Hedgerows Garden Tapestry Journal

January Garden How-To:

Hardwood Cuttings:

Continue to take fully ripe, hardwood cuttings from trees and shrubs to increase your stock or share with friends. This is as easy to do as the soft cuttings most people are more comfortable doing - here’s how:

a) Choose strong side shoots, about as thick as a pencil, from the current year’s growth.

b) Cut with a clean, sharp knife or pruner just below a bud. If the cutting is longer than 1 foot, trim the top as necessary.

c) Remove all but the top leaves in milder areas, all of them in colder areas (if there are any left).

d) Make a narrow, V-shaped trench in a shady, protected spot in the garden, about 6-9 inches deep. Sprinkle an inch of coarse sand in the bottom to help with drainage.

e) Dip the base of each cutting into a rooting hormone powder. Lay them almost vertically on the side of the trench, about 6 inches apart, with the base firmly in the sand.  Fill back the trench, almost burying the cuttings. For cold climates, cover with mulch once the ground is completely frozen.

f) Leave them in place until next fall before transplanting to their final location.

Plants to try propagating this way include roses, dogwoods, honeysuckles, philadelphus, poplar, ribes, willow and many others. Try a few different varieties, as some do take easier than others. Good luck!

“Late December Decisions” by ???

As I sit writing this journal entry to close to the dreaded Y2K, I stop and think we may not have to worry about pruning or seed ordering in a few days. If things collapse next week I can be sure of one thing - the bamboo jungle in front of my house is sure to survive…

It’s rather pleasant these days on the Wetcoast, plantwise, that is. The walk up to the video store offers an education in winter flowering plants as well as hedging of which I am in desperate need.

First there is the incredible Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). Its name tells all. Florum meaning flowers or flowering and nudi, for naked. The zone 6-10 plant has long leafless stems with beautiful yellow flowers. Paler yellow than forsythia and a great sight in late December and January when there’s not too much happening out there. Placed perfectly on the top of a 10 ft high concrete bank, the flowering stems which can trail up to 12′-15′ hide much of the concrete wall. Winter Jasmine is so vigorous, I don’t feel guilty at all clipping branches throughout the winter for indoor flowers.

Jasmine nudiflorum flowers on bare stems before the leaves, thus the name ‘nudiflorum’.

You can grow this easily by cuttings without rooting hormones at anytime of year. Plant in most any soil - it will do quite well in poor soils and does not need to be babied with lots of water. Full sun or shade (less flowers in the shade).

Past the Winter Jasmine, there are a few houses with some very choice plantings. In particular, a very handsome Privet hedge. I believe it is California Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) hardy in zones 6-10. It must be about 12′ high in a planting about 20′ long and quite narrow in spread, about 5′, from diligent pruning I would expect. It does the job that’s for sure. The hedge is a perfect screen from the neighbors next door, even in the winter because of its semi-evergreen (evergreen this year) status. All Privets grow fast so the only downfall is the maintenance factor. Pruning is essential if you want this specimen as a hedge, as well as a part-shade to sunny location.

   
Try alternating holly varieties for a beautiful, festive hedge

Another hedge that nearly got me into a car accident was a brilliant planting of Holly (Ilex crenata). Am I the only one who looks at the hedges and trees more than the road? This hazardous 15′ hedge was very dense with two different varieties planted alternately the whole length of the house. One was a variegated variety with lots of creamy yellow leaf and the other was a very dark lustrous green with berries sprinkled here and there. It was beautiful. Darned if I know the varieties, there was no parking nearby. Ilex is a slow grower in zones 5-7 with some cultivars performing adequately in zone 8, but that’s getting a bit warm for these evergreens.

My ongoing hedge stress…The Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ bushes planted a few months ago are doing fine. They actually have a small raceme of yellow flowers this year but haven’t budged in height yet. Perhaps they will shoot up in the spring. Unfortunately, they are slow growing shrubs. Slow, as in 2-3′ over 3 years!

What to do, what to do. May try some privet, but really have my eyes on a yellow flowering Camellia…Or maybe some just some boring old Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). Can you tell I’m a Libra?

by Linda D. Harris, Horticulturist, Ferry-Morse Seed Company

Winter covers the ground everywhere north of Zone 8. Right now your next garden is still a dream. Begin now to make the dream real.

Start planning on paper. Then begin thinking about which seeds to start for the next garden’s flowers, herbs and vegetables indoors. Growing plants from seed is infinitely more satisfying than setting out plants you’ve purchased. Try it and see if you don’t agree.

Organize Your Supplies

You’ll need a plant light or a large, south-facing window; seed-starting pots and trays; seed-starting medium; plastic labels; a pencil or dibble; and a mister bottle. These are the basics. You can also get fancy with a light timer, a copper watering can with a rose attachment, wrought-iron stands, humidifiers, soil thermometers, and the like. But those are optional.

Light

I’ve had the best seedling results with a normal fluorescent shop light hung from chains in the basement. Or use a tabletop plant light with cool-white fluorescent tubes.The critical thing is to provide light close to the tops of the plants. By this, I mean 6 to 8 inches above the top leaves. As plants grow, lights have to move up, too. The other requirement is to leave the lights on 12 to 18 hours per day, then off at night. This simulates nature’s “day” and produces the best germination and early growth.

Later I use my shop lights to grow later-started seedlings, and all year round I grow blooming and green plants underneath. I always have a “green spot” to cheer my eye and my soul.

If you are using a large, south-facing window, get the plants right IN the window, as close as possible to the glass, and turn them daily. Plants grown with nature’s light may dry out faster and have the disadvantage of occasionally being a little spindly.

Seed-Starting Medium

Please use a sterile seed starting medium, available in bags so marked, for starting your seeds. Starting with sterile medium assures you of the best environment for seedlings. Also use new plastic or peat pots or trays. Please don’t use ones from before; there could be diseases present.

Temperature

To germinate, seeds need soil which is moist and ranging between 65 to 70 degrees F. Some like it warmer. This is the SOIL temperature I’m talking about. I like to put my seed trays up on the refrigerator until I see the first seedling popping through. This “bottom heat” is especially good for impatiens and pepper seeds.Once the seeds have germinated and they are under the lights, the AIR temperature should be 70 to 75 degrees F. during the day or cooler, and 60 to 65 degrees F. at night. This fluctuating temperature is very important to plant growth. First, it mimics nature. During the day when the lights are on, the small plants are producing food and new cells. The fluorescent light keeps them from getting too warm. When air temperatures are too high, the growth will be too fast, which makes the cell walls thinner and the plants weak. That’s why they often flop over and cause your heart to despair. But with cooler night temperatures and a cycle of dark, the plants have a normal rest cycle which strengthens their cell growth.

My house naturally fluctuates in temperature during the winter, as I’m sure yours does. At night, the thermostat is turned lower for the comfort of the humans and pets, and is perfect for plants as well.

Water

The key to watering seedlings is “evenly moist”. That means an equal amount of water all the way through the medium.Some people like to water from the bottom when plants are very small, allowing pots or trays to soak up water for an hour or so, then taking the water source away.You can also water from the top, using a very gentle stream. The best time to water is when the surface of the medium begins to lighten (indicating it is beginning to dry out). Water during the daylight cycle so leaves can dry off well before dark sets in. This will help prevent mildew problems.

Remember to check your seedlings daily and don’t let them dry out. But don’t let them stay too wet, either. When plants are very small, they don’t use as much water as they will later when their roots develop and grow.

Flowers to Start Indoors

Some annual flowers need a headstart indoors because they are either slow to germinate or slow-growing to the transplant stage.These annual seeds do best if started indoors: coleus, impatiens, flowering kale, lobelia, melampodium, pansy, petunia, pinks, verbena, and vinca (periwinkle).

        
Petunias, coleus, verbena, pansies

Likewise some perennials, if started early indoors, may bloom the first year in the garden. Another benefit of starting some perennials indoors is to set out a sturdy, started plant for best growth and performance.

Perennial seeds for indoor starting include columbine, delphinium, English daisy, moss verbena, ornamental fountain grass, pinks, salvia, veronica and viola.

Vegetables to Start Indoors

Eggplant, onion, and pepper seeds need some time (10 to 12 weeks) to develop indoors, and that’s why I’ve listed them first. Tomatoes also need a headstart, but please don’t start them until about March. Only 6 to 8 weeks are required for tomato plants growing indoors. Many people get impatient and start tomatoes too early, ending up with large, floppy, hungry plants which may not transplant as well as smaller ones do.

Herbs to Start Indoors

These herb seeds are good candidates for a bit of a headstart: catmint, catnip, clary, horehound, lavender, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.Soak parsley seed in room-temperature water for several hours before planting to give it a little boost.

Choosing Varieties

There are so many varieties of flowers and vegetables to choose from, it can be confusing. Here are some guidelines to refer to before you choose. Flowers: You’ll want to think about where you’ll be planting them as you select the variety. Check the height of the plant. For massed plantings, you may want to grow a single color for greatest impact. For vegetables, check the days to maturity/harvest. Some varieties are earlier than others and this can be an important factor in what you grow for food. And if a variety has been deemed an “All-America Winner” or a “Fleuroselect Winner”, you know already that it will perform well for you because it has been tested extensively and judged to be superior.

Ferry Morse Seed Company is an eSeeds Business Partner.

“Pruning Houseplants” by David Tarrant

January is a good time to prune certain houseplants, particularly such vigorous growers as hibiscus and bougainvillea.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Chinese Hibiscus) is a beautiful and easy houseplant.

With the many indoor cultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, if they are in a well-lit sunny window, they continue to send out the odd blossom even at this time of the year making the decision to prune a difficult task. However, the shrubby stems should be pruned back by at least two thirds by the end of the month. If it is a standard on a single stem, just the top bushy branches should be pruned. If you have to prune back into leafless branches, always prune directly above an outward facing dormant bud (as for roses outdoors).

Bougainvillea glabra and its many cultivars are often grown as houseplants which are put outside for the summer and brought indoors for the winter months, where they often lose most of their leaves. It is a rambunctious, thorny vine in nature and tends to form quite a dense mass which should also be pruned and thinned out this month. With most bougainvilleas, there are definite main branches which should be left unpruned; however, all the side shoots coming from them should be pruned back to within a couple of leaf buds from the main stem.

Pruning your woody houseplants at this time of year will encourage plenty of healthy new growth during the next six to eight weeks leading to great blooms later in the year.

Bougainvillea with a collection of other houseplants makes a great window display. Shown here are also a Calamondin orange (Citrofortunella mitis ‘Varieta’) at left; Crimson Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus) lower centre with the red flowers; and Rosette succulent (Aeonium arboraum ‘Atropurpureum’) at right.

Here are a few things to do during November for gardeners in the Canada, Northern US, England and European areas, basically anywhere where a winter season is right around the corner…

1. Plant the last of the spring-flowering bulbs:

You still have a few days left to squeeze this chore in before the long, heavy rains of the Pacific Northwest or the freezing temperatures across the Prairies and central Canada/US. Make it an annual event to add a few dozen new bulbs to your garden every year, and very soon you will have an absolutely spectacular spring display that makes this late autumn chore worthwhile.

2. Dig up the dahlias:

Once their leaves have been touched by the first hard frost, dig up the dahlia tubers carefully (try not to spear them with the fork or slice them up with the spade!). Shake of the dirt, there is no need to wash them, and let them dry indoors in a garage for a couple of days. Store them in between hay or crumpled newspaper in a cool, dry place over winter.

3. Plant new evergreen shrubs and hedging:

This is the ideal time to plant new specimen trees or a row of hedging - the cool weather ahead allows the plants to settle in and get established over the next few months with some root growth. Then, next season as the weather warms up, they are already to go ahead quickly with fresh new growth. Planting at this time of year also avoids having to regularly water the new additions to the garden during the first few critical months.

4. Take cuttings from currants, raspberries, blackberries, roses, dogwoods, willows, and many other shrubs:

November is the ideal time to take hardwood cuttings of your favourite shrubs, either to replace the older specimens or to increase your stock. Simply cut strong healthy shoots about 12-18 inches long from the plant, and stick them straight into the ground (bury at least one third of the cutting) in a nursery bed that is in a protected area of the garden, prefereably under a cold frame. Alternatively, they can be put into large gallon plastic pots and kept in a cool greenhouse or sheltered corner. After they have rooted (usually takes a couple of months), they can be moved to their permanent postitions in the garden, or left in the nursery bed to form larger, more mature shrubs before planting out.

5. Collect fallen leaves for the compost:

All those beautiful leaves falling into your garden should not be considered a nuisance but a treasure! Collect them into large piles and put them into large plastic bags to rot down into wonderful leaf mould over the winter. There are special “composting” bags designed for this purpose, but any strong, thick plastic bag will do, just make a few small holes (1/2 inch or so) around the bag for ventilation purposes. Alternatively, they can be thrown directly onto the compost heap, mixing with the last of the green lawn clippings. By running over the leaves with a lawnmower before composting them, you will speed up the process. Please, please don’t use one of those infernal leaf blowers to collect your leaves!! Use a rake - this is supposed to be one of the most wonderful jobs of the autumn season, so get the whole family out and enjoy!

6. Cover the crowns of potentially sensitive plants such as roses and hardy fuchsias:

Bury the crowns (the part of the plant where the main shoots leave the grafted rootstock, or just the central lower core of the plant) with a thick mulch of bark chips, straw or compost. For this to be effective, it needs to be at least 4 inches thick. The nice thing about using compost is in the spring, just spread it around a little more and leave in place. Other materials may need to be be actually removed if they haven’t compacted down enough during the winter. Extra protection can be had by not pruning the canes down to the ground in the fall, leave them in place until early spring, then prune. They will serve as extra protection for the tender crown from heavy frost and cold winds.

7. Clean and sharpen tools before storing away for the winter:

Remove all the encrusted dirt and grime from your hand pruners, shears, lawnmower blades, spade and fork tines. Use a wire brush for this job, then rinse in a bucket or under a hose to clean thoroughly. Sharpen edges for a quick start next season. Be sure to completely wipe all metal surfaces with an oily rag to protect them from rust during storage. Hardwood handles can be wiped clean and buffed with a wax polish to protect them from splitting and drying out. Remember to buy the best quality tools you can afford, they will last much longer and serve you better in the long run.

8. Protect your berry bearing branches:

If your garden only has a few shrubs with berries on them, and if you wish to save them for Christmas decorations, it might be a wise move to protect a few branches with some netting to keep the hungry birds and squirrels from stripping them clean! Migrating birds can quickly eat all the berries from a single area within a day, as they stock up for their long flights. Rodents also need food to tide them over the winter, so please make sure you only lock away as much as you need, and let the others provide food for wildlife.

9. Prune and shape your evergreens:

The final hedge trimmings and tree shaping duties should be completed early this month. If you can remember, keep some branches of pine trees, holly, laurel and ivy long and unpruned so you have a supply for Christmas decorations that won’t ruin the final shape of your plants.

10. Plant cuttings of herbs to grow on indoors:

All tender herbs should be either potted up and brought indoors or used for cuttings as they will not survive a North American winter. Mint, rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, and many others, all grow well on small pots on a kitchen windowsill, where they add beauty and fragrance to the room while providing a handy source of fresh herbs throughout the winter months.