Master Gardener Peggy Scott shared gardening advice during our April Field Trip to Wing Haven. Most of her tips centered around container gardening, but she also touched on other topics. Her tips included:
A few random tips:
Herbs you shouldn't miss: Lemon Basil, Stevia and Malabar Spinach, a Vietnamese herb that's a great substitute for cilantro, since cilantro doesn't grow well in our hot climate.
Veggies you shouldn't miss: Romanian sweet peppers, which are heart-shaped and yellow. Yellow gold cherry tomatoes. Pear tomatoes.
Don't buy Impatiens walleriana: They are contaminated with a new strain of downy mildew that causes them to suddenly die. Instead,, look for New Guinea Impatiends, Begonias or Torenia (see picture), which has beautiful purple flowers.
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| Torenia |
Container Planting tips
- On choosing a container: For the best results, start with a clean container. Fill the bottom with cut-up burlap, pieces of weed fabric or big chunky pieces of styrofoam. That will prevent the water from going right through the hole in the bottom.
- If you're using a Terracotta pots. They suck up all the moisture, so either use them with succulents, soak it before you plant, put a container inside the container or put a plastic grocery bag inside your pot before you fill it with dirt and poke holes in the bottom with a skewer.
- The soil. Don't use topsoil or garden soil. You want potting mix that is specifically designed for containers. The premium brand is Fafard potting mix. Don't get the cheapest soil; you get what you pay for.
- On choosing plants. If it says full sun, that means more than six hours, and even shade plants like a little sun. Terriara are a good way to add color in the shade. Every pot needs thrillers (high plant in middle), fillers, and spillers (that spill over the side.)
- How many plants? Always choose odd numbers of plants. To figure out how many plants you need, measure your pot's width in inches, and divide by 2. So if you have a 12 inch pot, you need six plants. A few favorites: Diamond Frost is a beautiful filler with a cute white flower that will spread over your pot and create a lacy effect. Vinca is a great trailer that loves both sun and shade, and survives the winter. Torenia, Nemesia and Mezzo are other pretty trailers. Zinnias are great for color, stay short and fill in your pot.
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| Vinca |
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| Zinnias |
- Planting tips. Don't plant in the sun on a really hot day; that stresses your plants. Do it in the shade if it's hot. Plant the one with the biggest root ball first. Wet your soil first too. Don't totally cover the root ball with soil.If you snip off anything that's dead and even the blooms, that will promote growth in the beginning. Plant trailers sideways so the top of them is directed over the side of your pot. Plant everything at least an inch below the lip of the pot so when you water it doesn't overflow.
- Feeding tips. You need to feed your plants! If you don't, you wont' have beautiful flowers, just green leaves. When you first plant, use a fertilizer that has more phosphorus (the second number of the three) because that promotes root development. Later, look for one with a higher third number to promote good blooms. A good organic one is Plant-Tone.
- Revive it in mid-summer. If your arrangement is looking a little sad by mid-summer, pull the whole thing out, cut off half the root ball, put in new soil and replant. Voila! Your pot will be rejuvenated.
That's it! If you have any questions, stop by Wing Haven. The volunteers there will be happy to help you!!!
