The Greenhouse
Gardening and Plant Tips
Diseases
Powdery Mildew
Spray with fungicide - Effective fungicides include potassium bicarbonate (Remedy), benomyl (Benlate), wettable sulfur, funginex (Trifroine EC), folpet (Phaltan), cycloheximide (Actidione PM), Pipron. Wettable sulfur and cycloheximide are known to cause injury to some plants.
Plant Clinic
Ohio State Univ
U of Nebraska
NC State Univ
Some of the plants I have and would like to get one day require at least an indoor
environment if not a greenhouse with temperature and humidity control. - at least
while I am living in the Pacific Northwest. There are a number of tropical plants
which I think are great, but also require a tropical environment to survive.
Plant Trivia
A cucumber is 96% water.
A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
A pineapple is a berry.
Advertisements for coffee in London in 1657 claimed that the beverage was a cure for scurvy, gout and other ills.
Almonds are the oldest, most widely cultivated and extensively used nuts in the world.
Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit: a total of 11 billion a year.
An average ear of corn has 800 kernels, arranged in 16 rows.
Arrowroot, an antidote for poisoned arrows, is used as a thickener in cooking.
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
Banana oil never saw a banana; it's made from petroleum.
Bonus Banana Fact: Bananas are actually herbs. Bananas die after fruiting, like all herbs do.
Partof the following list came from the Seattle Times Planting Calendar 2004 which was compiled by Mary Robson and Holly Kennell, area horticulture agents for Washington State University/King County Extension.
January
Start a garden journal
Prune broken, diseased and overgrown branches on deciduous shrubs
Look for flowers and fragrance from Camellia sasanqua, Sarcococca and winter honeysuckle.
� Browse nurseries and walk in the Winter Garden at Seattle�s Washington Park Arboretum.
� If the weather�s mild, transplant and install shrubs and
trees.
� Prune dormant, leafless, deciduous trees when you can see the branch structure. Never
remove more than one-third of a tree�s branches in one year.
� Build a cold frame to protect seedlings and cuttings, and to extend the abundant year.
February
Fertilize trees and shrubs as growth appears
Choose and plant roses
Kill winter weeds
Plant asparagus, rhubarb, and horseradish
Finish pruning fruit trees. Rake and discard any fallen leaves under trees to reduce spring disease
problems.
� Plant lily bulbs, marking spots with labels.
� Prune roses late this month.
� Check containers and bulb plantings for early emerging slugs; squash any pearly piles of round slug eggs.
� Sketch out the food garden, rotating crop locations from summer to summer.
March
Get rid of small pearly piles of slug eggs
Start warm weather vegetables � tomatoes, squash
Plant peas
Plant blueberries
Seattle audobon plant sale � 8050 35th ave NE, 206-523-8243
Puget Sound Dahlia Assoc � 6620 NE 185th St, Kenmore, 206-367-9416, www.pugetsounddahlias.org
Northwest Fuchsia Society � 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle, 206-364-7735
Apply fertilizer to new plants, perennials and annuals. Use slow-release fertilizer, and don�t
over-apply. Most landscape plants require fertilizer only once yearly. Many can grow well with compost
alone.
� Groom perennials. Pile trimmings and prunings in compost, shredding first if possible. Keep
seedy weeds out of home compost.
� Lawn renewal: Aerate, thatch, overseed established turf. Install new lawns from seed or sod. Choose Northwest-adapted
grass-seed mix containing perennial ryegrass and tall fescues.
� Seed the vegetable garden with beets, chard, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, spinach.
April
Check for slugs
Grass seeding after raking out moss, and thatch
Fertilize lawn
Plant carrots, lettuce, broccoli and cool season veggies
Arboretum Foundation � Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum drive, 206-325-4510, www.arboretumfoundation.org
King Country Master Gardener Foundation � 3501 NE 41st Street, 206-296-3425,
Northwest Perennial Alliance � Sand Point Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, 425-481-6557, www.northwestperennialalliance.org
Arboretum Foundation Florabundance - Sand Point Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, 206-325-4510, www.arboretumfoundation.org
Plant containers to create extra space; shrubs such as dwarf nandina or miniature conifers will anchor
year-round pleasure. Fertilize plants in containers every two to three weeks.
� Stake or tie up perennials such as peonies and delphinium that will soar into bloom in May and June.
� Keep the lawn mowed. Use �grasscycling� to return clippings to the turf.
May
Plant summer color plants � dahlias, gladiolas, cannas, coleus
Prune spring blooming shrubs just after they bloom � rhododendrons, azaleas, forsythia, daphne
Plant tomatoes in late may, early june
Bellevue Botanical Garden � 12001 Main Street, Bellevue, 425-451-3755, www.bellevuebotanical.org
Watch the shape of garden plants change as leaves pop open. Even the tropicals can emerge from shelter
to join the parade late this month.
� Trim and prune spring-blooming shrubs (rhododendrons, azaleas,
forsythia) after bloom ends. Thin out branches of overgrown rhodies; water well during summer.
� Keep weeding; add 2-3 inches of mulch after weeding.
� Allow spring bulb foliage to die back naturally. Tulips must go brown; daffodils need six to
seven weeks of ripening before removal (even if still a bit green).
� Plant out heat-loving tomatoes, squash and eggplant in late May. Add petunias, marigolds
and zinnias to containers.
� Grow tomatoes undern clear plastic cover, on the south or west side of the
house, or trained on a trellis. Prune off lower branches and excess leaves, keeping plant open.
June
Plant tomatoes
Plant basil
Mulch garden
Plant lettuce
Plant sunflowers
Check irrigation systems and soaker hoses; this is often the first of �rainless� months.
� Encourage birds and beneficial insects � lacewings, lady bugs
and even wasps; they tackle aphid control for you. Plant yarrow, alyssum, dill and fennel to attract
them.
�Mulch vegetable gardens after soil warms. Give growing vegetables 1 inch of water per week.
July
Install vegetables and flowers for fall bloom and
food. Shop nursery sales to replant containers, and
fill in gaps that often appear in August and
September.
� As you harvest lettuce, peas and
beans, plant new crops for fall and winter. Leafy
greens, broccoli and cabbage, even radishes, will
extend your season.
�Water the lawn deeply. If
you�re allowing it to go dormant, water at least once
a month.
� Do not fertilize lawns or landscape plants
in dry weather when growth slows.
� Keep
deadheading annual and perennial flowers
for fresh bloom.
August
Water, stake and gather dahlias to encourage flowering
into fall.
� Turn and dampen the compost pile.
� Harvest vegetables at peak ripeness. Dig potatoes
when green top growth dies back.
� Place catalog
bulb orders for daffodils, tulips and spring flowers.
� Review the garden: What�s enduring summer best?
September
cut out raspberry canes that produced this year
Add lime to beds if needed
Gather extra crops for Food Bank donations.
� Visit farmers markets and U-pick farms.
� Cover
tomatoes and peppers to enhance heat and extend
ripening.
� Dig and divide summer-blooming
perennials. (Oriental poppies and German
iris are dormant.)
October
Divide and replant spring blooming perennials
Renew planting and transplanting activities.
� Enjoy the fall cleanup, but tough weeds, fallen fruit
and diseased leaves don�t belong in compost.
� Plant garlic for a tasty crop next summer.
� Lawn renewal needs completing this month,
though sod can be planted nearly anytime.
� Spread lime on vegetable gardens when crops are
harvested � every two years, use 5 pounds of
dolomite lime per 100 square feet. Lime needs several
months to �work� before spring crops go in.
November
Store garden chemicals to stay dry and unfrozen
Fertilize lawn late November
Plant spring bulbs � crocus, tulips, daffodils, allium
Leave rosehips to induce needed winter dormancy
Rake and bag fall leaves, or pile if you have space.
They�re invaluable for mulch and a quick winter
cover in case of freezes.
� Keep weeding, finish
planting spring-flowering bulbs and use compost or
other mulch 2-3 inches now to reduce winter weeds.
� For new plantings, improve soil by amending the
entire landscape area with organic materials.
December
Prune conifers as needed
Clean,oil, sharpen garden tools
Put fireplace ashes into garden � one shovelful per square yard of soil.
For plants that produce ample brilliant winter
color, look for Cotoneaster, Nandina, Pyracantha or
Skimmia.
� Piled prunings and brush provide good
cover for birds during winter.
� Clean and store
tools; winter-proof hoses and water outlets.
� Early
in December, fertilize the lawn. Use a 3-1-2 ratio,
slow-release formula.
�Mow as needed and keep turf
raked.
� Prune evergreens to shape, and use the
trimmings for winter decoration.
To order a copy of the 2004 Heronswood catalog, which costs $5, you can e-mail [email protected], call 360-297-4172 or write to Heronswood Nursery, 7530 N.E. 288th St., Kingston, WA 98346. If you seek color photos and can do without the prose, visit the Web site at www.heronswood.com
Cat Deterrant
cayenne, chili, vinegar, citrus, mothballs
Kawamoto Orchids
Midnight moon stepping stones
Charley's Greenhouse - I got the wall thermostat to replace a lightswitch here
Bellevue Demo Garden
on SE 16th between 148th Ave SE and 156th Ave SE
Tygrett nursery
Arbor day
Shel's Plant Trivia
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Sacred Plants
GardenWeb
Blueberries 4 You gifts
Plant list
I forget what this is for, specifically, but it must be important since I wrote it down. Feel free to ignore this:
viburnum
snakeroot
aster
sassafras
ginko
winter hazel � red
c. spicata
c. pavciflora
c.winterthur
alosia
begonia
sage
salvia
snapdragons
verbena
malva, edible leaves
tiarella
campanula (cup and saucer)
caladium � red flash, rosebud, gingerland, pink gem, Jackie suthers, white christmas, white queen, lance Wharton, candey Wharton, candidion
Fall
gentian
cyclamen
Winter
Wintergreen
Viburnum
Leucothoe
Winter cherry
Solamum pseudocapsicum
Spring
Polygonom pompoms
Geraniums
Ivy
Fritillary bulbs
Begonia
Verbena
Saxifrage
Phlox
Summer
Abutilon
Campanula
Dianthus
Geranium
Phacelia
Lobelia
Snapdragons
Verbena
Nasturtiums
Convovulvis
Heliotrope
Artemsia
Polygonum
Prarie gentian
Eurtona grandiflora
Purple picotee
Bloodleeaf � iresine lindenii
4 o�clocks
salvia
Crinum
Aarons
Garden Delights
TyTy nursery
Odyssey
WAplants
bulbmania
Plant Delights
Yuccado, TX
Crinum
Crinum Org
Pro Garden
Home Show
Landscape Questions
Curb Appeal
ALCC Careers
E.A. Poe Garden
Chelsea Garden Event
BBC Gardening
Garden History Museum
Design ideas
- Use color to highlight areas or to make the flowerbeds look larger or smaller.
- Quieter color blends are up close and personal, best used for pots on a deck.
- Blues and purples fade into the background. You can make your borders look deeper by backing them with these colors.
- Red is a good punctuation mark, use it to draw attention
- If you want your border to look larger, put coarse textured plants (large or shiny leaves) in front with fine textured plants (small leaves) behind.
- Use tall plants to draw attention.
- Use small rounded plants against spiky, droopy or frilly plants as contrast.
design tips
Ohio Landscaping tips
Essortment - design
Deer garden design
Design Basics
Blooming Door tips
Plant-scapers
Bloom garden design
DIY - design
Free Plants - design
Garden Launch Pad
Clear Water Landscapes