Growing Bulbs Indoors - Is It Possible?
Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I was amazed when going through information to use for our bulb brochure - yes the District is selling bulbs this summer - to find you can plant bulbs inside. Who ever thought you could. And yes, our bulb order deadline is Aug. 8 go go to (address) and check out our offerings.
In going through catalogues and websites, I found the following information from FEDCO, which I thought I’d share with you.
Here goes:
Why not enjoy your favorite spring bulbs all winter long? With a little extra attention, you can grow many bulbs indoors. While paperwhites and amaryllis are ready to plant and grow, all other bulbs must be cooled for a time (forced) to fulfill their winter dormancy requirements before they will flower.
Planting:
Choose a pot shallow and wide enough to hold several bulbs. Fill the pot halfway with stones or other course materials, set the bulbs in root side down, and then fill the container with fine stones, sand, light potting mix or other materials until the bulbs are about two-thirds covered. The bulbs already contain all the nutrients needed to bloom one, and too rich a soil may cause them to rot. Water up to the base of the bulbs. Or use a hyacinth glass: Fill with water to the base of the bulb, and do not let it get dry.
Forcing:
After watering, cover the pot with plastic, punch a few holes for circulation, and place in the fridge (this works well because the temperature is consistent, just be sure to keep the bulbs away from fruit). Or place them in a garage, unheated basement, root cellar, outdoors covered with 6-8 inches of leaves and earth, or other dark place at 35-40 degrees F. The bulbs will not be hurt by light frost, but will be harmed by heat or a hard freeze.
You can tell the bulbs are ready if you can see roots at the bottom of the pot, and leaf tips beginning to emerge. Bring the bulbs into a cool area (50-60 degrees F) with plenty of indirect light to encourage leaf grown. Too much heat at this point will cause premature flowering; do not place near radiators or wood stoves. Keep the soil moist, but do not overwater.
When 3-5” of leaf growth has appeared, bring the pots into direct light to encourage flowering. Once blooms have appeared, remove pots from direct sun to keep colors from fading quickly.
Plant forced bulbs in the garden in spring, or let them go dormant in their pots and plant them in fall. They will not force well a second time. The bulbs may not blossom until the 2nd spring after they were planted outdoors.
Ah, Those Wonderous Blueberries!
Saturday, February 14th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Did you know that blueberries can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cancer? As if the great taste wasn’t enough reason to eat them in large quantities.
Blueberries can be eaten fresh or used for jelly, jam, pies, pastries, or juice. Blueberries are low in calories and sodium. They don’t contain any cholesterol, and they are a source of fiber. A major constituent of the fiber is pectin, known for its ability to lower blood cholesterol. Blueberries contain measurable quantities of ellagic acid, which has inhibiting effects on chemically induced cancer in laboratory studies. Blueberry juice also contains a compound that prevents bacteria from anchoring themselves to the bladder, thereby helping to prevent urinary tract infections.
Before you plant blueberries, it is very important to test soil for pH, lime index, nutrient status, and organic matter content before conducting soil preparation. Your soil should be tested twice; once before soil preparation and acidification, and once after sulfur and fertilizer have been added. Further adjustments may then be necessary. Ourl ocal Extension office has soil-testing forms, bags, and instructions available. Once you have the results of your soil test, which can take a few weeks, increase soil organic matter by adding grass clippings, manure, or leaves (not red maple or beech) according to soil test recommendations.
The following information was gleaned from the web with much of the information coming from the Extension Service.
How to Grow Blueberries
Plant them in the spring. Blueberries grow best is full sun. They need acidic soils with a pH of 4.0 to 4.5. They like clay and other poor or rocky soils. You may need to increase the acidity in your soil to grow healthy bushes. Space blueberry bushes at least five to six feet apart. Some recommend rows eight to ten feet apart. They like space and tolerate a little crowding. Mix in healthy amounts of compost and other organic matter. Keep a thick layer of mulch around your blueberry bushes to eliminate weeds, and help keep the soil moist. Water well after planting and in the first few weeks as necessary to promote good root growth.
A new bush will produce fruit in the third year! After that, your bush will thrive for many years to come with just a little care and maintenance.
Add fertilizer once in the spring and again in late summer. The latter application will help to promote buds for next year.
Pruning Blueberry Bushes
While recommendations may vary, it shouldn’t be necessary to prune the first year or two Once the berries start producing, you need to think about pruning. Buds for next year’s fruit form in late summer through early fall. Blueberry buds for next year will form on second year wood. Keep this in mind when pruning. Pruning is recommended in the winter. As you prune the newest growth, you are reducing production for the following year. As you cut well down an established stalk, you are cutting reducing fruit production for the upcoming year.
Remove any dead or diseased branches and stems. Then, cut away a few stalks from bushy plants. And, trim back your bush to maintain an acceptable height. But, be careful not to cut away more than 1/2 of the newest growth.
Keep in mind pruning leads to healthier plants and fewer, but bigger berries.
Mulching
Generous use of mulches like sawdust or peat moss will help control weeds, conserve moisture, and keep roots cool. Increased organic matter from decomposing mulch will help improve soil structure and nutrient uptake of blueberry bush. Replenish mulch as needed to keep the mulch depth at 2 to 4 inches.
The Birds and the Blueberries
Birds love blueberries. If you are going to grow blueberries, you need a plan of attack to keep the birds away. The most effective means is bird netting. It is relatively inexpensive and will last for a few years.
Once your blueberry bush is planted and established, it will grow well for years with a little sunshine, water, some fertilizer and some care.
Think Spring, Shrubs and Trout
Friday, February 6th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
It’s just so cold out, another sub-zero day. Only good thing about it, is that it’s one day closer to spring, and one day closer to when you can start landscaping and planting your garden.
What better way to spend a winter afternoon than by flicking through FCSWCD’s 2009 Shrub brochure and pick out some new and interesting varities of plants. Just thinking about yellow primrose lilacs, blue liliacs, wegelias puts a smile on your face. In light of current economic challenges, shrubs make an excellent choice for landscaping because they come back year after year. Therefore, the initial investment has a return for many years up ahead. You can also invest in fruit trees or berries, all which if taken proper care of, have a tremendous payoff.
FCSWCD presently has a large selection of high bush blueberry plants, a variety of rasberries, apple, peach and pear trees, and much more. There’s plenty of time to find out what you should do to prepare your soil. Blueberries like very acidic soil. Rasberries like acid as well, but don’t require as much. If you have birds, you’ll need to invest in some netting. For rasberries, you might want to think about a trelis or some other type of support when they are laden with berries.
When you’re making plans for apple trees, remember, the trees will grow much larger, so you’ll need to put them someplace where they have plenty of room to grow. Think about color, shapes, and taste. Also make sure when you plant, that you have types that mature at similar times so they can cross polinate. Early varieties blosom earlier than later varieties so that makes cross polination more difficult. How about planting something new - pears can do quite well in our area.
Asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish have a lifespan of several years making them an ideal investment, and a great addition to the cucumbers and lettuce in your garden. FCSWCD is working with other Districts to offer a huge variety of seeds. Keep checking back for more updates, and more info on how to attract butterflies, birds and keep your backyard full of beautiful flowering shrubs throughout the year, well that is spring, summer and fall. Check out our shrub offerings and photos at www.franklincswcd.org/index13.html
If you have a pond in your backyard, think about stocking some trout. FCSWCD offers brook and rainbow trout. This year, we are planning to hold a spring and fall sale. Trout help keep the pond fresher. They’re also entertaining when they jump for the food. What an ideal way to spend a summer evening - feeding the trout and watching them jump. The payback is worth the investment in the fish. To check out our fish, go to www.franklincswcd.org/index10.html
Investment in something so close to home will give you enjoyment day after day, and all you have to do is open the door, walk out to the patio or deck, or look out the window.
Why Buy Bareroot Plants
Saturday, November 8th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Here at the District, Rosetta is knee-deep in making final arrangements for our Annual Shrub Sale. It’s far from too early to think about next spring, and if I must say so, we have some very exciting offerings for 2009, including a yellow primrose lilac bush.
If you haven’t already, it’s not too late to take a soil sample. Kits are available through the Franklin County University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. For a small fee, you’ll know what soil preparation you’ll need to do next spring. It takes a few weeks to get the test results, so what better time to get your soil tested than now. I’m anxioiusly awaiting the results because my plans are for raspberry bushes, and I want them to flourish.
However, a word of warning with bareroots: don’t fertilize your bareroot plants, especially confirs, their first year. Wait till the second one.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be sending out our Shrub Brochure, and on page 2, you’ll see a series of notes as to why you should consider buying bareroot. Before coming to work at the District, I had never heard of buying bareroot. I had never seen such a thing. And I was taken a little aback when I saw these hundreds of bareroot trees and shrubs in anticipation of the shrub sale. I purchased a couple of apple, pear, and crabapple trees, plus lilacs, wegelias, and winterberry. Needless to say, they were easier to plant because the holes didn’t need to be big enough for all the extra soil, and that’s a blessing considering I have a yard full of rocks.
This year, in preparation for the Shrub Sale, I decided to find out more about bareroot, and what I found was quite interesting. For one, bareroot is much less expensive, and every penny we can save in this challenging economy is a very good thing. Secondly, there are many, many varieties of bareroot plants available. Far from being an abnormality, bareroot is a standard. And thirdly, bareroot actually has a better chance for survival because the tree, shrub or plant hasn’t been planted in other types of soil. They go from dormancy into your soil. But the trick is, plant as soon as you pick up your plants.
Digging the holes prior to picking up your shrubs is one way to fascilitate this. We’ll talk more about bareroots as we go through the season, but here’s a little information about bareroot plants.
Why Buy Bareroot
♦ Bareroot plants are plants that have not been planted in soil, rendering them effectively dormant
.
♦ Cost savings, ease of planting and faster root growth.♦ No adjustment period needed after planting.
♦ Can plant dormant bareroot anytime the ground isn’t frozen.
♦ Opportunity to check out roots that look dried out or have slime or rot.
Prepare Before You Pick Up Your Plants♦ Spend some time this winter doing some research on your new plants.
♦ Think about where you want to place your new shrubs, trees, or plants.
♦ Prepare the holes before pick-up or immediately upon the day of pick-up.
♦ Keep roots moist till planted, or heel in a shady area (cover with sawdust & dirt and keep roots moist & covered).
Plant As Soon As Possible♦ Chose location and clear of any weeds or debris.
♦ Dig a hole that is wide enough to comfortably accommodate the root system and taper out into the soil.
♦ Make a firm cone shape of soil in the bottom of the hole, and spread the roots over the cone, making sure the plant roots touch the soil.
♦ Make sure holeis the correct depth – the roots need to be below the surface but not buried. A few inches above the base of the tree should be sitting comfortably adjacent to the surface.
♦ Hold the plant as straight so the tree or shrub isn’t leaning. Work the soil in-between the roots.
♦ If the plant settles below the correct level, raise the plant up a little and re-work the soil around the roots to settle it in at the correct depth.
♦ When you are finished planting, you should make a large well around the plant to hold the water and nutrients.
♦ Always water thoroughly when you are done. Keep in mind the plant is still dormant, so allow the soil to dry out a bit in-between watering.
♦ Once planted, check for dead wood, or stubs. Remove them with clean new cuts. Apply pruning compound on fresh cuts to keep out insects and disease.
♦ If you have planted a tree, you may want to stake it, put a pole or couple of poles around it to secure that it won’t be bothered by wind or animals.♦ Water the bareroot when the top two inches of soil dry out.
♦ We don’t recommend fertilizing your fruit trees, blueberries, connifers, or any bareroot plant the first year that it’s planted.
Remember: Don’t pick up your bareroot plants and expect you can keep them hanging around for a week or two before planting. If you plant them post haste, and take care of them, they will flourish and provide you and others, years of enjoyment.
There’s More To Apples Than You Think
Friday, November 7th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Did you know the most popular yellow apple is the Golden Delicious, a cross between a Granny Smith and a Red Delicious, and it maintains some traits of both apples. The Golden Delicious is a little more tart than the Red Delicious, but not as crunchy as a Granny Smith. I didn’t know that until I started doing some research for this blog.
You see, at FCSWCD, we learn all these neat tidbits of information because we put on environmental, agricultural educational programs for youths and adults alike. At our recent Environmental/Agricultural Day at the Fair, called Ag Day for short, Pam Harden, chair of our Board of Supervisors, manned a station on apples.
It’s just amazing to me, say anything about the K-4 students attending Ag Day, what there is to know about apples. They come in all kinds of different colors, and a mixture of the same colors. There come in all kinds of shades of green, red and yellow, and combinations of all three. They taste from sweet to tart. The texture and taste differs from one to another. The favorite - it depends upon your taste. I also learned from Pam that there are measuring devices for apples. Just goes to show there’s more to an apple than just buying it out of the store. Alot of care has to be taken when planting and growing apple trees so they will produce a bountiful and healthy harvest.
Additional research showed me a few more facts about some common variety of apples, and I’ll take a few moments to share some of that info with you, just so you get a taste, pardon the pun, of what agricultural education is all about. I found these definitions of the apples listed below on the following website:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-apples.htm
Ambrosia Apple - A medium size apple with red color with some striping on a creamy yellow background. The ambrosia apple does not have a long storage life so it should be used within approximately four months of harvesting. The apple originated from British Columbia and is a good snacking apple with its crisp texture and juicy aromatic flesh. Its flesh does not oxidize and turn brown as quickly as other apples so it works great for salads.
Baldwin Apple - A red-skinned apple that has streaks of yellow and is heavily speckled with russet spots. It is an all-purpose apple has a sweet-tart flavor with a slight spiciness to it. It has a crisp texture, which holds up well when cooked. Its slightly spicy flavor makes it a good choice for making cider and pies. Baldwins are not always easy to find.
Cortland Apple - A type of apple that has a sweet and tart flavor with creamy white flesh covered with a vibrant red skin. It is an excellent choice for use in cooked apple dishes.
Empire Apple - A cross between a Delicious and a McIntosh apple, it is a medium sized apple and has a deep red coloring. The Empire has a crisp, juicy flesh that has a mildly tart but sweet flavor, making it a good snacking apple. It is also excellent for baking and salads.
Golden Delicious Apple - A variety of apple that has a pale gold and freckled skin, a firm, crisp texture, and a sweet, mellow taste. The flesh resists browning and they are excellent eaten plain or used for cooking, although they lose some of their flavor when cooked
Macoun Apple - A small to medium size apple whose skin is colored with a rosy red blush over a green background. It has a juicy white flesh that is crisp and juicy with a taste that is sweet but slightly tart. It makes an excellent snacking apple but also works well in salads, pies and applesauce. Macoun apples are generally only available in the fall and they do not keep well.
MacIntosh Apple - A light to dark red apple with tints of green covering a very juicy flesh that provides a sweet, tangy (almost tart) flavor. It makes a good eating and baking apple but when used in pies, a thickener may be necessary due to the juiciness of the apple. When storing, refrigerate the apples to keep for longer periods of time and handle them gently, since they bruise easily.
Rome Apple - A round, bright red apple with an aromatic, rich flavor when cooked. The Rome is a slightly tart apple that tastes somewhat bland when eaten raw, however when cooked its flavor is enhanced. It makes a good pie and cobbler apple because is holds its texture and shape when baked. This apple is also known as Rome Beauty
Northern Spy Apple - A large sized apple that is covered in red over a green to yellowish background. Its juicy flesh has a sweet but tart flavor and a firm texture. Because of their tartness, they are not as popular as other varieties for eating fresh. This apple is a good selection for drying and for making pies and baked goods.
Sweet 16 Apple - A medium size apple that has a red with yellow streaked outer skin and a cream colored fine textured flesh. This apple has a very sweet flavor with high sugar content and is considered a good apple for baking sauces or eating raw.
Wolf River Apple - A very old hearty apple variety that is large in size, commonly weighing over a pound. This apple is golden green to bright red in color with a firm cream-colored flesh that provides a rich sweet flavor. The firm flesh makes it an excellent apple for sauce, for drying, for baking, and eating out of hand.
York Imperial Apple - An apple variety characterized by its red skin, which contains streaks of yellow and russet specks and its flattened oblong shape. It has a creamy white flesh that is crisp and coarse textured. The York Imperial has a flavor that is sweet yet slightly tart. It is an excellent choice for baked desserts or for dishes cooked on the stovetop, since it holds its shape and flavor well when cooked. It is most often available during the winter months.
You see there’s alot more to apples than you might think, and that doesn’t even come close to all the things you can do with them. At Ag Day, youths have a chance to see cider making and applesauce making, and would you believe, we are told they are the most popular stations at the event year after year.
We have another year to go (next September) till another Ag Day, but we’ll be posting alot of conservation, education, and planting tips on this blog, so keep on checking back. And if you’re thinking of ordering some apple trees from our shrub sale (our brochure is almost ready to go), this information should be helpful. We also plan to have alot more information about various trees, shrubs, planting tips, composting available as we progress through the fall and winter months.
GPS, Woodlots & Tree ID Workshops
Friday, October 3rd, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
One of our goals is to educate people about issues surrounding conservation of our soil & water. Right now we are hosting a series of classes to do just that.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, FCSWCD is hosting Using a GPS at Night, ideal for search and rescue teams, self-rescue, cross country trecking, and others. This class requires some knowledge of GPS. Patty Cormier of the Maine Forest Service is teaching the class and the Upper Kennebec Chapter of the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine is our sponsor. Garmin GPS units will be provided for the hands-on field instruction about how to overcome some challenges out in the field.
As the communications coordinator for FCSWCD, I decided to take one of the intro GPS classes, and found it was well worth the investment. These devices, similar to computers, require a little extra knowledge to use efficiently. I for one don’t mind reading manuals. However, when you’re out on the trail it’s important you know the capabilities and limitations of the GPS unit. That’s not the time to find out that you should have taken one extra step.
Just like anything else, it’s important to practice GPS. One way is through geocaching (sort of a treasure hunt with a gps). There’s lot of groups dedicated to this growing hobby. And it’s a great way to keep fine tuning your skills. Goggle geocashe and see what you find. Better spending some time looking for fun stuff than being in a panic because you’ve forgotten how to use your GPS at 4 pm in the woods and it’s getting darker by the minute.
Small Woodlot Management is something that affects everyone with five acres of so of trees on their property. And as I, for one, look at those trees, I wonder what should I do with them. There’s got to be a way to make them pay for the taxes, or pay for a couple of new windows. I have asked some loggers to come check out the value of the trees, but that’s where it has stopped.
I don’t have horses to haul the wood out, nor am I inclined to go into the woods and cut trees that measure over five inches in diameter. Sometimes I think it would be great to just cut most of them and replant with hard wood. At least that could be used to stoke the wood stove in the winter. Perhaps, I should just cut everything and get some goats (they are cut little fellows, especially the pygmy ones).
Do you need to remove the stumps to replant? Is pine worth anything today? When are trees mature enough to cut? When are they too young? Should the wind break be thinned? Those are just some of the questions I think of, and am hoping those and many more can be answered at FCSWCD’s Workshop, Managing A Small Woodlot to Turn a Profit Workshop on Wedneday, Oct. 8 at 8 am in Phillips. Call FCSWCD to register and get directions. Patty said this workshop is also ideal for women who own woodlots, so I’d encourage you to check it out.
Another fun workshop coming up is Tree and Leaf Identification on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 10 am. Have you ever wondered what leaves turn red in autumn, and what shape goes with a birch or oak tree. How do you tell an ash tree from chestnut, oak from birch, etc. In what promises to be a fun casual walk through parts of Farmington, consulting forester Amanda Down-Smith will teach participants various things to look for that will give you the heads up on tree identification. Contact SWCD for more details.
FCSWCD Educates Through Blog
Saturday, August 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Well, maybe it’s about time that FCSWCD started a blog. Our intent is to provide people with information about how we all can work together to sustain our natural resources. Many times it’s the simple things that work best.
We’ll be bringing you information about trees, shrubs, and perennials, as well as other tidbits to help keep our planet green. We’ll bring you conservation tips, many of which you can do on a budget.
For those that garden, fall means harvesting the bounty (if you found some bounty this summer with all that rain, you’ve done well).
Keep watch we we bring you a weekly (or more often) update.