Selecting that perfect plant

Chives a-blooming

With local garden centers being busier than the local pub on payday, I thought it would be pertinent to discuss how to select a quality plant stock from the nursery. Trying to decide on a plant to purchase can be quite the task. There are hundreds of species, varieties, sizes, shapes and colours to choose from, and it can be overwhelming. Whether your buying a tree, shrub, perennial or annual, it is important to know what to look for and feel confident that you’re newly purchased plant will survive back home.

The first and most important step in purchasing quality plants is to find a reputable garden center. Check advertisements. Ask a fellow top notch  gardener to see who they recommend. As you arrive at the business, take a look around. Does it look clean and tidy, or is it scruffy and unkempt? Usually this will tell you right off how they look after their stock.

It is nice to support the independent local nurseries as well. You might save a few bucks going to the larger box stores, but lack of plant knowledge, and inconsistent stock care can be too commonplace. Once you have decided on a particular species, have a look at the plant. The first thing I always check is the foliage. Inspect the plant thoroughly. Does it look healthy, free of pests and disease, or nutrient stress? Look at the foliage colour.

Is it yellowing? Does it have holes in theleaves? Look for signs of drought stress. Does it have browning on the leaf tips?

Second, check the structure. Is there proper branching and bushiness? Are there appropriate amounts of flowers/ buds present?

Are there dead branches or twigs? Is the growth weak and leggy? Check the stem/bark for lesions or other signs of damage.

Does the plant have balanced growth? Pass up on plants that have relied heavily on fertilizer for their entire existence, as it may be weak and vulnerable once it enters the real world out in your garden. Check to see if the leafy growth matches the pot size. If you have a 1.5-foot tomato bursting out of tiny 4-inch pot, something is not right.

Lastly, gently slide the pot off to inspect the roots. If you feel uncomfortable or are not sure how, ask a staff member for help. You should be able to see uniform root growth, but still be able to wiggle your finger into the root zone. Avoid plants that have roots in a tight mass. It may have been stressed in the past, and the plant is probably past its prime. Also avoid plants that barely have roots filling the pot. You can identify this when the soil falls away easily. These plants are not at their prime growth and development. Signs of browning or rotting in the root zone are an obvious signal to pass on a particular plant.

Don’t forget to ask as many questions as you can from staff members. It is important that you understand how to care for all your new plants. Also keep in mind that the healthier the plant is to begin with, the better off it will be in your garden. Use your common sense and don’t buy anything but the best.

Priorities for June

• If you have not already done so, plant out all your heat-loving plants like beans, tomatoes, peppers, summer flowering annuals, peanuts, etc.

• Keep sowing your seeds to secure your supply of tender young veggies all summer long.

• Weed, weed, and weed some more. Competition from weeds is most detrimental to young plants.

• Be mindful of your greenhouse temperature. If it is getting above 35 degrees fully vented, think about putting a white wash or shade cloth over it to bring down the temperature.

• Begin to thin your fruit trees. Be harsh and take more then you thought possible. General rule: one fruit per 10 cm of branch.

• Hill up the potato plants (cover with soil) as they grow

• Tomato plants should be tied up or supported. Also pinch off the side shoots that are growing in the crotches of the side leaves and main stem.

• Keep on the lookout for pest and disease. Cabbage white moths, slugs, and aphids are the main culprits to watch out for. Some signs are holes in leaves, curling leaves, wilting plants while soil is still damp, webs, sticky residues, and black spots

• Prune back your earlier flowering shrubs once they have finished flowering. Things like forsythia, Kerria, some viburnums, lilac, winter jasmine, can all use a haircut at this time. Try and prune naturally, and avoid creating balls and squares out of them

• Watch out for floppy plants in the perennial border. Keep staking the delphiniums, phlox, aconitum, sedum, and giant rudebekia

• Pinch back your chrysanthemum to encourage bushy plants

• And… it’s hedge-trimming time!

Jonathan van Wiltenburg has a degree in horticulture and runs Eden Horticulture Services.

You can reach him at edenhort@gmail.com

Time to Plant: Container Plants

With the increased popularity of container gardens and patio living I thought it would be pertinent to discuss some tips for planting patio containers. These days many people enjoy having not only summer annuals on their patio but also larger more permanent pot plantings of trees and shrubs. Some of the most popular are corkscrew willow, Japanese maples, conifers, and ornamental grasses, which provide privacy, architectural value, colour and contrast to your landscape. Although it is not hard to maintain container plants, there are some tips that will go a long way in helping to keep your larger container plantings healthy and happy.

The first and best thing I can recommend is never to plant directly into the heavy ceramic pots that you have picked out to match your décor. Usually these pots are heavy enough without a small tree in them, and they can easily become a real hassle to manoeuvre around the yard. Furthermore, the design of the pot can make taking the tree/shrub out of the pots very difficult. Many of the pots widen out beyond the opening of the pot, and as the plant grows it becomes impossible to get it out.

Earlier tomatoes come with container planting

Find a large plastic pot that fits perfectly into your ceramic pot (one that cannot be seen). You may have to prop it up underneath with a few bricks or wood pieces so it sits at the right level. This will allow you to easily lift out the larger plant when it needs to be moved, and will allow you to easily slide the plastic pot off when it is time to do your maintenance.

When planting out your containers use a planting medium that is ideal for container planting. Most potting soil mixes available at your local garden store are good.

Don’t plant right up to the lip on your pot. Keep your soil level a couple of inches below the lip so when watering your plants the water has a place to sit and work its way down into the roots. When planting trees and shrubs avoid burying the crown. It is essential that you keep this at the soil level.

Plants in pots do not have the same options to gather nutrients and moisture that a plant in the ground would. It is crucial to feed and water them on a regular basis. For containers, I recommend a water-soluble fertilizer. Depending on the species a monthly feeding should be plenty.

Watering will depend on the size of pot, species of plant, and the weather. Remember to water deeply. Just because you see the water running out the bottom doesn’t always mean you have given them enough water. Check the soil with your fingers and see if the water penetrated into the root zone.

As the plant grows it will undoubtedly fill the pot. Every spring check the root zone for signs of crowding. Take off no more than a third of the root zone at a time.

Jonathan van Wiltenburg has a degree in horticulture and runs Eden Horticulture Services. You can reach him at edenhort@gmail.com.

Time To Plant: Wiggling Currants

Currant Affairs...

Over the past year I have had people asking about a particular nasty little

pest that affects their currant shrubs year after year. The common complaint is a

small rice sized maggot found squirming around in the berry. It is quite gross,

and usually renders the berries fit for the birds. I thought I would get to the bottom of it and give some solutions to combat this particular pest. The pest is a little yellow fly (Euphranta canadensis) commonly known as the currant fruit fly. It infects currants (red, black, or white) and also gooseberries and is found throughout North America.

The fly itself is about the size of a small housefly and it lays a single egg under the skin of a developing berry. The bad news for us is that each female can lay over 150 eggs, and each egg is deposited on its own single berry. However, not all of the injected eggs will survive. Many of the berries will drop prematurely due to the injection by the female.

As the fly larvae mature they will drill a small breathing hole into the skin of the fruit. This is the signature that will tell you have a problem. (Look  for a small dark spot on the skin of the berry). Once fully mature, the larvae leave the berry and fall to the ground (sometimes the whole berry falls to the ground instead), where they bury themselves into the soil around the base of the currant bush. Here they overwinter as pupae until the following spring when they will emerge as adult flies ready to complete the cycle once again.

How do you get rid of them?

Because the larvae are encased in the fruit, they are hard to control. Currently the best way to knock back the populations are to disrupt the life cycle of the pest. One of the suggested methods is to place a sheet of plastic or cloth on the ground to catch the larvae before they squirm into the ground to overwinter. Check on this sheet daily and dispose of larvae and berries. Do not put them in the compost!

Rather, put them in a bucket with some soapy water. Alternatively, others suggest that if you have chickens to pen a few of them up around the base of the current bush and have them peck and scratch. To prevent new infestation on uninfected bushes, cover your bushes with floating row cover from April until late June when the female flies are busy laying. This will provide a barrier of entry and protect the newly forming berries from infection.

Priorities for April

• April is the time for lawn maintenance.
• Take advantage of the moist spring weather and get all the seeding, aerating, or topdressing finished before the sun is here.
• If you  have not already done so, begin turning over the garden. Mix in your old compost from last year. Try not to compact the newly turned over soil. Amend further with lime, manure, or mulch if necessary.
• Split up and move your perennials.
• Feed your fruit trees, berries, and other trees and shrubs. Don’t go overboard. Be sure to use an appropriate fertilizer for the particular species. Use compost or an organic fertilizer if you can manage it.
• In  you have not done so, prune back your and hydrangeas, buddleja, fuchsia, Russian sage, and other plants that flower on present year wood. Also prune the shrubs that have already finished flowering; winter jasmine, forsythia, witch-hazel, kerria, heather, etc.
• Set out your cleaned mason bee houses ASAP. Keep an eye out for the hard little workers as they pollinate your fruit trees and berries.
• Sow your vegetable and flower seed. Vegetables such as greens and others you want to eat all season long sow a little bit of seed more often. Aim for every three weeks. Sow other crops such as squash, lettuce, beets, spinach, greens, carrots, parsnips, chard, celery, early potatoes, leek, onion, and summer flowering annuals.
• Don’t get too eager! Hold off on planting anything outside that cannot handle a potential frost or could be affected by cool nights. Beans, tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, are the classic heat lovers. Unless you have sufficient insulation such as cold frames or cloches, keep them sheltered until early May.
• Harvest your early crop of rhubarb and possibly your asparagus. Continue this for the next six or so weeks.

Time to Plant: March 2011: Cost of seeds aren’t peanuts anymore

Originally published in Powell River Living March 2011: http://prliving.ca/Issue1103.pdf

Has anybody else noticed the price of seed has been steadily increasing in the past few years? The gap between cheap seed and the designer seeds is “growing” every year. I am starting to wonder what the difference is between these products.

Is it worth spending $3.99 compared to a $1.89 on a packet of seeds?
I made a few phone calls to some of the different seed houses here in BC to understand the business behind it all.
Generally there are two types of seed houses present in the BC market. The first is large seed houses that supply seed that is grown 100% by others. These companies shop around on a global market and supply smaller distributors down the chain. Mostly supply is limited to hybrids and conventional seed, however following consumer demand many recently have moved into the organic and heirloom markets. Typically these are the products you see available at supermarkets, dollar stores, or home supply stores.

The second type is the niche market small-scale supplier. Classically, companies in this category grow and distribute
their own product with only a fraction (if any) coming from outside the “local” area. The niche market types work
to provide high quality “local” product that is best suited for a specific growing area. Usually the niche market specializes in organic or heirloom seeds. Westcoast Seed (out of Ladner, BC) leans more to a niche market as they source 90% of all their seed from west of the Cascades.

In the seed supply world this is still considered fairly regional. Other companies such as Stellar Seeds (out of Kaslo, BC), grow and distribute 100% BC grown open pollinated with the lion’s share coming from their own organic farm.

So why is the price up?

 Well, unfortunately, comparing the two different product models is like comparing apples to oranges. For both players the price is up due to common reasons. Agriculture is suffering everywhere. Currently there are increasing costs for labour, fuel, shipping, and fertility, and it is all coupled with increased demand.

The main reason the larger seed companies are able to supply so much cheaper is because they are able to buy large
quantities from a worldwide market. They are able to use their economies of scale and are ultimately less concerned
with how the seeds are produced. Cost is everything. The common large company motto is to supply the best quality seed for the lowest possible price.

Conversely the niche local markets are not basing their business on cost alone; rather they are adhering to a model that provides high quality product with specific ideological traits (either local or organic, etc). These principles translate in more significant cost and it trickles down to the price on the packet. Almost all of these businesses are run by hard working individuals and I don’t think any of them are getting rich off the seed business. All of them do it out of a labour of love at about 10 cents an hour.
So is it worth it?  Well that is up to you. From my perspective, you get what you pay for.

Top tasks for March

 • Secure and apply compost, well-rotted manure, or seaweed to enhance your nutrient and organic matter content of your soil. 5-10 cm top dress would be great

• As soon as soil can be worked (i.e. not too wet) begin turning over the garden. Mix in the compost and add an appropriate organic fertilizer to things that need an extra boost

• Tune-up all your necessary tools, machines. This includes sharpening, cleaning, oiling, and purging of the useless
• Jot down some larger garden chores that should be completed this year. Commit to tackling as least one of them. Decide what needs to be moved, split, pruned or removed, and get moving

• Construct a seed-sowing schedule. Sketch out your garden plot and plan your rotation. Figure out what needs to be planted when and how often. This info can be found on the seed package, in books, or on the web.
• Sow your heat lovers: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers — the sooner the better!

Outdoors:
When the soil is workable consider sowing greens, peas, lettuces, spinach, summer cabbages, parsnips, carrots,
beets, potatoes and chard.

Jonathan van Wiltenburg has a degree in
horticulture and runs Eden Horticulture
Services. You can reach him at
edenhort@gmail.com.

Time to Plant! September 2010

Tomatoes: image by Giovanni Spezzacatena (www.rabideye.com)

A question that comes up often is how to harvest seeds from current harvests.  Recently, the request was about a “perfect” tomato.

Q: I have a really nice tomato that grew exceptionally well this season and I was wondering if I could save seed from it?  if so, how do I do that?

A: The first thing to think about it is whether or not the tomato is hybrid or open pollinated cultivar. Hybrid cultivars are bred for excellent characteristics and are usually sweet heavy producers. However seeds saved from hybrids may not be viable or if they are, will not grow into the same tomato that you have fallen in love with this season.  open-pollinated varieties on the other hand will produce viable seeds and fruit that resemble their parents. If you do plan on saving seed in the future, it is a good idea to choose and grow open pollinated varieties. Many great seed houses now exclusively supply open-pollinated varieties.  Generally you can tell if the tomato you are growing is a hybrid by looking at the tag or seed pack. If it has a F1 or F2, then it is a hybrid. If the variety has an oP then it is open-pollinated. Most of the heritage varieties are open-pollinated. If you are unsure, do a little internet sleuthing — it should be fairly easy to find out if your tomato is hybrid or not.

Top tasks for September

• Harvest, harvest, harvest. Preserve, preserve, preserve.

• Plant out and sow the last of your winter garden. Sow lettuce, spinach, endive, cilantro, corn salad, and arugula.  Although it is too late to start many of the other winter veggies from seed (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, rutabaga) you can pick them up at a nursery and still plant them out for the winter.

• Cover up your tomato plants to protect them from tomato blight.

• If you are clearing your garden, sow a cover crop to prevent nutrient leeching.  Fall rye, winter wheat, red clover, hairy vetch, or field peas are all great options.

• Start the important task of adding mulch to the garden.

• Save some seed for next year. It is cheaper, and over time will give you stronger plants for your specific growing region. Also they can be traded at the local seed exchange in the spring.

• Don’t forget to harvest and dry some herbs.

Saving tomato Seed

Equipment needed: Labelled jar, newspaper/ paper towel, labelled envelope or packet.

1. Select a perfect specimen (no disease or blemishes). Usually one or two tomatoes will give enough seed to supply your entire extended family.

2. Cut tomato in a cross section fashion (same way as to get a star on an apple).

3. With fingers, scrape out pulp/seeds into a jar. Add water until jar is half full and cover.

4. Label with name, date and a brief description of the tomato. Set the jar aside until a mouldy scum develops on top of water (usually four to five days).

5. once “scummed” take jar and add fresh water. Pour off the water. The good seeds will sink and the bad will float. Repeat this process until seeds and water being poured off is clean and free of debris.

6. once clean, place seeds in sieve to remove excess water.

7. Transfer damp seeds and spread onto a labelled piece of newspaper or paper towel.

8. Move and let sit in dry area until seeds are completely dry.

9. once dry the seeds are ready for next year. Transfer to package and store in cool dry place until early spring.

Welcome

Hello, my name is Jonathan Van Wiltenburg. I own and operate Eden Horticultural Services in Powell River, BC. This blog is a collection of my writing on seasonal gardening on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, as published in my column “Time to Plant”, in Powell River Living Magazine. I will also include a few extras now and then. Please check out my website at  I can be reached at edenhort@gmail.com

July 2010

By Jonathan van Wiltenburg

Priorities for July

1. Harvest, harvest, harvest! Pick vegetables young. If you slow down on the harvest, plants will set seed and useful growth will decline.
2. Water. Water deeply, in the morning, and try not to get foliage wet. Scuffle/scratch the soil to increase the probability of the water moving downward. In severe cases, get out the digging fork to loosen the soil.
3. Feed all container plantings every two weeks. If your soil is sub-par then give the garden a boost monthly. Use a general-purpose organic fertilizer if possible. Water-soluble is an excellent option as you can water and feed all at once.
4. Watch for pests and disease. Be on the alert for powdery mildew, tomato blight, aphids, carrot root fly, aphids, and cabbage white moth.
5. Tie up the tomatoes continuously; keep removing the suckers growing in the crotches.
6. Summer prune your fruit trees. Remove the water suckers (suckers are the new branches growing straight up) to slow down the suckering cycle and allow for air movement into the center of the tree. In the raspberry patch remove the weak new raspberry canes. Focus growth on new stronger canes.
7. Harvest the garlic. As the garlic begins to die back remove from the soil, cure, then store in cool, dry, dark place.
8. The first week of July is the critical time to sow many of your winter supply of cabbage-family crops. Get those cabbages, broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts in soon.
9. If you have not already done so, prune back all your winter heathers and begin deadheading your annuals, perennials, and shrubs. This should encourage new flowers or advantageous growth.

Q. The leaves on my tomato plants are completely purple, and there are no flowers. What can I do to help them? Does this weather have anything to do with it?

A. A plant with purplish or reddish leaves is a classic sign of phosphorus deficiency. This is more likely to happen to plants in containers and especially when soilless growing mixes such as peat are used. Purpling will begin on the older leaves first and then move upward to the newer leaves. Phosphorus deficiency will also inhibit flower formation and consequently fruit production.

The good thing is this is easy to fix. All you need to do is add phosphorus. Bonemeal is an excellent source of organic phosphorus. Apply bone meal or well-balanced fertilizer.

Q. I just moved into a new house and acquired three fruit trees. I’m worried about the plum. It is mature size and seems to be struggling. Many of the leaves are curled and the tree looks stressed. I don’t want to lose the tree as it gives character and shade to the yard. What can I do?

The first thing to do is to go pull off a few of the curling leaves. More then likely you will find remnants of aphids (a small plant-sucking insect). Aphid damage can be tolerable, however when populations get out of control the damage can be quite staggering. New leaves will curl downward, become twisted, sticky, and sometimes crispy.

There are a few things you can do now to knock the populations down. Firstly, aphids are attracted to new fleshy growth, so it is important not to over feed your plants with nitrogen. Remember to use a well-balanced organic fertilizer.

Secondly, aphid populations are usually quite manageable if caught on time. Keep an eye out for them, and blast them off the plant with a strong stream of water. If the water is not working, you can use an insecticidal soap spray, but remember to treat insecticides (even organic ones) as a last resort. They will kill other beneficial insects as well.

You can also encourage beneficial insects by planting flowers such as dill, alyssum, and other nectar-producing flowers or by buying commercially available aphid predators. Beneficial insects such as lady beetles, aphideletes, or lacewings, can keep populations in check.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, commit to having a proper winter management schedule. Have your tree pruned by a qualified individual, and spray each tree with an application of dormant oil to smother over-wintering eggs. Next summer watch for the pests and catch them before they become a huge problem.