backyards

It seems like birding and gardening go together, kind of like eggs and bacon. Folks who like to garden usually like to watch the comings and goings of the birds. In fact, setting up bird houses in or near a garden is a good thing as nesting birds will eat bugs, like aphids, off your plants.  I tacked up one on a cedar fence post and now I have tree swallows swerving and diving above my garden.

So it should come as no surprise that I post Connie Thompson’s engaging newsletter, Birds in Our Backyards, each and every month. This is a long running newsletter about birding in the E.U.P. Connie, who is now a book author has a way of relating her love for birds that makes you want to put up another bird feeder or grab your binoculars and head out to the field.

This month Connie logs the spring rush of birds to the area as well as the busy goings on of those birds that make the EUP their year round home.

Is the "Mighty 'Mato" Really Mighty?

The other day I got an email promoting a new type of tomato called the “Mighty ‘Mato.” The Mighty ‘Mato is a tomato grafted on some super duper root stock. They didn’t mention what kind of root stock it is, but I assume it’s that of a fast growing tomato variety or maybe a poplar or fast growing weed or something :).

Anyway, I thought what the heck, I shot them an email back and said I would try one out and blog about it if they’ d send me some free samples. And by golly if a package didn’t arrive all the way from California.  I love freebies.

Three six inch tomatoes (Big Beef, Brandywine, and Sweet Million) arrived as plugs in a greenhouse medium and packaged in a plastic holder. They didn’t look no worse for wear at the time. I planted them right away into six inch pots in my greenhouse. I used a greenhouse (nonsoil medium) in the pots. 

I watered them right away, and now, after three or four days in a sunny spot in the greenhouse the leaves are a little yellow and the plants not looking very mighty… mighty sad, maybe. 

Never one to give up on plants, I’ll give these little guys a chance. After all, they might be going through a period of climate shock. I’ll fertilizer them first thing in the morning with a little all-purpose fertilizer (15-15-15). After that, I’ll step back and see if they grow as vigorously as they claim to grow. 

The instructions that came with them say that if using a pot to grow them in, use no less than a ten gallon pot--now that’s a big pot! A container tree in a ten gallon pot is about 8 ft. tall, just to give you an idea. 

According to the company, the Mighty ‘Mato will grow more “maters” than one could possibly eat. We’ll see what happens. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll still be growing my short season tomato varieties, Celebrity and Early Girl, in a spot I have worked up in front of my greenhouse.

If you’re interested in trying out a Might ‘Mato, point your browser at www.mightmato.com. Mention I sent you, maybe they’ll send you some freebies!

Happy gardening!

Neil

Planting Your First Vegetable Garden

You're aware of the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables, you have the space for a small garden, but just don't know where to start? Look no further. Here's all you need to know to put fresh, crisp vegetables on your dinner table.

First, think small. Don't bite off more than you can chew, or hoe. It's like starting out an exercise program by running five miles the first day. You get tired, sore and you quit. Likewise, if you plant a huge garden the first year, you'll curse, cuss and turn your sore back on gardening for good. So, if you're new to gardening, start off with a garden no larger than 8' X 10.' You can always expand later if you can't get enough of those fresh, crispy vegetables.

Choose a location that receives as much sun as possible throughout the day. Northern gardeners should insist on full sun. Now you're ready to work up the soil. You can rent a rear tine tiller or borrow one from a friend or neighbor for this task. Work the soil up sod and all--in other words don't remove the sod. Removing the sod creates a recess in the soil, resulting in poor drainage.

Next, examine the soil. Is it predominantly clay, sand or a sandy loam? The latter is the best. You can distinguish a sandy loam from the other two by giving it the squeeze test. If you can take a handful of dirt and squeeze it in a ball then watch it crumble when you let go, you've got a sandy loam soil type. If you're not sure, take a sample down to your local extension office. While you're there ask them about having your soil tested for proper pH levels and major nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and potash.

If you're stuck with a predominantly sandy or clay soil it will be worth bringing in some topsoil to get you off on the right foot. If you can't afford topsoil, you can amend the soil with compost. Compost includes any biodegradable material which can be broken down into a fine, dark humus. Well rotted livestock manure is the best choice for getting a clay or sandy soil into shape. Whatever you use for compost apply it often, like once in the spring and once in the fall. It will take a few seasons to improve a poor soil type.
Another thing you can do is use topsoil to make a raised bed. Landscape timbers or treated 2 X 12's work best for this. You can stack these about five high. Besides enclosing your garden and making a good growing medium, the raised bed will make it easy to plant and weed your garden, particularly if you've got back trouble or have difficulty bending over.

Hey, I think we're ready to plant! Here's the fun part. You can purchase seeds from the store or order them through the many catalogs on the market (see below). Whatever you do, buy quality seeds. I hate to see people spend hours preparing a garden and then go out and purchase 10/$1.00 seeds. It would be like buying a new car and replacing the engine oil with a cheap brand of oil. Look for brand name seeds just like you would anything else. What we're trying to do is maximize our chances of success at this endeavor, not pinch pennies.

In a small garden you may want to avoid some of the space hogs, like corn, squash and pumpkin. However, there are bush type varieties of pumpkin, such as Hybrid Spirit Bush and Autumn Gold that don't take up much room. Also, summer squashes take up less room then do the winter squash. If you do plant corn, remember to grow this one along the north side of your garden so it doesn't shade the rest of your crops.

Easy to grow crops include onions, peas, beets, rutabaga and zucchini squash. These can also be planted early.Tomatoes and peppers need to be started from seed indoors about 8 weeks prior to planting time or purchased as transplants. Be sure to space things in your small garden according to the instructions on the packets. And make sure you plant your tender crops (tomatoes, squash, beans and watermelon) after all danger of frost has passed. Ask the old timers in the area when this date is. One common mistake people make, especially in the northern climates, is to plant everything when the weather turns nice only to succumb to a frost a week or two later, thus wiping out all their hard work.

Plant by the expected last frost dates, not the weather.

Unfortunately, critters (and children) may take a shine to your new garden. Rabbits, geese and deer can be a problem. For the small garden, a wire mesh surround works well. This will discourage most critters and some people. I've seen people take chicken wire and staple it to the top of their landscaping timbers on a raised bed to keep out geese and the like.

Vandals can also attack gardens, especially in conspicuous areas of a city, such as in a community garden. Since things like watermelon and squash are the vandal's favorite, some folks plant heirlooms that don't look like common vegetables. You can also cover ready to ripen fruit with straw to conceal the vegetable. Another method in a community garden is to display your name boldly near your garden plot. A conscientious person may think twice before robbing your garden!

Watch for insect infestation. If things are properly spaced in your small garden, insects shouldn't be a big problem. If you do see evidence of chewing on plants, especially things like cabbage, don't wait to fight back. Identify the insect causing the damage and choose an insecticide that will control that specific insect or Soap-Shield. Proper spacing, weeding and fertilizing is a good way to prevent disease and insect infestation without having to resort to harmful insecticides.

Speaking of fertilizer, you can use a granular or water soluble fertilizer to feed your hungry plants. A 15-15-15 or 20-20-20 fertilizer is a good all purpose fertilizer which will provide equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and some of the minor nutrients that plants need. Apply granular fertilizers a few days before you plant, working it into the top six inches of topsoil. You can side dress after the plants come up and at two or three week intervals by using a water soluble fertilizer such as that sold by the Miracle Grow or Shultz companies.

Soon, it will be time to harvest your garden fare. To get the full health benefits of your vegies, harvest when ripe and don't over cook your vegetables. More importantly, enjoy the experience of eating fresh, crisp vegetables you grew yourself!

Happy gardening!

Neil