GERMINATION PERPETUATION
One of the most frequently asked gardening
questions involves the longevity of seeds:
Will the seeds in that packet that says "Packaged
for 1997" still sprout and grow? As a general
rule, seeds that are stored properly will remain
viable for several years, although the
germination rate will decline with time. But if
you have a packet of older seeds and you want to
get some idea of whether it's worth trying
to plant them this year, here's one way to gauge
how well they'll germinate.
Start with about ten seeds from the packet you're
testing. Next, moisten a paper towel and arrange
the seeds on it so they're not touching. Moisten
a second paper towel and lay it on top of the
seeds. Then, roll up the towels with the seeds
inside and put the roll in a plastic bag. Put the
bag in a warm spot (atop the fridge is generally
good--if you don't forget you put it there).
Check the seeds every few days. If seven or more
of the seeds sprout, you can expect a
reasonable germination rate from the packet as a
whole. Fewer than seven, and you might want to
buy new seeds. Of course, you can always give the
old seeds a try--just sow them more thickly than
you normally would to try to offset the
possibility of a poor germination rate.
Wise Watering
Providing the right amount of water for your
vegetable garden can improve growth, reduce
disease, and increase the harvest. If nature
provides enough, you'll have more time in the
hammock, but here are some guidelines for those
gardeners who need to help nature along.
* Plant roots are better served by deep watering
than by frequent shallow watering, which encourages
the roots to stay close to the surface instead of
spreading more deeply. Aim to moisten the top six
inches of soil when you water.
* Roots need air as well as moisture in the soil,
and if the soil is continually saturated, the air
is squeezed out. Allow the soil to dry a bit
between waterings.
* Water when your plants need it rather than
watering on a routine schedule. To check if your
plants are thirsty, dig into the soil about 4
inches deep. If the soil is dry, it's time to
water. If it's moist, wait another day or two and
check again. Another way to tell if your plants
need watering is if they look wilted before eleven
o'clock in the morning. If your plants droop in
the heat of the late afternoon sun, don't worry,
that's normal.
* Water early in the day to cut down on evaporation
losses and also to give your plants plenty of time
to dry out. Wet foliage overnight can help trigger
some diseases. With furrow irrigation, drip
irrigation or soaker hoses, which all deliver water
right at the soil surface and not on the leaves,
you can water almost anytime. Still it's best to
avoid watering at midday when evaporation losses
are highest.
* Sprinklers waste a tremendous amount of water,
so try to rely on another system of watering that
wets the soil and not the foliage. A sprinkler
must be left on for several hours to moisten the
soil deeply. Check the soil moisture after you
use your sprinkler to see how deeply the water
penetrates.
* Stay out of the garden when it's wet. Disease is
easily spread in water droplets that you may
inadvertently pass from plant to plant or tool to
plant.
* Use a good mulch to help retain moisture in the
soil. In hot climates, organic mulch decomposes
more rapidly and may need to be replenished during
the growing season.
Plant Now to Extend
the Harvest
At this time of year, gardeners in the warmest
regions of the country are typically planning
their fall/winter gardens while gardeners in
cooler climes are busy with the summer harvest.
But even in these cooler regions, gardeners can
extend the harvest into late fall by planting
certain crops over the next several weeks. Here
are some guidelines:
* Sowing fall crops is like gardening in reverse.
The days start out hot and gradually get cooler,
so cool-weather crops will need protection from
the heat early on, and heat-lovers will need
protection later in the fall.
* In spring, successive plantings usually catch
up with each other, but in fall, growth slows as
the season goes on. That means crops sown only a
week apart in September will mature 2 to 4 weeks
apart in November or December. Thus, you have to
sow more frequently than in the spring.
* Lettuce and other greens make the perfect crop
for a fall garden because they grow well even when
soil temperatures dip into the 40s. (Mature plants
can withstand air temperatures as low as 25 degrees
F.) Lettuce also grows well with fewer daily
sunlight hours than almost any other crop. Because
a fall harvest often requires planting during the
heat of late summer, you may need to sow your first
crops in flats in a cool location, then transplant
them to the garden. Burpee's Fall Mesclun Mix
provides weeks of tender baby greens.
(See the Mesclun Mix at:
http://www.burpee.com/detail.asp?
from=1&catID=226&prodID=486.)">
* In U.S.D.A. zones 2-5, you can plant lettuce up
until mid-September. In zones 6 and 7, you can
plant from September until mid-October. In the
deep south, you can grow lettuce from the fall
through the spring.
* Even in the summer heat, you can seed more
carrots, beets, and radishes for a fall crop that
will mature as the weather cools. Direct seed
these root crops in a well-prepared bed. To help
the seeds germinate and survive the summer heat,
wet the soil first, sprinkle seeds in the late
afternoon when it's cooler, cover the seeds
lightly with soil, and moisten. Cover the area
with a shade cloth until the seeds germinate.
Then keep the bed moist, and your root crops
will grow quickly.
* There's still time to sow some quick-producing
summer crops, such as bush cucumbers and bush
green (or purple or yellow) beans. These are
great crops to put in where the peas, broccoli,
cauliflower, and spring cabbages have come out.
* Gardeners in warm regions can still plant many
vegetables for a bountiful fall harvest. Squash
and cucumbers can be planted now. In September
your cole crops can begin going in. This includes
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, brussels
sprouts, kale, and collards. In mid September,
cool-season peas like sugar naps and snow peas
(need a light trellis for support) can be planted.
If you use transplants, keep them shaded for the
first week, and if you plant seeds, keep them well
watered.
* Turnips and kale enjoy the progressively cooling
temperatures of fall, and taste best when grown in
those conditions. A good recommendation is to sow
turnips 8 weeks before frost, and sow kale 4 to 6
weeks prior frost.
* Three to four weeks after planting, begin
fertilizing fall planted vegetables such as
lettuce, collards, beets, and carrots. Leafy
green crops like a dose of nitrogen fertilizer
such as fish emulsion when watered, while root
crops benefit from a phosphorous fertilizer
such as bone meal.
* As temperatures begin to dip in the fall, you
might need to cover your crops with a row cover
such as Burpee's Garden Blanket. Secure the cover
with Garden Staples to help maintain the insulating
effect.
(See the Garden Blanket at:
http://www.burpee.com/detail.asp?
from=4&catID=1711&prodID=1005
MIDSUMMER HERB CARE
Some herbs will stop growing or die back a little
in the heat of midsummer. There is usually no
cause for concern, this is just a normal reaction
to extreme heat. Don't overwater your herbs
during this time of stress. If the roots are kept
waterlogged they will have a hard time coming
back when the temperature cools.
Here are a few suggestions to help keep your
herbs healthy in midsummer:
- Work a little lime into the soil around your
lavender, sage, hyssop, and rosemary to bring
the pH up a little.
- Water fuzzy-leaved herbs such as horehound from
the bottom. When the foliage gets wet it is
susceptible to rot.
- Pinch back scented geraniums to make them bushy.
- Remove and pot up offshoots from your aloe plant
when they are about two inches tall.
- To help keep the soil evenly moist, place a
mulch around your herbs. Avoid mulches that
increase the acidity of the soil such as peat,
pine straw or oak leaves.
- Mediterranean herbs (marjoram, oregano,
rosemary, sage, winter savory and thyme)
prefer not to be mulched.
Consult the Herb Guide for information about the
care of specific herbs.
http://www.gardenguides.com/herbs/herb.htm
