Jessie Keith – Page 4

Plants for Creative Fall Container Gardens

Combine Intenz™ Dark Purple spike celosia, variegated sedge, and a dusty purple ornamental cabbage for a fun fall container trio.

Tired of planting the same old door-side potted chrysanthemums year after year? Then upgrade this year’s containers! Lots of cool new fall plants have bold good looks and bright colors to make container design a lot more exciting.

What makes a container plant great for fall? Its must flaunt its best color through the season and shine up until the first frost or beyond. Those that tough it out after frost include ornamental cabbages, kales, and Swiss chard. Some of these fall beauties will even survive through winter as evergreen biennials or perennials. Here are some of our favorites for creative late-season container gardening.

Super Celosias and Amaranths

The plume *Celosia* ‘Fresh Look Red’ will ignite your fall containers.

Celosias and amaranths (two closely related plants) of all shapes, sizes, and colors have become available for fall gardening. These include spike celosia (Celosia spicata), classic cockscomb, plume celosias (Celosia cristata), and purple-leaved amaranths (Amaranthus spp.). The annuals are rugged and tolerant of heat as well as the cooling temperatures of fall, so they can be planted in summer and continue to look bright through fall. Just remember to remove any old blooms that start to lose color. This will encourage new flowers to appear.

Pretty Peppers

Jolly pots of mixed ornamental peppers make great additions to mixed fall container gardens.

Ornamental peppers start to look great by late summer, and their pretty fruits of orange, yellow, red, or purple will retain their color up until frost. Some even boast deep purple foliage as well as pretty fruits. The hot ornamentals mix well with any seasonal garden flower or plant, and you can even save seeds for spring sowing. The peppers are also edible and spicy, with varying degrees of flavor. (See the video below for more designs using ornamental peppers.)

Happy Heirloom Squash

A slate-blue hubbard squash, white ‘Cotton Candy’ pumpkin, and bumpy ‘Galeux d’Eysines’ pumpkin are nestled in a pot of Proven Winners’ Diamond Frost® *Euphorbia*.

Unusual pumpkins and winter squash are all the rage and look lovely when nestled in pots alongside complementary fall flowers. Most are very tasty, so it’s nice to bring them indoors before a hard freeze, so you can enjoy them in Thanksgiving pies, soups, or cakes. (Click here to learn how to process squash for pie.) Look for collections of squash that look good together or with your favorite fall flowers.

Sumptuous Evergreen Sedges

A single mop of evergreen ‘Toffee Twist’ sedge will fill a pot, adding interest to other colorful potted plants.

Many grassy sedges are tough evergreen perennials that add an airy appeal to fall containers and mix well with practically any fall flower. Some lovely evergreen sedges to try include the gold-edged Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Gold Band’, 12 inches, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9) or white-edged Silver Sceptre sedge (Carex ‘Silver Sceptre’, 12-18 inches, Zones 5-9); both have tidy bunches of colorful, curvaceous, strappy leaves that flow over container edges. Another star for containers is the finer, hair-like Toffee Twist sedge (Carex flagellifera ‘Toffee Twist’, 12-16 inches, Zones 7-9), a Proven Winners® plant with fine, caramel-colored foliage that looks great all winter.

Sturdy Succulents

A nest of evergreen hens & chicks is brightened by a single ‘Sweet Lightning’ mini winter squash.

Hardy succulents of all shapes and sizes look great in fall containers and will even survive the winter, where hardy. Go simple by nestling a few hens & chicks (Sempervivum spp.) within a small planter embellished with a few decorative additions. Or, go bold by planting a big, blooming sedum along with other fall flowers. Tall sedums are showy in fall, and there are many fabulous varieties to discover. (Click here to read more about tall sedums.)

Miniature Plants

Tiny hens & chicks, mosses, cabbages, thyme, heather, and sweet alyssum bring this mini fall garden to life.

Creating seasonal containers in miniature is a popular trend. Tiny hens & chicks, mosses, heathers, ornamental cabbages, and flowers give broad pots or troughs an alpine or rock garden look. Place plantings like these on an outdoor dinner or side table where they can be enjoyed up close. You can even try making your own hypertufa trough or centerpiece for attractive little fall plantings. (Click here to learn how to make your own hypertufa centerpiece.)

Planting Fall Containers

Give mums a lift with additions like purple heuchera, *Sedum* Rock ‘N Grow® Popstar, and arching willow branches.

Choose festive containers and arrangements of plants, and pair them according to color, size, height, and texture. For best results, choose good-fit containers that will accommodate the plants you have chosen, and fill them with Black Gold All Purpose Mix, which has excellent porosity and water-holding ability for great results. Keep pots watered through fall and feed them with quality plant food, such as Proven Winners® Premium Water Soluble Plant Food for Flowering Plants. Once hard cold hits, remove any unsightly dead annuals and leave any perennials in the pots for spring.

To get more excellent fall container garden planting and design tips, read Black Gold’s sponsored article on Garden Therapy: Fall Container Care and Maintenance + DIY Container Ideas!

Green Roof Essentials for Home Gardeners

Any green roof added to a home, such as this stylish patio green roof, should be fully or partially professionally installed.

“A roof of asphalt shingles is a desert wasteland compared to a living, cooling, vital green roof.” -Jessie Keith

Even small-scale green roofs need specialized knowledge for success. You can’t just throw potting mix on top of your garden shed, patio roof, or chicken coop, plant a few succulents, and call it a green roof. Do it slap-dash, and you’ll get a big mess. Start outright, and you’ll have a lovely longterm addition to your garden or home. Here are some essentials to consider when designing and creating a small-scale green roof.

Green Roof Benefits

It is not uncommon for European garden sheds, such as this shed in Norway, to have green roofs.

Well-crafted green roofs benefit buildings and the environment. They cool structures in the summer, hold heat in winter and reduce noise in homes. They benefit the environment by reducing stormwater runoff, increasing habitat and food for wildlife, and providing green space to reduce carbon emissions. On a larger scale, green roofs in cities reduce the urban heat island effect (increased temperatures caused by widespread heat-absorbing asphalt and roofs and too little plant life to reduce heat). According to the EPA, “Air temperatures in cities, particularly after sunset, can be as much as 22°F (12°C) warmer than the air in neighboring, less developed regions.” Green roofs are also perfect for those of us that have a little hobbit in our veins and simply love plants and green spaces.

Their real-world benefits are measurable. Cities invested in green-roof technology see positive impacts fast. According to the non-profit Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRFHC), “In 2019, 14 green roof companies recorded 763 projects in 35 US states and three Canadian Provinces, installing 3,112,818 square feet of green roofing.” The 3,112,818 square feet provided the following measurable gains:

36.9 million gallons of stormwater retained per year;
120 tons of carbon sequestered every two years;
5.06 million kWh (equivalent) of energy saved per year;
1,199 full-time equivalent (FTE) construction jobs;
45 full-time equivalent (FTE) maintenance jobs annually.

Even small green roofs can make a difference to homeowners and the local wildlife. A roof of asphalt shingles is a desert wasteland compared to a living, cooling, vital green roof.

Green Roof Types

Intensive green roofs, such as this urban green roof, have soil that is deeper and able to sustain larger plants that require more soil and water.

There are two basic green roof types (with many variations in between), extensive and intensive. Extensive types are shallow (4-6 inches of soil), lighter, lower-care green roofs planted with tough, hardy succulents. Sometimes they are even planted as small grasslands. Intensive green roofs are deeper (6+ inches of soil), heavier, and higher maintenance. These are found on large urban apartment or corporate buildings with built-in green roof gardens or even farms.

Homes able to accommodate intensive green roofs are specially built to sustain them. Even those with extensive green roofs are bolstered to handle the extra weight. Extensive green roofs on architecturally simple yard or garden structures are less of a worry.

Extensive Green Roof Layers

Modular extensive green-roof boxes have layers for growing hardy succulents and fit together to cover waterproofed rooftops.

Adapted from Small Green Roofs.

Vegetation Layer: Low-growing, low-water plants are best.
Soil Layer: The “soil” layer consists of a soilless growing medium that requires replenishment over the years. It often contains various mineral components, such as pumice and perlite, and organic components, such as coconut coir and Canadian Sphagnum peat moss. In some European countries, they use ground soil because its mineral content does not break down.
Filter Mat: This is a thin, geotextile layer with fine pores that keep particles out of the drainage layer while allowing water through. (Heavyweight landscape fabric works well.)
Drainage Layer: Lightweight small or medium lava rock (scoria) stones, expanded clay, or shale are common drainage-layer minerals that will not degrade. (Small lava rock is a good choice.)
Waterproof Membrane: Choose synthetic waterproof sheeting made for green roofs. It is specially designed to resist weathering and cracking. (Deck waterproofing membrane is a good option for small-scale projects.)
Thermal Insulation: A commercial insulation layer is required for heated buildings but not needed for small-scale, outdoor green roofs.
Roof Deck: The roof base-layer is generally wood.
Edging: A long-lasting edge must be applied to keep all layers in place while also permitting drainage. Pebbles are usually placed along the edge to allow water to filter to a downspout. Good drainage is essential to avoid washout or other problems. (Wood edges can be used, or metal edge restraints can be specially purchased.)

Some of these layers can be bypassed with the use of modular green roof trays designed on plastic bases made to sit and fit on a waterproofed roof deck. These are generally only accessible to professionals, so home gardeners would need to work through a contractor to get them.

Extensive Green Roof Essentials

Rustic logs edge this green roof that covers a small garden storage space.

Small-scale green roofs may be tiny enough to cover a doghouse, such as Schicketanz’s beautifully designed prefab doggy dream house, or can bedeck larger garden structures, such as a pavilion or succulent covered patio roof. (A knowledgeable contractor is needed for bigger projects.) Here are essentials to consider when planning any green roof project.

Design for Maintainance – Easy access is essential for future maintenance. Consider how you plan to weed and modify plantings on your roof. Irrigation may also be needed during very hot, droughty times. On larger, flat roofs, maintenance walkways of stone increase accessibility. Laying down irrigation tape that is easily hooked up to the hose makes watering easy.
Determine Structural Load-Bearing Capacity – According to the National Park Service: “When fully saturated and with mature plant cover, a thin extensive green roof can weigh about 13 pounds per square foot. A more typical extensive roof with 3 to 4 inches of growing medium weighs 17 to 18 pounds per square foot.” Some sources calculate higher weights. Then you need to consider load. For instance, if your green roof load was 20.5 lb./sq.ft. over the span of 8.5 ft., the roof would need 6 x 2″ timbers spaced 16″ apart for a strong enough platform (numbers from the sadly-out-of-print Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living (2011) by Nigel Dunnett et al.)
Budget – Costs generally range from $13 to $45 per square foot, installed by a professional. If you build a smaller outdoor green roof on your own, the cost can be much less.
Plants and Soil Depth – Succulents can be purchased by the flat, which is the most cost-effective way to start. Most will grow beautifully in 4-6 inches of growing medium.

Extensive Green Roof Plants

Colorful sempervivums and sedums add color and interest to a small, decorative green roof.

Hardy, evergreen, low-growing succulents are the best for extensive green roofs. Choose those that spread and have different colors and textures that pop.

Tasteless Stonecrop (Image by Mountain Crest Gardens)

Coral Carpet Sedum (Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’, USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9) – The white-flowered sedum reaches 4 inches high, spreads to 8 inches, and has greenish-red foliage that turns dark coral in winter.

Angelina Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’, Zones 3-11) – The golden spruce-like foliage turns shades of orange in winter, and plants reach 3-6 inches and spread to 12 inches.

Histoni Sempervivum (Image by Mountain Crest Gardens)

Kelp Forest Stonecrop (Sedum ‘Kelp Forest’, Zones 4-9) – Soft mounds of sprucy leaves can reach 6 inches and spread to 18 inches.

Tasteless Stonecrop (Sedum sexangulare, Zones 5-8) – Is more tasteful than its name suggests. The fine, low-growing evergreen spreads quickly to form an attractive mat of fine foliage. Starry yellow flowers appear in late spring or early summer.

Rolling Hens-and-Chicks (Sempervivum globiferum ssp. allionii, Zone 5-9) – Rolling Sempervivums create lots of offsets and spread. Electric green rosettes that develop red-flushed tips in winter make this variety extra pretty.

Histoni Rolling Hens-and-Chicks (Sempervivum globiferum ssp. hirtum ‘Histoni’, Zone 5-9) – Bright green rosettes tipped in cherry red give this rolling hens-and-chicks bright color that deepen in the winter.

How to Grow Your Own Blueberries

Everyone who loves to grow their own food should grow their own blueberries. Blueberries are ideal for edible landscaping. They grow well in-ground or in containers. They’re bushy, attractive, and their leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, purple, and red in fall. Before adding them to your yard or garden, it’s good to know what types are available. You will be glad that you learned how to grow your own blueberries.

Blueberry Varieties Listed

Highbush Blueberries: ‘Blue Ray’ has extra-large-fruits early to mid-season, ‘Duke’ is high-yielding with upright shrubs, and ‘Elliott’ is a good late-producer.
Rabbiteye Blueberries: ‘Tifblue’ has large berries midseason and ‘Brightwell’ produces large clusters early to midseason.
Southern Highbush Blueberries: large-fruited ‘Cape Fear’, robust ‘Sharpblue’, and upright ‘Legacy’, which has very large, tasty fruits.
Designer Blueberries: The boxwood-like Blueberry Glaze® and cute, round Jellybean® have delicious fruit, tidy habits, and bright fall color (from Bushel & Berry).

Click Here for the Step-by-Step pdf About How to Grow Your Own Blueberries

Essential Culinary Herbs of the Seasons

Essential culinary herbs are best planted in spring.

Stylish and serviceable herb gardens are a delight through the growing season when they appeal to the eye and senses and provide fresh herbs. In winter, stores of dried and frozen herbs make cooking a pleasure. If you don’t already have a culinary herb garden, you are missing out. And, there’s no reason not to grow one. Essential culinary herbs are the easiest plants in a food gardener’s repertoire.

Every culture relies on essential herbs to flavor their foods. In past blogs, we have written about French herb gardens, Indian herb gardens, herbal tea gardens, herb containers, lemon-scented herbs, and apothecary gardens, but oddly enough, we have never written about growing herbs essential to western cuisine. These are the common (and pricy) herbs that homeowners buy at the grocery store (despite the fact that they grow like weeds). Herbs are yawn and water garden plants unless you want to make a show and create a formal herbary or knot garden.

Essential Herbs of Spring

Chives are lightly oniony and very springy. (Image by Jessie Keith)

The first chives of spring are so bright and welcome when added to fresh vegetables and salads, as are the tender leaves of parsley when they begin to unfurl and are at their sweetest. Fine cilantro and dill–both cool-season annuals–are two other spring herbs no garden should be without. In late spring, count on chamomile to produces its sweet daisies that are harvested and dried to make delicious, soothing tea to enjoy year-round. These are the spring herb essentials.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum, USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8): Chives put forth tidy clusters of oniony, grassy foliage in spring. Pompons of edible mauve flowers bloom in mid-spring, rising above the upright foliage. Harvest them fresh, when they are most flavorful. In summer, chives wane in the heat but will often perk back up in fall.

Chamomile (Matricaria retutica, Zones 2-8) is a winter annual or short-lived perennial to sow in fall. It will overwinter as a ferny green rosette and then bloom in full glory with a flurry of small white daisies in spring. Harvest the flowers for drying when they just begin to open. Allow some plants to set seed to encourage new fall seedlings.

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a leafy annual that likes it cool and starts producing stems of white flowers and seeds as the weather heats up. But, that’s a good thing because its seedheads, which dry by summer, are crushed to make the spice coriander. Harvest the leaves while you can for guacamole, salads, and salsas. Also, consider cilantro a fall herb to seed in no later than early September.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a true spring annual herb that you only need plant once. Harvest the ferny green leaves to flavor salads, spreads, and pickles, and

let the yellow-green umbel flowerheads dry for flavorful dill seed. Let some seed fall to the ground and sprout for a second dill harvest in fall.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) comes in curly and flat-leaved forms and lends fresh flavor to sauces, salads, and meats. Lush clumps of parsley leaves flourish in the cool spring weather and give way to flowering in the heat of summer, after which the plants die. If you replant parsley in fall, it will often survive through winter.

Essential Herbs of Summer

Oregano continues to stay green and flavorful until frost.

Sweet basil tastes like summer–whether used to flavor sauce, pesto or added to a citrusy summer drink. Mints of all kinds grow rampantly and need containment, but every gardener should have at least one pot of good mint. Thymes, especially lemon thyme, is a summer staple at my home that lends itself well to chicken, fish, salads, and vegetables. Oregano and piney rosemary are necessities for grilled meats and vegetables. These are the summer herb essentials.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a warm-season herb that’s grown as an annual. The key to keeping it sweet and flavorful is to clip off the flower heads off as they appear. Grow it in the garden or containers. (See the video below to learn how to care for container-grown basil.), and clip the leaves all summer to keep plants tidy and flavorful. (Click here to learn how to grow basil indoors in winter.)

Mint (Mentha spp.) leaves flavor summer mojitos, tabouli, and fresh mint tea. The plant is so easy to grow you can plunk a stem in a glass of water, and it will root in a week. Its aggressive nature is a mint’s only downfall. One seemingly harmless plant can take over a garden in no time, so plant it in a big pot filled with Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil to keep its roots from roaming. When it starts to

outgrow the pot, divide it, and give the spare to a friend (with fair warning).

Oregano (Origanum vulgare, Zones 4-10) has rooting stems that tend to spread, so be sure to give it space to grow. You can also contain oregano in a pot. Clusters of edible purple flowers bloom in midsummer, which attracts bees. Use the leaves to flavor meats, vegetables, and sauces in summer. In fall, dry or freeze the leaves for winter cooking.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, Zones 8-10) is a drought-tolerant, shrubby, evergreen herb with resinous needle-like leaves that taste great on meats and in sauces. Bees are attracted to its violet-blue flowers that bloom in late spring. The cold-tolerant variety ‘Arp’ (Zones 6-10) is a hardier option for northern gardeners. Dry the leaves for winter use.

Thyme (Thymus spp., Zones 5-9) has small, aromatic leaves that are evergreen. In late spring, the low, spreading, shrubby herb bears small clusters of flowers for bees that may be pink, purplish, or white. Plant it along a patio edge where it can spill across the pavement or in a pot. Harvest the leafy stems any time of year to add to many dishes or dry the leaves for herbal mixes.

Essential Herbs of Fall and Winter

Bayleaf is a great indoor/outdoor potted herb.

Sage tastes of turkey stuffing and pairs well with pumpkin. And bean soups never taste quite as good without the complement of winter savory. A big pot of bay leaf should be a winter houseplant for every gardener that cooks. Just be sure to take the pot outdoors in summer to let the Mediterranean tree to enjoy the sunshine. Spicy ginger is another indoor/outdoor tropical herb that will grow well in a sunny window. These are the essential herbs of winter.

Bayleaf (Laurus nobilis, Zones 8-10) will grow as a 20-30 foot evergreen tree where it is hardy, but if kept pruned in a pot, it will stay compact. Harvest the leaves for soups, sauces, and meats, but keep in mind that new leaves will not be produced until spring, so be sure not to strip the plant of all greenery and kill it. Pot-grown specimens thrive in OMRI Listed^®Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix. (Click here to learn more about growing bay leaf.)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) grows very well as a potted house plant in a brightly lit spot with good humidity. Its roots can be harvested as the plants grow and used to make sweet and savory dishes. As with bay leaf, bring your potted ginger outdoors in summer to allow it to grow to its fullest. (Click here to learn more about growing ginger.)

Sage (Salvia officinalis, Zones 4-8) has felted, gray-green, evergreen leaves with a pungent flavor. The hardy shrubby perennial bears pretty lavender-blue flowers in summer, which are also edible and attract bees. It is best to harvest and dry leaves in fall for winter cooking, but if you run out, you can always pick off a winter leaf or two without harming the plant.

Winter Savory (Satureja montana, Zones 6-8) The low, semi-evergreen winter savory looks attractive through much of the season. Its peppery leaves add flavor to green beans, soups, and stews. In summer, it has clusters of white or pinkish flowers that attract bees. Plant it along the edge of an herbal border.

Growing Herbs

To make it easy, all of these essential culinary herbs grow best in full sun and fertile soil with good drainage. Most are not too demanding when it comes to fertilizer, but a little all-purpose plant food at the beginning of season never hurts. Spring is the best time to plant them, aside from tender indoor/outdoor herbs. Before planting, amend your garden soil with good compost, such as OMRI Listed^® Black Gold Garden Compost Blend, to encourage good rooting and drainage.

When planning an herb garden, it’s smart to keep your annual and perennial herbs apart. Perennial herb borders are attractive and have permanence. They look right at home in raised beds or even pretty herbal rockeries. Just remember to reserve mints for big patio pots. Annual herbs are nice to plant among complementary vegetables. Dill is right at home planted alongside cucumbers, and almost everybody plants their sweet basil around garden tomatoes. Chamomile looks pretty when planted in a row beside spring greens or cabbages. Then keep your herbs harvested and well-tended to make the most of them all year round. (Click here to learn how to harvest and store herbs.)

How Do I Stop My Tomatoes from Cracking?

“Stop my tomatoes from cracking! Last year even though the weather was optimal with sun and rain my cherry tomatoes continued to split as they grew and most were not edible as the bugs got into them as soon as they split. Is there a way to stop them from splitting like that?” Question from Sylvia of Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Answer: There are several things that you can do. Let me start by explaining what causes tomato splitting. Splitting occurs when a tomato is ripe and full of natural sugars and then it rains significantly. Tomato plants take up water fast, and due to a natural process called osmosis, the water is attracted to the plant parts with the most sugar–ripe fruits. So essentially, those sugary tomatoes fill up with too much water too fast and split. Here are the three best solutions to keep this from happening.

Ways to Stop My Tomatoes from Cracking

1. Choose crack-resistant tomato varieties. Some tomatoes either naturally resist cracking or were bred to be crack-resistant. The sweet cherry tomatoes ‘Ladybug‘ and ‘Jasper‘ are just two of many that are reliably crack resistant. You may see a crack here and there, but they are infrequent when compared to average cherries. ‘Baby Cakes’ salad tomato is tasty and both crack- and disease-resistant. And ‘Big Rainbow’ is a beautiful heirloom with great taste and crack resistance. And, if you like delicious orange slicers, ‘Chef’s Choice Orange‘ cannot be beaten for flavor and crack resistance. These are just a few of many options.

2. Give your tomatoes maximum drainage. Amend your vegetable garden soil well, and berm it up in your tomato beds to facilitate the best drainage possible. Excellent soil drainage will keep your tomatoes from taking up as much water as fast. Our best vegetable garden soil amendments include Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Garden Soil, and Garden Compost Blend. Till these in and then rake up the bed areas into wide berms where you plant your tomatoes. (Click here to read our top 10 essential tips for vegetable gardening success for more bed prep tips.)

3. Pick tomatoes just before they are fully ripe. If you pick tomatoes just before they are fully ripe and allow them to ripen in a bag or on a windowsill, you can avoid the cracking problem. Slightly underripe tomatoes lack the full-sugar load that causes cracking.

For further tips on growing beautiful tomatoes, I recommend you watch our video about growing tomatoes from seed to harvest below.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Five Steps to Creating a No-Till Vegetable Garden

The author’s no-till garden in early spring after compost and straw have been applied. (Image by Jessie Keith)

To till or not to till? Why ask this question? Tilling does good things for the soil. It increases needed aeration and porosity, allows the easy incorporation of organic amendments, and it makes all the little green weeds at the top of the soil go away. But it also has its disadvantages. Tilling draws dormant weed seeds from the soil’s subterranean seed bank to the surface, which can mean more weeds. It encourages soil erosion and disrupts all manner of beneficial creatures and microbes underground, which support healthy soils and plant roots. In time, the no-till approach can save time, money, and greatly reduce weeds. These are the reasons it is trending.

Soil Quality Determines the No-Till Approach

If you have good garden soil, starting a no-till garden is simple. Those with poorer soils need to do a bit more work.

There is more than one way to establish a no-till garden. And one’s approach is often related to soil quality and topography. Those with good garden soil can opt to simply clear weeds from the ground, add thick compost and fast-to-degrade mulches for vegetable gardening (straw, leaf mulch, etc.), fertilize, and start planting. Others with poorer clay (or sandy) soils, like me, need to feed the soil for the beforehand. It’s ironic, but my successful no-till garden needed to start with, well, tilling, in addition to double digging, and amendment. Lifting or berming the soil is also important, especially if your garden’s topography is low.

Creating a No-Till Garden

Ample soil amendments and mulches will enrich your no-till garden and keep it weed-free.

For me, creating a good no-till garden started with a big investment. I dug deep, enriched my beds to the hilt, and lifted and bermed my planting areas. For excellent no-till bed longevity, I started by lifting and aerating the soil as deeply as possible.

Materials

Tiller
Amendments, such as peat, compost, and castings (add at least a 1:4 ratio of amendments to ground-soil)
Hard rake and shovel
Straw
Mycorrhizae
Fertilizer
Tarp
Wheelbarrow (for moving mulches and amendments)

Till in amendments to at least a 1:4 ratio of amendments to ground-soil until well-combined, and airy.

Here are the five steps that I took to establish my no-till garden.

Till deeply: Creating good garden soil is all about adding air pockets, loft, and good fertility to encourage drainage and deep rooting. If you have heavy soil, you cannot accomplish this without initial tilling and amendment with lots of organic matter. Till on a day when the soil has enough moisture to sink a shovel into but is also a bit dry. I recommend double or triple tilling the new garden area to break up the soil as much as possible.
Double dig: Extra deep digging is time-intensive and should be reserved for areas where you plan to plant deep-rooting vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, and other root crops. Move the lofty tilled topsoil onto a tarp beside the bed and dig another few inches deeper and break up the soil further. (Click here to read more about double digging.)
Amend all of your backfill: Amendments rich in organic matter and microbes are essential for the longterm health of your garden. Shovel lots of organic matter, like Black Gold compost, earthworm castings, peat moss, and even composted manure and mushroom soil, into your backfill, and till it in. I also recommend adding a granular vegetable fertilizer and an endomycorrhizal inoculant, which can be purchased in powder form. Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi help plants grow better by allowing them to more efficiently access water and nutrients.
Define pathways, fill, and berm: If you have a large or relatively large garden space, it’s nice to establish paths for easy garden access and harvest. Most gardeners choose a row or block design. I always like my pathways to stand a bit lower than my beds, so I berm up fill in the bed areas using a hard rake. This gives beds an even deeper pad of lofty soil and ensures that they will not be walked upon.
Cover: As a final step, I cover my walkways with black & white newspaper or non-waxed corrugated cardboard and cover the paper with a thick layer of seed-free grass clippings, straw, or even leaf mulch or pine straw. You can even plant nitrogen-fixing clover in the walkways. Then I add a thick layer of compost to the beds to detur weeds, and fresh straw to the pathways to stop weeds and keep them from getting muddy after rain.

Each year, I clean up and refresh the walkways, and add fresh compost as a mulch in lieu of tilling. Invest in your no-till garden like this in the beginning, and you will be wowed by the results.

Raising Beds to New Heights

Other garden types, such as raised beds, do not require tilling either.

There are other no-till options for vegetable gardening, but I prefer the freedom of a large garden bed with tidy straw walkways. Traditional raised beds, hugelkultur, strawbale gardening, even container gardening don’t require tilling. Here are articles about each gardening type, if you want to learn more.

Raised Beds: Respecting the Law of Return

Hugelkultur Layered Vegetable Gardens

Do You Have Tips for Straw Bale Gardening?

Succeed with Container Vegetable Gardening

Invest in your no-till garden from the beginning, and it will reward you in the future. Support it with fresh mulch, feed it well, and watch your harvests explode!

Double dig areas for root vegetables, and add a layer of protective compost over beds each year.

How to Water House Plants

Watering house plants…it sounds simple, doesn’t it? But, if it were simple, there would be fewer black thumbs out there. Proper watering is at the heart of good plant care, and if you don’t know how to water a plant, then its little green future may be in peril. It is surprisingly easy to drown a plant with aqueous attention.

There isn’t a one-fits-all watering method because the needs of plants vary so widely. Some specialty plants, like many orchids and African violets (click here to learn more about African violet care.), require special watering, but lots can be grouped into heavy, average, and light watering categories. These are the plants covered in this article. Many characteristics impact watering, including the plant type and size, the growing environment, and even the pot type.

Watering and Pots

Consider drainage, pot material, and pot size before planting. You’ll also need a good saucer for catching overflow.

Before considering how to water what, it is necessary to cover planting containers. Consider these three container characteristics before potting up a plant or determining a water regime.

1. Drainage – First, unless you are watering an aquatic plant, pots must have drainage holes at the bottom, which allow water to fully drain. Otherwise, water will pool at the bottom and stagnate because of a lack of air. This will result in root rot or no root growth the soppy bottom of the pot. So, not only do drainage holes allow roots to get fresh water from top to bottom at each watering, but they help give roots needed air.

2. Material – The pot’s material will also impact a plant’s access to water. Terracotta pots soak up and release water, which increases the need to water. So, refrain from planting water-needy plants in Terracotta. Ceramic, fiberglass, and plastic pots are more watertight.

3. Size – Consider pot-to-plant and root-to-soil ratios. Larger plants in smaller pots need more water, while smaller plants in larger pots need less water. Why? Because smaller root systems soak up less water, and if little plants are grown in larger pots, the soil will hold water for longer. The flip side is that when the roots of a large plant outgrow a pot and become intertwined, they no longer have room to take up water, so the need to water greatly increases, especially when conditions are hot, dry, and sunny. Plant roots need room for good water uptake.

Watering and Environment

Most tropical house plants grow best in indirect light but prefer average warmth and relatively high humidity (or the occasional water spritz).

Just use common sense when weighing environment and plant watering needs. When conditions are sunny, dry, hot and/or breezy, plants need more water. So, if you place them in a hot, sunny window, near a vent or radiator, or in a warm conservatory or sunroom, plan to water more. Likewise, in lower-lit rooms that are cooler or very humid, the need for water will be reduced.

The soil environment also plays a big role in watering frequency. The more water your potting soil holds, the less water the plant will need. For example, Black Gold®Waterhold Cocoblend Potting Mix holds a high amount of water, unlike Black Gold® Cactus Mix and Black Gold ® Orchid Mix, which hold far less water. Black Gold® All Purpose Potting Mix is somewhere in the middle. We create different potting mixes because plants have different soil-water needs. That’s why it’s important to pot up a plant in the right mix.

Watering and Moisture Testing Methods

Succulents require far less water, especially in winter, so test the soil to be sure it is quite dry before watering.

The most basic watering method is simple; water the pot entirely until the bottom saucer is filled. Do this every time you water, and make sure there are no dry pockets in the potting mix down below (this can happen when soil becomes too dry between waterings). Consistent, thorough watering will also allow you to better calculate when to regularly water a plant.

When to rewater is the trickiest bit that gets new house-plant growers into trouble. How can you tell when you need to rewater? There are a few ways to determine this with average house plants. Most gardeners use the finger test. Stick your finger down into the soil. When it feels dry down to a couple of inches, then rewater. But, some gardeners want greater precision. Soil-moisture meters are accurate and popular with calculating gardeners. They indicate the level of moisture in the mix down to any given depth, allowing for more precise watering. Once you have a good watering rhythm, the need to test should be less frequent or even unnecessary.

Plants That Need Heavy Water

Ferns and many large-leaved tropicals are among the plants that require more water.

Think big. Large and thin-leaved tropicals, fast-growing plants, and those with big, fast-growing root systems require more water. They soak it up and spit it out quickly. (Some large-leaved plants with thick, tough, waxy leaves can be exceptions because some hold onto water quite well.) Elephant ears (Alocasia and Colocasia spp.), Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), and peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) fall into the heavy-watering category as well as semi-aquatic plants, like papyrus (Cyperus papyrus). Depending on the growing environment, they may need to be watered daily or every few days.

Plants That Need Moderate Water

Many tropicals with slender or average-sized leaves perform very well with moderate (sometimes even low) water.

Moderately vigorous plants that are not succulent often require moderate water. These are your not too much, not too little, in the middle plants. Soil moisture meters are perfect for these. Begonias, spider plants, peperomia, pilea, palms, and philodendron all fall into this category. They may need to be watered once or twice a week under average indoor growing conditions.

Plants That Need Little Water

Cacti and succulents are among the easiest to kill because wayward gardeners tend to overwater them.

Cacti and succulents, such as agave, aloe, echeveria, and jade plants (click here to read more about growing jade plants), require the least amount of water. The main killer of these plants is heavy winter watering. In their natural habitats, most endure a dry winter period, so this is what they expect in homes as well. Root rot, stem rot, and plant death are the side effects of heavy watering, so it’s best to err on the side of safety and water little to none between late fall and spring–maybe once a month. If you bring them outdoors in hot summer weather, the need for water will increase to approximately three to four times a month.

Lots of semi-succulent tropicals are also surprisingly tolerant of low water. Snake plant (Sansevieria spp.), cycads (Cycas spp.), and ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are included in this group. (Click here to watch a video about tough, low-water house plants.)

When getting the hang of watering a new plant, make sure you fully understand its growing and moisture needs. Then refrain from the desire to water just a little bit more or a little bit less than it needs. Get basic watering right, and you will be on your way to having a true green thumb.

If you are not certain of a plant’s specific water needs, then ask our garden experts via Ask a Garden Expert!

ZZ plant is a semi-succulent tropical that also requires low water.

DIY Garden Project: Fresh Homemade Pumpkin Pie and Recipe

Pumpkin pie tastes better with fresh mash made the old-fashioned way. The effort is small and the results worth it. The keys are choosing the right pumpkins and recipe. I like to grow my own pumpkins. Here are four with a rich, sweet flavor.

Click here for a Step-By-Step pdf

Nuts For Edible Landscaping

Nuts are some of nature’s most nutritious foods. They are high in fats and vitamins and provide essential forage for wildlife. Nut trees also look beautiful in home landscapes. If you are willing to gather their shelled fruits in fall and roast or toast them, then consider planting some of these fine woody plants in your yard this fall.

These trees include a mix of native American, European, and Asian nuts that homeowners might consider. So long as you choose a disease-resistant tree that’s hardy to your zone and fit for your yard, you are set. All of the selections here are non-invasive, widely adaptable, and suitable for growing across much of the country. One setback is that some of the larger trees can take several years to produce.

Almonds

Blooming almond tree branch and almond garden background

The common almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is one that can only be typically grown in warmer regions due to its USDA Hardiness Zones 7-9 limits, but some newer varieties are hardier. Almonds grow best in more Mediterranean climates but will also grow moderately well in areas with more rain, if provided full sun, an open area with good airflow, and very well-drained soil.

Almond trees are beautiful in the landscape. They are closely related to peaches and have the prettiest white or pale pink flowers that typically bloom in March. These flowers are 100% bee-pollinated and fragrant. In fall, almond fruits dry on the tree and split open when ready for harvest. They mature around October or November, so warmer, drier autumn weather is a must. For best nut production, plan on planting two to three trees for cross-pollination. Different varieties are more compatible than others for pollination, so it is essential to match trees well at planting time.

For home landscapes, choose some of the newer varieties that are compact and hardier. The hardy, later blooming Nikita’s Gift™ survives up to Zone 5, so it is a good choice for gardeners further north. The tree is compact, reaching up to 12 feet, its nuts are high quality, and they produce earlier in September. It is pollination compatible with the equally hardy, early fruiting, Oracle^™, in addition to the highly productive variety, Seaside^™.

Common Hazelnut

New breeding has made it easy to grow high-grade hazelnuts in most yards.

Be choosy when picking a good common hazelnut (Corylus avellana) tree. Wise gardeners only grow varieties that are completely resistant to eastern filbert blight, a potentially deadly fungal disease that can kill a susceptible hazelnut in just two years. The disease threatened the US Hazelnut industry before the Oregon State University championed a hazelnut breeding program that resulted in several top-notch, resistant hazelnuts for professional growers and homeowners alike. These are the trees that produce the high-grade nuts that you expect to find in the supermarket or quality chocolate bars. Varieties that are fast-growing and compact are also choice. Keep in mind that hazelnuts need more than one tree to produce nuts, so plan on planting at least two or three.

Most new hazelnut varieties are compact for easy harvest.

One of the best varieties is ‘Jefferson‘, a compact, hardy tree (8 to 12 feet, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8) with a pleasing upright habit. Its nuts are very large and flavorful. For good cross-pollination and fruitset, plant this tree alongside the equally compact and disease-resistant variety ‘Theta‘, which bears medium-sized nuts with good flavor. Both of these trees start producing nuts just two to three years after planting.

Another cross-pollinator compatible with ‘Jefferson’ is the extra high yielding ‘Yamhill‘. It is also a compact tree with an attractive, broad, spreading growth habit. Its nuts are large and delicious.

Japanese Chestnut

Chestnut blight is a deadly disease that attacks most chestnuts, but the Asian Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata), is the most resistant species of them all. Its fruits are delicious and bear heavily when trees grow to maturity, so plan to harvest loads when trees mature. Otherwise, they can be a bit of a mess. The broad canopied trees can reach 40 to 60 feet and are attractive in their own right. Well-drained loamy soil and full sunshine will ensure the best overall growth.

Some Japanese chestnut varieties are more compact, while the species grow to become large trees.

Japanese chestnuts produce showy ivory catkin flowers in spring that look a bit like clusters of fuzzy streamers. Nuts mature by fall and are held within prickly burrs that split open to bear two to three chestnuts. Unlike the other trees mentioned, these are self-fertile and don’t require another for cross-pollination.

English Walnut

A classic nut for cooking, the English walnut (Juglans regia) is a hardy tree that will reach up to 60 feet. Despite its common name, its native range extends from Europe across to Central Asia. For happy trees, plant them in fertile, upland soils and full sun. The non-showy, wind-pollinated flowers bloom in late spring and nuts appear by late fall. They are encased by a resinous green outer shell that splits open to reveal a perfectly formed walnut. A cross-pollinating second tree is not essential but can increase nut production. Trees can take up to 20 years to bear nuts, but some varieties can take just six years before producing.

Expect walnut trees to reach between 40 and 60 feet tall unless the variety is a compact selection.

The thin-shelled ‘Carpathian’ is a Polish heirloom variety selected in the 1930s that is remarkably hardy and takes 15 years to produce from seed, so be sure to purchase a tree that’s several years old. Its nuts are ready to harvest by mid-fall — plant at least two trees for best nut production.

More compact walnut varieties are a better fit for most gardens. Stark® Champion™, is an award winner that bears loads of nuts in six to seven years after planting and has thin-shelled nuts of the highest quality that ripen in mid-fall. It is also more compact, reaching a final height of 30 to 40 feet. Plant it with the pollenizer ‘Lake English’, an even earlier-to-bear (four to five years) tree of the same height that is a little less productive.

Pecan

Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are the finest native American nuts. The tall hardwood trees exist across the southeastern United States, reach 65 to 130 feet, and are hardy up to Zone 6. The elegant trees have a broad but upright canopy. Wild trees look good and have reliable nut production, but quality can be variable, so plant a good cultivated variety. Pecans have inconspicuous spring flowers. Nuts are ready to harvest by mid-fall. Pecans are self-pollinating but yield better with cross-pollination.

Commercial pecan groves exist across the southern US.

Starking® Hardy Giant™ is remarkably hardy (to Zone 5) and has extra large, thin-shelled nuts for easy cracking. The equally good producer Stark® Surecrop™ is a good cross-pollinator and an exceptionally attractive tree for landscape use.

Cultivation and Harvest

Cracking nuts by hand is cumbersome, but nut shellers are available to make the task easier.

Overall, nut trees require soil to enable deep root growth and full sun for top-notch nut production. At planting time, help trees get the best possible start by amending their soil with Black Gold Garden Soil and peat moss. For a detailed tree-planting step-by-stem, read our article How and When to Plant Trees.

If you purchase a nursery-grown nut tree, it will be potted, and several feet tall, but catalog-purchased trees are typically 0.5 to 3 feet tall. So, if you want a more vigorous, faster-to-produce tree from the getgo, see if any nurseries in your area sell nut trees.

Fall harvest is very time consuming if you harvest by hand. Nut rakes or harvesters are worth the investment if your trees are highly productive. They make harvest a snap.

Shelling is also a chore, so consider getting a hand-crank sheller that will do the job more quickly. That way you can roast your nuts in quantity faster.

Nuts are nutritious and expensive, so if you enjoy them, it’s worth investing in a few of your favorite trees. These long-lived, hardwood trees will also add charm and elegance to your landscape for true edible landscaping.

Are There Outdoor Cactus Hardy to Minnesota?

I see people in pictures with cactus gardens outside in my area. Are there any cactus that can stay outside for the winter in Minnesota? Question from Sandra of Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Answer: Yes! There are a couple of alpine cacti that exist at high altitudes along the Rocky Mountains that will survive in your winters. There are also other northerly prickly pears that you can grow. These will survive in your USDA Zone 4 garden, despite the harsh cold. Here are several good options to consider.

Cold-Hardy Cactus for Northern Gardens

Devil’s Tongue (Opuntia humifusa): This tough prickly pear cactus naturally exists from southern Ontario, Canada all the way down to Florida and is hardy to Zone 4. It has low, spreading clumps that produce yellow, gold, or orangish flowers in spring. In summer, attractive purple-red fruits appear. The pads appear to deflate and shrivel in the winter months, but this is natural. They will green up and reinflate in spring. This cactus is native to your state.

Brittle prickly pear (Opuntia fragilis, Zones 4-9): With populations extending to the far reaches of Canada and western mountain ranges, this is little prickly pear is very hardy–surviving in Zone 4 or colder. The very low, spreading plant is prickly and has pretty, pale yellow flowers in spring. Its little roundish pads are “brittle” and tend to break off and root as they fall. This one is also a Minnesota wildflower.

Hardy Hybrid Pricklypear (Opuntia hybrids): There are loads of beautiful prickly pear hybrids with spring flowers in shades of red, orange, magenta, pink, and yellow. The best source for these is the Cold Hardy Cactus nursery. Have a look and check out the many options for your zone.

These are just a few of the hardier cacti for your area. All have beautiful flowers that attract bees. One note is that you really need to prepare the ground when growing hardy cacti. They require very well-drained soils in raised rock gardens or beds. I suggest amending their soil with Black Gold Cactus Mix in addition to fine pebbles, sand, and some additional organic matter (Black Gold Garden Compost Blend works well).

To get a better idea of how to prepare a rocky raised succulent bed, I encourage you to read my Black Gold article about succulent seascape gardening.

Happy cactus growing!