Gardening Tips

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Timely gardening advice from "Uncle" Mike Mahoney.

6/22/09

Veggies

The cold wet weather made vegetable gardening a bit difficult this season and a lot of people have had cucumbers or basil dying off. These plants are very susceptible to rot in cold, damp weather, but with some sun and warm weather they’ll take off – take care not to over water. People have been saying their tomatoes and peppers are not growing, but don’t worry, they are rooting! They’re developing the roots that will sustain them through the hot summer days. As soon as the warm weather hits they’ll explode, along with the basil and cucumbers. What worries me about weather like this is that it’s ideal for disease. Remember what I said for all you organic gardeners like myself…its easier to prevent than it is to cure. Coming out of weather like this, I like to spray an organic fungicide like 'Serenade' to prevent problems like Powdery Mildew, Downey Mildew, Leaf Spot and others.

Anyone still have lettuce going? I had a great lettuce season this year. The weather was perfect. Most of my lettuce grew very well, except some in a container which got aphids, my wife wasn’t too happy when I brought them into the house. This particular container didn’t get sprayed with Bonide Bon Neem and we noticed the difference. Lettuce tends to be an aphid factory, particulary in the spring. A little bit of spray with organic Bon Neem has always worked for me, it kills the aphids and prevents others from coming back.

For new gardeners that think it’s too late to plant tomatoes…it’s not, just plant varieties that harvest within 60-70 days. There’s still plenty of time to plant tomatoes if you pick the earlier varieties. Same for Summer and Winter Squash, Zucchini, Yellow Neck, Beets, Beans, Radishes, Carrots…still plenty of time. I love to harvest a November crop of Carrots, they always seem sweeter late in the season after the cold weather has hit, my kids eat them up like chocolate chip cookies.

Perennials

We have so perennials coming into color for the months of June and July! Remember my buyer beware…for all of you that shopped in May, come back and see the plants coming into bloom now that were nothing more than a speck of green in May! Our Geranium Rozanne is a long flowering perennial geranium that just won’t stop. I always recommend this to customers who are trying to cover a sunny location. How about some Astrantia if your looking for something different? This is a perennial that wont look like much in the pot and may sleep for a year or two but when it blooms, it will give you some of the most amazing colored flowers. Echinaceas!! What a show , Kims Knee High, Sundown, Tiki Torch, Sunrise…just an example of some varieties just starting to bud now. If you don’t have any it’s a must for the perennial garden.

Many perennials are also coming out of bloom now, and can be deadheaded and fed to encourage reblooming. One that comes to mind is Salvia. All perennial varieties of Salvia can be deadheaded and they will bloom most of the summer or even into fall with a little extra feed. I usually hit mine with some Neptunes Harvest liquid fertilizer and the Salvia responds well, pushing out a lot more flowers. A few more plants I do this to are Knautia Macedonica, Dianthus, Delphinium, Coreopsis, Achillea, Scabiosa. More will come later in the season like Leucanthemum and Echinacia.

Lawn and Plant care

WIth this seemingly never ending rain (and the inevitable spike in high temperatures to come), disease or fungul problems are sure to follow. Turf grass tends to be problematic at this time of year. Turf grass disease can resemble a lot of other problems like grubs or poor mowing. My organic lawn of 5 years has never seen a disease problem worth treating, just some snow mold in spring (yet another benefit of the organic lawn). The constant rising and falling nitrogen levels that you get from synthetic lawn fertilizers can be favorable to some diseases.

Watch out for signs of disease, or even try preventative sprays on susceptible plants like Monarda, Phlox, Laurel, Scabiosa, Rudbeckia, Roses. Organic fungicides work better as a preventative spray before you have a problem. I’ve had Phlox Paniculata for years without powdery mildew or leaf spot because I usually spray them with Sarenade fungicide while spraying my veggie garden. Remember diseases should be identified and treated or prevented properly. I hate seeing people use whatever is in the shed for a problem and have no results. Certain fungicides work for certain diseases, but will do nothing for others. Don’t neglect cultural practices, if you had leaf spot on your roses and you didn’t clean up the debris from last fall you will get it again if the conditions are right. Cleaning up the debris will greatly reduce the spores of the disease the following spring.

Now is a good time for preventive grub controls containing Merit or Imidacloprid like Bayer Season Long Grub Control, Bonide Grub Beater or Scott's Grub X. You may have used Grub X in April or May, but its active ingredient is actually most effective when applied in June. This product only works for about 2 to 3 months, so if you put it down in May you wont be killing the small grubs hatching in late July and August. I know the bag says “Apply anytime from April to August” but the truth is that these companies are trying to sell a product from Georgia to Maine in one package and it may not be the correct time for us in Massachusetts.

I know…I'm just some fool typing away in a rainstorm trying to drum up some business right? No, I want you to to have results. Which is why I typically consult www.umassgreeninfo.org for information. It's one of the best learning tools in the business, and it’s unbiased information. If you’re interested in learning more about almost any gardening topic, I would recommend visiting www.umassgreeninfo.org.

Click here for UMass Green Info Fact Sheet sheet on Control of White Grubs.

I cant leave the conversation of grub control without talking about organic grub control. My 5 year organic lawn has never been treated for grubs and the grub population has never been high enough to treat. A small population does not justify the reintroduction of Diazinon or Chloridane (two grub control products banned years ago). In fact a healthy lawn can have a population of up to 15 grubs per sq. ft. without any damage. Those of you looking for organic solutions, the best product we have is Organic Grub Beater from Bonide (in a hose end sprayer, not the granular because it contains Merit). For best results this product should be applied 3 times while the grubs are active. Beneficial Nematodes also work well, but they have to be alive when applied. Never buy them if they’re not refrigerated or too old, and always use them right away.

5/25/09

Veggies

You may have planted Tomatoes already, but if not, this is the time to plant your warm crop veggies. I've already planted my Brandywine, Celebrity and Big Beef Tomatoes because they take a little longer until harvest—but they’re worth the wait. I also planted my Early Girl and Sweet 100 for my early-mid July Tomatoes. Next I'll plant my weird varieties like Striped German, Anna Russian, Japanese Black Trifle… to name a few. Our selection of Tomatoes is at its peak right now, but the number of varieties will start to dwindle over the next few weeks. Most varieties can be planted through early July and still get a decent yield, just look for the “days to harvest date” on the tags and pick plants that require fewer days to harvest.

The lettuce in my containers is almost gone—just in time for annuals to take there place. The fresh Romaine and Caesar salads I make will be missed when my cold crop Lettuce runs out, it’s a good thing the Broccoli is just around the corner!

Nursery

Many areas are starting to see the effects of the Winter Moth Caterpillar. This young caterpillar feeds inside emerging buds of woody ornamental trees so when the the trees leaf out they are already damaged. Many experts forecasted the Winter Moth Caterpillar to be more of a problem this spring than it was last spring, and it looks like they were right on the money. These insects are young and can still be controlled organically with “Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew” from Bonide, however this product will only work on young caterpillars, so apply now or use non-organic pesticides later. But don't wait too long, this caterpillar has an open buffet and your host trees are picking up the tab.

Shrubs that flower on old wood like Rhododendrons and Azaleas are passing bloom (or will be soon) and can be pruned to control size and shape. This gives the plant the longest time to re-bud for next spring. Shrubs blooming on new wood, like Buddlea, can be pruned at any time, just remember it will set back the bloom.

Lawn Care

Grass seed can be planted at any time as long as your around to water or have an irrigation system. A newly seeded lawn can quickly dry out and die in warm weather like last week. Jonathan Green has some of the best grass seed blends in the country—try the Black Beauty for over-seeding or for new lawns. Its contains some of the best looking Tall Fescues available and its roots can reach depths of up to 3 ft. or more for maximum drought resistance.

Greenhouse

Our Greenhouses and Annual Yards are alive with color. Its time to feel good about planting your containers—with the threat of frost behind us, everything can go outside! For just $22.50, our bold 10" Staked or Trellised Mandevilla has never looked so good, and as growers continually introduce new varieties the selection increases. We now have yellow to add to other colors such as pink, red and white. If you’ve never had one, get yourself a trellis, a big pot, lots of water and fertilizer then watch this baby's show of color! I always put a couple on my back deck in big pots with other annuals and let them climb all over the railing and trellis, nothing works better to soften those straight wooden lines.

This week we roll out our Annuals in flats, our cell pack Annuals are at peak now. Mahoney’s-Grown Annual flats are a “deep 606 10x20,” this means our annual flats are 6 six-packs in an extra-deep tray and the tray measures 10" x 20". Growing in these trays produces the largest root development in a cell on the market—and no one else around grows in this flat. Look for the “Garden Lover’s” tags for our Mahoney’s Grown quality.

Perennials

The perennial garden is now exploding with color and growth, its not too late to feed if your plants look like they need a boost. I like to feed with a granular in spring to get them off to a good start. Espoma Plant-tone is good for an early season fertilizing, but in-season a foliar feed like Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer is great. This fertilizer is loaded with micro-nutrients and has little n-p-k so you don’t get a lot of surge growth that you can get with other water soluble fertilizers. Instead you get great greening and vigor in your plants that won’t weaken them. When they begin flowering, the plants won't buckle under their own weight. The Neptune’s Harvest is also organic so it won’t harm the beneficial organisms in your soil that work to provide natures own organic fertilizer.

Some perennials in my garden are at peak bloom or are passing. Some can be pruned or deadheaded for more flowering. Most flowers when left alone will produce seed and if deadheaded the plant will “try again” this means more flowering for you. Bellis, Armeria, Aubrieta and Campanula are some that are passing bloom now, try deadheading to help them reach their true potential and you’ll reap the benefits. There are so many spring and summer blooming plants that can be coaxed into re-blooming by deadheading—it's fun to see what you can get out of your perennial gardens!

“Beware don’t buy with your eye”

Our perennial departments now have their largest selection of the year, but some of my favorites won’t start blooming for another month or two. If you're thinking about shopping for Perennials, now’s the time to shop for the selection, but don't neglect the summer and fall by only taking home perennials that are in flower now. Make sure you look at summer flowering perennials like Echinacea, Knautia, Phlox Paniculata, Rudbeckia and Coreopsis. Also look for some late-summer/fall flowering Sedum, Perennial Hibiscus, Eupatorium and Ornamental Perennial Grasses. Just a little reminder that a little planning goes all summer, or even all fall long.

May 10, 2009

Nursery

Do you have any shrubs that have winter damage? Don’t give up on them too soon. Sometimes winter damage can make shrubs appear almost dead but they may still have lots of life left. I can remember I’ve had a holly and an azalea that turned completely brown from winter kill. After feeding with Espoma^® Holly-tone and some warmer weather from mother nature they completely refoliated and grew back to where they were last fall.

A little bit of winter kill can look a lot worse than it is and a little patience and a good fertilizer can make world of difference, this saved me the time and labor of finding and replanting the shrub.

Lawn and Garden Care

This is probably the last week to apply crabgrass preventers whether organic or traditional. Get them down now, if you are late I recommend Jonathan Green’s Step 1 because it has Dimension as the crabgrass preventer. Dimension is the only preventer that can kill crabgrass in its early stages.

Monitor any crops you may have planted and treat insect and fungus before they get out of hand. Especially fungus, it's much easier to prevent than it is to cure.

Perennials

This is the time the perennial garden is coming alive. Lots of plants are blooming, some just emerging and some won't be up for a couple of weeks. Use your choice of Mahoney's many mulches to suppress weeds around the perennials.

Still a good time to feed the perennial garden with a good slow release fertilizer. Espoma Plant-Tone or Scotts Osmocote will do wonders, your blooms will thank you for it.

Veggies

Still not too late for those cold crops like broccoli, cabbage, collards and lettuce. Though they like the colder weather you should still be able to grow these with no problem. I remember one year my lettuce crop all going to seed in a June heat wave. I think we still have a couple of weeks to plant lettuce. Broccoli, cabbage, collards and cauliflower can really be planted any time. You may run into some insect problems, but these can be controled with organic solutions like Bonide Capt. Jack's Dead Bug Brew or Bonides Bon- Neem.

Potatoes and onions can also be planted now but the garden centers will be running in short supply soon. These root crops run low, and sometimes rot in the heat. You won't find them later in the season, so don’t wait.

Are you ready for tomato season yet? We are! Our selection keeps growing and growing. Whether you want the old standbys, hot new varieties, heirlooms or hybrids, they’re all in now. We all have our favorites that we grow every year, but how about trying something new. I never grew Big Beef until about 5 years ago and now I’ll never go another year without it. I could say the same about lots of varieties. The old Sweet 100 or what I like to call the “babysitter tomato” will keep my 3 kids busy for at least an hour come harvest time and through out the summer. Not only productive but practical. I could write a book about tomatoes so I’ll stop by saying, try something new, it could be the tastiest thing you’ve ever done.

Container gardens

If your containers are not ready, they should be. I’ve had pansies out for about 2 months and other cold tolerant annuals for about 1 month. Though pansy season is coming to an end, thousands of beautiful annuals are just beginning. Come to Mahoney's for the best selection of Proven Winners, Proven Selections and our Mahoney'sGrown (locally grown in Woburn, MA). These plants consist of a wide array of hybrids that are bred for long flowering times and only available in pots because they are grown from cuttings, unlike the annuals grown in flats. If you want to be a believer, plant a Supertunia next to a flat of petunias and you’ll see what I mean. A lot of these plants are considered hybrids because they can’t produce seed, with each sterile flower, it tries and tries again to produce seed. Therefor more flower power for us!

If your new to container gardening, Mahoney's has the container for you, with some of the best selections of pottery from all around the world and local vendors. Walking into our pottery section will unleash your deepest design desires. Its amazing how the right colored pot can really accent the plants growing in it. Pottery is no longer a container to hold our plants, but more of a canvas for our artistic creations. So go paint…