Weeds – those opportunistic, unwelcome plants that can effortlessly outcompete your edibles and ornamentals.
If only there were an easy way to keep them at bay!
Well, unfortunately, there isn’t. They are really good at what they do.
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But there are some things you can do to make the job of weeding a lot less cumbersome and time-consuming.
Are you with me? Let’s take a look!
Weed Habits
Right off the bat, if you understand how weeds work, you’ll be better prepared to prevent them.
They are actually a specific type of plant with a certain pattern of behavior.
They also produce abundant seeds, which can stay dormant for a very long time. They spread rapidly. And they inhabit disturbed sites, like our gardens.
Ultimately, in nature, these pioneer species have a really important ecological role. They quickly cover disturbed soil and protect the area from erosion, and even sustain soil life.
Not so much in our gardens, however. But knowing that the opportunists favor the disturbed sites should give you some insight.
Seeds are just waiting to be brought to the surface where they can germinate. So minimizing soil disturbance is the first step to battling fewer weeds.
Wait Until the Time is Right
Have you ever tried to weed on a dry, hot summer day? It’s miserable. The ground, especially if you have clay soil, is all but cement.
If you have no choice but to take on this cumbersome task when it’s hot and dry, here are my suggestions:
Use a hoe to cut seedlings off at the base. If they are small, chances are, severing them will kill them.
For the big ones, do yourself a favor and cut them back to the ground.
Cutting them back is still really beneficial, especially if you aren’t going to have a chance to get out in the garden again soon. This way you’ll keep the plant from going to flower and seed, at least for a time, which is huge.
Ultimately, the best time to pull those unwanted plants is after a good soaking rain. They all but climb out of the ground on their own! (If only…)
Still, it’s much easier work when the soil is wet. Trust me.
If you carve some time out to wrangle overgrown thistle, dandelions, and others, it’s best to have a few key tools that will make your job a whole lot easier – and make your hard work more effective and efficient.
A good hoe, especially if you have a lot of area to cover, will be your new best friend. You can lightly cultivate any areas where you see unwanted sprouts.
I prefer to have a variety of hoes for different chores, but for weeding and light cultivation, I usually turn to my Lehman’s Precision Garden Hoe.
This thing is definitely multipurpose for being a hoe. It has a large head so you can cultivate large swathes but it’s fairly light due to the cut out in the center. This cut out allows it to be used as a push-pull hoe too, which is a time and energy saver if you are able to tackle weeds when they are just sprouting.
And it has a long handle. There’s nothing worse than a short-handled hoe.
And my favorite part? It’s made in Ohio by Amish craftsmen.
You’ll also want a weeding trowel, which is usually long and skinny, is more effective than a standard trowel at dislodging roots without disturbing too much soil.
My current model is an Ames, which I don’t think they make anymore.
But I’ve been salivating over the Red Pig digging garden knife/trowel from Garrett Wade.
It’s like a hori hori (Japanese digging knife) mixed with a weeding trowel. It’s a bit pricey but it’s hand forged by a blacksmith in Oregon and should last for life. Buy once, cry once I say.
Pulling the root out of the ground, especially of a large plant, will inevitably disturb the soil. So, you can count on more seeds germinating in the same area that you clear.
But, if you don’t get the root, the plant will continue to sap water and nutrients from the soil.
For this reason, I still prefer to remove as much of the root as possible. My intention (though I’m not always successful) is to keep up with seedlings by severing them with a hoe.
Get in the Garden Often
If you make it a habit to weed as you walk, you’ll save yourself a lot of work overall.
Take a daily stroll through your garden. This is generally a good practice as you can keep an eye out for pests, water needs, and of course, weeds.
Pull what you see on your way to the car, and back again to the front door. You can even take a different route through your garden every time you leave or come back home, or make it a point to take morning strolls with your cup of coffee on nice days.
Staying on top of the state of your garden saves you from backbreaking labor later in the season.
What to Do With the Debris
Most of the pulled debris can be added to your compost pile. If plants have gone to seed, however, you’ll want to dump them at a site that won’t interfere with your garden.
For example, there’s a ditch between my house and my neighbor’s house. I dump all of my unwanted plant debris there.
I weed-eat the area regularly, so plants never have an opportunity to flower. And it’s in such an inconspicuous area, no one would ever know I dump debris there.
Here’s a caveat: you certainly don’t want to dump anywhere that it’s illegal.
Also, don’t dump seeding plants where you won’t be able to manage them – they will just germinate, mature, go to seed, and find their way back to your garden. And you don’t want that.
So, dump them either off site or in a place that is maintained. If yard waste pickup is an option in your area, take advantage of it.
Also, brush up on your identification skills. Here, in zone 6, I refuse to put wild onion or nut sedge in my compost. They are way too good at regenerating, and I don’t like to take the risk.
Technically, if compost gets hot enough, weeds and their seeds will all be killed. But often times compost doesn’t reach the necessary temperature to get the job done, between 120°F and 150°F.
In late winter to early spring, lay down a thick 2- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch. This will go a long way to keep seed germination down.
Germination typically occurs when seeds are within an inch or two of the soil’s surface. So, adding a few inches of mulch on top of the soil buries seeds even further, minimizing their exposure to the sun and warmth that triggers germination.
Woodchips, pine fines, and straw are all great options.
If you have large, wide paths, you might want to consider laying newspaper or cardboard down. Then, cover the material with a few inches of mulch. Weeds beneath the cardboard or newspaper won’t stand a chance.
Use Stale Seedbed Cultivation
Instead of waiting for weeds to take over at the same time as your desired plants, try getting ahead of them.
One way to do this is with stale seedbed cultivation.
In short, you want to prepare your garden bed a month early. Amend it, till it (if you prefer), and get it completely ready – as if you were going to plant it that day.
Then, water it – and keep the soil surface moist. The idea is to get as many weed seeds to germinate as possible. In about two weeks, you should have a nice flush of green.
At this point, take a hoe and cultivate the soil, being careful not to disturb the soil more than an inch or two below the surface. Otherwise, you’ll invite more weed seeds up to the germination zone.
This will wipe out a large portion of weeds that would have posed a problem later in the season – all before the season officially starts.
Using a weeding torch is surefire way (pun intended) to nix some pesky plants. A lot of organic farmers use this method to keep fence rows and other areas free of overgrowth.
It’s applicable around the home too; it’s useful to use a torch along sidewalk cracks and other hardscape edges where getting the roots is nearly impossible.
You can pick up a torch at your local hardware store or you can purchase one online.
You’ll also need a commonly available 5-gallon tank of propane.
If you take this route, be absolutely sure that you are not burning poison ivy, or anything else that can create potentially harmful smoke or airborne particles.
Be More Efficient
Here’s the bottom line: weeding is a fact of gardening. But it doesn’t have to be all-consuming.
Check your garden often and pull unwanted plants as you see them to avoid the backbreaking labor of clearing out a garden full of mature weeds.
It’s as simple as that! And you’ll be so glad you took this simple tip to heart when you’re gazing out over your beautiful beds and pathways with a cool glass of iced tea on a warm summer day rather than bending over 6-inch weeds in the hot July sun.
What’s your secret to a weed-free garden? Share everything you know with us in the comments below!
A quick note, for the sake of clarity and avoiding numerical redundancy: I’m classifying “small,” “medium,” and “large” lawns as being up to a quarter-acre, a half-acre, and a full acre in size, respectively.
But these classifications are based on the land being relatively flat. Keep in mind that a hilly acre of lawn has more surface area than a flat acre, and it will obviously have more turf to mow.
Additionally, I’d like to emphasize that we’re covering gas mowers here, which are typically more powerful and easier to repair than both corded and battery-powered electric models.
1. Black & Decker 12A-A2SD736
Let’s begin with how this model starts: it’s got an auto-choke, folks.
Meaning that as soon as you’ve pulled it out of storage, filled it up with gas, and topped it off with four-stroke engine oil, you can give the starter cord a hearty rip. Presto, you’re off and running!
Fans of an orange and black color scheme are sure to appreciate this 78-pound, 140cc mower with a 21-inch mowing deck, which is perfect for small- to medium-sized lawns.
Treaded wheels make movement over uneven terrain efficient and effortless.
With an adjustment handle on each wheel, you can switch between six different cutting heights, which can enable a close shave, a light trim, or anything in between.
Grass clippings can be sent into the rear bag, mulched, or discharged out the side, and you can switch between these options relatively quickly. This model comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Quick Reference Specs
Engine Volume: 140cc
Propulsion: Push
Weight: 78 pounds
Mowing Width: 21 inches
Ready to add the Black & Decker 12A-A2SD736 to your arsenal of lawn tools? Pull the trigger and make the purchase at Amazon.
2. Craftsman M105
Not flashy and free of unnecessary bells and whistles, yet a rock solid worker – just as a craftsman should be.
This bright red model has a mowing width of 21 inches, along with an auto-choke for easy starting.
At a weight of 72.8 pounds, this gas push mower with 140cc engine is light enough to easily muscle and maneuver around a small lawn.
The Craftsman M105 can discharge clippings out the side, collect them in a rear bag, or mulch them back into the turf. For the latter, a mulch kit is included.
With six different height positions, you can quickly and easily switch up how low or high you cut your grass – from 1.25 inches to 3.75 inches – via levers on the front wheels.
For added comfort, the handle height is adjustable and it can be folded down for easy storage.
This product comes fully assembled, and should it ever break on you, a two-year warranty has your back.
Quick Reference Specs
Engine Volume: 140cc
Propulsion: Push
Weight: 72.8 pounds
Mowing Width: 21 inches
Cut Height: 1.25 to 3.75 inches
All in all, a pretty sweet product. Reliable, efficient, a modest aesthetic… What more could you want?
Admittedly, “Honda HRX2176HYA” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. But it’s not like anyone will be speaking as they gaze upon this beauty. Their jaws will be too busy touching the floor.
This 21-inch, 97-pound mower looks awesome, plain and simple. Its red, black, and gray chassis gives off aesthetic efficiency, which allows the user to shave a small- to medium-sized lawn in style.
The auto-choke, throttle-mediated self-propulsion, 201cc engine, and twin-blade MicroCut® system all make mowing as easy as pie.
Plus, hydrostatic cruise control allows the user to precisely control its speed. No longer can the mower yank you along if you over-throttle!
Need to change the bag, move a toy, or take a break? With a push of a button, the Roto-Stop® system stops the blades without stopping the engine, which saves a lot of time.
The fuel tank can hold about a quart of gas, the engine is started with an easy tug of the pull cord, and the rear collection bag has a capacity of over 23 gallons!
Speaking of, Honda’s Versamow System™ can bag, discharge, or mulch clippings, as well as shred leaves.
For mulching and bagging simultaneously in a custom proportion, the Clip Director® knob comes in handy, allowing you to send some clippings into the bag while others are mulched into the turf… at the same time!
Seven different cutting positions, adjustable via a lever on each wheel, provide a height range of 0.75 to four inches.
Once you’re done, the adjustable handle folds down for convenient storage.
A five-year residential warranty (three-year commercial) covers this product, and the deck – made of dent- and rust-free NeXiteⓇ polymer – is covered for life.
Quick Reference Specs
Engine Volume: 201cc
Propulsion: Self-propelled
Weight: 97 pounds
Mowing Width: 21 inches
Cut Height: 0.75 to 4 inches
Is owning the gorgeous Honda HRX2176HYA gas mower a powerful dream? Then make it a reality by picking up one of your own via Home Depot.
4. Murray 152506
As someone with long legs and a lengthy stride, I can find myself kicking a mower’s rear collection bag if I’m not careful.
With its compact and bagless design, this 20-inch, 125cc model from Murray is the perfect grass-cutting tool for any gawky-legged user with a small lawn.
The Murray 152506 definitely rocks the minimalistic vibe. Petite in appearance yet powerful in performance, this jet-black mower is an economical option for the casual grass cutter with a small backyard.
Weighing a tad under 44 pounds, it can turn on a dime and, compared to heavier manual push models, practically feels self-propelled.
Starting the engine is painless – simply prime thrice and yank the cord.
This mower’s gas tank has a capacity of a little more than a fifth of a gallon, and a four-point adjustment system allows for five different height positions, enabling grass cutting as low as 1.2 inches or as high as 3.75 inches.
As far as dispersal goes, you can either eject the clippings out the side for later raking or mulch them back into the lawn.
Quick Reference Specs
Engine Volume: 125cc
Propulsion: Push
Weight: 43.92 pounds
Mowing Width: 20 inches
Cut Height: 1.2 to 3.75 inches
A two-year limited warranty is icing on the cake. Have yourself a metaphorical slice and pick this guy up at Home Depot.
5. PowerSmart DB8621PH
Are you intrigued by the dark aesthetic and design of the Murray mower described above, but you need a few more features – like a rear collection bag and a larger engine? Give this 21-inch gas mower from PowerSmart a go!
Right off the bat, you’ll notice its sleek, black design and robust appearance.
Arriving almost fully assembled, the 75-pound frame is amply sturdy, yet light enough for easy maneuverability through a small to medium lawn.
After priming the carburetor and pulling the cord, the four-stroke 209cc engine roars to life, slicing through grass like Wesley Snipes’ Blade through vampires.
The clippings can either be mulched, fed into the 15.9-gallon rear bag, or discharged out the side.
A cutting height of 1.18 to three inches is made possible by five different blade settings, with each wheel sporting its own adjustment lever.
The gas tank holds about a quart of gas, and once the yard is cut, the handle folds over for convenient storage. And a three-year warranty is included with purchase.
A bright red, 83-pound mower with a 22-inch steel deck and a quart-sized fuel tank, the Toro 21462 Recycler® is ideal for those who want the convenience of cutting their small- to medium-sized lawns with a mower that features an intuitive propulsion system.
What does that mean? Straddling the line between push and self-propelled models, the Personal Pace Auto-Drive™ system adjusts the mower’s speed based on the user’s push.
The harder the user pushes, the faster the mower moves, adjusting quickly as the moment demands it.
You can move slowly on turns and around edges, then up the speed for straight shots through the lawn, never having to fiddle with a speed adjustment switch.
This model’s 163cc engine consistently starts with a single pull of the start cord – no priming required – and cuts grass in a height range of one to four inches, thanks to nine different cutting positions via a four-point adjustment lever system.
The cuttings can either be side-discharged, mulched to an ultra-fine consistency, or bagged, with a lever that allows for easy switching between the latter two while the bag remains attached.
This mower comes with a two-year warranty and a three-year “guaranteed-to-start” engine warranty.
The Toro 21200 Timemaster definitely helps you save time, thanks to its large 30-inch mowing width.
It actually has two rotors, rather than one – twin blades spin rapidly side-by-side to cut grass efficiently. Personally, these remind me of the tandem rotors of a Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
And just like that particular helicopter, the Timemaster is a big boy: it has a 223cc engine, weighs 145 pounds, holds 1.2 quarts of fuel for an hour of runtime in one go, and has a rear collection bag volume of about 26 gallons!
It’s the perfect workhorse for those who have a medium to large lawn, but don’t quite need a huge walk-behind or riding model.
For those with smaller lawns, the Toro 21200 Timemaster may be overkill – I’d recommend going with a smaller model.
Equipped with the same Personal Pace® system as the Toro Recycler® described above, this black and red beast also has a traction-assist handle, which allows for additional control over rough terrain.
Starting with the push of a button, rather than a pull cord, this model can side-discharge, mulch, or bag clippings, and the Spin-Stop™ system allows users to halt the blades without cutting the engine.
The Toro 21200 Timemaster has a cutting height range of 1.25 to 4.25 inches, which is adjustable at two points on the left wheels.
Once you’re finished cutting grass, you can attach a hose to the deck’s washout port to clean the underside of grassy gunk, and two storage positions allow for easy storage.
The first folds the handle up vertically, while the second folds the handle all the way down, allowing you to nestle the mower upright in a tight spot in the shed.
With a three-year limited warranty and a three-year guaranteed-to-start engine warranty, you’ll have some peace of mind for a hot minute.
I’ve used mowers with sub-par traction on hilly lawns, and it’s quite a tough endeavor, trust me.
You fight tooth and nail for every uphill inch, but when you turn to go back down? You better have grippy shoes on, or you’ll be downhill sprinting real quick.
Thanks to its large, 11-inch rear wheels and S-wave tread pattern, the 66-pound Troy-Bilt TB110 can be safely used to cut turf on slopes throughout a small- to medium-sized lawn.
With its primeless and chokeless ReadyStart™ 140cc engine with a 0.8-quart fuel capacity, this red and black push model starts with a single pull of the cord.
It cuts grass in 21-inch-wide strips at a height range of 1.25 to 3.75 inches, thanks to six different blade positions at four points of adjustment.
Catch clippings in the 17.7-gallon rear collection bag, side discharge, or mulch them to spread back onto the lawn – a mulch kit is included for the latter.
A two-year limited warranty is included with this product.
Do you have a medium to large lawn that demands a wider cut and more overall “oomph” than the Troy-Bilt TB110?
Then you should seriously consider the Troy-Bilt TBWC28, equipped with a 28-inch mowing deck, 195cc engine, and quart-sized fuel tank.
With the same high traction, large rear wheels as its smaller relative, the Troy Bilt TBWC28 mower will handle the rolling grassy hills of your property with ease.
Before making such a purchase, it’s important to have a general idea of your constraints and what your needs are.
Let’s consider all of the variables to optimize your grass cutting endeavors, and save you from the dreaded buyer’s remorse.
Lawn
The lawn you cut is just as important as what you cut it with. Go outside, take a look at your turf, and consider the following:
“How big is my lawn?” The larger the lawn, the more you’ll benefit from a powerful engine and a larger mowing width, i.e. how wide each “stripe” of cut grass is, like that of the Toro 21200 Timemaster.
On the other hand, a huge beast of a mower would be overkill if you just have a small strip of turf to maintain in the backyard.
This dedication to sun-warmed produce by the bucketful places cherries high on my list of favorite fresh fruit.
I was fortunate to grow up near a few cherry trees that were at their peak of production, but since then I’ve helped individuals plant their own trees and may have treated myself to a few of those fruits when they were ripe.
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That’s the gardener’s privilege, right there.
Establishing a healthy tree demands some forethought and proper planning that may be intimidating to the casual gardener.
But fear not! We’ve put together an excellent guide for how to start growing cherry trees. Check out our list of suggested cultivars, too, for our recommended picks.
What Are Fruiting Cherry Trees?
Cherries are stone fruits which produce “drupes,” or fleshy material surrounding a single seed.
They are in the genus Prunus and are closely related to other stone fruits and nut trees such as peaches, almonds, apricots, nectarines, and plums, along with other ornamental flowering trees and wild species.
What Type Is for You?
Fruiting cherries are derived from two different species within the Prunus genus.
Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) tend to grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 7. These fruits are perfect for fresh eating and will produce plenty of fruit each year.
The sweet cultivars are self-sterile, so you’ll need to plant at least two or three for fruit production.
Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) need temperate climates to grow well.
Sweets also require ample spacing to grow without becoming crowded. Your sweets need to be planted 35 to 40 feet apart, although dwarf varieties need a mere five to 10 feet of breathing room.
Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) will grow in Zones 4 to 6, and are more cold-hardy.
Use these fruits when baking and cooking, but less often for fresh eating (they’re called “sour” for a reason!). Most sour cultivars are also self-sterile, so you’ll need at least two or three to produce any fruit.
Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) are much more cold hardy and are a good fit for much of the continental United States and Europe.
Fortunately, these trees need only 35 to 40 feet of space between one another, while dwarf varieties require about eight to 10 feet.
So, to recap: sweet cherries are for fresh eating and baking, while sour cherries are usually used in baking and are not typically eaten fresh.
Patience Is a Necessity
Most fruiting trees take a few years to begin producing something that’s edible and tasty, and cherries are no different.
Expect a period of three to five years of waiting before your trees start producing fruit. The trees need to establish themselves in their new home and gain a solid foothold before they can begin to produce fruit.
A timeline of several years is all the more reason to get started with planting now!
What’s that? “But I love the taste of sour cherries…”
Me too! Chances are you’ve found them frozen at the grocery store and labeled as ‘Bing’ cherries. If you’re lucky, you’ve also been able to find them fresh in the middle of summer at the farmers market, often towards the end of July.
Grow your own and have the freshest crop available for the beautiful window when they’re ripe. With the size of the crop you’ll get, you’ll be able to share them with friends and neighbors too!
Planting Best Practices
Whether you’re planting sweet or sour, both types want similar conditions.
Proper soil is critical to the health of your trees. For some species, you can dig a hole and plop the root ball into it, and let the plant do the rest of the work.
Cherries, on the other hand, need deep and well-drained soil; this can make planting in rocky areas or soils with a high clay content problematic.
I’d recommend digging the hole deeper and wider than it needs to be for the root ball to fit inside. Really break that soil up and replace about one-quarter of the native soil with compost to give the plant a chance to set roots and spread into its new home.
Full sun is important for any fruit tree, so place your plant where it will be sure to get at least eight hours of sun a day. A bit of protection from the hottest afternoon sun can be helpful on the more southern edges of the growing zones.
Sour varieties are at their best in soil with a pH of 6 to 7, while sweet cultivars prefer a pH of 6.3 to 7.2.
They’ll grow in other acidic or basic conditions beyond these recommendations, but prefer this narrow range. Get your soil tested so you’ll have a good starting point before selecting varieties.
Did You Know?
Cherry trees with dwarfing rootstock can also be grown along wires, fences, or walls in a method known as espaliering.
The branches are slowly adjusted so that they grow in a completely horizontal shape, which makes them easier to pick and easier to cover with bird netting.
Espaliering also promotes airflow and exposure to sunlight, which promotes ripening and helps to prevent fungal infections.
Water and Nutrient Requirements
For all of the fruit these trees produce, they don’t require much in the way of fertilizers and water. About an inch of rain per week is ample. Use a rain gauge that sacrifices style in exchange for an easy-to-read and practical setup.
If you’re in a dry spell and aren’t reaching that rain requirement, you can water once a week. However, don’t over saturate the roots and soil; dry roots are healthier than waterlogged ones. A good soaking once a week during periods of dry weather is plenty.
Fertilization is even easier. Because cherries are low feeders, you can get away with any of the following fertilization methods:
Use a low nitrogen fertilizer, or a general-purpose fertilizer at half the recommended rate, once a year before flowers bloom.
Add twice-yearly application of compost. A light dressing will do the trick.
Easy enough, right? If you like to feed your plants, you can get away with one more application of a granular fertilizer after the plants stop producing fruit.
Pruning and Thinning
Fortunately, you don’t need to thin the fruit, since this is a plant that does that on its own. And that takes a load of effort off your back!
Pruning should be done twice a year, once in early spring (before buds break but after threat of a cold snap), and once in later summer.
The early spring pruning is when you make more aggressive cuts and remove limbs and large branches. This is intended to provide the tree with a few strong limbs for bearing fruit, instead of many weak limbs that cannot support the weight of fruit.
Early spring pruning is a great way to remove weaker branches and to shape the tree for maximum yield.
Late summer pruning, aka “thinning,” is intended to clean up the canopy and to increase air circulation as a preventative measure to protect against fungal infections.
We aren’t shaping the tree during this time and are only opening things up; make only a few cuts when pruning in late summer.
Again, your goals during late winter or early spring pruning are to shape and to make aggressive cuts, and in late summer you want to focus on opening up the canopy for airflow.
Pests
Unfortunately, plenty of critters enjoy cherries as much as we do, so you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for their presence on your trees.
You can use a product like a general fruit and nut orchard spray to control all of these buggies.
Select one that contains sulfur to control fungal diseases, and pyrethrins to control insects – but understand you’ll potentially be damaging beneficial insects as well if you resort to this option.
Neem oil is another solution that targets insects. It is organic, but keep in mind that organic doesn’t necessarily mean non-toxic. And it will also harm beneficial insects just like the manmade pyrethrins will.
Disease
Powdery mildew, galls, cankers, a host of rots and fungi, and buckskin are fungal issues and diseases that can cause you grief with your fruit production. These problems are more difficult to identify and control than common pests.
A horticultural oil is good for removing most plant ailments, while copper fungicide is an excellent organic method for taking care of fungal issues and various cases of rot.
Preventing Bird Damage
It’s a miracle birds can take flight after feasting on an upcoming crop of cherries, with their bellies full of partially developed fruit. Worse yet is when they pick and peck at each individual fruit, leaving behind a rotting mass that’s still attached to the stem.
Birds like this sparrow can pillage your crop in a day or two.
No one method works better than the others, so swapping between different preventatives is the best solution to keeping your plants healthy and full of fruit.
Also keep in mind the inherent dangers to wildlife when using bird netting. It’ll keep the critters out, but those hapless ones who get stuck are almost guaranteed to die.
The American kestrel eats small reptiles, mammals, and fruit-eating birds. Having a kestrel nearby can deter mouse, chipmunk, and herbivorous bird activity in the vicinity.
I’ve pulled out too many dead birds and chipmunks from bird netting to ever use it at my own home, but it does work to keep your fruit harvest safe from damage.
Another tip with bird netting is to install it just before the fruit begins to appear on your plants. If you install it early and keep it in place from the start of the season, birds are likely to learn how to get inside, essentially making the netting worthless as a barrier.
Bird netting applied just before ripening can prevent fruit loss while minimizing the impact to wildlife.
Gummosis
Another condition common in fruit trees and especially cherries is called “gummosis.”
Cherry trees release a resin-like sap when they’ve been injured. Sometimes a yard tool damages the trunk and the tree will react by expelling this thick sap to plug and heal the wound.
Most of the time these injuries are minor, and the tree can fix itself right up.
Gummosis in cherries can be caused by cut injuries, insect activity, or even some fungal infections.
However, other times the sap expulsion can be caused by borers or cankers.
If you discover sawdust around the base of the trunk and beneath the site of the sap, you likely have borers; spray your tree for borers with an appropriate fruit and nut orchard spray.
If there is no presence of sawdust, pull away the sap and check the bark. If it’s dead and brittle, you’ve got some cankers to contend with. Cut them out and remove them, or call a professional to do it for you in the event that you’re hesitant to start cutting into the wood.
Other causes for gummosis can be fungal in nature, specifically Cytosporina and Phytophthora types of fungus.
These are more serious issues to contend with and require careful removal of infected tissue and an application of a fungicide to control. Get a head start on these issues by removing dead limbs and branches in the winter and disposing of them.
It can take three to five years before your tree will begin to produce fruit, but full-size varieties can produce up to 50 quarts of fruit a year!
Dwarf specimens can produce up to about 20 quarts, so that investment in time and patience will certainly pay off in time.
Harvest time is between May and August, depending on your locality and the cultivars you are growing.
Determining when they are ripe is a tasty and fun method of experimentation.
Research the varieties you’ve planted to find a good, clear image of what they look like when ripe. As your crop is beginning to ripen, take a walk around the tree, find a specimen that looks ripe, then pluck it and eat it!
Ripe fruits are firm but tender, and juicy. If the cherry you plucked tastes good, use it as your key to decide if others are also ripe.
Try to maintain a bit of patience when harvesting. The sugar content in the fruit rises significantly in the few days before they fully ripen, and this sugar content does not increase after the fruit is plucked.
That makes the best cherry a few days away from being subpar if you’re impatient.
Storage and Preservation
The fruit can be stored for up to a week in dry conditions in the refrigerator, but it declines in quality to a tremendous extent very quickly in room temperature conditions.
A few hours at room temperature results in greater loses than an entire day spent in refrigerated conditions! If you aren’t going to eat your harvest right away, stick it in the fridge.
Leave the stems on to maintain their freshness even longer. Pitting the fruit is up to you; I personally enjoy spitting out the seeds, but not everybody does. You can increase the firmness of the fruit after harvest by layering it between paper towels.
You can freeze your harvest as well, so long as the fruit has been rinsed and patted dry first.
Cultivars to Select
Although there are perhaps hundreds of cherry tree varieties, we’ve listed a few of most popular for you to consider:
Bing
‘Bing’ is a good choice for lovers of the sweet cherry. It has a wide range of growing Zones (5 to 9) and reaches a height of about 18 feet.
Fruit is typically ready for harvest in mid- to late June, but in cooler climates a bit of a delay until the beginning of July isn’t unheard of.
‘Rainier’ is among the most popular and best-tasting out there, so you likely won’t be disappointed from the huge yields and juicy taste that this type can produce.
The fruit ripens in mid-June and can grow in Zones 5 to 9. It reaches a maximum of 25 feet in height and is a good choice for medium-sized yards and growing areas.
‘Rainier’ pollinates with ‘Montmorency,’‘Stella,’ and ‘Lambert’ cultivars, and other mid-season varieties.
It will typically grow to about 20 feet in height and is comfortable growing and producing in Zones 4 to 7. As a bonus, it is also self-fertile. If you’ve only got room for one specimen, this could be the one for you!
Carmine Jewel
Can’t decide between sweet or sour? Why not grow both? The ‘Carmine Jewel’ is grown on dwarfing rootstock and it does well in Zones 4 to 7.
This type is a cross between sweet and sour varieties (P. fruticosa x Pr. cerasus) to provide a harvest to satisfy all tastes, with about 20 pounds of fruit produced on average during its peak production! It is also self-fertile, so really, what’s not to love?
Like apple trees, cherries have different pollination groups and require other cultivars to be in bloom at the same time.
Quick Reference Growing Chart
Plant Type:
Stone fruit (drupe) tree
Tolerance:
Modern cultivars have better disease resistance, heat and humidity tolerance
Native to:
Northern hemisphere from North America to Asia
Maintenance:
Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
4-7, depending on species and cultivar
Soil Type:
Sandy, loamy
Season:
Spring and summer
Soil pH:
Neutral, 6.6-7.3
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Time to Maturity:
As little as 2 years to fruiting for dwarf varieties, 4-6 years for standard selections
Companion Planting:
Cover crops like clover, lupine, alfalfa; nasturtiums, marigolds, hyssop, and other pest-discouraging plants
Spacing:
Standard: 35-40 feet Dwarf: 8-10 feet
Attracts:
Birds
Planting Depth:
Same as nursery pot, or set crown of bare root stock just below the soil surface
Family:
Rosaceae
Height:
16-25 feet
Genus:
Prunus
Water Needs:
Moderate
Subgenus:
Cerasus
Common Pests:
Aphids, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles, thrips, mites, leafhoppers, borers, cherry fruit fly, powdery mildew, galls, cankers, root rot, fungi, buckskin
Species:
P. avium, P. cerasus
Now Get to Plantin’
It takes a while to get there, but when your cherry trees are finally producing pounds and pounds of fruit, you’ll see that it was all worthwhile. Fresh fruit is always delicious, but fresh cherries are at top of the list for taste and flavor.
With self-fruitful (and self-unfruitful) options available, you’ve got plenty to pick from and to look forward to. Thanks for reading! Come back again soon, and leave us any questions or insights in the comments below.
Tulips, members of the Tulipa genus, come in many different varieties. Not sure how to tell which is which, or where to start?
If you’re a tulip-lover who’s ready to expand your knowledge about the specifics of the many different species and cultivars out there, or you’re simply looking for a few new types to add to your springtime flower beds this fall, this is the guide for you!
Each of these divisions has a number, and a name. These aren’t like college sports divisions, so the numerical order here is irrelevant – we’re not talking about comparing the most competitive and award-winning to the lowest quality and least decorated flowers or anything like that.
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Their order, Division 1 versus Division 3, for example, might be an unbalanced mashup in the world of college rugby, but this isn’t an indicator of quality or worth when we’re talking about tulips.
Instead, the name of each division is what’s important here. Tulips are categorized in these divisions based on common characteristics that they share, including similarities in blossom shape and origin.
More like college clubs, you’ve got the French club over there, with their frou-frou feathered petals, and the art history geeks gathered in the courtyard with their striped blossoms.
That’s a lot of tulips to sort through! How will you ever make your selections?
Well, though there are occasionally some outliers, most divisions have an average height range that’s common among all the members.
Some also have an average expected bloom time – in early or late spring. But there are types that bloom in mid-spring as well, of course, and divisions that have plenty of other things in common except for when they deign to show their true colors.
Petal colors, that is.
You’ll find miniature types that are perfect for rock gardens or borders, as well as towering tall ones, many with sturdy stems that are excellent for use in cut arrangements.
Some are better suited to naturalizing than others, for a more wild, scattered look that spreads throughout your landscape with repeat bursts of blooms year after year. Some feature a sweet and alluring aroma, while others aren’t known for their scent.
And how about bloom shape and appearance? That’s key to division membership! Most of the time.
Some types have petals that open wide in the sunshine while others have fringed eyelash edges, or gnarled petals that twist and turn.
Cups, bowls, stars, or elongated single blossoms, full double blooms with an abundance of petals, ones that resemble tulips, lilies, peonies, or water lilies, and even varieties that look just like the ones from the 17th century in the Netherlands, when Tulip Mania reigned, are available today.
As it turns out, this visually appealing deformity was also the result of a virus, but I’ll go into that in a little more detail in the Division 9 section below.
Many types of tulips produce a single stem and flower per bulb, while those in some divisions are multi-flowered, with multiple buds developing on branching stems.
You can find just about every shade that you could desire – except blue – across these divisions, in single, bicolor, and even tricolor varieties.
I’ll admit that before I wrote this article, I was nowhere near being able to make the claim that I was an expert on tulips. I remember fondly the red and yellow bicolor tulips of one of the gardens where I played as a child, and a few lipstick red ones with mysteriously alluring black interiors.
I don’t know which cultivars these were, but I’m sure my heart will beat a little faster when I find them.
Learning about the 15 (or 16, depending on who you ask – more on that later) different divisions that these beautiful flowers are grouped into, I gained a greater appreciation for the incredible amount of diversity that plant breeders have managed to coax out of the amazing members of this genus over the years. There’s really something for everyone.
Instead of featuring blue shades in their own petals, I think they look lovely contrasted against the beautiful blue of the sky on a sparkling spring day, no matter the color.
Though I haven’t figured out a way to grow tulips successfully outdoors since I moved to the hot and dry climate of southern California, a potted plant would be a welcome addition to brighten up my living room in the springtime.
I encourage others growing in zones not suited to bulbs to give this a try as well if you’re really in love with these flowers, instead of missing out.
Sure, you probably won’t be able to grow them as perennials, but take heart – I didn’t realize myself until I dug into the research that many types of tulips are not particularly long-lived, and you’re lucky if you get blooms in consecutive years for a good stretch of time. I think that makes them all the more special.
Let’s dig into the divisions, shall we? Here’s what’s ahead:
15 Delightful Tulip Divisions
Let the games begin!
Division 1 – Single Early
Medium-sized single blooms are the key feature of tulips in this group, and as their name suggests, these are also some of the earliest to bloom, in late March to early April.
If you’re looking for that classic tulip shape like we all learned (roughly) how to draw in elementary school, this is your guy.
Heights range from six to 16 inches (25 to 60 centimeters) so this is considered a short variety, and blooms are often pleasantly fragrant.
Add these to rockeries or the fronts of flower beds where they won’t be overshadowed by taller springtime plants, or choose Single Earlies for wintertime forcing indoors.
‘Aafke’
With nearly 150 varieties currently registered in this division, you’ll find a wide selection of color options, including pink, white, red, apricot, orange, light pink, yellow, lilac, and purple, as well as bicolor cultivars like the attractive pink and white (but perhaps difficult to pronounce) ‘Aafke.’
Semi- to fully double blooms with an abundance of petals for fullness are the key feature of tulips in this division, and these bloom (say it with me…) early!
Typically, you’ll see buds start to open in early to mid-April.
With heights ranging from 12 to 16 inches (25 to 40 centimeters), most are closer to the foot-high end of the scale, qualifying as short varieties.
Blossoms can measure up to four inches in diameter and their stems are strong, so you won’t have to worry about wind protection.
Over 200 different types are currently available from this group, though it’s important to note that the available color selection is more limited than what you’ll find in other divisions.
‘Foxtrot’
Yellow, red, orange, white, light pink (helloooo, ‘Foxtrot’!), dark pink, don’t forget regular pink, dark red, purple, lilac, light yellow, yellow, cream, and bicolor varieties are available.
There are a few outliers, including the late-blooming 40 to 60-centimeter-tall ‘Margarita,’ a dark pink and red bicolor variety, as well as the white ‘Mondial,’ a midseason bloomer that also reaches heights of 40 to 60 centimeters.
I hesitate to harp on the whole college sports analogy – and have I mentioned that I didn’t even play any team sports when I was in college?
(Ha, who, me? Not any officially sanctioned ones, at least, though I would have loved to start a Beer Die league!)
Nonetheless, I can’t help but bring it back around.
Triumph is the goal, and this feeling epitomizes the unbeatable spirit of any good D-3 team, one that strives for perfection and struggles in regional competition against better funded teams, often at (ahem) less academic schools.
I did volunteer my services briefly as manager of Swarthmore’s D-3 men’s rugby team (Go Evil Buzzards!) and though I basically had no idea what the rules of the game were to start, I always loved watching the matches, running up and down the sidelines at tournaments to throw the flag down to mark where the ball went out, and filling up red Solo cups from the keg afterwards.
How does this relate back to tulips?
Other than the fact that I attended school in an arboretum (no tulips in sight that I can remember, but there were plenty of roses, hydrangeas, stunning Japanese maples, a little triangle-shaped island of tufted ornamental grasses up near the Science Center that I called “my planet,” and one of my favorite plants of all time – a gorgeous purple smoke bush that lived outside the western end of the main building on campus – among countless other carefully-tended and unique specimens), maybe… it doesn’t?
I kid, I kid! Triumph is Division 3. And if you ask me, this particular grouping just might be the best of the bunch, in terms of sheer numbers as well as height and the available color options to choose from.
That’s a winner. It’s striving. It’s gonna keep thriving.
Sure, numerical rankings “don’t matter” here… but maybe we should start a petition to get Triumph bumped up the list to number one?
Let’s return to the topic at hand – Triumphs are hybrids of single-blossomed early and later-blooming cultivars, midseason varieties that bloom in April, with average heights ranging from 15 to 20 inches (40 to 60 centimeters is the norm, sometimes stretching up to 70 centimeters tall), meaning they’re in the medium range.
There are a couple shorties in the bunch, like the 30 to 40-centimeter ‘Madurodam,’ but hey – it’s a large group and it’s not like we’re picking favorites for a pickup basketball game here.
(Thank goodness, because I am 5’3” and do not make up for this height deficiency in skill – though I have advocated for many years for “short league basketball,” something that comes up far too often for someone who can’t remember the last time she held a basketball, unless clutching that controller until my thumbs develop blisters while playing NBA 2K counts.)
Triumph blossoms are cup shaped, stems are strong, and there are nearly 1,400 registered varieties in this group for you to choose from, with cultivar names ranging from A to Z!
If Triumph is your shining glory in terms of tulip divisions, maybe it will be less disappointing than it might be otherwise for you to find out that most of these varieties are considered “short-term perennials” that only bloom for a few years – after all, you can clear out the aged bulbs and replace them with a new cultivar, say, three or four times each decade!
If you have enough space, maybe you would work through all of these in a lifetime… You can try, at least. Please let me know if you do.
Colors include purple, red, cream, yellow, salmon, pink, white, violet, lilac, orange, brown (look for ‘Zeelandia’ if chocolate-hued flowers are your jam), maroon, dark purple, dark red, and even black, with single-hued and bicolor options.
And oh, those bicolor options. There are of course too many to list here, I’m afraid, but let’s hit a few of the highlights:
The red and violet ‘Attila’s Elita’ is sure to make a regal addition to the garden, maroon and cream ‘Nashville’ is sweetly sophisticated, and don’t miss ‘Alex Torres,’ a red and orange combo.
‘Cairo’
If you’ve always dreamed of getting married in the fall but your mother-in-law insists on springtime, maybe you can reach a stylistic compromise with a bouquet of brown and orange bicolor ‘Cairo’ tulips.
I’m more partial to the red and violet mashup myself – or perhaps the stunningly unexpected ‘Blackout’ – bet you can guess what color that one is. It reminds me of a few nights ago here in Los Angeles, during the latest heatwave when we lost power for a few hours.
Having a vase full of ‘Blackout’ Triumphs to admire might have taken my mind off the heat. But of course, I probably would have struggled to see them in the dark…
Perhaps the bright, buttercup yellow hues of ‘Strong Gold’ are more appealing?
Go for gold and snag a packet of 25, 100, 500, or 1,000(!) bulbs at Dutch Grown.
Division 4 – Darwin Hybrid
Named for the famed naturalist himself, these are for the most part hybrids of single late and species tulips, though some are multi-headed.
Typically ranging in height from 45 to 70 centimeters tall (17 to 30 inches), flowers in this division are midseason bloomers that make an appearance in May.
Large flowers grow on strong stems. These are some of the best picks if you’re looking for perennials, and Darwins will often return for at least a few years in a row.
There are nearly 200 different varieties available in this group to date, and flower colors include red, dark red, orange, dark orange, pink, dark pink, yellow, apricot, white, cream, salmon, bicolor two-tone combinations of these, and even tricolors – don’t miss the red, orange, and yellow ‘Carlos V’ if the idea of a tricolor tulip makes your green thumbs tingle.
Reaching average heights of 24 to 30 inches (40 to 80 centimeters), this is most definitely a potentially basketball-playing tall group, featuring some of the tallest cultivars.
Well, okay, there are a few outliers who might not make the team. But we’re not really talking about basketball here, and there’s nothing wrong with a 30 to 40-centimeter-tall tulip, now is there?
I didn’t think so.
With over 450 different varieties of large, egg-shaped flowers to choose from, these might be a little late for Easter but they’re sure to make a gorgeous addition to your garden.
Sometimes called “Cottage” tulips, Single Late blooms appear in May, just in time for that Senioritis to kick in.
Long-lasting and heat tolerant (as they would have to be in May!), a wide range of color options is available, including violet, white, pink, yellow, white, purple, red, orange, lilac, black, cream, and bicolor combinations of these.
Oh, and where my tricolor lovers at again? Raise your hands please.
I implore you – do not miss the violet, white, and yellow ‘Atlantis.’
This tulip may not literally be able to transport you to a mythical island dreamland, but short of someday being able to plop a true-blue tulip in the soil, this cultivar is (*does that fingertips to lips mwah kiss thing*) so choice.
Okay, so imagine what a lily looks like. You got it? Now imagine that in tulip form, and you’ve got the Lily-Flowered division.
Single long and narrow flowers are cinched in tight at the waist, with little pointy petals that flare out around the rim. Ooh la la, these are great.
No, they’re not some kind of hybrid cross with daylilies, they just look a bit like them.
Averaging about 18 to 24 inches tall (50 to 65 centimeters) with some shorter varieties that may stop lengthening in the vertical direction around 12 inches, and a few tall guys that may Stretch Armstrong it up and go for 30 inches, these late bloomers bust open their buds in May and they’re excellent for cut arrangements.
With about 130 different options to choose from, white, cream, pink, red, orange, yellow, lilac, violet, and purple varieties are available, and some bicolor cultivars even have petals that are edged or feathered in contrasting colors.
By the way, when some flowers are described as violet and others are described as purple and I’m asked to put in my two cents (yes, this has happened before) I tend to be of the opinion that violet is a bit reddish or pinkier, and purple has more of an underlying blue tone. But don’t hold me to this.
For something in more of a sunset range, ‘Moonblush’ glows in orange with red accents, and changes shape as it blooms. This bicolored cultivar is sometimes called a “chameleon” tulip as it changes from bright yellow to a deep blood-red over time.
If you’re one of those people who has always longed to throw on a leather jacket with all the fringe or a pair of fluttering falsies before heading out to the garden, this one’s for you.
You’ll match your flowers perfectly.
I’m personally more of the celebratory-gardening-white-nude persuasion (maybe once a year, and in my dreams – college is over after all, and I mostly masquerade as an upstanding citizen during the daylight hours these days).
But oh, that fringe!
The whiskered top edge of these beautiful petals often exhibits a contrasting color or paler shade than the remainder of the tepals, and the single blooms grow on stems that can range from 20 inches (40 to 80 centimeters) in height, depending on the cultivar.
Of course, then there’s ‘Pincode,’ a much shorter specimen than most in this division, at 25 to 35 centimeters tall.
With over 150 different varieties available in this division of mid- to late bloomers, flower colors include red, yellow, cream, pink, red, purple, white, dark pink, violet, orange, and lilac.
And yeah, I’m at it again. I just can’t resist these tricolor tulips!
If you need another one to add to your garden dream journal, don’t forget ‘Agape,’ a purple, red, and white beauty that will surely have you letting the flies in while you drool with pleasure, or perhaps leading to your eventual conversion to join the believers at the Agape church, er, “International Spiritual Center.”
(But don’t do that – then you’d probably have to move to LA with me, and it’s much harder to grow tulips here).
I’ve read that many of the cultivars in this category are mutants of Single Lates. How interesting. They are also sometimes referred to as Crispas.
‘Crispion Love’ has delicate deep pink fading to soft pink fringed petals, adding a romantic touch to your garden.
I know the blue flower lovers are still weeping in the corner, but green flower lovers, hear me now! Viridiflora is the division that will make all your dreams come true!
Imagine with me a selection of at least 50 different registered varieties, all exhibiting varying amounts of green in their blossoms, in beautiful streaks and splotches.
So gorgeous, so unique.
These generally reach somewhere around 18 inches tall (23 to 60 centimeters), and most bloom in mid- to late spring.
Long-lasting as cut flowers, they’ll look stunning in bouquets and arrangements, and in your flower beds as well.
Combinations of green plus pink, salmon, white, red, yellow, lilac (check out ‘Doll’s Minuet’), and orange are available, as well as tricolors.
I recommend the green, pinkish-red, and white ‘Green Village’ if the village you’re repping is somewhere in oh, say, Italy, or maybe Mexico.
How I would love to gaze at the glory of these while sipping on a michelada artfully prepared by my best bud, occasional rival, and former roomie Rafa (after I squeezed the limes for him, of course) and chowing down on a big bowl of homemade fresh pea risotto that I made – the perfect Mexican-Italian fusion of activities to enjoy on a springtime afternoon, if you ask me, though perhaps an unconventional pairing.
I heard Rafa’s started his own garden this year, so maybe I can convince him to add some of these to the pots on the patio.
More of the painterly type? ‘Artist’ glows with pale pink surrounding delicate green accents, with a watercolor look so realistic, visitors to your garden will swear they can actually see the brushstrokes.
Named for the famous Dutch painter, these resemble the iconic tulips that were often featured in 17th century paintings from that part of the world, at the peak of Tulip Mania.
Haven’t heard of this particular period in history, when some bulbs sold for more than houses? Read our full guide to growing tulips to get the scoop.
With excitingly unusual striped patterns, these “broken” blooms were once made more beautiful in the eye of many a beholder as the result of a virus.
Sadly, today you won’t be able to find an exact match for those tulips of old that you’ve seen featured in museums (sorry!) but some modern-day cultivars are available.
And these are virus-free, so you won’t have to worry about the other tulips in the neighborhood if you plant these.
‘Insulinde’
‘American Flag,’ ‘Carnaval de Rio,’ ‘Insulinde,’ ‘Jack Laan,’ and other cultivars in this group may have white, yellow, or red petals, depending on which cultivar you pick, striped with red, bronze, or purple.
With bright red swirls through creamy-white petals, ‘Carnavale de Rio’ is a beautiful example of a Rembrandt.
Bird lovers, rejoice! Your favorite talkative and colorful avian friend has a floral counterpart known as the Parrot tulip.
I’ve seen the petals on these described as ruffled, feathered, curled, twisted, puckered, and fringed.
However you want to describe them, these tulips are vibrantly hued and downright birdlike if you squint just right, but you don’t have to worry about them flying away if you want to give them a pat when no one is looking.
‘Black Parrot’
Will you be able to teach them to talk? I don’t know that anyone has attempted this yet, but attempting to engage your tulips in conversation is most definitely encouraged.
And, just like a pet, they’ll need a little extra protection. Plant these in a location where they won’t be exposed to harsh weather conditions.
These late bloomers make excellent cut flowers, and they range in height from 14 to 22 inches (40 to 65 centimeters).
Nearly 120 different single-blossomed varieties are available in this division, and you can read more about them here.
‘Super Parrot’
Single or multihued options are available, in a range of colors including orange, pink, white, apricot, purple, cream, violet, yellow, red, lilac, and salmon, as well as bicolors like the white and violet ‘Air,’ red and yellow ‘Bariton,’ green and pink ‘Pink Wave,’ and green and white ‘Super Parrot.’
Can’t decide? Why not try a mix of a variety of colors, all with the classic Parrot shape.
Also referred to as Peony or Double Hybrid tulips, these exhibit peony-like double blossoms that are flush with petals.
Particularly long-lasting in the garden or as cut flowers, many varieties are fragrant, adding to their appeal.
Plus, since ants don’t “help” to open these, hopefully you won’t have to worry about de-bugging your precious cuttings before you arrange them in a vase.
Most of the nearly 200 registered varieties grow 15 to 22 inches in height (30 to 60 centimeters) and flower late in the season, with large flowers on long stems. Be sure to plant these in a protected location, since they can suffer damage in heavy rain or strong winds.
‘Orange Princess’
Colors include purple, dark purple, red, dark red, orange, yellow, white, pink, dark pink, maroon, lilac, violet, and cream, as well as bicolors.
I’m particularly partial to the pink and green ‘Christo’ cultivar, the orange and purple ‘Orange Princess,’ and the red and white ‘Double Punky.’
Do I often fall for cultivar names? If they’re paired with irresistible color combos like these, I fall deeply.
Some say these resemble stars or water lilies, so you will sometimes hear these names for tulips in this division as well.
Early bloomers, the flowers have a tall, narrow cup and pointed petals. But the stems are short, and most plants max out at just six to 10 inches in height (10 to 25 centimeters).
Like I’ve said before, varieties with a short stature are perfect for rock gardens or the fronts of borders.
A unique feature of the Kaufmannianas is that the blossoms open wide in the sun, stretching their petals until they are just about flat.
The flowers last for a long time, and the foliage offers ornamental interest as well, in shades of striped chocolate brown or bluish green (there you go – a touch of almost-blue!).
Colors include white, yellow, orange, salmon, pink, red, and bicolor combinations of these. Almost 70 different varieties are available.
‘Stresa’ is a standout cultivar in bright yellow with a bold scarlet splash.
Also known as Emperor tulips, these kings (and queens!) of the springtime flowerbeds produce flowers that are four to five inches in length, some of the largest blossoms found in the Tulipa genus.
They also open wide in full sun, like our Division 12 friends.
Early bloomers, these have a medium stature and will generally reach about 18 inches in height (20 to 50 centimeters). They’ll often come back to bloom and bloom again as perennials.
Flowers are available in a range of colors including pink, red, yellow, light yellow cream, white, and orange.
The foliage also offers ornamental interest, with broad green or gray-green mottled or striped leaves. Almost 100 card-carrying tulips belong to this division.
‘Red Emperor’ makes a bold statement. Bright lipstick-red with a mature height of 14 to 16 inches, this cultivar rules the spring garden!
Like those of divisions 12 and 13, with more colorful leaves than most types of tulips have adding to their attractiveness, the decorative foliage boosts their appeal.
Greigiis have mottled or purple-striped leaves that will usually spread out on the ground. But their multiflowered habit may be the key feature of these hybrids.
Some produce four or five flowers per stem, and flower shape varies depending on the cultivar.
Brightly colored flowers may be white, vermilion, purple, salmon, red, cream, pink, orange, yellow, or bicolored.
And these perennialize well, so you will hopefully see them bloom and then reemerge to bloom again for at least a few springs to come.
Tulips in this division are short to medium varieties, typically reaching heights of eight to 12 inches (15 to 50 centimeters), and you know what that means! Stick ‘em in your rock garden, or give them a special spot to shine at the fronts of borders.
These bloom early, but a touch later than what you’ll usually see for those in Division 12, so you might want to plant cultivars selected from each of these groups together to keep your early season home flower show going.
And you’ll have plenty to pick from, with over 250 registered Greigii tulips available.
‘Kiev’ boasts huge blooms in bright red with yellow accents. With mottled purple and green foliage, this cultivar reaches a mature height of 12 inches.
This group includes Tulipa species commonly found in the wild, including T. bakeri, T. batalinii, T. humilis, T. mauritiana, T. orphanidea, T. praestans, T. sylvestris, and T. urumiensis, as well as some cultivars and hybrids of these.
T. praestans
Most of these plants are short, about four to 10 inches tall (10 to 20 centimeters), with small flowers on thin, dainty stems.
They’re great for naturalized plantings, they grow reliably as perennials, and there are over 200 different types to choose from that fit into this group.
T. sylvestris
Bloom times vary, and you’ll find some taller outliers. One notable variety that caught my eye is T. praestans ‘Bloemenlust,’ which grows to be 90 to 100 centimeters tall!
You’ll find a wide variety of colors in this division, including maroon, lilac, yellow, red, brown, white, green, purple, red, pink, orange, and cream.
Why not get started with a mix of different species and choose your favorites?
Also known as Bouquet tulips, the flowers in this category typically produce three to five flowers per stem, with some overachievers (they didn’t have time for sports!) producing up to seven buds per bulb.
With that many flowers all doing their thing to try to get your (and the pollinators’) attention at the same time, imagine the visual impact!
Well, if you plant enough of them together, at least. As I understand it, just because a single plant can produce multiple buds doesn’t mean they’ll all necessarily bloom at the same time. But as a result, this also extends their bloom time – a win in either case.
Instead of growing straight and solo, the main stem of these varieties branches into multiple secondary stems, and each of these produces a bud. You’ll find that the central bloom is typically slightly larger than those that flower on the secondary branches.
These generally reach 14 to 20 inches (35 to 50 centimeters) in height, and whether they’re early, mid-season, or late-blooming depends on the type you choose, so be sure to read those plant labels carefully.
The catch here, and what makes this a “bonus” division that isn’t officially recognized in all cases, is the fact that all of the flowers included in this group are also members of one of the other 15 divisions.
You will see, however, that many nurseries and other bulb purveyors list multiflowering varieties in their own category.
Whether or not this actually warrants the official creation of a new division is for the botanists and plant geneticists to decide – but as we’ve seen over the years and across the globe, these experts in their fields quite often disagree, and debates ensue surrounding the appropriate category to put a certain plant species in, sometimes for years.
Something I find interesting is that I didn’t come across this sort of controversy in my quest to learn more about tulips, but who knows – perhaps I just didn’t look hard enough.
Now that you’re a bit more familiar with the clever categories that botanists have developed to classify these gorgeous additions to the springtime garden, you’ve undoubtedly begun to consider the size ranges and bloom phases of certain types of tulips and how they might play out in your own garden.
Comparing the colors that you see online against the paint swatches that you’re agonizing over, maybe aiming to select the perfect floral contrast to put in the beds out back the next time you paint the fence is at the top of your mind, one that will bloom at the perfect time and come up to just the right height.
I think it’s important to keep this in mind:
We’re talking about living flora here.
Will the specimens that grow in your garden always be a perfect match compared to what you saw in that shiny catalog, or on the glossy label pasted to the front of the package of bulbs that you picked up at the store?
Not necessarily.
Here’s the thing with plants – results may vary.
First, you have the plant descriptions to contend with. Some nurseries describe stem height alone while others include the flowers to give a total height range, and these averages may not be reflected in your own garden, depending on the conditions, age of the bulbs, and other factors.
It’s unlikely that a typically short cultivar will shoot up to be unexpectedly tall, and you shouldn’t have too many surprises in the color department unless you somehow purchase a package of bulbs that is mislabeled.
But photos can also sometimes be a touch misleading, not intentionally in most cases, but because perhaps one photo was taken in full sun while another was shot on a cloudy day.
And then you also have the local conditions to consider. A well-watered plant growing in perfectly suitable and nutritious soil may produce taller plants and vibrant, more colorful blooms than bulbs that suffer through a particularly hot and wet summer or a warm winter, or those that are planted in less than stellar soil.
I’m all about making do in the garden, and then delighting in whatever I’m able to bring forth from the earth.
Maybe I didn’t get the pH just right, I was out of town for a few days and failed to water during a heatwave, or I planted in a location that I swore had full sun last year (I checked the notes in my gardening journal!), only to find my plants plunged into partial shade the next. And that’s okay.
Well, sometimes plants die as a result, but it’s mostly okay, and it’s a learning experience either way.
Whatever beautiful blooms your own collection of bulbs produces, simply due to the fact that you grew them yourself in your own garden, they’re uniquely yours. And they’re going to be gorgeous.
Fortunately, the plant divisions outlined above do help to at least give a strong indication of what you’re getting yourself into, if there are certain colors or heights or other qualities that you prefer.
But more importantly, it’s the bloom shape and number of flowers that a single bulb may produce that you want to focus on here.
Longevity as perennials, ability to naturalize, and usefulness as cut flowers are also items to home in on, as well as whether or not your chosen bulbs will produce fragrant blooms, if that’s something that you’re looking for.
Arrange bulbs that bloom at different times in your beds to keep the colorful show going throughout the season, or select types that are more compact and particularly well-suited to containers if you garden on a patio or are otherwise short on space – container growing also makes early bloom forcing a possibility in the dead of winter.
Did I mention that I received blue ribbons in both badminton and volleyball in high school gym class? And MVP in college bowling class? Which division does that count as?
Regardless, I’m sure there’s a stunning tulip among the oodles of options available that would serve as a suitable award if bestowed upon myself, one that’s gorgeous to gaze upon, to commemorate these long-past ventures into athleticism even if I can’t figure out the college team sport equivalency for my meagre athletic achievements.
(Division 0.333? Once I threw a perfect spiral in high school gym too! But, of course, there was a substitute during the tag football game that day… my real teacher was there the day when I got hit right in the face with a rebounded basketball.)
Honestly, I’m a fan, but all the true athletes out there can keep their sports ball. I’d rather be doing yoga anyway, or spending as much time as possible out in the garden.
Which divisions set your heart aflutter? Struggling to choose? Reach out to us in the comments below, and please feel free to share photos of your beautiful blooming babies!
Next up, are you ready to get even more gorgeous springtime bulbs in the ground? Give these guides a read:
It’s a sad sight to see. And it happens every year.
Planters and containers that were once rich with color and foliage slowly fade and fail, becoming worn out and tired-looking by the time mid-summer rolls around.
And the higher the temperatures climb, the more those pretty blossoms and plump leaves shrivel and disappear.
Well, this doesn’t have to be your tale of woe this year. You can help your containers to flourish with vibrant good health all summer long just by doing one little thing differently.
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Sounds good, right? It is! But first, let’s take a look at all of the steps that will help your pots and containers to put on a peacock-worthy display throughout the season this year.
Botanical Beauty for Containers
In today’s world, nurseries and garden centers have such an amazing selection of lovely, healthy plants that it’s pretty easy to create an attractive-looking container. The tough part is to keep them looking good from spring right through to autumn.
Here’s a brief review of the steps that you can take to create and maintain a brilliant display all summer long.
1. Pick the Perfect Pot
The first step for a robust planter is to choose the correct pot size. This is determined by a few different factors.
A planter that’s too small will crowd roots, resulting in a scarcity of water, oxygen, and nutrients that are vital for healthy, vigorous growth.
Containers that are too big can result in overly moist soil, cutting off oxygen and drowning the roots. And the cool, moist soil often found in planters with too much room is also a welcome mat for plant problems. Fungal growth such as powdery mildew and leaf spot are common visitors, as are damping off and root or stem rot.
Bedding plants, seasonal kitchen herbs, annuals, and bulbs can all be arranged a little closer and tighter than plants in the ground, to make an impressive and healthy visual display.
So, if the recommended spacing is, say, 10-12 inches, item that thrive in containers can be planted about 6-8 inches apart.
And as a general rule, if their normal growth is 10-12 inches tall, you’ll want a pot that’s a bit more than half that size, or around 6-8 inches in diameter. For plants that grow from 24-36 inches in height, a larger container around 24 inches in diameter would be appropriate.
Your pot will need drainage holes with adequate drainage material on the bottom, to allow excess water to flow away easily.
Inverting a smaller plastic pot over the drainage holes will work if adding more weight is an issue, as will using packing chips or peanuts – although there is some controversy about styrene from styrofoam leeching into edibles.
This controversy arose after the 2011 publication of the National Toxicology Program’s Report on Carcinogens, reporting that “Styrene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen…” It also reported finding low levels of styrene in packaged food was primarily due to leaching from the polystyrene containers they were packed in.
But the report also concluded that these low levels from leaching are still considered to be within acceptable standards for human health. The greatest risk comes from long term occupational exposure in industries that use a lot of this material.
Gravel, pebbles, pieces of broken pottery, nut shells, pinecones, sticks, and coffee filters can all been used for drainage.
As a rule of (green) thumb, container plants don’t like to have wet feet – that is, having their roots sitting in water makes them unhappy.
A soggy root environment will cause most bedding plants to sulk and underperform. Or the roots may simply rot, which is not conducive for pretty planters!
Drainage is also needed to provide aeration for potted roots, as it’s harder for them to “breathe” and access oxygen in a container than it is for plants in the ground.
For many of us, the garden center has the same effect as a candy shop does on kids. “I want some of these, and six of those, and oh, I need a whole flat of the pretty pink ones…” And as we all know, impulse buying does not always mean we’ve made the best choices!
So, a little discernment (and self-discipline!) will help in selecting plants that will produce the best results for your location.
Choose plants that will thrive in your particular climate and light conditions. And if you like to mix plants together in one pot, select ones that have similar requirements for water and light.
Adding some foliage plants will help to fill out your pots, and they also provide an element of unity – pulling the overall picture together for greater visual appeal.
The addition of plants with varying heights and bloom times will also add a dynamic visual interest to your potted gardenscape, changing as the season progresses.
Summer flowering bulbs like gladiolas, canna lilies, arums, and caladiums will extend the season, providing fresh color and interest while earlier bloomers take a rest.
3. Provide Nutrient-Rich Soil
How good is it to be a fully grown adult and still be able to play in the dirt?!
However, we’re not serving up mud pies anymore. As garden stewards, we need to provide a nutrient-rich environment to ensure that our bedding plants thrive.
Amending your soil with about 20-25% finished compost or well-rotted manure improves the soil in a few different ways. It develops the soil’s tilth, or body structure, which helps with the retention of moisture and nutrients, and reduces soil compaction.
Container soil is best when it has some moisture-retaining materials in the mix, such as perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, or peat, at about 20% of the volume. It also needs nutrient-rich materials such as compost or manure.
Amending your soil with about 20-25% finished compost or well-rotted manure improves the soil in a few different ways. It develops the soil’s tilth, or body structure, which helps with the retention of moisture and nutrients, and reduces soil compaction. Plus, it can act as an equalizer for soils that have lost their pH neutrality.
Use a large bin, wheelbarrow, or a layer of plastic on the ground to mix up all of your ingredients in batches large enough to accommodate several pots. And if you purchase a growing mix, ensure that the texture is light and loose enough to provide ample drainage while still retaining some moisture.
If you like to recycle last year’s container soil, replace at least half to two-thirds with fresh soil, recycling any depleted dirt into your compost bin.
Of course, you should never recycle or compost any soil that has had diseased or failing plants grown in it. Spores, fungus, mites, and other unfriendlies can live on in the soil long after the plants have been removed – and they can be nestled in the dirt even with plants that look healthy. A safer option is to use fresh soil for each pot.
4. Give Them a Long, Tall Drink of Water
By the time summer arrives, containers in a sunny location require frequent, even daily, watering when it’s hot out.
However, not all pots require watering at the same time. Differences in light exposure, pot size, and plant size determine how often water is required.
Strong, healthy plants need strong, healthy root systems, which are developed by deep, slow watering. Light watering will develop small, shallow roots just under the surface. This leaves the larger roots at the bottom deprived of moisture, which causes plants to become dehydrated and fail.
Water slowly to ensure the entire root ball, including the deepest roots, gets a good drink, or just until water starts to emerge from the drainage holes.
5. Groom Bi-Weekly
During the growing season, give your containers a light grooming session every couple of weeks.
Deadhead spent blossoms, cut back straggly stems, and if needed, replace any plants that have given up.
Container gardening has no more pests or problems associated with it than ground plantings. But due to their close quarters and reduced air circulation, the spread of fungi and pests can be rapid.
To keep remaining plants free of infestation, any diseased specimens need to be removed pronto.
A few of the most common problems to be on the alert for are:
Black Spot
Most troublesome on roses, black spot also targets fruiting plants and is common in moist, humid conditions. It appears as brown or black spots on stems and leaves, causing leaves to yellow and fall off.
Remove any diseased leaves and stems, clean up all plant debris from the soil surface, and destroy it (i.e. don’t dispose of it in your compost pile).
Water in the morning to allow the leaves to dry thoroughly, and avoid watering on cool days. Some control can be found with regular spraying of new foliage with neem oil.
Botrytis Blight
Also known as gray mold, botrytis blight is another fungus that overwinters on plant debris. It favors cool, rainy weather and can infect numerous ornamentals as well as vegetables, berries, and other types of fruit.
Avoid overhead watering and remove and destroy any plants that may be infected.
Damping Off
Caused by overwatering and cool temperatures, damping off causes plants to rot at the base of the stem and keel over. Avoid overhead watering and move the planter to a warmer spot if possible.
Powdery Mildew
This fungus looks like a dusting of powder all over the plant leaves. It is particular about its weather conditions, showing up when days are warm and nights are cool. It will target flowers, ornamentals, and veggies, and is particularly fond of cereal grains.
Difficult to control, some prevention can be accomplished with regular spraying of new foliage with neem oil.
Rust
Plant rust looks like spots of rust on leaves and stems. Fond of hot, humid, and damp conditions, rust will cause plants to wilt and decline.
Rust spores are spread by wind and water, so prompt removal from containers is needed. Avoid overhead watering late in the day, and overwatering in general.
As the summer progresses, you can also freshen your containers with the addition of late-season performers like mums, autumn sedums, asters, calendula, and violas.
And now, for the trick we’ve all been waiting for…
6. The Most Important Step: Fertilize, and Fertilize Again
That’s it. When practiced regularly, this is the one simple tip that will significantly improve the performance and appearance of your planters and containers.
The addition of a slow-release fertilizer is always a good idea, and every planting should be finished off with granules that will feed slowly. A better idea is to give your containers a diluted drink of water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks, and even weekly for small pots that require frequent watering.
Every time a container is watered correctly, to the point of water coming from the drainage holes, it flushes nutrients out of the pot and away from the roots. This is problematic…
The reason is simple. Every time a container is watered correctly, to the point of water coming from the drainage holes, it flushes nutrients out of the pot and away from the roots. This is problematic, because unlike plants grown in the ground that can expand to find food, the roots are limited to an area within the container walls, with no access to fresh dirt and nutrition.
The answer is to supplement with a diluted solution of an all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. A general purpose fertilizer of 24-8-16 (24% nitrogen, 8% phosphorous, and 16% potassium) will maintain and feed your plants in pretty much any environment, but specific formulas (such as for tomatoes or annuals) may be selected to cater specifically to your chosen plantings.
Take care to heed the word dilute. Too much fertilizer is just as bad (if not worse) than too little, and will cause plants to grow and display fast and bright – but they’ll also burn out and fail quickly, too.
Over-fertilizing can cause plant leaves to turn yellow or brown, and damages roots. “Burning” is caused by the naturally occurring salts in fertilizers, which draw moisture out of the plant. Too much, and the most susceptible areas of the thin tips and edges will brown first, followed by the entire leaf.
To find the Goldilocks zone for fertilizing containers, take the recommended dosage for the product you’re using, and divide it by how frequently you’ll be fertilizing. For example, if the recommended amount is one “scoop” per month, divide the amount by 2 for bi-weekly feedings, and by 4 for weekly fertilizing. Mix into a full watering can and apply to moist soil.
Quick and easy, just as tips and tricks should be!
As a side note, while the majority of nutrients are supplied by the roots, some absorption can occur through the leaves with water soluble foliar fertilizers. Nurseries will often use a nitrogen-rich mix to promote leaf growth of seedlings, while a high phosphorous solution will encourage blooming.
If leaves are showing signs of distress, a foliar spray can quickly supply nutrients. However, they can be a bit tricky to use in mixed containers as different species have different requirements.
And, if the formula is too strong, leaf burn or scorch can easily occur. Plus, only a small amount of nutrients can be applied in one application, limiting its efficacy.
Be The Watcher
As caretaker of your lovely container gardenscape, you’ll also want to keep an eye on your plants to see how they’re responding to your care and maintenance regime. If they’re not flourishing, they’ll communicate their needs by their appearance.
Here’s a roundup of a few common signs to look out for:
Wilting
The most common causes of wilting are either too little or too much water.
If your plants are drooping due to dry soil, water slowly until it’s been absorbed by the dirt and starts to drain from the pot.
If it’s from too much water, cut back on watering until the soil is dry to the touch before watering again.
Lackluster Performance and General Decline
Leeching nutrients from the soil with each watering is often the cause of underperformance. Increase your fertilizing schedule with diluted applications, as per Tip #6 above.
Low Blossom Show
Annuals that are all leaf and no flower benefit from a fertilizer that’s higher in phosphorous. Look for formulas with a high middle number (i.e. phosphorous), such as 10-20-10, to boost bloom production.
Leggy Plants
By the time mid-summer rolls around, many annuals can be all stem with only a few flowers at the ends of branches. Both leggy annuals and perennials can be renewed by cutting back, which forces new growth.
Cut stems back by two-thirds on only half of the plant at a time, so as to retain some color. New growth will appear in a couple of weeks, at which time the remaining half of the plant can be cut back. And regular deadheading will help to reduce the appearance of scrawny, chicken-leg plants.
Yellow or Brown Leaves
This can have a few different causes. Inadequate nutrition due to leeching as well as over-fertilizing are often culprits, as are inadequate moisture levels.
Check your water and fertilizer routines and adjust as needed.
Do this for your containers from mid-May through the end of August and you’ll be richly rewarded with robust, full plantings of lush foliage and delightful color for the entire growing season.
A Bountiful Bottom Line
With the application of just a few simple steps at the start of the season, some weekly maintenance, and our super fertilizing tip, your containers and planters will have what it takes to put on a blazing display all summer long.
So remember, to retain their healthy good looks for the entire season, feed your planters more frequently, but with weaker doses of a water-soluble fertilizer. This is simple but effective, and you’ll be thrilled with the results.
Do you have any comments or questions about container plantings? If so, drop us a note in the comments below and share your thoughts.
Maybe you’ve heard of xeriscaping. It’s a type of desert-style landscaping, right?
Actually, I’m here to tell you that it’s way more!
By definition, xeriscaping is landscaping geared to dry climates where little irrigation is available. It involves the cultivation of “xerophytes,” or plants that require very little water, like cacti and succulents.
However, today’s interpretation of the concept is much broader, and may be applied to all climate zones.
How can this be?
Because xeriscaping isn’t just about growing plants where there isn’t much water.
And it’s not “zeroscaping,” a derisive reference to some landscapes where the concept was unsuccessfully implemented, or areas where zero landscaping has been implemented.
Instead, it’s about growing the right plants in the right places, and grouping plants with similar moisture requirements, to minimize maintenance and conserve water.
What Do We Mean by the Right Plants?
Natives and drought-tolerant non-natives are the best plants for xeriscapes.
Planting native plants is a great way to decrease water consumption, save money, reduce maintenance, and save time.
Because they are suited to a particular environment, you can give them a healthy start with watering and feeding, and then virtually forget them.
Another benefit of natives is that they attract local pollinating insects, birds, and other animals that are genetically wired to seek them out for food and shelter.
I recently wrote about native blue wildflowers. Two of my favorites are bluehead gilia (Gilia capitata) and mealy cup sage (Salvia farinacea) They both grow in full sun and require very little moisture.
The sage is especially nice at the back of a bed, as it is a bright violet blue, and over two feet tall. The gilia is a lighter shade, and about a foot tall. If you’re looking for a pop of color, blue is a striking choice.
If you’re planting non-native varieties, begin by selecting those that have been cultivated to thrive in your climate zone, then fine-tune your choices to those that can withstand water deprivation.
Once established, these plants will rarely require watering.
Lily turf (Liriope muscari) is a non-native, drought-tolerant clumping ground cover that is used extensively in my area as a border plant.
Lily turf (Liriope muscari), a non-native, drought-tolerant groundcover.
I never need to water mine, and it shares space with a Knock Out® Rose shrub that also requires little water.
When we xeriscape, we group plants by their watering needs. That way, if we do have to water, we can give exactly what each plant requires.
Grouping Plants with Similar Moisture Requirements
So far, we’ve discussed plants that can thrive with little water. However, this is not the end of the story.
Shade-Lovers Unite
Even in lush areas, where the loam is dark, and rich with moisture, we can practice landscaping with an eye to water conservation and low maintenance.
Take, for example, woodland gardening with perennials.
Do you have an area on your property that’s very shady, where the soil seems to stay damp?
I have a stretch of mature trees that shelter several layers of flora below them, including rhododendron, ferns, hostas, and creeping vinca.
This “microclimate” stands in stark contrast to another, in which I have clay-like soil that cracks when it’s parched, and is home to a little rock garden of hardy creeping stonecrop (Sedum spurium) and hens and chicks (Sempervivium).
For many home gardeners, the highest maintenance plant in the yard is the lawn.
If you’d like to reduce the time you spend mowing, fertilizing, and watering, you might like to replace turf grass with native ground covering plants that are self-sufficient, once established.
Alternatively, consider mowing higher (three inches or more) to allow your lawn to make deeper roots and retain more water. This will save money and reduce storm-water runoff.
Minimal Maintenance and Water Consumption
Not all xeriscape plants are completely self-sufficient when it comes to maintenance and watering. Remember, we said that plants need to be nurtured with watering and feeding when first planted.
As for maintenance, some flowering plants may be improved by pruning leggy stems to retain shape or deadheading to promote blossoming.
Be sure to read plant literature to determine the extent of care to expect with the plants you choose. Low-maintenance varieties will save you time in the garden.
Regarding watering, there will be times when there is a drought so severe that you will want to give your plants a much-appreciated drink. But when you do, don’t drag out the hose.
Instead, use a watering can and aim the spout at the soil level where the roots are, and not at the plant itself.
Watering leaves and flowers is inefficient, and in direct sunlight with extreme heat, may burn the plants.
If you select plants that require occasional watering, consider installing a drip irrigation system to water efficiently at the soil level. This is more economical than a sprinkler or handheld garden hose.
I recently visited a unique garden that features native species and has an intricate rain watering system. It’s the High Line, a public park in Manhattan that provides a refreshing escape from the bustling city below.
Taking It to the Max
If xeriscaping is all about native plantings and water conservation, the High Line in Manhattan is an amazing example on a grand scale.
This park was once a freight line for the meat-packing district.
For years, the defunct rail system was yet another vestige of urban blight. Today, it is a sustainable “green roof” garden trail, and a model for environmentally responsible urban planning across the globe.
What an inspiration!
A New Garden Attitude
From Manhattan to our own backyards, xeriscaping makes a positive environmental impact, by creating habitat with native plants, and conserving water with native and cultivated drought-tolerant species.
Are you ready to enter a new relationship with your outdoor space, and save time and money at the same time? To briefly recap, here’s what to do:
Select natives, drought-tolerant varieties, and true xerophytes
Plan to plant in groupings with similar water requirements
Design a layered arrangement to allow plants to shelter one another and preserve moisture
Prepare to apply organic compost or leaf mulch to help with moisture retention
A painted daisy is proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or rather, that you can’t judge an effective bug-killer by its beautiful blooms.
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On the surface, Tanacetum coccineum is an absolutely gorgeous perennial.
With its extremely striking hues, this daisy truly does look painted, as if Georgia O’Keeffe herself took some red, pink, and/or purple pastels directly to the petals.
But contained within the flowers are pyrethrins: a group of naturally-occurring compounds which, when consumed, wreak havoc on a bug’s nervous system.
As a result, bugs tend to steer clear of these bad boys, making the painted daisy a fine choice for organic pest management.
Growing and caring for these flowers is pretty simple, but a primer will definitely give you a leg up on T. coccineum cultivation. Hence, this guide.
Here’s what you’ll be getting into:
What Are Painted Daisies?
Hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 7 and native to southwestern Asia, painted daisies are a spectacular species of herbaceous perennial flower, belonging to the Asteraceae family alongside cosmos, dahlias, and marigolds.
The painted daisy goes by other common names, such as the pyrethrum, pyrethrum daisy, and Persian insect flower.
In binomial nomenclature, former names include Chrysanthemum coccineum, C. roseum, and Pyrethrum roseum.
Tanacetum coccineum has a fun meaning. From the Greek athanasia – meaning “immortality” – comes the genus name, which references the everlasting nature of Asteraceae blooms.
The species name coccineum means “scarlet” or “crimson,” a nod to the sometimes red petals.
Since many plants bear the name “daisy,” it’s important to distinguish T. coccineum from the rest.
With an upright, bushy, and clumping habit, these plants reach two to three feet tall and one to one and a half feet wide at maturity. Flaunting a pleasantly earthy aroma, T. coccineum produces showy, three-inch-wide flowers from June to July atop thin, wiry stems.
Unsurprisingly, these blooms have that pluckable daisy-like aesthetic, with long and slender ray petals – perfect for discerning whether that special someone loves you or not.
The typically single, occasionally double flowers have yellow centers and pretty petals that come in white, red, pink, or purple hues.
Soft, fern-like leaves are produced in an alternate arrangement below the blooms, increasing in size and petiole length as you move down the stem.
Thankfully, T. coccineum doesn’t grow invasively or aggressively… although the same can’t be said for its close relative T. vulgare.
Fun fact: T. coccineum contains pyrethrins in its flowers, which are organic compounds with bug-killing properties.
With a high toxicity to insects and a low toxicity to birds and mammals, these pyrethrins over-excite a bug’s nervous system when ingested, which quickly leads to the insect’s paralysis and death.
If you’re allergic to members of the Asteraceae family – you probably are if you have a ragweed allergy – then contact with the sap or leaves of a painted daisy could cause a bit of skin irritation.
The cultivation of pyrethrum daisy for its insecticidal properties spans centuries, with records of its usage going all the way back to ancient China’s Chou dynasty in the first century CE.
The Dalmatian pyrethrum, aka T. cinerariifolium, is cultivated for its pyrethrins more commonly in commercial production than T. coccineum.
A solvent is used to extract these from the dead flower heads.
While both species contain significant amounts of pyrethrins, T. cinerariifolium has far higher concentrations, making it more effective in yielding insecticide.
In the case of painted daisies, the insecticide derived from this species has a long history of use in the Caucasus Mountain region, and the daisy was once commonly known as “Caucasian insect-powder plant.”
The locals knew the power of their insect powder, and sold it to outsiders at high prices while keeping its true botanical origins a secret… until the early 1800s, at least.
At that time, an Armenian merchant known as Mr. Jumtikoff learned where the insect powder came from and how it was made. In 1828, his son began large-scale production.
By the mid-1800s, Caucasian insect powder had reached central Europe, with another merchant taking credit for the majority of its success in the market: the German-born Johann Zacherl.
He sourced the flower from rural Caucasian communities, ground it up in what’s now the modern-day nation of Georgia, then procured the processed powder in the Austrian city of Vienna, selling it as “Zacherl’s Insect Killing Tincture,” or “Zacherlin.”
By 1880, Zacherl’s son had taken over the firm, and replaced painted daisies with the more pyrethrin-dense T. cinerariifolium.
Its higher concentration of insect-killing compounds makes the Dalmatian pyrethrum the more lucrative choice for pesticide production.
In the modern-day, pyrethrum is commonly used as an organic pest management tool among both commercial farmers and amateur gardeners.
And after studying its modes of action, scientists have actually been able to synthesize pyrethroids, a manmade counterpart to au naturel pyrethrins.
All of this we owe, in part, to the humble painted daisy.
Propagation
Want some painted daisies of your very own? Then you’ll have to grow them from seed, procure divisions, or acquire T. coccineum transplants.
From Seed
Seeds can be sown directly outdoors after your area’s last frost date. Alternatively, you can actually sow them indoors four to six weeks before the final frost, if you’d like a head start.
For indoor sowing, fill a cell tray with a 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite.
Sow one seed per cell, and gently cover each with about an eighth of an inch of media. Moisten the soil, set the tray near a sunny window, and maintain ambient temperatures of 60 to 70°F.
‘Robinson’s Red’
Maintain moist media all the while, and germination should occur in about two to four weeks.
After the final frost date passes two to four weeks later, harden off the seedlings outdoors by leaving the tray outside for 30 to 60 minutes before bringing it back indoors.
Add an additional half to full hour of exposure each following day until your seedlings can survive a full day outside.
At this point, you can transplant the seedlings directly into the ground or into their own three-inch pots, keeping the media moist until they become established.
If you wanted to sow directly outdoors from the get-go, then plant groups of four seeds into well-draining garden soil after the final frost date in spring.
Space these seed groups about 18 to 24 inches apart, cover them with an eighth of an inch of soil, and moisten in the soil. Keep it moist as the seedlings grow and develop.
For freshly-sown, in-ground groups of four seeds, germination should occur in two to four weeks.
As they emerge from the ground, thin out the seedlings until you’re eventually left with the strongest one in each group.
Keep the media moist around the winning seedlings until they become established.
Via Division
After the final frost date in spring, carefully dig up a mature T. coccineum.
Working over a tarp or spread-out newspaper, use your hands or a sharp blade to carefully divide the specimen into two or four daughter plants, with foliage and roots intact.
You can now transplant them into new spots in the garden!
Via Transplanting
Whether it’s with a divided daughter plant, a hardened-off seeding, or a purchased specimen, transplanting a painted daisy is pretty easy.
Prepare well-draining planting sites with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Space these sites 18 to 24 inches apart, and ensure that they get full sun or partial shade.
Come transplanting time in post-frost spring, dig holes about as deep and a bit wider than the transplants’ root systems.
Set the transplants in the holes, backfill, and water them in. Keep the transplant sites moist until established.
How to Grow
Now that your painted daisies are growing in their new homes, it’s time to keep them happy with proper cultivation!
Climate and Exposure Needs
To survive the extremes of winter and summer, these plants should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7.
In windy climates, staking T. coccineum may come in handy to keep the slender stems from flopping over.
Soil Needs
As long there’s decent drainage, a painted daisy isn’t too particular about its soil. When it comes to qualities such as texture and fertility, shoot for “moderate” or “average” over any extremes.
Same thing goes for pH – a slightly acidic to neutral range of 6.0 to 7.0 works well.
Water and Fertilizer Needs
Irrigation-wise, keep it moderate by deeply watering whenever the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch.
Throughout the growing season, a monthly application of balanced fertilizer will help satisfy the plant’s nutritional needs.
A suitable product for the job would be this 20-20-20 NPK water-soluble fertilizer from Jack’s Classic, available on Amazon.
Growing Tips
Full sun exposure is best, though partial shade can benefit plants in warmer climates.
Ensure that the soil is well-draining.
Water deeply whenever the top one to two inches of soil feel dry.
Pruning and Maintenance
When the plants are six to eight inches tall, pinching back new growth by a third in spring can stimulate profuse flowering and a bushier form overall.
After the first bloom, promptly deadhead spent flowers to encourage a second flush of blooming.
Adding a couple inches of mulch to the root zone around your plants is also a smart move – it’ll conserve soil moisture, insulate the roots, and protect said roots from physical damage.
Cultivars to Select
The cool thing about cultivars is that they offer multiple different aesthetics within a single species. Here’s a few (with fun people’s names!) that I’m sure you’ll love:
Brenda
Can’t decide between red and purple? With its beautiful, magenta-shaded single blooms, the ‘Brenda’ cultivar is the perfect blend of the two hues.
Reaching a mature height of two feet, ‘Brenda’ is sure to bring happy vibes… unless you have an ex named Brenda, in which case it might bring the mood down a bit.
James Kelway
Red and yellow is one of my favorite color pairings, so ‘James Kelway’ was a total shoo-in for my list of epic cultivars to harp on.
These beautiful single flowers flaunt striking red petals, which emerge from a bright yellow center.
With a mature height of about two feet, ‘James Kelway’ blooms can’t help but grab your attention, especially when viewed with the green backdrop of its foliage.
Much like the way “Ms. Pac-Man” added unpredictability and variation to plain ol’ “Pac-Man,” ‘Mrs. James Kelway’ has an added element of change that ‘James Kelway’ lacks.
Starting off cream-colored, ‘Mrs. James Kelway’ petals actually turn a pale pink over time. When viewed over the course of its life, this two-foot-tall beauty is practically two plants in one!
Managing Pests and Disease
In spite of its dainty beauty, a painted daisy is tough. But there are a few potential threats that could cause some problems, especially in the plant’s youth. Let’s touch on them a bit.
Herbivores
Not too much to worry about in the plant-munching mammals department. As a matter of fact, T. coccineum is resistant to deer!
Insects
Because T. coccineum flowers have insecticidal properties, mature plants aren’t typically bothered by insects, and can actually be added to the landscape to keep bugs away from nearby plantings.
Young plants, however, might be pestered a bit by aphids, chrysanthemum nematodes, or leaf miners.
Aphids
Feeding on the sap within plant tissues, these soft-bodied insects can leave afflicted plants with stunted growth, wilting, and structural damage associated with feeding.
Often spread via infested yet asymptomatic specimens, chrysanthemum nematodes cause yellow, brown, and/or black patches on leaves.
Since the nematodes can’t move through leaf veins, these patches will often have clearly-defined borders.
Subsequent symptoms include leaf distortion, desiccation, browning, and drooping. Fed-upon buds may produce deformed leaves or fail to flower.
To prevent chrysanthemum nematode infestation, only introduce healthy specimens into your garden and keep adjacent areas clear of leaf detritus, as nematodes can survive for up to three years in dead foliage.
Mulch to restrict nematode movement up and out of the soil. If infestation occurs, remove and destroy infested specimens.
Leaf Miners
Living and feeding within leaves as they mature, “leaf miners” are a group of pests that may include an assortment of beetles, wasps, and sawflies in the larval stage.
As a result of their munching, leaf miners leave ugly, whitish feeding trails in their wake, which can merge into larger, even uglier blotches. In addition to reducing aesthetics, this damage also impacts photosynthesis – no bueno.
Root Rot
If excess water and/or inadequate soil drainage deprives a plant’s roots of oxygen, the roots will begin to turn necrotic. As you can imagine, that doesn’t leave the aboveground shoots too well off.
Without a support system of healthy roots, shoots will begin to exhibit symptoms such as stunted growth, chlorosis, or necrosis. Yup, that last one is death.
Prevention is key here – don’t overwater, and be sure to provide ample soil drainage.
If root rot ever occurs, you can wait to see if the specimen recovers with proper irrigation and drainage. You might opt to lift the plant and remove any rotted roots before replanting.
If the majority of the roots are rotted, the plant’s odds of survival are slim. If its end is nigh, pitch the plant and take this as a lesson learned for next time.
Best Uses
Whether grown in a cottage garden, a mass or grouping, as a border, or even in a butterfly garden, painted daisy makes a powerfully colorful statement, exclaiming “I look absolutely fine.” And truly, it does.
Cut T. coccineum flowers look stunning in arrangements – their tall and slender forms make them the perfect fit for tall and slender vases.
For some easy pest management that couldn’t be more organic, try planting these guys wherever you don’t want bugs to hang out.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Herbaceous flowering perennial
Flower/Foliage Color:
Pink, red, violet, white (petals), yellow (centers)/green
Native to:
Southwestern Asia
Water Needs:
Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zones):
3-7
Maintenance:
Low
Bloom Time:
June-July
Tolerance:
Deer, insects
Exposure:
Full sun-partial shade
Soil Type:
Average
Spacing:
18-24 inches
Soil pH:
6.0-7.0
Planting Depth:
1/8 inch (seeds), depth of root system (transplants)
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Height:
2-3 feet
Uses:
Borders, cottage gardens, cut flowers, groupings, mass planting, pest management
For the non-chemical, organic gardener, compost is an essential part of your hardworking hobby.
Even for those who do use chemicals, adding organic matter back into the soil as broken-down, nutrient-rejuvenated new soil has undeniable benefits – ones you just can’t argue with!
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The art of composting transforms food scraps, mulch, clippings, leaves, wood ashes, and many other things into a dark, rich soil that you can add to your plants for extra food – or which you use to amend your outdoor beds.
Creating this natural fertilizer using aeration, microbes, turning, and other techniques is one thing. Yet there is another dynamic aspect you can add to the process, and one which is so worth it: the mighty earthworm!
That’s right, earthworms in your compost can be an amazing tool.
Taking care of your own batch, or what is also called a worm farm or vermicompost/vermiculture (vermi– meaning worm), can ramp up your compost, waste stream, and your garden – and you’ve found the perfect guide to get you started.
Composting With Worms: Is It Better?
Anyone who’s gardened even a little bit knows that earthworms are fantastic.
But why are they so great, exactly? You see the little pink guys squirming in the soil around your plants from time to time (at least I hope you do…) and it’s a reassuring sight.
But do you have any idea why?
In essence, they eat up organic matter. It passes through their intestinal tract (yes – they poop it out) and the result is fine-textured, nutrient-packed, soil-like castings (yes – another name for poop).
This can actually have the effect of speeding up your pile’s breakdown, if done right.
Dried earthworm castings.
Rather than letting it slowly decompose with just the help of oxygen, microbes, and certain techniques, earthworms mobilize the process of decay – and here’s a couple ways how:
Consuming Matter
As I said, these little crawlers gobble up matter that may take much longer to break down on its own, catalyzing the composting process. They will literally eat up your food or other waste and excrete it, to complete decomposition faster.
Tunneling
Worms burrow too, helping aerate and break larger chunks of matter down quicker. This also brings airflow into deeper layers to speed things up, while letting healthier, more beneficial bacteria (aerobic strains) to colonize soil more successfully than unhealthy, anaerobic ones.
Incredibly Fertile Castings
According to the authors of “Teaming With Microbes” (read our review of this fine book), not only do castings speed up the composting process, but organic matter that passes through an earthworm’s digestive tract is rendered many times richer and more available to plants than when broken down otherwise.
The result? Perfectly textured, rich fertilizing soil made up of easy-to-use castings – light in weight, but heavy in nutrients.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Bacteria?
When composting with a pile or with vermiculture, the goal is to encourage aerobic bacteria over anaerobic types. As the name implies, aerobic bacteria need oxygen and airflow to thrive (thus the need to turn your compost), and they create beneficial nutrients for your plants – while anaerobic strains promote disease, rot, and a terrible stench if aeration is stifled in your pile.
The important thing to realize is that earthworms already do all of the above in your garden!
You might even have seen castings around your plants – they look like churned-up bits of soil, some a little like pellets (quite accurate to what they actually are: droppings).
While these dirt buddies are excellent for wriggling through your garden beds – digging tunnels around plant roots to bring in water and nutrients, excreting fertile poop all the while – earthworms in your compost arguably double the benefits for your plants, maybe even more.
Everything they do for your soil, they will also do for your waste stream, scraps, and ultimately, your plants – when you bring them straight to your pile.
I would argue too that it’s essential you see their natural presence in your garden beds, not just your compost. If you don’t see them slithering in the soil of your garden, it’s a sure sign that your soil probably needs some help!
All the same, farming your own will probably have the biggest impact on organic plant feeding out of the two.
If you’re not seeing these little guys in your garden, nourishing your beds with your very own vermicompost can improve your soil makeup, and help attract a population to your garden naturally.
Everyone has their own way of doing things – but looking at the science of it, many expert gardeners and farmers (of the non-chemical ilk) will insist that it is (and I agree).
Composting aerobically takes a lot of patience and even has a bit of a learning curve.
To make it happen quickly and successfully, you have to masterfully combine the elements of temperature, moisture, nitrogen, and carbon – a lot to get the hang of, though experienced gardeners love it once they do.
Vermicompost, on the other hand, trumps the aerobic method in two big ways: it’s easy to learn and manage, and gives you more nutrient-rich soil in a shorter amount of time!
So, what’s not to love?
Getting Started
Having your own vermicompost will be a bit like having a new pet – or pets, actually.
No need for taking these pets out for walks, grooming, vet checkups, or cleaning up their leavings (especially the latter).
All you need to worry about is feeding your pets enough and correctly, all while letting them do their dirty work (the good kind)!
This method is also fairly easy for folks of all ages to grasp – making it a fun activity for families and kids. It can also help instill lessons and awareness of preserving and working with nature, reducing and reusing food waste, and gardening in a way that’s good for the environment.
If you have managed your own pile in the past: vermicompost is almost exactly the same, except worms do all the turning, aerating, and most of the layering for you.
Are you a newbie to composting? All you need to do is throw scraps into your container – but you can’t just throw everything in.
Only materials that worms can eat and work through are acceptable. Determining which won’t hurt them is an item that we’ll get to later.
Finding Your Worms
Where to start? First things first – you need to find some earthworm buddies!
It’s true that you can scavenge and snatch up some straight from your garden, but that might be an arduous task for some; and not all wild species will complete the task well for you.
Photo by Adrian White.
You’ll have to take special care that you have the right species for the job, and that you aren’t stealing away too many that are doing your garden some great favors already!
Red Wigglers
Red wigglers (Eisenia Fetida) are considered the best and most popular worm species for helping things break down quickly and efficiently, and I’d encourage you start with those.
Although they are smaller variety (growing up to five inches) compared to some worms used for fishing, they are more active than other species and can consume their body weight in compost material a day.
They also reproduce much faster than other types making it easier to start out with a smaller bunch and grow enough of them to fill your container or expand.
They require a humid and warm environment and can’t be left in an unheated outbuilding during the winter in cooler climates.
I’d also highly recommend sourcing them for your little farm from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm on Amazon – and you can purchase your worms conveniently online, if you’re short of your own garden sources.
European Nightcrawlers
European nightcrawlers (Dendrobaena hortensis), also known as super red worms, are another great option for home vermiculture setups.
This species is larger than red wrigglers and grow up to eight inches, but they aren’t quite as active and therefore don’t eat as much in proportion to their bodyweight. They also reproduce more slowly than red wrigglers, but they are still much faster than many other varieties.
Nightcrawlers are able to withstand colder temperatures as long as you have deep bins for them to burrow into. This makes them ideal for those in northern climates and who want to use an outbuilding kept at a lower temperature.
These worms also can be readily used or sold as fish bait, and they can be added to your garden and lawn for aeration and to assist in the breakdown of leaf matter and other organics.
There is no exact formula that has been determined, though you may want to take some stock of how much waste you think you’ll produce on average.
Mary Applehof, author of “Worms Eat My Garbage,” states that you should employ two pounds of worms for every pound of unfinished compost to start for optimal breakdown.
Keep in mind though – these creepy-crawlers do reproduce quite quickly when they’re happy and thriving, so it’s better to start out with a more reserved amount than way too many.
Make sure to store your farm in a cool, dry place that is protected from the elements, whether inside or outdoors. When it’s warm, somewhere that tends to stay cool all year works well, such as the shade of a garage, shed, or even your basement.
If indoors, keep it away from fans, heaters, or chemicals that could hurt your little guys or dry out their home. If outside, somewhere sheltered and shady works well – the north wall of a building or shed generally suits during hot summer months.
Photo by Adrian White.
When winter’s frigid temperatures come around, you can bring the setup inside, preferably somewhere that gets a good dose of warmth and sun during the day.
Or, keep it outdoors, but switch it this time around to a south-facing side of the house or other shelter. Make sure it still gets cover from snow and other wintry precipitation, with a good amount of sun during the day.
If keeping your pile outdoors during cold seasons too, you can cover it with a tarp or other gardening cover for protection (black is good, to absorb sunlight). Make sure you keep the lid over it, too!
Keep feeding your vermicompost constantly, even throughout the winter – an active pile makes its own heat, which will warm and protect your pets.
Be sure to check the temperature too; the most productive temperature for red wigglers is between 60 and 80°F.
Container Options
Once you have got your worms, you will need a container, a home for them to live in!
Make Your Own Container
Have your own compost bin already, just without the worms?
You may be able to simply modify it to make it worm-friendly, but make sure that the following details are applied to any vermiculture container you make or choose:
Many different kinds of materials can work. Stainless steel, galvanized iron, plastic, or ceramic are great – you can choose wood (untreated), though it may absorb some fluids and bring a stink.
Your new worm home can be as small as 20 inches long, wide, and deep, or as big as three feet long, wide, and deep, though you can go a bit bigger (if you’re feeling confident).
Note: large amounts of waste can be composted from bigger waste streams on bigger properties, though you’ll need LOTS of worms; and keep in mind that breakdown greatly slows, the bigger your pile or system gets.
The bin must be able to hold food scraps and other organic material. It should also open at the top and have a lid to cover it completely closed for protecting your wrigglers.
A good example of what a large vermicompost container may look like.
Drill, hammer, or punch holes in the sides, bottom, and top (lid) of your container for aeration and drainage. At least five to six will do you well. Not only do microbes need to breathe – your little pets do, too.
Don’t worry about holes being big enough for your little guys to escape. If you’re doing things right, they won’t want to leave their box!
Get a tray for the bottom where fluids (called leachates) can drain off and collect (think something like a lid, in which your container can sit snugly).
Too much fluid in your compost is a bane to wrigglers, and draining it off prevents them from drowning – while providing its own natural fertilizing “tea” application in and of itself (which we’ll get to later)!
Buy a Container
Not in the DIY way? You may want to take a look at the Worm Factory 360 Worm Composter for purchase of a ready-to-go, easy to manage home for your new little farm.
Instead of a simple container, this mini-factory is multi-tiered and made up of several removable trays that your wrigglers will be able to climb up into.
You can then remove trays of finished dark fertilizer easily for garden use, while leaving your squirmy little composters alone to eat in peace in other trays – while adding fresh scraps to them as you go.
It also features a convenient drain-off spigot you can use to collect what is called leachate, with which you can fertilize your plants by diluting with water when you water them or use it as a foliar (a nutritional application sprayed onto plant leaves).
Preparing Your Container
Once you have a bin and you’re ready to house your worms, there’s a few steps to follow for getting things prepared – both for making your little guys comfortable, and to support them in becoming compost-making machines.
1. Line the Bottom of Container With “Carbon” Matter
That is, in compost terminology, “brown matter” (dried leaves, untreated non-glossy newspaper, untreated shredded paper, wood chips).
Adding carbon material to the worm farm. Photo by Adrian White.
Line your container about a third of the way deep.
2. Add Microbe-Active, Nutrient-Rich Soil
Place at the bottom below the lining, or sprinkle around on top. This will introduce beneficial bacteria and other microbes to the bin, which provides food for your wrigglers and helps with breakdown.
Adding a handful of nutrient-rich soil. Photo by Adrian White.
Note that adding sterile or chemically treated potting soil will not achieve this effect, and might actually be detrimental!
Add some good soil from your garden or from already finished compost, for example – or purchase a potting soil that includes active microbes.
3. Spritz Lightly With Water
A bit of moisture will be very good for their environment – but not too much. Just make sure soil and lining are both lightly damp.
Photo by Adrian White.
Once these steps are complete, you’re ready to release your wriggly friends into your container.
Time to add the worms! Photo by Adrian White.
Simply scoop them into the lining and soil by hand, or open up your purchased container and plop them right in (gently, of course).
Feeding, Care, and Composting
Once you’ve gone through each step above, you should be ready to get composting! Your little friends should be ready, too.
All You Have to Do:
As you generate kitchen scraps, yard waste, and the like, simply toss it into your container on top of the lining – cover with a bit of carbon or brown matter (i.e. dried leaves, untreated paper, or untreated wood chips), close the container, and wait patiently.
Photo by Adrian White.
Each time you throw on more fresh scraps, make sure to cover them with a lining of carbon/brown matter. This ensures that decomposition happens in tandem with your squirmy little pets, and can also help keep stink down!
What Can I Feed My Worms?
This is a very important aspect of vermicomposting that cannot be forgotten!
Unlike aerobic composting – where you can break down a wide array of organic materials – with your wrigglers, you can obviously only have them process materials that are safe, edible, and degradable by them. What would those be?
Fruit (non-citrus) and vegetable scraps
Soy products (tofu, tempeh, miso, etc.)
Tea bags
Coffee grounds
Egg shells
Nuts and seeds
Untreated paper scraps
Dried leaves
Nutshells
Human hair or pet hair
Laundry lint
Rice, pasta, non-dairy baked goods
Grass clippings
Seedless weeds
What Not to Feed Them?
Avoid tossing in the following materials, no matter how badly you want to get rid of them and turn them into plant food.
Most of these wouldn’t be good food for your plants anyway, not to mention that they would be a harm to (or completely untouched by) your pink little guys!
Instead, you’ll have to toss these into the trash – or you can create a completely separate, non-worm aerobic compost pile if you desire.
Seedy garden weeds (they’ll sprout back up in your garden if you apply your compost there)
Diseased plants
Cooking oils, fats, or grease (which go rancid before worms eat them, and can encourage anaerobic, bad bacteria)
The End Product: Amazing Compost and a Great Bond
As you feed your worms and get into a groove, you can observe as all your food scraps and waste are turned into beautiful, dark compost.
It depends on what you feed them, as well as the time of year, temperature, and other elements – but on average, you will have some fertilizing compost to work with in about one to two weeks!
Once all food scraps are chowed down on and gone, you can remove all the compost worm castings and place them in a separate container – a bag for soil or a bucket (with a few holes for aeration) are good choices.
Photo credit: Adrian White.
Keep your worms in their original container in the meantime, leaving a bit of the soil-like compost still inside for them to still wriggle around and be comfortable in.
Line it with a fresh layer of carbon material like before, throw your scraps in, and watch the magic happen all over again! Lather, rinse, repeat.
Some aficionados of vermicomposting out there prefer having multiple composting bins for their earthworms – this makes it easier to transfer worms into a new compartment with fresh scraps, all without disturbing them too much while transferring fresh worm castings out (this is why the 360 Worm Farm is perfect)!
If you take the leap and really get into worm farming, the rewards are absolutely worth it, both for your house and your garden.
Not only will you be sourcing your own organic fertilizer for garden plants right at home – you’ll also be forming an invaluable relationship with your earthworms, one of the best fellow gardeners and companions out there in the animal kingdom.
If you love to create a cut flower display in your home, this hybrid is one to have around.
‘Galaxy’ was bred at the US National Arboretum in 1963 using M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. sprengeri ‘Diva’ to combine the best of both with a dense, pyramidal tree form that blooms late enough to dodge most late frosts.
And it’s a good thing, because you wouldn’t want to miss out on these flowers! They can be up to a foot across, and they have 12 petals, so they’re incredibly striking.
Add ‘Galaxy’ to your garden universe by heading to Nature Hills Nursery to pick up a four- to five-foot tree in a #3 container for your Zone 5 to 9 garden.
11. Genie
Don’t keep this genie in a bottle. ‘Genie’ is a beautiful hybrid in a small package.
The tree tops out around 10 feet tall, dressed up in a robe of deep burgundy, cup-shaped flowers growing at the end of the bare branches. And the blossoms are anything but small, at up to seven inches across.
That’s not the end of the show, though. This is a reliable rebloomer in Zones 5 to 9 that will put up another display in the summer.
Created by breeder Vance Hooper in New Zealand using M. x ‘Black Tulip’ and M.liliiflora ‘Nigra,’ it blooms later in the spring than many other types, so you can escape most of those sneaky late frosts.
The lily magnolia (M. liliiflora) is native to China and grows as a large shrub or small tree with a symmetrical shape.
It blooms before the leaves emerge with pink, purple, and white goblet-shaped blossoms with seven tepals and a heavenly citrus scent.
The plant can grow up to 12 by 12 feet in height and spread but it usually stays smaller, so it’s ideal for containers.
It’s not common in North America, but this species is wildly popular in China and Japan. It does well in Zones 5 to 8.
13. Loebner
What do you get when you cross floriferous M. kobus and the star-like blossoms of M. stellata? The lovely Loebner magnolia (M. x loebneri).
It’s a mini tree or large shrub with petite blossoms, but the impact is anything but small.
The six-inch, pink, purple, and white flowers have 15 narrow tepals, and the trees are positively covered in them. They’re also intensely fragrant. These plants are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.
There are lots of exceptional cultivars, including ‘Merrill,’ which was bred by Karl Sax, the third director of Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University from 1946 to 1954.
It’s a fast grower that reaches up to 25 feet or so with pure white flowers that have wider tepals than the species.
‘Leonard Messel’ is another option, with bicolored rosy-purple and white flowers. It’s robust and frost resistant. Snag one in a #3 container from Nature Hills Nursery.
14. Jane
‘Jane’ is an incredibly popular hybrid cultivar that’s vigorous and hardy. It will bloom even when it’s colder than what other magnolias can tolerate, growing in Zones 4 to 8. It can also withstand heat.
In the spring, you’ll be treated to purple-red and white blossoms on plants that stay a petite 15 feet or smaller.
‘Jane’ is a cross between M. liliiflora ‘Reflorescens’ and M. stellata ‘Waterlily,’ another member of the Little Girl series bred at the National Arboretum.
‘Alexandrina’ (not Alexandria) was introduced in 1831 by Cels of Paris, and it has been a popular saucer option ever since.
The outside of the flowers is white with a contrasting purple-magenta inside, with the darkest coloring at the base of the petals.
There is a pure-white form of this plant as well, ‘Alexandrina Alba,’ but it’s far less common. Even less common is a form with variegated leaves known as ‘Alexandrina Variegata.’
I think M. sargentiana is an unsung wonder of the magnolia world.
These can be downright majestic, completely covered in so many blossoms that you might think the tree just has pink or white leaves for a few weeks out of the year.
Sure, the flowers can’t compete in terms of size with some others, but that doesn’t make them any less striking.
Sadly, this species is not quite as versatile as some of the other options. It needs to be planted in Zones 6 to 9, but gardeners in those regions are in luck.
‘Caerhays Belle’ is an attractive hybrid cross of M. sargentiana and M. sprengeri. It is absolutely covered in salmon pink flowers in the spring.
I prefer to stick to native options, but I’ll make an exception for this Chinese native.
The species can occasionally skip or have a very reduced year in terms of flowering, so you should look for the excellent cultivars and hybrids like ‘Caerhays Belle’ that don’t need to take an occasional break.
18. Southern
Here’s the classic. The one you see in all the iconic movies and TV shows based in the southern US.
Southern magnolias (M. grandiflora) are some of the most common in gardens in the US.
When you picture that large, flowering tree immortalized in southern literature and movies, this is the species they’re usually talking about.
These trees are native to the south, spanning as far north as Virginia and down into Florida, and from the Atlantic Coast to eastern Texas. They can grow up to 80 feet tall and half as wide, though they will stay smaller in cooler regions.
Most cultivars have large white or cream blossoms and they are evergreen. They’re capable of growing as far north as Zone 6, so don’t assume you have to live in a warm area to grow these plants.
‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ is a particularly lovely semi-evergreen cultivar with fragrant white flowers and dark green leaves with a rusty brown underside.
Roy Bracken discovered this beauty in 1968 in a nursery in South Carolina, and while the flowers are about half the size of other cultivars, it makes up for it in sheer volume.
The tree itself has a semi-columnar shape, reaching 50 feet tall and around 20 feet wide.
Fast Growing Trees ships quickly, offers a one-year guarantee, and carries this option in two- to three- and three- to four-foot heights.
‘Little Gem’ is perfect for containers or more restricted spaces. Its only flaw, if you could call it that, is that it can’t grow north of Zone 7. Sorry Kansas and Ohio gardeners, but there are lots of other great options for you.
Bred by Steed’s Nursery in North Carolina in 1966, it has a columnar shape with dense, petite leaves and flowers that emerge and stick around later in the season than those of the species.
If you need something petite, ‘Kay Parris’ is a dwarf that usually stays under 20 feet tall. Nature Hills Nursery has this one available in a tree form in a #2 container.
For a nice cold-hardy option, ‘24 Below’ can survive in areas that get as cold as, you guessed it, -24°F.
19. Star
Star magnolias (M. stellata) are native to Japan and have fairly petite flowers, but they produce lots of them.
Kind of like looking at the night sky while lying on your back, staring up at these trees you’ll notice that the petals are long and narrow, giving each tepal the appearance of a shooting star bursting across the heavens in the spring.
This shrubby tree is sometimes labeled as a cultivar of Kobushi magnolia (M. kobus), but it’s a separate species. And it’s versatile enough to grow in Zones 4 to 9.
Here comes the sun, little darlin’! Bring ‘Sunspire’ home from Nature Hills Nursery in a #2 container if you live in Zones 5 to 8.
21. Sweetbay
Sweetbays (M. virginiana) are a southern classic that can be identified by their dark green leaves with a silvery underside.
Most other magnolias either have the same green color on both sides of the leaves or the underside is a sort of rust color.
The lemon-scented flowers are about three inches across and pop out in late spring, lasting for several weeks.
The leaves are less leathery than those of the closely-related southern magnolia, and the flowers are slightly smaller. But don’t let that turn you away. Though they’re tiny, they make for a mighty display just in sheer number.
The pure white flowers tend to be deeply cupped, on trees that grow about 50 feet tall and half as wide. This species is hardier than M. grandiflora, thriving as far north as Zone 5.
Taste might be far from your mind when considering a magnolia to grow, but the tepals I’ve tried are some of the best.
They’re light, floral, and slightly citrusy, with a firm enough texture and a mild enough flavor to lend themselves well to a range of dishes. Plus, you get so many of them on each tree!
If you want a shade tree that provides beautiful blossoms and is tough enough to survive even in standing water, this is the answer.
Fast Growing Trees carries two- to three-, three- to four-, and four- to five-foot live trees if the glorious sweetbay sounds like the perfect thing for your garden.
22. Yellow Bird
Imagine a goldfinch perched on the edge of the branch of a tree. Now, imagine thousands of them on the same tree.
‘Yellow Bird’ is an M. acuminata cultivar with bright yellow, tulip-shaped blossoms that emerge later in spring, at the same time as the foliage rather than prior to the leaves.
The benefit of this timing is that the flowers are less likely to be exposed to late-season frosts.
But you might not know the leaves are even there when the tree is covered in those yellow avian flowers!
This is a vigorous grower that tops out at about 40 feet, and it does well in Zones 4 to 8.
Give ‘Yellow Bird’ a home in your garden, no birdseed required, by picking up a six- to 10-inch tree at Amazon.
23. Yulan
Yulan magnolias (M. denudata) are also known as lily or tulip trees, and it’s completely obvious why.
The trees, which are considered to be some of the most beautiful of all magnolias, are covered in pure white tulip-shaped blossoms.
But these shouldn’t be confused with the light green and orange blooms of the tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), also commonly referred to as tulip tree.
At first glance, you would probably think that the tree has white foliage, that’s how many blossoms there are on the tree.
Even when it’s not in bloom, it has beautiful medium green leaves on an upright, symmetrical tree. It’s also versatile enough to grow in Zones 4 through 9.
It’s a Chinese native that can be a little challenging to find on the market, but there are lots of beloved hybrids bred from it, such as ‘Elizabeth,’ ‘Butterflies,’ and saucer magnolias, so watch for those.
So Many Magnolias, So Little Time
If I had acres and acres of land, I’d grow hundreds of magnolias. The moment the fuzzy little buds start emerging in late winter, I get a little thrill.
It’s only a few weeks until the striking blossoms are blanketing the trees. I can only imagine the joy of seeing hundreds of trees in bloom at once.
Alas, I’ll have to settle for just a few trees. But knowing about some of the best options out there makes it easier to pick, right?
Which one on this list are you considering? How will you use it in your garden? As a shade tree? A shrub next to your window to let the fragrance into your house? Let us know in the comments.
Where one tree is good, more are better. If you want to grow some other excellent landscape trees, we have a few guides that can help you on your journey, including:
The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil by Dale Strickler
5/5, great information. No-till focused, but lots of practical information and excellently laid out.
Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlis
4.5/5 I feel like Robert is trying not to slap down stupid people too hard. I also think he would not be fun at parties.
The Wheel of Health: The Sources of Long Life and Health Among the Hunza by Dr. G. T. Wrench
4.5/5 Fascinating anthropological study. Might even be true.
For the Love of the Soil by Nicole Masters
4.5/5 Nicole is somewhat solipsistic but knows her stuff. She also travels around by herself, with a horse.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 5 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
5/5 Gibbon is top notch, as always.
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
If I could give this 6/5, I would. Hilarious. My son read most of it out loud to us as we travelled in the car.
Metabolical by Dr. Robert Lustig
4/5 Intriguing information, with good arguments against the modern food system. It will encourage you to eat better and not be a ham planet. Unfortunately still follows mainstream narratives on vaccination.
Satyricon by Gaius Petronius
1/5 Absolute degenerate trash. Nero should have burned this guy as a torch before getting after the Christians.
Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb
5/5, Taleb is brilliant. Systems work better when people pay for their mistakes and are rewarded for successes. Without either, you get bureaucracy and misery.
The History of Early Rome by Livy
5/5 Livy makes it obvious why turning to the Caesars happened, even if that wasn’t what he set out to write. Lots and lots of arguing over land and troop levies, as the Republic holds off its enemies.
Dissolving Illustions by Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk
5/5 A fascinating look at the failure of modern medicine and the vaccination scams throughout history. Eye-opening. Your doctor will hate this book.
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
4.5/5 Interesting perspective, even if impossible for a large family to pull off. Fumio argues that things are controlling us and we should let them go. Lots of truth, though he is also highly neurotic. He’s also Japanese. But I may be repeating myself.
You’re not the only one itching for some color in your home. Remodelista editors shared projects this week that aren’t afraid to go heavy on bold paints. To find out the exact paint color used in these rooms, click on the story links. Plus: Show Your Stripes with Colours of Arley, Bespoke Fabric Created for […]
Passionflower is arguably one of the most unique specimens of flora on the planet.
Blooms of this vine are flamboyant and complicated, with a large crown of corona filaments reaching from the stamen that make identification easy.
This genus also includes a whopping selection of more than 500 species separated into three main types: purple, yellow, and granadilla (red).
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Let’s learn more about this incredible addition to your garden, and the benefits of growing a plant that does double duty as both an edible and an ornamental!
What Is Passionflower or Passion Fruit?
Passionflower is a semi-herbaceous, fruiting vine native to Latin America, but many varieties have been naturalized throughout other regions of the world.
In North America, for example, some varieties can be seen growing wild alongside woodland areas, in thickets, and from disturbed, fertile ground.
The majority of species in this genus grow best in regions where temperatures do not fall below 32°F.
However, even in areas where temperatures are lower, some varieties of this perennial will not die off entirely if temperatures remain above about 5°F, as the roots are very hardy and can be protected by mulching and covering.
Most successful cultivation occurs in regions where temperatures are between 60 and 90°F throughout the year, such as in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 in the southern United States.
Flowers and fruit grow simultaneously, with blooms from spring through late fall, and fruit produced from May through August, in most regions.
This vine offers a wide range of color variations in its blooms, from pale lavender and blue to flame red and orange, the latter of which can be seen in Passiflora ‘Sunburst.’
When growing a flowering ornamental, the aroma of its blossoms can be hit or miss, as some stunning plants have a truly horrendous, reeking odor.
Fortunately this is not the case with most types of passionflower, as blossoms generally produce an intoxicating, heady fragrance, such as the gardenia-like scent of the P. mooreana species.
Vines can reach up to 30 feet in length without pruning.
Even though the vines do not require pruning to produce flowers and fruit, they can quickly become overgrown in the home garden under ideal conditions.
Cultivation and History
In the 1500s, Roman Catholics observed the vine growing in parts of Latin America and dubbed it “Passion” after the passion of Christ, in essence, the suffering and death of Christ noted in the Bible.
They believed that parts of the blossoms represented accounts of biblical stories, such as the corona of filaments in the center of each bloom correlating to the crown of thorns worn during the crucifixion of Christ.
Native tribes in North and South America foraged and cultivated the plants for a multitude of uses.
Throughout many cultures, the blossoms, foliage, roots, and fruit are used in herbal medicine. Modern day uses also include flavoring food items, and adding fragrance to perfume and soaps.
While the visual appeal of the blooms is undeniable – many gardeners choose to cultivate passionflower for ornamental purposes – its flowers are highly attractive to pollinators.
Most varieties of the vines also produce edible passion fruit. However, it’s important to note that not all types produce edible fruits, so consider this when choosing a species or cultivar to suit your needs.
Propagation
Passionflower will thrive with fulfilment of its basic needs. Let’s discuss some of the best methods of propagating this beautiful, useful plant.
From Seed
Fruits of the passionflower vine, called passion fruit, are classified as berries, with a round or oblong shape and tough exterior.
A pulpy sac of up to 300 seeds is contained inside, each one individually surrounded with a slippery membrane.
When the fruit has ripened to deep yellow-orange, purple, or red and begun to crinkle on the exterior, the seeds will be ripe for planting.
To increase your chances of successful germination, rub the seeds against a mildly abrasive surface such as a paper towel, a piece of rough fabric, or a bit of screen to break open the membrane surrounding the seed.
Soak seeds in warm water overnight.
While they are soaking, prepare three-inch pots with a handful of compost or seed starting mix. Add one to two seeds to each, planted about one inch deep. Moisten, but do not drench the soil.
Seeds generally germinate within a few days to a week. Seeds that have been allowed to dry out may take longer to germinate, or they may not grow at all.
From Cuttings
Cuttings can take weeks to root. If you are propagating from cuttings, be sure that the parent plant is not grafted onto rootstock, as this can increase the likelihood of developing suckers as plants mature.
Cuttings taken from grafted stock may produce undesirable results such as poor plant health; stunted or abnormal growth; diminished or absent fruit production; or production of abnormal, inedible fruit.
Suckers appear as shoots that grow from the roots at ground level, and while they may seem useful for starting new vines, suckers are not productive and will not produce fruit, or they may produce fruit that is not edible.
Prepare a pot or tray with three parts builder’s sand to one part soil. Coarse industrial silica sand generally works best, as it allows for good drainage.
Cut new growth if possible, as older growth may be slower to root.
Choose a segment of about 6 inches in length and remove the lowest set of leaves. Dip the cut end in powdered rooting hormone if desired.
Push the stem into the rooting mixture and moisten. Continue to keep the potting medium moistened but not wet, as cuttings will draw moisture from humidity in the air until roots begin to develop.
Keep cuttings in a greenhouse or container – such as a clear plastic storage tote with a lid – to retain humidity and warmth. Once roots develop, follow the directions below for planting seedlings.
From Seedlings and Transplanting
Typically, seedlings will have reached about six to eight inches in height after four to six weeks and should be moved directly into the ground where the plant will be undisturbed.
Passionflower vines do not like to be transplanted after their taproots have developed.
They develop a large root ball and will need adequate space to spread, so choose a spot where the roots will not be in competition with other plants or trees, and where there is a suitable space for climbing.
Bear in mind that this vine can reach up to 30 feet in length, so it definitely needs its own place in the garden.
Prepare a hole that is at least twice the width of the seedling and at least as deep as the pot the plant is growing in.
Remove the seedling from the pot, being careful not to touch or damage the roots. They’re extremely sensitive, and root damage can easily kill the vine.
Place the seedling into the hole, filling loosely until secure, and water to settle.
If transplanting an older, more established vine, be sure that the entire taproot and root ball has been extracted with the plant.
This can be tricky, since roots can run several feet deep in the ground.
Grafted specimens should not be transplanted, as this can trigger the production of suckers.
For mature vines, transplanting should take place in a cooler season before new growth has started, such as late winter or early spring.
Extract the plant from its location carefully, and be sure that the root ball and tap root are as intact as possible. Keep roots protected with a tarp until you’re ready to plant.
Prepare a hole that is several inches wider and deeper than the root ball. Replant and backfill with soil, tamping lightly, and water to settle.
Be sure to provide a trellis or other support, as this vine is not self-supporting.
As mentioned previously, mature plants do not always respond well to transplanting, and you may notice some wilting or die off of vegetation at first. Applying some aged manure, compost, or fertilizer may help to perk the plant up until the roots are reestablished.
How to Grow
Passionflower prefers a temperate climate and high humidity of 60 to 85 percent on average.
As a vine, it also requires plenty of support, and adequate room to climb and spread.
Choose a location with full sun exposure and protection from overcrowding, such as along a fence or trellis, rather than near trees or other plants.
Be sure to watch for new vine growth, as runners can appear eight to 10 feet – or more – from the parent plant.
Soil at the planting site should be loose and deep, and adding composted organic material is a good idea, to encourage plant health from the beginning.
Passionflower prefers moist – but not wet – soil with good drainage. Offer approximately one inch of water per week, or as often as necessary to keep soil from drying out.
Standing water will increase the chances of root rot, which can kill the plant.
At times of the year when temperatures will dip below 32°F, applying a two-inch-thick layer of mulch at the base of the vine can protect against root damage that could kill the plant.
While pruning is not absolutely necessary, it can help to keep overgrowth in check.
Lightly pruning new growth throughout the early growing season will encourage branching and redirect energy to producing blooms and fruit. Pruned cuttings can also be used to root new plants.
Air circulation is important for passionflower, particularly when fruiting, as inadequate airflow can cause molding and kill vegetation. Pruning to thin the vine can help to increase air circulation.
Allow adequate space and support for climbing and spreading
Prune to manage growth
Plant in loose soil with good drainage
Amend with fertilizer as needed
Avoid handling roots or transplanting if possible
Species to Select
While their visual appeal is undeniable, many varieties of these vines also produce edible passion fruit.
Just remember that not all varieties produce edible fruit, so be sure to check when selecting a variety for your garden.
P. incarnata
The most popular species in North America is the purple passionflower, P. incarnata.
It is sometimes grafted onto rootstock to increase cold hardiness, and can often be grown further north, where winter temperatures are lower on average.
Another common species is P. flavicarpa, also called yellow passion fruit that produces a high yield of sweet, flavorful fruits that turn yellow when ripe.
The delicate yellowish-white petals are covered with a large dark purple corona.
P. caerulea
Blue passionflower, P. caerulea, is a good choice for midwestern US gardens, as this variety is hardy to Zone 8 with adequate water.
This species is known for its white petals and blue corona filaments, and deep orange fruits.
A winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden merit, there are a number of cultivars available.
‘Constance Elliott’ has fragrant white flowers, ‘Chinensis’ sports delicate pale blue blossoms, and ‘Grandiflora’ has large, six-inch fragrant blooms.
‘Betty Miles Young’ is light purple, with dark purple filaments.
P. coccinea
Red passionflower, P. coccinea, produces bright scarlet flowers with white, purple, and yellow crowns.
This showy variety produces edible fruit that turns yellow when ripe.
P. mooreana is great for gardeners who would prefer to grow their vine in a container, so it can be brought indoors during cold snaps.
Blooms have a strong, sweet fragrance. Delicate blue or white flowers with light blue filaments bloom from early summer to fall.
This smaller variety will still quickly overtake the space it inhabits if left unsupervised, but if pruned to the length of the support provided – such as a small trellis – it’s an excellent choice for fragrance, beauty, and edible fruit.
Passionflower contains naturally occurring chemical substances called cyanogenic glycosides that prevent many insect pests from feasting, but the vine is still susceptible to disease.
Let’s take a look at some of the common maladies and afflictions that can befall this plant.
Herbivores
Few animals will disturb passionflower, however, those that do can cause quite a bit of damage.
Deer
Passion fruit is surrounded by a tough exterior that becomes shriveled and hard as it ripens.
This does not deter deer from munching on them from time to time, but planting in a protected area can prevent fruit from becoming dessert for Bambi.
In the home garden, rabbits often treat themselves to a buffet at your expense, and it is no different in this case.
As with deer, the best preventative measure is to keep the plants in a protected area.
Insects
A variety of beneficial insects will visit blossoms throughout the growing season, which is a joy to behold. But there can be infestations of harmful pests as well.
Always consider the least environmentally damaging alternative when dealing with pests.
Aphids
These tiny, army-forming nuisances will devastate your garden, given the chance, so it is best to nip their residency in the bud as quickly as possible once they’re spotted.
Not only do they suck sap from vegetation, their indiscriminate consumption causes the spread of viral diseases between plants.
Find them under the flowers, gathered together in clusters, and along the stems.
Pay careful attention to your vines – if you see ants marching to and from your blooms, there may be aphids present as well, as the two have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.
Ants farm aphids for “honeydew” (secreted droppings), and aphids depend upon ants for protection from predation.
An excellent, natural way to combat this problem is to introduce ladybugs or a native species of praying mantis to your garden.
A blast of water from the garden hose can knock aphids from their position, but because of the ample hiding places available with this vine, this method may not remove all insects and can cause damage to blossoms.
Otherwise, the least damaging method of removal is donning a pair of gloves and squishing the aphids as you find them.
Even though butterflies can hardly be considered a pest, caterpillars can cause some damage to plants as they munch insatiably on both leaves and blooms.
Photo by Kelly Spicer.
The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) rarely causes infestations, but a few may be found here and there.
While it can be annoying to see damage occurring as they prepare for cocooning, bear in mind that they are unlikely to kill the host plant. If damage becomes excessive, relocate them.
Disease
Viral and fungal diseases can afflict the passionflower vine, and unfortunately, some may not be easy to treat.
It is important to note that any time diseased parts of a plant are removed, any tools used should be thoroughly disinfected afterward to prevent accidental spread.
Dispose of infected plant material in the trash rather than adding it to your compost or leaving it elsewhere in the garden, as disease can be spread through the soil as well.
Potyvirus
This disease is also called passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV) and it is commonly spread by aphids.
Evidence of this disease to look out for includes mosaic symptoms on leaves, characterized by transparency and visible veining as leaves appear to be “bleached;” woody, deformed fruits; and stunted growth.
Treatment may include spraying with sodium hypochlorite; however, passionflower is intolerant of salt, and this type of treatment can also cause harm to the plant.
Mosaic Virus
There are several types of mosaic virus that may affect passionflower, and all cause similar damage such as spotting and mottling of leaves; distorted, curled leaves; and brittle vegetation.
Once again, this virus is spread by aphid infestation, so check for their presence to help combat further spread.
If only a few leaves are affected, remove and burn them, or dispose of them in the trash, away from other plants.
If the virus has spread further, prune away the affected parts of the plant.
Mosaic virus is easily spread. Keep vines that are growing in close proximity to others isolated by making sure that the foliage is not coming in contact with other plants or shared soil.
Harvesting
As the growing season moves along, blooms will transform into green fruits.
Most varieties of passionflower vine produce fruits the size and shape of a chicken egg, although some can be larger or more oblong.
The fruits will mature from bright green to a deep shade of purple, yellow, orange, or red, depending on the species.
As they ripen, they’ll begin to shrivel noticeably. Don’t worry! Even though the skin looks old and may even start to mildew, this is normal, and there is nothing wrong with the plant.
When fruits are ripe, their color deepens. Be sure to wait until they are fully ripened to pluck them from the vine, as green fruit will not continue to ripen once it’s picked.
Fruits can be left uneaten for a few days, either stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, to develop maximum flavor and sweetness.
Preserving and Culinary Use
The exterior of the fruit is tough with a thick layer of pith surrounding the interior pulp, and the entire rind should be discarded after extracting the pulp and seeds. It isn’t edible.
Passion fruit has a short shelf life of about one week, so be prepared to use them as soon as possible, either by eating fresh, preparing in a recipe, or scooping out the pulp and preserving it.
Pulp can be eaten directly from the fruit, seeds and all, or it can be strained and used in sauces and drinks.
Commemorating Andreas Dahl, a Swedish botanist who was a pupil of Linnaeus (Compositae). Half-hardy, tuberous-rooted perennials from Mexico, were first introduced into Britain in 1789 by Lord Bute.
Species cultivated (Few of the following original species are available, although they may occasionally be seen in botanic gardens and the like).
D. coccinea; 4 feet, scarlet, September, the parent of the single dahlia.
D. coronata, 4 feet, fragrant scarlet flowers on long stems, autumn.
D. excelsa, 15-20 feet, purplish-pink flowers, summer.
D. gracilis, 5 feet, scarlet-orange flowers, September.
D. juarezii, 3 feet, parent of the cactus dahlias, flowers scarlet, late August and September.
D. merckii, 3 feet, lilac and yellow flowers, October (together with
D. variabilis the parent of most modern double dahlias).
D variabilis, 4 feet, (syns. D. pinnata, D. rosea, D. superflua), variable flower colors, even a green form was suspected at the end of the nineteenth century. The parent of show, fancy and pompon dahlias.
Cultivation
Nowadays dahlias are comparatively easy to grow. They tolerate all soils between the moderately acid and alkaline and for ordinary garden purposes need little or no specialized attention yet will flower profusely In their evolution they have produced multiple types and hundreds of thousands of varieties simply because they are a cross-pollinated plant. This means that it is possible to produce unusual and original cultivars by raising plants from seeds, which is an additional asset. Furthermore, with the correct culture, plants will flower continuously from July until the first autumn frosts, providing a colorful display over a range of several months.
Soil preparation
This begins in winter or early spring by digging of the site, at the same time incorporating plenty of bulky organic materials such as peat, leaf-mould, spent hops, vegetable compost, or well-rotted horse, pig or cow manure, but not poultry manure which encourages too much growth at the expense of flowers. Put any of these into the top foot of soil, because dahlias make a mass of fibrous roots in this region. The organic materials can be mixed into the planting holes if only a few tubers or plants are grown, or if dahlias follow spring bedding plants, but generally, it is better to dig them in the ground overall.
A fortnight before planting, topdress the ground with a general granular fertilizer containing a higher amount of potash in comparison with the nitrogen and phosphate content Root crop fertilizers have this analysis, and potato fertilizers are very good for the purpose. This application will provide the extra plant food needed during growth, the organic materials previously supplied mainly provide humus for improving the soil conditions and water retention.
Type of stock
The choice of stock will depend on the purpose which the plants are to fulfill dormant tubers are best for a generaly garden display, for they flower earlier than dahlia plants and produce more flowers over the season as a whole. If you want extremely early flowers, for instance blooming in May, you can plant tubers in pots, or even in the greenhouse border, in February. If you have cloches, you can plant tubers outdoors in April and they will start to flower during early July.
Remove the cloches in mid-June. In both these instances, the best flowers will be over before the growing season has finished. For the best results over the whole season, plant dormant tubers during the first half of May out of doors. They will not usually need protection, because by the time the shoots emerge above ground level it is likely that the threat of any late spring frosts will be past. Nevertheless, keep sacks, pots, polythene bags or other materials handy in case of occasional night frost at this time. Flowering will start in late July and early August.
There are two types of tuber, one being the ground root, a large bulky root resulting from growing a dahlia out of doors without restricting the roots. If replanted from year to year, the number of tubers tends to increase to excess, too many poor quality flowers result, and vigor and tuber formation decrease. Division every second year into several portions is advisable; each portion containing several growth buds, or eyes, and having at least one complete healthy tuber to start them into growth. (At this point, it may be noted that, unlike the potato, dahlia eyes are not on each individual tuber, but are congregated at the base of the old stems).
An easy way to judge how many portions a root can be divided into is to put it in the greenhouse for a fortnight or three weeks. Spray overhead with water every second day until the shoots are about inch long. Do not bury the tuber in any material as this will encourage unwanted root growth. With a small hacksaw cut the root into portions according to where the emerging shoots are grouped, or lever it apart with an old screwdriver.
The other type of dahlia tuber, the pot-grown or pot tuber, is often sold in general garden shops and multiple stores in the spring. It is produced from cuttings struck in early spring and grown in pots all through the season so that the roots are restricted and the tuber forms into a neat rounded mass. Although pot tubers are easy to store and transport, forming very good stock for the garden, they are not so good as ground roots for producing cuttings, generally having insufficient bulk to be divided. Pot tubers become ground roots after a season of growth out of doors and their planting times are the same as for ground roots. Before actual planting, chip away some of the wax coating if present to allow moisture to swell the tuber. All tubers can be planted until mid-June.
The dahlia plant itself, which provides a type of stock commonly sold by dahlia nurseries, is formed by rooting dahlia cuttings. Plants grown from cuttings flower later than those grown from tubers, though if you need early flowers before mid-August, it is a good idea to specify on the order sheet ‘April Delivery. If you have a greenhouse or frame, you can then pot the plants into 5 inch pots and they will grow into fine bushy specimens by planting out time. This is standard technique for large and giant-flowered varieties.
It is not difficult to keep Dahlias from one 6 years to the next if simple precautions are observed. The Dahlia is a native of the warm Mexican climate: therefore, in cooler areas the tubers must be lifted in the autumn, dried and stored in a dry, frost-free place.
1. Dahlia foliage is very sensitive to frost and will be blackened by the first frost.
2. Immediately after this occurs, cut down the plants to within 9 inches of ground level.
3. Remove the tops and lift the plants with a fork, taking care not to spear the tubers in the process.
4. Shake off the soil and stand the tubers upside-down in a dry, airy place to drain away the surplus sap.
5. Once the tubers are thoroughly dry, they can be stored in any dry frost-free place.
6. Storing them in a bit of dry peat is not necessary, but it will help to exclude frost and absorb excess moisture.
7. Tubers can be stored outside in a deep frame, if they are close together against a 10sheltered wall and protected with leaves and mats against frost.
8. Dahlias are usually propagated from cuttings made from shoots that arise from the old stems. These arise from the tubers, which are stood close together on a greenhouse bench and covered lightly with soil or peat to retain moisture.
9. Maintain a temperature of 60°F (16°C) and take cuttings when the shoots are 2 to 3 inches long.
10. With a sharp knife, remove lower leaves.
11. Make a basal cut below a joint.
12. Insert the cuttings firmly with a dibber around the edge of a 31 inch pot of sandy compost.
13. Each cutting should be clearly labeled with the name of the variety and watered in. Then stand the pots in a close frame in the propagating house. Hormone rooting powders usually increase the number of cuttings that root while reducing the time. The inclusion of a fungicide helps reduce loss.
You cannot plant unprotected dahlia plants out of doors until late May, or even safer, the first ten days in June. With cloches or in sheltered situations, free from late spring frosts, you can plant out in late April or early May. In the north and in Scotland, mid-June.
Planting Out
This stage is best tackled by taking out a hole in the ground with a small spade. Stakes should be inserted at this time to avoid damage to the tubers which would occur if they were put in later. The hole should be wide enough to prevent cramping and deep enough to allow the upper surfaces of the tubers to be about 2 inches below ground level. Replace the earth on top, shaking the tuber to settle it around the root as you proceed, firming it in by gentle treading. This applies to both ground and pot tubers. Planting distances are 2 feet apart for pompons, 2 feet for ball dahlias and all others, except the large and giant decoratives, such as cactus and semi-cactus, which should be 3 feet apart.
Keep the soil watered periodically to swell the tubers and to start the shoots into growth. Shoots should emerge above the soil within five weeks; if not, dig up the tuber and inspect it for decay and slug damage. Slug pellets applied above soil level around the root when planting both tubers and plants are an advisable precaution. Dahlia plants are placed in a hole taken out with a trowel and their roots set so that the potting soil is just below ground level. Fiber pots, should be carefully removed from the plants before planting out. (With peat pots especially, make sure to keep the soil moist enough to encourage the roots to penetrate into the open ground, since failure to do this is a frequent cause of stunted, poorly growing plants). Again, it is important to plant to a stake, previously driven in, thus avoiding damage to the roots.
Moreover, arranging the stakes in a desired pattern can be a useful guide to design.
Summer Care
The main requirement is copious watering, not a lot of feeding.
Provided that you have prepared the soil as suggested, all that will be needed during the growing period will be two topdressings of sulfate of potash, each at the rate of 1 oz per square yard. One should be given at the first sign of the petal color opening from the bud, to improve stem strength and flower color; the other during early September to improve tuber formation. Monthly feeds of liquid manures made from seaweed extracts are also very good and give excellent results even if used for foliar feeding. The dahlia makes a lot of leaves in August and even in very wet weather the soil may remain dry around the roots.
The need to water very frequently can be largely avoided even in the hottest weather if a thick mulch of straw is provided at the roots in mid-July. This keeps down weeds as well as encourages better root growth.
Tubers will need at least one strong stake, but dahlia plants are better if they are supported by a triangle of three canes or stakes. Such plants have to carry all the weight of stems, leaves and flowers on one main stem or ‘leg’, so are very prone to wind damage. Tubers on the other hand, push out rigid shoots from below soil level and are much less likely to be broken by the wind in the early stages of growth. These shoots should be tied to the stake every 18 inches, whereas the dahlia plant needs tying every 6 inches for additional protection. A good average length for dahlia supports is 5 feet; these are knocked into the ground to a depth of 1 foot. Avoid having the stakes higher than the blooms because the wind will knock the flowers against them.
Ground tubers can be left to produce flowers on the tips of their main stems.
Allow about eight main stems per division to emerge, and cut off any others below soil level carefully with a knife. Large and giant-flowered varieties should be allowed to produce about five stems only.
Pot tubers, unless they produce sufficient main shoots from below soil level, will have to be treated like green plants. The leading growth tip of the plant is pinched out, or ‘stopped’, about a month after planting out, usually when about six pairs of leaves have developed. This encourages side shoots to be produced so plenty of flowers come into bloom as a start; otherwise, if not stopped in advance, dahlia plants produce one central flower only at first.
Take notice which are the strongest emerging side shoots after stopping, and when they are 3 inches long, remove the excess ones by snapping them out from their joints with the main stem. Retain five shoots only, however, with large and giant-flowered varieties. The technique with the pot tuber is to select initially the strongest main shoot, similar to that of the dahlia plant as the central growing stem, removing the others.
This main shoot will be stopped and the side shoots selected in exactly the same way. A ground tuber is not usually stopped, the flowers being borne on the terminal, or crown buds of each stem. It can, however, be treated like a pot tuber or green plant as far as shoot growth is concerned, but by stopping and selecting one main stem, the flowers, through having to be produced on side shoots, will be about three weeks later than on the tips of the main stems. Pompon varieties need no de-shooting or disbudding.
Disbudding should be done to all other types when the flower buds are about the size of a pea. Allow the main, centrally placed, largest bud to remain and flower on each shoot, removing the others, together with the fresh secondary shoots which will emerge from each leaf joint on the stem as the flowers mature. Leave just one, fairly low down, on each stem to produce the successive flower, again disbudding and de-shooting. This technique is adopted throughout the flowering period and is the only way to achieve a long flowering season combined with good quality flowers with long stems for cutting.
Left to their own devices, dahlias produce a mass of buds and flowers and soon become uncontrollable, their very tiny, poor blossoms often becoming single by the end of the season. If you need small-flowered dahlias, grow special small-flowered varieties.
Lifting and Storing
Ideally, this is done once frost has blackened the foliage. If, however, the autumn continues without frost, it does no harm to lift dahlias in late October and early November. Only in the mildest of places, in very sheltered situations or during unusually gentle winters can dahlias be left out of doors in the ground all winter. They can be put into a clamp in the same way as potatoes, but the disadvantage here is that they may be killed if the weather becomes very severe. Furthermore, you cannot examine them for signs of rotting or put them in the greenhouse to take cuttings.
To lift dahlia roots, first cut off the stems just above soil level. Then lift by prising in a circle with a broad-tined fork, working well away from the stems. After lifting the roots clear of the soil, pick off as much adhering earth as possible. Then place the roots upside down in a well-ventilated greenhouse, frame or shed for at least a fortnight. During this period they will lose excess moisture and by the time the remaining soil becomes dust dry, they will be ready to be put into winter storage. There they should be covered with sacks or straw at night if frost threatens. Only in very wet autumns should artificial heat be used, never exceeding 70°F (21°C).
Before placing them in the store, retrim the stems as low as possible, without actually cutting into the tubers. Retie the labels on one of the tubers, because in store the stems will become paper dry and will actually drop off. Most dahlia roots need no covering in store, and in fact, a frequent cause of loss during the winter is covering them up, putting them away in a cupboard and forgetting about them until the spring. Lay them on racks in a frost-proof shed, cellar, or in greenhouse which can be kept frost free. Straw bales provide good frost protection.
Very tiny tubers, however, should be covered in boxes or pots with material such as garden soil or sand. During the winter, sprinkle the surface with water very occasionally if it gets dust dry, but avoid giving sufficient water to start the tubers into growth. A good temperature to aim at in store is 40-50°F (4-10°C); failing that, it should never fall below 34°F (1°C) nor exceed 50°F (10°C). If you have to store them in a warm place, shriveling is likely, so all tubers must then be covered with sand or soil in boxes, but keep the boxes separated and put only one layer of tubers in each box. Avoid any store that is subject to drips or draughts, or is so airtight that it encourages fungus rot.
Every month inspect the tubers and if any parts are rotting, cut them out with a sharp knife. Dry the surfaces left with a rag. Occasionally look for aphids which may have hatched out in store or bulb flies which sometimes attack the roots.
Pests and diseases
As a general precaution, always spray dahlias with insecticides every three weeks during the season of growth, including those growing in the greenhouse and frame.
Sometimes the soil becomes infected with verticillium wilt when the stock must be burnt and a fresh growing site found. Cauliflower-like outgrowths, due to crown gall, also mean that affected stock must be destroyed, but it is slow 3 to spread and healthy stock can still be grown in the same ground.
A common leaf disease, especially in humid summers, is the dahlia leaf spot, causing light green ringed spots which later turn brown. In this event, treat the leaves with zineb.
Plants are sometimes attacked by virus diseases, of which light green patches or yellowing bands up the veins and perhaps dark green blisters on the leaves are symptoms. A more certain sign is dwarfing of the plant, which becomes very close-jointed and bushy, producing small flowers. Burn stock is affected in this way, for there is no cure at present.
Common pests are blackflies in early summer, often migrating from broad beans, greenflies during summer and autumn, thrips and capsid bugs from time to time.
A difficult pest to control is the red spider mite which may attack some plants in dry seasons, causing yellow mottling. Frequent syringing under the leaves with water and spraying with an organic formula every ten days is the control routine to follow.
Earwigs are often a nuisance, eating holes in leaves and flowers. These can be controlled if you provide upturned pots, loosely filled with woodwool, straw, hay, etc., and placed on top of the canes or stakes; these should be emptied into boiling water.
Wasps sometimes make damaging attacks on dahlia flower stems and it is usually necessary to destroy the nest completely.
Propagation
The preparation for growing from seed is a simple matter. Remove the petals as they fade and take the seed pods indoors before the frost, later extracting the seed and placing it in envelopes. The seed is sown in boxes in mid-March, and the seedlings are potted off in May and planted out in June. The best breeding, however, is done by crossing selected varieties by hand, and covering the blooms with old nylon stockings to prevent chance pollination by bees and other insects. It should be remembered that dahlias do not come true to type or variety from seed, though dwarf bedding types, such as `Coltness Gem’ or `Unwins Hybrids’ are commonly grown in this way as they come reasonably true.
Years ago dahlia shoots were grafted onto tubers to produce plants, but only research into virus control now employs this technique. Nowadays dahlias are commonly propagated from cuttings. Tubers are packed close together in boxes of soil in February, put on the greenhouse bench with bottom heat of about 60°F (16°C) and watered. When the shoots, produced after some three weeks, are about 2 inches long, they are cut off close to the tuber just below a leaf joint, and after removing the lower leaves, they are inserted into holes around the edge of 3-inch pots. The holes are made by inserting a pencil-sized dibber 1} inches deep into the rooting medium in the pots, commonly sand or a mixture of equal parts of peat and sand. Five cuttings are placed in each pot. The pots are then placed over bottom heat from soil-warming wires, or electrical heating mats. The temperature should be about 60°F (16°C) around the pots. Cover the pots by suspending polythene sheeting above them in the daytime, plus brown paper if the sun shines, and spray them gently with water morning and night, removing the covers overnight. Do not make the mistake of overwatering the pots during the rooting period, or rotting may take place. Add water to the pot only when the sand surface dries out and then dip it in a bucket of water with a finger over the drainage hole until bubbles cease to rise. Otherwise, rely on overhead spraying on the cuttings themselves.
After two or three weeks, when new tip growth is evident, the cuttings will have rooted and can be potted off individually in ordinary potting compost. For the first ten days afterward, keep them in a warm part of the greenhouse, but for the rest of the time until planting out they grow much better if kept cool. Certainly, they should be ready to be put into a cold frame three weeks after potting off.
The division of tubers described earlier is the other method of propagation.
Types of dahlias
On January 1st 1966, a new system of Dahlia classification came into being. The National Dahlia Society is the authority for domestic classification. Periodically society issues a classified list of varieties showing the type or size to which any named variety belongs. There are now many groups, some being subdivided into sizes according to flower diameter. These include single-flowered, anemone-flowered, collerette, paeony-flowered and miscellaneous (containing such types as orchid-flowered). As far as the gardener is concerned the most popular groups are the decorative dahlia, with flat broad petals; the cactus dahlia with petals that roll backward to form a quill; semi-cactus dahlias, which have part only of their petal length rolled; pompon dahlias, like drumsticks, their flowers having blunt, tubular petals, under 2 inches in diameter; and the new group of ball dahlias which comprise all the previously known groups of medium and large pompons and the similar, but larger, double show varieties, plus any globular shaped varieties which were previously small or miniature decoratives.
Size groups are: pompons one size only; ball dahlias are divided into miniature balls, 2-4 inches, and balls over 4 inches, decorative, cactus and semi-cactus dahlias are each divided into five groups ; miniature, under 4 inches, small, 4-6 inches, medium 6-8 inches, large-flowered 8-10 inches, giant-flowered over 10 inches. Bedding dahlias are put where their flower shape designates them.
Exhibiting
Cultural technique varies little from that described. Cuttings are mostly used for propagation purposes; they flower during late August and the first half of September when most dahlia shows are held. Tubers of the large-flowered and giant varieties are started into growth in the greenhouse in mid-January, cuttings being taken for rooting during early March; plants, when put in the frame, later on, should be put into 5 inch pots by early May. All other varieties are started off in mid-February, the best plants being obtained from cuttings rooted during the end of March and the first three weeks in April. Those taken before this period will usually flower much too early for the shows.
For show work, it is much better to grow at least six plants of each good variety, so restricting the number of varieties to the capacity of the outdoor space available to grow them in. When garden plants are grown, for display, distances should be 2 feet apart for pompons, 2 feet apart for ball dahlias and all others, except the large and giant decoratives, cactus and semi-cactus which should be placed 3 feet apart. Many exhibitors mulch the giant varieties with manure in July; for the others, straw mulch is used. During flowering it is common practice to protect the flowers of the large and giant varieties either with cones made from brown paper or even by erecting metal uprights to support a roof made of corrugated vinyl clear plastic sheeting, giving the effect of an open-sided greenhouse.
Always cut the flowers the evening before and stand them in a cool, dark place in water overnight. Large and giant blooms must have a 2-foot cane tied along the stem when it is cut to prevent the bloom toppling over in transit. Common methods of transport include oil or distemper drums with holes drilled around the edge to which the individual blooms can be tied; milk crates with one bloom in each corner resting in a water-filled bottle, or old butcher’s liver tins, especially for pompons. It is always advisable to carry flowers to a show in water.
The best way to pick up showing techniques is to join a Dahlia society if there is one in your locality, or if not, to contact the National Dahlia Society.
Its capacity to overwinter in soil and plant debris makes it challenging to manage, and very sneaky. The flea beetle inflicts both above and below-ground injuries to its target.
Above-ground injury is characterized by “shot-holing” in the leaves of the host. Sound unsightly? Well, it is.
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Shot-holing is a collection of small pits and holes that the insect chews out of the host’s leaves.
Young and recently transplanted plants are particularly susceptible. For the fastidious gardener, this little beetle can cause a lot of frustration!
Just in case the above-ground damage wasn’t scary enough, I’ll continue. Below ground, the larvae feed on the roots and tubers of host plants.
Notable is the damage suffered by potatoes from this insect, resulting in grooves marking the surface or small holes in the skin and outer flesh.
We noticed some small holes dotting the foliage, but nothing too alarming (we thought…).
Dig day arrived, and to our great annoyance, our spuds appeared to have been poked by a ballpoint pen, with dark holes spotting the otherwise beautiful tubers.
Though imperfect produce is often just as delicious as a potato or tomato with a pristine skin plucked from a plant with unnibbled leaves, do you really want to share those crops with the neighbors?
I didn’t think so. So it’s time to get rid of those bugs!
Organic management methods may be employed to combat these pests through cultural, physical, and organic-approved sprays and drenches.
Identification, Biology, and Distribution
The flea beetle is approximately 1/16-1/4 inch long, depending on the type. Its segmented back legs are long, giving it the ability to jump.
And it is also adept at flying. There are numerous species, and their colors vary widely depending on the region where they are found.
The beetles come in some very fancy colors including black, greenish-black, brown, metallic, white-striped, or yellow and orange striped.
Don’t be fooled. Develop a keen eye for spotting these pests, so you don’t have to suffer the devastation of their less-than-creative artwork on your plants’ leaves and tubers.
These insects identify their feast (read: host plant) based on smell and visual indicators – much like we do!
Flea Beetle Types
Life Cycle
Adult beetles overwinter in the soil, leaf debris, or grassy borders of the garden or field. At just about the same time when we begin to emerge from our homes in springtime, so do they. As temperature warm, they get busy.
Adults find a healthy host and begin chowing down after a long winter’s nap. Following a hearty meal, the beetles lay their eggs at the base of the host plant.
These eggs will hatch in approximately 10 days, hatching out into small whitish larvae measuring between 1/8 and 1/4 inch long, with dark heads and tiny legs behind.
Freshly hatched larvae feed on the roots of plants for the next three to four weeks.
Turnip Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta nemorum).
Following this period, they pupate for approximately 7-10 days before surfacing to indulge above ground. In warmer regions, multiple generations may occur each year.
And that’s likely to cause a problem in your vegetable patch, unless you take action.
With some careful planning, preventative measures, and an action plan in place, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your precious broccoli and eggplants.
Damage Caused
Don’t wait until it’s too late!
The flea beetle may cause significant damage to the roots and foliage of your plants. Scouting twice a day for these pests is a good practice in an organic program.
I like to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to check the garden twice during the day.
I grab a little gardening journal that I keep by the back door and trot to the garden for a quick scouting session. I take notes and pictures of what I see, so I will have a record.
This really doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes to accomplish, depending on the size of your garden.
Watch for holes that have been chewed into the leaves by adult flea beetles in the pattern of buckshot, or a messy lace pattern.
Potato flea beetle on a leaf showing feeding damage.
To scout for larval damage, check the roots of a few plants or the tubers of potato plants to look for the whitish larvae munching away, or furrowing grooves in your tubers.
If you’re like me and can’t stand the thought of sacrificing a few plants, you can dig down next to the plant, gingerly move the dirt to the side to take a look, and replace the dirt afterwards.
Be vigilant. If you do have an infestation, take action immediately to avoid further damage, and to remediate this threat to the health of your plants.
Organic Control Methods
There are a variety of methods for controlling these pests, including cultural, physical, and biological.
Cultural
You can often avoid an infestation altogether with some cultural controls.
Planting Schedules
Planting earlier than adult flea beetles become active in springtime can give your plants a head start on the season. And who doesn’t like a good head start?
Plant well hardened-off transplants as soon as the threat of frost has passed in your region.
Another record-keeping tip: If you aren’t keeping a gardening journal already, start one. Record when you plant your first transplants, and when you spot your first beetle.
You have no idea how much this will aid your planting schedule design and pest management routine in years to come (or maybe you already do have some idea, and you just need an extra push to put pen to paper – you’re welcome!).
You may also consider planting your brassica crops later in the summer, when the adults are getting sleepy from all of their summertime feasting and going dormant.
Sanitation
Being diligent about keeping your garden clean and free of too much debris may help to keep pest pressure at bay.
I use the same (okay, maybe a little looser) rules in my garden as I do in my bathroom:
A little cleanup each day keeps the unwanted guests from taking up house. Do your best to keep tall weeds and old piles of leaves out of the garden where these insect pests may overwinter.
Till the Soil
This is a cultural method implemented by many, especially in the spring and fall.
This method is a little gruesome for my taste, but if it’s unwanted pests or my potatoes and broccoli, the choice is a little easier to make.
Tilling in the spring kills the majority of overwintered beetles, while tilling later in the season destroys larvae and cleans up the garden before fall, interrupting the adults’ overwintering patterns.
A trap crop acts as a decoy for the main crop. Plant your trap crop before your main crop so that the insects are attracted to your trap crop first. Sacrificial, but usually effective!
If you spot flea beetles in your trap crop, consider spraying or dusting (depending on your chosen method of management) to control the population and keep them from migrating towards the main crop as the trap crop becomes less desirable.
Collard greens work well as a trap crop against species that attack cole crops.
Some recommend tilling under the trap crop once it becomes infested, but this could create a dangerous situation wherein the main crop becomes the primary target.
Some good trap crops include radishes, giant Chinese mustard, collards, and bok choy. The idea is to provide a tempting treat for the insects so they will focus on the trap crop instead of the main crop.
Plant your trap crop around the perimeter or in between rows of your main crop for best results.
Both living and non-living mulches help deter these pests from your garden.
Using a living mulch interplanted between rows of your main crop (the insects’ target) confuses flea beetles, thus limiting their ability to identify their target.
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) makes an excellent and attractive green mulch.
Legumes like clover and vetch act as fantastic living mulch between rows, or under-sown. However, do note that living mulches will compete with the main crop for water and nutrients.
Non-living mulches can interfere with the adult flea beetle’s egg-laying. A few options for non-living mulches that I prefer are barley straw and leaf litter.
Keep in mind that it is important to clear these mulches out at the end of the season to prevent providing a perfect overwintering space for adult beetles.
Companion Plants
Intercropping companion plants helps deter flea beetles from the host plant.
Because flea beetles identify their target by smell and visual cues, employing ways to inhibit their capacity to distinguish the host will help protect your main crop.
Marigolds have long been used as companion plants to ward off flea beetles and other pests.
This is a valuable cultural control. Diatomaceous earth (DE) will make your garden look like it survived a flour bomb explosion, but it is a powerful organic weapon to have on hand when you’re going to war with beetles, and various other insect pests.
Sprinkle it on your main crop and around the base of the plants. DE is a powder that is spiny on a microscopic level, and it has a desiccating effect on small insects.
Diatomaceous earth can help defeat pests, but care needs to be taken when using. Although harmless to pets and humans, the powder is actually tiny, sharp shards of material that can dry out the bodies of insects – including beneficials. And you’ll need to reapply it after every rain or watering.
According to Extension.org, it should be applied frequently (two to three times per week) to be used effectively on flea beetles.
Transplanting seedlings that are mature and large is another excellent way to combat flea beetles.
Older transplants may resist pest pressure and recover more quickly if they suffer damage.
Transplanting puny starts (read: baby plants) essentially sends an open invitation to the the transplant’s predators: “Pick me! I’m weak and ripe for the eating!”
A transplant goes through a lot of stress when it is transitioning from its first home, the starter flat that you carefully planted in your guest room or brought home from the garden center, to its permanent spot in the garden.
The healthier it is, the greater chance it has of successfully surviving the big move.
Physical
Physical controls aim to prevent the pests from accessing your crops.
Floating Row Covers
Floating row covers provide a physical barrier between the beetles and the main crop.
Floating row covers may be a good idea to keep away flea beetles and other pests. But be careful, since they can also prevent pollinators from visiting open blooms.
Note that row covers need to be installed before adults are observed, to ensure that they don’t get trapped under the row cover with the main crop.
Also, remember to uncover your plants once they start to flower, so pollinators are able to do their work to ensure that you have a harvest of veggies!
These traps may be used to trap insect pests, but their real value comes in helping to scout and identify the insects living in your garden.
Some traps are designed to actually combat pest pressure by attracting and catching specific insects, to keep them from eating your plants.
But usually – and specifically for flea beetles – they are used as a tool for you to more easily get to know who the unwanted visitors are to your garden.
Traps act like low-tech security cameras!
Biological
Biological controls include the use of beneficial nematodes and predatory insects.
Parasites and Predators
There are a variety of generalist predators and parasitic wasps that can help in the effort to manage a flea beetle population.
Plants like dill (shown) make excellent habitat for beneficial predatory insects.
Interplant attractive plants like clover, anise, dill, marigolds, and chamomile to attract these generalists and parasitic wasps.
Nematodes
Entomopathogenic nematodes are small soil-dwelling worms that can effectively kill the larval flea beetle.
Nematodes in the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae are particularly noted for their capacity to manage populations, while Steinernema carpocapsae are known to manage flea beetle populations in potatoes.
Predatory nematodes like these may be purchased and applied by drench or spray method to control flea beetle larvae.
However, this is not an instant cure and will only work for subsequent generations.
One application often works for multiple years, and helps to protect a wild plethora of fruits and veggies against a host of insect pests.
We’d suggest getting a combination nematode bundle like this one from Arbico Organics that is effective against flea beetle as well as other garden pests.
You can purchase this kit in various sizes for coverage ranging from 1,600 sq. ft. up to 10 acres.
Beauvaria bassiana is a fungal pathogen whose spores can kill flea beetle larvae. This little fungus poses a serious threat to its host.
The spores attach to the surface of the beetle, germinate, then infiltrate inside of the larvae and liquify its insides as a source of food for the fungus. Yum!
We encourage you to rely on chemical pesticides as a last resort, for the protection of our health and that of the environment.
Put on Your Scout Cap!
Who would have guessed that these tiny little beetles could cause such a fuss?
They sleep in your garden all winter, only to emerge and wreak havoc on your potatoes and broccoli (and their relatives!), shot-holing and furrowing their way through all your hard work.
Well, there’s bad news for the flea beetles everywhere, now that you’ve learned their plan of attack.
Put on your scout cap, and get to work identifying and tackling these pests, utilizing the cultural, biological, and (only if absolutely necessary!) chemical tools that we’ve covered in this article.
What about you? How have you been able to defeat flea beetles? Let us know in the comments below or feel free to ask questions about prevention and control!
And for more information about protecting your garden from insect pests, check out these guides next:
Wood hyacinth, aka Spanish bluebell, is a flowering perennial bulb that’s suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.
These versatile spring bloomers provide a riot of blue-lavender, pink, or white bell-shaped flowers from April to May.
Low maintenance and robust, wood hyacinths were regarded as a staple in many old English gardens, and the blooms are still loved today.
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In this guide, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about growing wood hyacinth in your garden.
Here’s the lineup:
Cultivation and History
Hyacinthoides hispanica, also known as Spanish bluebell, wood hyacinth, large bluebell, or squill, is native to Spain, Portugal, and northwest Africa.
The pretty bell-shaped flowers, often a deep blue-periwinkle shade, make the reasoning behind the common name “bluebell” obvious.
“Hyacinth,” translated from the genus name Hyacinthoides, is derived from the Greek hyákinthos, which was the name of a legendary youth accidentally killed by the god Zephyr. A flowering plant supposedly grew from his blood and was given his name.
Spanish bluebell’s most common colloquial name, “wood hyacinth,” is likely derived from its love of the cool, dappled shade that woodlands and deciduous trees provide. “Squill” is normally a term for plants in the Asparagaceae subfamily, Scilloideae.
In some places the botanical name is still listed as Scilla campanulata, S. hispanica, or more rarely, Endymion hispanicus.
H. hispanica blooms later, are taller, and their flower bells sprout from all sides of the stem. The flowers have blue anthers and aren’t particularly fragrant, while English bluebells have creamy white anthers and are fragrant.
Although they aren’t fragrant, the flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
These plants are poisonous, thanks to the presence of cardiac glycosides. They are highly toxic if eaten.
Thanks to efficient visiting pollinators, English and Spanish bluebells will hybridize if planted near each other. The result: a plant called H. x massartiana.
You never know what you’ll get with this hybrid. It’s variable in looks, has a combination of traits from both parents, and is common in the UK. True Spanish bluebells are rare, and the hybrid is often misidentified as Spanish bluebell.
Wood hyacinths will spread readily and are considered invasive in the Pacific Northwest. Consider carefully before planting and check local regulations first in areas where they are banned or may become a problem.
Caution for Our UK Readers:
Due to the hybridization and loss of native English bluebells, Spanish bluebells are listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it an offence to plant them or allow them to spread into the wild.
While it is technically not an offence to have them on your land or garden, they should be removed as soon as possible, and the soil should be treated as contaminated and disposed of at a proper landfill.
It’s also illegal to remove native English bluebells, so make sure you can correctly identify the plants before attempting a removal. It may be a good ideal to contact the local woods warden or your local council before self-remediation.
Propagation
Wood hyacinthcan be propagated by seed or from bulb offsets.
From Seed
Once ripe, the seeds are transported to different areas of the garden by ants, so sometimes flowers will appear in strange places.
You can collect the seeds from your own flowers if H. non-scripta is not planted nearby, or if you don’t mind propagating a hybrid.
Alternatively, purchase open-pollinated seeds to guarantee you are planting pure H. hispanica.
Sow the seeds as soon as you collect them in the summer. Place individually in small three- or four-inch pots filled with a well-draining potting soil, cover with a thin layer of compost or soil, and keep the medium moist.
The seeds don’t appreciate artificial heat, and prefer a cool, shaded area outdoors to germinate.
Be patient. These seeds are in no hurry, and most will not germinate until the following spring. To protect the pots during the winter, place in a cold frame, against a wall or tree.
Once germinated, grow individual seedlings in their pots until their roots are established and each plant is strong enough to be transplanted into a bigger pot or into the ground.
Plants grown from seed may take several years to flower as they put all their energy into developing a strong bulb.
From Bulb Offsets
Dividing bulb offsets is a good way to guarantee true Spanish bluebells – as they are clones of the parent – and they will flower quicker than those grown from seed.
Once established, these plants quickly develop aboveground clumps which indicate the presence of healthy bulb offsets below ground.
Remove bulb offsets in mid to late summer as soon as the leaves have died. Carefully dig up the bulb and remove offsets with your hands.
As with bulb offsets, prepare the soil by loosening and amending it with compost.
Plant bulbs as you would offsets, as described above.
Living plants can be transplanted in a hole dug to the same depth as the container. Backfill with soil, and water in well.
How to Grow
Wood hyacinths like cool areas and dappled shade. Sunnier spots can equal more blooms, but the color will be faded. Plants go dormant in early summer.
These plants prefer organically rich, well draining, moist soil. They will tolerate a wide variety of soil types except for clay, preferring sandy and sandy-loam soils.
Amend clay soils with compost and grit such as builder’s sand to improve drainage and loosen the texture before planting.
They tolerate a wide pH range as well, from 5.5 to 8.0, but do best in slightly acidic to neutral soils.
Keep these plants well watered to support their rapid growth rate, but do not oversaturate the soil. Water when the soil is dry to a depth of two inches.
You can feed them as soon as the foliage pushes through the soil in the spring, using a low nitrogen fertilizer such as Rose and Bloom Granular Plant Food, 4-6-4 (NPK), available at Burpee.
Grow in containers as you would in the ground, in pots with adequate drainage holes, filled with well-draining potting soil. Take care to check soil moisture more often as containers tend to dry out more quickly than garden soil.
Start approximately 12 weeks before you want them to bloom. Add two inches of clean pebbles or glass beads to a wide-mouthed vase. Situate three to five bulbs (pointy side up) into the pebbles, adding a handful more to keep them upright.
Add water up to just below the bottom of the bulbs, making sure the water isn’t touching them. Store in a dark place at 45 to 55°F and leave them there for eight weeks. Check the water level often and top up when necessary.
After eight weeks, move the vase to a warmer, well-lit room but keep them out of direct sunlight for a week. Then move them to a location with direct sunlight and they should start blooming indoors after about two more weeks.
Growing Tips
Plant in areas with dappled shade.
Keep the soil moist but not wet.
Fertilize with a low nitrogen fertilizer in the spring.
Pruning and Maintenance
Remove spent flowers to avoid self seeding of potential undesirable hybrids.
After flowering, the foliage will slowly wither. Although the fading foliage looks unattractive, do not remove it. The leaves are needed to harvest the sun’s energy for the following year’s blooms.
Plant with ferns or hostas to mask the dying foliage.
Wood hyacinth will spread via bulb offsets and seeds. To keep them from becoming a nuisance, overtaking susceptible plants, or sprouting in undesirable areas of the garden, there are a few things you can do.
In addition to deadheading to prevent self-seeding, be sure to dig up offsets that have grown and multiplied while plants are still leafed out – these can be very difficult to locate while dormant.
Do not throw unwanted plant parts onto the compost pile where they can grow. Instead, dispose of them in the trash.
Planting in containers instead of in the ground can also help to prevent unwanted spread.
Cultivars to Select
The most popular color is of course the classic blue, but wood hyacinth comes in pink and white versions as well.
This variety works great to lighten up shady areas with a flush of spring color, but it also grows well in full sun. High quality bulbs are available in various quantities via Dutch Grown.
Excelsior
‘Excelsior’ is a very popular cultivar. It is taller than most and features glossy green leaves and the deep blue-violet flower bells that gave bluebells their name.
You’re in luck. Not only are wood hyacinths resistant to deer, rabbits, and rodents, they are generally unaffected by serious insect pests and diseases as well, given the conditions they prefer.
Slugs and snails can become an issue, especially during wet spring weather. They’re plant chewing machines, and love snacking on leaves, flowers, and any other soft plant parts.
Be sure to choose a well-draining area of the garden to prevent potential problems with rot, or plant in containers with plenty of drainage holes, in a porous medium. Avoid oversaturating the soil.
Planting and forgetting them is possible with these spring bulbs! That is, until these stunners start blooming…
Best Uses
Imagine drifts of blue under a canopy of fresh-leaved deciduous trees, bursting into blossom in the dappled sunlight.
Plant your wood hyacinths in woodland gardens, in borders, and in rock gardens. Mix them with other colorful bulb plantings such as tulips and daffodils to herald spring.
These plants do well in wild and naturalized plantings, in containers on their own, or with other spring bulbs and flowers.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Perennial flowering bulb
Flower / Foliage Color:
Blue, pink, white/green
Native to:
Spain, Portugal, northwest Africa
Maintenance:
Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
3-8
Tolerance:
Shade
Bloom Time:
Mid to late spring
Soil Type:
Loam, sand
Exposure:
Dappled sun, part shade
Soil pH:
5.5-7.0
Spacing:
4-6 inches
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Planting Depth:
2 millimeters (seeds), 3-4 inches (bulbs)
Attracts:
Bees, butterflies, other pollinators
Height:
9-18 inches
Uses:
Bulb beds, borders, containers, naturalized areas, rock gardens, woodland plantings
Spread:
2-3 inches
Family:
Asparagaceae
Water Needs:
Medium
Genus:
Hyacinthoides
Common Pests and Disease:
Slugs, snails; root rot
Species:
Hispanica
A Woodland Gem
Anne Bronte’s poem, The Bluebell, captures that old-world charm the violet-blue bell-shaped flowers of the bluebell.
“O, that lone flower recalled to me,
My happy childhood’s hours
When bluebells seemed like fairy gifts
A prize among the flowers…”
Showy, robust, and most commonly seen in that iconic eye-pleasing shade of violet-blue, Spanish bluebells hold their own in the spring landscape.
They’re tall enough to add some height and layers to bulb plantings, but still short enough to be the perfect spring planter bulb.
Bluebells are old garden favorites, well-loved and sometimes linked with some fond memories. We want to hear about your experiences, whether you cultivate them yourself or remember them fondly. Tell us about it in the comments below!
And for more information about growing flowering bulbs in your garden, have a read of these articles next:
Free Blooming Shrubs for sunny location Leaf losing and evergreen hardy and tender shrubs which are very beautiful when in bloom in spring and summer; they bear pealike flowers of various colors. About fifty species are known; they are natives chiefly of the Mediterranean region and the Canary Isles. The name Cytisus is from kytisos, the Greek name for a kind of Clover. These shrubs belong to the Pea family, Leguminosae.
Sowing Seeds and Taking Cuttings. The Cytisus thrive best in well-drained, rather light land, but heavy ground can be made suitable by adding compost and sand or grit. They must have the sunniest possible position. The species or wild types of Cytisus are propagated by seeds sown as soon as they are ripe in pots or flats of sandy soil in a cold frame or greenhouse. Some gardeners believe it is advantageous to soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing.
As the varieties do not come true from seeds they should be propagated by cuttings placed firmly in a bed of very sandy soil in a cold frame in August, or in similar soil in a shaded place out of doors and covered with a bell jar. The cuttings are made from firm summer shoots, 2-4 in. long, with a thin heel or piece of the older wood attached. The numerous named varieties may be propagated by grafting on stocks of Laburnum raised from seeds. The Laburnums are grown in pots and grafting is done in early spring in a propagating case in a warm greenhouse.
Planting and Pruning
Brooms should be grown in pots until large enough for planting in their permanent positions as they do not transplant very successfully from the open ground. For the first two or three years after propagation, whether by seeds, cuttings or grafting, the fresh shoots on the young plants should be cut back several times during the summer to ensure well-branched plants. In subsequent years most kinds of Brooms can be kept shapely by pruning the one-year-old shoots, but they do not produce new shoots freely when pruned back into the old wood. Those kinds which flower in April, May and June, should be cut back immediately the blossoms fade, two-thirds of the length of the previous season’s growths being cut off; those kinds which flower during July and August should be pruned in early spring, just before new growth recommences. When a bush becomes tall and bare-stemmed, it is better to dig it up and plant a young one rather than to prune back into the old wood.
Cytisus are good shrubs for lawn beds, sunny shrub borders, banks and rock garden slopes. The most popular kinds are the numerous varieties and hybrids of Cytisus scoparius, the Scotch Broom. They average 4-6 ft. high, and flower in May and June.
Spring-flowering Cytisus
A group of European-raised Cytisuses are extremely fine. Cytisus scoparius Golden Sunlight, with large golden-yellow blossoms is an object of great beauty. C. scoparius Andreanus, the first plant of which was found growing wild in Normandy, has crimson and gold blossoms; Firefly and Dragonfly are of richer coloring. Burkwoodii is crimson; Cornish Cream, cream colored; Dallimorei, rose purple, and Donard Seedling, crimson and yellow; Lady Moore, red and yellowish buff; Lord Lambourne, crimson and primrose, and there are many other equally lovely kinds. These hybrids and improved varieties will not stand severe winters.
Cytisus albus (multiflorus) is the White Portugal Broom, one of the most attractive of spring-flowering shrubs. C. Battandieri is a remarkable shrub or small tree from Morocco: it grows 12 to 15 ft. high. The leaves have a silvery appearance and the fragrant, golden-yellow flowers are in •erect racemes, which are produced along the branches in June. It flourishes in ordinary soil but is not hardy North. C. praecox has primrose-yellow flowers of rather unpleasant odor.
Summer-flowering Cytisus
Among those kinds which flower from midsummer onwards are C. ratisbonensis, 3-4 ft. high, yellow; C. sessilifolius, 5-6 ft. with yellow flowers on slender stalks; and C. nigricans, a useful kind which bears yellow flowers freely from July to September.
For the Rock Garden
A representative selection of rock garden Brooms includes the following: C. kewensis, trailing shoots thickly covered with primrose-yellow flowers in May; C. scoparius pendulus, large yellow flowers; C. scoparius sulphureus, low growing, flowers pale yellow; C Beanii, small golden-yellow flowers; C. purpureus, a spreading dwarf shrub with rosy-purple flowers; C. decumbens, a prostrate shrub only a few inches high with yellow blossoms, and C. Ardoinii, a pretty shrub from the Maritime Alps, with bright yellow flowers, that is not hardy in the North. All bloom in April and May.
For the Greenhouse
From the Canary Isles, northern Africa and other warm districts of the Mediterranean, Brooms which are not hardy in the North have been introduced. In the South and West they can be grown out of doors but elsewhere the protection of a greenhouse is necessary.
The best known is the popular Cytisus (Genista) fragrans, with fragrant yellow blossoms, a favorite spring-flowering greenhouse shrub, and grown in market nurseries by the thousand for sale in florists’ shops.
The variety elegans is distinct in having grayish-green foliage. C. monspessulanus, the Montpelier Broom, is a graceful evergreen or semi-evergreen, 6-10 ft., with yellow flowers early in May.
I remember the first time I had a bit of real wasabi. Unlike the neon green stuff I was so familiar with, it had an herbal complexity that I was totally unprepared for. It was, as they say, a revelation.
If you’ve never tasted real wasabi before, you’re in for a treat. The delicious edible leaves, stems, and flowers are just a special bonus, and one that is nearly impossible to find in stores in the US.
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It’s a good thing this herbaceous wonder is so incredibly tasty, because it’s a bit demanding in terms of the environmental conditions it requires to grow well.
You either really have to love wasabi or you have to love a gardening challenge if you plan on growing this marvel.
That’s not to scare you off. In the right climate, it’s actually not as difficult as its reputation suggests. If you’re giving it a go in, say, New Mexico, you have to prepare yourself for some work. But the rewards are oh-so worth it. No pain, no gain, right?!
If I haven’t sent you running for the hills, let’s get started on our adventure. Here’s what we’re going to talk about:
In reality, it’s not the plants themselves that are difficult to grow if you don’t mind keeping them in containers.
If you can make mustard or horseradish thrive, this plant isn’t much different, and you’ll be drowning in tasty leaves and stems. But growing a magnificent rhizome worth dabbing on the finest fish? That’s a bit more challenging.
We’ll walk you through it.
What Is Wasabi?
Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum syn. E. japonica, Wasabia japonica) is a member of the brassica family Brassicaceae, and it is closely related to mustard.
Famously difficult to cultivate, it is only grown commercially in the US in parts of the rainy Oregon coast, and in North Carolina and Tennessee in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In Canada, it’s grown in parts of coastal British Columbia.
Don’t let that scare you off! You can grow wasabi anywhere, though you might need to baby these plants if you live somewhere hot, dry, or extremely cold.
These herbaceous veggies originally grew wild in Japan, parts of Russia, and South Korea near streambeds in temperate climates that rarely climb above 80°F or drop below freezing.
Now, having said that, I can personally attest to the fact that some cultivars can survive in warmer and colder regions.
My wasabi sat outside through weeks of freezing temps this last winter. One night even dropped down to 25°F.
I covered my plants with cardboard during the coldest nights, but left them out otherwise. They were buried by a foot of snow, and in the same year, were subjected to temperatures in the high 90s. It was a weird year, climate-wise, in my neck of the woods.
Some of the leaves burned at the edges a bit in the heat, but my plants were fine otherwise.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10 are ideal, and the best-tasting rhizomes grow in temperatures ranging from 43 to 68°F.
Hotter or colder temperatures can impact the flavor and texture of the rhizome. Extreme temperatures also leave the plant susceptible to fungal issues.
So, yes. You can grow wasabi if you don’t have the perfect climate. You’ll need to keep your plants in containers and you’ll have to be prepared to move them during extreme weather, but it can be done.
Alternatively, you can grow them indoors as well. They don’t need a lot of light and they prefer temperatures right around where most humans like it. Plus, they’re pretty!
They have big, kidney-shaped, edible leaves. In the spring, they have long stalks with small, also edible, white flowers, followed by seeds.
Seeds will only develop properly if the temperature drops low enough for vernalization, however. The leaf stems (petioles) can be green, purple, or red.
The plants can grow to about two feet tall and spread through plantlets on underground rhizomes. Each mother plant can produce up to two dozen of these. Underground, you’ll find a finger-shaped rhizome, which is actually a stem, that can be grated to release that marvelous, spicy magic.
If you’ve only ever had the typical wasabi substitute at a sushi restaurant, which is made using horseradish, you only have an inkling of how delicious real wasabi can be.
It lacks that intense bite that makes your sinuses weep and has a more complex, herbal, sweeter flavor.
You can eat a nibble of fresh wasabi and it won’t make your eyes water. It still has that spicy, sinus-based kick, but it’s just more subtle. The kick also fades faster than with mustard or horseradish.
That spicy flavor comes from the compound allyl isothiocyanate, which is felt more nasally than on the tongue as with chili peppers.
Those who cultivate wasabi commercially grow it in semi-aquatic conditions known as sawa, which means swamp in Japanese. The resulting rhizomes are considered superior to the stuff grown in the ground, which is called oka, for blossom in Japanese.
It might just be the pride of being able to grow such a notoriously difficult veggie, but the stuff I’ve grown tastes every bit as good as what I’ve bought at high-end sushi places.
Okay, I’m biased, but it’s still awfully good despite being cultivated in soil.
Cultivation and History
Wasabi was originally mentioned in texts as a medicinal plant and appears in Japanese writings from around 600 AD.
It wasn’t until the 17th or 18th century that people in Japan started cultivating it. By the early 1800s, people realized that it made an excellent addition to raw fish.
It’s not clear if people first used it for the flavor or for its antimicrobial properties. Perhaps a bit of both?
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
While we may not have had the scientific tools to prove it hundreds of years ago, people likely noticed that raw fish eaten with wasabi was less likely to make them sick. Recent studies confirm what many had already figured out.
For instance, a study by Zhongjing Lu, Christopher R. Dockery, Michael Crosby, Katherine Chavarria, Brett Patterson, and Matthew Giedd, researchers from Kennesaw State University in Georgia, found wasabi to be effective against E. coli (Escherichia coli O157:H7) and staph (Staphylococcus aureus).
They published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology and while I appreciate their efforts, I’d probably be stuffing my face with wasabi even if it wasn’t an antimicrobial powerhouse.
Propagation
You can technically grow wasabi from seed, but best of luck to you getting your hands on them. Almost all seeds you find online are “wasabi” arugula or mustard seeds.
These plants don’t readily produce viable seeds, so real ones cost a fortune. Plus, they don’t germinate reliably, either.
That’s partially because the plants are self-incompatible. You need a male and a female to produce viable seeds. The seeds are also challenging to break out of dormancy and need pretty specific conditions to develop.
Stick to purchasing starts or dividing rhizomes.
You want loamy, rich, loose, well-draining soil regardless of which method you use. If you’re planting in the ground, make sure to work in tons and tons of well-rotted compost to make the soil as loamy, well-draining, and rich as possible.
Slightly acidic to neutral soil is best, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
When it comes to selecting a container, it must have drainage holes and it should be light enough to move around. If you go with a heavy cement container, you should put it on wheels or your back will be hating you the first time the weather takes a turn.
All of the following options for propagation should be done in the spring or fall, and if you plant in the ground, provide 12 inches of space between each one.
From Nursery Transplants
You can sometimes find starts at local nurseries, depending on where you live.
If you’re in the Pacific Northwest or the Appalachian region, you may be able to find young plants at local or specialty shops. Those in places like Arizona or Wisconsin will probably have to go the online route.
Once you have your seedling, fill a large container with well-draining, loamy potting soil.
I’m always singing the praises of FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting mix, but I think it’s particularly perfect for wasabi. You don’t need to add anything. It’s just right the way it is.
Remove the seedling from its nursery container and place it in your new pot, which needs to hold at least three gallons.
Make sure the rhizome is buried, but aim to keep the plant at the same depth as it was previously. You want the rhizome to be about half an inch below the top of the soil.
Fill in around it with potting soil and water well to settle everything. Add more soil if needed.
From Bare Roots
You can find bare root starts online. These usually include a small rhizome with a few leaves or young petioles.
You can also try planting the rhizomes you can buy at grocery stores, but they’re usually too old to sprout.
You should plant these the second you’re able to, but we all know life doesn’t make things that simple for us. Put your rhizomes in the fridge if you can’t plant them right away.
Plant each rhizome in a rich, loamy, well-draining potting soil so it is covered by about half an inch of soil. The container needs to have a capacity of three gallons or larger.
Make sure to plant the rhizome upright, with the leaves or petioles facing up. Water well and replace any settled potting soil with additional soil.
From Divisions
Once a plant is a few years old, you can pull it up and split up the rhizomes.
Keep a few for yourself to eat and separate a few to create new plants. Each rhizome, so long as it has a few nodes on it, can start a new plant.
To dig up your plant, dig around the drip line and down 18 inches. Leverage the plant out of the ground. If the plant is in a container, just remove it whole from the container.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Knock or wash away the soil and identify the rhizomes. Trim rhizomes away, taking care to include a few stems with each one, using a knife. Each one of these can develop into a new, individual plant.
Replant the rhizomes as described above for bare roots.
How to Grow
If you live somewhere with the perfect climate, go ahead and plant these directly in the ground.
Make things easier on yourself and put them in a raised bed filled with rich, loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 to 7.0.
For everyone else, plant your wasabi in containers. You WILL need to move your plants during extreme weather.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Wasabi tends to tolerate cold better than heat, so if you rarely see temps above 90°F, you’re probably fine leaving your plants in the ground.
Occasional freezes that hover above 29°F are fine, as well. If you experience more than just a few weeks of freezing temps or more than a few days at 28°F and your plant is toast. Anything below that is likely a death sentence.
If you have heavy snow throughout the winter, you will need to provide protection or move your plants from being crushed.
When it comes to sun exposure, you probably want to stick to full shade. In cooler regions, you can get away with some dappled morning sun.
I find that mine grow best when provided with a little dappled sun in the morning, but the afternoon sun is an absolute killer. Or rather, your plant might survive, but the rhizome quality will be low.
Don’t forget that if you’re placing your wasabi under deciduous trees that they’ll be exposed to too much light in the winter.
Indoors, place your plants in bright but indirect light.
Yes, wasabi grows on the banks of mountain streams, but you don’t want your plants in standing water. That’s a common misconception.
If you had fresh, cold, constantly moving water as you find at the edges of a streambed, you could put your plants there, but they don’t do well at all in swampy conditions.
Regardless, they’ll grow perfectly well in typical soil.
The amount of moisture you give arugula or lettuce? That’s what your spicy friends need.
In other words, consistently moist but not wet soil. It shouldn’t be allowed to dry out at any point. But it shouldn’t feel like a soggy mess. Aim for the consistency of a well-wrung-out sponge.
Fertilize your plants every three months with an all-purpose, mild fertilizer.
I use Down to Earth Vegetable Garden mix and I’ve had good success. I love this mix because it comes in compostable boxes and is formulated for veggies.
Grab some for your garden at Arbico Organics. They carry one, five, or 15-pound boxes.
Growing Tips
Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet.
Plant in full shade or dappled morning sunlight.
Protect plants during extreme weather.
Maintenance
There isn’t much maintenance required when growing wasabi. Divide the plants every few years as described above and replace the soil every three or four years if you’re growing in pots.
Potting soil tends to compact and leech nutrients, so it’s imperative that you refresh it regularly.
Trim away any dead or damaged leaves whenever you see them.
The mother plant will generally only have a viable lifespan of five or so years, which is why propagating root divisions is a good idea if you want to ensure an ongoing harvest.
Keep weeds away from your plants. Wasabi can’t compete and weeds act as hosts for diseases.
Pull the weeds rather than spraying them with an herbicide. Just be careful not to disturb the wasabi roots too much.
Cultivars to Select
Here are some E. japonicum cultivars that stand out:
Daruma
‘Daruma’ is, by far, the most popular cultivar. This is the one you’re most likely to find.
That’s partially because it’s tougher than most other cultivars, tolerating hotter and colder weather. It’s also resistant to black leg and soft rot.
If you enjoy the stems, this is a good option because they’re thick, juicy, and flavorful.
The heart-shaped leaves are beautiful on an upright to spreading plant. Rhizomes are ready to harvest in about two years.
Ready to dive into the world of ‘Daruma?’ Fast Growing Trees can make your dreams a reality.
Daruma Fuji
This cultivar looks like ‘Daruma’ but it grows more quickly. The rhizomes are ready in about a year.
I’ve found it to be slightly more prone to fungal diseases, though. Unlike its cousin, it has a fully spreading growth habit.
Green Thumb
This cultivar was developed in Taiwan and is a quick grower. It also has big, impressive leaves on an upright plant.
Kamogiko 13
Resistant to soft rot, ‘Kamogiko 13’ has a spreading habit with bunches of large, heart-shaped leaves with purple petioles. The stems are flavorful and spicy.
Mazuma
This upright cultivar is the other common one that you’ll find for sale, along with ‘Daruma.’ It’s spicier than its cousin, with pretty heart-shaped leaves and purple petioles.
It isn’t as cold tolerant as ‘Daruma’ but it’s better in heat. Sadly, it’s more prone to soft rot and black leg.
The flavor is considered to be potentially some of the best, with an elegant sweetness under the heat. It takes at least two years to grow a usable rhizome and is nearly impossible to grow from seed.
Midori
‘Midori’ grows extremely fast and features lovely blue petioles. The downside is that this spreading cultivar is more prone to fungal diseases.
Misho
Ready in just a year, this cultivar resists fungal diseases. The rhizome is faintly sweet on a spreading plant.
Mochi Daruma
I’d grow this variety purely for the stems. They’re huge and flavorful with a bright green color. Sadly, this spreading type is susceptible to soft rot.
Sanpoo
Don’t grow this cultivar for the stems, which are thin and flavorless. But the tender leaves with red and white petioles are delicious.
The rhizome has an excellent flavor with medium spiciness and the spreading plant is resistant to soft rot.
Shimane 3
Don’t mistake this one for ‘Shimane Zairai,’ which is inferior in every way to ‘Shimane 3.’
The latter is resistant to fungal diseases, features good-quality stems and a pungent rhizome, and has tender leaves with reddish petioles. It has a spreading habit.
Shizukei 13
This cultivar has, hands-down, my favorite stems. They’re thick, and spicy, with sweet notes. Stir-fried with some vinegar and white pepper, you’ll be in heaven.
The rhizome is delicious, as are the young, tender leaves, which have purple petioles. It’s tolerant of soft rot and has a spreading growth habit.
Managing Pests and Disease
If you manage to nail the lighting, temperature, and soil, your next major challenge is dealing with pests and diseases.
Herbivores
Rabbits, deer, and chickens might try to snack on your plants, but only as a last resort.
One winter, the deer were making a meal out of my garden. They were eating everything, including the stuff that they typically ignored. Everything, that is, except my wasabi plants.
My chickens mostly ignored my wasabi as well. They’d occasionally try a bite and then move on to better stuff.
Since you’re probably growing your plants in containers, don’t stress about it too much. You can just create a little fence around your plants to prevent nibblers from taking a bite.
I use chicken wire and a few pieces of thick wire to create a makeshift fence in my pots.
Insects
There are a few common insects that will make a meal out of your wasabi. Some people are surprised to learn that since the plant itself has a real kick to it. Hungry insects don’t care.
Aphids
Wherever plants go, aphids go. Cabbage root (Pemphigus populitransversus), turnip (Lipaphis pseudobrassicae), green peach (Myzus persicae), and potato aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) are the most common species.
Avoid using harsh chemicals which can both harm the plant and render the leaves inedible. Stick to spraying them with water, neem oil, or insecticidal soap.
Cabbage Worms
Some years I shake my fists impotently at the sky when I find cabbage worms on my wasabi, and other years I just sigh and get to work plucking them off.
The one thing that’s consistent is that I’ll be dealing with these little worms, and the only thing that I can change is my attitude.
Cabbage worms are the larvae of those pretty, tiny white butterflies with gray spots, known as cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae) you see flitting through the garden in late summer.
I used to love those butterflies until I realized what they were doing to my cole crops.
Now, when I see those butterflies flitting through the garden, I head out to my brassicas to (inevitably) find and get rid of the cabbage worms that follow.
A massive infestation might be a problem, but if you head outside in late summer and just pluck off any worms you find, the worst of the damage is just cosmetic.
Even if you’re planning on eating the leaves, it’s the young foliage that tastes best, so it doesn’t matter if those older leaves look a bit tattered. I find these worms tend to focus on the older leaves.
I just pluck the worms off, but there are other tactics you can use like encouraging or buying natural predators or applying organic, natural products like those that contain the beneficial bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk).
Bonide Thuricide contains Btk and is highly effective against these pests.
You can pick up a quart or gallon of ready-to-use spray, or an eight- or 16-ounce concentrate, at Arbico Organics.
To learn more about figuring out if this pest is hanging out on your plants, and how to get rid of them if you are, read our guide.
Slugs
Slugs are a major problem when the plants are young. Wasabi loves the same conditions that slugs and snails do and I’ve forgotten to keep an eye on my young plants in some years. I lost several plants to those slimy little jerks.
Luckily, as long as your plants have a few leaves left, they’re pretty good at regenerating new leaves even if they’ve been largely defoliated.
There are several fungal diseases that impact wasabi, but black leg and soft rot are the most common and the most troublesome.
Breeders are working on creating more resistant plants, but in the meantime, here’s what to know:
Black Leg
The fungal disease black leg is caused by Phoma wasabiae and it is incredibly destructive. It starts with black spots all over the leaves and stems.
Then, the holes in the leaves become angular and rotten, and the veins turn dark. Eventually, the whole plant from root to tip turns mushy and black.
It’s more common in warm weather over 70°F and it tends to be more likely on older plants.
Look for brown spots with gray, fuzzy centers. The spots will expand rapidly in favorable conditions, killing off the entire leaf and, not long after, the entire plant.
Once symptoms appear, it’s too late. There’s nothing you can do but cull the plant and toss out the soil it was growing in. Be sure to clean the container before planting wasabi or any of its relatives in there again.
If you find yourself dealing with this disease, no cultivar is totally immune, but look for resistant varieties next time to avoid the heartache.
Black Rot
Black or soft rot is a bacterial disease caused by Pectobacterium and Pseudomonas species.
The veins of the leaves on infected plants turn dark, followed by dark spots. These spots eventually turn white and the leaves turn yellow before dying.
‘Sanpoo’ and ‘Durama’ are resistant, but there is no available form of control once plants are infected. You’ll need to dispose of them.
Downy Mildew
Downy mildew is common but not terribly destructive if you catch it early.
Caused by Peronospora alliariae fungi, the leaves first turn pale yellowish-green before turning dark brown. A gray fuzz may develop on the undersides before leaves wilt.
It’s best controlled early and quickly.
Liquid copper fungicide spray is the best first line of attack. Use it alone or alternate it every two weeks with Fung-onil by Bonide.
This spray works against a broad range of fungi and is twice as effective when paired with copper. Pick up a 16-ounce bottle at Amazon.
Whichever you use, spray the plant thoroughly, taking care to get the top and bottom of the leaves as well as the stems. Prune away any heavily damaged leaves.
Harvesting
To harvest, gently dig up the plant and brush or wash away the soil.
Harvest any rhizomes that are at least six inches long and two inches in diameter. This should be done in the spring or fall after a good rainfall.
The ideal coloring is a medium green, but you can still eat dark green or light green rhizomes. They just tend to have an inferior flavor.
The rhizome should be tapered like a baby carrot. If it’s jagged or unevenly shaped, it’s likely that the climate conditions were highly variable throughout the season.
It doesn’t matter to us home growers, but these would be considered inferior by commercial growers.
You can pluck leaves any time of year, but the best ones are young.
Wasabi plants continue to grow new leaves throughout the year from spring until fall. Flowers appear in the early spring and you can eat them any time they’re present.
Preserving
To store the rhizome, wrap it in a damp paper towel and place it in a bag in the refrigerator.
Replace the paper towel every few days and eat the root within a few weeks. Leaves and flowers should be eaten immediately.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
The rhizome can also be dried if you’re looking for ways to use up a large harvest, but keep in mind that you’ll lose a lot of that delicate flavor.
If you decide to dry it, slice the rhizome up into thin pieces and lay them flat on parchment paper. Bake in the oven on low heat until crisp.
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
Obviously, the rhizomes are traditionally grated on a fine, flat metal or wood grater. There are also pretty circular graters made just for grating wasabi.
I like the one made by Kinjirushi because it creates an extremely creamy texture. Snag one at Amazon.
More traditionally, wasabi root is grated into a paste using a samekawa-oroshi, which is a piece of wood covered in sharkskin to create a rough surface.
Grate up a bit and spoon it onto your plate. The paste should be eaten right away. As soon as you grate it, it starts to lose flavor.
If you want to use the wasabi in the traditional manner, you should dab it between the fish and the rice as you’re making your nigiri. You need a bit more paste with extremely fatty fish like fatty tuna or pungent fish like mackerel, and less with more subtly flavored fish.
You don’t need to add additional wasabi when you eat your nigiri unless you really want to.
If you want to add more, don’t mix it with soy sauce, just add a dab with your chopstick. (And don’t dip the rice side in your soy sauce! Dip the fish side.) You can take a small bit of wasabi and place it on sashimi before dipping it into your soy sauce as well.
If I hear that you’ve been mixing your fresh wasabi with your soy sauce, I might cry.
I think it’s perfectly fine to do this with the horseradish stuff, even though it isn’t how they do it in traditional sushi restaurants, but you’ve gone to all the trouble of growing this challenging plant. Don’t ruin the delicate flavor by mixing it with soy sauce.
If you only ever use your paste with raw fish or tataki (marinated beef), you already have a fantastic ingredient that doesn’t need to be put to use anywhere else.
But you can use it in so many other ways! And now that you aren’t paying extraordinary prices for a few ounces, you can afford to experiment.
Oregon Coast Wasabi has an excellent recipe for mint gazpacho that combines mint leaves, wasabi paste, chopped cucumber, lemon, garlic, olive oil, and salt.
I like to use the paste to make hummus and deviled eggs, while my husband uses it to make some killer bloody mary cocktails with the stems and leaves as a garnish.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Use the leaves on salads or to make pesto in place of basil leaves. They’re also tasty on sandwiches or chopped and added as a garnish to soup.
Surprise twist: wasabi and chocolate go together extremely well! One year I had more rhizomes than I knew what to do with, so I chopped up and crystalized a rhizome as you would ginger and added it to gooey chocolate cookies. To die for.
I was plucking cabbage white worms off my wasabi plants the other day and I thought to myself, you know? I wouldn’t give these plants up despite their fussy nature, or even if you could buy cheap leaves and roots at any old grocery store.
It’s not just that they’re beautiful, though they are, but there’s a lot to be said for a gardening challenge. When it all goes well, it’s delightful, but it can still be rewarding even when it all goes wrong.
I haven’t gone so far as to name my plants yet, but I’ve definitely developed a relationship with them. Any suggestions for naming them?
While we’re at it, do you have any great recipe ideas? I mean, you’re going to be flush with rhizomes soon, so you’d better be thinking ahead, and I’m always up for some tasty ideas. Share them in the comments.
If you want to grow some of wasabi’s less difficult brassica cousins, we can help with that. Here are a few guides worth checking out. Just remember not to plant them too close to your wasabi or you’ll encourage pests and diseases.
The frenzy of mid-to-late summer, as the harvests start to roll in, is always a doozy. One second, you’re jumping for joy at your first eggplant, the next, you have a bin full of peppers you’re unsure what to do with. But what if I told you that you could avoid the mad rush by harvesting earlier and later while growing more? Let me introduce to you succession planting!
For the longest time, I always thought of succession planting in the simplest form: gardeners can space out the timing of their planting so that their plants mature at different times.
At first, I thought, how could you write a whole book on succession planting? But with a background in natural resource management, Meg has a unique take on succession and how it also applies to generations of plants.
So, I want to share a little bit more about what exactly succession planting is and how you can master it in your own garden with the help of Meg.
PLUS, make sure to read all the way to the end to see how you can win a copy of Meg’s book and my own for yourself.
Plan your planting times to stagger when different plants mature throughout the growing season and have fresh vegetables for longer.
Grow different varieties of the same vegetable to help with different harvesting times.
Continuously start new seeds beyond the spring to extend the harvesting season.
Use frost protection to allow you to begin seeds earlier and protect plants later in the fall.
Tomatoes greatly benefit from a couple of months growing indoors before being transplanted outside with protection.
What is Succession Planting?
My original take on succession planting remains true, albeit a simpler version. Here’s how Meg describes it: “In the simplest terms, succession means one follows another. In ecology, succession describes how plant communities develop over time, with different groups of plants succeeding one another.”
This means succession planting can occur in one season within your annuals and vegetables or over many years in how your trees, shrubs, and perennials grow.
When one generation of plants dies, another will come to replace it.
Succession Planting in Practice
A forest is a great example of succession planting. The younger trees grow larger, eventually becoming overstory trees. As a wildfire comes or a large tree dies, it will fall down and then open up more sunlight to the ground cover plants. This then stimulates new growth, creating a constant cycle of succession.
Another wonderful example is weed seeds. I often refer to the weed bank, which is the store of seeds in our soil that can be dormant in our garden for 25 or more years. As soon as the conditions are appropriate, they grow. They’ll germinate at the right time, filling in patches of soil.
So as you can see, succession planting has multiple components. In The Regenerative Garden, I talk about polyculture gardens, and succession planting is a big part of how we cultivate those.
Planting vegetables ready for harvest at different times, succession planting, and sowing multiple varieties of each vegetable are all part of growing a polyculture garden.
You also see it in food forests and guilds. Some fruit and plants will mature in 5-6 years, while others might be ready a year after planting. All the plants continue to develop in not just one growing season but in a succession of time.
I have a mixture of annual vegetables and herbs, as well as some perennial herbs and edible trees and shrubs.
The Juicy Benefits of Succession Planting
Okay, but why would you want all the extra effort of planning a succession garden? Well, let me give you a firsthand example.
A few years ago, I watched my new neighbours move in across the street from me. They built a new garden full of vegetables. After a couple of months of growing, ALL those vegetables came into maturity simultaneously.
I watched as suddenly they had buckets of beets and arms of kale and more vegetables than any couple could know what to do with. Watching it was a great example of why succession planting is so valuable, so I always ensure I plant things so they mature at different times as well.
“Succession gardening will increase your garden’s productivity by maximizing the days of your growing season, even if those days are limited, and maximizing your space, even if your garden is small,” says Meg.
Rather than rushing to harvest everything in a couple of months, what if you could harvest food for a whole eight months? Or dare I say it, even the whole year long? “[This could possibly] meet your food needs, reduce seasonal overwhelm, create a more robust local food system, and thus feed you more completely,” says Meg.
And it’s not just you who will benefit. This also gives an opportunity for the local wildlife to have an extended season. You can help feed bees who wake up early and need flowers to energize themselves or birds who linger longer than normal in the fall due to rising temperatures.
Succession planting is also extremely beneficial to our pollinating friends, giving them food sources for longer.
How to Succession Plant
Now that you’re on board with the idea, there are many aspects to consider when succession planting. With a little planning, it’s not hard to do in any kind of space or garden.
Continuous Planting
Continuous planting is the idea that there is no planting season; it’s an ongoing part of your garden. “Grasping the notion that a garden is never fully planted is key to embracing the concept of continuous planting,” says Meg.
So while spring can be busy, so can the summer and fall for planting.
Start seeds indoors beyond early spring and into early summer for a longer harvest.
Variety
Why not grow a few varieties of the same vegetable? If you have some favourites, you can actually help to stagger their harvest times just by choosing a different variety.
“Planting a few different varieties of the same vegetable (or fruit, for that matter) with various maturation dates is the simplest way to implement staggered succession planting,” says Meg.
Tomatoes are a great example of this. From cherry to beef steak, you can extend the harvesting time by a month or more just by planting a few varieties rather than focusing your efforts on one.
Like these currant tomatoes, smaller tomatoes tend to be ready for harvesting earlier than larger varieties.
Blocking
Blocking is typically seen in large-scale agriculture. Think of neat and tidy rows of crops and vegetables. This can actually help maximize space and keep track of all your harvests.
Endurance
I don’t think endurance gets spoken of enough, and I love that Meg points it out as an integral part of succession planting. As she says, “Seed starting is a marathon, not a sprint.”
You want to plan so your plants grow and produce for as long as possible, especially if you live in a place with a shorter growing season. So plan ahead, and ensure you and your plants can keep up with the planting.
It’s important to only plant what you can handle taking care of.
Zone Bending
Zones can be a useful tool to help us determine what can grow, but we all have unique microclimates that can make it harder to predict exactly how things will go when you plant them.
Frost dates are very irregular, especially with changing climates. But you can use frost protectors, greenhouses, and even grow lights to help begin your season early and extend it late.
I can help my peppers by placing them out earlier using a simple umbrella greenhouse.
Interplanting
Interplanting is a big one when it comes to succession planting. “This means growing more than one type of vegetable or flower simultaneously in the same proximity,” says Meg. “Also called intercropping, and sometimes referred to as companion planting, this mingling of more than one type of plant in a space creates a living mosaic—quite literally a garden salad.”
Not only does this maximize space, but it can allow plants to help each other. One tall plant may provide shade for a lower plant, or one flower may prevent pests from feasting on another plant. It also can stop weeds from growing by taking up any empty space.
Nasturtium is great for interplanting as it traps aphids and other pests and is an edible flower.
Staggering Harvest
This is the one that succession planting is known for. This is where you make sure that not everything harvests at the same time. For example, you will want to ensure that not all your tomato plants need harvesting at once but also that other plants in the garden aren’t also reaching maturity at the same time.
Meg notes, “Considering the maturation rates of plants paired together is part of the equation, as well as ensuring appropriate light levels remain throughout the duration of each plant’s lifecycle.” In other words, ensure the plants get the right conditions to harvest as planned.
Staggering your harvest ensures you don’t have to worry about preserving everything and can enjoy fresh veggies for longer.
Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardening is a great way to make use of small space. It was how I managed to grow some vegetables in the small sliver of sun my old garden used to have.
“Take a look at natural landscapes, and you’ll quickly notice vines ascending trees, shrubs interluding in opportune gaps in otherwise dense forests, and other plants growing upward for sunlight in creative ways,” says Meg.
I like to grow lettuce in my vertical bed, planting more seeds whenever I harvest from it.
Edible Perennials
If you want to have lots of edible food, don’t discount the value of perennials. Not only will this lower the amount of maintenance you need to put in each year, but it will also help foster a more resilient garden. Plant fruit trees, native edible trees and shrubs, berries, and perennial vegetables.
What Crops Are Good for Succession Planting?
Luckily, you can apply succession planting to most of your favourite vegetables and edible plants. As long as it doesn’t have a long and set growing period (like garlic, for example) you can probably plant to succession plant with most of your edible plants.
Meg’s a succession planning pro, and here’s a handy succession planting chart based on her recommendations. Utilize these early start times, and continue planting routinely until the last planting date.
*With protection is any kind of frost protection, such as cold frames or tunnel hoops. Keep protected until after the last frost.
**Soil should reach a minimum temperature of 50°F/10°C at 6 inches down before planting outside.
Free Printable Succession Planting Chart
If you’re ready to plan your succession garden, download my free succession planting chart printable! It includes a print-friendly version of the chart above, as well as a succession planting worksheet you can use to fill out and plan your own veggie garden.
Frequently Asked Questions About Succession Planting
Can you succession plant flowers?
Absolutely. Flowers are great for interplanting, attracting pollinators for your vegetable plants and predators for pests. Then, you can enjoy their beauty while they also provide a host of benefits to your garden. You can even plant edible flowers, so they’re playing double duty.
I always aim to have flowers blooming as early and as late as possible to help out my early and late wildlife. Meg’s favourites for succession planting are cosmos, zinnia, marigold, sunflower, and calendula.
What should be the succession plant before tomatoes?
Tomatoes are often one plant that provides a big harvest at the same time. Before the tomatoes are planted outside, you could grow some speedy spring vegetables to take their spot before they’re ready for transplanting.
Start your tomatoes as early as February 1 or as late as April 1. If you start them early in February, they will get pretty big before they can go outside, but you will get an earlier harvest.
Typically, you can sow them six weeks before the last frost, transplant them just after the last frost, and harvest from July to September.
Make sure to harvest all the tomatoes 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Then, you can plant quick-growing fall vegetables or even your garlic for next year in their place. Also, be sure to grow different varieties of tomatoes to help with varying maturity times.
Should I succession plant cucumbers?
Cucumbers are great for succession planting. First, begin sowing your cucumbers indoors in May, transplant them outside in early June, and then you can harvest these from mid-July to August.
Then, sow another round 12 weeks before the first frost (end of June), transplant them outside 4 weeks later, and then you should be able to harvest them in September or about 4 weeks before the first frost.
Intermingle plants of various sizes to get the most out of your gardening beds.
Win a Copy of Plant Grow Harvest Repeat!
Want a copy of Plant Grow Harvest Repeat? I’m giving away one copy of Meg’s book, along with my book, The Regenerative Garden, to one lucky Garden Therapy winner.
You can enter one of 3 ways. Enter on all three platforms to increase your chances of winning!
Leaving a comment on the blog.
Dropping a comment on this Instagram post.
Commenting on this Facebook post.
This contest is open to those in the continental USA online. The contest closes on May 4, 2023, where I will use a random number generator to select the winner.
Planning a road trip in the UK can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Taking a road trip allows you to explore the countryside and experience unique culture, cuisine, and history. With its diverse scenery and remarkable cities, the UK is the perfect place for a memorable road trip.
Whether traveling solo, with family, or with friends, you will need to dedicate some time to preparation and organisation. When planning a road trip in the UK, it is crucial to decide on route planners UK to help you create the perfect trip itinerary, research the attractions and destinations along the way, and consider the cost and budget.
With the right preparation and research, you can ensure your road trip is a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Choose your destination
Your first job is to decide where you want to go and what you want to see. Consider how much time you have, and how far you are willing to travel.
Make sure to research the area you plan to visit, covering attractions, accommodation, and places to eat.
If you’re short on time, it’s a good idea to pick a destination close enough to see in a few days, or plan a route that takes you to multiple places. You could also plan a longer trip that takes you through different regions of the UK.
Book your accommodation
Booking accommodation is an essential part of planning a road trip in the UK. There are many different types of accommodation, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, and camping. Hotels are a popular option available in all price ranges, from budget to luxury. Bed and breakfasts offer a more homely and personalised experience, while camping is a more adventurous option.
When booking accommodation, consider the cost, location, amenities, and reviews. Comparing different accommodation options can help you find the best deal that suits all members of your party.
Plan your route
Map out the best route to get to your destination, taking into account traffic, roadworks, and any detours you might want to make. Think also about the needs of the people in your party; for example, is the fastest route the best option, or do you need a route that has plenty of rest stops or places for kids to stretch their legs.
If you’ve got time, taking a scenic detour to explore the area and experience some of the local attractions is always a nice option and can make the journey part of the overall fun.
Have fun!
Going on a road trip is a great way to explore the United Kingdom. From stunning views of rolling hills and moors to quaint villages and historic castles, the UK has much to offer.
Enjoy the journey and all the sights along the way. And remember to take plenty of photos!
