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What Are Good Hardy Orchids For Southern California Gardens?

“I grow Bletilla orchids in my Southern California garden. Do you know of others that don’t need cold? I’m interested in having some more hardy orchids in the ground outside.” Question from Sandra of Thousand Oaks, California

Answer: When thinking of good hardy, terrestrial (ground) orchids for your Southern California garden, seek out area nurseries that offer greenhouse-grown local native orchids or adaptable non-native orchids. You are fortunate to have a fantastic resource in your area, the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. They recommend several potted and ground orchids for outdoor growing in the Santa Barbara, California and the surrounding area. (Click here to view their outdoor orchid list for beginners.)

They recommend Stenoglottis species and hybrids for in-ground growing where you live. Stenoglottis is an African orchid genus with many types able to withstand your climate. The vigorous, hot-pink hybrid Stenoglottis ‘Venus Jamboree’ is very pretty and comes highly recommended. Give it filtered light and soil with good moisture during the growing season (allow plants to dry between watering during the winter months). You can cultivate them as potted or in-ground plants. Either way, I recommend fortifying their soil with Black Gold Just Coir to increase water-holding potential. (Click here to read about some of my favorite hardy terrestrial orchids. If you can grow Bletilla, you may also be able to grow some of these as well.)

I hope that this information helps!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

When is the Best Time To Grow Vegetables in Florida?

“I live in SW, Florida – what is the best time of year for growing vegetables? Question from Colleen of Englewood, Florida

Answer: I see that your summers are sweltering, humid, long, and can be cloudy while your winters are short, cool, and sunnier. What you grow in these times depends on the crop and season.

In the “cooler” winter months, you can grow root and cole crops. Late winter and fall are good times to start many warm-season vegetables that don’t thrive in raging heat.  In high summer, grow super heat-loving vegetables, like Southeast Asian eggplant and okra.

Here are some crops that I would recommend for each season:

Winter: cole crops, greens, and root crops. (Click here to read more about the best vegetables for fall and winter gardens in the South. And, click here to learn more about root crop growing. )

Late-Winter and Spring: beans, cucumbers, early tomatoes,  and summer squash. (Watch the video below to learn more about growing cucumbers.)

Summer: okra, eggplant, peppers, and other heat-loving varieties and crops. (Click here to read more about heat-loving vegetables and here to read more about tomatoes for Florida.)

Fall: Plant as you would in spring.

Strawberries are also great for growing in Florida. To learn more about strawberries for Florida, read this article.

I hope that this information helps!

Happy gardening,

Jessie

What is the Pollinator For Summer Squash?

Male squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa). (Photo courtesy of USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab)

“What is the pollinator for summer squash? I stopped trying to grow them after getting zero fruits last summer!” Question from Robin of Warner, New Hampshire

Answer: It is frustrating when squash do not set fruits. There can be several reasons why, but the primary reason is lack of pollination. The main pollinators are bees or all types, but squash (Cucurbita spp.) are native American plants, so they have unique native American bees specialized for pollinating them. Squash bees are small and come in two groups (Peponapis species and Xenoglossa species). They are solitary, meaning that they do not create hives, and they ONLY pollinate squash.

Keeping a Yard for Bees

Your squash should be enough to encourage squash bees, but if they are not abundant in your area, then you will need to rely on other bees to do the job. One way to encourage more bees to visit your vegetable garden is to plant swaths of garden flowers for bees nearby. Surrounding your garden with flowers is a great method. Bees love easy flowers like zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, and black-eyed-Susans. (Watch the video below to learn more about flowers for bees.)

It is also essential to refrain from using toxic pesticides in your garden. These kill bees that happen to land on a sprayed spot. Harsh chemicals in the garden aren’t worth it.

Sometimes fertilizer imbalance can contribute to poor production. Be sure to feed your squash with a quality fertilizer formulated for vegetables. Low light can also cause poor fruit set, so give your plants full-day sun. For additional information, I recommend that you read this article: Why Aren’t My Squash Bearing Fruit and Do They Have Borers?

Happy Gardening!
Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist

I Need Organic Solutions for Vegetable Pests and Powdery Mildew

“Which is the natural and most efficient solution against pests, aphids, white powder, etc. that year after year destroy our vegetables?” Question from Doina of Bothell, Washington

Answer: I wish that I could give you a simple answer. There are so many vegetables and so many pests and diseases that attack them that it is impossible to know where to start. You specifically mention aphids and powdery mildew, so I will give you guidelines for managing these. It will be followed up by two general steps that you can take to discourage veggie pests and diseases.

Aphid Management

Aphids are slow-moving insects that suck the juices out of tender plant parts, like stem tips and leaves. When aphid populations are high, they cover the tips of growing plants in masses. It looks creepy and can seem overwhelming. Lucky for you, they are easy to manage organically.

I always start by putting my hose setting on jet or center, then I spray. Aphids are delicate and can be spritzed off a plant in no time. To keep them from returning, follow up by spraying your plants with an insecticidal soap that is OMRI Listed for organic gardening. Keep them spritzed as you see more aphids. This method will put them in check quickly.

Powdery Mildew Management

This one is really simple! Powdery mildew is a leaf surface mold that can be removed with all-natural products containing the mild chemical potassium bicarbonate, which is similar to baking soda. GreenCure® is one of the most popular commercial examples on the market.  Just spray your mildew-ridden squash or cucumber leaves with these products and the spots disappear. It’s a remarkable transformation.

Two Steps For Disease- and Pest-Free Vegetables

Here are two more steps towards protecting your plants from pests and diseases. Both may sound deceivingly obvious.

1. Don’t stress your vegetables. When plants become stressed, they create stress chemicals that are detected by insect pests that are then attracted to the plants. What’s worst is that many common pests, like cucumber beetles and leafhoppers, spread common vegetable diseases. Stress also makes plants far more susceptible to disease. Weak plants have weakened immunity. So, grow your plants in well-fortified soil (see our long list of Black Gold soil amendments), provide them with good fertilizer throughout the season, and keep them well watered.

2. Choose resistant vegetable varieties (!!!). Choosing good varieties is the single most important way to protect your crops. When selecting varieties to grow in your garden, look for descriptions of pest and disease resistance. Award-winning plants also tend to be resistant and robust. Plants bred for resistance are the easiest to care for naturally and organically.

I also suggest you read the Fafard (our sister brand) article, Beating Vegetable Garden Pests Naturally, as well. It has even more information to help you. I hope that these tips help!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Help Me Grow Zucchini Better!

“I can never seem to grow zucchini right. Is there a type of soil that would be best for this?” Question from Amy of Oil City, Pennsylvania

Answer: We have gotten this question a lot, both with respect to zucchini and summer squash (both are the same–one is just green and elongated.).  I have provided links to several of these Ask a Garden Expert answers. But, to directly answer your question with respect to soil, provide your zucchini with soil that is well-drained and rich in organic matter. It grows best in a near-neutral pH and requires a fertilizer for fruiting vegetables.  You will also need to grow it in full, all-day sunshine.

Ask a Garden Expert Answers For Zucchini and Summer Squash Growing

Help! My Zucchini is Not Fruiting

Why Aren’t My Squash Bearing Fruit and Do They Have Borers?

Beating Squash Vine Borers

I hope that these resources are helpful to you! If you read them all, you will have all of the information that you need to grow excellent zucchini.

Happy Gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Is There a Natural Method for Dechlorinating Water?

“I was wondering what’s a cheap and effective way for the home organic grower to remove chlorine and, more importantly, chloramine without using expensive reverse osmosis filters. Can you recommend a product that is inexpensive and effective at making water safe for all the organic goodies we work so hard to cultivate?” Question from Stephen of Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Answer: There are several inexpensive solutions that can help you. Here are three of the best, easiest, and cheapest solutions for water dechlorination for organic growers like you.

Chlorine Evaporation

Chlorine is a gas that evaporates from irrigation water over a short period of time. To encourage evaporation, irrigation water must be exposed to the air. The more open-air coverage, the faster the evaporation. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight and added aeration will help hasten the process. I recommend using a broad, open tub covering with a screen (to keep insects and animals out) that is kept in the open air and sun for irrigation water.  A small pond aerator with also hasten the process. These water sources can also collect rainwater.

Chlorine evaporation time depends on the concentration. In general, it takes chlorine a few days for the standard concentration to evaporate from 10 gallons of standing water. I suggest investing in a small chlorine tester to ensure your water is chlorine-free before irrigating.

Carbon Filtration for Chloramine

Chloramine is a little tougher to remove from water. The easiest method is via carbon filtration. For small businesses, there are small, reasonably priced, carbon filtration systems that will remove sediment, chlorine, and chloramine from water. Here are some options.

Rain Water Collection

Water collection is an age-old way of gathering fresh, chlorine-free water for growing. Whether you choose to fill rain barrels or cisterns, rainwater is free to collect and (mostly) chemical-free. Of course. (Here is an article that covers some methods of rainwater collection.)

I hope that these tips help!

Happy organic gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Do I Keep My Coleus Looking Its Best?

“I always grow coleus in containers in the summer.  They are beautiful and usually do wonderfully well. This year I have wide-leaf coleus in my large, rectangular containers.  I have two questions.  1) How often do you recommend fertilizing them?  2) They are producing large purple flowers.  Should I clip the flowers to make the plant grow better, or is it okay to leave the flowers alone to enjoy their beauty?  Many thanks for the help!” Question from Diane of Neward, Ohio

Answer: Coleus are truly foliar plants. Their wands of lavender-blue flowers can be appealing, but if you allow the plants to flower and set seed, the leaves will wane and become smaller and less robust and beautiful. This is because the plants are putting energy into flower and seed production rather than leaf growth. For this reason, gardeners must deadhead coleus plants to keep their foliage looking lush and lovely. Simply pinch off all of the buds as you see them to stop flowering.

Nitrogen is the chief nutrient that encourages healthy foliar growth. To encourage leafier growth, choose a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, such as Foliage Pro.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for feeding, because feeding times differ from product to product. You will also get less flowering if you grow your coleus in full to partial shade.

It also pays to use a quality potting mix or garden amendment that’s rich in organic matter and has a boost of fertilizer. I recommend Black Gold® All Purpose Potting Mix for potted specimens and Black Gold® Garden Soil for in-ground plantings.

I hope that these tips help and keep your coleus looking their best this season! As an aside, the image above is one of my container coleus plants, which has been pinched back and kept in partial shade to encourage super lush foliage!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Do I Have To Worry About Your Soils While Pregnant?

“I am pregnant and was watering my plants when I got Black Gold potting soil on my hands. I am concerned about toxoplasmosis and have questions. Is your soil made in areas where cats are present?” Question from Katie

Answer: Feline waste is not an ingredient present in our mixes! As you probably know, toxoplasmosis may be present in fresh or old cat feces. Any garden threat of this parasite would come from cats defecating directly into your garden soils. (Click here to read the CDCs guidelines for protecting yourself against toxoplasmosis.)

With that said, be cautious when gardening while pregnant, and always wear waterproof garden gloves followed by washing your hands well after gardening. All natural, in-ground soils always contain Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause the disease listeriosis, which pregnant women are susceptible to. So, dig carefully, and clean up well. (Click here to read the CDCs guidelines for protecting yourself from listeriosis.)

We also recommend washing any garden herbs, fruits, or vegetables very well before consuming them.

Garden safely,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Are the Best Hanging Basket Flowers For the High Desert?

 

Flowering purslanes are drought-tolerant, tough, succulent, and have ever-blooming flowers in a wide variety of brilliant colors.

“What are the best flowers to plant in hanging baskets for high desert? We have lots of wind also?” Question from Jill of Greybull, Wyoming

Answer: There are several options for you. All of the plants I will mention are tender in your area. Some can be brought indoors to overwinter while others are best treated as flowering annuals. In this list, I avoided the common hanging succulents, like string-of-pearls and donkey tails, because they lack impressive flowers. (Click here to learn more about these hanging succulents.)  Regardless of the drought-tolerant status of these hanging flowering plants, all will still require regular daily water in the growing months. They will also need to become well-rooted and established in their baskets before they are fully tolerant of dry heat and winds.

Plant all of these hanging basket plants in a moisture-holding potting mix so they can grow to their fullest outdoors. I recommend Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend, which is OMRI Listed for organic gardening, or Black Gold Moisture Supreme Container Mix. I also suggest hanging them along a porch or patio where they will get some protection from the high midday sun. If you bring any of them indoors as winter house plants, water them very little during the cold months because this can induce rot. (Click here to learn more about winter succulent care.)

Here are a few long-blooming hanging basket plants to consider for your high-desert garden.

Hanging Drought-Resistant Flowers

Firecracker plant trails beautifully and grows well in containers and hanging baskets.

Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis):  Hummingbirds love the flowers of this trailing Mexican native. It has very fine foliage and becomes covered with red, tubular flowers all season long, with good care. It is tolerant of both wind and drought.

Trailing lantana (Lantana sellowiana): This extra drought-tolerant lantana produces many clusters of white-eyed lavender flowers that are visited by butterflies. It grows well as a seasonal ground cover but also looks great in hanging baskets.

Cobweb spiderwort (Tradescantia sillamontana): The silvery leaves of this drought-tolerant spiderwort from Mexico are lovely, and it bears lavender-pink flowers from early to midsummer. It also makes a great house plant.

Silverleaf geranium (Pelargonium sidoides): This tough, droughty geranium has pretty silver leaves and dark red flowers that bloom nonstop if you remove the old flowers. It grows well as a groundcover but also looks lovely in hanging baskets and containers. You can also bring this one indoors in winter.

Hanging Flowering Succulents

Flowering purslane (Portulaca umbraticola): You will want to grow these beautiful succulent annuals for their brilliantly colored flowers. They are perfect for hanging baskets and bloom all season long. You can also try the common and closely related moss rose, but it is a little less drought tolerant.

Everblooming iceplant (Delosperma Wheels of Wonder® Fire): There are several varieties in the Wheels of Wonder® series of iceplants. All are tolerant of drought and have very brightly colored flowers that bloom all summer.

Little pickles (Othonna capensis): This succulent from South Africa has starry yellow flowers that bloom all season. It also makes a lovely house plant.

 

I hope that you try some of these beautiful hanging basket plants in your high desert garden this season.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist