Bargain Plant Buying Tips

I’ve been talking about shopping for bargain plants on the clearance shelf at garden centers so I thought I’d come up with some buying tips. Once the spring and summer buying rush is over you can find plans discounted 25-75%. I’ve picked up several perennials for $1 and even free in late summer this year.

· Save gas by calling garden centers first to see if sales have started.
· Check the small multi-plant bedding containers to make sure there is a live plant in each cell.
· Choose young plants that haven’t flowered yet and pick a bushier plant over a spindly one.
· Examine roots by sliding the plant carefully out of its pot; buy plants with plenty of white, healthy roots but not one so crowded that it is pot bound.
· Inspect leaves and roots for insects or diseases that will weaken plants or spread them to your other garden plants.
· Buy several of the same color and type of plant so you have enough to fill in pots and beds.
· Before planting at home prune blooming annuals 1/3 to ½ to encourage bushier growth and more blooms.
· Massage the root ball when removing a plant from its pot to release any tangled roots.
· Plant purchase as soon as possible, watering well.
· Group your new plants according to sun or shade requirement.
· Fertilize annuals following package direction, using a high–phosphorous product such as 5-10-10. (the middle number indicates phosphorous)

Many bargain plants look scruffy but with careful buying practices and some TLC they can soon be providing some color to your garden. Perennials may not produce until the following summer but at the bargain price it is worth the wait and fall is a great time to get these plants started in the garden giving them plenty of time to develop new roots and growth for next summer.

Color in my fall garden

Starting in late August I begin to shop the clearance rack in the garden centers. This year I have picked up at ½ price, $1 or even free plants mostly perennials for my garden. While shopping for seeds at Lowe’s yesterday I found a Rabbit eye Blueberry bush at ½ price to replace one of my bushes that died this summer. I already rescued Black and Blue Salvia, May night Salvia, Veronica, Gerbera Daisies, a Butterfly bush and Verbena and they are happily planted in my garden and flowering! I bring them home, add some compost and a bit of fertilizer to the planting bed, loosen the roots (if they are pot bound), then plant then and water well. I keep them watered during dry times and when I’m lucky they will bloom in the fall. If not they are well established to bloom next summer.

For more fall color this summer I took cutting from assorted Coleus when Cypress Gardens was pinching back their plants and started them at home. When it started to cool off a bit I put them out in the yard and now with Celosias coming up from last years seeds I have a nice amount of new color in my yard to go with the plants that are still blooming and the trees and shrubs that are beginning to show fall color in their leaves.

I’ve also used the cooler weather start my fall vegetables and herbs, clean out dead and dying annuals from the planting beds and to try and control the weeds. Soon I will be putting down a pre-emergent in hope of controlling winter weeds in the lawn.

Overall this is a good time of year to just enjoy your garden

Spotted Spurge

I’ve been battling an invasion of spotted spurge from a neighboring yard all summer. It started with just a small patch near our property line and another next to the street 2 years ago and I was able to control but this summer it went crazy! Must have loved our hot dry summer! If you have a similar problem with this weed here are some suggestions. Whatever you try you will probably have to retreat many times if you do not get to this weed early.

Spotted spurge weed can quickly invade a lawn of garden bed become a nuisance. Using proper spotted spurge control cannot only eliminate it from your yard but can also help prevent it from growing in your yard in the first place. Keep reading to learn how to get rid of spotted spurge.

Spotted spurge is a dark green plant with red stems that grows low to the ground in a mat like fashion. It will grow outwards from the center in a rough wagon wheel shape. The leaves will be oval shaped and has a red spot in their center (which is why this spurge is called spotted spurge). The flowers on the plant will be small and pink. The entire plant has a hairy appearance.Spotted spurge has a milky white sap that will irritate the skin if it comes in contact with it.


Killing spotted spurge is relatively easy. The hard part is keeping it from coming back. The tap root of this plant is very long and its seed are very hardy. This weed can and will grow back from either root pieces or seeds.
Because of the spotted spurge weed’s mat like nature, hand pulling is a good option for removing spotted spurge from the lawn or flower beds. Be sure to wear gloves due to the irritating sap. Make sure that you pull this weed before it has a chance to develop seeds, otherwise it will spread rapidly. After you have hand pulled the spotted spurge, watch for it to start growing again from the tap root. Pull it again as soon as possible. Eventually, the tap root will use up all of its stored energy trying to regrow and will die completely.

Heavily mulching with either newspaper or wood mulch is also an effective method of spotted spurge control. Cover ground with spotted spurge with several layers of newspaper or several inches of mulch. This will prevent the spotted spurge weed seeds not to germinate and will also smother any plants that have already started growing.

You can also use herbicides, but many herbicides will only work for spotted spurge control while the plants are young. Once they reach a mature size, they can resist many forms of weed killers. When using herbicides for killing spotted spurge, it is best to use them in late spring or early summer, which is when spotted spurge will first sprout.
One of the few herbicides that will work on mature spotted spurge is Roundup. But be careful, as Roundup will kill anything it comes in contact with. Even with this, the spotted spurge may still regrow from the roots so check frequently for regrowth and treat the plant as soon as possible if you see it.

Pre-emergent sprays or granules can also be used for spotted spurge control, but these will only be effective before the seeds have sprouted.
As a last resort, you can try solarizing the area where the spotted spurge has taken root. Solarization will kill the spotted spurge and its seeds, but will also kill anything else in the soil.

Benefits of Fall Gardening

The weather is finally beginning to cool down and fall is just around the corner. Fall will be a busy time in my garden –It’s the best time for planting, bed building, path building and other big projects. Fall is like a second spring in the South.

As the overwhelming heat of summer takes a toll on gardeners like myself we also get the pleasure of being able to grow a fall garden. The weather returns to a manageable level and the onset of winter is still many months off so there is still plenty of time to grow flowers and vegetables and to plant shrubs and trees. Fall gardening can be similar to spring gardening in that plants that thrive in cooler temperatures are the best choice for the fall garden.

My fall garden planting plans for this year includes vegetables as well as flowers. Some vegetables I plan to grow in my fall garden this year are: Herbs, Tomatoes, radishes, Salad greens-Leaf lettuce, spinach, chard, peas, and peppers.

I also like to plant and transplant perenials- like Asters, Echinacea, and Veronica; bi-annuals- digitalis and hollyhocks, and sow annual plant seeds of cosmos, bachlor buttons, marigolds, larkspur, and poppies. I find Fall gardening in the Lowcountry to be very satisfying. With cooler temperatures and fewer insects, I can spend more time enjoying the garden and less time maintaining it. Fall is my favorite season to be outside even if I have to suffer sneezing and watering eyes because of Ragweed!

Evaluation Time

Summer usually takes its toll on gardeners and the garden. As late summer arrives and you feel as bedraggled as your garden, take some inspiration from fall-flowering perennials like garden mums, aster, Autumn Joy sedum, goldenrod swamp sunflower, and salvia. As summer’s heat and humidity yields to the shorter; cooler days of autumn, pay a visit to those far corners of the garden that haven’t seen a gardener’s eye since the 4th of July! It’s time to evaluate the landscape and make notes about what needs to be done in September. Plants in decline may need to be replaced by new plantings. Late summer and fall is a good time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Be adventurous and select a few new and delectable plants for you garden!

August Checklist

In the summer “Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.“ ~Lou Erickson

I know it is hot outside in the garden during August so I try and make a checklist of things I need to do so I don’t waste time in the heat and humidity of the Lowcountry summer weather. I start by remembering the 3 D’s when evaluating what needs done in the garden: damaged, diseased, and dead twigs from trees, shrubs, and roses and even your annuals and perennials. This isn’t time for heavy pruning though.

I Check mulch in my planting beds to see if wind, rain and natural decay have decreased the thickness and replenish to 2-3 inches if needed to hold in moisture and keep out the weeds.

If the flowerbeds and cutting garden are looking bedraggled it is time toclear out the annuals that have finished blooming or are overgrown.

I trim away damaged, diseased or insect infested leaves from perennials and deadhead garden Phlox, perennial salvias, and purple coneflower to improve their appearance.

My Knockout roses often need a little boost from a fast acting fertilizer this time of year.

I collect seeds from annual vines as they ripen and save them to plant next year and check to see that actively growing vines are secured if needed. Moonflower vine grows quickly this time of year and the tendrils need some training.

It’s also time to pull out vegetables and herbs that have stopped producing and keep my tomatoes and peppers watered until the cooler weather encourages them to start producing again. I do this with a soaker hose.

This time of year insects and fungal diseases can pop up overnight so I make sure to walk through the garden often looking for problems. Aphids, spider mites Japanese Beetles are pests I watch for in August. Fungal leaf spots and powdery mildew damage can be minor needing only a few leaves removed or a fungicide may be needed. I may need to remove and discard a heavily infested plant. Sometimes I will thin the flowerbed to allow more air to flow between plants.

My husband mows the lawn regularly but I’m the one who watches to see if some areas dry out and need watering. I’m not sure how we ended up with both centipede and St. Augustine grass in my yard since we had only centipede when we moved in to our house but we did. So I have to watch for pests and diseases that are prevalent in both types of grass like mole crickets, white grubs and centipede decline in the centipede and chinch bugs and gray leaf spot in St. Augustine.

It may seem like a big list but I work at it a little in the mornings and evening when it is cool and before I know it the list is finished.

Flowers from the Garden

The dog days of summer are here but there are some things you can do to still enjoy this month in the garden. My garden has an abundance of flowers this time of year and I like to bring some inside to enjoy. If you don’t have a cutting garden considering planting one for yourself next year. Perennials are the basis for my cutting garden and this time of year you can buy many perennials at reduced prices in garden departments. Shasta Daisy, Coneflower, Salvias, Rudbeckia and Coreopsis are good choices. Pick some up and plant them now or wait a little until the temperatures cool down but be sure to plant them by fall so they will bloom for you next year. Also consider annual choices of Zinnia, Sunflowers, celosias, Cosmos and gomphrenas. I cut my flowers early in the morning and carry a bucket or watering can so I can put my flowers immediately in water when I collect flowers in the garden. Once inside I strip leaves that will fall before the water line in the vase then recut the stems at an angle before arranging in a vase. I change the water daily or often to prolong the life of bouquet. If you need extra vases consider using wine bottles, canning jars and pitchers work well for a casual look.

Bird baths in the Garden

While working in the garden in this hot dry summer weather I like to keep plenty of water on hand for me, our dogs and my backyard birds.

Not all birds eat seeds, but all birds drink water. Birds need water to avoid dehydration and to maintain health. They are attracted to shallow dishes of water which provides them a place to drink and bathe. Bird baths are probably the best way to attract birds to your yard, even more so than bird feeders. Clean water is often the most difficult resource that birds must locate in order to survive. They use the water not only for drinking, but also for bathing which can cool their bodies during the heat of summer. Having water available is especially important in times of drought when birds may be stressed. If you can combine water, the appropriate wild bird food shrubs and trees, and maybe even nesting boxes, your opportunity to attract wild birds will be greatly enhanced.

Make sure to locate your bird bath where the birds can see around the area. Housecats and other predators can hide in nearby cover. Some of my birds like to bathe on a pedestal style bird bath, other like a ground level bird bath and still others will visit my fountains and pond. It is advisable to change the water in your bird bath everyday to provide fresh, clean water especially during hot summer months. Water that is exposed to direct sunlight may become stagnant and algae may grow. If you allow the water to sit for long periods of time, it will become less desirable for birds and will be much harder to clean.

Pedestal styles are the most common but there are also ground and hanging bird baths. Pededtals also provide a nice centerpiece for your garden. Solar bird bath use the suns energy to power a pump that can filter and keep the water moving. The dripping sound seems to attract birds. Grounded bird baths or bird ponds can be placed anywhere in your yard. Various modes are available and can add beauty to your garden as well as provide water for bathing and thinrsty birds.

Moonflower Vine- a plant for an evening garden

The moonflower vine (Calonyction aculeatum) is one of the wonders of the evening garden. Giant 5 to 6 inch white blooms that resemble morning glories are nestled against large heart shaped deep green leaves. As the sun begins to set in late afternoon the flowers begin to unfurl and release a lovely fragrance. When the sun rises, the blooms gently spiral closed. Considering adding this moonlight marvel to your garden. I’ve been growing it in my gardens since 1999 and enjoy what they add to my evenings in the garden. Macroglossum stellatarum often called Hummingbird Moth have covered my vines in September and October. I don’t usually have to plant it because it does re-seed readily. Sometimes I will collect seedpods and save for next year but often the vine just shows up in my garden.

If starting moonflowers from seed here are some hints for you:

· Prepare the seeds. Use a knife to make a small nick in the moonflower vine seeds. Sandpaper will work to rough up the surface of the seed. Place seeds in a custard cup or other small glass container and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight.
· Plant seeds in peat pots. Fill peat pots with soil-less planting medium. Moisten with water. Place 2 or 3 vine seeds on the soil and cover with 1/2 inch of soil-less mix. Water again gently. Planted peat pots should be kept moist and in a warm location until the seedlings are large enough to transplant. Start vines indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last anticipated frost.
· Prepare seedlings for transplant. Moonflower vine seeds germinate in around 3 weeks. Before planting, thin seedlings to one vine per pot. Remove weak or extra seedlings by cutting them with scissors. Do not pull seedlings from the soil. Pulling may damage the tender roots of the remaining seedling. Seedlings that are ready for planting should have formed 2 or 3 leaves.
· Choose outdoor planting location. It prefers a location that receives full sun and the soil should be moist and well drained. Choose a location that provides the vine ample support, such as a trellis, arbor or fence, and away from other plants. The Moonflower vine can grow up to 40 feet in height with tendrils that can, if left untended, engulf nearby plants or trees. I think my vines have grown as much 1-foot a day. So I do have to train the vines to a trellis or fence.
· Transplant the seedling. Loosen the soil in the desired planting area. Dig a hole slightly larger than the peat pot and the same depth. Remove the bottom on the peat pot and place the peat pot and seedling in the planting hole and lightly cover with the original soil. The peat pot will disintegrate in the soil and will provide added nutrients. Gently water the transplanted seedling.
· Collect seeds. Moonflower vine seeds are easy to gather for next year's garden or to share with friends. When the husks that follow the white blooms become black and dry, they can be gathered and stored in a dry place. The seeds are the size of a garbanzo bean and white in color.

I hope you will give this vine a try on an arbor, trellis or fence.

July Garden Tips

Rain can become very elusive in July. Humidity begins to peak and in the lowcountry we are actually passing out of prime growing conditions into the lethargy of the dog days of summer. Gardeners just have to play it by ear. It is important to keep an eye out for pests and disease.

General tips for July

· Slow down and give you and your plants a rest from the heat
· Give plants a mid-season feeding or side dressing, to get them through to fall
· Keep eye on rainfall and water as needed
· Stay ahead of the weeds
· Watch garden centers for clearence plants
· Keep lawns at about 3”, to protect from heat
· Keep bird baths and feeders clean

Ornamentals

· Keep dead heading flowers
· Cut back spent annuals by 1/3
· Put focus on heat resistant flowers like: coleus, hibiscus, melampodium, pentas, plumbago, portulaca and zinnias.
· Pinch back fall blooming flowers one last time in mid-July like mums and asters
· Divide Iris

Now sit back and enjoy your garden and all the efforts you put in earlier in the year to get where it is now.