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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:We are finally finished with our Vegetable Garden Planting Guide with Part Six. Never thought when we started it that it would take six issues. Other things this issue are a look at the Persian Buttercup, getting rid of poison ivy, a reader follow-up on Tansy, and more. 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) Persian Buttercup (Ranunculus):
The Persian Buttercup came to Europe about 1596 from Asia Minor. It is a bulbous perennial and is NOT frost hardy. The round, double flowers come in white, pink, red, yellow and orange, depending on the species. The tall varieties make magnificent cut flowers. The compact varieties are excellent for containers or window boxes. For better results you should choose an area that is in full sun to partial shade with well drained, sandy, slightly acidic soil. They will benefit from regular watering and bi-weekly applications of a water soluble fertilizer. After the plant has died in the fall, the bulb should be stored in a well ventilated, dry place where the temperature is between 45-50°F (7-10°C). They can be re-planted in the spring, or they may be grown from seeds. However, seeds are often difficult to obtain. The bulbs are best started indoors. The bulbs will have claws on the bottom - they should be planted downward about 4" deep. When the foliage appears, as we said before, fertilize on a bi-weekly basis. If your garden soil is compacted, hard, and composed largely of clay, you should work some sand and old compost into it. Persian Buttercup does not like extra warm soil. You may want to use a mulch to keep the soil cool and moist at the root level. This genus has about 400 species and any one of them will look great any place in your garden. They will do very well in pots or containers, if drainage is good and watering is never neglected, and if sufficient sunlight is available. Hot summer weather is not to their liking. During the flowering season you should remove all faded flowers to encourage the plant to keep blooming. For the best looking blooms, you should cut the flower stems when the blooms are in bud stage, not when they are already fully open or in full bloom. The flowers will last longer. The bulbs area generally quite inexpensive, thus saving the bulbs for the next year is not really much of an advantage. If you do want to save the bulbs, it is best to leave them in the ground until late fall; after removing them from the ground, cut the stems just above the bulb, then wash and air dry them for a few days in the shade. After that, place them in a cool place for the winter. Hope you enjoy Persian Buttercup.
3) Humor for Today:Nearing the parish church during his daily walk, a young man saw that a shubbery was on fire. He banged on the rectory door and told the woman who opened it she'd better call the fire department. She ran to the phone to place the call. She identified her- self, gave the location, and explained the situation. "You mean to tell me," said the emergency dispatcher, "that there's a burning bush on the church lawn, and you want us to put it out?!?" 4) Vegetable Garden Planting Guide: Part Six
Squash, Summer (yellow crookneck, zucchini, patty pan, etc.) Plant the seeds about one week after the last frost. For vine types, plant in hills about 4 feet apart. For the bush types, plant the seeds about 15" apart in rows 3 feet apart. Place the seeds about 1" deep. Squash, Winter (Blue Hubbard, Buttercup, Acorn, Butternuts etc) Plant these seeds in late spring for a fall harvest. Plant 6 seeds per hill, space hills 5 feet apart in all directions. After they start, thin to the 3 or 4 healthiest plants in each hill. Strawberry Strawberries require low temperatures to germinate, usually between 60-65°F (15.5-18°C). You should start the seeds inside about 8 weeks before the last frost. Place the seeds on top of a good sterilized potting mix, then press the seeds lightly into the soil. The seeds require light for germination so do not cover them. It will take about 4 weeks for the seeds to germinate so be patient. You should "harden off" the seedlings before transplanting outside. Space the seedlings about 10" apart in rows 3 feet apart. Sunflower, large types Plant the seeds outside after the last frost. Plant about 3 to 4 seeds per foot. They should be planted about ¾" deep in rows 3 feet apart. You should thin the seedlings to two per foot. Swiss Chard Plant the seeds outside after the last week of frost. You should sow 8 seeds per foot about ½" deep, in rows 3 feet apart. Thin the seedlings to 8" apart. Tomato Start tomato seeds in flats or peat pots 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. When you plant the seeds, cover them with about ¼" of soil, and keep the temperature warm. Before transplanting the seedlings outside, you'll want to "harden them off." Generally, they should be planted about 3 feet apart in rows 3 feet apart. For more information about tomatoes please visit our web site http://www.rexseedco.com/ Click on Shop for Seeds, there you'll find a link for Tomato Cultural Information. You'll find excellent information about tomatoes. Turnip Sow the seeds as soon as you can work the soil in the spring. You can broadcast the seeds on the soil or plant them in rows. Cover the seeds with ½" of soil. You can thin the seedlings to 3" apart. Watermelon Plant watermelon seeds well after the last frost. Plant the seeds six per hill, with hills about 6 feet apart in all directions. Cover the seeds to 1" deep. Thin the seedlings to 2 plants per hill. That's it! Hope we haven't missed too much. 5) Highlight on Herbs: Reader Follow-upLast week we had an article on Tansy. Because this issue is a little long, we thought we'd share a follow-up from Stephanie. "I love your publication! As an English teacher and a certified Virginia nurseryman (woman, person), perhaps I can help. I am surprised that in your feature on tansy you did not mention its easiest use-as an immediate insect repellant. "Since the medieval times, tansy has been planted at doorways to repel ants - particularly "sugar ants" - that want to run all over the kitchen counter. Plant tansy in the doorway and you will never see another one! Track any ants by their trail into the house - window casings, loose thresholds - stick a piece of tansy there to get immediate results. Easy." Stephanie HR219 TANSY (Tanacetum vulgare) Save
up to 70% at gardeners.com Outlet 6) Quote for Today:"There is only one real failure in life that is possible,
and that is, not to be true to the best one knows." 7) Poison Ivy: Getting Rid of the StuffPoison ivy, oak and sumac are most dangerous in the spring and summer; this is when the active irritant content, urushiol, is high, and the plants are easily bruised. But be warned, that doesn't nean the plants aren't dangerous during the winter. Dormant plants can still cause reactions. It has even been reported that people have been "infected" by using the twigs of the plant for firewood or the vines for Christmas wreaths. Even dead plants can cause a reaction, because urushiol remains active for several years after the plant dies. If your yard is infested, according to horticulturist David Yost with the State of Virginia, "there's really no good news for you." The two herbicides most commonly used for poison ivy-- Roundup and Ortho Poison Ivy Killer--will also kill other plants, so you really need to be careful. Spraying Roundup on the foliage of young plants will kill the poison ivy, but if the poison ivy vine is growing amidst your prized garden, the Roundup will kill your wonderful plants, as well. It is possible to apply the herbicide to the poison ivy without killing other plants if you pull the poison ivy vines away from the desirable plants and wipe the ivy foliage with the herbicide, or use a shield on the sprayer to direct the chemical. If you don't want to use chemicals, manual removal will get rid of the ivy if you're diligent. You must get every bit of the plant--leaves, vines, and roots--or it will sprout again. But here comes the big warning -- be careful! The plants should be thrown away according to your municipality's regulations. Although urushiol will break down with composting, we don't recommend doingit -- but if you insist, be sure the plants are chopped into small pieces first. Remember, any handling increases the time you're exposed to the plant and risk a rash. As we mentioned above, never burn the plants. The urushiol can spread in the smoke and cause serious lung irritation. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that whenever you're going to be around poison ivy--trying to clear it from your yard or hiking in the woods--you wear long pants and long sleeves and, if possible, gloves and boots. When handling poison ivy, wear plastic gloves over cotton gloves. Plastic alone isn't enough because the plastic may well rip, and cotton alone won't work because after a while the urushiol will soak through. Having had poison ivy rash (Tom), we know it is something we don't want anyone else to have to deal with. It is miserable. 8) Trivia: RatsHere's something we bet you never thought you'd see in the Green Thumb Times, an article about rats. Yes, rats! This has nothing to do with gardening, but we often throw in interesting little tidbits, or trivia, for you to think about. Did you know that rats are excellent climbers? They can climb trees and enter houses through second story windows. One type of rat, the roof rat, is an agile climber -- they've been known to climb the ourside of a 3" diameter pipe (or any size) which is within 3" of the wall. Rats are capable of climbing INSIDE vertical pipes that are 1/2 to 4" in diameter. They are excellent jumpers and can even drop from a height of 50 feet without seriously harming themselves. They can tread water for three days and hold their breath for up to three minutes. They can even swim sewer lines against strong water currents. Now you know why some of the larger U.S. cities are concerned about rats -- they can travel so easily. 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@rexseedco.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@rexseedco.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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We're
finally at the end. The sixth installment of the Vegetable Garden Planting
Guide. We hope you've picked up some useful information.