We’re visiting award-winning garden designer Jay Sifford’s home garden today. We’ve visited it before in other seasons, but today he’s sharing how it looks in winter.
I designed my garden called Rhodwood, which is nestled in a North Carolina mountain valley, during the COVID epidemic. Frankly, it was invaluable in helping me through that period of time. The front garden is a stylized meadow built atop the septic drain field. Designing it for four-season interest was a high priority for me, since the winters here can be long and harsh. Here are some photos that were taken during the months that we normally consider to be drab and lifeless when it comes to our gardens.
This photo, taken on a mid-October morning, shows the waning garden bowing to a spectacular autumnal sunrise that highlights the mountain across the road.
Seed heads are left standing until March, when the entire meadow is cut. I love the winter interest, particularly texture and kinetic movement, provided by the 200 or soPanicumandPennisetumand seed heads such as these ‘October Skies’ asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’, Zones 3–8).
Silvery skeletons of Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 5–9) act as jewelry in the winter garden as they shine in the afternoon sunlight.
Yellow twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ Zones 3–8) and a coral bark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ , Zones 5–9), which was decapitated by a falling tree branch, add excitement to the winter garden.
This snow-covered Erica ‘Kramer’s Red’ (Zones 5–8) reminds me of a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberries.
Out by the road, winter interest catches the eyes of passersby.‘Kramer’s Red’ erica,Cedrus atlantica ‘Blue Cascade’ (Zones 6–9), andJuniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’ (Zones 6–9) shine on a dreary winter day. From a design standpoint, first impressions are everything.
Looking through the dogtrot (covered breezeway) at the winter garden, one can easily see the value of conifers in the winter garden. It’s a good thing that I have a love affair with them!
One of my favorite parts of the garden, particularly in winter, is this hillside filled with conifers, heaths, and heathers. This view, taken from my living room window, shows the scrim effect of theCalamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Zones 5–9) seed heads that I’ve planted as part of my foundation planting.
Here’s a close-up of the same vignette. Conifers, heaths, heathers, and a dwarf balsam fir (Abies balsamea, Zones 3–6) put on a show throughout the winter.
Dry flower heads of theseHydrangea paniculata‘Phantom’ (Zones 3–8) add so much to the winter landscape. I leave them in place until April 1, when I cut the plants to within 12 inches of the ground, much like you’d cut back roses. Doing so keeps these at a summer height of 5 feet, rather than 8 to 9 feet. A larger size would overwhelm the garden.
This vignette of ‘Orange Rocket’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’, Zones 4–8), ‘Curly Tops’ eastern white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Curly Tops’, Zones 3–8), and ‘Shenandoah’ panicum (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, Zones 4–9) shines in winter. Please note that barberries are not invasive in my area.
I believe that planting en masse creates both drama and tranquility in the garden. This mass ofJuniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’ more than earns its place in the garden, especially in winter.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Root rot in all plants is caused by the fungi, Verticillium and Fusarium oxysporum (Phytophthora genus). It is usually triggered by excessive moisture, so poor drainage or overwatering can cause root rot to develop.
When fungal growth begins to grow on a plant’s roots, it interferes with the uptake of nutrients and water. This can cause the plant to appear underwatered, but the problem is really that it simply cannot absorb moisture in the soil.
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This state of affairs can cause well-meaning gardeners to provide more water, which only worsens matters.
In this article, we will discuss root rot in Hibiscus plants and provide sound information to help you recognize and deal with it. Read on to learn more.
What Is Root Rot?
Although the disease is called rot, it is actually a fungal infection caused when cool, moist conditions make it possible for fungi to set up shop and begin growing on and in plant roots.
When this happens, the roots become dark, soft, and non-functioning. This is deadly to all plants, Hibiscus included, because they need strong, healthy, fungus-free roots to carry oxygen, nutrients, and water to the plant’s body.
How Do Plants Get Root Rot?
Most of the time, overwatering is the culprit, but there are other ways the fungus that causes root rot can be introduced to your garden.
It may get a foothold if your plants are too close together and don’t have good airflow between them.
It may develop in piles of wet, moldy leaves and other garden debris.
You may bring it in when you introduce new plants to the garden.
Any one of these circumstances (or several combined) can set your plant(s) up to develop root rot.
Incidentally, overwatering, overcrowding, gathering garden debris, and introducing plants to your collection without a quarantine period are also excellent ways to pave the way for many other sorts of diseases and insect pests.
How Can You Tell If Your Hibiscus Has Root Rot?
To detect root rot before it kills your plant, you must be vigilant. Keep a close eye on your plant and watch for symptoms such as:
Wilted/fallen leaves: If the leaves wilt and fall, even though your plant is well-watered, root rot could be the culprit.
Yellowed leaves: Excessive yellowing of leaves on one side or throughout the plant may indicate root rot.
Bud drop: If your Hibiscus drops buds before they have a chance to develop or open, root rot may be the problem.
Dark lower stems: In advanced cases, the plant’s stem may be dark brown or black just above the soil’s surface. If you scrape off the bark, you’ll find that the wood inside is also brown or black. This is a sure sign of root rot.
How Can You Treat Root Rot In Hibiscus?
If you notice potential root rot symptoms in Hibiscus very early, you can treat the problem by pruning off affected limbs and roots. This means unpotting or digging up the affected plant and examining its roots for signs of rot.
If you find brown/black mushy roots, you must prune them off completely, well above the point at which the rot begins. You should also prune off wilted, damaged limbs and foliage. Remember to use very sharp, sterile pruning tools.
Treat the soil with a systemic fungicide for plants in the landscape before replanting the Hibiscus. For potted plants, use entirely fresh potting soil in a brand-new or thoroughly sterilized container. Water with a systemic fungicide immediately.
You may wish to give the plant growth enhancer treatment when replanting it. This may help it ward off fungal infection.
As your plant recovers, keep it consistently watered, but take great care not to overwater.
How Can You Prevent Root Rot In Hibiscus?
It is much easier to prevent root rot than treat it. To avoid the development of root rot in your Hibiscus plants, you must:
Provide consistent warmth. Fungus is spurred to grow in cool, damp conditions.
Always use a sharp, sterilized cutting implement to prune and deadhead.
Prune away damaged or diseased foliage and dispose of it frequently.
Space your plants correctly to allow room for growth and airflow.
Sterilize all of your gardening tools and containers before using them.
Amend soil with a systemic fungicide at the time of planting.
Protect outdoor plants against heavy, extended rains.
Provide a systemic fungicide treatment seasonally.
Adopt the soak-and-dry watering method.
Deadhead spent flowers promptly.
Be sure to choose the right Hibiscus variety for your setting. Remember that Tropical Hibiscus is only winter hardy in USDA hardiness zones 9 and higher. It does not do well in cool, damp areas.
There are wide varieties of hardy Hibiscus that are native to cool and even swampy areas. These make a better choice in the northern United States.
Every once in a while, a cultivar ends up making such a huge splash that people never forget the first time they saw one.
A perfect example of this is Hibiscus syriacus ‘Blue Chiffon’ (officially registered as Hibiscus syriacus’ Notwoodthree,’ USPP 20,574), a cultivar that blooms from late summer into autumn when many other plants have finished for the year.
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Each flower has pale lavender-blue petals with a touch of burgundy at their base, all surrounding white stamens.
The appearance of these flowers is truly stunning, but the fact that this is a trademarked cultivar means that propagation is illegal without the consent of the trademark holder, meaning you’ll want to take good care of the ones you’ve got.
Blue Chiffon Rose Of Sharon
This cultivar can reach a mature size of 8 to 12’ feet tall and 4 to 6’ feet across, yet it is surprisingly easy to care for.
Even better, it’s a major draw for pollinators, giving the rest of your garden a boost.
Here are the important aspects of growing and caring for Blue Chiffon Rose Of Sharon.
Environmental Needs
You can grow Blue Chiffon Rose Of Sharon as a perennial in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9, although zones further south may be a bit too harsh during the summer.
It can also tolerate a wide humidity range and has been known to survive temperature dips below 0° degrees Fahrenheit.
You’ll also need to provide 6 to 8 hours of full sun daily.
While this plant can handle a little bit of excess heat, it’s best to give it full morning or evening exposure and a little afternoon shade if you’re in more southern climates.
The dappled afternoon sun will also work well in these regions, although you’ll want full afternoon exposure in the northern portion of this plant’s range.
Soil and Fertilizer
Well-drained, loamy soils are perfect for this plant, although you may find it will tolerate slightly less ideal conditions.
Be sure to add some perlite or coarse sand as needed to ensure good drainage.
You may also consider adding some organic compost to help further improve the soil quality if you want to get the most out of this plant.
It’s also very forgiving regarding soil pH, making it perfect for gardens with plants needing slightly acidic to neutral levels.
There are no hard and fast rules for how often to feed this plant. A good rule of thumb is to use a balanced liquid soluble fertilizer once per month in spring through mid-summer, following any instructions on the packaging.
Avoid feeding in late summer, as this could encourage new growth that won’t harden off in time for early frosts, making the plant more prone to cold damage.
It’s also suggested to mix some organic matter (such as fresh compost) into the soil when planting. And yes, Miracle-Gro works wonders with Blue Chiffon!
Watering
During the first two years, your Blue Chiffon may need a little extra water while it becomes fully established.
Watering when the ground is dry about ½” inch down (approximately halfway to your first knuckle) will keep the ground from being too wet or dry.
Once established, you can cut back to watering when the soil is dry 1” inch down.
Avoid overhead watering and use the soak and dry or a similar method to ensure you don’t overwater.
Also, once established, this plant can handle brief periods of drought, so don’t stress too much if you miss a watering here or there.
Remember to cut back on watering when winter approaches, as this is when the plant will begin to go dormant.
Maintenance Needs
Try only to prune this plant in late winter or early spring unless necessary. This is because Blue Chiffon blooms on new growth, so pruning away said new growth too close to blooming would reduce how many flowers you get.
While pruning isn’t necessary, it can allow you to revitalize an older shrub, shape the plant, or get rid of dead branches.
You can also train this shrub into a small tree with a little patience. In early spring, remove any weaker branches on the lower half of the plant.
Next, trim up to ⅓ of the upper branches to create a rounded canopy shape.
Note that it will take a few years to achieve the final look.
In the most northern portions of its zone range, you will need to place a layer of mulch or straw over the plant’s roots to insulate it during the winter.
Pests and Diseases
Not only is this plant rather easy to care for, but it’s also rather resilient.
It’s resistant to drought and salt, attracting birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Deer generally show little interest in Blue Chiffon.
However, the plants are also known to attract aphids and Japanese beetles.
It’s not particularly prone to illness but may develop canker, leaf spot, or root rot if improperly watered.
Can You Grow Blue Chiffon in Containers?
Despite their large size, you can indeed grow this plant in a container.
It will need repotted every 2 to 3 years to replace the soil and prevent root binding.
Care is generally the same as when planting in the ground, although you may wish to bring it out to a patio or deck in warm weather and bring it back inside as the temperature begins to drop.
In our exuberance, we succulent lovers are sometimes given to a smidgen of exaggeration.
So I will start by addressing the assertion that mother of millions succulents, Kalanchoe delagoensis, will produce a million baby plantlets.
It will not.
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But you can expect dozens, even hundreds, of plantlets and divisions from a single mother of millions. Just like us, it’s exuberant.
Don’t worry, plant parent. You don’t have to cultivate all those offspring!
Before you fret about too many babies, let’s begin with tips for growing and caring for a mother of millions aka chandelier plant.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
What Is Mother of Millions?
The succulent known commonly as mother of millions originally came from Madagascar and is one of the more than 100 species of Kalanchoe.
It earned this name thanks to viviparous asexual reproduction, wherein it produces many baby plantlets at a time on the tips of its upright leaves.
These pups drop on their own to root in any available soil.
Mother of millions can also reproduce via seeds produced when its bell-shaped flowers are pollinated.
These range from salmon to dark orange in color, but they’re typical only on outdoor specimens, not those that are cultivated indoors.
K. delagoensis has a few other catchy nicknames, too, including chandelier plant and devil’s backbone.
These colorful names arise from its appearance, one of the most unusual of any plant you can grow for its foliage.
Its fleshy stalks grow upright, with greenish-gray leaves and purple mottling.
The symmetrical lanceolate leaves can reach two to five inches long, and they are arrayed like the sconces in a chandelier, reaching for the sky.
At their tips, the tiny “pups” or plantlets develop in a horseshoe pattern. As the plantlets age, they develop tiny roots while they’re still attached to the leaves.
To me, the overall vibe of this species is prehistoric – I can imagine Littlefoot the dinosaur would welcome it for forage.
Chandelier plant can attain a height of six feet outdoors under ideal conditions. Indoor potted specimens are smaller, growing to about three feet tall max.
A hardy perennial in Zones 9 to11, it’s a good choice for gardens in drought-prone areas since it can do without water for a prolonged period.
But there’s a catch, depending on where you live: This exuberant succulent can propagate so aggressively, with its pups taking root anywhere they find an available patch of soil, that it can become invasive – this is particularly a problem in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
This is mostly a problem for farmers in those areas, since mother of millions is toxic to livestock, but it’s worth keeping in mind that an outdoor specimen can take over the garden or even the lawn if you grow it in the ground in a region where it really thrives.
It is listed as invasive in Hawaii, and is causing problems in parts of Florida and Texas where it outcompetes native species.
Vendors and fellow indoor gardeners may also refer to this succulent by its former classification, Bryophyllum tubiflorum or other botanical names including K. tubiflora.
This kalanchoe species is also often confused with K. daigremontiana, aka mother of thousands. But while that succulent also reproduces viviparously, it has wider, plain green leaves and the plantlets grow in the leaf margins, not on the tips.
K x houghtonii
Another species that shares the same common name is K x houghtonii, a hybrid cross of K delagoensis and K. daigremontiana. This hybrid has the same upright stems as K. delagoensis but the leaves are thicker, with notches along the edges.
For tips on growing and caring for chandelier plant outdoors, keep reading. We’ll cover indoor cultivation in all Zones as well.
A Note of Caution:
While K. delagoensis is toxic to cattle, the experts at the Missouri Poison Center say kalanchoe won’t poison humans if ingested, but it may cause nausea or vomiting.
If someone accidentally eats part of a chandelier plant, the center recommends wiping their mouth with a clean towel, followed by a few sips of water. If symptoms develop, call a poison control center or your health provider.
Pet owners should call their veterinarian immediately if a pet chews on or ingests any parts of this plant.
Propagation
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been told a plant will reproduce so readily I won’t be able to keep up with it, only to have that variety grow slowly and not yield any viable cuttings, divisions, or pups at all.
But mother of millions reliably develops new plantlets, complete with little roots. The plants will do this without your encouragement and the plantlets are simple to propagate.
You can either repot the ones that fall from the parent plant and root themselves, or you can gently knock a few off the ends of the leaves into your hand and sprinkle them on a container filled with succulent soil.
It’s also possible to propagate K. delagoensis from seed, or you may take stem or leaf cuttings to root, but I would only devote the time and energy required to try those methods if you aren’t already staring down leaves laden with little plantlets.
I cannot overstate the ease of growing these succulents.
My local nursery, Stanley’s Greenhouse, literally has dozens of perfectly healthy specimens growing in a few tablespoons of soil, right where they fell from a potting table to the cinder blocks below. I’ve seen them thriving for going on six years now.
Whether you acquire established starts or purchase potted plants, it’s not too tough to keep a mother of millions succulent alive.
Here are the basics:
Outdoors
If you have a plot that needs an intriguing specimen in the two- to six-foot height range and live in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to11, consider planting some mother of millions outdoors.
The plants will need well-draining soil, first and foremost.
They’ll also need full sun for six hours a day, along with protection from the harshest rays. So, choose an area with sun in the mornings and at least part shade in the afternoons.
Pick a place that’s out of the wind, too, since these succulents can grow tall and tilt over easily.
As for the soil, it can be poor, but the preferred mix is a sandy loam.
I heartily recommend planting in containers even for those who can cultivate K. delagoensis outdoors year round, to keep their spreading habit in check.
And since they don’t require much water, you’ll be largely spared the typical watering chores involved with container gardening in warm climates.
If you have propagated your own plantlets, let them grow to at least a couple of inches tall before transplanting outdoors.
Then set the plants in the soil at the same depth as the containers they are currently growing in. Space them at least a foot apart, or plant a cluster of three or four in the center of a six-inch pot.
Mother of millions grows best at temperatures between 60 and 80°F. Any container specimens kept outdoors through the summer must come inside once the temperature drops below about 50°F.
Whether your chandelier plant will reside indoors for the winter months, or you plan to grow it year-round as a houseplant, make sure the container has at least one drainage hole, or preferably more.
You’ll also want to place a saucer beneath the pot to catch excess water so you can dispose of it.
Make sure the pot is just a few inches wider than the plant, and fill the soil to within an inch of the rim so it won’t wash out when you water.
Mother of millions will need a good source of light, either on a sunny windowsill or under a grow light.
Let the soil dry completely before watering again. If you own a soil moisture meter, this is a good time to use it, because overwatering is the easiest and most common way to harm a happy-go-lucky chandelier plant.
You can tell you’re overwatering if the leaves are yellowing, and you’ll know they aren’t receiving enough light if the stems are leggy and the leaves widely spaced.
Growing Tips
Always grow in well-draining soil.
Make sure containers have drainage holes.
Provide protection from strong winds.
Move potted specimens indoors when temps dip below 50°F in cool regions.
Maintenance
Outdoors, the most important maintenance task will be making sure the plantlets aren’t getting established somewhere you don’t want them taking over.
I know those baby chandelier plants are cute, but take care of pulling any growing where you don’t want them while they’re still small.
The other key maintenance task for outdoor mother of millions is seeing that any planted in containers don’t become waterlogged. Make sure to tip out any excess water after a heavy rain or if you accidentally water them too much.
It’s generally best to skip the saucers if pots are placed outdoors, and you may want to prop pots up on feet or bricks to improve drainage.
There’s not much you can do if the plants receive a drenching in the garden, but that’s all the more reason to make sure the soil drains well.
For indoor plants, you may want to fertilize them with a succulent-specific formula once every three or four months.
You can usually wait a good long time before repotting, since this species doesn’t mind being a little potbound. Mother of millions will probably only need a new pot once every three or four years.
Even then, only move it to a pot that’s one size larger, and hydrate the soil thoroughly 24 hours before repotting to avoid shocking the plant.
Where to Buy
It only takes one neighbor, friend, or fellow plant swap aficionado to supply a big group of gardeners with mother of millions plantlets galore.
If no one you know already has a parent plant, you may be able to pick up this species at your local nursery. You can also find healthy specimens online.
This tall, raucous, dramatically mottled succulent is not for the gardener who favors compact, orderly designs.
But beginner and forgetful gardeners will appreciate the way chandelier plant thrives on neglect, and veteran plant swappers will love the way it reproduces so readily.
Outdoors in warm climates, mother of millions provides foliage and flowers to improve bare patches in arid, drought-prone landscapes.
It’s also a good patio or sunroom plant indoors, or use it as an offbeat feature in a collection of orderly succulents like jade or elephant bush.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Succulent
Flower / Foliage Color:
Green or gray with purple mottling/salmon, pink, orange
Native to:
Madagascar
Maintenance
Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
9-11
Tolerance:
Drought, poor soil, light shade
Bloom Time:
Winter (outdoors)
Soil Type:
Sandy loam (outdoors); cacti and succulent growing mix (indoors/ containers)
Exposure:
Full sun, partial shade (outdoors); direct sun or bright, indirect light (indoors)
Soil pH:
5.5-6.5
Spacing
12-24 inches
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Planting Depth:
Surface of soil (plantlets), crown at soil surface (transplants)
With their quirky leaves, beautiful flowers, and relentless reproduction of cute little plantlets, mother of millions kalanchoe is a conversation starter, for sure.
It helps that they are easy to care for and generally thrive on neglect!
Are you growing chandelier plants? Let us know in the comments section below and feel free to share a picture!
Gardening is one of the most exciting and relaxing hobbies you can pick up regardless of age or lifestyle. However, it’s also challenging work to keep your garden healthy and thriving throughout the year.
What do you do if a plant catches a disease? How do you fertilize different plants, and when is the best time to plant each one during the year? Luckily, the internet is full of free and fun resources for you to make good use of. Let’s dive into several educational tools, apps, and resources which will help keep your garden healthy and teach you how to be a great gardener.
Garden Journal
Experience can be a great teacher when it comes to gardening. To keep track of your garden’s progress, you can use Garden Journal to write notes on your plants. It’s an app specifically designed for gardening and allows you to track watering, fertilization, and harvesting cycles. There is a database of diseases and pesticides built into the app, which will allow you to quickly find out how to help your plants. Email notifications, a gardening calendar, and communication with like-minded gardeners are also possible via Garden Journal, so make sure to check it out.
All-New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
Speaking of books, there are a variety of very useful publications on which you can rely on. The All-New Square Foot Gardening book is a gardening guide meant for people short on gardening space. Its tutorials will teach you how to create an amazing garden from square one and keep it as tidy as possible. Written by Mel Bartholomew, a professional home gardener, this book will transform the way you see your garden and help you reinvent it. The author also penned several other gardening guidebooks for veggies, child gardeners, and even a FAQ book based on readers’ questions.
Epic Gardening
Epic Gardening is a very popular YouTube channel dedicated to DIY tips, tricks, and guides for gardeners. The channel will teach you how to plant different fruits, vegetables, and flowers no matter where you live through simple and easy-to-follow videos. If you also want to start your own gardening channel on YouTube, outro maker can be a useful tool. If you’re a student who is short on time but loves gardening, this is a great resource for you.
Garden Manager
Garden Manager is a learning app that is perfect for beginner gardeners and anyone with a garden too large to manage without planning. It has a series of questions that will guide you through the initial setup process before presenting you with a thorough gardening plan. Once you select all the plants available in your garden, the app will advise you on how to maintain your plants, when to water or fertilize them, etc. It will also alert you of sudden weather changes and remind you to tend to your plants on a daily.
A Way to Garden
You can work on your garden and learn how to do it better by listening to podcasts while doing so. A Way to Garden is a podcast produced by Margaret Roach who is a professional horticulturist and Garden Writers Association of America, award winner. She has been working on A Way to Garden since 2010 and has produced over a hundred episodes of the podcast since then. She aims to bridge the gap between gardening and technology and introduce new and exciting ways to garden to her listeners. Her podcast is easy to pick up and learn from regardless of your level of experience, so give it a try.
How Plants Work by Linda Chalker-Scott
Understanding how your plants “think” is at the core of successful gardening. Meet Linda Chalker-Scott, author of How Plants Work, a book all about easy-to-learn horticulture. The author’s conversational writing style, simple-to-follow instructions, and practical tips will ensure that you have a better understanding of your garden. She has successfully bridged science and blogging in her book, meaning that you don’t need academic gardening education to follow along and learn. How Plants Work is easy to pick up and apply to keep your garden healthy – check it out.
Plants Map
Plants Map is not an app, instead, it’s a web-based platform designed to gather like-minded gardeners, plant experts, and collectors. What it does is allow you to map out your garden easily before actually going out and buying seeds and saplings. The website features a rich repository of practical plant insight, gardening guides, and even a community that will advise you on how to garden properly. The community on Plants Map is constantly organizing online gardening events which you can participate in to show off your gardening efforts. Plants Map is comfortable to use, and you will have a much easier time planning out your garden thanks to its intricate mapping tools.
Garden Answers
You may have inherited a garden, or, found a strange new plant in your backyard but have no way of identifying it. Garden Answers is an app made to help you identify plants, pests, and diseases, as well as ask for expert advice straight from its team. Each time you snap a photo of your plant, the app will advise you on how to take care of it properly. This is one of the most popular gardening apps on the market simply because of how practical and straightforward it is to use.
Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by Deborah L. Martin
If organic gardening suits your fancy, you can pick up this guidebook to learn more about it practically. This encyclopedia is a comprehensive overview of how you can start with organic gardening, take care of your plants, and keep them safe from diseases. The book has over 400 plant entries, which will help you cover all the basics of learning how to keep your garden healthy moving forward. It features plenty of practical advice and tips from real-world gardeners across the US who are experts in different gardening varieties and weather conditions.
Learning How to Keep your Garden Healthy (Conclusion)
A real-world gardening experience is the best way to learn more about your plants. However, with the above-mentioned tools and resources, your garden will thrive more quickly and become healthier. You will find your gardening rhythm over time and discover your gardening likes and dislikes while learning more about your garden. Pick up a gardening book, download a gardening app, and get out there.
Bio: Andrew is a copywriter and editor at LetsGradeIt who has been working in the digital business and marketing industries for years. He spends his leisure time reading about self-growth and gardening.
Arugula, Eruca vesicaria, is a leafy salad green in the Brassicaceae family that also includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Swiss chard.
It’s a self-seeding annual for Zones 3 to 11 that grows in full sun and well-draining soil. You may know arugula as “rocket” or “rucola,” and appreciate its zesty, peppery tang.
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This article zeroes in on recognizing and managing 15 common arugula insect pests.
Here’s the lineup:
The best defense against pests is cultivating healthy plants. Start with quality seed or seedlings, and avoid under- and overwatering which can render your arugula vulnerable to attack.
Proactive measures to inhibit pest infestation include:
Purchasing quality seed and transplants from reputable purveyors.
Planting trap crops, such as radishes, around your arugula plants to draw pests away.
Sowing companion plants, like flowering caraway, coneflowers, dill, fennel, sweet clover, and yarrow, to attract beneficial insects that feed on pests.
Installing and filling songbird feeders to attract small birds to prey upon insect pests. Avoid attracting large birds because they may feed on the arugula plants.
Clearing all garden debris and disposing of it at season’s end to inhibit nuisance insects from overwintering.
When you notice pests early, it’s often possible to head off a full-blown infestation by a combination of handpicking them, spraying them away with the hose, or pinching off individual affected leaves and discarding them.
Note that some treatments may kill beneficial insects, too. Weigh the pros and cons of various methods for addressing pests before application.
The following insect pests recognize arugula as a host plant suitable for egg-laying, feeding, and developing to maturity.
In addition to damaging plants by feeding, some of these unwanted visitors may be vectors of diseases, which multiplies their potential for widespread damage in the garden.
1. Aphids
Aphids are sapsuckers that chew foliage and inject plant-toxic saliva as they feed. The result is foliar disfigurement, stunting, desiccation, and trails of sticky “honeydew” on the surface of the leaves.
They often appear in large colonies that obscure the foliage beneath them.
There are three main species that attack arugula crops:
The cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae, is distinguished from other types of aphid by its waxy grayish-white coating and two rear protruding appendages called cornicles that are shorter than most other species. Adults measure two to two and a half millimeters long.
Females produce live young or lay eggs on the undersides of arugula and other brassica leaves. The eggs are green to yellow and mature to black before hatching. Cabbage aphid populations increase in cool weather.
The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, is yellowish-green with no waxy coating and has the typical long cornicles of most aphid species.
Adults measure approximately two millimeters long. Females lay green or yellow eggs on the bark of fruit trees in the Prunus genus, and once the young nymphs grow their adult wings, they fly to host plants like arugula.
And the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, is pink or grayish-green and measures two to four millimeters long at maturity. The first generation hatches from the typical yellow to green egg that deepens to black, and successive generations may be live-born.
One method of prevention is to use reflective mulch around your plants to make it hard for aphids to locate the arugula.
Natural remedies include:
Handpicking insects and pruning affected foliage.
Spraying with a steady stream of water.
Dousing with mild dish detergent soapsuds.
Applying food-grade diatomaceous earth to the foliage and the soil around your plants.
Treating with neem oil.
Neem oil is a readily available naturally-sourced insecticide made from the seeds of the neem tree, aka Indian lilac, Azadirachta indica.
Captain Jack’s neem oil from Bonide is safe to use on edible plants. It comes in a 32-ounce ready-to-spray bottle.
The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, and southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania, are caterpillars typically found in southern regions that may be a variety of colors, depending upon their stage of development, or “instar.”
Armyworms are the larvae of night-flying owlet moths in the Noctuidae family.
Adult female moths of both species lay greenish eggs covered in white, cottony scales.
After hatching, voracious caterpillars eat the tissue between the leaf veins, leaving them skeletonized. These pests are prevalent late in the season, and in warm regions they overwinter in plant debris.
The youngest caterpillars are pale green or yellow with blackish heads. Older ones are green with a yellow stripe and black marking on each side near the first true legs.
Later instars may be a combination of green and pink with white stripes and black dots, and measure up to an inch and a half long.
Natural predators include beneficial parasitic wasps and tachinid flies. Weeding around your arugula is essential, as eggs and caterpillars commonly migrate from host weeds, like lamb’s quarters and pigweed.
Organic Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly known as Bt, is a natural pesticide made from soilborne bacteria that is often an effective treatment for an infestation. It is safe for use on edible crops.
Using pheromone traps to catch adult moths and inhibit mating may also be effective.
Scentry Lures attract and capture adult moths by combining a mating hormone scent with a sticky trap. This effectively traps the adults and prevents them from reproducing.
The cabbage looper is the larva of a grayish-brown owlet moth, Trichoplusia ni, that lays green to yellowish eggs on the undersides of arugula foliage.
It is a green inchworm with a white stripe running down the side of its body, and measures one to one and a half inches long.
The first sign of damage may be thin, almost translucent areas in the arugula leaves, the mark of feeding from the undersides of the foliage.
If left unchecked, the damage progresses to large, irregular holes in the foliage, and the consumption of entire leaves.
Naturally-sourced treatments include:
Applying food-grade diatomaceous earth.
Introducing beneficial insects, such as predatory wasps (Trichogramma spp.) and green lacewings (Chrysoperla rufilabris).
Treating with Bt.
Applying an insecticide containing pyrethrins.
Pyrethrins are naturally-derived insecticides often sourced from chrysanthemums.
PyGanic Gardening is a botanical insecticide that contains natural pyrethrin sourced from daisies.
PyGanic Gardening is available from Arbico Organics in eight-, 32-, and 128-ounce bottles of liquid concentrate to mix with water. Apply to the foliage according to package instructions.
Crickets, Acheta domesticus, can be a curse and a blessing. Yes, they may munch on your leafy greens. However, they also eat aphids and weed seeds and excrete waste that fertilizes the garden.
Crickets like damp areas and dense growth. Avoid overwatering and overcrowding to inhibit moisture buildup.
Weed the garden regularly to deprive them of habitat.
Heavy infestation may warrant the use of food-grade diatomaceous earth.
5. Cutworms
Cutworms, like armyworms, are the larvae of owlet moths in the Noctuidae family. There are numerous species, but it’s the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon, that feeds on arugula and other brassicas.
What best distinguishes cutworms from armyworms is their feeding behavior.
Armyworms commonly feed in groups and skeletonize leaves with their voracious chewing. Cutworms feed individually, severing new shoots at the soil level.
Adult female moths lay white eggs in garden debris and weeds. The eggs darken as they mature.
The caterpillars are gray to black with dark brown heads, a lighter band on top, and a lighter underside. They tend to curl up into a C-shape when touched or disturbed.
Natural predators include beneficial syrphid flies, parasitic wasps, and beneficial nematodes.
Bats and birds are also helpful allies in battling cutworms. Consider installing birdhouses and bat houses in your yard to enlist their aid.
Because cutworms can overwinter on dead plant tissue, it’s crucial to clear debris at season’s end and rotate crops regularly. Tilling in the spring can help bring cutworms to the surface of the soil for predators to feed upon.
If you notice them on your arugula, handpick the caterpillars and remove affected foliage.
Naturally-sourced treatments include pheromone lures that target adult moths, food-grade diatomaceous earth, and spraying with Bt.
The larvae of the diamondback moth, aka cabbage moth, Plutella xylostella, are caterpillars that are light green with black heads, random black hairs, and tapered ends.
They measure approximately nine and a half millimeters long.
The adult moths are brownish. When the wings are folded, the male has fairly prominent yellow to white diamond shapes on its back. Female coloration is less pronounced.
Pale yellow eggs hatch on the undersides of the arugula foliage, then the larvae burrow through the plant tissue before emerging as full-grown caterpillars to feed on top of it.
Signs of damage include “windowpaning” by young larvae that chew from below and leave a thin layer of plant tissue. Older larvae chew holes in the foliage and new shoots.
Adults winter over in brassica debris if it is not removed post-harvest.
This species is resistant to most pesticides, including Bt, and may be hard to eradicate.
The best method is to handpick caterpillars and destroy them.
Clear all garden debris at season’s end and always rotate your brassica crops to avoid this pest.
7. Flea Beetles
The adult crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae, is a tiny, bluish-black or green, hard-shelled beetle measuring two to three millimeters long.
It has a habit of “shot-holing” or chewing rounded holes straight through the leaves of your arugula.
The striped flea beetle, P. striolata, measures one and a half to two and a half millimeters long. It’s black with yellow stripes.
Female adults lay white to yellowish eggs on the soil near the base of plants.
Flea beetles are challenging to address because they feed on roots below the surface of the soil in addition to visible foliage. And worst of all, they winter over in the ground or uncleared plant debris to return and wreak havoc the following year.
Organic approaches may prove effective, such as:
Spraying the leaves with neem oil.
Applying food-grade diatomaceous earth.
Treating with Bt.
Using a pyrethrin-containing product.
Introducing beneficial predatory insects, like lacewings, parasitic nematodes, and parasitic wasps.
Fungus gnats, Bradysia spp. and Lycoriella spp. are not only found on houseplants.
If your vegetable garden is overcrowded, overwatered, and/or there is vegetable debris lying about, your arugula may suffer an infestation.
Tiny flying insects, fungus gnats are grayish-black with long antennae and legs. They measure two and a half millimeters long. However, the adults do no harm. It’s the larvae that do the damage.
The larvae are white with black heads and measure five and a half millimeters long. They feed on roots and soil debris. Young arugula plants are especially vulnerable to the root damage and stunted growth large populations can cause.
To prevent an outbreak, avoid overcrowding and overwatering your crops. To treat an existing infestation, address adults with sticky traps that help to curb mating and egg laying.
Add beneficial nematodes and Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) to the soil to attack the larvae. Bti is a type of Bt especially effective on fly and mosquito larvae.
The Fungus Gnat Bundle combines all three modes of attack: the sticky traps, beneficial nematodes, and Bti, all in one convenient package.
Grasshoppers (Acrididae family), are related to crickets. Their eggs are a variety of colors, from white and yellow to brown and red.
Adults are brown, gold, green, or tan, and have antennae, chewing mouthparts, long legs for distance jumping, and wings. They measure one to seven centimeters long.
Grasshoppers prefer hot, dry conditions and lots of weedy growth for them to inhabit. Telltale signs of damage are large, irregular holes in arugula foliage.
Deter these ravenous feeders with the garlic-like odor of neem oil or a garlic barrier.
Garlic Barrier is a natural repellent suitable for edible crops. And although plants absorb it, the taste of the leaves is unaltered and they remain safe to eat.
And finally, in the case of a severe infestation, you may want to try Monterey Garden Insect Spray.
This product is a broad-spectrum, organic pesticide containing spinosad derived from Saccharopolyspora spinosa, a naturally-occurring soil bacterium toxic to a number of pests, including caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, leaf miners, and thrips.
Monterey Garden Insect Spray RTU is available from Arbico Organics in 32-ounce ready-to-spray bottles. Note that it is toxic to bees and aquatic invertebrates.
10. Leaf Miners
Leaf miners are the larvae of multiple beetle, fly, and moth species, including Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. They quite literally “mine” plant tissue, feeding on the juices.
The adults of the various species lay white to translucent eggs that hatch out as white to yellow larvae.
They measure one to seven millimeters long and nourish themselves by tunneling through the foliage, leaving telltale white to tan patches and squiggly trails where they have sucked the plant tissue dry.
If you look closely, you may also see the tiny holes that mature larvae make when they chew through the foliage and fall to the ground, where they continue the maturation process as pupae.
Because leaf miners winter over as pupae (pre-adults), keeping the garden free of weeds and post-harvest plant debris is essential.
Before planting your arugula, turn the soil under, breaking up clods and disrupting any pupae living there.
Introduce flowering companion plants, like dill and yarrow, to attract beneficial insects that prey upon leaf miner larvae, like predatory wasps.
Use yellow or blue sticky traps to attract and capture adults and inhibit reproduction.
Foliar treatments are generally ineffective because the larvae burrow between the leaf surfaces.
Insecticide products containing broad-spectrum spinosad, mentioned above, may be effective, if applied just as the larvae are hatching.
Beneficial nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae and S.feltiae) may address pupae in the soil.
Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., are microscopic, parasitic soil-dwellers that feed on roots and destroy plants via physical damage and the diseases that penetrate the wounded root tissue. They are more prevalent in warm weather and in southern regions.
Adult females burrow into the roots of plants, where they lay eggs. The hatchlings feed on the roots, causing them to swell with disfiguring galls.
All of this takes place under the soil, making it impossible to notice until the damage is so advanced that the affected roots can no longer nourish the plants and they begin to fail, suffering from stunting and wilting.
The only way to make a specific diagnosis is to dig up your arugula and inspect the roots for damage. And unless you have a high-powered microscope, you’ll never see the culprits.
With a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K) ratio of 5-3-0, plus added calcium and magnesium, the whole garden gets a nutritional boost as well as an organic nematicide treatment.
The salt-marsh caterpillar, Estigmene acrea, is prevalent in warm, southern regions. Successive instars get bigger and bigger and achieve lengths of 45 to 55 millimeters.
Adult moths have white wings with black spots and yellowish wing undersides and abdomens. Females lay yellow eggs on the undersides of leaves that shade to gray as they mature. Hatchlings feed as a group, skeletonizing the arugula leaves from below.
Young caterpillars are brown, cream, yellow, or white. Mature specimens are black with tufts of black, orange, and white hairs. At this stage, they feed individually, making holes in the foliage rather than defoliating entire leaves.
The hairs on their bodies can cause skin irritation and rashes, so take care if you observe these in your garden.
Tachinid flies are natural predators of salt-marsh caterpillars. If you plant aromatic flowering umbellifers or plants in the parsley family, like caraway, dill, and fennel, you can attract them.
Snails and slugs are invertebrates known as gastropods. They feast on fresh, tender leaves and rotting foliage, and prefer cool, damp, dark conditions.
In addition to chewing irregular holes in the arugula leaves, they leave telltale slime trails.
Deter slugs and snails by spacing plants per mature dimensions to allow for ample airflow between them, and take care not to overwater.
You’ll find a variety of baits, barriers, and repellents on the market.
Dr. Earth Final Stop Snail & Slug Killer Spray is an organic product. It’s food-safe and contains essential oils, including cinnamon, garlic, peppermint, rosemary, sesame, and thyme.
Thrips are sapsucking insects in the Thysanoptera order. Some are pests that drain foliage of its juices, leading to silvery discoloration, brown scarring, deformity, and stunting.
Winged adults are narrow, range in color from translucent white or yellowish to black, and measure up to two millimeters long.
The Western flower thrip, Frankliniella occidentalis, feeds on arugula.
The adult female embeds translucent white eggs in the foliage or deposits them on the surface. White or yellow nymphs hatch and feed before dropping onto the soil to pupate before emerging as adults.
As thrips feed, they leave a black “frass” trail on the foliage, another noticeable sign of infestation.
And when the growing season ends, they easily overwinter in plant debris.
Avoidance measures include:
Growing your arugula under floating row covers.
Laying reflective mulch around plants to make it hard to locate arugula host plants.
Using pollen-rich flowering plants as trap crops.
Clearing weeds and debris during and after the growing season.
To treat an infestation that is already underway, install blue sticky traps to catch the adults and inhibit reproduction. Blue is more effective at attracting thrips than yellow traps.
Whiteflies, from the Aleyrodidae family, are winged sapsuckers that measure one and a half millimeters long.
Symptoms of damage include silver and yellow discoloration, desiccation, wilting, and sticky honeydew on the surface of the foliage. When you jostle an infested leaf, adult flies rise in unison like a puff of white powder.
The females lay yellow eggs on the undersides of the leaves. The juveniles and adults infest the undersides of the leaves, feeding on the foliage.
Hot weather exacerbates infestations.
A proactive measure to deter whiteflies is to use reflective mulch to make it hard to locate your arugula.
The greatest challenge a whitefly infestation poses is that there are five life stages, and no one-size-fits-all treatment.
Spraying plants with the hose, removing and discarding affected leaves, and using yellow sticky traps may help reduce whitefly populations.
Sow arugula seeds every few weeks throughout the growing season to enjoy multiple, abundant harvests.
Read seed packets and space plants accordingly. Mature arugula needs 12 to 18 inches of space around it to reach full size. Skimping on space may increase the ambient humidity and create an environment conducive to moisture-loving pests.
Weed the garden regularly to deter insects further and promote airflow between plants.
Walk through the garden daily and look for irregular leaf margins, holes, deformity, and discoloration. Turn the leaves over and inspect the undersides.
When you become aware of pests, take immediate action.
Handpicking, spraying firmly with the hose, using floating row covers, sticky traps, and pinching off individual affected leaves may be all you need to head off an infestation.
When treatment is necessary, always use food-safe options, like Bt, food-grade diatomaceous earth, neem oil, spinosad, and pyrethrins. Read all product labels for safe and effective use.
Sanitize garden equipment, like tools and shoes, to avoid spreading pests and the diseases they may carry to other areas of the garden.
And finally, wash all of the arugula you harvest thoroughly before enjoying at your table.
Are you growing arugula? Have you had problems with pest infestations? Let us know in the comments section below!
PROMISES OF LESS WORK with more garden productivity often raise my suspicions as perhaps sounding too good to be true, except when the subject is no-dig gardening. The no-dig method of caring for our vegetable beds, which today’s guest, Charles Dowding, has popularized, is not just good for maximizing output while minimizing labor, but also of great benefit to the soil and the greater environment. I learned more about how to get started in an interview with Charles.
Charles Dowding is often called the guru of no-dig gardening, which he practices today in his organic market garden in Somerset, in South West England. He began experimenting with no-dig in 1982 and, over the years since, in his many books and in person and online teaching, including his massive YouTube channel, Charles has brought countless people into the no-dig fold.
His most recent book is “No Dig: Nurture Your Soil to Grow Better Vegetables With Low Effort,” about making and managing a vegetable garden without tilling.
Plus: Enter to win a copy of “No Dig” (affiliate link) by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.
Read along as you listen to the January 30, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
no-dig gardening, with charles dowding
Margaret: Welcome, Charles. I was delighted to find names of familiar heroes of mine among the people whom you credit as having provided you with early inspiration. And behind me, on the bookshelf, if you could see, are vintage copies of all of Ruth Stout’s books [laughter]. And I felt a me-too connection also when you wrote that you became a vegetarian decades ago, and how that led you to explore organic gardening. Me, too. So, yeah, so tell us: This has been a life path, yeah?
Charles: Yeah, very much so. Yeah, but I only got on it quite late it feels, like when I was at university I was 20, so it took me a while to get there.
Margaret: Yeah. So, often, the first task we have on the sort of to-do list for “as soon as the soil can be worked” is to till, as we say here, till, and … or otherwise turn the soil in our vegetable gardens, so we can sow our peas or lettuce or other cool-season things. But I thought, instead, you could, to start, maybe give us the short pitch in favor of no-dig, about adopting that practice, instead of turning the soil this coming season.
Charles: Yeah, well, actually, autumn is the time to begin, if any time, in terms of getting ready for spring. So, we aim to spread all the compost or whatever organic matter you’re using. For damp climates like here, particularly where slugs can be a problem, I find that compost gives best results. So, we put that on the beds, around an inch, before Christmas generally. And then, basically, the ground is prepped.
Then, what we do in the spring is, we go out with a hoe or a rake, just to tickle, very light disturbance of that surface matter, to break up lumps which frost will have opened up, if there were any lumps, and also, to disturb weed seedlings that might be germinating, if you have weed seeds in your compost, and it’s not a frightening thing. People do worry about that, I’ve noticed.
Margaret: Yes.
Charles: But if you catch them small, that lovely old saying we have in England, is “Hoe your weeds before you see them.” And that’s the ground prep in the spring. We also put a bit of wood chip on pathways, and basically that then all of the ground through the winter is covered or mulched. And if there’s any mild weather, the soil organisms carry on feeding, and it’s ready for spring. It’s very quick prep in the spring.
Margaret: Yeah. So, that’s a little bit of the ideal process, if we started last fall. And that’s what I always do. I topdress with compost in the fall before … when I’m closing up the garden for the year and so forth.
But what are the benefits? I said a couple of the things in the introduction briefly, but this method really has advantages, and so, the attraction to it has environmental attractions, but also … and it minimizes some of our workload. So, just give us that little sort of pitch of what it is that… why we would want to try this?
Charles: Yeah. The biggest one is time-saving, I reckon. The number of weeds which grow with no-dig is so many fewer than you get when soil is disturbed. And then, it’s so interesting to wonder why. So, you got no-dig’s soil left alone. It’s kind of calm. Here, in the UK, we have a saying, “Chickweed follows the rotovator.” I don’t know if you call it chickweed-
Margaret: We call them rototillers. And yes, we do have chickweed, Stellaria, yeah [laughter].
Charles: We share a language, but so many words are different. And then, so disturbed soil grows weeds. That’s the other way of looking at it. With no-dig, you really get few weeds. If you haven’t tried it yet, well, I reckon you’ll be amazed because your soil doesn’t … Why do weeds grow? So, weeds grow to heal soil of disturbance. They’re part of the recovery process, literally, in this case.
And then, other benefits of no-dig is actually you get improved drainage. It might seem, at first, counterintuitive, because people think, “Well, I’m digging, I’m rotovating, whatever. That will open up the soil and improve the drainage.” Actually no, because you’ve caused … You’ve got zones of different density, and you’ve fluffed up the top, but you haven’t changed the bottom. So, the water makes a capillary boundary or layer, when it trickles down through the top layer. And you actually end up with worse drainage.
So, with no-dig, it’s better drainage. It’s very even all the way down. I think you get better temperature rising as well because you haven’t broken the soil zones at all. We notice that I’ve got two trial beds here, and in the spring, the no-dig bed warms up more quickly. Or in the winter, sometimes, we’ll see the snow melting on the no-dig bed, but remaining on the dig bed, just for example. [Below, side-by-side trial beds, one dig and the other not, at Dowding’s garden.]
Margaret: Ooh, signs of life in it. It has signs. It’s got something living.
Charles: Yeah.
Margaret: It’s like underneath trees, underneath the big tree, the snow melts around the sort of inner root zone first, before it melts in the outside the perimeter of the tree.
Charles: Yeah, that’s very interesting, isn’t it? All the things that we could learn, just by watching. That’s one of the lovely things again about no-dig, is you’re not … you’re leaving it alone, and you’re not disturbing, so you can just look and see what’s going on.
When we’re watering, the water goes in more easily. We’ve got the organic matter on top. It holds moisture more better. We find that, again, with my trial beds, I can see that in the summer, like last year, it was really dry. I don’t water very much here. I’ve got a third of an acre of cropped beds. I’m selling a lot of vegetables, and I’ve just got one … a hose, me and a hose, because I just don’t need to water a huge amount.
Margaret: Yeah. So, let’s sort of dig in, ha ha, to the how-to a bit more. And you mentioned some of it earlier, but many of those listening to the program or reading the transcript, already have vegetable gardens, but they may be very well be starting the season, as I said earlier, by turning and tilling.
So, if we didn’t know this is what we want to start doing, and we didn’t apply or topdress with our compost in the fall, can we get started now in an established garden? And then, after that, let’s talk a little bit about first-timers, who maybe want to start a new bed. But yeah, how would we get started, if we didn’t do that topdressing in the fall?
Charles: Yeah, really straightforward, actually. You can start a no-dig bed or a no-dig garden at any time of year, and if it’s going to be, in this case, probably then early spring, so, you’ll go out, and the snow is melted, and you’ve got ground which may or may not have weeds. So, that’s the first step: to work out how you’re going to control the weeds, because you’re not going to turn them in or bash them around.
If there’s a lot of weeds, that’s where the cardboard can come in, just as a one-off. It’s not an every-year process. But often, you could hand-weed or lightly hoe, and then put some compost organic matter on the surface, and that is it, basically. There’s nothing complicated about this. What does no-dig mean? It’s just leaving the soil alone as much as possible and feeding the surface, so that the soil life does the work for us.
Margaret: So, compost, you’ve said a few times. And it struck me in reading the new book, “No Dig,” and some of your other books as well: When one is getting started—say, for instance, I didn’t have an established vegetable garden that I wanted to transition to no-dig practice, but I wanted to start a new bed or turn a bit of lawn into an additional bed or something.
The first time around, it seems like I’m going to need more of this compost. I’m going to need a little more than I will need in subsequent years for sort of the maintenance of an inch or so, topdressing, kind of, as I would call it. So, is that true? Is it in the first-
Charles: Yeah. Well, that’s what I’d recommend, anyway. You could start no-dig with just, say, an inch on top of existing soil, but it’ll be difficult, because you haven’t got that lovely depth of organic matter that’s really soft for pulling weeds out of and also for making your crops grow more.
The way I look at it is, it’s an investment, and actually buy some compost at the beginning, in that first year, to lift the fertility significantly of your plot, and that will carry you through many years to come as well.
So, yes, I’d recommend buying some compost. We use, actually, as much as 4 to 6 inches sometimes, on beds. Some people find, “Is that a lot?” I don’t think so actually, because we’re not using any other inputs. I’m not using any feed or fertilizers. I’m not using any slug pellets. I’m not using any herbicides. I don’t go into the store for anything, except for one initial dose of compost. And then, probably, you will find you can make enough for going forwards when you don’t need so much.
Margaret: Right.
Charles: Sometimes, people say to me, “Well, I couldn’t do no-dig because I haven’t got enough compost.” Well, it needs a lot of compost.
And actually, that’s not true, but you might … It’s because of the way I present it, I think. Because I’m advising this higher amount at the beginning, which is basically, I think, just good gardening or good vegetable-growing. Vegetables really respond to a high organic matter in the soil.
And what we’re finding here with my dig, no-dig comparison beds, one I dig every December, and one I leave alone, and they both have the same amount of compost. What we find is, the bed I dig actually gives 10 percent and sometimes even more lower harvest compared to the no-dig, which means, for the same amount of compost, you’re getting less produce.
In other words, no-dig is really efficient way of using organic matter, and I think that’s because of keeping carbon in the soil and all those other great benefits.
Margaret: So, if I had a piece of lawn I wanted to transition, I could mark off my area, lay down the cardboard, put the 6 inches or so of compost for this first time. And again, that means I probably am going to have to … although you haven’t seen my compost heap, Charles, which is 40 feet long [laughter]. I’m a little bit of a madwoman over here with compost production.
But at any rate, so I’m going to need to do that. And then, how soon can I plant into that?
Charles: Yeah. This is another benefit of the 4-to-6-inch dose that you could plant… You could make a bed like that on the first of March in the morning, and you could plant, put your plants in on the first of March in the afternoon. You haven’t got to wait for the weeds underneath to die, because your new plants, or seeds, even current seeds, they’re going to start growing in the surface compost. And then, by the time they’re rooting at deeper levels, the cardboard will be decomposing, and the lawn weeds or whatever it is underneath the cardboard, will also be decomposing. And the soil will be opening up for receiving the roots of your new plants.
Margaret: Should it be moistened? Is that-
Charles: Well, yeah.
Margaret: Is there a watering stage, because I would imagine, you don’t want it to be sort of … repel the moisture or the …
Charles: It depends on the weather. If it’s a damp spring, then you won’t need to water, actually, because-
Margaret: Right.
Charles: … you’re putting cardboard on damp soil. It very quickly softens and stays moist. But yeah, if it’s really dry, then give it a bit of water. That really helps.
If you use less compost, which is still possible, it just means that does increase the time before you can plant. And say, you put cardboard on your lawn, and then only 2 inches of compost, it’s just physically quite difficult to get a plants in the ground. But there’s not much compost to hold their roots before they hit the cardboard. So, that’s where that higher dose initially also comes in.
Margaret: Yeah. I was fascinated in the new book, looking at the index in the back, you don’t even have an entry for “cover crops,” which is sort of a hot thing here among organic vegetable gardeners and so forth, and has been among farmers for a long time: cover cropping, green manuring, growing a legume or a brassica or something, for a part of a year, and then turning it in, to improve tilth and fertility. And you don’t even cover that because you are doing this topdressing thing. You’re using the compost. Yes?
Charles: Yeah, absolutely. And I reckon I’m conserving my compost through no-dig, so I’m getting more value from the same amount of compost. And I reckon it’s better to crop a smaller area and do it more intensively.
So, I’m finding that compost, the 1 inch a year, on this soil anyway, gives enough fertility for two, even three crops, a year. So, we’re doing the second planting or sowing as more vegetables, not a cover crop. So, basically, gardens can be full of vegetables and, yet, you haven’t got time to sow a cover crop. When are you going to grow it? Because as soon as the onions are finished, we’re planting Savoy cabbages or whatever it might be. There’s literally no growing time for growing a cover crop or green manure, and we don’t need it, I find.
So, that’s why, it’s not exactly an omission, but it’s a very interesting debate to have because I think, I’m going to branch out a bit slightly differently here [laughter], but I think cover crop comes more from farming.
Margaret: Yes.
Charles: And I know this is language, again, but in the UK, farming and gardening are two different worlds that don’t overlap very much. And farmers are people who drive tractors, have herds of cows and sheep. And gardeners are people like us more, who are cropping fairly intensively smaller areas. And cover crop seems more appropriate and applicable, to me, for farmers.
Margaret: Yeah. So, you just kind of spoke to this a little bit, but I wanted to ask more. You talked about having one crop following another and so forth, and you don’t really preach sort of the resting the beds, or even crop rotation. You speak about this soil, that’s being cared for in this way, being able to stand up to and perform continuously and kind of intensively. Yeah?
Charles: Yeah. Well, this is what I’m finding, Margaret. The rapid replanting or even interplanting, which means you’re overlapping them. I’ll pop kale between my onions, for example. At first, you can hardly see the kale because the onions are finishing growing for about a month. And then you harvest the onions, and lo and behold, whoosh, the kale’s already got its roots down, and it grows away really fast.
And it’s what we’re learning. It’s related to your previous question, I feel, the cover crop, green manure thing, that one of the understandings in that is that you want roots in the soil or plants growing as much as possible of the growing season. In a way, the more roots you can have in there, the better, within reason [laughter].
And, so, that’s what the repeat planting and the very rapid replanting is doing. Yeah, I think it’s better for soil not to rest, actually. I think it wants, and the organisms in the soil is the way to look at it, I think that they want plant roots there all the time.
Margaret: Hmm. And, so, even in terms of the sort of crop rotations, if you’re growing tomatoes or other Solanaceous things, you grow them … You can grow one after another, year to year, or do you rotate that way, for pest and disease maintenance?
Charles: Well, again, really interesting question because, with no-dig, it seems that a lot of what we’ve taken as rules, become less important. There’s still truth in them, but rotation, from what I’m finding, is much less important than it’s been made out to be.
And, for example, I’m doing a trial. I’m always keen to, if I want to test something, well, I’ll try it out. And we’ve got now a piece of ground, where I’ve grown potatoes this spring. I planted them for the eighth year in a row in the same place. And I come from a farming background, where this was not the done thing. So-
Margaret: No, no. I know. That was a no-no.
Charles: I always ask myself: “What am I doing? I’m putting in potatoes in the same bit of ground, for the eighth spring in a row?” And I grow second-early, so that they’re harvested by mid-July. And then we can plant leeks after that. But every year, I’m doing potatoes, leeks, potatoes, leeks, in that same piece of ground.
And this year, which was the eighth year in a row of potatoes, we had the best crop ever. And it was super-healthy, and I’m saving my own potato seed as well, which, again, we’ve been told not to do.
So, yeah, I’m inclined to question things. I’d encourage your listeners to question a few things as well, not everything [laughter]. But it’s very healthy because it gets you involved and interested and curious, and being curious is a really good state to be in.
Margaret: Well, I think what you’re speaking to in all of these answers is that, if your soil is vibrantly alive, if it’s really healthy, if the whole, sort of, I don’t know if it’s a microbiome or what we would call it, but if that’s really teeming with life, and everybody in that community in the soil is doing its thing, some of the rules are not rules anymore, because the soil’s able to work that extra amount. Right? I mean, to provide the support.
Charles: Yeah, that’s a really nice summary. And, so, like in my book and my advice generally, what I’m wanting people to … the point I want them to get to is exactly that. And, so, that’s the advice I’m giving, how to start out. And that’s where the higher amount of compost comes in at the beginning, and then, just how to look after your soil going forwards.
Margaret: Are your beds always mounded up slightly? I should backtrack and say, I have, maybe 35 years ago, I built raised beds, so I garden in raised beds that I don’t till or turn, so mine would be an exception. But if they were not raised by walls, wooden walls or stone walls or whatever, do you always kind of slightly mound up the beds, relative to the path level? Or what do you recommend that way?
Charles: Not necessarily. I would say that’s only actually necessary if you’re on boggy ground for-
Margaret: O.K.
Charles: But otherwise, in dry weather, actually, it can be an advantage to be, not exactly level, but I like to have a slight mound. It partly helps to see where the beds are, and also because we’ve put a bit of wood chip in the pathway, and I don’t really want too much wood getting in the way of things that are happening on the beds among the vegetables. So, having the bed slightly raised helps. And that’s where putting on a higher dose of compost at the beginning comes in. It’s not mandatory to have them raised at all if you don’t want to.
Margaret: In the new book, you go into sort of a lot of crop-by-crop recommendations as well. This is a crazy gardener to crazy gardener [laughter], lifelong gardener to lifelong gardener question, is there something you’re particularly obsessed with or in love with? Is there a group of crops that’s your thing, Charles? Do you know what I mean?
Charles: I love Alliums, actually.
Margaret: Ah.
Charles: Out of all my vegetables, garlic is the favorite. I wouldn’t be without my garlic. I eat some every day. I eat a little bit of raw garlic in the morning.
Margaret: Hardneck or softneck? What kind of-
Charles: Well either, but do you know what we’ve been finding recently is the soft neck is more resistant to rust, or mainly because it crops a bit earlier in the summer, and then the hard neck catches rust. And I don’t know if it’s the same with you, but rust is becoming quite a problem here. And I’m hearing this from all over the world. I’ve been getting comments from New Zealand. Had a guy from a farmer from Uruguay asking me on Instagram, “What can you do about rust?” He said, “It’s just struck me for the first time.”
Margaret: Interesting. Yeah, so the Alliums, you like the Alliums?
Charles: I love the Alliums. And onions all the year around.
Margaret: Now, you’re much earlier. Your frost-free season and so forth is much different from a lot of the northern United States, where some or many of the listeners may be. For instance, my frost-free date isn’t until mid-May or later. And, so, even my early season crops wouldn’t go out until April, late March, or even mid-April, and so forth. But-
Charles: Margaret, there’s the thing there, which is my dates are quite similar to those, I think, actually because-
Margaret: Oh!
Charles: … my last frost date is 15th of May, even 16th.
Margaret: Oh!
Charles: But what we don’t have before that is loads of frost. So we’ve got quite, quite mild, temperate winters. And that’s where these numbers can be difficult to assign, can’t they? The zone numbers and that kind of thing, because they don’t give the whole picture. I’m Zone 8 here, officially, but so is Texas. The summers I get do not correlate with what happens in Texas.
Margaret: I’m a 5b, so I’m a-
Charles: You’re a 5b? Right. Well, that’s the same with Maryland, I believe, isn’t it, for example-
Margaret: No, I’m way up in New York, the middle of New York State. Yeah. So, I’m in … up the Hudson.
Charles: I only mention that because I know some people in Maryland. They came on a course here, actually. It was really nice to meet them and swap notes, and they can use the same planting dates as I suggest, just so you know.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, everyone has to figure that out for themselves. And as you say, there can be even microclimates within the zones and so forth, or there are. What’s sort of underway there? Are you seeding a lot? Is it a lot of indoor seeding now?
Charles: Well, no, actually, I’ve found, over the years, that it’s just not worth starting too early. You can, in theory, but just … and you end up with plants that are too early for the conditions outside. So, I don’t start sowing until roughly the middle of February. I call it Valentine’s Day, love your garden, start in February. That just works.
It’s a nice time for sowing onions, spring onions, spinach, lettuce, coriander, early cabbage, early cauliflower, Calabrese broccoli, that kind of thing, all the frost-hardy plants. And then, I don’t sow tomatoes until roughly 20th March, even sometimes mid-March. And squash, cucumbers, and all of those, mid-April, actually. So, yeah.
Margaret: Right. Yes, you’re right. It’s similar, although I can have a lot harder frost where I am, in the early spring part, yeah.
Charles: Yeah, exactly. And I was just going to say, at the moment, we’ve got … I’ve got salad onions, spring greens outside, looking quite healthy, although we had 20 degrees Fahrenheit this morning. We do get frost, but it’s not hanging around perhaps quite as long as it does for you, I think.
Margaret: My parsley made it all winter this year because we’ve had a very mild winter, so I’ve been enjoying my big parsley plants all winter, picking off them. So, that’s been something that-
Charles: Isn’t it a wonderful winter herb? Yeah, I love parsley.
Margaret: Yeah, it is.
Charles: Coriander, too.
Margaret: It just feels like you can’t believe it’s the dead of winter when you have that flavor, that burst of flavor, in your mouth. It’s just amazing.
Charles: Yeah, exactly. And I think they’re sweeter. Do you notice that, with the cold.
Margaret: Totally. So, in the last couple minutes, I just wanted to just ask you about the foundation of a lot of what we’ve been talking about, which is compost, compost, compost. So, do you have any sort of tips for us, any advice for us? I saw, I think it might be in … Is it in the book or in the website? I’m not sure. You’re kind of layering your browns and greens, as we say, your carbon-rich materials and your nitrogen-rich materials.
Do you have any sort of advice for us? Because that’s the other thing, that once clean-up begins, people are going to be adding to their compost heap. And I’m afraid, I think people dump everything in big piles, individual ingredients, too much in one place, and so forth.
Charles: Well, I’m glad you asked that because, also, I mean I haven’t really defined compost, and I think it can be off-putting for beginners, like “What do you mean by compost even?” And for me, it’s anything decomposed. So, it might have been leaves even. We call it tree leaf mold. At the beginning, it might come from trees or plants or whatever, but it’s organic matter that is reasonably well-decomposed and not perfect.
I had a guy come on a course here, and he said, “I can’t make compost. I want to find out how to make it.”
And after he’d seen my compost heaps, which are not perfect, he said, “I’m doing all right.” [Laughter.]
So, it can be slightly lumpy, it’s a wooden … whatever. So, don’t worry about setting the bar too high. But yeah, as you say, don’t be too random about it, but you can’t be too scientific, either, because garden waste vary all the time. So, just be aware of some basic principles, like if you put in a lot of green leaves, and especially grass clippings, then you need to add some brown fibrous material, which could be paper or cardboard, but also, it could be tree leaves that you kept from the previous autumn, bits of woody prunings, that kind of thing.
During the winter, make sure you have a stock of what we call brown, which is the woody stuff, in small pieces, that you can add to your green, that you’re going to be putting a lot of in the summer. And that will help you to make more compost, of a high quality.
And we reckon to turn heaps once. I find that that’s enough; don’t do any more than that. But you don’t have to turn a compost heap. But if you can turn it once, I find that makes a worthwhile difference.
Margaret: Well, Charles Dowding, I’m so glad to connect. And I look forward to talking to you again. I mean, the YouTube channel alone is just such a treasure for so many, I would imagine, millions of people. So, thank you, thank you, for all the learning that we can do.
Charles: That’s lovely, Margaret. It’s been a great pleasure speaking with you.
enter to win a copy of ‘no dig’
I’LL BUY A COPY of “No Dig” by Charles Dowding for one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter is answer this question in the comments box below:
What’s your garden prep and aftercare routine? Dig, or no-dig? Tell us more.
No answer, or feeling shy? Just say something like “count me in” and I will, but a reply is even better. I’ll select a random winner after entries close Tuesday February 7, 2023 at midnight. Good luck to all.
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prefer the podcast version of the show?
MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 13th year in March 2022. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the January 30, 2023 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Today we continue our book reviews, as I run through the 2022 reading list.
From the publisher:
“A Soil Owner’s Manual: Restoring and Maintaining Soil Health, is about restoring the capacity of your soil to perform all the functions it was intended to perform. This book is not another fanciful guide on how to continuously manipulate and amend your soil to try and keep it productive. This book will change the way you think about and manage your soil. It may even change your life. If you are interested in solving the problem of dysfunctional soil and successfully addressing the symptoms of soil erosion, water runoff, nutrient deficiencies, compaction, soil crusting, weeds, insect pests, plant diseases, and water pollution, or simply wish to grow healthy vegetables in your family garden, then this book is for you. Soil health pioneer Jon Stika, describes in simple terms how you can bring your soil back to its full productive potential by understanding and applying the principles that built your soil in the first place. Understanding how the soil functions is critical to reducing the reliance on expensive inputs to maintain yields. Working with, instead of against, the processes that naturally govern the soil can increase profitability and restore the soil to health. Restoring soil health can proactively solve natural resource issues before regulations are imposed that will merely address the symptoms. This book will lead you through the basic biology and guiding principles that will allow you to assess and restore your soil. It is part of a movement currently underway in agriculture that is working to restore what has been lost. “
I read this one early in the year, then managed to lose it in our move.
It would be great to write something insightful about it here, but as I don’t have it in hand, I don’t have much to say.
This book is firmly in the “no till” camp. The cows on the front were not well-rendered by the printer and had noticeable digital artifacts. That’s probably not Stika’s fault, though.
This concludes the least insightful review I’ve posted here to date.
4 out of 5 stars
From the publisher:
“Many folks are hesitant to try Holistic Planned Grazing because of what they think it entails. Greg Judy’s book responds to such hesitancy with enthusiasm and positive attitude and by articulating the basics in a very simple way, demonstrating to readers that it is possible to make these changes without a lot of infrastructure investment.
Judy shows how to add sheep, goats and pigs to existing cattle operations. He explains fencing and water systems that build on existing infrastructure set up for Management-intensive Grazing. Sharing his first-hand experience (mistakes as well as successes), Judy takes graziers to the next level. He shows how High Density Grazing (HDG) on his own farm and those he leases can revitalize hayed out, scruffy, weedy pastures, and turn them into highly productive grazing landscapes that grow both green grass and greenbacks.
If you have six cows or 6000, you can utilize High Density Grazing to create fertile soils, lush pastures and healthy livestock. Greg Judy, the master of custom grazing, shows how to earn profits with little risk while using other people’s livestock on leased land. Judy details how to work with Nature without costly inputs, and how to let the animals be your labor force.”
This is a fascinating look at managing grazing cattle and other ruminants to restore poor land. Greg Judy has done it and shares his results.
We did some minimal experiments in the pasture we were borrowing after reading on managed grazing, via arranging the grass into strips. However, the owner’s son then went and mowed all the grass outside our managed area, meaning we couldn’t continue. We may try again on our new land, especially now that we’re up to four cows instead of just two.
5 out of 5 stars
From the publisher:
“Gabe Brown didn’t set out to change the world when he first started working alongside his father-in-law on the family farm in North Dakota. But as a series of weather-related crop disasters put Brown and his wife, Shelly, in desperate financial straits, they started making bold changes to their farm. Brown―in an effort to simply survive―began experimenting with new practices he’d learned about from reading and talking with innovative researchers and ranchers. As he and his family struggled to keep the farm viable, they found themselves on an amazing journey into a new type of farming: regenerative agriculture.
Brown dropped the use of most of the herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers that are a standard part of conventional agriculture. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes, and changed his grazing practices. In so doing Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life―starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time.”
It’s a great story, with lots of ups and downs and unexpected discoveries. One of the best ways to learn is to DO – and that’s what Gabe and his family did on their farm. This book is very inspiring, especially if you are a farmer.
Today we continue our book reviews, as I run through the 2022 reading list.
From the publisher:
“A Soil Owner’s Manual: Restoring and Maintaining Soil Health, is about restoring the capacity of your soil to perform all the functions it was intended to perform. This book is not another fanciful guide on how to continuously manipulate and amend your soil to try and keep it productive. This book will change the way you think about and manage your soil. It may even change your life. If you are interested in solving the problem of dysfunctional soil and successfully addressing the symptoms of soil erosion, water runoff, nutrient deficiencies, compaction, soil crusting, weeds, insect pests, plant diseases, and water pollution, or simply wish to grow healthy vegetables in your family garden, then this book is for you. Soil health pioneer Jon Stika, describes in simple terms how you can bring your soil back to its full productive potential by understanding and applying the principles that built your soil in the first place. Understanding how the soil functions is critical to reducing the reliance on expensive inputs to maintain yields. Working with, instead of against, the processes that naturally govern the soil can increase profitability and restore the soil to health. Restoring soil health can proactively solve natural resource issues before regulations are imposed that will merely address the symptoms. This book will lead you through the basic biology and guiding principles that will allow you to assess and restore your soil. It is part of a movement currently underway in agriculture that is working to restore what has been lost. “
I read this one early in the year, then managed to lose it in our move.
It would be great to write something insightful about it here, but as I don’t have it in hand, I don’t have much to say.
This book is firmly in the “no till” camp. The cows on the front were not well-rendered by the printer and had noticeable digital artifacts. That’s probably not Stika’s fault, though.
This concludes the least insightful review I’ve posted here to date.
4 out of 5 stars
From the publisher:
“Many folks are hesitant to try Holistic Planned Grazing because of what they think it entails. Greg Judy’s book responds to such hesitancy with enthusiasm and positive attitude and by articulating the basics in a very simple way, demonstrating to readers that it is possible to make these changes without a lot of infrastructure investment.
Judy shows how to add sheep, goats and pigs to existing cattle operations. He explains fencing and water systems that build on existing infrastructure set up for Management-intensive Grazing. Sharing his first-hand experience (mistakes as well as successes), Judy takes graziers to the next level. He shows how High Density Grazing (HDG) on his own farm and those he leases can revitalize hayed out, scruffy, weedy pastures, and turn them into highly productive grazing landscapes that grow both green grass and greenbacks.
If you have six cows or 6000, you can utilize High Density Grazing to create fertile soils, lush pastures and healthy livestock. Greg Judy, the master of custom grazing, shows how to earn profits with little risk while using other people’s livestock on leased land. Judy details how to work with Nature without costly inputs, and how to let the animals be your labor force.”
This is a fascinating look at managing grazing cattle and other ruminants to restore poor land. Greg Judy has done it and shares his results.
We did some minimal experiments in the pasture we were borrowing after reading on managed grazing, via arranging the grass into strips. However, the owner’s son then went and mowed all the grass outside our managed area, meaning we couldn’t continue. We may try again on our new land, especially now that we’re up to four cows instead of just two.
5 out of 5 stars
From the publisher:
“Gabe Brown didn’t set out to change the world when he first started working alongside his father-in-law on the family farm in North Dakota. But as a series of weather-related crop disasters put Brown and his wife, Shelly, in desperate financial straits, they started making bold changes to their farm. Brown―in an effort to simply survive―began experimenting with new practices he’d learned about from reading and talking with innovative researchers and ranchers. As he and his family struggled to keep the farm viable, they found themselves on an amazing journey into a new type of farming: regenerative agriculture.
Brown dropped the use of most of the herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers that are a standard part of conventional agriculture. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes, and changed his grazing practices. In so doing Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life―starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time.”
It’s a great story, with lots of ups and downs and unexpected discoveries. One of the best ways to learn is to DO – and that’s what Gabe and his family did on their farm. This book is very inspiring, especially if you are a farmer.
If you’re looking for a fragrant herb with a warm citrus flavor, lemon verbena is the perfect addition to your garden. It’s easy to grow and adds a delicious flavor to teas, salads, desserts, and more! This blog post explains how to grow lemon verbena in your garden.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
5 Tips for How to Grow Lemon Verbena
1. Plant lemon verbena at the right time
Growing lemon verbena from seed is difficult; it’s best to use cuttings or transplants. Transplants are generally easier because they do not require any special preparation before planting.
Plant lemon verbena transplants in the spring after your last frost and once the soil has warmed.
Plant lemon verbena fromFebruary through Aprilin the low desert of Arizona (zone 9b).
Lemon verbena is generally considered an annual herb, but it may come back as a perennial in areas with frost-free winters up to zone 8. In cooler climates, grow lemon verbena in containers and bring it indoors during the winter.
Don’t be concerned when lemon verbena loses its leaves in the fall; it is often deciduous.
2. Choose the best location for growing lemon verbena
Lemon verbena prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Leave enough space between each plant – about 12-18 inches apart is ideal – so they have room to grow. For square foot gardening, plant 1 per square.
Additionally, be sure that the area you choose does not get too hot. Lemon verbena can tolerate temperatures up to 90°F (32°C), but anything higher can damage the leaves.
Provide shade or plant in an area that receives afternoon shade if you live in a hot summer climate.
3. Care for lemon verbena as it grows
Once your plants are established, it’s essential to provide them with regular watering and fertilization for optimal growth. Aim for about one inch of water per week, and fertilize every month with a balanced fertilizer.
Common pest issues of lemon verbena include spider mites, aphids, and caterpillars. Usually, the damage is minor and is best left untreated. If pests are persistent, spray off mites and aphids with a stream of water (may need to treat several times) or use Bt for the caterpillars.
4. Harvest lemon verbena at the right time
When harvesting lemon verbena, pick the leaves in the morning when they are most fragrant and flavorful. Harvest individual sprigs as needed throughout the growing season.
5. Use lemon verbena in a variety of ways
The leaves of lemon verbena can be used in various ways – from teas to salads and desserts – adding a unique lemony flavor to any dish. Lemon verbena leaves are tough and should be removed from marinades and dressings before serving.
Add dried, crumbled leaves to baked goods like banana bread or carrot cake.
Use the leaves to make herbal oils, syrups, and extracts.
Mince lemon verbena leaves and toss with cooked rice.
Hopefully, this blog post has given you insight into how to grow lemon verbena in your garden. With its refreshing citrus flavor, tender texture, and easy-to-grow nature, it’s no wonder why this fragrant herb is becoming increasingly popular amongst home gardeners.
If this post about how to grow lemon verbena was helpful, please share it:
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Does planting corn at 60″ – double its “normal” spacing – make sense?
When Bob Recker turned off every other row on his no-till planter, doubled the plant population, and punched seed into Iowa soil, he crossed into the uncharted territory of 60” row corn. Success or failure, Recker was about to bathe his corn—and weeds—in sunlight, and attempt to maintain yield with only half the growing space.
In 2017, Recker kicked open the door on 60” row corn, and exposed a ton of questions on sunlight capture, weed suppression, cover crops, and much more. According to Recker’s triune agricultural gospel, or triple bottom line, every farmer must make money, grow food and take care of the soil—and he believes 60” row corn could become an avenue toward improving all three facets on the right operation, without trimming yield.
Recker’s question: If every other row is a zero yield, can a corn field gobble enough sunshine to reach equivalent yield, as compared with standard 30” rows? The query is typically rendered by most growers as a snowflake-in-hell proposition—i.e., it ain’t happening.
However, Recker pays little mind to the confines of consensus.
Good. Following the consensus is for stupid people.
The article continues:
“‘American farmers have scar tissue from people promoting things that don’t work, so I wanted to avoid claiming a yield benefit or drag due to a different population. I kept the elements simple, treating one variable at a time. My corn got all the same treatments as the adjoining commercial corn and we planted the same day. My commercial grower/collaborator is excellent and highly vigilant in weed control, and that made a big difference.’
Recker’s 2017 60” corn, with half the ground space empty, produced a surprising result—statistically equivalent in yield to the rest of the field.”
Steve Solomon has taught extensively on the value of wide spacing in the garden. His book Water-wise Gardening explains why.
The idea of less input, more simplicity, and increased yields via wider spacing is fascinating to me.
Looks like farmers are becoming interested again in what our ancestors used to take for granted.
I’ve always been one who favors the easy-care houseplants – low-maintenance succulents and pothos and such. It takes something special to ease me out of my comfort zone.
Alocasia is just such a plant. Its oversized “elephant ear” leaves and tropical vibe are so appealing, I willingly put in the extra work this slightly picky foliage requires.
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What’s a little extra watering and creating a humid oasis here in the dry air of my home when such beauty and drama are the results?
Described with various common names including African mask, giant taro, kris plant, and elephant ear, Alocasia species boast big, beautiful leaves that would be at home in the tropics, which is where they originated.
And that’s what makes them a little tougher to grow and care for than the average pot of philodendron or spiderwort. They need conditions that mimic the areas where they’re native.
A few of their growing requirements include humidity of at least 50 percent, home temperatures of 60°F or higher, and plenty of bright, indirect light.
If creating that environment indoors sounds like something you’d be willing to do, won’t you let me introduce you to some of the dramatic varieties in this genus?
Once you’re more familiar with what these plants have to offer, I’ll also share tips on accommodating their specific growing needs.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
What Is Alocasia?
Plants of the Alocasia genus are native to Southeast Asia, southern China, and eastern parts of Australia.
They display their tropical origins with showy leaves in a variety of patterns and textures, and a fondness for bright, indirect light and lots of humidity, similar to what they’d receive in the understory of the rainforest.
The genus contains 97 recognized species, though most of those available to casual indoor gardeners are often referred to as “jewel” varieties – compact plants that grow to a couple of feet tall in a home environment.
Alocasia is beloved by houseplant enthusiasts for its impressive foliage – bright or dark green leaves that can approach a foot long, with angular shapes and heavy veins of either green or white.
Some varieties have silvery foliage with deep green leaf edges and veins, and others feature variegated leaves.
An endearing part of their growth habit is the way the clumps of leaves grow vertically instead of sending out horizontal runners, like many plants that originated in the tropics do.
When grown outdoors, these plants bloom in the spring sending up an inflorescence consisting of a central stalk known as a spadix surrounded by a spathe, similar to that of a peace lily. They rarely flower indoors, however.
Like friends you’ve had for decades, or your beloved dog, alocasia goes by many different nicknames, including African mask, kris plant, and elephant ear.
It shares that last common name with a number of other ornamentals, including members of the Colocasia and Xanthosoma genera.
Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma belong to the aroid or Araceae family, and have similar growth habits.
Xanthosoma is also tropical, but it is native to South and Central America.
Alocasias can be cultivated as outdoor perennials in USDA Hardiness Zones 8b to 11, and they can reach six to 12 feet when grown in ideal conditions in landscapes or gardens, depending on the species.
In this guide, we’ll focus on growing Alocasia elephant ears indoors, or as potted outdoor specimens that overwinter inside in the chilly months.
This genus offers drama in a potted plant.
Just a few of the possibilities include A. infernalis aka “black magic,” with shimmery purple-black leaves; A. odorata var. variegata, with heart-shaped leaves flecked with different patterns; A. x amazonica, a hybrid with shiny, arrow-shaped leaves and intense veins; and A. sanderiana, aka the kris plant or Sander’s alocasia, featuring dark green, glossy leaves with wide white margins and leaf veins.
One that I long to add to my collection is A. macrorrhizos ‘Stingray,’ a giant taro cultivar. It has striped or mottled markings on its upright stems and ribbed leaves that feature a tail on the ends that is reminiscent of a stingray.
It grows three to five feet tall – no aquarium required, unlike its namesake.
A. zebrina also features stems with dark green or brown stripes, and arrow-shaped leaves.
Growing any of these types may involve a few more cautions and extra steps than you’re used to seeing when you seek pointers on growing houseplants that are simpler to care for.
I know this firsthand and can only say – it’s worth that extra work!
Nurturing this tropical plant in my own home has required me to set up an area with more consistent light, and higher humidity than my typical succulents require, for example.
But my reward has been a dramatic kris plant to enjoy indoors. And it is a stunner, with boisterous, oversized leaves and a tropical vibe you just can’t get from a tiny pot containing a more modest specimen.
If caring for this sort of houseplant sounds like a bit of a stretch for you, welcome to the club. Read on for tips that will make the process of growing and caring for elephant ears more manageable.
A Note of Caution:
The insoluble calcium oxalate alocasia contains makes the leaves and stems toxic to humans, dogs, cats, and horses.
In addition, it can cause skin irritation, so it’s advisable to wear gloves when handling these plants.
To be safe, only grow alocasia where curious pets and children can’t reach it.
Propagation
Because the leaves sprout from a central rhizome, you won’t be able to propagate Alocasia by rooting stem or leaf cuttings.
Photo by Rose Kennedy.
It is possible to propagate the tiny corms that grow at the base of the rhizome, but I wouldn’t recommend this method.
It’s unreliable and tedious, taking many months and not necessarily yielding any new plants.
From Divisions
Happily, there are only a couple of steps involved in propagating alocasia from divisions.
If you have a friend with a kris plant or an elephant ear of your own that’s spreading via rhizomes, growing new specimens from divisions is the way to go.
This chore is best completed when the plant is coming out of its winter dormancy.
But if you can see roots growing from the drainage holes in the plant’s container, you can go ahead and repot, and grab any offshoots that have two or more leaves at the same time.
To separate offshoots, ease the entire plant from the pot with one hand, holding it over a tabletop covered with newspaper or an empty, clean sink.
Using your free hand, tease out any offshoots that are already separate from the parent or that can be disentangled readily. Be sure to keep the rhizome and roots intact with each clump.
For clumps that are entangled with the roots of the parent plant, use a sharp, clean paring knife to cut them away from the main rhizome. Make sure to keep the roots of each clump connected to the crown.
Plan to pot the severed or separated offshoots right away. Read on for more specific directions.
Transplanting
Before you purchase a plant from a local nursery or retailer, make sure to pick up one that has a healthy color.
Avoid any that have discolored leaves, which could indicate a pest problem or that it’s been growing in substandard conditions.
While it’s a natural part of aging for Alocasia to drop a few leaves each year, lots of dry, predominantly brown stems or foliage are sure signs of a plant that’s on its way out.
Also, check the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot to make sure the roots don’t have an off smell. If they’re slimy and brown or smell a bit like a full diaper, pass on that one. It may already have a case of root rot, which is fatal.
If you’ve purchased an alocasia online, be sure to schedule the delivery for a time when you’re at home so you can immediately unpack the specimen and get it into an ideal environment.
Most online suppliers will include directions for caring for the plant upon arrival, including whether it should immediately be repotted or given water or not.
This process will vary a bit depending on how the grower packs the alocasia and how long it takes to reach you.
A healthy specimen can usually stay in its grower’s pot for a few months. Alocasia is content in snug quarters.
If you notice a lot of offshoots or the soil is drying out quickly, it may be time to place the purchased plant in a new pot.
Whether you’re potting up offshoots you’ve separated yourself or transplanting or repotting a purchased specimen, the method is essentially the same.
Be sure to choose a fast-draining soilless mix formulated for indoor plants.
One good choice is Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix, which is available from Home Depot in 16-quart bags.
You’ll also need a pot with drainage holes and a saucer to catch excess water as it drains out. The container should be about two inches wider on all sides than the transplant.
Fill the container about a third of the way with the mix, then place the transplant in position.
Some settling when you water is normal, so you may want to moisten the soil gently with tepid water at this point and let it drain before you add your plant, so it will be easier to position it at the right height.
Fill in with more soilless mix to within about an inch of the rim so the crown of the plant sits about an inch above the soil surface, and gently tamp it down with your fingers.
Place in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light with ample humidity, just like a mature specimen requires.
How to Grow
It really pays to anticipate the needs of Alocasia ahead of time, before investing in one of your own.
If you can meet its demands, you’ll have a beautiful tropical specimen to look forward to. First, consider the following:
Temperature
Alocasia species grow best at temperatures of at least 60°F and will suffer and start dropping leaves when the temperature is lower than 50°F.
If they’re exposed to more than a day or two of temperatures below 50°F, they might out and out die on you.
Light
Elephant ears need at least four hours per day of bright light, but direct sunlight should be avoided. Intense, direct light can lead to leaf scorch and drooping.
Photo by Rose Kennedy.
If your home doesn’t offer enough indirect natural light, you may want to consider using grow lights for at least part of the day.
Humidity
This tropical beauty would really appreciate 50 percent humidity in its growing environment, which can be tough to achieve in a typical household.
To grow one at home, you may need to employ frequent misting, add a shallow tray of water and pebbles beneath the pot, or even use an electric humidifier.
Watering
While they can’t tolerate wet feet or standing water, elephant ears do need consistently moist soil. Water when the surface feels dry to the touch, but make sure it doesn’t get waterlogged.
The soil should be slightly moist at all times, not oversaturated.
Airflow
Make sure containers are placed a good six inches apart and away from walls for ample air circulation that inhibits disease and promotes healthy growth.
Avoid locations where they’ll be hit by cold drafts, or windy spots outside. They’ll languish on a chilly windowsill or near a drafty fireplace.
Growing Tips
Grow in fast-draining soil in containers with drainage holes.
Choose a spot where they’ll get ample bright light but where direct sunlight won’t damage the leaves.
Maintain humidity levels of at least 50 percent.
Reduce watering in the fall and winter when plants are dormant.
Maintenance
You can relax a bit once your alocasia is established in a hospitable growing environment, but you’ll need to keep up the good work with a few maintenance chores, particularly if you’ve opted to bring your potted plants outdoors for the summer.
Pay attention to weather trends and diligently move your plants back inside ahead of cool temperatures that will harm them.
It’s best to be proactive, and move them as soon as temperatures dip below 60°F. While they’ll probably live through several weeks of temperatures in the mid-50s, it’s probably not worth the risk.
If you track weather patterns throughout the year in your area, make a note in your gardening journal so you’ll have an idea of when to bring these babies back indoors. As the usual change in the weather approaches, start checking the daily forecast.
Planning ahead also gives you time to check for signs of pests or disease before bringing plants back in.
After plants have spent the cold months indoors, make sure to give them a few days of gradual exposure to the outdoors when it’s time to move them back outside again.
They can be shocked by an abrupt transition from warmth and artificial light to lower temperatures and stronger light outside the house.
As for other maintenance chores, you won’t usually need to prune alocasia, but you should go ahead and clip off any dead or dry leaves when you see them.
When they’re a couple of years old, these plants will need repotting, but don’t rush it. Alocasia likes to be a bit snug in its pot.
When it’s time, you may note that roots are growing out of the drainage holes or that the soil no longer absorbs water as readily.
Be sure to only move to a pot that’s a size larger than the previous one, about an inch or two wider on all sides.
And be sure to gently knock loose the old potting mix from the roots during the transition. Alocasia appreciates a soil refresh every two to three years.
Species and Cultivars to Select
Most of the varieties you come across at local retailers or online will be jewel types, meaning that they’re smaller and highly suitable for growing indoors, either year-round or in the cold months in Zones 4 to 8a.
Here are a few to get you started:
Black Velvet
A. reginula, lives up to its common name “black velvet” with green-black, distinctly veined leaves that have a velvety texture.
As an added bonus, they sport purple undersides if you care to take a peek.
A. sanderiana, aka the kris plant, has arrow-shaped leaves that are deeply lobed at the edges. The glossy, dark green foliage has white veins, and can grow up to 15 inches long.
In the landscape, the kris plant can reach up to six feet tall, but indoors, it’s unlikely to attain this size, staying more in the two- to four-foot range.
Also known as A. x amazonica, Polly is a hybrid. Its glossy, dark-green leaves can grow more than a foot long. These have angular edges with wide, white veins.
Its max height indoors is generally about a foot, and it will spread five or six inches, making it a fitting option for small spaces like an office or guest bathroom where you might not have enough room for larger tropicals.
More of a landscape plant that can be grown as a perennial in Zones 9 to 11, A. zebrina aka the zebra plant, can also be cultivated as a sizable tropical houseplant.
With deep green leaves in the shape of arrowheads, its stems are patterned like a zebra’s coat, though the colors are light rust and green rather than black and white.
While these may attain a height of five to 10 feet when grown in the landscape, they’ll typically max out at three or four feet tall indoors.
You can find A. zebrina available in 10-inch growers pots from National Plant Network via Home Depot.
Managing Pests and Disease
Too little humidity, too little light, and temperatures that are too cold are the most threatening foes for tropical alocasia.
These plants don’t often face problems with pests or disease, but there are a few to watch for and prevent when possible.
Particularly if your alocasia spends the warm months outdoors, you may encounter mealybugs, scale, or spider mites when they come back inside.
Be sure to check thoroughly and treat any infestations before bringing them indoors to prevent spreading pests to your other houseplants.
Waterlogged soil or poor air circulation bring about most of the noted disease trouble for all Alocasia species. Eliminate those conditions, and you’ll probably have little to worry about.
The most likely issues are powdery mildew, which looks like a fine dusting of flour on the foliage, or root rot.
Root rot is more deadly. If you notice foul-smelling or slimy brown roots, it may already be too late to rescue the plant, and plants with this condition should be disposed of.
Planting in fast-draining soil, never letting them sit in standing water, providing adequate airflow, and striving not to overwater your plants are your best options for successful prevention of fungal diseases.
Best Uses
In general, an alocasia plant will usher a tropical vibe into your household.
More specifically, it’s ideal to anchor a corner of a brightly-lit small space, whether that’s a home office with a window or the master bath with a skylight.
While I wouldn’t grow it in a dish garden, since it gets so big, it is suitable as an upright focal point for a collection of potted plants.
Shorter indoor blooming plants like flaming Katy or African violets can act as companions, or you can continue the tropical vibe by placing alocasia next to croton in the home environment.
I find alocasias also offer a welcome change for the type of black thumb gardeners who tend to kill houseplants by overwatering.
If you like to tinker around and water often, alocasia will respond well to frequent splashes of water that will keep the soil lightly moist.
Mind you, it’s still possible to swamp your alocasia buddies, but they’re a fine choice for the indoor gardener who likes to keep the water coming.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Foliage Color:
Light/dark green with variegation
Native to:
Southeast Asia, southern China, eastern Australia
Maintenance:
Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
8b-12
Tolerance:
Shade
Bloom Time:
Spring and summer (outdoors), rarely indoors
Soil Type:
Soilless potting mix (containers)
Exposure:
Bright, indirect light
Soil pH:
5.5-6.5
Time to Maturity:
2-5 years
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Planting Depth:
Crown at soil surface
Uses:
Focal point; houseplant for humid areas (kitchen/bathroom); anchor for tropical plant collection
Height:
2-12 feet (outdoors), 1-6 feet (indoors), depending on species
Order:
Alismatales
Spread:
2-10 feet (outdoors), 1-4 feet (indoors), depending on species
I’ll always consider elephant ears a welcome upgrade to my indoor garden space.
I’d never recommend them as a candidate for My First Houseplant or as a solution for someone trying to overcome a “black thumb” reputation.
But for someone who’s ready to do a little more, who has already succeeded with a less needy plant, alocasia could provide that modest step up you’re looking for.
And if you’re mindful of its handful of non-negotiable requirements, it will create a vibrant, topical allure.
Are you already a fan with experience to share? Do you still have questions? Kindly add your input via the comments section below.
Even with a fence, a neighbour’s cat can still sneak into your garden. While they can just lounge and provide you with company, they may instead choose to chase songbirds and use your garden as a litter box. Yuck! Here’s how to stop cats from pooping in the garden.
Personally, my cat Magic is one of my best garden pals. He keeps the rats from munching on my veggies and will lounge in the sun or soil while I’m busy puttering in the yard.
While Magic knows to use the litter box inside the house rather than my precious garden beds, I know everyone isn’t always so lucky. Neighbourhood cats can be a nuisance at times!
In this post, we’ll talk about…
How to Stop Cats From Pooping in the Garden
Cats often use the garden as a bathroom because it looks like a giant litterbox! Any parents who have had a sandbox in their garden will quickly know what I mean here.
The goal is to make your garden look more like a garden! This means leaving as little exposed (ready-to-dig) soil as possible. Here are a few ideas for how to do just that.
Add Ground Cover
Ground cover plants are those that grow quite low to the ground, covering bare soil. These are great to include if you want to cover a large area to prevent cats from pooping in your garden.
Popular ground cover plants include:
Top Off With Mulch
Another excellent way to stop the neighbourhood cat from pooping in your garden is to add a thick layer of mulch over exposed soil.
Cats don’t like to walk on sharp or pokey materials, so you want mulch with lots of large wood chips or sticks. Add this layer, and the cats should stay completely clear of your garden.
Anything that covers loose soil will work. This could also include chicken wire, egg shells, or spiky mats.
Add More Plants
If you have lots of bare soil, see if you can add in some plants to take up the space. Fill large sections with low-maintenance shrubs. Otherwise, fill in spaces with the idea that the more greenery, the better!
You can even go for a pokey plant that keeps animals away, such as blackberry, holly, rose, or barberry.
And just like companion planting, you can add some plants cats don’t like including marigolds, lavender, lemon thyme, nasturtium, Coleus canina, and more.
Cats really don’t like rue, but this is a toxic plant to cats and should be avoided altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does vinegar stop cats from pooping?
Due to the extreme scent of vinegar and a cat’s strong sense of smell, vinegar can help to repel cats. White vinegar works best, as opposed to sweeter vinegar like apple cider vinegar.
To make a spray, dilute the vinegar with water (1:1 ratio). Be mindful that vinegar can kill plants, so careful where you spray it!
What happens if a cat poops in your garden?
Cat poop can have parasites in it, such as tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms, as well as bacteria, such as E. coli or Salmonella. It can be potentially dangerous in the vegetable garden. It’s one of the reasons why we shouldn’t flush their feces down the toilet, either.
However, if you wear gloves, wash your hands well, and give any vegetables a good rinse and scrub with a veggie wash, the chances of infection are greatly reduced.
What smell do cats hate?
Cats really dislike citrus scents. Adding citrus-smelling plants, smatterings of lemon or orange peels, or drops of essential oil may help deter cats.
Some people have also reported luck with coffee grounds, citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and pine.
It’s hard to find true blue perennials for a garden, but you can make it work by using shades of blue. Most of the plants labeled ‘blue’ are really not blue but in fact either violet or violet-blue. Hybridizers are trying to create perennials in blue shades but are having difficulties, and with the growing demand of gardeners wanting the true blue, they keep persisting.
There are various perennials available to help satisfy the gardener wanting blue, these being only a handful:
Bachelor Button
It is best placed close to other perennials in a full sun location and tolerates any type of soil. Growing 2 – 2.5 feet tall with grey-green foliage, it is topped with many spidery, violet-blue delicate-looking flowers. This plant actually blooms twice in its growing season, once in early June and again in August. Simply cut all the stems off the plant at the base when they have fallen away from the center and are beginning to go to seed. The plant will grow new stems and will bloom again. A hole is created in its location for a few weeks, thus being the reason to plant it closely with other perennials to hide the hole.
False Lupine
Resembling the regular lupin, it produces flowers much looser up the stem in a violet-blue. The leaves are long and smooth and travel up the entire stem, equivalent to alfalfa. As the flower matures, seeds are formed at the base of the loose flowers. Grown from seed it takes a long time to acquire a nice clump, therefore best grown from basal cuttings. Growing 2 – 2.5 feet tall, it is a sun-loving perennial for the middle of the border.
Blue Anchusa
Wonderful dark green, elongated or heart-shaped leaves are amongst the spray of large, forget-me-not-like flowers. Best grown in part-shade to full sun, many varieties available in this species will allow various heights as well. Some varieties grow 12 inches tall while others can grow over 3 – 4 feet.
Lithodora
A tight ground cover with very dark green, tiny leaves and almost electric royal blue flowers that bloom in early to mid-summer. Great in a woodland setting at the front of the border or in a partial-shade to full sun flowerbed.
Jacob’s Ladder
Known since Roman times, the finely-cut foliage grows up the stem, which at the very top are clusters of five-petalled lavender-blue flowers with bright orange staemens. Growing 2.5 – 3 feet tall it needs to be placed in the middle to the back of the border, in full sun and rich soil. It looks better if planted in large groupings rather than a single specimen, as it tends to disappear.
Veronica Spicata
Also known as ‘Speedwell’, this summer-flowering plant will provide a very pleasing effect if planted in full sun and ordinary soil. It will tolerate part-shade, but looks spindly as it reaches for the sunlight. Long spikes of bright violet-blue flowers are great for bouquets, as the middle flower will bloom, then when removed two side blooms will appear at the next set of branches. Growing 2 – 2.5 feet tall, it is best placed near the front or middle of the border.
Campanula
‘Blue Chips’ is the most widely used in this species, providing rounded clumps of pretty lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers almost smothering the leaves. Other varieties are available, from taller 3 foot varieties to the tallest 5-6 foot varieties. Commonly called “bellflower”, they all require deep, fertile soil and need moisture during their growing season. They all do best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade and most flower early to mid-summer.
Perennial Geranium
‘Johnson’s Blue’ is a perennial geranium, produced from a corm in the soil. It has large, softly rounded leaves which grow up the 2 – 2.5 foot stems. The five-petalled flowers are a violet-blue that provide charm atop the clump-forming plant in mid-summer. Plant in full-sun to part-shade in well-drained, fertile soil.
There are many bulbs, rhizomes and corms that have flowers in many shades of blue; Anenome, Crocus, Scilla, Grape Hyacinth, Dutch hyacinth, Spanish Bluebell, Chionodoxa, Agapanthus, Allium, Siberian Iris, Dutch Iris and Bearded Iris.
Don’t forget the wonderful annuals to choose from as well, they can be placed in amongst other plants for a great effect.
Most of the perennial blue flowers are seen blooming in the spring, with a small portion seen in the summer and fall months. Thus, it is possible to have blue prominent or as an accent color in your garden throughout the spring and summer seasons.
Given that all we want from our gardens is that they be beautiful, it is somewhat ironic that the garden products sold in big stores often fall pitifully short on the aesthetic front. Endless plastic? Garish colors? Twee design? Guilty as charged.
So when we discovered Gardenheir, which began as an online store conceived by two avid gardeners before developing into a brand with two physical stores, it was an epiphany. Here, everything is beautiful, carefully considered, and curated—and, quite frankly, we wanted it all. We recently spoke to founders Alan Calpe and Christopher Crawford to get the lowdown on their gardening journey, their latest store in Windham, NY, and the Italian clogs they cannot keep on the shelves.
Above: They never intended to be shopkeepers but opened a shop in Windham, NY, late last year.
Like many new gardeners, the pair fell into gardening when they bought a cedar skate bungalow in the Catskills town of Windham. While renovating the house, they fell under the spell of the four acre blank canvas outside their door. “We knew very little about gardening when we got our place upstate, but it wasn’t long until it felt like all our thoughts and efforts were preoccupied with it,” says Alan, a visual artist who works mostly in video and performance, of their property. The pair has gradually reimagined the landscape by opening up views to distant mountains and creating a new curvaceous pond and flower-rich borders.
Above: The hard-wearing Gardenheir smock ($98) is both chic and functional and comes in washed cotton drill as well as Japanese denim ($128), which sold out in days but is soon to be restocked.
As their gardening addiction took hold, one thing became clear: The equipment they needed for the garden wasn’t in any way singing to these two creatives (Christopher has previously worked in fashion and retail). They also realized that there was probably a good number of fellow newbie gardeners who felt the same way. Their original online store pulls together the world’s most covetable garden brands—beautiful tools and equipment from Sneeboer and Haws, clothes from French brand Le Laboureur, and handmade items including the prettiest birdhouses with cedar shingles made by Richard Winkworth in England, German-made brutalist birdhouses, and beautiful bentwood pails made in Oregon. Alongside these wares, they’ve developed their own very desirable in-house collection of knitwear, jersey, smocks and accessories.
Above: If there’s one cult product that has really taken off, it’s the sturdy Italian-made gardening clogs ($78), a superior version of the omnipresent gardening clog with removable cork insoles in a subdued palette of colors. “They have been a universal hit…and not just with gardeners,” says Christopher.Above: The Himalayan hand spun cashmere is another bestseller ($168). “We sell lots of cashmere all year,” adds Christopher. “We think they’re a really good value, especially as the yarn is hand loomed and dyed in Nepal.”
Above: Sneeboer’s tools fly off the shelves, and Gardenheir is the only store in the States who stock their vintage tool collection which has a constant waitlist.
Dahlias may be a relatively small genus of 49 species, but their habit of hybridizing and a whole host of cultivars have made this plant an extremely complex one to talk about.
In fact, the Royal Horticultural Society and American Dahlia Society both use a special classification system of 15 groups and recognize more than 57,000 registered cultivars!
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Depending on the group your dahlia belongs to, it might have single flowers, double flowers, blooms the size of a dinner plate, flat or round blooms, etc.
This makes dahlias one of the most versatile plants out there. Of course, this also means that some dahlias prefer more water or light than others, and many other nuances of care can be slightly different from one plant to another.
However, dahlias are similar enough that there’s a median from which you can work if you aren’t sure what you’ve got (such as when someone gave you an unmarked dahlia tuber as a gift).
How To Grow And Care For Dahlia Flowers
Despite their variations, dahlias are known to be prolific bloomers and can bloom anywhere from late spring through fall, depending on the group.
Here’s what you need to know to grow these wonderful plants.
WARNING: Not All Dahlias Are The Same
We’ve mentioned it before, but it’s important to stress that not all dahlias are created equal.
The instructions in this guide SHOULD work for most dahlias out there, but you should always defer to instructions specific to the cultivar or species you’re growing when possible.
This is because there are dahlia groups that have a higher cold tolerance than others. As a result, some need a different amount of water or have slightly different fertilizer needs.
As a result, you might not get as much out of your dahlia as you could when using these instructions (but you will still have a beautiful plant overall).
A Few Basics
Depending on whether you have a dwarf or full-sized plant, a dahlia can range from 12” inches to more than 8′ feet in height.
Their flower sizes, colors, and shapes also vary greatly from one group to another.
While there are cultivars bred to be exceptions, most dahlias have unscented flowers. They are of little interest to pollinators, meaning you’ll want to group them with other plants that draw bees and other pollinators in if you wish to get your plant to seed.
However, as most cultivars are propagated through stem cuttings or tubers, this is usually not an issue.
Environmental Needs
Dahlias need a spot in your garden (or home) to get 6 to 8 hours of full sun. However, in harsher climates, they will prefer bright, indirect, or filtered light during the afternoon.
Morning or evening exposure works best, although, in colder climates where the sun never gets too harsh, you can get away with full southern exposure throughout the day.
As a general rule, dahlias don’t like cold, and most groups do best in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11, with some being able to grow as perennials in zone six.
Any further north, they can be grown as annuals, or the tubers can be dug up and overwintered indoors.
You should never plant your dahlia tubers until the risk of frost has passed, preferably once the soil (not air) has reached a temperature of 60° degrees Fahrenheit.
For this reason, it’s a common practice to start both seeds and tubers indoors approximately 6 weeks before the expected final frost, then transplant them to the garden.
Soil and Feeding
Dahlias are quite forgiving with soil as long as it drains easily. Outdoors, consider mixing in some coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite to improve drainage.
You may also wish to mix in some organic compost or peat or sphagnum moss (the former adds acidity while the latter reduces it) for extra nutrition if the soil isn’t very rich.
The soil pH should be slightly acidic, although many dahlias can handle a neutral soil pH as high as 7.5,
Potted specimens will do well with most potting soils or even a soil-free mix, although an African violet mix works a charm.
You will need to repot every 2 to 3 years to replace the soil and address root binding if present.
Note that most dahlias will need a stake or other form of support as they get bigger, regardless of whether they’re in a container or the garden.
Tubers won’t need to be fed for the first 30 days after planting. If you intend to use only one type of fertilizer, aim for a 5-10-10 or 10-20-20 NPK liquid soluble mix.
However, to get the most out of your dahlia, consider using a 10-10-10 fertilizer until the flower buds begin to form, then switching to a 10-30-20 blend.
This encourages fuller growth in the spring due to the higher nitrogen, with the focus shifting to phosphorus (needed for healthy blooms) to get superior blooms.
Remember to cut back on feeding in the autumn and winter.
As for dosage, be sure to follow the instructions given on your fertilizer packaging and check for the specific frequency needs of your plant, as this can vary.
However, it’s safe to start with a dose every 3 to 4 weeks and adjust based on how your dahlia reacts.
Watering
Your dahlias will need to be watered when the soil is dry 1” inch down.
This can be tested by simply sticking your finger straight down into the soil (the tip to the first knuckle is approximately an inch).
Use the soak-and-dry method for the best results, and avoid overhead watering.
Maintenance and Repotting
Dahlias don’t need a lot of pruning beyond removing damaged or diseased foliage and any preferred shaping.
Pruning away the lowest branches can also increase air circulation and reduce the risk of moisture-related problems.
However, there are two times when you’ll want to pinch your plant. The first time is when it reaches 15” inches tall.
At this point, there should be three sets of branches, and you’ll want to punch just above the top set. This encourages fuller growth.
The second time is when the flowers are blooming. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional blooms.
Just remember that you’ll need to leave a few flowers alone if you want to harvest their seeds.
Pests and Diseases
A range of pests will try and snack on your dahlia plants.
These include:
Aphids
Earwigs
Mealybugs
Slugs and snails
Spider mites
Thrips
The good news is they’re fairly resistant to disease and only run a risk of fungal infections or root rot if improperly watered.
Just note that while it’s perfectly safe for humans to eat flowers and tubers, they can be toxic to your pets.
Today’s offering is from Bill Marvin, a landscape designer living in Skokie, Illinois.
My background is graphic design, and I don’t consider myself a master gardener. I think I’ve just scratched the surface of what there is to know about plants. The landscaping for my yard was never designed. It just evolved over 25 years between needing a garden and bringing home struggling orphans from my projects. The color from flowering plants still amazes me.
Daffodils (Narcissushybrids, Zones 3–9), hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis, Zones 4–8), and azaleas (Rhododendronhybrids, Zones 5–10) light up the springtime front yard.
This is a summertime view from my studio. Purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8) and ‘Pink Diamond’ hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’, Zones 3–8), and rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus, Zones 5–8) get ready to bloom.
These ‘PJM’ rhododendrons (Rhododendron ‘PJM’, Zones 4–8) are delightful under my studio window.
This blossom is a Blue Chiffon rose of Sharon and one of my favorites.
I have turned the backyard into a wildlife habitat, and one of the essential features is running water. The large and small birds that come to the feeders love taking baths in the stream.
Lots of hostas (Hosta hybrids, Zones 3–9), with a backdrop of ‘My Monet’ and ‘Wine and Roses’ weigela (Weigela florida, Zones 4–8)
I replaced some dying white pines (Pinus strobus, Zones 3–8) with a ‘Baby Blue’ blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue’, Zone 2–7) and a ‘Fat Albert’ spruce (Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’, Zones 2–7). They are both over 15 feet tall now and a pleasure to watch grow and change every year. The ‘Karens’ azalea (Rhododendron ‘Karens’, Zones 5–8) in front adds spectacular color every spring.
These young mallards were hatched and incubated at home before being released in the yard. They were very friendly with my dog and cat. I released them into the wild after three months.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Grass (Poaceae family) is a curious thing – on the one hand, it’s a weed that some people love and some hate. On the other hand, some types of grass are edible or even beneficial.
Take, for example, Cymbopogon nardus (sim-buh-POH-gon NARD-us), a perennial plant from Sri Lanka that’s become one of the most important sources of citronella oil.
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This is where this plant gets its common name of citronella grass, although it’s also sometimes referred to as Ceylon citronella.
Note that this common name sometimes refers to the entire genus, but this species is the one most people refer to when talking about citronella grass.
Citronella Grass Care
Size and Growth
This fast-growing grass can reach a height of up to 6’ feet and a clump size of around 4’ feet across.
Its long, lanceolate leaves give off a citrus scenery when bruised or crushed.
Flowering and Fragrance
While not common indoors, citronella grass may bear flowers from summer into fall.
These are usually a light brown to pink coloration and are somewhat unremarkable in size.
Light and Temperature
While your lawn may love lots of direct sun, citronella grass is a bit more sensitive and can scorch in the midday sunlight.
Try planting it with full exposure to the east or west but some partial shade at midday. Dappled sunlight is also an excellent option.
If growing indoors, an eastern or western window where it can get at least 6 hours of direct light or 8 hours of filtered light will work great.
However, be sure to use a sheer curtain or avoid putting it directly in a southern window.
A moderate humidity level is perfect for this plant, ranging from 40% to 70% percent.
Avoid anything higher, as this can lead to fungal infections, and note that it will need more frequent watering in arid conditions.
Citronella grass is generally grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12, although it can actually handle a wide temperature range.
Brief exposures down to 32° degrees Fahrenheit won’t cause serious harm, but prolonged exposure or temperatures lower than this can harm or even kill the plant.
At the other end of the spectrum, it can tolerate up to 90° degrees Fahrenheit but may scorch or dry out at higher temperatures.
North of zone 10, many people like to grow this grass as an annual.
It can also be cut back to 3” inches and brought inside to a sunny window or placed under grow lamps to keep it thriving throughout the winter.
Watering and Feeding
Citronella grass likes moist soil, but that doesn’t mean you have to drown it.
Instead, wait to water the plant until the top 2 to 3” inches of soil is dry.
You can test this by sticking your finger straight down into the ground, as each knuckle is approximately 1” inch from the next.
Keep in mind this plant may need to be watered as often as daily or as little as once per week, depending on how much direct sunlight the grass receives or how humid its environment is.
This is why you don’t want to water on a schedule.
When watering, the soak and dry method work very well for this plant in both a container or the ground.
Avoid using overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal infections. This is a very forgiving grass and only needs to be fed once in the spring.
As with most grasses, a high-nitrogen mix works best, and you can generally use the same fertilizers you would use on your lawn.
Soil and Transplanting
While some grasses can grow in almost any soil type, citronella grass needs something more loose, such as sandy or loamy soils.
It also prefers a surprisingly acidic soil pH of 5.8 to 6.0, which means it may not be compatible with many other garden plants.
This can be mitigated by creating a barrier around the plant at least a foot deep so the soil inside and outside of the barrier won’t mix.
Peat moss, perlite or vermiculite, and sulfur are all good things to add to maintain proper drainage and pH levels.
While many people further south will want to grow citronella grass in their yard or garden, those further north (and some in the south) may wish to grow this plant in pots.
While this can make it possible to grow the plant in cooler climates or on patios, it does mean you will need to repot them every once in a while.
You’ll want a fairly large container to start, with a gallon being a great starter size.
When you see the plant has run out of room to spread, it’s time to give it a new container a size larger.
You will also want to repot every 2 to 3 years to ensure it has fresh soil.
Remember, grass can be fragile, so while using a trowel to loosen the soil around the pot’s edges, you don’t want to pull at the grass itself. Instead, tip the pot and gently slide the grass out.
Grooming and Maintenance
As this is a type of grass, there’s very little need for any type of maintenance.
If you’re growing indoors (or there are local ordinances that affect ornamental grass size), you can trim the blades down to shape or a desired size without harming the plant.
How To Propagate Cymbopogon Nardus
As with most grasses, division and seeds are the two easiest ways to propagate this plant.
However, some have also reported success using stem cuttings.
Citronella Grass Pests Or Diseases
While somewhat sensitive to too much direct sunlight, not much will harm this plant.
In fact, your biggest problems are water related, such as root rot, fungus gnats, or fungal infections.
However, you should be aware that this grass is considered mildly toxic to humans and pets.
While not life-threatening, consuming this grass can cause several uncomfortable symptoms, including:
Hypothermia-like symptoms
Lack of muscle coordination
Muscle weakness
Vomiting
Note also that some people may have a skin sensitivity or allergy to citronella grass, although this isn’t very common.
Cymbopogon Nardus Uses
One of the most obvious uses of this plant is to repel mosquitoes and several other pests.
The essential oil is extracted for several commercial uses, such as citronella candles.
You can also break off leaves and rub them on your skin for some instant bug repellent.
When potted, this plant makes a lovely accent for patios and decks and can be brought inside for the winter in cold climates.
Seed heads are left standing until March, when the entire meadow is cut. I love the winter interest, particularly texture and kinetic movement, provided by the 200 or so Panicum and Pennisetum and seed heads such as these ‘October Skies’ asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’, Zones 3–8).
Silvery skeletons of Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 5–9) act as jewelry in the winter garden as they shine in the afternoon sunlight.
Yellow twig dogwoods (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ Zones 3–8) and a coral bark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ , Zones 5–9), which was decapitated by a falling tree branch, add excitement to the winter garden.
This snow-covered Erica ‘Kramer’s Red’ (Zones 5–8) reminds me of a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberries.
Out by the road, winter interest catches the eyes of passersby. ‘Kramer’s Red’ erica, Cedrus atlantica ‘Blue Cascade’ (Zones 6–9), and Juniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’ (Zones 6–9) shine on a dreary winter day. From a design standpoint, first impressions are everything.
Looking through the dogtrot (covered breezeway) at the winter garden, one can easily see the value of conifers in the winter garden. It’s a good thing that I have a love affair with them!
One of my favorite parts of the garden, particularly in winter, is this hillside filled with conifers, heaths, and heathers. This view, taken from my living room window, shows the scrim effect of the Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Zones 5–9) seed heads that I’ve planted as part of my foundation planting.
Here’s a close-up of the same vignette. Conifers, heaths, heathers, and a dwarf balsam fir (Abies balsamea, Zones 3–6) put on a show throughout the winter.
Dry flower heads of these Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’ (Zones 3–8) add so much to the winter landscape. I leave them in place until April 1, when I cut the plants to within 12 inches of the ground, much like you’d cut back roses. Doing so keeps these at a summer height of 5 feet, rather than 8 to 9 feet. A larger size would overwhelm the garden.
This vignette of ‘Orange Rocket’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’, Zones 4–8), ‘Curly Tops’ eastern white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Curly Tops’, Zones 3–8), and ‘Shenandoah’ panicum (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, Zones 4–9) shines in winter. Please note that barberries are not invasive in my area.
I believe that planting en masse creates both drama and tranquility in the garden. This mass of Juniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’ more than earns its place in the garden, especially in winter.
no-dig gardening, with charles dowding
Charles: Yeah, well, actually, autumn is the time to begin, if any time, in terms of getting ready for spring. So, we aim to spread all the compost or whatever organic matter you’re using. For damp climates like here, particularly where slugs can be a problem, I find that compost gives best results. So, we put that on the beds, around an inch, before Christmas generally. And then, basically, the ground is prepped.
Charles: Yeah, that’s very interesting, isn’t it? All the things that we could learn, just by watching. That’s one of the lovely things again about no-dig, is you’re not … you’re leaving it alone, and you’re not disturbing, so you can just look and see what’s going on.
Charles: Sometimes, people say to me, “Well, I couldn’t do no-dig because I haven’t got enough compost.” Well, it needs a lot of compost.
This is a summertime view from my studio. 
