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Do You Have A Favorite Flower?

Do you remember the slogan of a popular soft drink… “The pause that refreshes.” Well, here it is – May – the season between the seasons. Weve got the first early rush of planting work done, now trying to catch our breath, and get started on the next round. Maybe some of you feel that you are entitled to a little pause between rounds.

I planned for my rest several years ago. Our cultivated strips of ground are about 20 feet wide and 100 feet long, with grass paths between. When we first moved here, it looked awfully bleak around the end of the rows, and I visualized how hot it would be when one reached the north end of the garden.

My solution was to plant a pin oak. It is now large enough to furnish shade. With a comfortable yard chair it is ideal to sit in the tree’s shade and muse over the gardening problems. Maybe I should have planted two such trees far enough apart to swing a hammock between them.

They often deride someone for wishing for this or that. Wishing for the moon,” they say. Just like, when i wish for my own beautiful japanese garden design. Probably all of us at some time in our youth wished for the moon, or maybe it was just a star. Every true plant lover, I suspect, is still just a child at heart. Whenever you read of this or that, don’t you say to yourself, “My, Id like to have that growing in my garden, landscape, greenhouse or wherever.”

In all honesty, I must confess I get an almost uncontrollable urge to try everything I read or hear about. Oh, some of you will say, I specialize in roses, iris, daylilies,” or whatever your favorite might be. But did you ever know a “specialist” who didnt want more varieties? In our back yard youll find no evidence of specialization. Someone once asked me what was my favorite flower. My reply was The one I happen to be looking at at the time.

July 27 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »

How to Test Old Seeds Before You Plant

Some kinds of seeds must be sown soon after ripening or they will not grow. Others retain their life (viability) from one year to another depending on the conditions under which they are stored. A test for germination can easily be made before planting time by cutting a circle of flannel or paper towel to fit the bottom of a plate.

By marking the material in four divisions, four different kinds of seeds may be tested at one time. The cloth is moistened and ten or 25 seeds placed on each division.

Cover with another plate or with a pane of glass to hold in the moisture. Label each kind of seed planted including the date planted. Inspect the seeds from time to time. Count the number that sprout. If none germinate and the seeds are choice ones, test a second time.

Hardcoated seeds are slow to germinate. Kicking the seeds slightly may enable them to grow. Some seeds may require a period of cool or freezing temperatures. If none grow after giving them ample time for germination, the seeds are probably no good and it would be useless to plant the remainder of the lot.

A farmer may have a bag of seed corn left over, or he may want to test some of his own new crop oats or wheat. The rag doll method is good for such tests. A piece of white cloth 12 by 15 inches is moistened well. A hundred grains are counted and placed on the material.

Lay a piece of waxed paper over the grains and roll up. Place the roll in a plastic bag closed with a rubber band. After five to seven days on a kitchen shelf or counter, inspect the grains to see how many have germinated.

The degree of germination will enable the farmer to determine if the grain is fit for planting. If only a small percentage of the seeds sprout, they should be discarded or larger amounts planted on a given area.

Tests of small lots of seeds are made in which the testing is not done to determine the percentage of germination but to find out whether the seeds will grow. The seeds in this case are not discarded after testing but are kept right on growing.

Lily seeds may be tested by putting them between folds of old nylon hose placed in a shallow container in which a layer of vermiculite moistened with liquid plant food solution has been spread. (Follow directions on the package for making the solution.) Spread a similar layer of vermiculite over the hose.

To inspect the seeds one simply lifts the top portion of the nylon hose. As soon as a good number have gerrninated all can then be easily transferred to flats or to an outside bed. Several lily growers have been soaking lily seeds before planting, both old and new seeds.

Cooled, boiled water is mixed with a bit of soluble fertilizer such as Hyponex. When growing from seeds for lilies, the seeds are placed in small glass jars, each labeled as to variety of seed, and enough solution poured over the seeds to moisten them well.

After a week or ten days, the seeds that germinate can easily be picked out and planted. Those that have not swelled are discarded. Lily seeds that are naturally slow to germinate are soaked for a longer period, 30 to 60 days.

The jars are kept in a light window, but not in the sun.

March 28 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »