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Table of Contents

1. Editor's Comments
2. Roses (Part II): Winter Protection
3. Humor for Today
4. Keep a Young Tree Growing Straight
5. Ginkgo Tree – Maidenhair Tree
6. Quote for Today
7. Reader Mailbag: Rooftop Vine Garden
8. Bible Garden Seeds
9. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

1) Editor's Comments:

We want to let everyone know that we may not be publishing an issue next week. Vacations happen, and vacations taken where you have no Internet access makes it quite difficult to publish an Internet newsletter. The only possibility is if we finish the next issue on Wednesday and we are able to send it out early. But we don't want to hold ourselves to that tight a schedule.

On another note, for those of you receiving Green Thumb Times at an attbi.com address, we'd love to know if you've made the transition to comcast.net so we can change your address. We have quite a few of you.

Now about this issue. We continue our rose series talking about ways to ensure you'll have roses again next year. We also take a look at keeping a young tree straight, our reader mailbag, and more.

As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note.

Tom Krueger
tomkrueger@rexseedco.com

Rex Gregor
rexgregor@comcast.net

"Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World"

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2) Roses (Part II): Winter Protection

We know it is still early in the year, but we want to be sure to mention winter protection for your roses because it is an important thing to remember as you care for them.

Cold hardiness is directly related to where the rose originated. Roses developed in the colder environments of Europe have a good cold hardiness. Roses developed in the warmer climates of Texas are less hardy.

Most Hybrid Tea Roses, Floribundas and Grandifloras will need extra winter protection in northern climates. In general, Tea Roses may have a problem in Zone 6, and they will need special attention in Zone 4.

At the onset of fall - generally the first week of September here in Minnesota (Zone 4) - nature will begin a process called 'hardening off'. The rose plant cells thicken as they prepare for dormancy. You can recognize the thickening when the canes turn a purple or brownish color.

DO NOT FERTILIZE after the first week of September. If you apply fertilizer during the fall, the rose will continue to develop new growth instead of beginning the hardening process.

Cutting spent flowers is known as 'deadheading.' I suggest you do not deadhead your rose flowers after the first week of September. When you deadhead, the rose plant gets a signal that says it has more work to do, and it will start to send more energy to the buds for development of new growth instead of beginning the hardening process.

Deadheading is an excellent practice in the summer months but it sends the wrong signals in the fall. With fall deadheading, your rose bush will not store enough energy to make it through the winter, and your rose bush may not make it.

All perennials, including roses, need to have moisture and energy during the winter months even if the ground is frozen. This is the reason you must "deep water" your plants before the ground freezes.

Another key to winter protection of your roses is a procedure known as 'mounding.' You do this to insulate your plants. (Fluctuating temperatures and drying winds are the real danger to your rose bushes.)

Haul composted dirt to your rose bed. Do not take dirt from around your rose bed because there is the danger of removing some dirt already protecting the roots. Remember, the roots of a rose plant may search for energy and moisture by sending hair roots several feet away from the plant. If you disturb these hair roots, you run the chance of killing your plant. It needs the energy and moisture from these tiny roots in the winter time.

Cover the bud unions and lower portion of the existing rose canes with composted earth. Cover the base of the plant with 12 to 18 inches of dirt.

Later, after the ground freezes, put a layer of mulch around and in your rose bed. Snow is an excellent cover for roses, but you cannot depend on it. Pine straw, compost, or dry tree leaves will do just fine. Do not use grass clippings because they will mold and may cause future problems.

When the ground thaws in the spring, remove your mulch and with your garden hose, gently wash the dirt off the base of the plant. This will clean the tender buds and will help the plant into earlier bloom.

Next week we'll recommend some of our favorite rose seeds to grow. We'll also give you the link for another rose site with some fantastic rose pictures.

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*** 15% savings until August 14, 2003 ***

Bible Garden Seeds

We've included an article below listing some of our favorite Bible Garden Seeds. Thought it would be a good reason to offer a discounted price.

Sale ends August 14, 2003

Enter the Store and Click on the Sale Link
Click Here

The discount will not show up in your shopping cart -- we will take care of it for you before finalization of your order. (No other discounts apply.)

3) Humor for Today:

A lawyer says to a witness on the stand, "Now, sir, did you, or did you not, on the date in question or at any time, say to the defendant or anyone else that the statement imputed to you and denied by the plaintiff was a matter of moment or otherwise? Answer me, yes or no."

The witness looked at the lawyer, "Yes or no, what?"

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4) Keep a Young Tree Growing Straight:

Have you wondered how to keep a young tree growing straight and tall, and for a way to have it resist bending in the wind? Here's a tip for you.

Simply brace it between a pair of wooden stakes. But you don't want to have the stakes up against the tree. Use two 6-foot long stakes and drive them 2-feet into the ground a few inches outside the root ball. Of course, you'd have them on opposite sides of the tree.

It is then important to have each stake deal with the tree independently from the other. Using several lengths of flexible heavy-gauge wire, you'd string it through some scrap garden hose which you place around the tree to protect the bark from the wire. Then place a notch near the top of your stakes and tie off the wire in this notch.

After two to three years, when the tree's root system has become well established, you can safely remove the stakes and your tree should be straight and tall.

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5) Ginkgo Tree – Maidenhair Tree:

How would you like to grow a prehistoric tree in your front yard? Certainly it would be a conversation piece.

The Maidenhair (Ginkgo Tree) is considered the oldest living species in the world. Their fossil records date back to the time dinosaurs roamed this earth. These trees were widespread throughout Europe and North America during prehistoric times. Many were destroyed during the Ice Age. Also, they would likely be extinct today had it not been that some Buddhists Monks planted some in their Temple Gardens as early as 2800 B.C.

In general, the Maidenhair Tree will grow from 80 to over 100 feet tall. They have an incredible ability to resist insects and pollution. They are a beautiful ornamental tree.

It is also known as an excellent tree to discourage deer from roaming your field or yard. It is a slow growing tree that will grow about three feet per year.

Bonsai enthusiasts also use them to create Maidenhair Bonsai Trees. They make a beautiful specimen, particularly in the fall when the small Bonsai trained leaves turn to a striking golden hue.

We invite you to visit the Ginkgo Page link included on our Bonsai seed page. It is located near the top within the description for the Ginkgo Beloba. You'll be fascinated by the material found from this link. It is a non-commercial home page that has had over 1/2- million visitors.

If you are interested in growing Ginkgo Beloba (Maidenhair Tree) it is item #D2977 also found on our Bonsai page. 3 seeds per pkg. $2.30

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Cold Climate Gardeners are passing up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them highly.

6) Quote for Today:

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."
-- Warren Buffet

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7) Reader Mailbag: Rooftop Vine Garden

I have a rather bland roof deck, about 400 square feet with wooden railings, I'm thinking of placing multiple thin flower boxes around the base of the entire deck and letting vines of some kind grow and fill in all wooden latticed areas.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You first stop should be the American Horticultural Society's Heat Zone Map to determine which variety of plants will grow best in your area. It can be found at http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_map.htm

You describe your winter conditions as being typical. Does this mean the soil in your "grow boxes" will freeze in the winter months? If so, the soil in the plant containers will likely "freeze dry," which means perennial plants will no doubt not make it through the winter months. The ultimate result is the need to replant the boxes every year. Since perennial vines are generally more expensive, a better choice for you would be to choose an annual type of vine.

Since most vine type plants need to have an extensive root system, you might want to plant the vines in five or ten-gallon decorative containers and space them around your railing. To save time and work, you may want to consider watering each container using a greenhouse-type plant watering feeder. These systems are generally quite inexpensive and not difficult to install.

You can hide the small water outlets along the deck railing and then place the watering end in your container. When the plants need water, you simply turn on the water. You can even automate the process by controlling it via a computer chip.

See: http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/p_watering3.html or go to your favorite Internet search engine and search for Greenhouse Water Systems.

You can certainly take a look through our selection of vines. Visit http://rexseedco.com or Click Here and then click on the Vines link.

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8) Bible Garden Seeds:

A few years ago we created "Seeds for a Bible Garden." If there is a plant mentioned in the Bible not listed in our Bible Garden it is probably because these seeds are not commercially available. Since starting this program, Churches from around the world have started Bible Gardens and hundreds of Churches have emailed us. Recently we started making regular donations to Kids Care, a non-profit Church-sponsored organization helping families provide child care to financially distressed parents.

Here are some of our favorite Seeds for a Bible Garden. To see the whole list, visit http://rexseedco.com and visit the Bible Garden Seeds page.

B1098 BIBLE PLANTS for AMERICAN GARDENS
This book is an accurate account, both historically and horticulturally of herbs, flowers, grains, reeds, and other plants, telling the BIBLICAL stories and sayings associated with them. Author: Eleanor Anthony King Paperback -- 204 pages. 1 Copy $8.65 plus $3.50 Shipping & Handling

BG02 CAPPER BUSH (Capparis spinosa)
A spiny shrub that grew in profusion around the hills of Jerusalem, Egypt, and in the desert. Its pickled bud produces the commercial caper. Can be grown in containers. 5 Seeds per Package $2.90

D2228 COMMON OLIVE (Olea europaea)
The olive branch is mentioned several times in the Bible (Ps. 52:8), (Zech.4:3), (Deut.33:24), (Job29:6). This is a most useful tree which can be grown in any temperate climate. Can also be container grown. The tree itself is attractive and usually becomes gnarled with age. It bears the olive of commerce. The flowers are tiny and yellow, the foliage a light grey-green. 5 Seeds per Package $2.90

BG01 COMMON GRAPEVINE (Woodland Grape, Vitis spec.)
The grapevine is mentioned in the bible -- (Isa,5:7), (Isa.27:2,3.6), Jer.48:11), (Zeph:1:12), (Matt.9:17) and in other verses. We are not sure of the botanical variety of grape that is described in wine making and vineyards in the Bible, but since almost all grapevines look alike, we settled on a wild form of grape. These grapes are tart and have a delicious flavor. The plants are hardy to Zone 4. 20 Seeds per Package $2.90

P35 EDIBLE DATE PALM (Phoenix datylifera)
The edible date palm was a prominent plant in Biblical times. It was the largest native tree in Egypt because forest or timber trees would not grow in the rainless regions. Was a very valuable source of food and provided welcome shade for travelers. References to the palm can be found in (Lev.23:40), (Exodus 15:27), (I Kings 6:29) This palm is commercially grown throughout the Middle East for its delicious and abundant fruit. Can be easily grown indoors. Outside, it will grow to the 80 feet with a 12" trunk covered with attractive leaf scars. The leaves are feather shaped with a beautiful gray-green coloration. A fast grower. 10 Seeds per Package $2.60

Please visit our Bible Garden seed page to see all of these fascinating plants.

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9) Subscribe/Unsubscribe

This 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.

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Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher
tomkrueger@rexseedco.com

Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor
rexgregor@comcast.net

Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend.

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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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