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Author: JESSIE KEITH

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.

How Do I Transplant a Japanese Maple Seedling?

How Do I Transplant a Japanese Maple Seedling?

“I recently bought a house in Long Island, NY, and found a 2-foot tall Japanese maple tree (I believe it is a Red Emperor Maple) growing under a much larger tree. The maple apparently sprouted naturally. I would like to transplant it to a more open space. When is the best time to transplant the tree?  See pictures of the tree and proposed a new planting spot. This open location will get much more sun, will that be a problem? Any advice on transplanting (size of root ball; conditioning soil) are welcome. From my reading it seems that it is best to transplant the tree before the first frost in autumn, the root ball should be the diameter of the drip line, and the new soil should be well-draining and mixed with lots of organic matter.” Question from Ron of New York, New York

Answer: The tree looks healthy, and the planting spot looks just fine, but seedling trees like this little Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8) have one flaw relative to nursery stock. Their fine, spreading roots are not as dense as those of potted trees, so they do not transplant as well. There is one way to increase root density for better establishment, root pruning.  If you prune the roots in fall, the tree will be ready to plant before it leafs out in spring. Here’s how.

How to Root Prune a Tree Before Transplant

You will need a sharp flat spade (King of Spades is best), gloves, and probably some pruning shears to cut away the ivy. Trim the ivy away, clear the area to begin digging. Shoot for a root ball with a circumference of 8-10 inches around the tree. Using your sharp spade, make clean, slightly angeled cuts down to the full length of the spade. You may run into competing tree roots from the larger tree. Cut around them as best you can. Once you have made the cuts all around, leave the tree until spring. Where you made the cuts, new feeder roots will grow over the winter to help the tree become well established when you move it in spring, so you don’t need to cut along the drip line.

In spring, pull away the mulch, and dig a hole that is several inches beyond the height and width of your tree’s root ball. Break up some of the backfill to help plant the tree, and reserve the rest to fill in the hole you will create by digging up the tree.

Next, gently dig around your maple along the lines and cuts you made in fall. You will have to dig a bit beyond the cuts to get any roots that you missed towards the bottom. You should see new root growth along the cuts. Wrap the root ball in plastic or burlap to keep it together. If it breaks apart a little, your tree should still make it. From there, I recommend that you click on this link to follow Russell Stafford’s guidelines for planting a new tree.

As to the variety of your Asian-native Japanese maple, it is difficult to say. These maples seed in from planted landscape specimens, and the seedlings are not necessarily true to parent. With that said, it should still be a fine tree. They can reach a maximum height of 25 feet, so it will provide some shade in your front yard.

Happy tree planting!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do You Grow Cilantro Indoors?

How Do You Grow Cilantro Indoors?

“What is the best practice to ensure a window-sill cilantro plant will thrive? I have a green thumb and can grow or rehab practically any plant/flower/herb/garden. However, each time I’ve purchased a cilantro plant, it wilts after a few months. I only water when dry. Thank you!” Question from Ann of Raleigh, North Carolina

Answer: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a short-lived annual herb that grows best in full sun and cooler temperatures between 65–70°F. That’s why it dies away after a few months after flowering. It’s just what annuals do. My recommendation is to start it from seed in pots along a sunny windowsill and keep replanting as needed.

Growing Cilantro from Seed

Cilantro seeds germinate well in Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Sow the seeds, cover them lightly with 1/8 of an inch of soil, and water them thoroughly. Then keep the seeds lightly moist by spritzing them with water. Expect them to sprout in a week to ten days. Then keep the soil just moist by watering from the bottom. It also helps to apply an application of water-soluble fertilizer weekly after they begin to grow. Typically, you can start trimming the leaves for cooking after a few more weeks. Microgreens can be harvested earlier.

Cilantro remains leafy for only a couple of months before it starts to send up stems of white, lacy flowers. If you let it flower and set seed, you can harvest and dry the coriander seeds for pickling and cooking. If you prefer cilantro, then pull the plants as they flower, and plant seeds anew. You might even maintain a couple of pots and plant them several weeks apart to ensure you have a constant flow of cilantro.

Some cilantro varieties stay leafy longer than others. ‘Calypso‘ is one of these. It is generally ready to harvest 50 days after planting.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Mildew, Insects, and Rodents Damaged My Vegetable Garden. Help!

Mildew, Insects, and Rodents Damaged My Vegetable Garden. Help!

“My raised bed gardens were a disaster this year!  Mildew, cabbage worms, rodents – even though I thought I had great organic soil mix and high enough barriers.  What can I do this fall to get a great start next spring?” Question from Glenda of Sewell, New Jersey

Answer: I am sorry to hear that your vegetable garden was a downer this year. Different pests and diseases need to be dealt with in different ways. Here are some recommendations and resources.

Ways to Ward Off Vegetable Garden Pests and Disease

  1. Clean up. The best way to ward off pests and diseases is to remove all plant material from your vegetable garden in fall and do the same in early spring when winter weeds abound. It removes the overwintering eggs of some pests as well as plant-borne diseases.
  2. Go no-till. Each season, my no-till garden gets covered with a 2-3-inch layer of compost to stop weeds. Rodents cannot find a safe harbor in this type of mulch, unlike straw and leaf mulch. (Click here to learn how to create a no-till vegetable garden.)
  3. Plant resistant varieties. The more disease- and pest-resistant the vegetable varieties you choose, the better.
  4. Space plants and rows well. Increased airflow and space in the garden will dissuade many diseases, pests, and rodents. (Click here for more tips for tackling rodents and other mammalian pests.)
  5. Plan for pests: If your cabbages have had cabbage worms in the past, expect the worms to return. Apply pre-emptive applications of safe, OMRI Listed BT spray to stop them in their tracks. By learning the life cycles of different pests that have plagued your garden in the past, you can plan precise strikes with the correct pesticides.
  6. Give your plants a good head start. Choose (or raise) the healthiest plants you can. Large, robust seedlings have a greater chance of resisting pests and diseases and producing high yields. If growing plants from seed, be sure to give your seedlings plenty of light and room to develop stout, dense growth, and ample root systems. (Click here for seed-starting tips.)

I hope these tips help. You may also want to watch the video about overcoming powdery mildew below.

Happy vegetable gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do I Protect My Tomato Fruits from Insects and Slugs?

How Do I Protect My Tomato Fruits from Insects and Slugs?

“How can I keep bugs and slugs from destroying my tomato fruit? They totally decimated my crop this year leaving me nothing to can for the winter months.” Question from Sylvia of Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Answer: There are several things that you can do to ensure that insects and slugs don’t damage your tomatoes. Here are six methods.

Six Ways to Stop Pests From Eating Tomatoes

  1. Clean your vegetable beds up completely in the fall, and till lightly in the spring. This will remove any overwintering pest eggs.
  2. In the spring, apply a layer of quality compost as a surface mulch to stop weeds and create an open, weed-free layer to keep slugs away (slugs often hide in weeds).
  3. Use tall tomato cages, and prune your tomatoes to keep developing fruits off of the ground and away from slugs and critters.
  4. Apply diatomaceous earth at the base of your tomato plants to deter slugs. You can also use Sluggo, a good slug killer that is approved for organic gardening.
  5. Plant your tomatoes in the full sun (8+ hours) at least 3-4 feet apart, leaving space between plants. This will discourage slugs, which cannot withstand the sun and avoid open ground.
  6. Apply BT spray, which is also approved for organic gardening, if tomato hornworms or other caterpillars attack your plants and fruits.

Finally, be sure to choose good tomato varieties for northern gardeners for better yields. (Click here for more tomato growing tips and varieties for northern gardeners.)

I hope that these tips help!

Happy tomato growing,

 

Is Early October Too Early to Plant Turnips From Seed in Zone 7?

Plant Turnips From Seed

“Is it too late to start turnips from seed in zone 7?” Question from Patricia of Warrenton, North Carolina

Answer: It depends on your weather and the turnip. On average, they take around 40-50 days to yield roots from seed. If your Novembers remain reliably mild, then plant them. Another option is to build a cold-frame for growing winter root vegetables and greens. (Click here for  Tips for Cold Frame Gardening)

Good Turnip Varieties

If you want to give them a try, here are four excellent varieties:

  1. Old-fashioned ‘Purple Top White Globe’ (50 days) is a classic turnip with white roots, purple tops, and good flavor. The young leaves are favored in the South for turnip greens.
  2. Red-rooted ‘Scarlet Ohno Revival’ (50 days) is pretty and delicious fresh or cooked.
  3. White-rooted ‘Tokyo Market’ (35 days) grows very fast and has a fruity, sweet flavor, making it good for fresh eating.
  4. The purple-skinned ‘Nagasaki Akari Kabu‘ (50 days) is very flavorful and colorful.

Make sure to work up the soil before planting them and amend it with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. I generally cover the seeds with a light sprinkling of Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss to help them stay moist and sprout quickly.

Happy gardening!

Jessie

How Do You Store Winter and Summer Squash?

How Do You Store Winter and Summer Squash?

“On storing squash for winter where is the best place to store a rather large abundance of fresh zucchini, spaghetti squash, and butternut squash.” Question from Jennifer of Wataga, Illinois

Answer: Summer and winter squashes are stored very differently. Tender zucchini and summer squash have a relatively short shelf life of a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, and they freeze fairly well but freeze even better as tasty baked goods. That’s why many gardeners bake and freeze zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate chip muffins, among other yummy treats. If you want to try freezing zucchini: wash, blanch, ice, and then freeze it in proper storage bags. (Click here for the steps.) Zucchini can also be made into relish for canning.

Storing Winter Squash

Tough-rinded winter squashes, like butternut, acorn, spaghetti squash, and pumpkins will often store well for months in a cool, dry place. Dry basements or cool mudrooms are perfect. You can also refrigerate them if you have space. Sometimes, I will process my pumpkins for pie and soup and freeze the frozen mash. This is another option. (Click here to learn how to cook pumpkins for mash and pie.)

I hope that these tips help!

Happy fall,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

 

How Do I Get Pomegranate Trees to Set Fruit in Florida?

“I live in Southwest Florida (Englewood, FL) to be exact. I bought 3 Pomegranate Wonderful trees and planted them about 3 years ago. They’re really not doing much of anything. They just exist. They refuse to flower, they barely have grown at all, and one just clings to life and is constantly yellow. I planted them with storebought soil at the base, and fertilize with 6-8-6. They are in almost full sun, get plenty of rain this time of year…but they just don’t do anything.” Question from Nikki of Port Charlotte, Florida

Answer: Pomegranates are Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fruits adapted to cooler winters and hot, dry summers. Florida is not their ideal climate. They need heat, dry weather, and rocky, well-drained soils. As horticulturist Maureen Gilmer wrote: “So long as the local climate is within the cold tolerance range (USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11) and summers are not humid and rainy, pomegranates should thrive. Untimely rains in the fruit’s late-summer and fall ripening season can also cause rinds to crack open prematurely, spoiling the contents.” (Click here to read the full article.) They also like a soil pH range of 5.5 to 7.2. If your soil is more acid or more alkaline, then they will struggle to get the nutrients they need, which may explain the leaf yellowing. Excess water can also cause leaf yellowing and encourage fungal disease.

Growing Pomegranates in Pots

You can create sandy, rocky mounds for your trees, but your better bet is to grow them in large pots in a sunny spot under cover from the rain. Once you can control how much water they get, water them weekly after they become established. More water is needed as trees as setting roots and during very hot times.

Choose a large pot that’s several inches larger than the tree’s root balls. We recommend planting in a well-drained potting mix. Black Gold® Natural & Organic Flower and Vegetable Soil with 1:5  ratio of soil to Black Gold Perlite for increased drainage would work well. Feed with a fertilizer formulated for citrus trees. Follow the manufacturer’s directions. (Click here to read our full article with basic potting instructions.)

As your trees grow, prune them as needed in late winter. Any long suckers or crossing branches should be removed.

We hope that these steps lead to many flowers and pomegranates!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do You Grow Potatoes?

How Do You Grow Potatoes?

“I grew potatoes this summer. I planted them the correct way and they started to grow. I kept covering the leaves with dirt (leaving the top leaves uncovered.) The vines grew like weeds. It kept covering them but a few days later they would be out of control again. I had them in containers. Eventually, I had no way to build up the sides of the containers and I had to stop covering them. When I stopped covering them the covered vines were about 4-5 feet tall. I went to harvest them a few days ago and I had three minuscule potatoes. It was a lot of work for very little reward. I just wonder why they grew so fast. Obviously I did something wrong.” Question from Michelle of Lynchburg, Virginia

Answer: It sounds as though your potatoes put all of their energy into leaf and stem growth and hardly any energy into developing storage tubers, or potatoes. The plants should have died back before harvest. That is the indicator that they are ready to dig.

There are several reasons why your potato harvest was unsuccessful. Let me provide an overview of how to grow potatoes and increase tuber development to help you troubleshoot.

How to Grow Potatoes

Place straw of leaf mulch between berms for easy weed care and walking.

Potatoes need full sun, fertilizer, average water, cool, and then warm growing conditions to produce well. Grow a known potato variety, so you can determine when to harvest. Some produce potatoes early, midseason, or late. ‘Yukon Gold’ is a good mid-to early-season yellow variety to try, ‘Carola’ is a good late yellow variety, and ‘Dark Red Norland’ is an excellent mid-to early-season red-skinned type.  Knowing the variety gives you information about expected performance, yields, and harvest time.

Start beds as soon as the soil is workable–often a month or more before the last frost date. Till the soil and work in lots of organic matter, like Black Gold Garden Compost Blend and peat moss. Finally, create a 3-inch furrow down each row for planting the potatoes.

Four Steps to potato planting.

  1. Plant potatoes in furrows five to six weeks before the last frost date of the season. Place robust seed potatoes in furrows 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. Sprinkle in a fertilizer formulated for potatoes, and them berm soil over them to a height of 12-18 inches. (The berming process reduces the hilling process.)
  2. After several weeks, potato shoots should rise from the berms. Once they are 8-10 inches tall, start hilling. Cover the stem bases with 3-6 inches of soil. Do this twice. (This is also the time to manage Colorado Potato Beetles. Click here to learn more about managing potato beetles naturally.)
  3. If conditions are dry, irrigate moderately, as needed, until the potato plants flower. Keep beds hoed and weeded. It helps to place straw or leaf mulch between the rows to reduce weeds.
  4. Once the plants flower, let them be and withhold water. Within a couple of weeks, the tops should turn yellow, die, and dry out.

How and When to Harvest Potatoes

At harvest time, you should have lots of potatoes to fork up from your planting mounds.

New Potatoes can be harvested as soon as the plants begin to bloom. Wait for larger potatoes. These can be harvested after the plants have fully died away. You can harvest all of your potatoes at this time for storage, or just harvest them as needed. Be sure to get them all out of the ground shortly after the first frost of the season. Otherwise, they will develop an unpleasant sweet flavor.

If you are growing potatoes in a container, adapt these growing principals to your potted garden situation. If I were to harbor a guess, I would say that you kept watering and nurturing your plants, which caused them to look robust and happy but discouraged tuber development.

I hope that these tips help.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How To Repot House Plants in Six Steps

Your once beautiful house plant has begun to look stressed. Maybe it’s lost some leaves, quit growing, needs more frequent watering, and has visible roots on the soil surface. Then you remember that it’s been three years since you repotted it…That means it’s time to upgrade its container home to improve better growth and overall appearance.

General House Plant Repotting Notes

All of these plants need to be repotted. To save money, I plan to pot the aloe in the red pot of the Ming fern asparagus. (Image by Jessie Keith)

Different plants have different potting needs–cacti need excellent drainage, most orchids grow best in bark, and hanging baskets like moisture-holding mixes–but there are also a lot of general requirements. Unless you are growing aquatic plants, all potted plants need pots and soils that drain well. Good light is required, so know a plant’s light needs before you try to grow it in your home to make sure that you can support its needs. Supplemental light is an option, but it is never as good as natural light. All potted plants require fertilization at different levels with different foods. When growth ramps up, all plants need more water, and when growth slows down, all plants need less water.

Pick the right-sized pot with drainage holes and a saucer to catch water. I like thick. heavy ceramic pots that last for years. (Image by Jessie Keith)

Finally, repotting is best done in spring, before house plants do most of their active growing, or in late summer to fall when they can grow a little before winter. I find that most house plants grow best if brought outdoors in summer. Just be sure to clean them up well before bringing them back inside before frost. (Click here to learn how to clean plants before bringing them indoors.)

Repotting House Plants in Six Steps

Good repotting technique is done in six easy steps. You just need a new pot, fresh potting soil, fertilizer, water, gloves, and pruning shears.

After cleaning the red pot, and preparing my potting soils, my aloe is ready to pot! (Image by Jessie Keith)
  1. Pick Your Pot: Select something beautiful that you will want in your home for the long haul. There is no reason to have plain plastic pots when you can have elegant ceramic ones.  Pick pots that are 2 to 6 inches bigger than the original. Small, slow-growing plants need pots that are just a bit bigger, and large, fast-growing plants need larger pots. Deep-rooted plants need deeper pots and shallow-rooted plants need shallow pots. All containers should have good drainage holes unless you are growing an aquatic plant. (Click here to learn how to plant potted water lilies.) Fast drainage encourages water flow and aeration, which roots need. Pick a sturdy saucer to catch water. Water-impermeable pots, like resin, grazed ceramic, or stone, hold water better. Pots made of TerraCotta and cement are porous and lose water more quickly. If you inherit a pot with no drainage holes, drill holes in the bottom with a pointed drill bit. (Be sure to wear gloves and safety goggles.)
  2. Pick Your Soil: Common house plants grow well in any good-quality, all-purpose potting mix, such as Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix or Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Some plants, like African violets, cacti & succulents, or terrestrial orchids need specialty mixes with different levels of drainage and water-holding capacity.  That’s why we make Black Gold African Violet, Cactus and Succulent, and Orchid Mix. Hanging baskets need extra moisture, so we recommend mixes with high water retention, like Black Gold Natural & Organic Ultra Coir or Waterhold Cocoblend. All of our soils are natural & organic, and many are OMRI Listed for organic gardening.

    The roots of this Aloe were pot-bound but have been slightly loosened for better growth in the new pot. (Image by Jessie Keith)
  3. Prune Shoots and Unbind Roots: Remove any dead or unwanted stems and loosen any intertwined (pot-bound) roots, so they will grow well into the new pot and mix. Gently tease tightly-bound roots apart. If they are very dense, make cuts along the base and loosen the roots along the cuts. If your plants look good and their roots are not tightly bound, then bypass this step.

    The aloe is being planted in 1/2 Black Gold Cactus Mix and 1/2 Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Provide enough soil to leave a 1-2 inch space at the top for watering. (Image by Jessie Keith)
  4. Repot: Remind yourself to leave at least 1-2 inches at the top for water. Place screen or a few pebbles over the bottom holes to hold soil (not necessary for my red pot with a built-in saucer and side drainage holes). Then add a layer of soil at the bottom. Place the plant in the pot and center it. Make sure it is not too high or low. Add mix to the sides and gently pack it in for good root-to-soil contact. Make sure there are no holes in the soil. Level the top, and add any decorative pebbles, moss, or shells along the soil, if you like.

    Lightly pack the soil along the sides. This is a good time to add slow-release fertilizer. (Image by Jessie Keith)
  5. Water: Use a watering can to gently water until all the soil is saturated and water fills the bottom saucer. In general, rewater when the soil is dry down to a knuckle’s depth. (Click here for a detailed article about how to water house plants.)
  6. Fertilize: Pick a fertilizer that’s well-matched to your plant. There are many specialty types for orchids, succulents, and foliage plants. Be sure to follow the product instructions. I like using slow-release fertilizer, such as Proven Winners Continuous Release Plant Food.
Topdress with shells of pebbles, if you like, water the plant in, and it is potted! (Image by Jessie Keith)

Newly potted house plants will not produce new top growth until they set new roots, so give them extra good care and a little time. Very soon they will be growing happily as if they had never had a problem in the first place.

Why Won’t My Dahlias Bloom?

Why Won’t My Dahlias Bloom?

“I have tried everything to grow Dahlias. They come up sometimes to about 1ft and never bloom.” Question from April of Dresden, Tennessee

Answer: I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your dahlias flowering. There are several factors that impact dahlia blooming, including light levels, fertilizer, and dahlia type. First, provide them with full sun–eight or more hours per day is best. Feed your plants with a quality fertilizer formulated to encourage flowering to boost blooms. Finally, choose more compact dahlias with a free-flowering nature. Try varieties in the Gallery Series, which are more compact and flower nonstop. Dahlias in the Happy series are also outstanding when it comes to repeat bloom. Happy Single Flame is especially pretty with its hot pink and yellow single blooms. For more information, I encourage you to read the following blog and watch our video about growing Dahlias to perfection. (Click here to read All About Growing Dahlias.)

Happy Dahlia growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist