Tips for Growing Peppers

Posted on May 13, 2024 | Leave a comment
peppers in container

peppers combined with flowers in a container

Peppers are easy to grow from seed, but you also can purchase small plants at the local garden center in the beginning of the growing season. If you grow peppers from seed, you can grow a wider variety than what is available at the garden centers. All peppers are grown the same way, they have the same cultural requirements. There are almost 30 species of Capsicum, but in the mid-Atlantic area, we tend to grow three: C. annuum, C. chinense, and C. frutescens.

Within C. annum, there are many varieties and hybrids. Bell peppers are large and sweet, maturing in a red, yellow, or green color. These do not have capsaicin, the compound responsible for heat, due to a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin. Other peppers without capsaicin are the Italian frying peppers, Jimmy Nardello, Giant Marconi or Marconi, and banana or yellow wax peppers. C. annuum also includes hot peppers, also called chili peppers, which have capsaicin.

Capsaicin is primarily concentrated in the veins, ribs, and seeds. Removing these is one way to reduce the heat. Capsaicin is an oil which is why drinking water when you have eaten a particularly hot pepper does not help get rid of the burn. Instead, drink milk or eat yogurt, a banana, bread, pasta, or potatoes.

The Scoville scale is a measurement of the heat of a chili pepper recorded in Scoville Heat Units. It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids among which capsaicin is the predominant component. This range is 0 to as high as 2,693,000 (Pepper X according to the Guinness World Records in 2023 whereas previously the Carolina Reaper was the hottest). Sweet peppers are 500 or less and include the bell pepper and the pimiento.

The C. chinense species is the habanero type of pepper – a type of chili pepper Native to South and Central America that includes habanero, scotch bonnet, and ghost pepper.

The C. frutescens species is another chili pepper native to South and Central America that produces small fruit that tend to grow upright. C. frutescens includes the tabasco pepper and the colorful ornamental varieties.

If you are really diving deep into peppers, there are two other species you can try to grow but likely you will have to start from seed as the plants usually are not available in this area.

Mad Hatter, a baccatum type sweet pepper with a unique shape that will turn red at maturity

The C. baccatum species has a wide variety of peppers, from sweet to hot, from South and Central America. Many are beautiful with unique shapes. These include bishop’s crown, Brazilian starfish, lemon drop, and the “aji” peppers (have “aji” in their name although not all aji peppers are in this genus).

The C. pubescens species has apple-shaped fruit and hairy foliage. They can be mild or very hot. Native to Peru and Bolivia, popular varieties include rocoto, manzano, and locoto.

Starting Peppers from Seed

If growing from seed, start indoors under lights about 4 to 6 weeks before the average last spring frost. Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep. They like warm rooms to germinate so if you are doing this in your basement, you may need a heating mat. Peppers are slow to germinate, the hottest peppers are the slowest. It could take more than a week to see anything. Direct sowing seeds is not recommended because the soil in May will be too cold.

sweet peppers in a container

In May, after frost has past, night temperature are consistently above 50 degrees, and soil temperatures are at least 60 degrees, move the plants outside or plant the ones you purchased from the garden center.

If you are moving your seedlings outside, remember to harden them off by gradually exposing them to light and the winds. If there is an unforeseen cold night, cover with a cloche or a 2-liter plastic soda bottle with the end cut off.

Transplanting into the Garden

Don’t rush to plant your peppers. They need warm temperatures so this could be June (or if you live in Virginia, after the dogwood blossoms have fallen). Peppers do best in soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7. Make sure you amend the soil with compost; they do not want too much clay. They need good drainage. Peppers also can be grown in raised beds or in containers that are at least 5 gallons with drainage holes. Place in full sun, at least 8 hours of sun a day, spaced at least 18 inches apart (from central stem to stem). They do not like to be crowded. Make sure your hose reaches them.

Unlike tomatoes, you don’t plant them as deep as possible. Plant the transplant so that the shoots are at the soil line as they were before transplanting.

Peppers are susceptible to sunscald which occurs on the fruit that has been exposed to intense direct sunlight. This could happen when you first plant them but will not kill the plant.

Usually, peppers do not need to be staked, nor do they need to be pruned.

Growing Peppers in the Summer

Peppers optimal temperatures for setting fruit is 65 to 85 degrees. However, the flowers can drop (i.e., not produce fruit) if the temperatures are above 90 degrees during the day and 75 degrees at night.

Jimmy Nardello, a sweet frying pepper

Peppers need fertilizer but withhold it when the plant starts to flower. A slow-release organic fertilizer with more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen is best. You can use one especially formulated for tomatoes.

Like tomatoes, peppers can get blossom end rot. To prevent this, make sure the soil moisture is consistent, not varying widely between very wet and very dry.

The small fruit varieties do better in the mid Atlantic’s hot and humid summer than the large fruit varieties.

They fruit up until frost so if it is just one night of cold weather, you may be able to cover for the night to extend the harvest season. If you are expecting a freeze, harvest the mature ones.

Harvesting and Eating Peppers

You need to know your varieties’ mature stage fruit color. Although all peppers may be eaten in the green stage, there is more flavor and vitamins in a ripe, colored up pepper.

Temperature influences color on the pepper. Purple pigment develops under cool temperatures so if you see purple streaks on peppers, it is because the temperature is too cool (maybe in the fall). The purple color does not affect the flavor. However, that is why it is difficult for gardeners in the mid-Atlantic area to grow solid purple varieties – it is just too hot in the summer.

red and black ornamental peppers with dark foliage

When picking chili peppers, you may want to wear gloves as the capsaicin may irritate the skin. After cutting and preparing in the kitchen, wash your hands with soap afterwards and do not touch your face or eyes.  Remember that capsaicin is primarily concentrated in the veins, ribs, and seeds so you can reduce the heat in a chili pepper by removing these.

Peppers dry well and can be ground or crushed. Wash the pepper and either cut and leave open on paper plate inside the house or leave whole (but whole will take longer to dry). Often gardeners will string up the whole peppers to hang in the kitchen. Or dry the peppers in a dehydrator, the oven, or outside in the sun. Dried peppers have more flavor and heat.

Saving Pepper Seed

If you want to save pepper seeds, make sure the plant is an open-pollinated plant, not a hybrid. Peppers have perfect flowers (both male and female parts) therefore they can pollinate themselves and do not need bees. However, bees do visit peppers and can cross pollinate the peppers in your garden and with peppers in neighbors’ gardens. This cross pollination occurs within a species. If you grew more than one variety, such as a sweet and a hot in the same genus (C. annum), be aware that bees may have cross pollinated them. Therefore, if you saved sweet pepper seeds and grow the seeds the next year, the resulting fruit could be hot, not sweet. To prevent cross pollination, you would have to separate your varieties of one species by 300 to 1600 feet or grow different species.

To save seeds, simply slice open a very mature pepper and remove the seeds. Place the seeds on wax paper to dry inside the house. Seeds are dry if they snap when you bend them. When dried, put in a container, seal, and label. Store in a cool, dark, and dry place.

You will get good germination rates from saved seeds for about 3 years.

Final Note

The mid-Atlantic units of the Herb Society of America host a Chili Celebration every October at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington DC. This is a free event on Saturday, October 12, 2024, in the afternoon. The Units come to the National Herb Garden and set up tables of peppers to taste as well as products made with chili peppers plus a lot of information on growing peppers. The National Herb Garden also has pepper plants that are fruiting at this time. Yes, some of these are hot so we also provide milk and bread. See you there!

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Tactics for Managing Deer in the Garden

Posted on May 4, 2024 | Leave a comment

deerNewcomers to this area will eventually see deer standing on the roadside or venturing out of the woods at dusk. At first, they admire the lovely bucolic sight: gentle deer, twitching their tails, flicking their ears back and forth. But as the newcomers settle down and try their hand at gardening, they learn that the deer are not as cute as they once thought.

In this area, the suburbs provide ideal conditions for deer. There is plenty of food and water in the landscape and ample cover. Their natural predators–bobcats, coyotes, and panthers–have long been eliminated. Many new homes have common ground to make for easier mowing, thus eliminating fencing. As homeowners sleep at night, families of deer wander in and help themselves to luscious hosta, delightful roses, and all the tomatoes they want. Fortunately, there are multiple tactics to employ, depending on budget and time.

rose

deer like roses despite the thorns

Those who have had their gardens ravaged by deer are tempted to try homemade repellents such as human hair, deodorant soap, and stinky garlic/pepper sprays. The truth is, they offer little relief. If the smell does not end up repelling you, rain will wash the odor away so you have to re-apply constantly. Commercial sprays are more effective but are not cheap. You have to determine just how often you will have to apply in one growing season multiplied by the number of years you intend to live on that property. Or you can weigh the damage versus the cost and time spent on the commercial spray. In my home, the deer will run through the tomato patch once in the spring and then they are gone for the rest of the season. The tomato plants grow back in the summer so I have learned to grow plenty of tomatoes (from seed) and forgo the cost of a repellent spray.

An additional tactic is to plant “deer resistant plants.” This term refers to plants that deer usually won’t bother because of taste or difficulty to consume. However, if there is a summer drought or an unusually large population, the limited food supply may drive them to eat plants that they would not normally eat. These lists of plants are actually more helpful when you use them to not buy the plants they are known to love. For example, it is well known that they like hostas so unless you have a plan to thwart the animals, you may not want to purchase hostas.

Many deer resistant plants are pungent, poisonous, or highly textured. The deer never bother my rosemary, sage, and oregano, which are highly aromatic herbs. Four-legged creatures are not interested in poisonous daffodils, Christmas rose (Helleborus), foxglove (Digitalis), and monkshood (Aconitum). Plants that have hairy, fuzzy, or gray/silver leaves are usually ignored. Plants that produce paper-dry flowers such as gomphrena also are not bothered. Thorns don’t seem to deter them though, roses are like candy. If you are trying to plan a deer resistant landscape, focus on more woodies (woody shrubs) and less herbaceous perennials.

daffodils

deer are not interested in daffodils

Another trick is to learn their roaming patterns in your area and disrupt them either with plants they won’t bother or with structures. Deer are creatures of habit so once you learn their habit you can foil them. At my home, they usually jump the fence in front of my house to go through the backyard and over the low fence in the far right corner. They never go to the left corner because it is a corner of three different fences with various heights, poor visibility, and a downward slope. Therefore, I feel safe planting shrubs in the left corner. Deer may walk on the front lawn up to the front garden strip but never walk up the concrete steps to the door. And they never walk on to the wooden deck in the back of the house. This means I can plant the aromatic herbs in the front strip and the hostas toward the front door. I can grow anything, especially edibles, in containers on the wooden deck.

There are scare tactics as well such as motion-activated watering devices, lights, and sounds. Several sources are listed below. If you live in an area with homeowner association rules you may want to check those first to see if these types of devices are even allowed. Also, you have to take into consideration your lawn service and how stakes in the ground may impact their lawnmowers.

Fencing is a long-term solution but the fencing does not have to be for the entire property. A fence around the vegetable garden might be all you need to keep them out of the edibles. A fence should be at least 8 feet tall, or a slant fence, or a double fence. Unless scared, deer won’t jump blindly, they need to know they have a safe place to land. A slant or double fence makes them realize they cannot land safely on the other side. Fencing can be made of metal or polypropylene or can be electric. There are professional fencing companies that either sell do it yourself kits or install the fence for you. Of course, local hardware stores have supplies for you to build a fence yourself.

When erecting a fence, keep in mind that deer do not see well and may accidentally run into the fence before it gets used to it so the fence has to be strong enough to resist this type of damage. And, if a deer does jump over the fence and lands in an enclosed area, you should have a plan to be able to release the presumably wild and panicked animal without hurting the deer or you. Have a door or opening so the deer can come out on its own.

If you have a deer problem, don’t be disheartened. There are solutions but it may be a combination of solutions that works best for you. Below are lists of deer resistant plants, a study on deer repellents (which can be ordered online or purchased at local garden centers and hardware stores), fencing videos, and sources for mechanical scare devices.

Deer Resistant Plant Lists
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants/
http://blandy.virginia.edu/arboretum/deer-resistant-plants
http://ccesaratoga.org/gardening-landscape/deer-resistant-plants

Study on Commercial Deer Repellents
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/publications/FS810-A_UsingCommDeerReps.pdf

Deer Fencing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmIGg786gOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAvRY-AQWOQ

Mechanical Scare Devices
https://wirelessdeerfence.com/
https://www.orbitonline.com/
https://www.gardeners.com/buy/deer-chaser/39-000.html#q=deer&simplesearch=submit&start=3

 

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Growing Luffas for Sponges

Posted on April 26, 2024 | 2 comments

Luffa plants (Luffa aegyptiaca) are fun to grow and they make a great kid project in the garden. Although you can eat immature luffas as vegetables, most people grow them for sponges.  They are grown like cucumbers – they need to trail up a structure, they need full sun, and they prefer plenty of soil moisture. You can start them from seed easily, either indoors under lights in April or outdoors in May after our last frost.

In the summer, luffas bloom yellow flowers, about 3 inches wide. The bees love them, which is good because you need the bees to pollinate the flowers in order to get the fruit. Like summer squash, there are male and female flowers. After pollination occurs, you will see little green fruit behind female flowers.

Luffas take 90 to 120 days to mature. For sponges, pick them when the skin is yellow or brown, the fruit is lighter in weight, and the fruit “gives” if you lightly squeeze it. Cut it off the vine with about 2 inches of vine. Let it dry further (bring inside the home where it is dryer and warmer than outside). Remove the skin and remove the seeds. If it hard to remove the skin, soak in warm water for about 20 minutes. Save the seeds for next year.

The interior has a fibrous structure that is stiff when dry but softens and becomes flexible when wet. It makes an excellent scrubber for pots and barbeque grills, as well as for exfoliating the skin. You will find that your luffa is not white like store-bought luffas. The natural color is tan and may look “dirty.” Store-bought ones are bleached. You can bleach your luffas in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water for about 20 to 30 minutes.

When you start to use your luffa often in the shower, make sure it is allowed to dry between showers so it does not harbor bacteria or mold. Tie a string on one end and allow it to hang outside of the shower stall.

They can be put in the dishwasher or boiled in water to clean them. If you think they are no longer useable you can put them in the compost pile.

Luffa seeds are easy to purchase through seed companies. I rarely see luffa plants for sale at the local nurseries in this area. Try growing your own sponges this year, they are as easy as growing cucumbers!

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Happy National Garlic Day!

Posted on April 19, 2024 | 3 comments
garlic in bowl

Chesknok Red, a purple-striped hardneck garlic

Today, April 19, is National Garlic Day. Typically we think of garlic in the fall but it makes sense since you can pre-order garlic now from the specialty garlic companies. Plus you need to designate your garlic space in your garden now (i.e., leave space) as you plan your garden for the 2024 season.

Growing your own garlic is easy and the cloves are tastier than what you purchase in a grocery store. Typically, garlic is planted in October in the Washington DC metro area.

There are about 200 garlic names so it may be hard to choose. In this area, we can grow both “softneck” and “hardneck” types. The “neck” is the woody central area of the bulb where the flowering stalk or scape emerges the following spring. Softnecks do not produce the scape while hardnecks produce the scape, which some people like to cut and cook even though this would result in a smaller bulb. Because softnecks do not have this woody stem, they are easy to braid for storage. Softnecks mature earlier and have a longer storage life than hardnecks. Softnecks produce large bulbs with the highest number of cloves in various size. These are not easy to peel when you want to use them in the kitchen but eventually, as months pass, they become easier. Hardnecks have less number of cloves but larger and of uniform size, arranged in a single layer around the stalk, and are easy to peel.

The ease of peeling is related to storage. If the clove is easy to peel it is because the peeling is not on tightly hence air can enter and degrade the clove faster. If it is hard to peel, it is because the peeling or wrapper is on so tightly that air cannot enter and cause the clove to dry out. However, as months pass, moisture is lost, the wrapper loosens a little, and the cloves become easier to peel.

Within softnecks (Allium sativum spp. sativum), there are the artichokes (three to five overlapping layers of cloves in various sizes that create a bumpy appearance) and the silverskins with smooth white scales, tightly wrapped cloves, and uniform bulb sizes (most popular for braiding). These store for 8 months.

Within the hardnecks (Allium sativum spp. ophioscorodon) there are rocambole (large, easy to peel cloves but last 4 months), porcelain (largest but few cloves, longest shelf life of the hardnecks), and purple stripe (bright purple streaks and blotches). These store for 4 months.

After selecting if you want a hardneck or softneck, determine your preference for heat and flavor. It may be helpful to read catalog descriptions such as “sweet and mild flavor when cooked,” “white hot” garlic, “high sugar content, good for roasting,” “rich, sweet and caramel-like when roasted,” or “pleasant flavor with a mild spicy zing.”

garlic

Inchelium Red, artichoke type of softneck

Regardless of the type, all garlic is planted, harvested, and cured the same way. Garlic needs rich, well-drained soil and can be grown in a garden bed, raised bed, or container as long as the depth is at least 8 inches, preferably 12 inches. Large fabric containers or whisky barrels are possibilities.

Usually the bulb is harvested in June or July when the rest of the garden is in full swing so think of what will replace that gap in the garden. Because the plants are tall and narrow, you can fit them in a row in front of your flower bed or in front of shrubs and harvesting should not create an unsightly gap.

Garlic is a heavy feeder. Depending on where you will plant you may want to amend with compost or manure first in the fall. In the spring, apply nitrogen via bloodmeal, compost tea, or cottonseed meal in April and May.

Garlic also needs full sun. Our rainfall should be sufficient but know that dry soil will make smaller bulbs and do not water 2 weeks prior to harvesting. The area should be kept weed free. Some gardeners mulch to prevent weeds and to prevent frost heaving.

To plant, gently separate the cloves and examine each to make sure it is healthy. Don’t peel each clove but if one is discolored or mushy, throw it away. Plant only healthy cloves, bottom down, pointed end up, about 2 inches deep. Space about 6 inches apart. Large cloves will create large bulbs. The clove will start to grow in the fall and you should see foliage in the fall that will remain during the winter. In the spring, the foliage will continue to grow (which you will be feeding with fertilizer).

garlic

Nootka Rose, a silverskin type of softneck

If you planted hardnecks, you will see the scapes rise and curl in late spring. Many gardeners cut and eat scapes but this will result in smaller garlic bulbs. If you want larger bulbs, cut the scapes off when they first emerge. Softnecks do not produce scapes.

Harvest the bulbs when half of the leaves have turned yellow or brown and half are still green. For hardnecks this is usually 9 months after planting so will be in June or July. For softnecks, this is earlier, because they grow faster. Harvest on a dry, sunny day. Gently loosen the area surrounding the bulbs with a trowel if in a container or a gardening fork if in a bed and use your hands to bring out the bulbs. The bulbs should not get pierced or damaged.

garlic

German extra hardy, a porcelain type of a hardneck

Although bulbs can be eaten “fresh” from the ground, the best flavor is obtained from cured bulbs. Curing is the partial drying process to remove the water content from the bulbs so they do not rot or mold in storage. By removing as much moisture as possible, the bulb can remain in its state for a long period of time so you can use the cloves whenever you need them in the kitchen.

To cure, place the garlic bulbs in a shaded, warm, dry area with good air circulation. Do not leave them out in direct sunlight and don’t wash with a hose. Some people like to spread them out on a tray or large screen and some like to tie in a bunch and hang in a tool shed or garage. If you are hanging in your basement be aware of humidity, you may need to turn on a fan. Leave them alone for a month.

garlic

Killarney Red, a rocambole type of hardneck

Afterwards, you can either clean them up by cutting back the stalks (unless you want to braid softnecks) and scrub off excess dirt with a rag or you can literally leave as is in a paper bag, dirt and all, until you are ready to cook with them. Store in a garage or root cellar but you may want to hang in a mesh bag to prevent mice damage. Don’t store them in the refrigerator.

Here are a few companies that specialize in garlic and will take your order now and ship later:  Filaree Garlic Farm, Mad River Garlic Growers, the Garlic Store, Keene Garlic, Hood River Garlic, and BJ Gourmet Garlic Farm. Locally there is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Order your garlic today to celebrate National Garlic Day —  it is the easiest edible you can grow for the greatest flavor you can add to your meals.

All photos are courtesy of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

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Learn About Gardening With Master Gardeners

Posted on April 12, 2024 | Leave a comment

Fairfax County Master GardenersThe Master Gardener program is a great way to learn more about gardening, meet new friends, and get involved in civic projects.  Conducted throughout the United States, the program usually is managed on a county level through state/county extension agents. Usually the fee is the cost of the manual and there is a commitment to volunteer in the community. Interested gardeners receive training from horticulturists and experts in the field. In return, they assist the community by staffing plant clinic booths, answering phones, teaching, gardening in community areas, helping youth or elderly with gardening, etc. The program was initiated as a means of extending horticultural and pest management expertise of the state extension office to the general public. Most programs require continuing education but also provide many opportunities to do so.

Below is information for the Washington DC metropolitan area. More detail is given for Virginia to illustrate the difference in commitment and schedules across counties. Maryland and Washington DC are similar. All have fees, a registration process, and deadlines.

Virginia

The Virginia Tech University manages the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) program which has extension agents at every county. The extension agent manages the county Master Gardener program. The following is a snapshot of five Master Gardener programs in Northern Virginia to give an idea of the application deadlines, times/days programs are offered, cost, and the commitment in terms of hours. For example, if one works full time in an office and can only attend evening classes one may find a program that offers evening classes and does not limit registration to county residents. Or some programs have one class a week instead of two thus extending the education over a longer time but making it more manageable.

In Fairfax county, there are two Master Gardener programs due to the high level of interest. Green Spring Gardens, part of the Fairfax county park system, manages a 13-week Master Gardener program that starts in September and ends in November. Green Spring Gardens hosts the classroom training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm and labs on Saturdays. When the trainees complete the classroom part, they graduate to become Master Gardener interns. They have to complete 50 volunteer hours within one year including 15 hours working at the Master Gardener Help Desk.  They retain their certification by completing 20 hours of volunteer service hours and 8 hours of continuing education in horticulture per year.Demonstration Garden

The other Fairfax county Master Gardener program has classes at Merrifield Garden Center at Fair Oaks. The classes are January through March, one day a week for 3 hours, during the day or evening. To become a certified Master Gardener, one has to complete 30 hours of classroom education per year for 3 years, and 24 hours of community service per year for 3 years. Once a person becomes a certified Master Gardener, one has to complete 8 hours of continuing education and 24 hours of volunteer work per year.

In Arlington county, classes start in the beginning of September and are on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays. Classes are held at the Fairlington Community Center in Arlington and other local garden venues. There is no application deadline and acceptances into the program are determined by mid-August. Residents of Alexandria City and Arlington receive preference and all training and internship hours must be completed in Arlington/Alexandria. After 66 hours of classroom training, the trainees must complete a 60-hour internship to hone their skills in core Master Gardener educational projects within one year of training. Once the classroom program, internship, and student project are completed participants become certified Master Gardeners. To maintain certification, they must volunteer a minimum of 20 hours and attend 8 hours of continuing education programs per year.Loudoun County Master Gardeners

In Loudoun county, classes are twice a week for 10 weeks, from January through mid-April, at 750 Miller Drive, Leesburg. The Master Gardener program requires 60 hours of classroom education and 75 hours of the internship. Certified Master Gardeners must complete 25 volunteer hours and 8 hours of continuing education per year.

In Prince William county, the program runs from September through December and requires 75 hours of classroom education and 50 hours of internship. To maintain certification, Master Gardeners must volunteer 20 hours and complete 8 hours of continuing education per year.

Maryland

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) administers the Master Gardener Program. Each county has a coordinator and its own schedule of classes. For more information on basic training dates/times, visit UME’s home page or see the table of county/city coordinators’ contact information.  

Washington, DC

The University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, manages the Master Gardener program. The program is held once a year, from the first Tuesday in February through the last Thursday in March, every Tuesday and Thursday evening, 6:30 to 9:00 pm, for 8 weeks. After completing the program, interns must complete 50 hours of volunteer service.

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Growing Herbs in a Strawberry Jar

Posted on April 6, 2024 | Leave a comment
mint in strawberry jar

Mint in a strawberry jar

Growing herbs in a strawberry jar is easy — the trick is to plant herbs with similar light requirements. For full sun, try rosemary, sage, basil, thyme, oregano, or lavender. For shade, try chives, lemon balm, or parsley. Or alternatively, just one herb such as mint, which should be grown in a container instead of in the ground.

It is not necessary, but some gardeners like to insert a one- or two-inch diameter PVC pipe with holes drilled lengthwise to make watering easier. The pipe length should be one to two inches higher than the jar.

Purchase small herbs and a bag of potting mix. First take your herbs out of their containers and tease the roots apart. Sometimes you can actually tease the plant apart to get more than one.

Cover the top opening of the pipe so potting mix does not fall into the pipe. Insert the pipe into the center of the jar and add potting mix up until the first “hole” while keeping the pipe upright.

herbs in strawberry jar

herbs just planted in a strawberry jar

Push a plant through the hole, add soil on top of the roots in the jar, tamp down, and continue adding soil until the next hole. Plant each hole, in an upward spiral fashion, until you reach the top. At the top, add the last plant, which should be one that grows vertical and tall. Tamp the mix down so the soil level is a few inches below the jar’s rim. Pour water into the pipe.  If you are not using a pipe, water the top of the jar, gently. A little potting mix may become dislodged but over time, as the plants grow, everything will stay in place.

During the summer, make sure the plants are well-watered as most jars are made of terra cotta, which dries out quickly. Snip and harvest the herbs as needed.

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Chives: Culinary Herb, Landscape Edible

Posted on March 29, 2024 | Leave a comment
chives coming back in early March

chives coming back in early March

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a great addition to the garden, any garden, does not matter what is growing already, add chives. These perennial herbs are landscape edibles, they come back year after year, and can be tucked in between shrubs and flowers.

In my Virginia garden, my plants have already come back in March and I can’t wait to cut the leaves for scrambled eggs, chive butter, and mashed potatoes.

chive flowers

edible chive flower

To keep up with my family’s demand for fresh chives, I have several plants. After I cut the leaves back on one, I leave that plant alone until it rejuvenates and then harvest the leaves of another plant. The pink, clover-like flowers appear in the summer.  Chive flowers are edible but do not eat them whole — pull apart the individual florets.

In the spring, I divide my current clumps to create more plants, both for the garden as well as for friends. Chives can be grown from seed but it may take a while for the plants to mature to harvest. It is best to buy a few small containers in the spring and tuck them in different places in the garden. These plants die back in the fall but emerge in early March. They can be lifted in March, divided, and re-planted or give away to friends. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade and moist but well drained soil.

chive plant

chive plant in the summer

To make chive butter, simply let the butter come to room temperature, stir in chopped chives to taste, then refrigerate in a container. I use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives to one stick of butter. This can be done with soft cheeses as well. Chives can be preserved in the freezer or in ice cubes. Chives also can be used in herbal vinegars. Fresh minced chives add green to potatoes, soups, and rice dishes. Really, chives are so versatile in the kitchen and so easy to grow in the garden, there is no reason not to have them in your garden.

chives

chives on pierogies

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Tips for Starting Seeds Indoors

Posted on March 23, 2024 | 1 comment

marigoldsGardeners like to start seeds indoors to get a jump start on warm season plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and melons. They also start seeds indoors to be able to grow plants that have a longer growing season than the season in which they live. Before you begin to sow seeds indoors, read these sixteen seed starting tips to have as much success as possible. If you haven’t ordered your seeds yet, here is a list of seed companies.

ONE: The sunlight through your windows will not provide enough light. Use fluorescent tubes from hardware stores or purchase special grow lights but make sure their height can be adjusted. Seedlings are grown an inch away from the light source but as they grow the light source must be able to be adjusted. Lights have to be on for 14 to 16 hours daily but you can use a timer.

TWO: Yes, you can make your own seed starting mix but why? It is easier to purchase a bagged mix made especially for starting seeds – this mix is sterile with enough porosity for seeds to germinate and push through.

THREE: Not every seed should be started indoors. Some should be sown outdoors such as cilantro, dill, carrots, spinach, radishes, beans, and peas. Look at the seed package for instructions.

FOUR: What you use as a container is partially determined by what you are sowing. For example, if you are starting a lot of tomatoes, you can use one large tray because the seeds are likely to germinate and grow at the same rate. If you are sowing a variety of plants, use many small containers because each plant will have a different rate of germination and growth. Use plastic containers with drainage holes, draining excess water into a watertight, plastic tray. These can be small plastic cups, fruit cups, or yogurt cups. Another option is soil blocking.

FIVE: Once you sow and water seeds, you need to keep the seed moist until germination because if they dry out, they are no longer viable. This is why many people use clear plastic domes but remember to remove these domes when you see the seed emerge.

SIX: Water the mix in the container so it is moist before planting the seed. It will likely be hard to get moist, it may take several waterings, letting the water drain through, and tamping down with your fingers until you can sow the seeds. Then water again to soak the seeds.

SEVEN: The most common problem is “damping-off” which is caused by a fungus that thrives in warm, moist environments that are poorly ventilated. You will see pinched stems and seedlings that fall over. There is no recovering from this so one must prevent damping off by using clean containers, fresh water, increased air circulation, and not overwater.

seed packetsEIGHT: Usually, fine seed need light to germinate while larger seeds should be buried; check the seed package.

NINE: Heat mats are only necessary if you are starting warm season seeds in a cold area. Not all plants need this and not all places in the home need extra warmth. If you are starting seeds in a very warm room in the house (maybe upstairs – heat rises) you should be fine. If you are using a cool basement, you may need a seed heating mat. However, once the seeds have emerged, they can tolerate cooler temperatures.

TEN: Always label and keep records–within weeks you won’t remember anything. Because the small containers will be close together and under the light, you may want to mark the containers with a black magic marker instead of using plant tags at first.

ELEVEN: What you will see first is not the true leaves but the cotyledons. These once were the halves of the seed. They will look like leaves but soon they will shrivel and die off. Then you should see the first set of true leaves that can begin the photosynthesis process (i.e., make its own food). Decrease watering as you see growth emerge because really the roots are now down deep in the container taking up water so the surface can look a little drier than when you first sowed.

TWELVE: If you planted too many in one container, you can transplant seedlings into other containers after you see this first set of true leaves. Alternatively, you can remove the weakest looking ones with small scissors, just cut across at the base of the soil, do not pull it out.

THIRTEEN: When to start the seed indoors under lights? First determine your average last frost date for your area. Then count backwards the number of weeks given on the seed package. For example, if I use Mother’s Day as my average last frost date then I would start Black Krim tomato seed 6 weeks prior so it would be the last week in March. In that six-week timeframe, I know that probably the last 2 weeks, end of April, beginning of May, I will have moved the seedling to a larger 4-inch pot and place outside on the deck. This period will allow it to harden off.

FOURTEEN: Some seeds have to go through a scarification process where the seed coat either has to be nicked with a file or the seeds have to soak in a container of water for 24 hours before they are sown. For example, soak morning glories in water overnight before you sow them to help the process of breaking down the seed coat and letting the water in. Other seeds need to go through a stratification process of moist, cool temperatures several months before they will germinate. These seeds can be stored in the fridge for a few months before you attempt to sow them. Seed packets should state these requirements.

FIFTEEN: The caveat to #14 is that the seed packet is small and can only offer so much information, so read more information on the company’s website or catalog, or search on the internet, or look in a gardening book in order to have as much knowledge and success as possible for that particular plant.

SIXTEEN: Often there is too much seed in a packet. Don’t think you have to sow all the seed in the packet. In fact, save some in case your initial planting does not work out, or share/swap with friends, or use next year. Most vegetable seed will be viable next year with the exception of onions and leeks.

Good luck!

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Virginia Bluebell Season Is Almost Here!

Posted on March 14, 2024 | Leave a comment

Virginia bluebell season is around the corner so plan now to see carpets of this ephemeral wildflower here in Virginia. Although mid-April has been the peak time in the past, it may come earlier since we had such a mild winter. Here are a few places in Northern Virginia to view colonies of bluebells; some places are already reporting blossoms now in March.

Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are synonymous with early spring. Their blue trumpet-shaped flowers bloom above the green foliage in deciduous woodlands before the trees leaf out. These perennials emerge early in the year, bloom for a few weeks in March or April, and then die back to become dormant in the summer. The plants like the moist soil of the forest, high in organic matter. They self-seed and create colonies which is why you will see carpets of blue in the parks below. If you look closely, you will see that the buds are pink opening up to blue but the overall effect is a blue haze. These are native wildflowers, but you can purchase the plants from nurseries.

Balls Bluff Regional Battlefield Park (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority), Balls Bluff Road, Leesburg.

Bull Run Regional Park (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority), 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centerville. This park has a Bluebell Trail just off the Bull Run Occoquan Trail near the Atlantis Waterpark.

Great Falls Park (National Park Service), 9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLean.

Manassas National Battlefield Park (National Park Service), 6511 Sudley Road, Manassas. Best view is from the Stone Bridge.

Merrimac Farm (Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), 15014 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville. They have a free, family-oriented bluebell festival on Sunday, April 7 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Riverbend Park (Fairfax County Park Authority), 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls. Riverbend Park is celebrating bluebells on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There is a fee for attending this family event; however, the public can visit anytime to view the bluebells.

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve (Fairfax County Park Authority). 7400 Georgetown Park, McLean.

Turkey Run Park (National Park Service), George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean.

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A Spring Flower for your Garden: Columbine (Aquilegia)

Posted on March 8, 2024 | 1 comment

Spring has many woodland bloomers: bluebells, dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, yellow trout lily, trilliums, and columbine to name a few. Of these, columbine (Aquilegia spp.) can adapt to live successfully in your own garden. Columbine plants are low growing perennials noted for downward faced flowers with long, thin spurs that reflex back. These shade tolerant plants are often found in moist, woody areas.

In the mid-Atlantic region we either see the native species, Eastern red columbine, or cultivars of the common columbine. Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) has red and yellow flowers with spurs. This native is a critical food source for the ruby-throated hummingbird in the spring. The Virginia Native Plant Society dubbed it wildflower of the year for 1998. There are other columbines native to this continent but not to our mid-Atlantic region.

The native species blooming at Oak Spring Garden

The common columbine (A. vulgaris) has been bred to produce flowers that are single or double petaled, in shades of purple, blue, dark rose, rose, pink, white and even very dark purple to black.

Both are easy to grow from seed as long as you provide stratification–that period of cold to induce germination. If you are purchasing seed, you can provide stratification in one of four ways:

  • Place the seeds in a plastic bag with moist seed starting mix. Place the bag in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Afterwards, you can start the seeds indoors under lights about 8 weeks before the average last frost or sow directly outside after the last average frost.
  • Sow the seeds in small plastic containers with moist seed starting mix and either put in the fridge, an uncovered cold frame, an unheated porch, or a shed where the temperature remains consistently between 35 to 45 degrees. When the average last frost date has passed, continue to grow outside.
  • Scatter seeds in your garden in the fall and let winter provide the cold stratification.
  • Sow a few seeds in a plastic gallon milk jug with about 3 to 4 inches of soil in December and leave outside, uncovered, until spring. In the spring, open the jug and transplant the seedlings into the garden. This method is called winter sowing.

Once your plants are established, they will self-sow. In fact, columbines are notorious for cross pollinating so if you want one particular color, grow only that plant. Do not mix up your seed. Mine have been in my garden for almost 20 years and are a mix of purples and blues. I know I have sowed several different types over the years, but these colors must be the hardiest.

Columbine blooming at the National Arboretum

Columbine plants are deer resistant, and the flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and hawk moths. After the spring, the foliage will remain which does tend to get leaf miners but this will not kill them. Leaf miner damage just goes with the territory, there is not much you can do other than snip off the damaged foliage. The unsightly silver “doodles” on the leaves is caused by leaf miner larvae tunnelling their way through the middle of the leaves. The Eastern red columbine is supposed to be more resistant to leaf miner than the hybrids. In the winter, these plants die down and become dormant. Foliage emerges as early as February.

In our area, we have plenty of spring native plant sales so you may find small plants of the Eastern red columbine. If not, check out these seed companies for both the native species and the hybrids.

Close up of the center of the flower

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