Recently in Missouri fruit gardening Category

Over the years, I have developed a gardening calendar based on holidays. Here's my calendar for 2012:

St. Patrick's Day May 17: Plant potatoes, peas, brussell sprouts and broccoli in garden; start tomato and pepper seedlings inside.

First Day of Spring March 20: Work more compost into raised garden beds. Plant more lettuce, spinach, radishes, onions. Prune roses.

Easter April 8: Plant tree seedlings and native wildflowers. Update garden diary for bulbs I need to divide and move this fall; mark locations so I can find them this fall.

Earth Day April 22: Planting last of my spinach, peas and lettuce in the garden. Time to cover the garden with tulle to keep deer out.

Mother's Day May 13: Last day of frost so everything can get moved outside. I'll leave seedlings in their containers outside for a few days before moving them permanently into the garden.

Memorial Day May 28: Last day to plant anything from seed in the garden for this year, which means pumpkins, cucumbers and zucchini go in. Compact fruit trees, bushes and perennials also get planted so they can benefit from June showers.

Father's Day June 17: Last weekend to plant perennials. Check garden centers for end of season plant sales.

Independence Day July 4: Last day for planting beans for the season. It's also the last weekend for pinching back Mums so they bloom bushy this fall. There's little planted past this point that will survive Missouri's hot summer. Update garden diary.

Labor Day Sept. 3: Harvest fall crops; check for bugs; add compost, and start getting raised garden beds ready for winter. Also time to offer sugar water to my honeybees since little pollen is available.

Columbus Day Oct. 8: Trim deck plants. Start moving them inside house for winter. Give them a good hose bath first to discourage hitch-hiking bugs. Trade plants with friends for holiday gifts.

Halloween Oct. 31; First fall hard frost. All plants that are going to winter over should be settled inside. Halloween weekend is also a good time to add compost to raised bed gardens and make sure bird feeders are mended and ready for winter.

Veterans Day Nov. 11: Clean and store pots, garden implements; toss out torn gardening gloves; mark envelopes with saved seeds; update garden diary on what worked well this year and what I want to do differently or try next year. If there's been a hard frost, good time to
mulch plant beds so soil temperature doesn't fluctuate.

Thanksgiving Nov. 22: Buy bulbs on discount. Make bulb gardens for winter gifts; store in basement refrigerator.

Winter, Dec. 21: Look for first gardening catalogs in the mail!

New Years Jan. 1:  Check inside plants for hitchhiking bugs; trim dead leaves. Check bulb gardens. Pour over garden catalogs.

Jan. 17 Martin Luther King Day: Make sure inside plants are all getting sunlight needs met. If not, move them around. Review garden diary from last year for what worked and what didn't. Trade garden catalogs with other gardening friends.

Valentine's Day February 14: A time when mid-Missouri usually has a few warmer days mid-winter and soil can be worked without using a pick ax.

Good time to check check birdhouses for repairs; clean garden implements; wash flower pots; order local shrubs and trees from George O. White Nursery. Prune fruit trees.

President's Day February 20: Plant onion sets in the garden. (I pop a few into the deck containers, too!) Plant my deck containers with lettuce, spinach, radishes...it's almost spring!











Charlotte Ekker Wiggins shares gardening and beekeeping adventures from her Missouri limestone MO hill.

Copyright 2012 all rights reserved.




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Before things go all green on us, let's talk plants; BAD plants.

Gardening catalogs are starting to show up in my mailbox.  They're a good reminder that one of the advantages of being a gardener is that you don't really have to grow up.
By that I mean you're encouraged to try new seeds and plants, and to test new techniques and toys - oops tools, I meant tools.

Unfortunately for gadget manufacturers, I'm not too drawn to newfangled gardening accessories, probably because gardening on a Missouri limestone hill means a pick ax is the main, and sometimes only, gardening tool that will work.

The following is my list of top things to try this year:

1. Composting. I like the tumbler-type plastic composters with a side handle for easy turning. I also have a table top Nature Mill composter in my garage. I collect compost material in a bag in my freezer, then move it outside when the bag is full. It's amazing to me how composting reduces the amount of garbage. Colleagues in my business office also have been kind enough to help save coffee grounds and fruit peelings. In return, I bring in fresh flowers for our coffee break room and amend my raised bed kitchen garden.

2. Start vegetable garden seeds a little earlier than end February. I'm still trying to decide how to protect lettuce seedlings in my deck pots, maybe plastic over the top will work.

3. Conserve water. I'm amazed at how much my rain barrels collect during rain storms; and then how happier my plants seem to be when watered with
rain water.

4. Use  soaker hoses to minimize water runoff; add a timer to your irrigation system so you don't forget to turn it off.

5. Make a concerted effort not to use pesticides. Today there are more earth-friendly and safe alternatives. take a little extra time to read labels and learn about non-traditional options like spraying plants with hot pepper-infused water. Being less critical of a less than perfect
flower also helps!

6. Create an inviting habitat for garden visitors by providing food, water and shelter for birds, butterflies and other pollinators like bees. Birds are natural predators, and pollinators will help your garden have more produce.

7. Mow less grass; expand flower beds.

8. Add fruit-bearing shrubs and compact fruit trees. They're not only pretty when in bloom but can provide you with fresh fruit.

9. Plant more low maintenance native flowers. Rolla area is in USDA zone 5B. Natives require less water and will adapt faster; some have long blooming seasons like black-eyed susans.

10. Don't toss out those green tomatoes you finally grew. Try ripening them by storing in a cool, dark place in a brown bag with an apple. They don't have as much flavor as vine-ripened
tomatoes but they are still better than winter, store bought ones!


Which one of these have you tried already?







Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a master gardener sharing gardening adventures in and around her Missouri wildlife garden. 

Copyright 2012, all rights reserved.

If you've always wanted to head a community garden effort, there's an area group trying to get another community garden started.

The idea, as presented to a recent Phelps County Master Gardener meeting, is to establish a community garden manned by volunteers that would benefit both low income families and church pantries.

This is Rolla, Missouri's third, maybe fourth attempt to get a public space set aside to plant, and to share, locally-grown fruits and vegetables.

It's a great idea; now let's figure out how to make this one a success.
 
Take water, for example. Rolla's Veteran's Park off Highway 72 didn't fare so well without easy to access, on-site regular watering. Rain barrels and ponds will work only as well as their easy access. With record hot  summer temperatures, there's also no guarantee there will be uphill pond water left when water is needed most.
I'm assuming the pond would be uphill; gravity would help more easily get water to garden beds. Bottom line is there needs to be a constant and reliable source of water.

Another critical element is well-preparing soil prior to planting. There's a good reason why Rolla originally was almost called "Hardscrabble," we're lucky to have 2" of good top soil. Getting real soil, and amending it so that it can support a vegetable garden, could easily take a year before a seed should be planted. Soil elements need time to break down and season before they are ready to grow anything.

When I recently was in Maplewood, Missouri, I happened to visit a charming
community garden with a ready water source.

The garden was part of a neighborhood watch with regular meetings and planned events.

It was also
at the corner of a busy intersection, which reminded me that around here,
any successful community garden will require fencing to keep wildlife, and others, from plundering.

Successful community gardens also have manpower who benefit from the hard work. Groups like Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners can provide training on how to garden; Boy Scouts may periodically help on a specific project but the garden itself needs a dedicated group of nearby volunteers who will regularly visit, work, and learn, from the garden.

Earlier this summer, I visited St. James' Community Garden, right off the downtown area. What struck me, besides the charming arbors, was the long list of contributors. A good community garden needs someone organized o tend the garden and to get not only volunteers but donations as well.

My thanks to Master Gardener Laura Lackey, who did some research on community gardens. There's a national association that holds workshops and offers assistance: American Community Garden Association | 1777 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43203-2040 http://communitygarden.org/index.php\

So how about it - are you interested in pulling together Rolla's community garden?

Contact Bruce Wade, Fit Helps Coordinator,The Community Partnership (wk) 573-368-2849 (cell) 573-578-4912.

 

Charlotte Ekker Wiggin is a master gardener and writes about gardening in and around her Missouri wildlife garden. 

Copyright 2011, all rights reserved.

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Wouldn't you know it, of all the plants in my garden to munch on, Japanese beetles started on my raspberries. Not just my raspberry plants, my actual berries!!!

These iridescent green, 3/8th of an inch beetles are a menace. Once they turn from grubs into beetles, they set off a scent that says "let's party" to other Japanese beetles and they seem particularly fond of fruit trees like this peach tree; roses,  and green bean leaves in my toy vegetable garden.

Since I don't like to use chemicals, I've been trying to sneak up on them to squish them in a towel. They're smart bugs; once they sense you're getting close, they literally quickly drop straight down, then take flight.

Last year. when I found them eating my favorite wild grapevine, I dropped Japanese beetles into a jar of soapy water. It seemed a kinder way to dispatch them but word got around and they soon flew off at the sight  of the jar.

According to University of Missouri Extension Service, Pyrethrins and Spinosad are effective and non-toxic sprays to try to manage Japanese beetles. It would be even better if the grubs could be located before they hatch but from what I've read, that's a lot more difficult to do.

Japanese beetles are among a number of green Missouri insects.

One of the more damaging insects is the emerald ash borer, spotted in 2008 at Wappapello Lake. This bug has killed some 60 million trees in 15 states, an according to Time Magazine. Cities are spending more than $10 billion over the next decade to try to stop them. You know it's a bad bug when there's a hotline number to report any sightings 866-716-9974 or contact State Entomologist Collin Warmsley at 573-751-5505.

For those of you who have emailed asking how my little toy garden is doing, peas are spent and I now pick a handful of fresh green beans every morning.

A couple of tomato plants are growing so fast they're looming over my little eggplant and green peppers. With this heat, I'm sure they appreciate shade.

The starter trays with seeds sitting at the top of tomato cages worked well until the plants outgrew the cages or it rained. The soil-filled tray bottoms are now on the ground hosting shallow-rooted zinnias, cosmos and marigolds. I should transplant them but I'm afraid in this heat they may not make it. A variety of flower seeds are also sprouting in concrete blocks.

Cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins are blooming, and I'm trying to daily pinch herbs to keep them from going to flower and loose their potency.

Catnip and spearmint are all over the place; one of my cats now seems to prefer munching on mint leaves. Either that or Bobcat may need glasses.

If you have a better, more creative way to get rid of Japanese beetles, let me know and I'll share in an upcoming column.

Thanks also for all the suggestions of what else to do with periodical cicadas. You are a creative, and ghoulish, bunch!











Charlotte is a Master Gardener writing her blog, and a weekly newspaper column, on a MO hill gardening to distraction.

Nationwide figures are in.

According to US Department of Agriculture, beekeepers lost about 30 percent of their hives last winter.

Although there are a number of theories why honeybees are dying in record numbers - one out of every three fruit or vegetable we eat is courtesy of honeybee pollination - not having enough good pollen sources is sometimes mentioned as one of the factors.According to US Department of Agriculture, beekeepers lost about 1/3 of their hives last winter.

So last year, after getting my two honeybee hives settled in, I thought I would find a list of favorite honeybee plants and start adding them to my garden.

It wasn't that easy.

First, honeybees don't dart around. Once they find a pollen source, they farm one area and even share the location with other honeybees through a little dance. They may also  travel up to 1.5 to 2 miles to locate pollen, so to produce a certain flavored honey, honeybees have to be given access to 8,000 acres of just one crop.

Honeybees also have color preference.

They  prefer blue and yellow flowers, as opposed to hummingbirds and butterflies, who prefer flowers in the pink to purple range.

 That explains why dandelions are a favorite early, sometimes first spring honeybee pollen source, as well as fall's yellow wildflower goldenrod and my hummingbird feeders full of sugar water.

According to "The Hive and the Honey Bee" by Dadant and Sons, the following are favorite honeybee flowers:

Alfalfa; Asters; Basil; Blackberry; Button Bush; Catnip; Chickweed; Chicory; Red and White Clover; Coneflower; Dandelion; Goldenrod; Honeysuckle; Locust; Milkweed; (yikes) Poison Ivy and Poison Oak; Privet: Redbud; Sage;  Sumac; Thyme; Willow and Yellow Rocket.

In terms of fruits and vegetables, honeybees are also fond of Cantaloupe; Cucumber; Gourds: Melon; Pumpkin; Soybeans: Lima Beans; Squash. Apples; Apricot; Cherry; Peach; Plums and (photo) Pears.

I have to confess, when my garden was up for "inspection" last May before my two beehives arrived, I was very nervous. I knew not using pesticides over the years was good, but I couldn't imagine what else honeybees would need besides a good source of pollen.

Turns out a source of water is important, and honeybees don't particularly like clean water; they're attracted to water with a little taste to it, like leaves.

Honeybees also need a spot where hives are protected from weather elements but still have a clear flight path. The idea is to minimize cold winds getting into hive entrances; bee wings will freeze at certain temperatures.

So far, my honeybee hives seem to be doing well. May-July is the peak of honey-making, and one of my hives is doing exceptionally well.

The hive named after Mildred, my grandmother, has one super full of gorgeous yellow gold honey, a second super half full and I added a third one last weekend.

I wasn't sure how the bees would react to having two top, honeybee full floors, or supers,  moved to make room for a third one. Except for raising the noise level in the hive when I applied smoke to gently move them down into the hive, the process went smoothly.

The new super is designed to help bees produce easy-to-remove comb honey. I'm not sure I put them together correctly but that's part of the adventure!











Charlotte is a Master Gardener writing her blog, and a weekly newspaper column, on a MO hill Gardening to Distraction.
 

Years ago, I planted a Stark Brothers compact pear tree near my driveway, thinking it would be pretty to see in bloom in spring, and fun to pick in fall.

Over the years, I enjoyed fall color but gave up ever seeing fruit until 2010, when in fall the tree was covered in delicious pears.

Earlier this spring, the mystery was solved.

Pollinators made the difference, and not just my honeybees, although some of them were in the pear tree; the compact pear tree was covered with very busy wasps!










Charlotte

Hi, I'm Charlotte Ekker Wiggins and I write Gardening to Distraction an online blog and weekly newspaper column.

The name comes from a local newspaper writer who wrote a profile and noticed all my many green friends.

I've been playing with plants since I was 2 yrs old and poked coffee beans into my mother's favorite orchid.

I can blame it only partly on genetics.

Our family goes back 600 yrs to farming in Hungary, then immigrated to Louisiana to grow strawberries and make strawberry wine.

It does explain why my brother once said baking a strawberry pie was a waste of a perfectly good pie crust - we inhale strawberries!

Over the years, my chemical-free, 1-acre Missouri garden has become not only inspiration for a business and a weekly newspaper column, but a sanctuary for Missouri nature.

I'll confess, I have a messy garden; vegetables planted among flowers, Missouri wildflowers allowed to take over without being invited, birds and birdhouses everywhere; several small ponds full of wildlife, including snakes.  Two honeybee hives keep my garden company, and I don't believe in grass. Nothing personal, I just prefer spending my time in the garden doing something other than mowing.

I became a Phelps County Master Gardener in 2010 so I now have more people I can share my passion for gardening and ask for help!

In this blog, I also share personal gardening experience focused on USDA Zone 5, recently-changed to zone 6; Missouri nature adventures;  occasional trips to area gardens, as well as my adventure with a Missouri traditional - I call it a toy - vegetable garden.  

Why yes, I do like to garden!

Charlotte

Gardening to Distraction on a MO Hill

 

Please register for free gardening classes by Friday, March 4, 2011 with Phelps County Extension Office.

The free gardening courses are sponsored by Phelps County Master Gardeners Thursdays evenings at 6:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 801 N. Cedar Street, Rolla, Missouri.

To register for the free classes, contact Laura Faherty at (573) 458-6260 8-4:30 M-F or email Laura at FahertyL@missouri.edu.

There is no fee for the classes; instructions would like to know how many people to expect in each class so they can provide adequate reference materials.

Optional additional class materials may be available for a small fee.

Master Gardeners are trained community volunteers who help with a variety of community projects, including giving free gardening classes.

The three upcoming free gardening classes include:

March 10, 2011: Lasagna gardening and raised bed gardening.
 
Both techniques should help mid-Missouri gardens fare better since good soil around here is scarce.

This free gardening class will show how to best set up vegetable gardens for best production, including layering soil amendments (lasagna) and raised bed gardening.
                                                                            

March 17, 2011: Photography of flowers and gardens.
 
Great free course to get you inspired to take your camera into your garden.

Better yet, take your camera into someone else's garden to capture great gardening ideas! 

Besides enjoying the views, you can take pictures and develop a library of beautiful photos for later use..
                                                                           

March 24, 2011: Edible flowers, herbs and edible landscaping.
 
I love the intrigue of having beautiful flowers as part of my landscape that also happen to be edible.

Growing herbs can also dd interest to a garden landscape and be handy for that cook in your family.

Delicious, too!







Charlotte

Gardening to Distraction on a MO Hill