Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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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.

Can Air-Purifying Chrysanthemums be Grown Indoors?

“If mums clean the air of toxins so well, how can you benefit if it is an outdoor plant? Can it survive inside?” Question from Ruth of Windsor Mill, Maryland

Answer: Great question! It is true that NASA conducted a study of air-purifying plants (see the study here) and found chrysanthemums to be one of the best for air purification. Out of almost 30 plants studied, they found that mums removed all six air toxins tested, which included benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and ammonia. The only other plant that was just as air purifying was the peace lily (Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’).

Florists mums can be grown indoors, but they need a chilling or wintering over period to survive in the long term and flower yearly. Instead of going through the hassle of tending an indoor mum, plant a peace lily instead. It is a big, bold house plant with pretty white flowers, and it will purify your air just as well.

Peace lily performs beautifully in indoor low-light conditions. It has glossy, lance-shaped leaves, and white spring-to-fall blossoms. Plant it in Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix, and keep it moist, but be sure not to overwater it.

I hope this helps!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

I Need a Well-Drained Seed-Starting Mix

“I am looking for a well-draining mix for my seeds. In particular for delphinium, foxglove, and hollyhock seeds. I want to use your compost mix with your seedling mix. Do you think it is too much?” Question from Deb of Lynbrook, New York.

Answer: Instead of compost, increase the drainage of your seed-starting mix with perlite. I would mix two parts Black Gold Seedling Mix with one part Black Gold Perlite, which gives potting mix superior drainage. Both products are also OMRI Listed for organic gardening. This mix should give you the perfectly well-drained seed starting mix you want.

Happy seed starting,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do I Rid My Garden Soil of Tomato Blight?

“How do I get rid of blight (early and late) spores in my tomato garden soil?” Question from Thomas of Maineville, Ohio

Answer: Tomato early blight and late blight are terrible soil-borne diseases that all tomato growers fear. Thankfully, you can manage them once they get into your soil. I’ll provide an overview of each disease and its management.

Tomato Early Blight

Early blight (Alternaria tomatophila and Alternaria solani) can appear early in the life cycle of the tomato by causing seedling damping off (rot). At later stages it can cause stem cankers, leaf blight, and black fruit rot. You know your tomatoes have early blight when you start to see leaves with circular lesions, reaching up to 0.5 inches in diameter, with dark concentric circles inside.

Tomato Late Blight

Tomatoes with oily patches and plants with stem lesions and browning leaves – it’s not what a tomato grower wants to see because these are the telltale signs and symptoms of late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Most commonly known for causing the Irish Potato Famine, late blight is spread by a pathogen that survives and overwinters on infected plant material. Though it kills tomatoes more slowly than potatoes, it is equally lethal and destroys tomato fruits. If the plants are subjected to drought stress, the disease takes them more quickly.

Managing Tomato Blight

There are several methods for controlling and avoiding both blight diseases. If you have had blighted tomatoes in the past, rotate crops on a three-year cycle to help keep soil disease-free. This means rotating where you plant your tomatoes and allowing three years to pass before planting them in the same spot. The absence of live plants should rid the soil of the disease in this time. Also, scout for infected plants and immediately take them far away from the garden and compost bin. Bag and toss them instead. Finally, keep a lookout for and remove weedy tomato relatives that can harbor blight. These include nightshade and ground cherry.

To prevent further tomato blight from entering your garden, plant only healthy plants that you have grown from seed or purchased from a reliable grower. (Nothing is worse than being sold diseased plants!) Also, plant only blight-resistant varieties (check out this list from Cornell University).

In the garden, avoid moist soil by planting tomatoes in well-drained, aerated, raised beds amended with Black Gold Garden Soil and keep plants strong and vigorous by feeding them with a tomato & vegetable fertilizer. It also helps to encourage air-flow by spacing plants well and keeping them pruned (click below for a tomato pruning tutorial). Finally, drip irrigation helps keep plants drier to reduce disease spread. At the end of the season, clean all plant material from your garden for good measure.

Be diligent and you can beat late blight.

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

When Should I Plant Peas?

“When should I plant peas in New Mexico?” Question from Susan of Albuquerque, New Mexico

Answer: Peas are fast-growing cool-season crops that are best grown in spring, as soon as the soil can be worked, and during the mild days of fall. This is the rule of thumb no matter where you live. Cool weather, full sun, and fertile soil are required for great pea production. For best results, amend garden soil with a 1:3 ratio of OMRI Listed Black Gold Natural & Organic Compost Blend and lightly feed with an all-purpose organic fertilizer for vegetable gardening. Turn the soil to make sure it is light and friable.

Most peas need trellising. The lightweight vines will grow well on a moderately sturdy trellis consisting of bamboo posts fixed with tightly fitted netting. Even bush varieties can benefit from a low bamboo and twine support system.

Once your spring pea crop is spent, remember that you can plant a new crop again in fall. To learn more about planting peas, click here.

I hope this helps!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

What is the Difference Between an Annual and Perennial?

“What is the difference between an annual and a perennial?” Question from Christina of Wheeling, Illinois

Answer: These terms refer to the life cycles of non-woody or herbaceous (leafy) plants. Here are detailed explanations of both.

Annuals

Annuals live once a year, meaning they sprout, grow, bloom, set seed and die within one growing season. It’s easy to remember because the word annual means occurring once every year.

Many true annuals flower and set seed over a short period of time. The herb borage (Borago officinalis), is a perfect example of a short-lived annual. It grows in the cool spring, blooms in late spring or early summer and then quickly dies. Other annuals will bloom all season long before finally dying in fall. Common cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) and tall zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are two annuals that bloom through much of the growing season.

Perennials

Perennials live for three seasons or more. The word perennial means continually recurring, and these plants recur for a number of years, some for over 100 years.

Perennials have sturdy root systems that store lots of energy. These plants die to the ground during the winter months (though some, like hellebores (Helleborus spp.), may remain evergreen through winter) and have buds that rest along the soil surface or below the soil. When spring arrives, these buds sprout and new leaves emerge.

Perennial bloom times vary widely. Some may bloom in late winter while others may wait to bloom until the very end of fall. Still, others may bloom through much of the summer. That’s why it is important to know the bloom times of your perennials before planting. Cold hardiness also varies from perennial to perennial, so make sure a plant is hardy to your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone before buying.

Some perennials are short-lived surviving three to four years, while others, like peonies (Paeonia spp.), can live for over 100 years.

I hope this information helps!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Is it Better to Grow Onions from Seeds or Sets up North?

“Is it better to grow onions from seeds or from sets in my zone?” Question from Karen of Randolph, Vermont

Answer: Really it depends on how much money you want to spend and how long you want to wait for an onion crop. It is less expensive to grow onions from seed, but you have to start them very early to get a crop, especially when you have a shorter summer. It also depends on the type of onion you are growing. I would recommend growing spring/bunching onions and leeks from seed in your zone, but I would rely on onion sets for robust summer and fall onions.

Northern gardeners like you should also choose day-neutral or long-day onions. Both are sure to reliably produce a good crop up north. Try the day-neutral AAS-winning ‘Sierra Blanca’ or long-day ‘Redwing’ for great results. For bunching onions try the purple buncher, ‘Deep Purple’.

Onions grow best in loose, friable soil, so amend your soil with quality compost, like OMRI Listed Black Gold Garden Compost Blend, before planting. Fertilizing with bone meal will also help your onions along. If starting seeds, check out Black Gold Seedling Mix, which is also approved for organic gardening.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do I Amend My Garden Soil for Top Performance?

“Hi! I just moved into a new home, and my back yard is a blank slate, with sod throughout. I want to build some flower beds for roses, as well as raised beds – one for pollinator attraction and others for veggies. What would be my go-to soil and amendments, please? Thank you!!!” Question from Nancy of Denton Texas

Answer: For amending in-ground soil, my first amendment of choice is always compost, and Black Gold Garden Compost Blend is a great option that’s OMRI Listed for organic gardening. Our earthworm castings and peat moss are also great additives for enriching soil with needed organic matter.

Start by removing sod from your planned garden areas. Next, work the soil up deeply, add a 2- to 3-inch layer of your amendments, and either till them in or work them down with a garden fork. Organic matter will lighten your soil and help it hold water and nutrients better for improved vegetable and flower growth.

For raised beds, add bulk top soil and amend it similarly with compost, peat, and castings. Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix is also recommended for raised bed growing and is OMRI Listed for organic gardening. I also suggest adding a quality OMRI Listed fertilizer before planting. Just make sure your fertilizer of choice is formulated for the plants you intend to grow.

To make the most of your rose growing, I suggest you watch the video below.

Happy gardening at your new home!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do I Keep Fire Ants Out of My Raised Beds?

“How do I keep fire ants OUT of my raised beds? I’m in Texas, and those buggers are devastating! I hate to poison my food … any advice would be appreciated.” Question from Amy of Terrell, Texas

Answer: The red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is an introduced species that’s a painful problem down South, and gardeners with fire ant problems really pay the price. Thankfully, there are organic ways to manage them.

About Fire Ants

Let’s start with an overview of these pests. Fire ants create large mounds that can reach a foot and a half in height. A big colony may contain up to 200,000 worker ants and queens can lay up to 800 eggs a day. These pests thrive in southern climates and start causing troubles as soon as the soil warms up in spring. They are small, brownish orange, and have painful, venom-injected stings that hurt like fire. They like to feed on young plants and seeds, so they are attracted to gardens.

Organic Fire Ant Control

If you know where they are nesting in your raised bed, start with this simple method as early in the season as possible, before you start planting. Pour boiling water over their nests, being sure to cover the full nest area deeply. This will immediately kill nests in your beds.

Once you have weeded and turned your beds for the season, spray any ants you see with OMRI Listed spinosad, a natural bacterium that is toxic to insects like ants and approved for organic gardening. You can also buy spinosad ant bait traps for your garden, which won’t harm other insects. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Bait traps that container borax are another option.  Borax is a natural ingredient that is non-toxic to us. TERRO® Liquid Ant Baits work very well.

If more colonies appear, you can also cover them with diatomaceous earth (food grade). This has been proven to ward off ant colonies naturally. It also would not hurt to put rings of diatomaceous earth around your favorite plants.

Finally, another safe spray to use that’s effective in repelling fire ants is D-limonene (Orange Guard). It is OMRI Listed for organic gardening and is made from the extract of citrus peels. It really keeps ants away. Follow the manufacturer’s application guidelines.

I hope this helps with your ant problems!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

Can You Identify this House Plant?

“Do you have any idea what kind of house plant this is?” Question from Donna of Cape May, New Jersey

Answer: Yes! It’s a variegated rubber tree (Ficus elastica ‘Variegata’). It grows best in a great potting mix, like Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix. Give it bright indirect light or partial shade. Water its soil regularly from spring to fall and reduce watering in winter. It is very tough but cannot withstand overwatering. To keep it looking its best, clean its leaves with a soft cloth moistened with warm water when they get dusty.

What is the Best Fertilizer for Herbs?

“Is there a specific product that is ideal to use for feeding my herbs (potted, indoors)…?” Question from Stephanie of Elizabeth, Colorado

Answer: When it comes to feeding leafy herbs, it’s all about the nitrogen. This is the macro-nutrient that encourages strong leaf development. Choose a leafy green vegetable fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen. I tend to prefer sprinkle-and-forget, slow-release fertilizers that are OMRI Listed for organic gardening. They are easy to apply and ensure plants are getting fertilized at each watering.

Happy herb gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist