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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:This is an interesting week for Green Thumb Times. You'll notice that almost all our content is based on reader questions. We have some input from our fertilizer article; some advice on growing poppies; and handle the topic of greenhouse forcing. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Plant Care: Pruning
So why do we prune? There are a number of reasons. You should prune to remove weak, diseased or dead branches; to correct damage from wind or ice storms; to reduce water loss after transplanting; to give a plant a special shape, such as a hedge or topiary; to remove dead flowers and seed pods; to encourage flowers and fruit growth; or to rejuvenate an old tired shrub or plant. It is important to think about your goal and what you want to accomplish before you take that first cut. Step back and look at the plant from all angles. Try to visualize the ultimate outcome before you cut. Always, always before pruning, make sure your tools are clean and sharp so you don't tear or split branches. Good sharp tools will help prevent die back, and won't create unnecessary wounds where disease and insects may enter. You'll want to start with the obvious problems like diseased or dead wood and branches. Move next to remove crossing stems or branches. When you cut, always cut close to the flower buds at a 45 degree angle without injuring those buds. If your cut is opposite a bud, cuts may be perpendicular to the branch. Finally, recent studies show that wound sealants do NOT enhance the healing process! Using good surgical techniques will give you great plants. Cold Climate Gardeners
are passing up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into
the Minnesota
State Horicultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 3) Humor for Today:One Sunday a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to consider prayerfully giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick up three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000.00 bill in the offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he'd like to thank personally the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three handsomest men in the sanctuary and said, 'I'll take him, him and him!' 4) Fertilizer Follow-Up:
As you recall, we mentioned that a typical garden fertilizer was 10-10-10 which contain 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous and 10% potassium. What we failed to mention was that fertilizer numbering always has the three numbers in the same order - the first number is always nitrogen, the second phosphorous and the third potassium. And while we're on the topic, we want to mention that when you consider lawn fertilizers, you should check whether there are any state or local restrictions on the use of phosphorous. I know here in Minnesota there is great concern about phosphorous because of the negative impact it has on water quality. 5) Poppies:A reader from Michigan asked us whether poppies would grow in her location and whether she needed to start them indoors. We thought it would be a good idea to share this information with everyone. In fact, poppies can be grown in every U.S. state. Poppy seeds are easy to grow, but they do not like to be transplanted - thus it is best to start the seeds where you want the plants to grow. The plants prefer a sunny location with well drained soil. You can plant your seeds after all danger of frost has passed. As stated above poppies are very easy to grow. They are a favorite of gardeners in every state for use in rock gardens, flower beds, containers, and most any place you want color. A very nice advantage of poppies is they are self sewing, as long as you allow them to go to seed. You may only need to plant them once. Click here to visit our poppy page and you'll also find near the bottom of the page further sowing and care instructions. http://www.rexseedco.com/Poppy.htm Click Image for Our Orchid Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the
joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the
fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies." 7) Old Geezers:"Geezers" (slang for an old man) are easy to spot: At sporting events, during the playing of the National Anthem, Old Geezers hold their caps over their hearts and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them. Old Geezers remember World War I, the Depression, World War II Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age,the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing, not to mention Vietnam. If you bump into an Old Geezer on the sidewalk,he will apologize. If you pass an Old Geezer on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady. Old Geezers trust strangers and are courtly to women. Old Geezers hold the door for the next person and always, when walking,make certain the lady is on the inside for protection. Old Geezers get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth on TV or in movies. Old Geezers have moral courage. They seldom brag unless it's about their grandchildren. It's the Old Geezers who know our great country is protected, not by politicians or police, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country. This country needs Old Geezers with their decent values. We need them now more than ever. Thank God for Old Geezers! Pass this on to all the Old Geezers you know. 8) Reader Question: Greenhouse Forcing Tomato
There are two common definitions for "Green House Forcing Tomatoes" and unfortunately, this sometimes leads to confusion. "Greenhouse forcing" generally means the grower will grow the tomatoes in a heated greenhouse - the seeds are directly planted in the ground in the heated greenhouse. This method was started by some greenhouse operators some time ago in order to get "home grown" tomatoes to the market. Each grower decided what his/her favorite variety of tomatoes were to "Greenhouse Force" and the name stuck no matter what variety they planted. Then, some enterprising hybridizers created a variety they patented as a "Greenhouse Forcing" type. These were, in our opinion, no different then any common tomato, but they were simply grown in a heated greenhouse. For the second definition, it again rose from the desire to get "home grown" tomatoes to the market at an earlier time and thus "Tomato Forcing" became another method. Use of the phrase became standard among some farmers. This method meant the grower would plant as early as possible to get his crop to market earlier, often gambling on the weather. The likely result for the grower was a better price and thus more profit. Most folks know that there is a point where a tomato will turn a lighter green, and that if picked, it will still ripen. These farmers soon realized that if they picked their tomatoes at that point, and if they placed them in a warm area, the tomatoes would quickly ripen. They would again get a better price and more profit. Or, he could ship the tomatoes at that turning point and get them to the market ten days to two weeks early. The real problem "of forcing" the tomato to ripen by picking them when they start to turn color is that the fruit will loose some its flavor - there are those that contend they lose all their flavor! As every year goes by new methods are developed and new hybrids are replacing old ones. In fact, we hope to have more than 300 different varieties on our site soon. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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Pruning
is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of plant care and
maintenance. Pruning does NOT hurt plants -- far from it. In fact,
it is often necessary to prune in order to maintain good plant health.
But remember, not all plants should be pruned.
One
of our faithful readers pointed out something we should have mentioned
in our article last week about fertilizer. In fact, they raised such
a good point, we figured we better include it in this issue.
Here
is a question from one of our readers: "Hello. Can you please
explain what the term 'green house forcing type' means in your first
tomato selection? Does it mean that they can be picked green and 'forced'
to ripen while retaining their flavor?"