Best Gifts for Gardeners by Patti O'Neal

What do I get for the gardener or my favorite new “wanna be” gardener on my list this year?  Most of my friends are seasoned gardeners and they are the hardest to buy for – they already have all the basics.  So I have been “shopping” the best websites and catalogues and nurseries to find unusual items, the most sustainable items or just things that I might not have thought of.  I am sharing them with you in hopes that you will find the perfect item to surprise and delight that gardener in your life.

Start with the 2012 Jeffco Master Gardener Calendar for everyone on your list.  At $13.00 it's a real bargain and available at many garden centers in Jefferson County.  Check here for the information.

For the Beginning Gardener

Radius ergonomic hand tools.  These come not only in hand tools but also in every spade, shovel and fork configuration imaginable.  These tools are a   pleasure to use and reduce stress on wrists and forearms.  Your wrist maintains a natural position while you work.  They are bright chartreuse so you cannot lose them in the garden or yard.  Also very sturdy and beautifully crafted.  You can find them locally at Paulino’s, Echters, and Arapahoe Acres.  Call first as none of these locations carry the full line.  I particularly love my round handled pro shovel and my hand trowel.


A Gift Certificate for Garden Classes. The best deal around is offered by the Jefferson County Master Gardeners.  They are offering a Spring Gardening Symposium on January 28, 2012, called Vegetable Gardening A –Z: Hitting the Basics.  It is a full day of six classes and covers Soil Preparation & Amendments, Vegetable Basics, Starting your Garden from Seed or Transplants, Tomatoes, Container Vegetable Gardening and Mountain Vegetable Gardening.  All this plus handouts, seeds and lunch for $70.  There is an optional lunch and learn class on Basic Flower Gardening for an additional $10.  Spend the day with these people who have access to the best research based gardening information, and in addition to the classes learn how the Jefferson County Master Gardeners can assist you with your gardening adventures all year long.  Call the Master Gardener line (303-2712-6632) to get a Gift Certificate and set your favorite beginning gardener (maybe yourself!) up for success.  What a great gift!

    Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves. A favorite of mine as they are lightweight (almost like no gloves at all) and colorful, so hard to lose if you remove one to tie off a tomato plant.  Easy to find at nearly any garden center and really inexpensive at $5-6 per pair.   

 Gifts for the Gardener Who has Everything

Living Walls. Portable and Freestanding, these triangular living walls allow you to grow garden-fresh produce inside or out, beautifying your living space and removing pollutants.  They can be used on a patio or balcony as well as in a bed to create more growing space. 
Green Living Technologies, 800-631-8001 or www.agreenroof.com


A Beautiful Harvest Basket. For harvest time or for a quick trip to the Farmer’s Market to fill in with something you are not growing or that has not come in yet.  Baskets from The Blessing Basket Project are handcrafted in Ghana from elephant grass with goat leather wrapped handles.  This nonprofit pays its artisans Prosperity Wages designed to bring the artist out of poverty and increase financial independence.  Giving a beautiful, useful and sustainable gift and feeling a sense of helping someone all at the same time.  A blessing indeed.  The Blessing Basket Project. www.blessingbasket.org

   Wingscapes Timelapse Plantcam. Create awesome time lapse videos of your favorite plants growing with this amazing little camera.  Weatherproof and comes with stand to capture nature unfurling right before your very eyes.  What else are you gonna do?  www.Amazon.com/gardening


Gifts For Apartment Dwellers


Terrarium. Once again, all the rage.  An entire garden landscape under glass which requires little attention to delight its owner.  They come in all sizes, open or closed, with all kinds of themes.  And if that person is so inclined a gift certificate to Denver Botanic Gardens class on Terrariums and Dish Gardens might be just the ticket.

 Houseplant Tools. These handy little tools make keeping houseplants tidy so much easier.  They are just the right size for digging around in small pots and not disturbing tender roots.  The set consists of a tiny shovel, trowel and cultivator.  Tied with a lovely bow and attached to a matching spray bottle to mist plants with a little moisture, especially in forced air heated homes; this makes a great gift for around $10.  www.amazon.com 


Worm Box and Gift Certificate for Worms. Even apartment, condo, patio home dwellers can compost with a worm farm.  One pound of worms can eat up to 5-6 pounds of kitchen scraps per week.  Resulting vermicompost can be used on houseplants or maybe traded with the neighbor down the street for fresh veggies in the summer.  Present the giftee with a Rubbermaid 60 gallon box and a gift certificate for a pound of worms and make someone and the world happy!  Call CSU Extension office in Jefferson County (303-271-6620) for a Vermicomposting fact sheet to include with your gift that gives directions to build out the box and exactly what you can and cannot feed and bed the worms with. 


Stocking Stuffers


Crabtree and Evelyn Ultra Moisturizing Hand Therapy.  It’s been around forever it seems, but I love it
Mosquito dunks. This may sound funny, but a package of the mini dunks is handy to have around in the heat in the summer when the mosquitoes are pesky to pop into your bird baths, fountains and ponds.

Leap Organics Soaps. These amazing bars are vegan, biodegradable, cruelty-free, triple-milled and produced using renewable energy.  The riotous packaging is 100 recyclable and manufactured using wind energy.  Aside from feeling luxurious to use, you can’t get any more sustainable than that!  www.leaporganics.com
A gorgeously bound garden journal. An essential for the conscientious gardener is keeping records.  Keeping notes on your favorite plant of the year, how certain vegetables did this year and maybe why, i.e. the weather is key to success the next time around.   It’s hard to make corrections when you can’t remember why you did something a certain way last year.  Always best to make notes on your successes as well as failures.  Also a great place to stick photos of the progress of a new bed or plant you are trying.  Barnes and Noble has all kinds of beautiful journals, leather bound, handmade paper, ribbon markers – you name it, great choices.
Window Mounted Thermometer.  Every gardener needs to know what the temperature actually is, especially if he or she is growing crops that are temperature sensitive.   This totally cool looking 4 ½” circular thermometer allows you to read the outside temp in both Celsius and Fahrenheit without leaving the comfort of inside.  It has large readable markings and can be removed to clean the window.  A super value at $9.95 and can be found in the Lee Valley online catalogue, one of my all time favorites, as it is full of fabulous gadgets that you never knew you couldn’t live without!  www.leevalley.com

Some of my favorite sites or catalogues for great garden “stuff” are Lee Valley Tools, Walt Nicke Company Fine Tools for Gardeners and Gardeners Supply.  All great companies to deal with as well.  Hope this inspires your holiday shopping.

Caution on Compost . . . Can It Be Too Much of a Good Thing? by Patti O'Neal

Amend, amend, and amend.  It is the mantra we all chant when managing our Colorado soils.  We here at CSU are constantly recommending that you add organic materials to your soils to improve water and nutrient holding capacity if you garden in sandy, gravelly or decomposed granite soils and to improve soil structure, drainage and filtration of water and nutrients in clay soils.  Improving the soil is still important for good plant growth and production of fruit and flowers.

But can you have too much of a good thing?  Much is being made, and justifiably so, of phosphates these days and their adverse effect on our groundwater supplies.  As a result many states are adopting laws to prevent the addition of phosphates to many products for household and outdoor use.
It is very likely that one day we will see the content of our fertilizers change as a result of these laws, and hopefully the labeling of our compost products so we know what we are getting.

Photo University of Minnesota

 First of all, let’s clarify what landscape soils on the Front Range do, for the most part, contain. Though varied in textures, our soils have a good mineral and plant available nutrient content.  Plant available nitrogen and iron are the only properties that we lack sufficient quantities of.  With that said, let’s look at the results of a recent study performed at CSU through the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory.  The study used randomly selected bagged compost products which were analyzed for plant based nutrients.  Here are some of the significant results of the study and recommendations for how we should use them.

NOTE:  The results of this study do not reflect either an endorsement or a condemnation of any particular product.

*Chemical properties of a given product may vary from bag to bag, both within a season and from year to year.  The analysis represents just a “snap shot” in time, and do not represent a definitive assessment of any particular product.
*Composted manure products tend to be very salty, and often contain high concentrations of plant available nutrients.
*Nearly all the products analyzed, both plant and animal based contained 2-15 times more plant-available phosphorous and 3 to 110 times more plant available potassium, than are needed for good plant growth.
*Plant available nitrogen contents were highly variable in the products analyzed.  Some contained nitrogen in nearly entirely organic form and contained little if any plant available nitrogen while others contained very high to excessive plant available nitrogen in ammonium and nitrate forms.

The moral of the story is that you may be doing something you believe to be wonderful for your soil, when in fact, you are not.  You may believe you are gardening completely organically, when in fact, you are not.

Oh great, you say?  So now what am I supposed to do?   The good news is that there are several things you can do.

*First, be conservative in the amount of organic amendment you apply.
No more than 2-3” of plant based compost mixed into the top 6-8” of soil or 1” of manure based compost worked into 8” of soil (especially if the salinity of the product is not known).
*Leach an organic product before use to help lower salinity.
*Use mulch as directed to conserve organic matter by lessening irrigation needed.  The more you conserve, the less you need to add in subsequent years.
*Try using green manure instead (cover crops like buckwheat, winter rye or vetch) to improve the organic matter in areas where it is practical to do so like the vegetable garden. 
*Make sure that there is a certified organic seal on any organic product that you purchase to insure that the contents are genuinely organic. 

Probably the single best thing you can do is to make your own homemade plant based compost.  This way you are assured of what goes in and what will come out.  Amendments are a good thing if used with discretion.  Until the labels are legally mandated, use caution and good sense for best results.

The Value of a Vegetable: Starting Your Garden From Seed by Patti O'Neal

Photo by Duane Davidson

When Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, gardeners everywhere sprung into action, no longer just pouring over seed catalogues and wishing, but whipping out the credit cards and typing madly on computers, getting orders placed lest we not get the latest, newest or most prized seed from our favorite sources.

Yes, it is time to start planning the 2011 vegetable garden and begin gathering the supplies we will need. Why do I get so excited about my vegetable garden? You can’t get away from all the information and encouragement to get more vegetables and fruits into your diet that is available these days.  Neither can you argue with the tight budgets that our current economy has handed many, if not most, of us.  So growing your own vegetables is a way to address the nutritive needs of our bodies, while being respectful of our pocket books.  In addition, I find the exercise and connection to the land very satisfying. 

Let’s take a tomato, for example, as it is the fruit of the garden that most people know, understand, and if you can only grow one vegetable, it is the one selected 9 times out of 10.  Once you successfully grow a tomato plant and get the itch for that real tomato taste, it’s hard to accept the hard, reddish grey balls that are offered to most of us in the grocery store.  Then there is the expense of the beautiful heirloom varieties that are available in the summer, which are priced out of most people’s range.  So, what is the average family to do?  Grow a tomato, of course; in your own well fed soil, harvested at the peak of its vitamin and flavor packed perfection.

Tomatoes should be planted outside once the threat of frost has past, usually around May 15^th.  That is recognized as the last day in spring on which there is less than 50% chance that a freeze will occur.  So that is the date from which we count back to start seeds inside.   So approximately mid-March, you should plant your seeds. 

If you are a beginner, set yourself up for success by purchasing clean seed that is packed for the current year.

·      Decide on the containers you will use and make sure they have good drainage.

·      Use clean seed starting medium, moisten.

·      Plant to the depth specified on the seed packet.

·      Top-dress with additional soil less mix; also specified on seed packet.

·      Place in a warm place to germinate.

·      Move to light once seeds germinate.

·      Transplant if necessary, if weather precludes planting when you had planned.

·      Assure good air circulation, water from the bottom, give good light and turn frequently to prevent leggy plants.

·      Plant outside in ground or in containers.

·      If growing in containers, choose a determinate variety that will be easy to manage without staking or supporting.

An average determinate heirloom tomato plant, given proper conditions, will yield ten to fifteen pounds of tomatoes; mostly at the same time.  So for an investment of approximately $l.79 of seed, some seed starting mix and containers you don’t need to pay for, your yield could be worth anywhere from $90-$120 of taste tempting tomatoes.  An indeterminate variety which continues to produce all season (a cherry tomato for example) can yield up to 20-25 pounds in a season can yield the same value, more if it is an heirloom variety.  Gives you pause, doesn’t it?  

This may seem simplified, but the system works.  You will be adding value to your family’s nutrition as well as value to your pocketbook.  Some of the best seed starting education can be learned from the seed packets and seed catalogues.  If that is still daunting, there are lots of classes currently being offered that can give you the confidence you need to get going.  

So, even though Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction record is right only about 39% of the time, it gives me the “inch” I needed to take a “mile” of action to get ready to start my garden from seed.  You can do it, too.

Patti will be teaching “Starting Your Garden From Seed” at Feed Denver on March 12 (for more information: http://www.feeddenver.com/urban-farmers-and-vegetable-gardeners-symposium.html) 

She is also teaching “Totally Tomato” a class on all things tomato at the Denver Botanic Gardens on April 23 (http://calendar.botanicgardens.org/show/detail/40670) 

Weather – Workin’ the Swing Shift by Patti O'Neal

What is a plant to do?  It is late January and all but a few plants should be peacefully enjoying the delicious dormancy of winter.  In the restful sleep of hibernation each plant sends good thoughts to its root zone where precious nutrients are stored, to be called on when the the sunshine of spring and early summer tease them to life by warming the soil and sending messages of new growth.  That’s in a perfect world.  But this year we are experiencing anything but perfect. 

Temperatures have fluctuated from 70 degrees to below 0 in a span of 3 days.  This has happened several times since December.  Then we go back up to high 40’s for a week at a time with lows only at freezing, creating a freeze thaw situation in the soil. 

When plants are subjected to this “freeze-thaw” cycle repeatedly damage can occur to the root system as plants are heaved from the ground.

  The best remedy is to apply a 3-4 inch layer of mulch around the base of your plants. This helps to mitigate the soil temperatures, thus preventing the heaving effect.  It also helps to keep moisture in the soil.   It is best to wait until after the first hard freeze to do this, and before snowfall,  so rodents do not make a comfortable home out of it.  When you apply the mulch, it is important to pull it back gently about and inch or slightly more from the crown of the plant.  This prevents excess moisture from collecting at the crown line and creating diseases and allows the plant to breathe.  Check out CSU fact sheet #7.214, Mulches for Home Grounds at www.colostate.edu.

It’s not only the roots that need protection, but  warmer days can create a situation where premature budding can occur.  This will require some above ground protection for your plants.  Be creative and cover with something that creates a layer of air between the plant and the cover to provide insulation.  It is best not to just drape sheets over plants, especially if heavy moisture is present.  The sheet will be come wet and heavy and lay directly on the leaves causing the very damage you were trying to prevent.  For plants you especially want to protect, try putting a tomato cage over it and then hanging the sheet over that, or devising something that will create the same effect.  Covers should never be left on for extended periods of time, as they can disrupt the natural transpiration of air and water in the plants.  Remove as soon as the danger has passed.

Do not be alarmed if your tulips and other bulbs are beginning to break bud.  Those that are doing so are the species varieties which are natives of China, Turkey and Asia who relish in these kinds of severe winter climates.  They will be fine. As a matter of fact, they will continue to thrive.
With all these severe temperature shifts, we have had little moisture this past month in particular.  Watering is going to be critical if you have not done any yet since you turned your irrigation system off last October, as fall was equally as dry.  So on the next day when temps are above 45 degrees, drag out the hose and deeply, slowly water trees and shrubs first and extend to herbaceous perennials if time permits.  Remember, roots go into a hard freeze more successfully deeply damp as opposed to dry.  This will prevent winter dessication injury where the plant cannot take up enough moisture to keep up with the dry, windy conditions we have been experiencing.

Do these two things now and the effort you make now will pay off in high performing, beautiful plants in the summer.  

Amaryllis: The Joy that Keeps on Giving by Patti O'Neal

Amaryllis is a rare gift to a gardener, providing near instant gratification producing a magnificent spectacle in 4-6 weeks. It’s a gift of growing something and making it bloom right in the middle of snow and freezing temperatures. The trick for many is to get them to do it again the following year. 

Amaryllis is a tender bulb, meaning it does not require a chilling period to bloom.  These beauties originate in the temperate climates of South America where they grow and bloom outdoors.  Here in the chilly Rocky Mountains we enjoy them “forced” during the holidays of December and on into January and even February. 

The term “forcing” is really a misnomer.  There is actually very little force involved. 
Forcing as it relates to bulbs is actually a sleight of hand trick to make a bulb bloom out of its normal bloom season.  It’s easy enough to do and with some good care tips you can enjoy them again the following year.  Here’s how.

The bulbs should be firm and full and have many fleshy, cream colored roots. They should have a brown outer skin similar to an onion, but not be loose.  The bigger the bulb the better; and likewise they will be more expensive.  But they are generally of better quality and you will have better success.  The larger bulbs produce multiple stems with multiple blooms.  The smaller bulbs produce a single stem with one or two blooms.  You can spend anywhere from $15-$20 for these large bulbs, so learning a few best practices will keep you from tossing some very expensive annuals at the end of their blooms season. 

Choose a heavy container, ceramic or terra cotta are both good choices to support the top heavy planting that will happen when it blooms.  The bulbs like to be in close quarters, so only 1 ½” to 2” wider than the bulb and only 8-9” deep is best.  The container should have adequate drainage.  You should use a good quality potting soil and gently pack it around the bulb so that 1/2 to 2/3 of the bulb should be above the soil.   Water in and do not water again until the bulb shows signs of life.  At this point you resume regular watering and fertilizing begins just before bud break.  A flower bud should emerge before the leaves do.  Once the plant blooms, move it to a cooler location and indirect light so the blooms don’t fade.  Enjoy the gorgeous blooms.

As blooms fade, clip them off close to the stem.  Once all blooms on the stem are spent, cut the stem approximately l” from the tip of the bulb.  Leaves should have emerged by now.  Once all stems are cut back, begin to treat the bulb as a houseplant.  You can move back to brighter light and continue to water as needed.  In the warm months of summer I move mine outside to a sunny spot to give it as much light as possible.  This is what feeds the bulb for a future bloom. 

In late August or early September, stop watering and fertilizing and let plant dry out in the sun.  Leaves will die off.  When this happens, trim the dead leaves and loose scales and move the plant to a cool dark spot.  Hold water and move to a sunny spot 6 weeks before you want the plant to bloom again.  Water thoroughly and then with hold water again until the bulb begins to bud and the cycle begins again. 

Amaryllis do not like to be disturbed.  Repot every 3-4 years and trim any dried, brown roots when changing to fresh soil.  Even if you do everything right, your bulb may not bloom the second year.  Remember, that they are coming from the grower’s hands where they have been given special care and attention by professionals to bring the bulb to maximum performance before they go to market.  It may just be adjusting to your  particular care that second year, and with the continued, consistent care, it should bloom happily the third year and beyond.

This is not the case, however, for amaryllis forced in water.  Although attractive, and successful in its own way, water forcing expends all the energy in the bulb, making a future bloom unlikely.  In this case, treat your bulb as an annual and start over the following season with a new one. 

So, give yourself a wonderful gift this year and invest in the largest bulb you can spring for and give yourself the gift of an amazing flowering display at the holidays, an attractive houseplant during the summer and a gorgeous display next year that you can admire and be proud that you made happen.

When Frost Threatens – Take Action by Patti O'Neal

Frost can signal that the end of the gardening season is near – but not necessarily over.
I have a good friend who recently said “I am sick of the garden – I just want it to be over.”  If this is you, then when frost threatens, by all means do a final harvest of the tenders and call it done.  If it’s not you, there are many measures you can take to protect your crops from a killing frost incident, as more times than not, such an incident is followed here by an Indian Summer and at least another month of flower and vegetable enjoyment and harvest.

What is Frost?
Frost is water in the form of dew which freezes on the surfaces of your plants and causes the water in the plants cells to freeze and burst, thus killing the plant.

There are two types of frost, advective and radiation.  Advective frost occurs when a cold front sweeps into an area accompanied by gusty winds, sometimes with clouds and a thick layer of cold from the ground up.  Radiation frost happens on crystal clear days or nights and not accompanied by wind.

Watch the Weather Forecast
As gardeners, watching the weather is akin to new parents listening to the baby monitor.
We are maniacal about it. We know that the average first frost date for our area is October 15.  The first average frost date is the day when there is a 50% chance that a frost will occur.  This will vary by 4-5 days the farther south you are in the county and the higher up the mountain you live. Knowing this, keep a sharp ear to the weather forecasts.  When the weatherman predicts a cold front following clear nights and low humidity, frost is eminent.

Freeze is defined as 32 plus degrees, light frost, damage depends on the duration of the frost and the humidity present. Light Frost is from 29-32 degrees, tender plants are killed with little effect on the other vegetation. Moderate freeze is 25-28 degrees, damage to most vegetation with heaviest to fruit blossoms and tender plants. Hard Freeze is 24 degrees and below and considered a killing frost – thus ending the season.

 Evaluate Your Garden
Decide how much of the tender produce you have left to  harvest and how much frost tolerant produce will need protection.   Learn the difference so you will no be caught unaware. All vegetables and flowers react differently to frost.

Tender Vegetables – Need protection and diligence when frost threatens; will not live below 32 degrees: tomatoes, beans, cucumbers summer squash, annual flowers, annual herbs, peppers.
The Frost tolerant- Can live when vines, leaves are frozen; can survive temps of 28 degrees and sometimes below; the cruciferous vegetables, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, hardy perennial herbs like chives, sages, beets, carrots, winter squashes and pumpkins.
The Cold Hardy– thrives in temps between 32 and 28 degrees with some protection.  Flavors tend to improve with the cold: kale, spinach, lettuce, arugula, and chard.

Cover Your Plants 
When frost threatens, we grab just about anything we can to cover our plants.  Covers can provide up to 5 degrees of extra protection.  The best are of woven type fabrics as opposed to plastic or paper, which can do a fair job, better than nothing, in a pinch. The smartest way to apply a frost protection cover is to support it slightly above your crop or tree or container garden with hoops or stakes.  This creates an air pocket which buffers the temperature drop.  It should be high enough so that the weight of any precipitation that occurs will not touch the plant.  Wet fabric can cause the same damage when touching your plant as if the moisture had settled directly on lit.  Don’t forget to remove the covers in the morning before the sun comes out.

Irrigate Well Before a Frost
Plants go into a frost much more successfully when the soil around them is moist as opposed to dry.  Moist soil holds four times as much heat as dry soil.  Moisture also conducts heat to the soil surface by as much as 5 degrees and that difference is maintained into the early morning hours.  So, water your plants well the evening before an expected frost. 

We are into October and our fickle Colorado weather could spring a frost on us at any moment and then nothing for weeks.  It behooves you to protect your plants to reap weeks more of enjoyment of color and harvest.  These tips should help you to do that so that you can continue to enjoy our amazing fall with the confidence that your plants will succeed as well.