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.
“What are the best LED grow lights for indoor growing of herbs and vegetables?” Question from Terrance of Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Answer: It is essential that LED lights be labeled as “full-spectrum” for indoor growing. Without going into too much detail, LEDs must provide light at the wavelengths needed for full plant health, growth, and flower and fruit production. This is because plant chlorophyll gathers light at wavelengths over a broad spectrum (view the chlorophyll wavelength chart by clicking here).
There are lots of companies that produce full-spectrum LEDS for indoor growing. Some of the more respected names in LED grow lights for serious growers and pros include California Lightworks, Fluence Bioengineering, and Lumigrow. Smaller LED grow light sets for hobbyists are also available. Look for good reviews to get a sense of quality and customer satisfaction.
Large LED grow light systems can be quite pricey, but they work the best. If you invest in some, be sure your plants are placed close enough to the bulbs for good growth and spaced well to capture full light on all sides.
Still, no indoor grow light works as well as natural sunlight. A room lit with sky lights, a sun room, or a greenhouse will always give you the best growing results.
“I planted a banana tree early this year, and it just seems not to be growing. And my cherry tree seems to be dying, and why is it supposed to be in full sun or half shade? It’s in full sun. And my pomegranate tree bloomed but didn’t produce fruit.” Questions from Carol ofJoaquin, Texas
Answers: It sounds like you are having lots of fruit tree troubles. I’ll tackle each question separately.
Slow-Growing Banana
Banana trees are typically fast growers. You have the warmth bananas need in your East-Texas location, so I’ll detail the other things bananas require to really thrive.
Bananas grow best in full to partial sun and well-drained soil that’s very high in organic matter and has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Amending your banana’s soil with lots of rich amendments, such as Black Gold Garden Soil or Peat Moss, would do the trick. Next, they need lots of regular water to grow to their fullest. Their huge leaves require more-than-average irrigation to become truly robust. Bananas are also heavy feeders and require a monthly application of a balanced fertilizer formulated for tropical fruit.
Make certain your banana is planted in a protected spot because they grow poorly where there are high winds. In winter, be sure to cover the crown with plenty of compost or bark mulch to help it survive.
Dying Cherry Tree
Cherry trees can survive with less sunlight. They just won’t grow or produce flowers and fruit as well without full sun.
How old is your cherry tree, and do you know what variety you have? There are many cherry diseases that could be causing it to decline. Do you see any symptoms, like leaf spots, stem cankers, or dying branches? This information will help me identify the problem. A photo would also help.
I also recommend you take a look at the Texas Plant Disease Handbook for Cherries (click here to view it). It may help you determine what’s causing your tree trouble.
Fruitless Pomegranate
How old is your pomegranate, and do you know the variety? If you planted it recently, it usually takes two and a half to three years before a tree successfully sets fruit. There are several other factors that can reduce fruit set. Pomegranates are adapted to arid and semi-arid climates, so high humidity has been known to negatively impact fruiting.
Lack of pollinators is also a common problem. Most pomegranates are self-fruitful, but they still benefit from cross pollination for better fruiting. If you only have one tree, try planting another, and be sure to plant plenty of pollinator-friendly flowers around.
I hope this info helps. Feel free to send further information about your cherry and pomegranate trees.
“I really like to grow strawberries, but it’s so difficult here in Florida, finding the right time of year and location in our yard plus dealing with pests. Can they be grown inside?” Question from Lisa of Bradenton, Florida
Answer: Don’t totally give up on growing strawberries outdoors. When grown outdoors in Florida, strawberries are grown as annuals and planted in fall for spring yields.
Outdoor Strawberries in Florida
If you want to give outdoor strawberries a try, it’s all about the timing and strawberry choice. The earlier the variety, the better. In fact, many have been bred specially for Florida growing. Of these, ‘Chandler‘ (medium, early fruit, Florida friendly) and ‘Radiance‘ (high early yields, Florida friendly), come highly recommended. (To find more strawberries suitable to your Central-Florida growing area contact your local extension agent by clicking here. I also recommend you read the University of Florida page about growing strawberries.) For planting guidelines, please watch the video below.
Indoor Strawberries in Florida
Strawberries also grow very well in greenhouses, conservatories, or sun rooms. The key is providing high light and managing growing temperatures, water, and food. You also need to be sure you choose everbearing/day-neutral varieties that will produce fruit through winter. Of these, I would choose the highly disease-resistant day-neutral strawberry, ‘San Andreas’, or the high-yielding ‘Evie 2’. (Nourse Farms has lots of great day-neutral varieties that can be purchased as early as January for indoor growing.)
Cross-pollination increases fruit set, even though strawberries are largely self-fertile. Poor pollination can result in small or misshapen fruit, so indoor growers may considering cross-pollinating flowers by hand for better fruiting. Just take a small brush and move pollen from one flower to another.
If you have enough indoor sunlight for strawberries, invest in a space-saving strawberry tower. Fill it with quality potting mix, such as Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix, which is approved for organic gardening. Soak your new strawberry starts in water for a few hours, plant them in your tower, add a slow-release fertilizer for fruiting, and water until the soil is just moist (never wet). Strawberries grow best in temperatures between 60°F to 80°F. If you see any pests on your plants, spray them with an OMRI Listed insecticidal soap.
I hope these guidelines help! Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and happy strawberry growing!
“What is this giant insect? Does it bite? It’s almost 3 inches across!” Question from Mary of Delaware
Answer: Even though it looks like a giant mosquito, this insect is harmless. It is called a giant crane fly (Tipula abdominalis), and it does not bite, sting, or damage plants in any way. Giant crane flies are attracted to night light, so they are often seen around porch or outdoor lights in the summer and fall months.
“Are the petals and leaves of garden sunflower blooms toxic to eat?” Question from Caroline from Evansville, Indiana
Answer: Stick to the seeds when it comes to eating sunflowers. The flowers and leaf and stem hairs contain a mixed bag of chemicals called sesquiterpene lactones that commonly cause bad reactions in humans–both on the skin or if ingested. In fact, they commonly cause dermal allergies, so it’s smart to use gloves when cutting stems for arrangements.
These chemicals can also poison cattle. According to the Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, cattle poisoned by sunflowers show the following symptoms: “circulatory failure, swaying of hind quarters, excitation, and collapse 1-3 h after ingestion. Postmortem findings include lung edema, small hemorrhages and congestion of intestinal blood vessels, and dark- colored blood (Cooper and Johnson 1984).” YUCK!!!
Fully matured sunflower seeds do not contain these bad chemicals, but immature seeds can, so be sure seed heads are fully mature and dry before harvesting any sunflower seeds for eating.
“Are most apples sold today genetically modified?” Question from Anne of Portland, Oregon
Answer: No. The only commercially available genetically modified apples on the market are non-browning apples sold under the name Arctic® apples. These were just made available to consumers in November, 2017. So, how do these apples resist browning? The researchers involved didn’t add a foreign gene to the apples. Instead, they learned how to turn off the apple gene that creates the enzyme catalyst that causes apple cells to turn brown when exposed to air.
To date, all other apples on the market are not genetically modified. In fact, renewed interest in antique and heirloom apples has made many old varieties newly available to consumers. And many hot supermarket varieties, like ‘Honeycrisp’ (1960 discovery) and ‘Granny Smith’ (1868 discovery), are happenstance discoveries that have been around for quite a while.
If you want the best-of-the-best fresh, classic apples in your area, seek out local apple orchards or market vendors that sell nearby fruit. There’s nothing better than fresh, local apples in fall!
Poppy seeds, dill seed, fennel seed, coriander, and caraway—it’s like having the makings of an everything bagel in the garden. All of these culinary seeds are costly to buy but easy as pie to grow and collect.
Seeds used for seasoning food are technically considered spices, and like most homegrown things, they taste stronger and better when harvested fresh from the garden. The most common, popular edible seed plants are planted in the spring and early summer and set seed by early to midsummer. And many, such as dill, fennel, and cilantro/coriander, are also favorite leafy herbs—making them doubly useful to grow.
Caraway, Fennel, Dill, and Coriander
Coriander seeds are the fruits of cilantro plants. (Image by Sanjay Acharya)
The flower heads of caraway, fennel, dill, and coriander all grow similarly with Queen-Anne’s-lace-like blooms and tend to start blooming by late spring or early summer. By early to midsummer the heads have developed seeds. These plants usually self-sow in summer, offering a second seed harvest by mid fall.
Once dry, seed heads can be harvested. Just be sure to begin cutting them before the heads completely shatter, and the seeds fall to the ground. I generally target mostly dried heads, then cut them above a secure bowl or bag for collection. Once the seeds are separated from the dried heads, I pick through my harvest to remove any unwanted stem or leaf bits.
Poppy Seeds
Breadseed poppies have beautiful flowers that attract bees. (Image by Jessie Keith)
Breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum) seeds are another matter. The spring flowers are beautiful and attractive to many pollinators. Once mature, they create upright, shaker-like seed heads filled with the familiar round, black seeds. Once the heads are brown and dry, they are fully ripe. At this stage they can be simply cut and shaken into a bowl or bag. It also pays to run them through a fine sieve before storing.
There are some legal constraints to be aware of before growing breadseed poppy. Though a common garden flower and edible seed plant, it is the same poppy from which opium is derived. The trade and consumption of Papaver somniferum seed within the United States is unregulated, and it is legal to grow for garden- and seed-production purposes, but it is illegal to manufacture opiates from the poppies. The Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942 made any Papaver somniferum cultivation illegal in the United States, but it was repealed in 1970. Still, unauthorized farming and processing of this plant is a felony crime, so be sure to grow your plants in small quantities and harvest them for seed alone!
Sesame Seeds
Sesame plants are pretty and produce lots of seed. (image by Franz Xaver)
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds are warm-season crops that thrive in summer sun and fertile to average garden soil. The upright plants are attractive and very easy to grow. Their bee-pollinated white or pink flowers are pretty and bloom all season, creating pods along the base of the stems, which are filled with sesame seeds. By fall, the plants begin to dry. Once they are fully dry, and the seed pods begin to open, cut the stems and shake the seeds out into a bag. Sesame seeds are best stored in a glass jar in the freezer to keep them fresh for baking.
Growing and Harvesting Edible Seeds
These dill seeds have already begun to shatter. (Image by Jessie Keith)
It should come as no surprise that these seedy plants can be weedy plants. Grow them once, and you will never have to plant them again, so long as they are planted in rich garden soil fortified with quality compost, such as Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. It just takes a few escapee seeds for new plants to germinate the following season. Just weed out what you don’t want, keep what you do want, and collect a new seeds each year for cooking.
Once you have collected your seeds, store them in a cool, dry place where they will remain useful and tasty for a long time. For storage, keep them in lidded glass containers kept in a cool, dry place. They generally maintain their flavor and freshness for 6 months to a year. These seeds make great gifts, and can be used to top breads or flavor meats. You can even mix poppy, fennel, and sesame seed together with rock salt and home-dehydrated onion for a garden-grown everything bagel topper.
How often should I water a jade plant? Question from Grady of Akron, Ohio
Answer: This may sound odd, but when I think about the best way to water a plant, I always consider where and how it grows in the wild. Jade plants (Crassula ovata) are succulents from southern Africa that naturally exist along thickets and rocky hillsides that are very dry through most of the year, especially in winter.
Container-grown jades should be watered infrequently from spring to fall (drench around two to three times a month and allow the pot to fully dry before watering again), and refrain from watering in winter. If allowed to sit in standing water or saturated soil for extended periods of time, your jade will quickly rot.
“What are some good smaller evergreens for areas that are a little shady and have clay soil? I’m in zone 6 Thanks!”Question from Erin ofKirkwood, Missouri
Answer: Whenever someone asks about evergreens for partial shade, I always turn to one of my favorite coniferous evergreens, Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata, shown above). It only grows to a maximum of 2 feet high but slowly spreads to over 6 feet, and will grow well in partial sun/shade. Its soft, arching stems are deep green in summer and turn bronze-purple in winter. Most references say it requires fertile soil, but Siberian cypress is quite adaptable to different soil types. Still, it would appreciate the addition of Black Gold Garden Compost Blend to its soil at planting time.
A non-invasive, non-coniferous evergreen for partial shade is Chinese box (Sarcococcahookeriana var. humilis). This soil-adaptable, spreading shrub reaches just 1.5 to 2 feet and 3 feet across. In the very early spring, fragrant white flowers appear above its dark green foliage. (Bees love the flowers!)
Perennial hellebores (Helleborushybrids) are also excellent evergreens for partially shady spots (learn more about growing hellebores in the article below). And, you can’t beat their lovely late winter flowers. Evergreen Solomon’s (Disporopsis pernyi) seal is another non-invasive evergreen perennial that slowly spreads and will withstand dry shade and tough soil.
If you want a native evergreen option, try Christmas fern (Polystichumacrostichoides). Not only is it fully evergreen, but it is drought tolerant and soil adaptable.
Clay soil can be considerably lightened and structurally improved with the addition of Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and Garden Compost Blend. I recommend adding both to your soil as you cut and prepare new garden beds or spots for new plantings.
“What is the best combination of soil/amendments when building a rose garden flower bed?” Question from Nancy of Denton, Texas
Answer: It’s an excellent question. A great part of successful rose growing is getting the soil right. The best soil for roses should have a good balance of porosity and water-holding ability in addition to a slightly acid pH between 6.5 to 7. Basically, roses need good drainage and ample organic matter, so plant them in a raised area with soil that drains well and then add lots of good amendments.
I also fertilize the soil at planting time. My favorite natural rose food is alfalfa meal, which has the perfect balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for roses. It really supports good growth and flowering. But, this is just one of many commercially available rose fertilizers to try.
Mulch really helps roses during the heat of summer, and I know it gets hot in Texas. My favorite mulches for roses are leaf mulch (chopped, partially composted leaves) or pine straw. Both look sharp and work well.
I also recommend you watch our recent Black Gold Video, Organic Rose Growing in Nine Steps (below)! I hope this helps!
