Prepping for Fall!

This time of year it may seem quiet in our retail area but in the planting area, things are hopping! Our staff is busy planting and spacing our fall mums, cabbage and kale, and plants for our fall planters! We do quite a few mums in different sizes so it keeps us from getting bored. The rain we've had has been lovely, giving them a good soaking. 

Terrific Tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes require 6 hours direct sun per day....any less and they just won't do well.  Fertile, well-drained soil is important for fruit production and healthy plants. 
Watering tomatoes properly is a must. Avoid watering in the evening when it's calm; getting the leaves wet when there is a lack of proper airflow invites all kinds of fungal and viral diseases. 
 Water heavily but infrequently, concentrating on the soil. Using mulch around the plants also helps to lock in moisture. 
If growing tomatoes in containers, water everyday. These plants need consistent moisture and will dry out quickly. Uneven watering can cause blossom-end rot and over-watering can cause mushy, fruit that splits.One plant per pot is enough, no matter the size of the pot. Add some marigolds or basil with it to ward off pests. 
When choosing a tomato plant for a pot, pick a "determinate" plant. This means they will stay bushier, stopping their growth at a certain point. Pruning and staking will help keep the air moving around the plant and keep the sunlight directed at all areas for more even ripening. 

There are so many varieties of tomatoes out there, from old reliables to new hybrid disease-resistant kinds. The choice is up to you!!

Herbalicious!

Herbs are where it's at. Fresh herbs for cooking, making tea or just to flavor your water, they are an excellent addition to your diet.  Nothing can beat the flavor of freshly chopped herbs on salad or pizza or in a marinade for the BBQ! Try drying your own herbs by using the oven , microwave or hanging upside down to dry naturally. They need a sunny ventilated spot to hang so they can dry evenly. Place in a Ziploc bag when dried to crush, then store in glass jars to keep ultimate freshness. Experiment and go crazy! A great way to "eat local" and know what's in your food!!

Herb Garden

Companion Gardening

Companion planting is nothing new. It has been around for ages. The theory behind companion planting is that some vegetables ward off nasty bugs and pests while others attract the beneficial ones. When strategically placed in the garden, a little eco-system is born. For example, oregano and sage discourage cabbage moths so plant these herbs amongst cabbage.  Dill attracts predatory wasps that eat caterpillars while warding off aphids and spider mites. Marigolds can be for looks or to repel white flies and sometimes rabbits. The possibilities are endless and there is so much info out there!! As with anything, companion gardening tends to be trial and error depending on the garden's location, weather and many other factors. 

Here's a great article by the well-known Burpee company with an abundance of advice and ideas for your garden. A great way to go natural and have fun trying new things at the same time!  

Companion planting guide by Burpee

Impatiens & Downy Mildew

So for years and years you've loved growing impatiens in your shady gardens... but last year you noticed they didn't do so well, or perhaps they died off all together.  Chances are  they had downy mildew.

Impatiens downy mildew is caused by an organism called Plasmopara obducens. It appeared several years ago in Europe, showing up in North America in 2011 in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeastern United States. It is now showing up in Southern Ontario.

Downy mildew is spread by spores located on the underside of infected leaves. The spores can be spread by wind or rain as it splashes onto the leaves. The organism is a water mould requiring moist conditions to develop spores and cause new infections.
Downy mildew attacks only Impatiens walleriana (the bedding variety). Other types, such as New Guinea and SunPatiens, are not affected.

There are no fungicides available to gardeners for the control of this disease.

To dispose of infected plants, Do not place infected plants in home composters in case the spores overwinter. Instead, bag and put them at the curb to be composted in a municipal facility (where the heat is high enough to destroy the organism). Alternatively, you can burn or bury the affected plants deeper than 50 centimetres (20 inches).
 Experts advise against planting Impatiens walleriana where infected plants once grew.  If you want to grow impatiens in a container that previously held infected plants, thoroughly wash the container with soapy water and a drop of bleach. Be sure to use fresh planting soil mix. Because the disease is specific only to Impatiens walleriana, you can grow any other bedding plants without any risk.

Should you avoid buying bedding impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) for your garden this year?
Because downy mildew is a relatively new problem, whether it becomes more serious or not remains to be seen.  Perhaps the extreme cold this past winter has destroyed some of the spores, but only time will tell, that so watch for it.  The spores live in the soil they are planted in, and spread in the air.

Seed companies are working on breeding seed varieties that are mildew resistant, however, that may be 4-5 years away.

Downy Mildew - A curse or an opportunity?   read this article from MSU

Treat Your Mom to Flowers!

For years flowers have been a favourite gift for moms.... Often a hanging basket of planter that can go right outdoors is perfect. Due to the late Spring and colder temperatures this year,  you might consider trying something a little different.  We have three different suggestions for you of plants that your mom can enjoy indoors for next couple weeks before enjoying them outdoors all summer long... Or if she would rather they can stay indoors as a perfect year round house plant.

 Mandevilla vine

Beautiful and tropical and will climb a trellis when planted outside.  This plant enjoys part to full sun.

Bougainville 

This plant enjoys full sun and is very well suited for a container to be enjoyed on a deck or balcony. 

Hibiscus

Also well suited as a container plant, which makes it easy to bring back indoors in the fall when the weather turns cool.

And just to sweeten the deal a little we've marked down these 3 beautiful varieties of plants just for this weekend!