Burke Knows Words A vision for your life

Many gardeners understand that a plant in a container cannot rely on the potting soil for nutrition, at least not forever. Outdoor plants that are growing in the yard are naturally replenished to some extent, by plants and old leaves that are slowly decomposed by rain and microbial action. This accumulated plant debris is a natural fertilizer.

Nutritional supplements are commonly called plant food or fertilizer. The term “plant food” has often caused hostile reactions within academic horticulture circles. Although it helps to think of fertilizer as plant food, it’s not. Technically, plants manufacture or produce their own food by photosynthesis. This natural process within the plant portions that contain chlorophyll converts carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight into sugars that are the building blocks of green tissues. The mineral nutrients that are found in fertilizer are necessary to stimulate photosynthesis and therefore make food production possible.

Houseplants or plants that are grown in containers are quite isolated from the natural fertilization cycle. They struggle enough in their pursuit of light and water. Only when the nutritional needs of the plant are met by the conscientious grower, can plant vigor be insured. A vital and yet integral part of any plant maintenance program should be a regular fertilization schedule.

Most houseplant nutritional problems can be controlled with three major fertilizer elements.

The first element listed by number on the plant food package is nitrogen (N). It is the most important to overall plant growth. It also is the quickest one to dissolve in water and He available through the roots. Unfortunately, nitrogen is also the Element most quickly removed or leached out of the soil. Often much of the nitrogen disappears out the drainage holes before it is absorbed by the roots.

Within the plant, most of the ingested nitrogen is utilized in the manufacture of leaf tissue. A plant that has received an adequate supply of this vital nutrient will exhibit lush green leaves and plant parts. The lack of adequate nitrogen may result in lower-leaf drop, stunted growth, and an overall faded-out appearance. Too much nitrogen, however, can result in an overabundance of lush foliage or leaves. Tomatoes are a prime example of too much foliage with few fruits as the result of too much nitrogen. The leaves that are produced with an abundance of nitrogen are often soft and therefore weak. They are less likely to support strong plant growth and are often more susceptible to disease and insect attack.

Phosphorus (P) is the second number on the fertilizer product label. This figure is representative of the percentage of phosphoric acid, not just pure phosphorus. Plants need less phosphorus than nitrogen and also soils lose less phosphorus to leaching.

The presence of adequate phosphorus insures a vigorous root system and a sturdy stem. The element’s major importance is in speeding plant maturation and therefore development of flower buds.

Many flowering plants like hibiscus, vinca, lantana, purslane, bougainvillea and allamanda require high phosphorus fertilizers for adequate bloom count. The lack of phosphorus can result in stunted growth as well as lack of flowers.

Potassium (K) is the third major fertilizer element. Potassium combines with oxygen to form potassium oxide which is commonly known as potash.

The presence of potassium in the plant encourages flowering and plays a key role in seed quality. It also is essential for plant vigor and health. Cold- and disease-resistant qualities are enhanced with adequate quantities of potassium.

The regular use of fertilizer should be an integral part of your plant care, regardless of what kind of fertilizer you use. Never over-feed, but be consistent and observe your plants’ reactions to the fertilizer you are using.

After you have chosen and measured your garden area, spread out a large sheet of paper—shelf paper will do. Use a simple scale, such as one inch for one foot. Draw lines every 3 inches across the paper to represent walkways 3 feet apart in the plot. Picture the space between the walkways as slightly raised beds. Down each of these beds you can run two rows of small-to-medium sized vegetables or one row of larger types. Extra-large vegetables, such as melons and squash, must be given two or three full beds to sprawl across. Seed packets give you some clues by listing heights and recommended spacing between plants, but also consider the points that follow.

1.Visualize mature height and spread

Such perennials as rhubarb and asparagus grow very tall and can be harvested for only a relatively short time.

They should be placed in the back of your garden so that they’re out of the way after harvest. Plant tall vegetables on the north side of the garden and shorter ones on the south side. Sweet corn, pole varieties of beans and peas, and tomatoes are all tall-growing vegetables.

Bush squash and eggplant can reach two and a half feet in height. Place them in the middle of the garden. Most other vegetables—bush beans, beets, carrots, and turnips, for example—grow no more than 14 to 18 inches high and equally wide.

Don’t be misled by the descriptive term “bush” when it’s applied to summer squash, eggplant, and okra. Bush varieties are more compact than the runner types, but even they can grow 30 inches high and 4 feet wide. Another misnomer is “dwarf” okra; in rich soil this plant can grow nearly 6 feet tall by the end of summer. Double-check the mature size of dwarf and miniature vegetables in the seed catalog or on the packet before you buy.

The size of some mature plants, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage, is not the same as the size of the heads at produce counters. Outer leaves on late-maturing cabbage, for example, can cover a 24 to 30-inch span. Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli can grow to 24 inches high and equally as wide. Kale and collards don’t form heads like cabbage; instead, they develop tall, upright plants.

2.Think short rows

Divide each row into short segments, about 4 feet in length. This will keep you from planting too much of any one vegetable at a time. Plant long rows of vegetables only if you intend to can or freeze them or if they are a type you can leave on the plants for a vvhile after they mature. Vegetables that can be stored on plants include winter squash, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, onions, and beans grown for dry seeds.

3.Interplant to save space

Interplanting lets you harvest more vegetables from a small garden. Instead of planting individual rows of quick-maturing vegetables (leaf lettuce, radish, curly cress, onion sets, spinach, turnips, and mustard greens), scatter a few of these seeds among young plants of larger or slower-maturing vegetables, such as sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. Some gardeners never plant separate rows of radishes; they just plant radish seeds among the slow sprouters, such as parsley and carrots. The radishes are eaten before the parsley and carrots are more than an inch or so high.

You can use the same space to grow two or three crops in succession in a single season. Combined with inter- planting, succession cropping can help you harvest more from a given area. When you take out an early crop. plant another one as soon as you can work amendments into the soil.

Here’s a typical sequence of succession planting: plant peas or spinach in very early spring. As soon as these crops are out of the ground, rework the bed and plant warmth-loving vegetables, such as beans. In mildwiriter climates you can pull up ‘the beans and plant carrots, radishes, turnips, lettuce, or cole crops for fall and winter harvests.

A good place to start weather you are starting from scratch or developing your garden year by year is to gain wisdom from all you can observe of your landscape. Doing this will minimize gardening pitfalls. Look out your window, walk around your garden area.

Collect all the information you can to gain understanding of what and when things should be done. Common sense goes a long ways, add that with your personal observations, and you have all you need to get a good start the best usage of your time to gain the most results.

Step back and look closely at how the landscape is performing, both functionally as well as aesthetically. Ask these questions: What goals do I have? Do I want a dual purpose garden? Will it provide mental respite as well as healthy crops? What features lend themselves to a focal point (dominant feature) or pleasant walkway for planning around? How do pole beans or upright sweet corn set the stage? How do the oregano and mint textures (leaf and stem) harmonize with the colors, silhouettes and shapes of their companion plants? What type of lighting and shadows from the sun at various stages of the day as well as the evening moon’s rays do you see to add to the excitement of the view? These are just a few considerations that may bring greater enjoyment to that bell pepper’s flavor or the pie grandma made from your rhubarb, or mint in your glass of ice tea, or maybe a fruit salad with hand-picked blueberries and strawberries.

Mark, stake, label, or flag to indicate the exact locations of seeds, vining plants, watering and fertilizing sites are. As your squash vines start sprawling over this will help you not get lost as to where the hose end went.

If you started your tomato plants indoors or purchased them, you will want to transplant them one inch or deeper (to the first set of leaves). Put stakes or cages up now so you don’t have to hassle with it later and risking damage to your plant.

Sweet potatoes are good to plant this month in the Midwest. Replace cold season plants with warm season varieties such as beans, egg-plant, and pepper. Work up the space, add some organic matter then plant after last harvest of your cold season vegetables. Keep proper spacing for sweet or pop corn to ensure proper cross –pollination and room for mature growth.

Shad from direct sunlight allows for a longer harvest time. Cool season leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach and others will benefit from a shade cloth or fabric with the density of window screen over them.

After you cut and enjoy asparagus spears (not beyond stalks reaching pencil sized), allow the plant to grow and fern out (opening of leaves). Thin out and remove plant seedlings of beans, anise, and peas from any situation to avoid overcrowding. Select, if possible, the weakest plants to discard. New growth, tie up on vines as they need to avoid breaking stems and damage.

Watering good yet do so responsibly:

Keep as much moisture off the plant leaves, therefore minimize overhead watering. To continue watering from over head increases the chance of disease. If you must water from overhead, do it as early in the morning as you can so the leaves may dry during the day.

Grapes need a balance of (12-12-12 or similar) fertilizer. One quarter cup around each vine installed earlier this year. Apply fertilizer to older vies as the bulbs swell. Use one cup for two-year-old vines. One to One-one half cups for three-year-old vines and one to two cups of plant food for each year of growth on older vines.

Tomatoes need tomato fertilizer with an analysis 6-24-24 or similar product.

The first number is low so minimize adding nitrogen. Nitrogen encourages foliage and minimized fruit formation.

For your apple trees you will need to fertilize the ones which have been in place one year or longer. Administer one pound of 12-12-12 each year.

To save the energy of the rhubarb plant, cut off flower and seed stalks. Flowers from any squash and any fruits at the time of installation pinch off (remove). The plant will spend its energy trying to develop and keep fruit growing but it needs time to acclimate and establish in the garden.

Watch for asparagus beetles and striped and spotted cucumber beetles. These pests chew and transmit diseases in specific plants. Apple trees signs to watch for are codling moths; the caterpillars are leaf eaters.

Caterpillars start showing up on many crops this month, especially cabbages and broccoli. Inspect leaves for chewing, remove or apply a safe chemical control directly on the caterpillar. You could use Bacillus (Bt) biological spray per package directions.

Several insects that disrupt fruiting will visit your grapes; control them with insecticidal soap to lessen the impact.

Grape foliage with blackened or gray film on it will need to be thinned out so air movement can be increased through the plant. Check the base of grapevines after a severe winter for unusual looking growth. Cut vines to ground. Retrain the new growth onto the arbor or trellis. If the leaves appear pale or stunted, the nutrient level may be unbalanced or inadequate. Take a soil sample to your local garden center if you are unsure.

Blueberry bushes with a yellowing discoloration on the leaves are a sign of iron deficiency or unavailable nutrients. Iron sulfate at the label rate of application can be used to begin the recovery process. This may take a few seasons.

An insect identification guide with color pictures can greatly help identify unknown infestation problems. You can purchase these at local garden centers or nurseries.