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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:This week we're going to take a look at a number of plants including chrysanthemums, luffa gourds, another AAS winner and more. We of course have our other usual items, including the reader mailbag where we'd like to get some reader input to help another subscriber. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) Chrysanthemums:
It is not unusual in late fall that our old friend Mother Nature will get lazy and forget to dump some moisture on the ground. But mums need that moisture in order to survive through the winter months. Here's what should be done: Beginning on or about September 1 water your Mum plants at least once a week to make sure they have plenty of moisture during the winter months. Your Mum will need that moisture even though the ground is frozen. After the Mum plant freezes, you'll want to cover them with straw or hay. If you feel the need to get rid of the brown frozen plant material, you can remove the tops of the dead plant. However, the Mum plant with its hard stems will collect snow and cause it to drift around the plant. Then when the snow melts in the spring, the moisture will help protect your plant from the freezing and thawing syndrome! There are hundreds of Mum cultivars to choose from and it can be difficult to choose the type and variety you'd like to grow. In spite of this, may we suggest at least one group of Button Mums and a few of the Stadium Queens which are a decorative Football Mum." The Button Mum creates a multitude of cream colored flowers that are generally the first to bloom in early fall. They are most often a domed plant with hundreds of cream colored flowers. When they start blooming you will know fall is not far behind. Stadium Queen is the largest Mum flower, and is very easy to grow. You can grow this flower into an even larger bloom by a process known as disbudding the plant. Thus, it will only produce one very large terminal flower on a stem – you simply remove all other buds from the plant except the bud you wish to flower. You will be amazed at the size of the flower, and your friend and neighbors will say "where did you get that beautiful Mum." *** 15% savings until December 17, 2003 *** 15% off all items on our most popular seed page. 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 man realized he needed to purchase a hearing aid, but he felt unwilling to spend much money. "How much do they run?" he asked the clerk. "That depends," said the salesman. "They run from $2.00 to $2,000." "Let's see the $2.00 model," he said. The clerk put the device around the man's neck. "You just stick this button in your ear and run this little string down to your pocket," he instructed. "How does it work?" the customer asked. "For $2.00 it doesn't work," the salesman replied. "But when people see it on you, they'll talk louder!" 4) Luffa Gourds:
The leaves and vines resemble cucumber foliage. The plants look like an overgrown zucchini or cucumber and the fruit will reach a length of two feet. The fruit remains a green color until thoroughly ripe. The Luffa plant is an extremely vigorous grower -- the vines will often reach 15 feet or more in length. Some gardeners like to grow them along a fence as a summer screen because it will likely cover the entire fence. The plants will flower and set fruit nearly all season long and will grow in Zones 4 to 9. We suggest planting the seeds in early spring indoors, then transplant them after all danger of frost is gone. Do this will prolong the growing season. The seeds will generally take up to two weeks to germinate. It is best to pre-soak the seeds in warm water for 48 hours for speedier germination. When you transplant, you'll want to space the plants about 12" apart. Be aware that the vines will quickly overrun your garden unless you plant them along a fence, or by a trellis where they can climb. If you want to use them for sponges, you can tell when the Luffa Gourd is ripe because the skin will dry and turn to a dark yellow. It is best to let the gourds harden after they ripen – they will no doubt then turn to a light brown. You should open the large end of the fruit and shake out the seeds; then soak the gourd overnight which will cause the skin to be more easily peeled off. Next, let the gourd dry in the sun or in a warm place. You should then have a soft bath sponge. G029 Luffa (Washrag Gourd) 5) Hanging Plants & Drainage:Watering hanging plants can create a dripping mess. Here are a couple of quick tips. Use a small pie tin to catch excess water. Simply hang the tin by punching three holes in the rim and tie a string to each hole and fasten to stakes driven into the soil inside the pot. If you don't want to have something hanging below the pot, you'd want to water the plant in the sink and before hanging it back up, put a cork in the drain hole. Click Image for Our Angels Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"I understand life isn't fair, but why couldn't it just
once be unfair in my favor?" 7) Reader Mailbag: Keeping Spiders Away "I'm looking for a plant I think is called osage orange. It is an
ugly plant but I have been told that they keep spiders away from your
home... I would like to plant some next year."
Osage Orange is a fast growing shrub often grown as a hedge. It has attractive foliage and a greenish flower. It is also used as a border plant in gardens and as a patio plant. The crushed fruits are said to attract and kill cockroaches. We are not aware that it has been proven to also kill spiders. Osage Orange has been known to "repel" certain insects including spiders. However, we're not sure if it will do anything other than keep spiders away from the shrubs. Perhaps other subscribers have had experience with this plant, or in getting rid of spiders. If you have, please drop us a note: mailto:gtt@rexseedco.com D1717 Osage orange (Maclura) -> 10 Seeds per Package $2.30 8) Tidal Wave Silver Petunia (2003 AAS Winner)
The Tidal Wave Petunia has a unique growth habit -- the closer together the plants are spaced, the taller they grow. If grown in a restricted space or given a trellis to climb, they will reach over three-feet in height. Because of this growth habit, they make an excellent ground cover. Unlike any other petunia, gardeners can decide the height of the mature Tidal Wave Petunia. If the plants are spaced 10-inches apart they will grow to a mounded hedge-like plant. It does not require pruning and more important it is known for its recovery from severe weather. Also because this petunia is adaptable to container culture it makes an excellent tall staked plant. If you space the plants 24-inches apart, they will perform more like a ground cover, spreading up to three-feet wide with a height of eight- to 12-inches. The Tidal Wave Silver resists heat and is a very low maintenance plant. It is truly a different kind of petunia in both growth habit and flower color. It has a silvery–lavender bloom. To make the seeds easier to plant, they are peleted. Check with your local garden center to see if they are available. 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 Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com 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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Mums are not entirely winter hardy in areas that have a "hard
freeze." If you are willing to spend a little extra time in late
fall with them, the chances are very good they will generally survive
in Zones 3 and 4.
The Luffa Gourd is commercially grown for its fibrous tissue for use
as a sauna or bath sponge. Most home gardeners are not familiar with
it because it is used as a bath sponge. However, you might want to
consider it because the fruit of this plant can be eaten as a squash
before it ripens or used like a cucumber in salads.
Here
is another winner of a 2003 AAS award, the Tidal Wave Silver Petunia.