Grow your best tomatoes ever!

By Mark Levisay

During the Corner Store’s May gardening workshop, we dug deep into the subject of growing tomatoes. There’s nothing like a fresh tomato from the garden, but they are not the easiest crop to grow. I’ve been growing tomatoes for a long time in Central Virginia and have learned a few things. Let’s dig in.  

Determinate versus indeterminate tomatoes

Choosing the best variety of tomato for your situation is one of the first things you can do to get off to a good start.  Tomatoes are divided into two general categories: determinate and indeterminate.  These terms refer to the growth habit of the plant over its lifespan, with determinate tomatoes only reaching a certain height before ending their upward growth.  This type might be for you if you’re growing in pots, have a small space for the plants or want most of your tomatoes to ripen at the same time.  Indeterminate plants will continue to grow until killed by disease or frost and probably will give you a larger harvest of fruit over their longer lifespans.

Heirloom versus hybrid

The number one problem most people encounter in growing tomatoes is disease. Heirloom tomatoes, those “old fashioned” varieties famed for their great flavor, with seeds saved and passed down through generations often have very little genetic disease resistance.  Hybrid tomatoes, on the other hand, have been specifically bred to have resistance to various fungal and bacterial diseases commonly seen on tomatoes. 

The list of tomato diseases is long, and I’ll just list a few as an example.  V stands for Verticillium Wilt, F for Fusarium Wilt (of which there may be a type 1 and/or 2), TMV for Tobacco Mosaic Virus, S for Septoria Leaf Spot and N for harmful nematodes.  Many seed catalogs will have a more complete list, and they should have a string of letters included in the description of the hybrid tomato varieties describing their resistance.  If you don’t know what specific disease(s) you’re dealing with then more letters after the variety’s name is what you should look for.  If you really want to find out the disease specifics, you can take a diseased branch from your tomato plant to your extension agent, and they will help you identify the problem-often by sending the sample to your State University.  This will take a little while, so it may not help in dealing with the disease currently but may help inform your choice of variety next year.

Cultural practices to promote growth and reduce disease

Now that you’ve chosen your plants, we can discuss the best way to plant and care for them.  I recommend planting in raised beds which promote drainage and give you room to amend the soil with organic material like compost.  Allowing the soil surface to dry out between waterings is key, as many tomato diseases are fungal and grow well in damp conditions.  The raised bed also makes it easier to plant your seedlings deep-6” or more is common practice.  Unlike most plants, tomatoes will create roots along whatever part of the stem is in contact with the soil-the “hairs” you see on the stem are actually incipient roots that will grow once covered in soil.  Be careful not to bury any branches as they will rot.  Snap off several branches and any “suckers” (we’ll talk more about them later) on the bottom of the plant and make sure the bottom most branch is an inch or two above the soil line.

Spacing is a very important consideration, as airflow around the plants and sunlight shining on the plants will help reduce diseases and their spread.  Avoid planting the individual plants so close that their leaves touch, as this can aid in disease transmission.  Individual plants spaced 2 ½’ to 3’ apart in rows at least 3’ apart is a good start-the more space the better.  I usually measure out the spaces in my bed and “plant” my supports (I use 8’ 2x2” wooden poles) first, then I run my soaker hose around the base of the poles before planting the seedlings.  Mulching the tomato bed after planting is also important, as fungal spores can survive in soil for as long as 5 years and soil splash after a hard rain can infect the newly planted seedlings.  Compost, shredded bark mulch, straw or even newspaper can be used-the important thing is to isolate the leaves of the plant from the soil after planting.

This 20’ long bed holds two rows of tomatoes spaced 3’ apart.  Note the wooden supports and soaker hose.

Staking or caging is critical if you’ve chosen to grow indeterminate tomatoes. Tomatoes really want to grow UP and the supports encourage this.  You also want the plants to stay off the soil as it may contain disease spores or harmful bacteria. I prefer tall wooden poles but many people prefer tall metal cages.  Make sure you can reach into the cage to work with the plant, as over time you’ll need to prune the plant and remove diseased leaves and branches. I cut old sheets or pillowcases into ½” to ¾” strips about 12” long and tie the tomato plant loosely to the support with these. This process encourages upward growth and makes the plants more resistant to summer storm damage. (It also makes the tomatoes easier to harvest later on!)  I tie them up after about 6” of growth, or before storms are predicted. I usually add a wood screw halfway u my support post on the back side. This helps the ties have something to catch on to when the plant gets heavy.

This plant has been tied up twice and had its suckers removed.

“Suckers” and pruning

When I tie them up I also remove the “suckers”. Suckers are the new shoots that grow at each “node” or the point where the branch leaves the stem.  These will eventually produce fruit, but the plant will be too thick for good airflow or sunlight penetration, and the root system can only support so many stems.  I remove almost all of the suckers that appear over the summer, training the plants to have two, or three stems at the most.

This photo shows a node about 12” above the ground with an especially robust sucker. (The main stem is to the left).  This sucker can be allowed to grow and become a second main stem on the plant.

Another form of pruning that MUST be done is the removal and disposal of any diseased portions of the plant.  Consider any brown or spotted leaf as contagious and remove it as soon as you see it.  Visiting your tomato patch daily to inspect the plants is a good habit to get into.  Take some kind of container and remove any diseased plant material you see.  Throw it away or compost it in a place far from your tomato patch and never use that compost in your garden unless your compost pile achieves very high temperatures that can kill the disease pathogens. 

Daily inspection also allows you to watch for any insect pests such as hornworms, which can be hand picked off the plants.  As a side note, watch for hornworms that appear to have grains of rice stuck to their bodies.  These are actually the eggs of a predatory wasp, and these infected hornworms should be left on the plant to allow the wasps to hatch.

Watering techniques to reduce disease transmission

Proper watering is important not only for plant growth but disease reduction.  The main goal here is to supply the plant with the water it needs for growth but avoid wetting the leaves in the process.  I use soaker hoses as they allow me to water all of my tomato plants at the same time with the same volume of water and put that water directly into the ground.

Closer look at the base of the plant and the support pole and soaker hose.  The hose should be close to but not touching the base of the plant.

An alternative would be to use a watering wand to directly apply water to the base of the plant.  Newly transplanted seedlings may need some water every day (if it doesn’t rain) until their roots are established.  After that several good soaking each week should be sufficient.  A general rule of thumb is that plants will need about 1” of water per week for growth.  Keeping a rain gauge near your garden can help you determine how much water mother nature has provided and how much you may need to add.  Proper watering can also help to control blossom end rot, which is actually a calcium deficiency rather than a disease.  If you see this grayish circular area on the bottom of your tomatoes it indicates you are not watering enough, or deeply enough and is usually easy to correct.

Fertilizing guidelines

Fertilizing tomato plants is important, as you are expecting these plants to grow a lot and produce multiple pounds of fruit.  I usually add 1 to 1 ½ cups of general purpose fertilizer (I use Espoma Plant-Tone 5-3-3) when I plant my seedlings.  This gives the plants a good charge of Nitrogen for their initial growth.  When the plants have set a good batch of green fruit, side dress with a cup or so of a fertilizer higher in Phosphorus and Potassium which will help promote fruit production and ripening. (I use Espoma’s Tomato-Tone 3-4-6)  Do this at monthly intervals until the end of the growing season.

Time for harvest

Just a brief note about harvesting tomatoes, as most everyone can recognize a ripe tomato ready to come into the kitchen and be eaten!  If you have trouble with birds or squirrels eating your ripe fruit, try picking the fruit before they fully ripen.  Set them on a kitchen counter on a layer of newspaper or in a shallow cardboard box and they will ripen pretty quickly at room temperature. This also works at the end of the season if disease is destroying your plants or frost is near. (make sure to select only spot free green tomatoes.) Another trick I’ve learned is that freezing is a way to deal with a large harvest of ripe tomatoes if you’re planning on making salsa or spaghetti sauce.  Wash, core and quarter the ripe fruit and freeze in gallon size freezer bags.  When you’re ready  to make sauce, thaw them(I use the microwave on low).  A lot of the water present in the fruit will separate and can be poured off before cooking.  The skins will also separate from the fruit and can be easily removed.

Critical end of season chores

End of season clean-up is a really important part of raising tomatoes.  When disease or frost has ended your growing season remove ALL of the plant material from the garden and dispose of it.  If you’ve had any fungal or bacterial disease present on the plants then you should consider all of that material to be potentially contagious.  Many fungal spores can survive for up to 5 years in the soil, so you want to minimize the amount of material that’s left behind.  If you compost the refuse, please don’t use that compost in your vegetable garden in the future unless you are absolutely certain the compost heap has achieved a temperature high enough to kill the pathogens.  Fall is also a good time to think about crop rotation for next year’s tomatoes.  It is important to not plant tomatoes in the same place every year, due to the possible presence of disease pathogens in the soil.  Planting another crop not related to tomatoes (such as potatoes or peppers) is a great idea.  Plants like garlic, onions, cucumbers, squash or melons are a good idea.  Legumes like beans and peas are especially good as they will add nitrogen to the soil as they grow.  A four or five year rotation schedule is good since some spores may be active for up to 5 years.

Good luck and let me know how things go with your tomatoes! Joe Gardener (Joe Lamp’l) has a website full of information about all aspects of gardening, including tomatoes.  Virginia’s Cooperative Extension www.ext.vt.edu  also has a wealth of information about gardening practices and tomatoes.  If you have questions contact me at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Join us next month for our workshop on June 17, Pollinators, Yes. Deer, No. We’ll talk about how to attract more bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden without having your plants mowed down by deer. No matter what kind of garden you have—shade, sun, or container—we’ll offer practical advice to keep blooms going from early spring to late fall and support the entire lifecycle for a variety of pollinators. We’ll also provide plant recommendations and deterrent techniques that will keep deer from destroying your efforts. 1 hour, with plenty of time for Q&A.

Best Practices for Vegetable and Flower Gardens

by Barb Levisay

Gardening techniques have evolved over the past twenty years to work more closely with nature.  During our April workshop, we talked about some of the best practices that help gardeners get the most from crops and flowers without harming the enviornment. For the vegetable garden, we talked about no-till beds, natural pest control, and crop rotation.  For ornamantal gardeners, we covered incorporating native plants in pollinator-friendly flower beds to support nature in our own back yard.

Vegetable garden best practices

Raised beds have become the preferred vegetable garden design for a number of reasons, including no-till practices, drainage, and disease control.

• No-till practices are based on the concept that tilling disrupts the natural biome that creates rich, fertile soil. Raised beds allow soil to be undisturbed over time allowing worms and other soil dwellers to incorporate organic material and aerate.

• Raised beds provide better drainage to give plants more consistent moisture.

• Soaker hoses can easily be routed through raised beds to deliver water to the base of plants which can reduce spread of disease, especially in tomatoes.

Raised bed with spring lettuce and spinach.

Pests that impact gardens come in many sizes and forms, so natural pest management needs to be multi-tiered. Physical barriers, manual processes, and prevention all play a role in reducing crop damage from deer, insects, and disease.

• Fencing is the first line of defense to protect against the abundant deer and small mammals that live in Central Virginia. 5-6 foot fencing is recommended to keep the deer out and some buried underground if groundhogs are in the area.  

• Daily (or as close as possible) observation is an important factor in natural pest control to head off problems before they get out of control. Handpick hornworms, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, etc. and throw them in soapy water every day to minimize their impact and reproduction.

• Prevention practices include crop rotation to reduce the impact of soil borne diseases and weed control to remove the cover where insect pests hide.

Flower garden best practices

Home gardeners can play an important role in supporting our natural ecosystems. By designing our ornamental gardens to provide food, water, and shelter for native species througout the year, we can help reverse the loss of natural habitat. 

Flower garden combines native plants like yarrow and phlox with cultivars like daylilies and zinnias.

Pollinator-friendly gardens are a great first step in supporting native wildlife. To make an ornamental garden more pollinator friendly, stop using pesticides, incorporate native plants and add a source of water. Plant in layers with taller plants to the back and shorter in the front to provide cover and a variety of food sources. Don’t clear out beds at the end of the season to give bees and other insects cover during the winter. 

Plants that are native to central virginia have become more widely available and there are many resources online now, like https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/ to guide plant selection. There are native plants to fit any garden site, from deep shade to full sun. Evaluate your site first and then select the right plant.

One of the joys of gardening is that you are always learning. Best practices in gardening are changing rapidly in response to a better understanding of how we can have a positive impact on nature.

Next gardening workshop May 20th

There are more gardening workshops planned. Join us on April 15th for Tomato and Pepper Success to find out how to maximize your harvest from tomatoes and peppers. Mark Levisay has been growing bumper crops of tomatoes and peppers in Central Virginia for 30+ years. He’ll talk about all the factors that will impact your plants success like plant selection, pest management, suckering, watering, and more. 1 hour, with plenty of time for Q&A.

If you have a gardening question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com.            

Dividing perennials in spring: tips for success

by Barb Levisay

This past weekend, we held our first gardening workshop of the season, Spring Flower Gardening: Dividing and Moving Perennials. We had a great turnout but it was too cold to work outside so we made a big mess in the greenhouse cutting up fern root balls and pulling apart black-eyed susan roots. Now that it’s finally getting warm, you can get to work outside to divide your perennials and help them thrive.  

Spring is the best time to move ferns and grasses

After three to five years in the ground, most grasses and ferns start to outgrow their original space and will benefit from division. When you see sprouts coming up in the ornamental grasses and fiddleheads poking up from the ferns, it’s time to dig and divide. Both grasses and ferns require some tough love when it’s time to divide them.

The first challenge comes in digging out the plants. Grasses can establish deep, dense root balls that require a sharp spade and lots of muscle. Ferns generally have a shallow root system, but the roots become tightly intertwined, forming a dense mat. Use your sharp spade to trim around the edges and lift up the whole structure if you can, but you may need to slice the mat into manageable pieces to get them out.

Fiddle heads of a maidenhair fern poke up in the spring warmth.

To divide the root balls of both ferns and grasses, I use an old bread knife. The serrated edge cuts cleanly through the dense root ball or mat. While it seems harsh, it’s really better for the health of the plant than hacking at the roots with a shovel or trowel. With the bread knife, cut the grass root ball or fern mat into several pieces. Place each piece in a hole at least twice it’s width and fill back in with soil. You’ll want the crown of the root ball to be about level with the surrounding soil. It’s very important to give them a good soaking so that they get well settled into the soil.  

Tips for dividing flowering perennials

Most of your summer and fall blooming flowers are happy to be divided in the spring. It’s a great time to reposition those plants that weren’t in quite the right spot. When you’re ready to dig in, keep these things in mind for the best results.

1. Inspect the plant to see how far the roots extend before you dig so you can include as many as possible. Better to start digging further out and peel off the dirt from the roots.

2. When you’ve dug up the root ball, examine it to see how best to approach separating the plants. For some plants, you’ll be able to separate them with your hands. Mums, coreopsis and salvias are usually easy to just pull apart—and you can often get a lot of plants from one clump. Others, like echinacea and hostas are more difficult. Use a sharp spade or your trusty bread knife to separate the plant into smaller pieces.

3. As you carefully pull or cut the plant roots apart, focus on separating portions of the plants that have substantial roots. It’s best to get divisions in the ground right away, but if you can’t, keep them moist by wrapping them in wet newspaper or coving them with damp soil. 

4. Dig a hole at least as wide as your root mass and spread out the roots as much as possible. Cover with soil so that the crown of the plant (or where the old stems come out) is level with the soil.

5. Most importantly, water them in well. By drenching the entire area, you help the feeding roots make firm contact with the soil and get right to work sustaining the plant. You also help to eliminate air pockets around the roots which can really set the plant back. Keep the plant well-watered until it is established and sending out new growth.

6. If you have deer around, protect your plants from getting pulled up. Deer will check out newly planted “deer-resistant” perennials by pulling them out by the roots. They may just spit it out, but unfortunately they don’t re-plant it. A temporary fence or cage can give the plants a chance to set roots and help them “hang on” when deer come through.

Phlox and daylilies will come back quickly after being divided to bloom in the summer.

Rule of thumb for perennial growth

So what can you expect from those plants that you divide?  There is a handy rule of thumb that helps. “Sleep, creep and leap.”  Most perennials follow the growth pattern:

• First year the plant will sleep, focusing growth on roots instead of the leaves and flowers.

• Second year the plant creeps, making some progress but not reaching full size.

• Third year the plant will leap into its full potential and deliver on the promises of the label.

Dividing plants is one of the most rewarding tasks in the flower garden. You help the plant, you get more plants for free, and you can share your favorite plants with friends. Wins all around.

Next gardening workshop April 15th

We’ve got lots more gardening workshops planned for this spring and summer. Join us on April 15th at 10 AM for Best Practices for Vegetable and Flower Gardens. Gardening techniques have evolved over the past twenty years to work more closely with nature.  For the vegetable garden, we’ll talk about no-till beds, natural pest control, crop rotation, and more. In the flower garden we’ll talk about the growing interest in native plants, pollinator gardens, ground covers, and overwintering habitats. Our workshops are fun and casual with plenty of time for questions.

If you have a gardening question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

Fall Bulbs For Spring Color

By Barb Levisay

In between the blustery fronts that sweep through Central Virginia in October and November, there are still lots of beautiful, warm days to get out and plant spring bulbs. While the soil is still warm, perennial bulbs have a chance to establish their roots and hunker down for the winter. Come spring, they will provide the early color to light up your garden before the other perennials kick in.

Flowers for you, not the deer

For most of us, deer resistance has to be high on the list of selection criteria for any plant you put in the garden. Daffodils are at the top of the list and hard to beat for dependable, early spring color. Daffodils need to be planted in full sun so their leaves can recharge the bulbs after the blooms are done. When planted in the right spot daffodils will multiply quickly so you can keep spreading their cheer at no cost. I’m digging well-established daffodils this week to spread them out and add them to another bed. Daffodils provide early color in perennial beds.

Daffodils provide early color in perennial beds.

Crocus and wood hyacinth (Spanish bluebell) are other bulbs that the deer have never touched in my garden. There are lots of varieties of both, so you can bring a range of colors to your spring gardens. Like daffodils, these plants will prosper and multiple with the right conditions. Some varieties of hyacinth will even do well in deep shade. As with all perennials, it’s important to match the plant to the conditions. Track the sun in your garden and locate plants where they get the right exposure. Hyacinth bloom with vibrant purple color.

Hyacinth bloom with vibrant purple color.

The joys and risks of tulips

Tulips are such a welcome sight in the spring, but there are multiple pests that will try to thwart your best efforts. I’ve had very mixed results over the years, but I love the rewards when they work. The first line of defense for tulips is to use fencing to protect them from squirrels and other diggers. Lay a section of wire fencing flat on top of the soil after you plant the bulbs. Tack it down with big staples or weight it with bricks around the edge and cover with mulch. The squirrels won’t be able to dig up the bulbs and the plants will grow right up through the fencing in the spring. Deer are also fond of tulips and, if given a chance, will nibble them off as soon as they emerge. Spraying with deer repellant as soon as greenery emerges seems to be the best defense. I’ve also found planting tulips close to the house in between shrubs has protected them. Tulips continue the show as daffodils are ending.

Tulips continue the show as daffodils are ending.

Planting and maintenance

If you have the package from the bulbs follow the directions, but as a rule of thumb bulbs should be planted at the depth three times their size. Plant them in well drained soil, adding bulb fertilizer to help them thrive. Cover them with a light layer of mulch and protect them from predators if needed. Water them in well to reduce air pockets in the soil, you want the bulbs to be fully encased by the dirt.

Big rewards for a little effort now

Nothing helps get you through those last weeks of winter than those pops of spring flowers. It just takes a little effort now and will deliver benefits for years to come. For more ideas on planting bulbs, there is a great article on Joe Gardener’s website.

Let me know if you have any questions at barb.levisay@gmail.com

Sage advice: 4 blue salvias to brighten your garden

by Barb Levisay

Let’s start by clearing up some confusion about salvia versus sage. Most people think of salvia as the bright red annual in the flower garden and sage as the herb used for turkey dressing. But actually, salvia and sage are synonymous, identifying a broad range of plants—from annuals to shrubs—that are all part of the Lamiaceae family.

Annual salvias are usually started from seed or purchased as a small plant from a garden center. They will die back at frost and not return unless they have dropped viable seeds. Perennial salvias will return year after year from their roots and may self-sow through dropped seeds as well. An easy identifier for salvias is their square stems, just like their cousins the mints. 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve added more blue salvias to my gardens. They are deer resistant, the bees and hummingbirds love them, and they provide a beautiful contrast to pink, red, and yellow annuals.  This summer, I have four types of salvias in my gardens that are real stunners.  Two are perennials and two are annuals, so let’s look at the qualities of each.

The annuals: Blue Suede Shoes and Mystic Spires

The two annuals in my garden are Blue Suede Shoes and Mystic Spires. It’s my first year for Blue Suede Shoes and it hasn’t disappointed. The plant is almost 40 inches tall, almost as wide, and covered with dainty blooms. I’ve deadheaded a couple of times, but it’s been carefree otherwise. The foliage is a beautiful tone of green and the plant is upright without staking.

Annual Salvia “Blue Suede Shoes” (all photos include 36" yard stick for size comparison).

The Mystic Spires is a more spectacular performer, but also requires a bit more attention. The bees absolutely love the huge blue flower spires and it is always buzzing with activity. But the plant is robust to a fault. The ever-expanding blooms get so heavy, they tend to break off whole branches. Not that the plant seems to mind, it keeps putting out new blooms and regenerating branches all the way until frost.

Annual Salvia “Mystic Spires,” plants spread out 36 inches and more as the season progresses.

By mid-August Mystic Spires is about two feet tall with flower spikes growing to 36 inches. The plant is upright, but the branches do tend to sprawl out and take over their neighbors. 

Perennials: May Night and Evolution

The perennial salvias may not be quite the show-offs that the annuals are, but they return every year to provide structure and long-lasting blue color to the garden. I’ve had salvia May Night since 2018 and it’s become the backbone of several of my flower beds.

Perennial salvia "May Night" has been a consistent performer in my garden since 2018. Paired here behind pink Angelonia.

May Night comes up reliably from the roots as well as self-seeding some additional plants each year. The volunteers move easily, as do the established plants, so you can move them to fit the best place in your garden each year.  They start blooming in June and continue on until frost.

You can help May Night bush out and produce more blooms with a good pruning in May and continued dead-heading. The plants provide a lovely backdrop to show off annuals like vinca, Angelonia, and zinnias.

Last, but certainly not least is salvia Evolution. I started the pictured plants from seed in spring 2021 and they struggled through the summer but survived the winter. My expectations were not high when I replanted them into a new bed this spring. But wow…have they excelled. Even the most pitiful specimen is now a robust, compact plant covered in blooms and a favorite of the bees.

Salvia "Evolution" is a brilliant, compact stunner for any garden.

Evolution is a 2006 All-American Selection for good reason (which is why I started the seeds). It would be as perfect in containers as it is in the flower bed. The plant is about 18 inches with flower spikes going up another 8-10 inches. Evolution is a well-behaved salvia you can mix in with annuals and other perennials to create a more colorful tapestry.

Deer resistant, long lasting, and statuesque

All of these salvias have proved deer resistance in my beds, which is a huge benefit. They all deliver vivid color and feed the bees all through the summer and fall. Their upright structure makes them the standout in your flower beds providing mid-tier height and color. Blue salvias really do offer a winning combination for every garden.

Let me know if you have any questions at barb.levisay@gmail.com

4 clever strategies to outsmart deer in the garden

by Barb Levisay

When you look out to see the buds on your favorite daylily all cleanly nipped off, it’s understandable to think the time has come to give up on gardening. Deer have become a constant nuisance in our gardens and can wreak havoc on defenseless plants in a very short time.  Don’t give up hope. You are smarter than them and can stay one step ahead most of the time.

Deer weren’t a problem for us when we moved into our house and started our gardens 34 years ago, but they have gotten progressively worse as the area has built up. I try to look at it as a challenge to design beautiful flower beds using plants they simply don’t like, plus a few non-lethal defenses to protect the plants they would love to devour.  

Find the plants your deer don’t like

Every gardener has a different experience. While the deer in my neighborhood may not like coral bells, they may be a tasty treat for another herd. Unfortunately, the only way to know which plants your deer will and will not eat is through trial and error. It’s smart to try out a couple of new plants each year to see how they fare.

Plant choice is my primary strategy to outsmart deer. I have quite a few ornamental beds and most of them have no physical protection. There are plenty of choices out there now to create beds of any color scheme and for every sun situation. Rutgers University has an excellent deer resistant plant list to help guide your garden choices.

This sunny bed designed with deer in mind includes zinnias, celosia, hibiscus, butterfly bush, and hakone grass.

For my gardens, some of the best deer-resistant performers include:

• Shade perennials: astilbe, spigella, brunnera, bleeding heart, iris, pulmonaria, ferns, heuchera, hellebores, columbine, and hakone grass.

• Sun perennials: mums, iris, coreopsis, lavender, lambs ear, echinacea, catmint, agastache, hibiscus, milkweed, salvia, and dianthus.

• Annuals: zinnias, coleus, celosia, lantana, marigolds, cosmos, statice, salvia, and vincas.

Motion detector water sprayers

Even with the long list of deer resistant plants for my gardens, there are still plants I want to include that the deer love – like phlox, daylilies, hydrangeas, and hostas. I keep those plants in two beds that I protect with motion-detector water sprayers.

The sprayers are connected to a hose and shoot out an intermittent spray of water when the sensor is activated. The battery-powered device sprays from side to side and scares off the deer. I’ve come to prefer the devices that can be set for night only, so you don’t inadvertently soak yourself or the UPS driver when you forget to turn off the hose.

The down-side to the sprayers is that they are pretty expensive and you have to put them away during the winter. But, they have worked well for me over the years and some have been working 4 or 5 seasons.  An upside to the sprayers is that they provide some entertainment value with dogs and kids. 

Motion-detector water sprayer protecting daylilies from deer predation.

Sprays

Deer repellant sprays are another important weapon in your arsenal. Even the most deer resistant plants will get nibbled sometimes. Especially during a tough winter, the deer are going to browse on anything green. It’s very helpful to keep a close eye on all your plants and catch damage before it gets too bad.  

I have found it effective to rotate the brand of repellant so the deer don’t become accustomed to the smell. The concentrate versions are more cost effective and allow you to use a hand-held spray bottle or a gallon sprayer depending on the area you need to protect. I always have a spray bottle mixed up, to “freshen-up” any newly nibbled plants I find. 

Fencing

For areas like a vegetable garden, where you must keep deer out 100% of the time, you need a fence. To keep deer out, you’ll need to enclose your garden with 5-foot-tall (at least) welded-wire fencing. It’s a big project to fence in a garden space, but once it’s done you can focus on growing instead of defending.

In the ornamental garden, I use fencing for temporary protection of plants in a couple of ways. I’ve often had deer pull out newly planted perennials and shrubs by the roots. Apparently, the deer think it’s worth testing out new plants to see if they are tasty.

I use either small circles of coated 2-ft garden fencing and secure them with plant stakes or make a pyramid with fence panels. Once the plant has had some time to spread roots that will hold it securely in the ground, I remove the fencing.

Two fence panels can be used to create a pyramid to protect newly planted shrubs and perennials until their roots are secure.

The other way I use fencing in the ornamental bed is during the winter when I have to take down the motion-detector water sprayers. In one bed next to the deck, I’ve concentrated a few special plants. I use a few panels of 5-ft tall fence to enclose and protect a variegated hydrangea the deer love to nibble buds off in early spring and some beautiful hostas.

Gardening may be soothing to the soul, but deer damage can really spoil the mood. Alas, the deer aren’t going anywhere. If we’re going to garden, we need to work around them. You can even give it a positive spin and think of the health benefits of challenging your mind and building your patience as you outsmart the deer. Good luck and send me a note if you have a question, barb.levisay@gmail.com.

Sun exposure in your garden: it just may surprise you

by Barb Levisay

Walking through the garden center, labels let you know right off the bat whether each plant likes sun or shade. Those labels are critical in helping you choose the plants that will thrive in your garden environment. But the flip side—how much sun exposure do your flower and veg beds get—is trickier than you might think.

Until a few years ago, I thought I had a good handle on how much sun each of my flower beds got. After losing a couple of sun-loving shrubs in a bed I thought was full sun, I decided to put it to the test. Over the course of a week, I checked each hour of the day to see if the bed was in sun or shade. The results surprised me and inspired me to be more “data-driven.”      

Is the amount of sun a bed gets really that important?

Yes, it is. When you invest your time and money planting a garden, whether flowers or vegetables, you want to get the best results possible. Each plant has light requirements, and it’s pretty easy to search and find out what those requirements are. 

For vegetable gardens, full sun is a requirement. You’ll have some veg successes with less than 6 hours of full sun, but you’ll have a lot of disappointments as well. It’s a bit easier for the ornamentals. No matter what the exposure of your flower beds, there are great options out there. You can find foliage and flowers that suit the site and will fill your yard with color.

Plant tags or online descriptions will guide you on whether a plant needs sun, shade or something in between. Generally accepted guidelines are:

• Full sun plants require 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Part sun plants require 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Part shade plants prefer 3-6 hours without late day direct sunlight

• Full shade plants want less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

So many shades of sun

Living in a region with hills and lots of trees means there are plenty of sun obstructions that cast shadows on our garden beds. Rarely do we get the luxury of a garden bed in the middle of the lawn with uninterrupted sun exposure. Your ornamental gardens were likely built to enhance the look of the house without regard to how much sun they get.

Of course, accurately gauging the amount of sun each of your beds gets is tricky because it’s constantly changing. Leaves come and go, trees and shrubs get bigger, the sun travels up and down the horizon through the year—the shadows and light on your beds are always on the move. But by understanding your sun exposure better, you can choose plants and place them in locations that most closely match their requirements.

The sun exposure of a single bed can vary greatly based on the shadows cast by trees and buildings.

This past winter, many of us lost trees and limbs that will drastically change sun exposure. At our house, the beautiful white oak that shaded our deck and protected the “shade bed” for 30+ years came down. That bed, which held hostas, hellebores, astilbes and bleeding hearts is now very much full sun. I have to find new spots for all the shade-loving plants and re-fill that bed with sun worshipers.

Sun-tracking tips

Since I learned so much from my first exercise, I’ve become a bit of a sun-tracking nerd. With a clear understanding of the amount of sun an area will receive, I know I’m giving my plants the best possible environment to flourish. My notes help me plan out bed design during the winter months, when it’s hard to remember where shadows fell when the leaves were on the trees and the sun was higher in the sky.

To make tracking easier, I’ve made a set of flags numbered 1 through 6. I set those flags out across the beds I want to track and log my observations. Old school, I use a pencil to fill in the table over the course of a week, checking whether my flags are in sun, shade or dappled whenever I think of it.

A simple table tracking sun exposure helps you choose the plants that will thrive in that location. 

I get started sun-tracking in April or May when most trees are fully leafed out. Tracking again around the solstice and the fall equinox gives me a complete picture of the sun exposure across the growing season.

You certainly don’t need to be as nerdy as me about sun-tracking to get real benefits. Just being more aware and noting how much sun your beds are getting will give you more success in the garden. Your plants don’t ask for much, but they do want the right amount of sun to give you their very best.

If you have a question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

It’s spring, must be time to move perennials again

by Barb Levisay

As perennials begin to sprout in the spring, it’s always tempting to “fine tune” your flower beds by moving things around. In most cases, you won’t do any harm, but there are some guidelines that can help you choose if and when to move your plants – not just when you feel the urge on a warm spring day.

Sleep, creep and leap 

Before you move a plant because it didn’t perform as well as you expected last year, consider how long the plant has been in that spot. A nifty saying to remember is, “first year sleep, second year creep and third year leap.” Most perennials follow the growth pattern:

• First year the plant will sleep, focusing growth on roots instead of the leaves and flowers.

• Second year the plant creeps, making some progress but not reaching full size.

• Third year the plant will leap into its full potential and deliver on the promises of the label or catalog listing.

But, the rule of thumb only applies if you leave the plant undisturbed. Easier said than done sometimes.

Rudbeckia and phlox, after several years undisturbed, have flourished in this sunny bed.

Spring is the right time to move ferns and grasses

Spring is the best time to move and divide ferns and grasses. As soon as you see sprouts from the grass and fiddleheads from the ferns, it’s time to dig, divide and move.

Ferns generally have a shallow root system, with intertwined roots that form a mat. Use a sharp spade to trim around the edges and lift up the whole structure.

Grasses can be a real chore to dig up and divide. Miscanthus can develop a huge, dense root system over time that is a major project to dig. (Another good reason to plant native grasses instead of some of the more invasive varieties.) In my experience, grass root balls require tough love—don’t be afraid to use some real muscle.

To divide both grasses and ferns, I use an old bread knife. The serrated edge helps to cut through the tangle of roots cleanly. It may seem harsh, but it works better than hacking at the roots with a shovel or trowel. Cut the grass root ball or fern mat into manageable pieces and place them in a hole about the same depth but twice the width of each piece. Fill back in with soil and water them in well. Keep them moist until they are sending up new shoots.  

Sea oats, like other grasses, are best divided when they begin to show green sprouts in the spring.

Is fall a better time to move flowering plants?

Fall is often considered the better time to move most flowering perennials. The plants have the winter to adjust to their new location, slowly pushing roots into the new soil. It’s also helpful to move plants at full size, so you don’t underestimate and cram too many into a space (a constant challenge for me). But realistically, most gardeners buy new plants in the spring and need to make room by moving current plantings. It’s fun and exciting to reimagine your beds and get digging. I’ve moved a lot of plants in both spring and fall with great success. Just remember to keep them well watered as they adjust to their new home.

Tips to help transplants thrive

For those plants that you do move in the spring, there are a number of steps you can take to make their transition as easy as possible.  Above all, water them in well. By drenching after you plant, you help the feeding roots make firm contact with the soil and get right to work feeding the plant. You also help to eliminate air pockets around the roots which can really set the plant back.

Other ways you can help your plants adjust to their new home include:

• Trim the plant back by a third to reduce the amount of work for the roots.

• Trim off any buds or flowers, so the plant can focus on roots and leaves.

• Keep the plant well-watered until it is established and sending out new growth.

• If you have deer around, cage new transplants if possible. I’ve had deer pull newly planted “deer-resistant” perennials out by the roots. They may just take a nibble and spit it out, but they don’t re-plant it. If you can’t cage them, check them often and if they get pulled out stick them back in the soil and water them in.

These tips also apply to the new plants you have bought to add into your beds this spring. There’s always room for one more plant…right?

Hope you enjoy getting back into the dirt. I’m sure looking forward to it. If you have a question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

March vegetable garden and lawn activities

by Mark Levisay

March is time to start seeds indoors. Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) should be started right away if you haven’t already. They need to be up and hardened off by the second week of April. Pepper plants should be started soon, especially if you have seeds from a year ago or longer. I’ve found that the older seeds germinate well, but may take 1-2 weeks longer than fresh seed. These seedlings should be hardened off by mid-May, and many peppers will take eight weeks or more from seeding to planting. It’s still a little early for tomatoes, unless you have older seed. I’ve found that tomatoes germinate faster than peppers and can be ready to harden off in six weeks. I’ll plant the seeds at the beginning of April with the goal of planting seedlings in the garden around mid-May, which should be after our last frost (here in central VA).

Seed starting pots

If you are re-using starter pots from year to year it’s important to clean them thoroughly to prevent disease. Use a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water to disinfect any pots that have been used before. The 6-pack in the first photo is the smallest that I use—you can fit 72 plants in a standard flat! The downside is that you may have to separate and re-pot seedlings sooner than when using larger 6-packs or 4 packs.

Small 6 pack with peppers, some of which have already grown too large.

When you do have to repot, just pop the large seedlings out and re-pot in larger pots. This method also gives you a chance to change the potting medium, as your initial seed starting mix should not contain any fertilizer. After re-potting you can use a standard type potting mix—many of which do contain slow release fertilizer.

Peppers plants transplanted into larger pots.

Keep all of your seedlings under the brightest light possible. Artificial lighting is a must unless you have a very sunny south facing window. You can get some pointers on building an LED light table from last year’s blog.

Chores in the vegetable garden

Outdoors there is a lot going on despite the cold temperatures we get overnight. If you have plants growing in a cold frame it’s important to open the cold frame during the daytime to avoid overheating. The higher springtime sun angle can quickly raise the temperature inside if the cover stays closed. Watch the weather, because if below freezing temperatures are predicted at night you need to close the cover overnight.

In the vegetable garden itself I’ve just finished a big weeding project. It’s important to do this early in the spring-before any of the over wintering weeds bloom and create seeds. It’s also a good time to work on infrastructure projects. Building raised beds, putting up poles for tomatoes, peppers and beans, or fences to support plants like peas and cucumbers can go up any time. Most of these are best done before actually planting the seeds or seedlings. My son just dug a trench in his garden in anticipation of the arrival of asparagus crowns, which should arrive shortly. Any problems you had with drainage in your garden last year can be corrected now, before planting starts.

Speaking of planting, it’s time for peas and spinach to be planted from seed. Peas will need full sun, but spinach can tolerate a little shade and probably prefers that when the weather gets hot. Vegetables like lettuce and beets should probably wait until the beginning of April, unless you have a cold frame or are going to use a row cover. Brassicas can go out at the end of March if you are using a row cover, which I highly recommend for insect protection. If you don’t plan to cover them, I’d probably wait until early April to put those seedlings out.

Spring lawn care

The lawn should still be dormant for a lot of March, but there are several things you can be doing at this time of year. I add lime to my yard every spring, which can go down any time. I typically apply between 5 and 8 pounds of lime per thousand square feet of lawn area. Here in central VA, we tend to have acidic soils and grass prefers a neutral pH. Spreading lime will help neutralize acidic soil and make a big difference in the health of your lawn.

Areas with heavy thatch can often be cleaned out with a leaf rake. If you have an extensive area you may want to want to hire a lawn service to bring in a machine to do it for you. I generally wait until fall to apply fertilizer, though if you have an area that has grown poorly in the past or has been damaged you can apply fertilizer in the spring. I’d wait until late March or early April for that.

If you had a lot of crabgrass last year you can apply a preventive product this spring. These products are pre-emergent herbicides which prevent crabgrass seed from germinating. Apply when you see the forsythia bushes blooming, which is probably in early to mid-April. Make sure not to get the crabgrass preventer in any garden spots where you plan to plant seeds! You probably won’t need to mow for a while but remember to always mow on the highest setting your mower allows, and don’t let grass clipping sit in big piles on the existing grass.

I’m looking forward to spring and the 2022 gardening season! Good luck with yours, and if you have any questions please e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com

4 critical factors for flower garden success

by Barb Levisay

As you are planning to expand your existing flower garden or add a brand new bed, there are a few important considerations that will save you time and heartache. Every garden develops over time through trial and error, but there are four basics that will always impact the success of your garden— perspective, light, soil and deer predation. In this article, we’ll take a high level look at each factor and then dig deeper in subsequent posts.  

Perspective

Too often a flower garden is planted for curb appeal instead of the homeowner’s enjoyment. While planting a row of annuals to make the front of the house look cheerful is lovely, the most important viewer of the flower garden is you. If you are going to invest the time and energy to create a beautiful garden, you should be the one who gets to enjoy it most.

This bench in the corner provides a great view of the rest of the garden.

Locate your garden where you will see it throughout the day or during your down time. You’ll get the maximum health benefits, both mentally and physically, when your garden is an integral part of daily life. With your garden in close view, you can:

• Watch the pollinators you are helping to support.

• Catch weeds early to pull them when it’s still an easy task.

• Notice how your plantings work over the season and think about tweaks to make your garden even better next year.

Light

The amount of light your flower bed receives will determine the types of plants that will do well. Unlike a vegetable garden, which must be in full sun to be successful, there are many ornamental plants that will thrive in all light conditions. Plant descriptions, whether on the tag or online, will tell you whether the plant does better in sun, shade or something in between. Generally accepted guidelines are:

• Full sun plants require 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Part sun plants require 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Part shade plants prefer 3-6 hours without late day direct sunlight

• Full shade plants want less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

A full shade garden can be just as beautiful as one with full sun.

Determining how much sun your bed gets isn’t quite as simple as it seems. The angle of the sun changes over the year, so trees that block the sun in April might not in July. I’ve been surprised by the actual amount of sun some of my flower beds get when I take the time to track it. If you have a larger bed, you may have a combination of sun and shade—the best of all worlds.

Soil

In Central Virginia, most of us deal with both heavy clay and high acidity in the soil. Unfortunately, most annuals and perennials don’t like either one of those traits, so you need to spend some time improving your soil. To lighten up the clay, you’ll need to add organic materials and/or lighter soil. You can jumpstart the process by purchasing some compost and garden soil from one of the great vendors, like Rose Hauling, Mulch Monkeys or Panorama we have in Central Virginia.

If you want to do it on your own, it takes some time but can be done. I’ve grown plenty of beautiful flowers in beds that have just been dug. Folding compost, decomposed leaves and other organics into the bed will help you build rich, worm-laden soil over time.

To check on the acidity and other qualities of your soil, the VA Extension Offices offer soil testing. In Greene county the Extension office is at 10013 Spotswood Trail, Stanardsville, VA 22973, (434) 985-5236. In Albemarle, you’ll find them at 460 Stagecoach Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22902, (434) 872-4580.

Deer predation

You can skip this one if you have a 6-foot fence around your yard (lucky you). For the rest of us, deer predation is a constant and frustrating challenge. There is no perfect answer, but I’ve been pretty successful with a multi-pronged strategy.

Most importantly, I choose deer resistant plants for the bulk of my flower beds. Rutgers University has an excellent deer resistant plant list to help guide your garden choices. There are so many wonderful choices available today, that making deer resistance a priority really doesn’t limit your plant palette. 

Bluestar amsonia and poppies are both plants that deer don’t eat in my garden.

There are some flowers I want to have in my gardens that the deer love – like phlox, daylilies and hostas. To include them, I have designed a couple of beds that are close to the house and use motion-detector water sprayers for active protection. The sprayers have worked well over many years, but a downside is they have to be put away during winter.

For my unprotected beds, I make sure to walk through them every couple of days to check for deer damage. I spray deer repellant throughout the year on the plants that they are nibbling. In the winter, a hand-held spray bottle is usually sufficient, but in the spring and summer, I use a gallon sprayer. I also rotate the brand of deer repellant I use hoping they won’t develop a taste for one. 

Creating a lush, beautiful flower garden is rewarding on so many levels, and can be much easier by making smart decisions early. Take the time to step back and think through how to handle perspective, light, soil and deer to make your garden the best it can be from the start. Most of all, have fun! If you have a question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

Covered beds and cold frames: a winter progression

by Mark levisay

Last fall I planted two separate areas of lettuce and spinach in my garden to provide us with salad greens throughout the fall and winter seasons.  In my main vegetable garden, I planted a row consisting of green leaf lettuce (Starfighter), red leaf lettuce (New Red Fire) and butterhead (Adrianna) on September 15th 2021.  I had to replant some of the lettuce due to spotty germination in the heat on 9/27/2021. And then on 10/6/2021, I planted spinach (Kolibri) at the far end of the row. The bed was open, until hard frost threatened and I covered it with a medium weight fabric.

Covered bed in main vegetable garden.  Note that sugar snap peas on the fence are thoroughly frosted.

I planted the same varieties of lettuce and spinach listed above in our cold frames on October 8th.  Located along the south facing side of our garage, we have two eight-foot long cold frames which were assembled from kits purchased from Gardeners Supply Co.  The cold frames are nice, as they can be left open until frost is expected, then the tops can be closed during the below freezing temperatures and opened again when temperatures rise.

Cold frames on the south side of the garage.  Photo taken Christmas day, 2021!

Fresh greens through the holidays

Lettuce is fairly cold tolerant, and spinach especially so.  With the aid of the fabric cover, and cold frame structure we had a successful crop of both through December and into early January.  This can be partly attributed to the weather, which though cold in November was pretty mild in December.  Over the years we’ve noted that New Red Fire lettuce, which is one of our favorites in the Spring garden, is exceptionally cold hardy and does very well in both the covered bed and cold frame.

Covered bed opened for harvesting on Christmas Day, 2021.

Really cold weather arrives

Now comes trouble, weather wise.  The big snow storm hit on January 3rd, and much colder temperatures followed throughout much of January.  The covered bed and cold frame provide good protection from the heavy snow, which can physically flatten the lettuce and spinach plants.  It’s the cold, which has dropped toward 10F on some nights that has finally caused some trouble with the lettuce.

Frost “burned” lettuce in the cold frame 2/6/2021, but it will recover.

The lettuce hasn’t been killed, but the outer, larger leaves have been badly damaged by the extreme cold and can’t be harvested.  These plants will recover when warmer weather arrives and new growth will come out of the central crown to replace the frosted leaves, which I will remove.  This lettuce will be harvestable long before the spring planted lettuce is ready.  I’ll water them with a liquid soluble fertilizer at the end of February to help accelerate new growth.

Spinach, on the other hand, is very hardy and does fine even in our coldest weather, as long as it’s not physically covered by snow and ice. These plants will really take off when the weather starts to warm and days grow longer-much earlier than spring planted lettuce.  Because it’s already producing early in the spring (or late winter), you’ll have an extra-long harvest season before hot weather sets in.  It always seems like my spring planted spinach is ready to bolt as soon as it matures when it gets hot in May or June!

Spinach doing fine in the cold frame.

Overall, both the beds have been a success, providing us with salad greens during the cold weather.  If we’d had more “average” temperatures through January (and February so far) I think the lettuce would have done better.  Maybe next winter I’ll try covering the cold frame with an old blanket or quilt and see if that helps fend off the coldest temperatures.  Give this method a try next fall, and see if it helps you extend your harvest season!

Good luck and e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com with any questions or comments.

Fall is the perfect time to divide perennials

by Barb Levisay

As the temperatures cool in September and October, it’s a great time to divide your perennials. Once they have finished flowering, the plants can be dug up, divided and planted over a larger area or moved to a new bed. The plants will benefit from the division and you will get more plants for free. In my garden, I’ll be dividing and moving hostas, echinacea (cone flowers), rudbeckia, salvia, coreopsis and mums as the flowers finish.

Choose which plants and where they will go

Most perennials will benefit from division every couple of years. Over time, you’ll notice more and more stems emerging from the base of the plant—which is a good sign that the plant is happy but means more roots are competing for water and nutrients. By dividing the plant, you help each rooted section to thrive on its own.

Before you start dividing, figure out where you will plant the divisions. Whether that’s spreading them out in the same bed or moving them to a new one, make sure the soil is prepped so you can pop them in the ground as soon as you dig them up.

This purple coneflower is getting dense and could benefit from division.

Dig and evaluate

Before you start to dig, cut off all the flower stalks, but keep the leaves intact for now. Dig the plant up including as many of the roots as possible. A good place to start with your spade is around the outermost leaves.

Dig up as many roots as possible when dividing plants.

Examine the plant to see how many divisions you think you can get. For some plants, you’ll be able to separate them with your hands. Mums, coreopsis and salvias are usually pretty easy to just pull apart—and you can often get a lot of plants from one clump.  

Some plants, like echinacea and hostas are not so easy. For many first-time plant dividers, separating plants can seem very harsh. Use a sharp spade or even a bread knife to separate the plant into smaller pieces.

Sometimes it takes a little force to pry plants apart.  

Once you have manageable pieces of the plant, examine them to identify those with undamaged stems and good roots. Pull them apart carefully looking for sturdy plants with substantial roots.

Trim off at one-third to one-half of the leaves from each division before you plant. Transplanting is stressful and it will be easier for the roots to support the plant with fewer leaves.  

At least five individual plants divided from the original echinacea are ready to be planted.

Plant out divisions

It’s best to get them in the ground right away, but if you can’t plant your divisions immediately, keep them moist by wrapping them in wet newspaper. 

Each newly divided plant should be placed in their predetermined spot and covered with soil immediately. Spread out roots as much as possible and cover with soil to about the same depth as the original plant.

The importance of watering

The initial soak of your newly divided plant is critical. The roots that have been exposed need to be in full contact with soil again—you don’t want any air pockets around the roots. Water all around the plant to make sure the soil is saturated to fully encase the roots.

To help the plants overcome the stress of transplanting, keep them watered to provide consistently moist conditions. Regular watering will help the roots get back to work gathering essential nutrients from the soil. The plants may look wilted for a few days but should perk up with continued watering. 

Wait to divide grasses until spring

While most of our common perennials can be divided in fall, grasses will do better if you wait until spring. Wait until you see green sprouts emerging to dig and divide grasses. I’ve found the old bread knife to be the perfect tool for cutting a tough grass root ball into three or four pieces. Works like a charm.  

Dividing plants is one of the most rewarding tasks in the flower garden. You help the plant, you get more plants for free and you can share your favorite plants with friends. What could be better? If you have a question, send a note to me at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

Is it time to pull out my tomato plants?

by Mark Levisay

If you are not already asking yourself whether to pull out the tomato plants, then you will be later this month.  Rolling into September, the days grow shorter, temperatures decrease (hopefully!) and the fungal tomato diseases really take off.  Our recent heavy rains increase the trouble by causing many tomato skins to crack, increasing damage from both insects and disease.  Let’s take a look at the plants and see which we can save and which we need to clear out.

Take a proactive approach to your tomato plants

Start by evaluating each plant to decide what action to take. Remember that every vegetable gardener in the region is dealing with the same thing. Staying ahead of fungal diseases is part of growing tomatoes in Central Virginia. (Blossom end rot is the only treatable condition on your tomato plants as it’s caused by insufficient watering as opposed to a disease.)

This sickly plant should probably be pulled.

If you’ve been watering during the dry spells, fertilizing monthly and trying to keep ahead of fungal diseases but you still have a plant that looks like the one above then it’s probably time to just pull it.  This plant has few tomatoes and diseased leaves almost to the top.  There’s not much you can do to help this plant become more productive, so remove it and all of the dead, diseased leaves from your garden.  Put it in the trash or burn it—don’t throw it on the compost heap, especially if you intend to use that compost in your vegetable garden in the future.  Think of the diseased leaves as contagious (they are) and treat them accordingly.

Healthy, productive tomato plant with diseased leaves removed.

With any luck your hard work will leave you with some tomato plants that look more like the one in the photo above.  This plant still has lots of new, green growth at the top which, at least so far, has escaped infection from the myriad tomato diseases endemic in our gardens. There are lots of green and almost ripe tomatoes, so this plant has a lot of future potential.  Continue to water when dry and remove any diseased leaves as they appear. 

Make the most of ripening tomatoes

Healthy tomatoes still on the vine.

As fall approaches with cooler weather the tomatoes that are still on the plants will have a harder time ripening outdoors on the plants.  Healthy tomatoes that are disease and crack-free like the ones in the photo above can be brought indoors for final ripening.  If they’re almost ripe, just put them out on the counter and wait a few days.  The tomatoes don’t need sun to ripen fully—warm temperatures (above 70F) are more important.  It’s important that they’re dry, so don’t wash them until they’re ripe and ready to eat. 

When our first frost (mid-October in central VA) threatens, you may want to pick a number of green tomatoes and ripen them indoors. Leave the stems on, which will aid the ripening.  Large paper bags or a cardboard box can work for this, and you can add an apple or banana into the mix to increase the amount of ethylene gas present to promote the ripening process.  Pick only the fully mature green tomatoes (uniform light green color) as the immature fruits (darker green upper shoulder) will never become fully ripe.

Diseased tomatoes need to be discarded.

If you find any tomatoes on your vines like the ones above, pick and discard them.  Fruits that look like this will go bad before they’re ripe enough to eat.  If you’re making something cooked like spaghetti sauce or salsa, you can peel ripe fruits with diseased skins and use them in your recipes.  Their unsightly skin probably precludes their use in salads!

If the weather person predicts a frost, go ahead and pick your best remaining tomatoes.  Keep them warm and out of direct sun and you should get a final batch of usable, though probably less tasty fruit.  Check all picked tomatoes frequently, as any that start to go bad need to be removed from the others. 

Even a minor frost will probably kill the tomato plants so go ahead and pull them as soon as it happens.  It’s important to pick up any dead and diseased leaves as you are clearing out to minimize future problems in the garden.

Good luck with your late season tomatoes!  Any questions please e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Rejuvenate your summer flowers with tough love

by Barb Levisay

The last month has been hard on the flower beds. Intense heat and drought has probably turned your phlox into dry stems and zinnias into brown blobs. Don’t worry, no one’s garden look great right now.

The rain of the last week has come just at the right time. You can still get plenty of beautiful blooms and lush flower beds with a bit of tough love.

Deadhead spent flowers

Deadheading refers to cutting off the blooms of spent flowers as the season progresses. The idea is to help your flowers spend all their energy creating new blooms. Most of your flowers, after pollination, will begin the work of creating seeds, but deadheading keeps them focused on creating new buds. Even sterile flowering plants, like profusion zinnias, benefit from a bloom cut so they focus on new growth.

To deadhead, look for the next leaf node below the spent flower head and cut right above. You’ll often even see a tiny bud coming out from that node, just waiting to start a new flower. If the flower stalk is long and getting droopy, cut it further down, but still right above a leaf node. Use sharp bypass garden clippers to get the cleanest cut possible.

Flowers I have been deadheading this week include echinacea, buddleia, salvia, yarrow, black-eyed- susans, Angelonia, sage, zinnias, verbena, coreopsis, and lilies. I also trimmed the thyme and oregano which was flowering in the herb bed. The august rains will give the plants new life and we’ll have another round of spring-like flowers in September.

Echinacea (purple cone flowers) and buddleia in the summer garden.

Trim out the dead stuff to rejuvenate

Some plants need even more aggressive trimming than just the flower heads. Even though you are likely to leave an empty hole in the garden where you cut back, with some nice rain the greenery will come back quickly. Some of the plants I’m trimming now include:

• Phlox that is dried out and drooping. This year the phlox looked really sad, so I cut it down to about 6 inches. It’s not pretty now, but with the rain, it will put on green leaves and maybe even a few flowers.

• Maidenhair, Japanese painted and wood ferns that are brown and black. I cut them all the way to the ground, but the rain brings them back quickly, looking fresh and green.

• Columbine leaves that are brown and leaf-miner scarred. The lovely green foliage that comes back will look great until frost.

• Daylily stalks and dead leaves. The dead leaves come up pretty easily if you just grab and pull (wear gloves). Green shoots will emerge from the plant and provide a new healthy flush of green leaves in September.

• Hosta flower stalks and brown leaves. It’s amazing how a little trimming can bring the hosta bed back to looking great.

Summer flowers that hit their prime in July can be rejuvenated with a little tough love in August.

Save some seeds for the birds

As the season progresses, there are flower heads you will want to leave for the birds. The coneflower, tithonia, and rudbeckia flowers you let go to seed will provide food for goldfinches, titmice, and other birds well into the winter. It’s a wonderful sight to see the coneflower heads bobbing in the wind with a goldfinch firmly attached.

Your garden may not look it’s best right now. Mine sure doesn’t. But with a little help, your plants will looked rejuvenated and beautiful going into the fall. If you have a question, send me a note at barb.levisay@gmail.com .

August vegetable garden: Extend your summer crops

by Mark Levisay

August peak harvest time and there are plenty of other things to keep you busy in the vegetable garden too.  You should be picking buckets of ripe tomatoes now, but there are a few things you can do to prolong your harvest.  Continue to sucker and tie up your tomato plants until they’ve reached the top of their supports. 

This is an excellent time to watch for and remove hornworms if you find them.  If you see a hornworm with what looks like grains of rice attached to it, leave it where it where it is.  These are the eggs of a parasitic wasp, which will hatch and kill their host..and then go look for more hornworms!

Remove any yellowed or brown foliage as often as daily, if you can.  Consider this material to be contagious and dispose of it in the trash.  There is nothing you can do to “fix” really sick plants and they should be removed if they get too bad.  Fertilize monthly, especially if the plants are not growing strongly.  Water deeply several times each week if it’s dry.  If you see blossom end rot then you’re not watering enough.

Brown, wilted leaves should be removed from your plants and destroyed.

My peppers are producing now, and usually don’t need much help other than watering.  As they get bigger they tend to flop over after thunderstorms, and may need support. 

Squash plants are probably suffering from both squash bugs and vine borers.  Adult squash bugs can be “squashed” by hand-I often water the plant which encourages the adults to come out where you can get them.  The juveniles, which are typically light grey, are easier to squash when you see them.  The eggs, which are tiny golden brown balls attached to the leaves, can be removed by hand or with a piece of duct tape. 

Squash borers, which kill the plants very quickly, are really hard to deal with.  Try preventing them by mounding up mulch or soil over the base of the vines, or even wrapping the vine with aluminum foil to prevent the moth from laying eggs.  If the vine does die, slit it open with a knife and kill the white “grubs” which are tunneling inside the vine.  Throw all of these infested plants away if possible, as composting is unlikely to kill the pests.  Proper garden cleanup is essential, as adult squash bugs can over winter in plant debris. 

Last, but not least, keep all of your plants well watered, including asparagus, to increase their vigor and resistance to pests.

Good luck with your August harvest!  Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com.

It’s August: Time to plan for fall vegetables

by Mark Levisay

August is a time to make decisions about what to do with any available space in your vegetable garden.  Do I plant one more batch of bush beans or yellow squash?  Or, should I save space for fall vegetables that will need to be planted in a few weeks?  If you have lots of empty space then you’re lucky-you can do both!  Let’s review some of the most popular fall vegetables and learn about their requirements and time of planting.

The basics

Sun is always of the utmost importance for vegetables and the sun angle, though quite high now, is declining every day.  Most fall vegetables will be maturing after the solstice (approx.. 9/21) and day length will be declining.  Combine that with leaves on the trees until late in October and you may have more shade than you did in the spring.  Plant your fall crops in areas with maximum sun. 

If you’ve already grown one or more spring/summer crops don’t forget to add fertilizer to those beds.  Good cleanup of the previous plants is also important, as pests like squash bugs and bean beetles will overwinter or lay eggs in crop residue. 

Prepare to water a LOT, as we will still have lots of hot, and probably dry weather on into September.  Soaker hoses are ideal, especially if you’re going to be using a row cover on any of your crops.

Brassicas

Speaking of row covers, they’re almost essential at this time of year for brassicas. This family of plants includes broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale.  Fall is a great time to grow these, especially if you want to try brussels sprouts.  They’re considered to be tastiest after having been touched by frost.  Cabbage moths are every where, looking for places to lay their eggs. Young plants can be eaten up by cabbage worms before your eyes in warm weather.  My advice is to prepare a bed with a soaker hose so you won’t have to raise your cover too often.

Set up soaker hoses under the row covers to simplify watering.

Shop for healthy seedlings, which should be available between the middle and end of August.  Check them closely for worms, as they can already be infested when you buy them.  Plant them along the soaker hose at 2’ intervals in rows 3’ apart and cover the bed right away. I use a summerweight fabric for this, as you want to maximize the available sunlight for the plants.  Water often in hot, dry weather and you should be good to go.

Protect brassicas from cabbage worms by using row covers.

Beets, potatoes and peas

Beets, potatoes and peas are good candidates for fall planting and will suffer fewer pests late in the summer.  I’ve had trouble with cutworms eating my seedling peas, so you may want to sprinkle diatomaceous earth over the soil before the seeds germinate.  Potatoes, being related to tomatoes, can get hornworm damage, so watch for these pests and pick off by hand.  Beets in my garden have been relatively pest and disease free and are a good fall choice.  Plant all of these mid to late August assuming you have space.

Lettuce and spinach

Lettuce and spinach are obvious candidates for fall and winter growth.  Last winter I tried covering a row of spinach and lettuce along the south side of my garage.  I used a mid-weight fabric as a compromise between light availability and temperature control.  We had spinach and lettuce all winter long, and both continued to produce even when the spring planting were mature!  Spinach is an especially good winter crop, as the spring planting often bolts quickly in hot weather.  These crops are not bothered by too many pests, and don’t have to be covered if you don’t want to bother. You can also plant these relatively short crops in a cold frame if you have one-we’re going to try that this year. They’ll need lots of water to get them started, but probably don’t need to be planted until mid-September. 

Winter lettuce under the row cover.

Good luck with your fall garden!  Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com.

The vegetable garden in July

by Mark Levisay

Activity heats up even further in the July vegetable garden, as you may be planting seeds, doing plant maintenance and harvesting some of your crops.  I’ll share some of the things I’m doing in my garden this month and hopefully help you with some of your garden chores.  If I’ve missed a crop that you are growing, e-mail me and we can discuss their specific needs.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably the #1 home garden crop and of course come in many varieties.  Most should start to provide some ripe fruit by the end of July, but there are some things you can do to increase your harvest.  I just came in from tying up my tomato plants and if you’re growing indeterminate types (which continue to grow until frost) I strongly recommend tying yours up on strong poles.  I also will continue to “sucker” my plants to train them to have 2 or 3 main leaders.  The suckers are the shoots that grow at each node-the point where a leaf joins the main stem.

This is a good time to look for leaf damage, as I found 3 tomato hornworms while tying up the plants today.  Use a pocket knife or scissors to push them off the plant stem and onto the ground where you can easily dispatch them.  It’s also a good time to look for diseased leaves, any with yellowing and/or brown or black spots.  Remove those branches and dispose in the trash-DON’T compost! 

Fertilize the tomatoes after they’ve started to set green fruit and continue to fertilize at monthly intervals.  I’m using Espoma’s Tomato-Tone for this.  Water deeply but not daily, avoiding getting water on the plant’s leaves.  Soaker hoses are perfect for this.  Proper watering can prevent blossom-end rot, which is actually a calcium deficiency caused by insufficient watering.

Row of staked and tied Supersweet 100, Juliet and Verona tomato plants.

Peppers

Peppers are a little different from tomatoes when it comes to their care despite being related.  I use 3 ring cages to support them, and later on, if they fall over I can stake the entire cage to keep the plants upright.  Peppers don’t require as much water as tomatoes—several deep waterings each week should be enough even without rain.  Hot peppers may even benefit (if you like heat!) with less water.  Soaker hoses are ideal for peppers too. 

If the plants are growing well you don’t need to fertilize.  If they seem “puny” add a small amount of all purpose fertilizer around the plants and water in.  Too much fertilizer can encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of fruit production.  Your first ripe fruit should be ready by mid to late July.  Remember, most peppers will turn some color, red, yellow or orange when ripe.  Green peppers may be used in a lot of recipes but are not actually ripe yet.

Beds of pepper plants all on the same soaker hose circuit.

Potatoes

Potatoes should be diggable now.  I’ve had to water mine a few times this year due to the dry weather but they still have green stems and leaves.  You can harvest potatoes any time after they begin to bloom and you should certainly dig them all after the vines die back.  What I do is dig just enough for a meal or two and let the rest of the patch grow.  When I dig the bulk of the crop I let them dry between layers of newspaper and try to keep them out of the light.  Light exposure causes the green skin condition you’ve probably seen.  The green is not good to eat and should be peeled off when cooking.  Watch for tomato hornworms (tomatoes are related to potatoes) and also Colorado potato beetles, which can be squashed on sight, or the larvae squashed when you see their leaf predation.

Cucurbits

Squash, melons, cucumbers and pumpkins are all subject to a number of pests.  Squash bugs, which look like elongated stink bugs, are pretty easy to catch and squish.  I get them to come out of hiding by watering the entire plant with a watering wand.  This usually gets them out of hiding as they try to escape the water.  Catch them and squash those squash bugs!  Vine borers are a big problem, and caused by a moth active at night laying eggs on the exposed lower stem of the cucurbit family plants.  Try covering the lower stems with soil, mulch or even aluminum foil.  Another trick (which I haven’t yet tried) would be to put some row cover material over the plants at night to deter the moths.  You must remove it in the day time, as the cucurbit family flowers have to be insect pollinated to produce fruit. 

Squash and cucumbers don’t have a long growing season, so it’s a good idea to do several succession plantings of these.  I’m going to plant several types of squash, and cucumbers into the newly cleared bed that was home to my brassicas.  Cucumbers like to climb and will thrive on fences, which helps with space in the garden.  Deer will eat the leaves, so consider putting up a small section of low fencing within the borders of your garden just for the cucumbers.

Brassicas to beans

Speaking of brassicas, they should be done now, especially with the recent hot weather.  The crops, especially cabbage, will last a while in the fridge so It’s probably best to harvest them if there’s any question of their maturity.  If you haven’t used a row cover, your plants are probably infested with cabbage worms.  Consider disposing of these infested plants rather than composting, just to make sure to break their life cycle.  Now that you have some empty space, try planting a second (or third) crop of squash or beans.  It’s too early to plant more brassicas as they enjoy cooler weather.  We’ll discuss fall crops in August.

“Thunderhead” cabbage.

In addition to watering your existing beans it may soon be time to harvest from your earliest planting.  Watch for leaf predation, as Mexican bean beetles are pretty common, especially if you’ve grown beans before.  The adults look like tan Ladybug beetles, but the larvae, which you’ll find under the leaves are bright yellow and kind of fuzzy.  You can hand pick them if you find them in time.  You may want to dispose of the spent plants in the trash as opposed to composting them to break the bean beetle life cycle.  Beans have a relatively short life cycle (bush beans are 60-70 days) so do a number of plantings 10 days to two weeks apart if you have space.

Root crops

Beets are ready to be harvested, and you may have been enjoying them for a while now.  Harvest the largest ones as you need them which will give the smaller ones room to grow.  This year I’m again growing “Red Ace” beets which do well in our climate and have few pests.  As with brassicas, these can be grown successfully in the fall but it’s too early and hot right now to do a second planting.

Rows of beans, carrots and beets grown in raised beds.

I’m growing carrots for the first time in a number of years at the urging of my grandson.  I’m growing them in my deepest bed enriched with lots of “Panorama Paydirt”, a commercially produced compost product.  I tried “Danvers Half Long”, a variety suited for heavier soils and not too long as the name implies.  Carrots are in the parsley family and the tops are edible, though sometimes bitter.  If you have carrot tops, taste them.  If they’re not bitter, consider them in salads or as a substitute for parsley in recipes.  If you planted carrots in early April, check out the largest ones to see it they’re ready.  As with beets, pulling the largest ones in the row will allow the smaller ones more room to grow.

“Danvers Half Long” carrots.

Asparagus

If you have an asparagus bed there’s not too much work to do now that harvest time is over.  Asparagus does prefer moist conditions, so it’s important to keep them well watered during dry spells.  I also find Japanese beetles in the foliage from time to time.  I try to keep them under control by hand picking them early in the morning and putting them in a jug of soapy water which kills them.  I also use this method to help control the Japanese beetles on my raspberry plants.

Onions

Onions should be about ready.  As with beets or potatoes pick the largest onions as you need them.  They’ll be growing as long as the tops are green.  If the tops die back, pull the onions, clean them off and store in a cool dark place.

Basil

Basil is not strictly a vegetable but if you have any you’ll see that it is really growing in the hot weather.  In addition to using it in cooking you can make pesto from it and then freeze the pesto.  I make the pesto in the food processor and then fill standard sized muffin cups in a muffin pan.  I find that a “batch”, which consists of 4 cups of basil leaves, 1 cup of walnuts (cheaper than pine nuts), 1 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 ¼ cups of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp. of salt will fill 6 standard size muffin cups.  Cover with cling wrap and freeze.  After freezing I set the pan in warm water to release the cups and then put the “pucks” in a freezer bag and back into the freezer where they’ll last for a long time.

Sorry for going on so long!  If I missed anything that you’re growing, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com with any questions that you may have.  Good luck!

Vegetable garden activities in June

By Mark Levisay

June is another busy month in the vegetable garden.  There is still planting left to do, as well as maintenance of existing crops.  There’s also harvesting of early crops that were planted back in the spring.  Let’s go through each of these topics in a little more detail.

Succession planting

Many summer crops have been planted already, but if you have saved any space you can plant additional batches of things like beans and squash.  Succession planting refers to planting modest amounts of a crop, for instance beans, every few weeks to extend the harvest.  If you don’t plan on canning or freezing your harvest, this method will provide you with plenty of fresh vegetables over an extended period. 

I’ve intentionally left a small bed empty with the plan of planting a second batch of bush beans around mid-June.  If you haven’t left any empty space consider planting beans or squash in areas that may have recently held lettuce or spinach.  With our hot dry weather those spring crops are either done or about to be so use that vacated space for main season crops.  Make sure to add some fertilizer to make up for what the early crop used and be prepared to water a LOT to get the newly planted seeds to germinate and grow.  Once the plants are mature they won’t need so much water.

Maintenance

Maintenance is an ongoing part of gardening and involves everyday activities like weeding and watering.  Pulling a few weeds every day when they’re small is a lot easier than waiting and trying to clean out a bed overgrown with mature weeds.  Watering shouldn’t be a daily activity unless you’ve just planted seeds or have plants that have just come up.  Even in our recent hot dry weather going a few days between waterings is probably best for growing plants, as it will encourage good root growth.  I use a lot of soaker hoses in my garden but you don’t have to.  Just try to avoid watering the plant’s foliage too much-try to get all of your water to the base of the plant.  Wet foliage, especially in the evening, can encourage diseases.

Raised bed of beets and carrots can probably benefit from another round of thinning.

Crops like beets and carrots will probably benefit from multiple rounds of thinning.  It’s really hard to force yourself to plant a lot of vegetables with the proper spacing, especially if the seeds are small.  Thinning periodically will help the plants develop and also resist pests.  Beet greens are also good in salads, so thinning can be beneficial in other ways too.

This tomato (Verona) has been tied up to a sturdy pole and recently suckered.

Tomatoes are probably the most high maintenance crop at this time of year, and you won’t get any reward for your efforts until mid to late July.  It is really important to take care of them properly now to ensure a large harvest later on.  I tie my indeterminate tomatoes up regularly-weekly if not more often, to sturdy poles.  This seems to invigorate the plants, and also helps prevent damage from thunderstorms.  I also sucker them whenever I tie them up.  This just involves picking off the new shoots that want to grow at all of the nodes on the plant.  I aim to develop a plant that has 2 to 3 main leaders and remove all of the remaining suckers.  This allows more sun into the plant’s interior for fruit ripening, and also promotes better air flow, which helps control fungal diseases.  Speaking of disease, it’s never too early to start watching for diseases to show up, especially if you’ve grown tomatoes in your garden before.  Pick of any yellowed leaves, and remove them from your garden, as they’re potentially contagious.  Doing this every day or so can really help later in the season.

Lettuce, if well watered, may still be pickable.

Harvest

Now for the fun part-picking fresh vegetables!  Most spring spinach has probably burned up by now, especially with the heat lately.  You may still have some lettuce, which can benefit from frequent watering.  I cut my first heads of broccoli (Emperor) in the third week of May.  After cutting the main head, many varieties of broccoli will develop “side shoots” at the nodes, and produce these for a while, extending the harvest and increasing the per-plant production.  My cabbages are just starting to develop heads, but earlier varieties may be ready to pick soon.  I’ve been cutting asparagus since mid-April, so I’ll probably stop cutting by mid-June.  Don’t over harvest asparagus, or the crowns underground won’t be able to store enough nutrients to get through the winter.

Sugar snap peas with pods ready to pick.

Sugar snap peas have probably already started to produce edible pods, so enjoy those while you have them, and keep the plants well watered, as they don’t enjoy the hot weather.

Potato bed with mostly mature plants.

Potatoes should be ready to harvest around mid-month.  My plants have flower buds which haven’t bloomed yet.  As a general rule, wait until the plants have flowered before digging any spuds.  Once the plants die back completely, go ahead and dig the potatoes, as they won’t grow any more, and they’ll store better in a cool dry, dark place than they will in the ground.  With enough water, you may have beets later in June-if they’re not big enough yet enjoy some of the greens in a salad!

If you have strawberries in your garden, then you’re probably already enjoying the fruits of your labors by June 1st!  Blackberries, which are just setting fruit now, won’t be ripe until late June or early July.  I cut my everbearing raspberries to the ground every fall, so they haven’t started blooming yet, and won’t produce fruit until later on.  If you had mature canes in the garden this spring they should already be blooming and setting fruit.  Just remember to cut those canes back to the ground once they are done with their berries.

Lawn care

Lawn care is really easy at this time of year-don’t do anything!  When it’s really hot and dry, try to stay off the lawn as much as possible.  Don’t mow, water or fertilize.  Once rain returns, or we get some cooler weather, go ahead and mow again.  Just remember to cut at the highest possible setting on your mower during the hot months.  If you have a lot of leftover grass when you do mow, cut it again or rake it up so as not to cover up the growing grass underneath.

I hope everyone is enjoying fresh produce from their gardens!  If you have any questions, please e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com  Happy gardening!

May is a busy month for gardeners

by Mark Levisay

After waiting all winter and the first part of spring for warmer weather to arrive I know everyone is anxious to go out and plant your warm weather crops, especially tomatoes.  Here in central Virginia I THINK we’re past our last frost, but that can vary from year to year.  Last year, we had a frost on May 10th capable of killing tomatoes and peppers. In year’s past, we’ve had even later frosts.  I know not everyone who reads this is from central Virginia, so I urge you to learn what your area’s average last frost date is, and then carefully watch the long-range weather forecasts.  Saturday May 8th will be cool in a lot of areas in the eastern US and depending on your location may be one of the last really cold mornings you have to deal with.

Prepare tomato beds

Even before your last frost date you can begin to get your garden beds ready for the plants to come.  I will put up sturdy poles for my tomatoes to climb, and also circuits of soaker hoses to water the plants once they’re in.  If you’re past the last frost date and the weather report looks good, it’s time to roll.  Tomato and pepper seedlings can go in, as well as warm season crops like beans, cucumbers, squash and melons.  Most of these do best if the soil is good and warm, so don’t be afraid to wait a few days to plant if the weather is cool.  Some varieties of bean seeds do better in cooler soil-check the descriptions in your seed catalog to be sure.  It’s also time to plant warm season herbs like basil.

Stakes and soaker hoses set up and ready for tomato plants.

Care for early crops

There’s also maintenance work to be done on crops planted earlier in the spring.  Beet “seeds” are actually clusters of seed and typically give you clusters of seedlings when they germinate.  Now is a good time to thin them, and other crops like carrots that may be coming up too close together.  Harvest early crops like spinach and lettuce.  My spring spinach is now coming in as the fall spinach burns up on the warmer days.  Lettuce plants that both overwintered under a row cover or were started under lights this spring indoors have been pickable for a while now, so enjoy lots of fresh salad greens if you have them.  It’s probably a little late to plant those crops now, but they do really well in the fall, and through the winter if covered.

Just a quick note about fall planting, which we’ll discuss in more detail later this summer.  Most of your local stores that sell seeds at this time of year will return unsold seed to the seed company in mid-summer.  If you think you may want to plant vegetables in the fall, buy the seed now, as all of a sudden you won’t be able to find it locally when planting time comes.  Most on-line or mail order seed companies will have a good selection of seeds available at any time and that can be your fall back if you can’t find them locally.

Get flowers started

Vincas and profusion zinnias started from seeds.

Most annual and perennial flowers can go out into the garden once frost is past.  Garden centers have loads of seedlings for both in stock now, and many can be started directly from seed in the garden.  An example of that is both zinnia and marigold seed, which can be saved from your own plants year to year.  They’re deer resistant, and usually do pretty well in dry conditions.  Another of our favorites are vincas, which can be started from seed, but more typically are purchased as transplants.  They grow in either sun or shade and have also been reliably deer resistant.  Some seed catalogs have deer resistance listed for various plants, and don’t hesitate to ask if you have a question.

Lawn care

The lawn usually doesn’t need too much work, other than mowing regularly, at this time of year.  Keep mowing at the highest setting your mower allows, especially if it’s dry.  If the lawn is tall when you mow, try to re-cut any large amounts of grass left lying on the surface, or rake it up and dispose of it in your compost heap.  It’s easy for a few clipping to decompose, but you don’t want masses of cut grass smothering the grass trying to grow underneath.  If you haven’t applied lime to your lawn yet this spring you can do that now, or any time.  If you have weed issues you can spot-treat them with an herbicide designed to be used on the lawn. Make sure to follow the directions exactly, as it can kill the grass if mixed too strong.  Avoid Round-UP (glyphosate) as it kills EVERYTHING and will leave your lawn with big brown patches wherever you spray it!

Now go out and get planting! Any questions please e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com

April activities in the garden

by Mark Levisay

As we head into April our gardening activities will pick up, especially outdoors as the weather warms.  Seed starting projects indoors will come to an end, and many vegetables will go into the ground outdoors.

Inside seed starting

If you’re starting seeds indoors, it’s time to plant tomato and basil seeds if you haven’t already done so.  They germinate in about a week, and you don’t want to put them out into the garden until mid-May, so this is the time.  Peppers that I planted at the beginning of March are now up—they can take two weeks or more to germinate, so it may be too late to plant the seeds now.  If you planted any other seeds earlier this year you may need to transplant them into bigger pots.  I had planted lettuce seed at the beginning of February, and they needed to be re-potted after about four weeks.  After two weeks in their bigger pots I was able to plant them into our new cold frame, and also into the covered bed we maintained all winter.

Two lettuce plants placed into the covered bed.

The back row plants in the cold frame were all started indoors.

Cool season crops outdoors

Outdoors it’s time to start planting early season cool weather crops.  From seed you can plant lettuce, beets and carrots, as they can all tolerate some cold weather and even frosts as they come up.  Plant seed potatoes now, as long as the soil’s not too wet to work.  I usually mulch over the entire area that I’ve planted the potatoes, as this helps them avoid the sun, which causes the green skin condition you see from time to time.

 It’s also time to put out cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings.  I strongly recommend using row cover fabric over brassicas, as they tend to suffer from caterpillar infestations when the weather warms.  I did a blog last year about row covers and you can refer to that for more information.  The Corner Store Garden Center has seed potatoes and brassica seedlings, in addition to other plants available now.

Plan ahead for mid-season

While you’re out in the garden planting the early crops it’s also a good idea to plan for the mid-season crops.  Things like corn, beans, melons, peppers and tomatoes won’t be going out until danger of frost is past, or mid-May.  Some of them grow quickly and get quite tall and you don’t want them to be shading shorter plants.  Or, maybe you DO want them to shade early crops like spinach and lettuce that suffer in the heat.  You can also get your hoses out of storage and check for leaks, and plan where you might want to set up circuits of soaker hoses.  Plan things out now and you’ll be ready when May rolls around.

Lawn maintenance

I’m sure you’re starting to notice the grass greening up, and this is the time to start preparing for the upcoming mowing season.  Pick up any sticks and branches that have fallen during the winter, and vigorously rake any areas that seem to have a lot of old leaves or thatch built up.  It’s a great time to spread lime on the lawn, as most of us have soil that is more acidic than grass prefers.  It’s also time to apply pre-emergent crabgrass control chemicals if you are planning on doing that.  A general rule is to apply the product when the forsythia is blooming (now!) so the chemicals can prevent the crabgrass seed from germinating.  In general it’s better to wait until fall for general lawn fertilization, but many of the crabgrass products do contain some fertilizer. Problem areas in the lawn may benefit from some fertilizer applied in the spring, but overall you’re just asking to mow more than you probably want to!  Speaking of mowing, I always recommend setting the mower on the highest possible setting, as taller grass is usually healthier, and acts to shade out weeds.  It is called TALL fescue, after all.

Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com.  Good luck with your 2021 garden!