Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.
Texas Frogfruit is a native groundcover that feeds bees and butterflies.
“Can you tell me, please, which ground cover plants do well in SW Florida, in a shady and wet location, as well as an area that is drier and gets sunshine most of the day!” Question from Colleen of Englewood, Florida
Answer: There are several groundcovers, for wet and dry areas, that are suited to your Zone 9 landscape.
Florida Groundcovers for Moist Shade
Ogon Golden Variegated Sweet Flag(Acorus graminius ‘Ogon’): This evergreen, grassy perennial will tolerate soil moisture, shade, and brings sunny yellow color to shaded spots.
Evergold Sedge (Carexhachijoensis ‘Evergold‘, Zones 5-10): Evergold produces moppy clumps of grass-like blades of green striped with gold. The plants will tolerate both moisture and shade.
Snow Drift Caladium (Caladium hybrids, Zones 9-11): All Caladiums are beautiful, but snowdrift is extra elegant and brightens shady spots. They will grow well in moist soils and shade.
Fizzy Mizzy™Sweetspire (Iteavirginica Fizzy Mizzy™): These compact shrubs grow well in partial shade, boggy soils, and are natives that feed wildlife. White, fragrant, spring flowers feed bees and butterflies and the fall leaves turn shades of russet-red.
Florida Groundcovers for Dry Sunshine
Texas Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora, Zones 8-11): This semi-evergreen groundcover reaches 3-6 inches and produces small pinkish-white flower clusters that feed bees and butterflies. The flowers may appear from late spring to fall. It is a Florida native that can tolerate sunshine and partial sun as well as moist and dry soils.
Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Minima‘), Zones 8-11: The evergreen Asian jasmine is compact, slow-growing, and it has deep-green, glossy leaves that are bright red when they first emerge. Throughout the growing season, it produces small, white flowers that are fragrant. Established plants tolerate drought and light frost.
“I have significant mobility problems now and can no longer bend over to plant like I used to. Do you have any recommendations for sturdy containers I can use for planting my flowers this year?” Question from Diane of Newark, Ohio
Answer: Any attractive, well-made raised planters should work well. Those made by Gronomics come highly recommended. They are sturdy, made in the USA, and have lots of elevated beds made of either finished or unfinished western red cedar or durable, fade-resistant vinyl. The elevated beds are tall enough to allow you to place a chair or stool beside them to weed and deadhead flowers as needed, and they look pretty enough for the front of the home. We recommend filling containers like these with Black Gold® Natural & Organic Flower and Vegetable Soil. It’s perfect for growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables, and it is sold in bulk bags.
“I live in the low desert of southern Arizona. The sun and heat are brutal in the summer, which is 6 months long. What are the pros and cons of using grow bag containers in this environment? Doesn’t the black fabric increase the heat in the root zone?” Jacqueline of Casa Grande, Arizona
Answer: I agree that black fabric grow bags would be a poor choice for low-desert gardening. The bags would heat up and lose water in a snap, even if filled with good soil that holds water. If you’re interested in gardening in containers, opt for very thick, light-colored ceramic pots. Light, reflective pottery, or stone, containers will help keep roots cool and hold water in. You might also consider creating raised beds or gardens made with hefty natural stone. Stone holds water very well and stays cool underneath–helping to protect plant roots. Using top-quality water-holding potting soil is also recommending. Both Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend and Black Gold Natural & Organic Ultra Coir potting soils get top marks for water-holding ability.
If you are interested in vegetable gardening, I suggest that you read our blog about high desert vegetable gardening by Maureen Gilmer. She uses straw bales to protect her vegetables from the high desert heat and drying winds. The method works wonders for her.
Happy gardening,
Jessie Keith
Here some more of our blogs for western gardeners.
“How can you stop dill from taking over your garden?” Question from Sylvia of Belle Plaine, Minnesota
Answer: The answer to this question is in the valuable flowers and seed heads of dill. Keep the seeds from dropping to the ground by eating the fresh flower heads in salads or dips, before they set seed. Of you can allow the dill seed heads to mature, and then collect the seed in bags to enjoy for pickling. It is fragrant, useful, and will last a long time in the spice cabinet.
As you have already found, if you let dill seeds drop to the ground, then they will sprout later in summer or even the following spring. If you have too many or do not like where they land, dig them and move them to your herb patch or simply scratch them away with a hoe. These delicate annuals are some of the easiest weedy herbs to weed out. Another option is mulching over garden beds in spring with a hefty layer of Black Gold Natural & Organic Compost. Dill seeds cannot germinate through several inches of compost.
“I have 4 raised beds, each 16′ x 3.75′ (60 SF ea.) I live in Georgetown, TX Zone 8. I have attempted to set up the planting plans for each bed for a 4-year rotation. This spring garden, going in now:
Bed 1: Garlic (planted last 11/1), and Kale. The Kale is still producing, and the garlic will be harvested in June. The Kale will be replaced with 4 cucumbers (on trellis) and 2 Zucchinis near the end of March.
Bed 2: This will have 18 hills of potatoes (planting tomorrow), and 30 stalks of sweet corn (mid-March).
Bed 3: Red & White Onions on one side, Lettuces & Arugula in the middlemost section, Shallots on the other side.
Bed 4: (had clover growing all winter, which I turned over a few weeks ago), Tomatoes over 2/3rds of Bed, with Sweet Basil going in mid to late March, and one end having carrots (just planted)
I am interested in knowing what to plant in the fall for each bed, and then the following seasons… I have a document with what I think should work from a rotation and companion standpoint, but I am not sure. I would really like to dialog with you to understand better the best approach so the beds can be productive throughout the growing seasons. I hope I have not put too much into this field.” Question from Russ of Georgetown, Texas
Answer: You have a very detailed plan, and it seems like you have everything under control. Still, as requested, I will try to answer your questions.
Heavy-Feeding Versus Ligh-Feeding Crops
In general, you want to follow up heavy-feeding crops that are disease-prone, like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and corn, with low feeding crops, like greens and small root crops, as well as nitrogen-fortifying legumes, like peas and beans. Heavy feeders should be placed on at least a three-year cycle. Four years is even better! Your clover winter cover crop is an outstanding choice that naturally adds nitrogen to the soil, like its close relatives, beans and peas.
Cool-Season Crops
The growing season can be started and ended with cool-season crops of all kinds. Good fall root crops that like cooler weather include beets, winter carrots, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips (click here to learn more about growing winter root crops.) Cole crops are also big cool-season vegetables. The best for fall are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and kale. Finally, cool-season greens and herbs are outstanding for fall, winter, and spring. Try arugula, lettuce, mache, and radicchio as well as parsley, winter savory, thyme, sage, and chives. Peas are an outstanding cool-season crop for late winter or spring down in Texas.
Sometimes it is also nice to clean up and cover vegetable beds with compost for the season and give them a rest.
Reused plastic cups make good seedling pots as long as you poke holes in the bottom.
Are you low on cash but want a summer garden? No worries. Seed starting can be very inexpensive if you know where to shop, when to plant, and how to succeed with as few resources as possible. Fancy seed-starting flats are not needed, reuse instead. Pricy grow lights can be bypassed if you have sunny window sills. Some quality seed vendors are more reasonably priced than others. Here are these and more tricks for seed-starting on a budget.
Some seed vendors have great prices and great seeds!
Some seed vendors sell high-quality seeds for less–for me “less” means between $1.50 and $2.50 per packet. My all-around favorite seed vendor for quality and price is Pinetree Garden Seeds. I’ve purchased from them for over 20 years, and their prices, selection, and seed quality are always outstanding. Another great, reasonable seed source is Botanical Interests (their flower seed collection is especially nice).
Other seed sellers offer lots of seeds for less. High quantity is especially useful for gardeners that grow lots of row crops, like carrots, beets, and beans. Franchi Sementi (also called Seeds of Italy) is one the best for low-cost bulk seeds. (They also have fun European vegetable varieties.) Packets may cost $4.50 each, but most contain hundreds of seeds per packet! It’s a super value. Pagano Seeds is another source that provides lots of seeds for a good price.
2. Know What to Grow When
Warm-season crops, like tomatoes, should be started indoors and not planted outdoors until the threat of frost has passed.
Plants for Indoor Sowing: Small-seeded, warm-season vegetables, herbs, and garden flowers, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salvia, petunias, impatiens, and basil, are best sown indoors in containers. I also start cabbages, kales, and lettuce indoors because they germinate better. I generally wait until plants are 6-inches tall or more before planting them.
Plants for Outdoor Sowing: Large-seeded, fast-growing plants, or those that are sown in rows, are best planted outdoors. Cool-season vegetables, like peas, carrots, beets, and radishes, can be sown outdoors in rows in early to mid-spring. Warm-season, large-seeded crops, and flowers, like beans, corn, okra, sunflowers, and zinnias, can be directly sown in fertile garden soil. I tend to start my cucumbers, melons, and squash in 4-inch pots of Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix outdoors in late spring. They germinate fast, and I let them develop several sets of leaves before planting them in the ground. (Click here to learn more about preparing vegetable garden soil.)
3. Reuse and Recycle
These warm-season herbs (basil, rosemary, and mint) were upgraded into tin cans for outdoor planting.
Frugal growers can cut corners by starting seeds in reused containers. Saving pots from the previous year’s nursery purchases is always an option if you have space, but, reused containers are also useful and educational for kids (reuse, recycle!). Clear plastic ventilated clamshell containers with lids and holes for aeration are especially useful. The lids can come in handy, and once they’ve served their purpose, I just recycle the cleaned containers.
When it’s time to upgrade seedlings into their own pots, there are lots of options, such as yogurt cups, cut plastic bottles, plastic cups, or washed tin cans with holes punched in the bottoms. Be sure to wash containers with hot, soapy water and rinse well before use. Halved toilet-paper tubes, paper egg trays, or eggshell containers are options for those who prefer paper or natural containers.
4. Choose Cheap Stakes and Labels
Save those Popsicle sticks!
Every kid in grade school started beans or sunflower seeds in a plastic cup labeled with a Popsicle stick. You can still save the sticks as free planting labels. (These, or any wooden label, are best marked with a heavy graphite pencil.) Another option is cutting up large plastic yogurt or cottage cheese containers into strips and trimming them into 3-inch labels. Simply using a sharpy to mark the outside of a cup or container is another option, but it’s always nice to have a label that you can transfer into the garden at planting time.
The most inexpensive stakes for holding up small tomato seedlings are twigs collected outdoors and then cleaned and cut to size. Wooden or plastic stirrers can also serve as small stakes. I usually secure plants with pipe cleaners or soft twine.
5. Soil and Fertilizer
If you want strong, happy seedlings, don’t skimp on soil and fertilizer. Good products will ensure good seedling growth from the start. Black Gold Seedling Mix is ideal for seed starting. If you’re starting very small seeds, it pays to purchase Black Gold Vermiculite to gently cover them. Not only does vermiculite hold water to keep the seeds from getting dry, but a gentle sprinkling also allows light to pass for seeds that require light to germinate, like lettuce. Diluted, all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer is gentle enough for small seedlings. Fertilization is not needed until sprouts have begun to put on their second and third sets of leaves.
6. Water for Success
Watering from the bottom will keep seedlings from being displaced and encourage deep rooting.
Using the right watering techniques, from start to finish, is essential to success. Use tepid water–seedlings don’t appreciate the shock of hot or cold water. Keep the soil just moist, never saturated, to avoid seed and seedling rot. To avoid saturated soils, mist the soil surface as needed until seeds have sprouted. Once they have sprouted and start growing, water from the bottom to encourage deep rooting and maintain dry surface soi, which discourages shore flies and fungus gnats. (Click here to learn more about these pests and their control.)
7. Use Natural Light
For indoor plants, the cheapest light is free sunlight that streams through south-facing windows. Ample light is required to keep seedlings from stretching towards the light and becoming long and leggy. Six to eight hours of sunlight should be enough. If you have too little sunlight, fluorescent lights in a shop-light fixture are the least expensive supplemental lighting option. Some fluorescent bulbs are specially designed for plant growth and cover up to 94% of the light spectrum. In general, fluorescent bulbs are not very strong, so they must be placed just inches above plants for best reception and growth. Shop lights are easily set up above a basement bench, along a shelf, or in an informal office space.
8. Always Harden Seedlings Off
Hardening off seedlings prepares them for the travails of the outdoors. (Hardening off means acclimating seedlings from their cushy indoor growing conditions to the windy, sunny outdoors where temperatures fluctuate.) Indoor-grown seedlings are tender, weak stemmed, and need time to adjust. If planted in a tender state, they may develop leaf burn, suffer stem breakage, and die. Harden them off for at least a week before planting. Place the potted plants in a protected spot that gets a few hours of sun per day. Then move them a little more towards the light and in the wind each day. After a week or so, they should be tough enough to plant in the garden.
9. Know When to Plant Outdoors
When sowing seeds directly in the ground, we recommend covering them with a light layer of compost or vermiculite for better germination.
It pays to know when to plant what outside. If your timing is off, excess cold or heat can be deadly.
Spring and Fall Vegetables: Cool-season vegetables, seeds and starts, can be directly sown in the ground in spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Amend the soil with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend, label rows, and cover newly planted seeds with a light layer of compost before watering them in. Keep them just moist, and they should sprout as the soil gets warmer.
Seed saving is easy, saves money, and ensures that your seeds have come from a reliable source (your garden!). Smart seed saving requires that you (1) allow your seeds to fully mature, (2) clean your seeds properly, (3) store your seeds correctly, and (4) know exactly what you are saving and storing. Step 4 is essential. If you are collecting seed from a known heirloom plant, you can feel pretty safe that the seedlings will perform like the parent plants. But, if you save seed from a hybrid, expect the progeny to be mysteries awaiting discovery because they may look nothing like the parent from which you collected them. (Click here to learn more about heirloom seeds, and click here for more seed-saving tips from the Seed Savers Exchange.)
“My pear tree has some large rotten holes on the trunk. What can I fill these up with (concrete)?” Question from Craig of Big Bar, California
Answers: That is an excellent question. The key is cleaning up trunk holes to stop the rotting process. Concrete won’t cut it (it’s also a chainsaw hazard), but there are some practices and products that will. Wound healing and closure is the goal. Here are my suggestions for treating your peartree trunk holes in four steps.
Gently scrape away the soft, rotted wood in the holes to reveal the living tissue. Take care not to cut into any protective firm wood or living tissue! I recommend wearing Kevlar gloves to protect against potential cuts and using a planting knife to remove any bulk, loose deadwood, and a wood-shaving tool to scrape away dead wood closer to the living tissue. Clean your tools with a 10% bleach solution, before and after work, to avoid potentially spreading disease.
Once the holes are free of dead tissue you can either leave them to naturally heal, if the damage is just peripheral, or you can treat them with an antifungal spray and effective tree-wound sealer.
If you want the extra protection of a fungicide and sealer*, I recommend first spraying the area with liquid copper fungicide spray. Once it has dried, try using quartz-based Tree Bandage, which is promoted by foresters and is said to be breathable and truly protective.
If you want to fill the hole to keep animals out, I suggest using a high-powered stapler to stable a piece of strong screen over the hole. But, if you like animals this step is unnecessary.
“Is Sunshine Advanced Mix #4 considered a living soil? If not, do you sell a living soil product?” Question from Glenn of Leland, Illinois
Answer: “Living Soils” are considered soils that contain microorganisms that naturally break down organic matter and help support plants. They contain beneficial mycorrhizae as well as other supportive microorganisms from earthworm castings and compost. We have several Black Gold soils and Sunshine soils (our sister brand) that contain living elements, which benefit plants and soil quality. These include:
Products with Earthworm Castings
Black Gold Earthworm Castings: Castings are the waste products of earthworms, and they are rich in beneficial microorganisms. So, all of our products that contain them are living soils.
Black Gold® Natural & Organic Potting Mix: This fertile potting mix contains earthworm castings as well as natural compost and is OMRI Listed for organic gardening.
We hope that this helps you choose the best mixes for your growing needs. If you want a mix with endomycorrhizae and the added boost of castings, then we suggest you purchase some BG Castings to add to the mix.
“What do you recommend for growing microgreens and baby lettuces? I am interested in buying your products at retail for now to test.” Question from Karman of Indianapolis, Indiana
Answer: We recommend growing microgreens and baby lettuce in OMRI Listed Black Gold Seedling Mix. Our seedling mix holds water well and is porous and fine, to encourage the development of small roots and shoots. To find BG seedling mix, search for stores that carry it in your area via our Store Finder or purchase it online at Ace Hardware or Urban Farmer. We also recommend purchasing seeds from a quality source, such as High Mowing Organic Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Truleaf Market. They all offer a wide selection of microgreen seeds.
When growing microgreens at home, we recommend starting them in well-drained flats or large seedling trays as you would start any seeds. (Click here to read our many useful seed-starting blogs.) Fill the pots with a pre-moistened seedling mix, evenly sprinkle seeds along the top at a good density, and cover the seeds with a plastic hood to keep them from drying out. Place the flats in a sunny window or beneath grow lights, then keep them lightly misted and irrigated until they have sprouted. Once they have sprouted and begun to develop second leaves, microgreens can be harvested.
When growing baby lettuce, space seeds around 1 square inch per seed, being sure to surface-sow them (lettuce seeds need light to germinate). Once the lettuce plants have sprouted and developed several sets of leaves, they can be harvested. I also encourage you to watch the video below about great lettuce varieties and how to grow them.
The large-fruited ‘Orange Accordion’ is uniquely beautiful and delicious. (Image thanks to Baker Creek Seeds)
2020 was quite a year–with more downs than ups for most of us. One bright spot was the big boost in gardening nationwide. New gardeners arose from every corner of the country, trying their hand at raising their own vegetables, flowers, herbs, and house plants. It’s equally bright that this year offers no shortage of new and exciting herbs and vegetables. Promising new introductions, for both novice and seasoned gardeners, are diverse and many.
New 2021 Herb Introductions
The golden leaves of Drop of Jupiter have a delicate oregano flavor that is best suited for fresh eating in salads, soups, and sandwiches. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Herbs with improved performance and ornamental traits are always welcome in the garden. Here are my favorite picks from the wealth of new herbs offered by top seed vendors and online nurseries. (Click here for tips about how to grow different herbs.)
Several new and improved basils are offered this year, and two are on my to-get list. One that will be new to my garden, is the disease-resistant Amazel Basil®sweet Italian basil from Proven Winners®. The tasty variety has large leaves and is sterile, so it never flowers and stays sweet. Another is the highly disease-resistant ‘Rutgers Passion’, a new Italian basil available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds. The classic, large-leafed plants have notably sweet, aromatic leaves and are slow to bolt.
Amazel Basil® is sterile, so it always stays sweet and leafy. (Image by Proven Winners®)
The unusually ferny cilantro‘Confetti’ is a tasty new variety from Johnny’s Selected Seeds that is fast growing and ideal for baby greens. It yields herbal greens in just 30-35 days from seed! If you prefer more traditional cilantro then grow ‘Marino‘, a new introduction from Park Seed. It has large, lush leaves and the vigorous plants are very slow to flower, which means more cilantro for longer.
Proven Winner’s ‘Drops of Jupiter’ ornamental oregano is both attractive and delicious, with mild oregano flavor. Its chartreuse leaves look extra pretty when the numerous purplish-pink flowers appear in midsummer. The beautiful flowers are also edible and attract bees and butterflies.
New 2021 Vegetable Introductions
‘Green Light’ cucumber is a high-yielding, sweet, seedless cucumber that’s a 2020 AAS winner. (Image by All America Selections)
There are so many new vegetables on the market, it was hard to know where to start when choosing the best picks to present and try in my own garden, but I managed.
I jar pickles, so I always grow cucumbers. That’s why I could not pass up the 2020 AAS award-winning Beit-Alpha-type cucumber ‘Green Light‘. It has small, crisp, sweet, seedless cucumbers that yield early. Each compact vine can produce up to 40 cucumbers, and fruits may begin to appear as fast as 42 days from seed!
Edamamesoybeans are making their way into American vegetable gardens where they are grown just like string beans. (Click here to learn how to grow string beans.) The new, prolific, early-yielding edamame ‘BeSweet‘ bears lots of flavorful beans excellent for steaming and eating from the pod.
Okra lovers can plant fewer plants and get all the okra they need with ‘Heavy Hitter‘. The new offering from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds produces huge yields of tender, green okra pods over a long period of time. Harvest pods regularly to keep production booming.
‘Orange Accordion’ tomato is juicy, flavorful, huge, and ornate. (Image thanks to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
Flavorful slicing tomatoes are my favorite, and the super disease-resistant heirloom-type tomato ‘GinFiz‘ from Johnny’s Selected Seeds is on the top of my list. It has the five traits that I look for in a tomato: sweet full flavor, beauty, vigor, excellent disease resistance, and good yields. Another impressive slicer I’ve chosen is Baker Creek’s large-fruited ‘Orange Accordion‘. It is reportedly very delicious and uniquely beautiful with its deeply lobed, accordion-shaped fruits of bright orange. Pot and patio gardeners will want to try Proven Winners® miniature Tempting Tomatoes®Patio SunshineCherry Tomato. The tiny tomato plants become covered with so many fruits that they start crowding the foliage. (Click here to learn how to grow tomatoes from seed to harvest.)
Tempting Tomatoes® Patio Sunshine Cherry Tomato is tiny but a productive powerhouse. (Image by Proven Winners)
Bell-pepper lovers should try the new disease-resistant, high-yielding ‘Karisma‘ bell from Park Seed. The blocky, thick-walled sweet peppers produce continuously throughout the season and turn from green to bright red. For even blockier sweet red bells borne in high quantities on larger plants, try ‘Double Up’–just be sure to cage the plants for needed stability. Small-space gardeners can try the new, compact Pot-a-Peño jalapeño pepper, which is ideal for container gardens. This variety also happens to be 2021 AAS award winner, which means it is sure to perform well. (Click here to learn how to grow your own peppers.)
Pot-a-Peño jalapeño is a 2021 AAS winner. (Image from All America Selections)
The deep-purple Asian eggplant ‘Shikou’ is a very early producer of tender, long, flavorful eggplants that produce one week earlier than many other varieties of its kind. It is remarkably heat-tolerant and will also withstand limited drought.
Summer and winter squash are not in short supply when it comes to new offerings. The perfect little golden patty pan ‘Lemon Sun‘ produces lots of little uniform squashes. It’s a good choice for baby vegetable growers. Winter squash lovers will swoon over ‘Harvest Moon‘, a long-keeping, blue-skinned winter squash with a pumpkin shape and bright orange flesh. The Burpee exclusive has heirloom looks, sweet flavor, and keeping power of up to a year. Those with less space can try ‘Goldilocks‘ acorn squash. The 2021 AAS winner displays lots of orange, sweet, and nutty acorn squashes on bush-type plants.
‘Harvest Moon’ is a new winter squash from Burpee with heirloom looks and great flavor. (Image by W. Atlee Burpee & Co.)
My fall vegetable garden will certainly contain the dusty purple, mini ‘Bonarda‘ broccoli. It looks beautiful, tastes delicious, and winters over well, from fall to winter, like a perennial. If planted in mid-fall, its small, colorful broccoli florets will be produced the following spring above white and green leaves.
Now’s the time to purchase seeds for these vegetables, if you are inclined to grow your own from seed (click here to learn how). Vegetable gardening is still hot, so hot that seeds are selling out at record speed, so now is the time to buy. You may also want to pick up a bag of OMRI Listed Black Gold Seedling Mix while you are at it.
