Gardening Tips for April 2006

Hope the winter has not been too hard on you. We look forward to this spring being an exciting one filled with lots of interesting gardening activities.

Now that outdoor activities are beginning to pick up, you will want to keep in mind some tips that will help you out in your spring gardening chores. Start easy and work your way up. Don't overexert those under-worked winter muscles as you begin your spring gardening. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back.

If your garden space is limited, grow vegetables that are especially delicious and nutritious, such as tomatoes and green, leafy vegetables. Also select those that bear for a long time, such as broccoli. Cucumbers and melons do well on a fence, if the fruit is supported by slings. A home made trellis can save space for vining vegetables. An A frame cucumber trellis consists of two matched, ladder like structures hinged together at the top; the two sections are staggered to allow nesting when stored.

Leafy vegetables need at least six hours of sunlight to develop properly. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers need 10 hours of full sun. Don't grow what your family won't eat!

When the weather is wet or cold, allow about twice the germination time listed on the seed packet. If there is no sign of growth after this time, dig around a little to check for sprouted seeds. If you find no signs of life, the seed has probably rotted and you will need to replant. For faster growth of vegetables in containers, use black plastic pots to warm the soil (81 degrees F on sunny days compared to 72 degrees for the same mixes in clay or white plastic pots).

Introducing children to gardening can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. Give them a small plot of their own with full sun, good soil, and drainage. It's a pleasant and productive way to spend time together.

Resist the urge to buy more chemicals than you can use in a season the smaller the bottle, the better. If you overbought in the past and have aged, garden chemicals you no longer use, dispose of them according to local regulations. Do not pour them down the drain or onto the ground as this can pollute the water systems, damage the soil and possibly injure or kill plants, people and animals.


GARDEN CHORES for April

o Delay organic mulching to allow soil to warm deeply, but act before weeds become established.
o Harden transplants of vegetables by decreasing water, fertilizer and growing temperatures. Transplant them on a shady day in late afternoon or in early evening to reduce transplant shock. Water the transplants with a half strength fertilizer solution. For a few days after transplanting, protect the plants from wind and sun by placing a piece of newspaper or cardboard on their south sides or by covering with jugs, baskets or flower pots. Water the plants once or twice during the next week.
o To better evaluate gardening successes, keep weather records along with garden records. The most important items to report are daily minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover, and frost occurrences.
o An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but two carrots a day can cut cholesterol levels by 10 to 20 percent, say USDA scientists. Carrots, as well as cabbage and onions, contain a type of fiber that lowers cholesterol.
o If you plan to can or freeze, plant determinate tomatoes so the fruit will ripen all at once. If you prefer tomatoes fresh from the vine, plant indeterminate tomatoes so the ripening will be staggered.
o When tomato seedlings have five to seven leaves, they are ready to transplant into the garden.
o Newly transplanted plants should be protected from cutworms with collars. Cut strips of cardboard 2 inches wide by 8 inches long and staple them into a band which is placed around the plants. Press the collar about 1 inch into the soil.
o Don't use a weed and feed type fertilizer in the garden. Weed killers don't know a vegetable from a weed. They may injure or contaminate your crops.
o If you take your own tools to work with in community gardens, you can "brand" wood handled tools for quick identification. Paint your initials on the wood with nail polish then immediately ignite it. Repeat to make the marks deeper, if needed.


Manure: Is It Safe for Your Garden?

Microorganisms which cause disease can be transferred from animal manures to humans. The pathogens Salmonella, Listeria and E.coli, as well as parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms have been linked to applications of manure to gardens.

Publicity about illnesses due to E.coli 0157:H7 has made people more aware of the potential risk of food borne illness from manure contamination. As a result, many are now asking whether it is safe to use manure on their gardens.

In August 1993, The Lancet Medical Journal reported on a small E.coli 0157:H7 outbreak that appeared to be the result of manure applications to a garden. The gardener ate eggs and milk products, but no meat, and her diet relied heavily on vegetables from her garden. She fertilized the garden all summer with manure from her cow and calf. No E.coli 0157:H7 bacteria were isolated from fecal samples taken from the cow and calf; however, the animals did have antibody counts for the pathogen, suggesting they had been previously infected. E.coli 0157:H7 was isolated from the manured garden soil.

So, how risky is the use of manure in gardens and compost piles? If you use fresh manure in the garden, there is a small risk that pathogens which cause disease may contaminate garden vegetables. The risk is greatest for root crops, like radishes and carrots, and leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, where the edible part touches the soil. Careful washing and/or peeling will remove most of the pathogens responsible for the disease. Thorough cooking is even more effective.

To reduce the risk of disease, we suggest these precautions:

o Apply fresh manure at least 60 days before harvesting of any garden vegetables which will be eaten without cooking. If you apply manure within 60 days of harvest, use only aged or composted manure.
o Never apply fresh manure after the garden is planted. Thoroughly wash raw vegetables before eating.
o Do not use cat, dog or pig manure in gardens or compost piles, because some of the parasites which can be found in these manures may survive and remain infectious for people.
o People who are especially susceptible to food borne illnesses should avoid eating uncooked vegetables from manured gardens.
o Those who face special risks from food borne illness include pregnant women, very young children, and persons with chronic diseases, such as cancer, kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes or AIDS.

Van Bobbitt, Master Community Hort. Coord. & Dr. Val Hillers, Food Specialist, Washington State Univ., edited/adapted by David Barkley


Wild Onion/Wild Garlic in Landscapes.

It seems wild onion/wild garlic is coming up everywhere. There are no good control measures for these weeds in landscape beds. Spot spray with non selective herbicides such as Roundup Pro, Finale or Reward. Reapply as needed. Since the foliage is "hard to wet" it is often helpful to add a non ionic surfactant to the spray, and to use a little bit of spray that is of a higher concentration. For example, if you sprayed at 1 gallon per 1000 sq ft (of spray solution), the droplets would likely just roll off the leaves. However, if the spray volume is reduced to 1 quart per 1000 sq. ft., the droplets are more likely to stay on the wild onion leaves. Here is a case where more is definitely not better. You can apply the same amount of Roundup Pro per 1000 sq. ft. just do it in less water. In most turf areas, the recommended treatment is 2, 4 D.


Other Hard to Control Weeds

Now is the time to apply glyphosate (Roundup, Roundup Pro, Glyphos) to control evergreen vines like Smilax (catbriar, greenbriar, etc) and English ivy (Hedera helix). These vining weeds differ from most other weedy vines. They are best controlled with glyphosate when there are 3 to 5 new leaves emerging in the spring. As plants age, they become increasingly tolerant of glyphosate. See AG 427, page 48 for suggested doses and timings to control these and other perennial weeds with glyphosate.

Another alternative for controlling woody vines is to use a brush control herbicide like triclopyr. This is available to homeowners in several formulations including "Ortho Brush B Gon," "Brush Killer," "Poison Ivy / Oak Killer," and others. Keep these products away from desirable shrubs and flowers. Remember, the herbicide does not know the difference between the weed you are trying to kill and the azalea you want to keep.

Joseph C. Neal, Professor/Extension Specialist Weed Science, Dept. of Hort. Science


Garden Hoses

Every landscaper and home gardener wants a hose that coils easily, and is strong enough to resist kinking. Here are a few brief facts about garden hoses:

In general, vinyl hoses are lighter than rubber, and more resilient and resistant to kinks that can halt a steady flow of water. Rubber is considered stronger and less susceptible to cuts and abrasions. There are hoses available today with the best of both materials... the rubber/vinyl hose offers greater flexibility and durability.

Hoses are constructed with reinforcing "plys." Hoses with a single layer of reinforcement, with the same quality of material, are more likely to burst under pressure than hoses with 2 or more layers.

Interior design and diameter size are important in the delivery rate of a steady flow of water. Most hoses sold today have a 5/8 " inside diameter, which is particularly suitable for the small residential property. A 50 foot length of 5/8" hose will deliver approximately 950 gallons per hour @ 40 lbs. pressure. A 1/2 “diameter hose can only deliver about 525 gallons per hour. A 3/4 “hose will deliver a whopping 1575 gallons per hour. The larger size is recommended for long distances (over 150 feet) of if you're trying to put out a brush fire!

CHOOSING THE CORRECT TILLER: We often recommend to home gardeners to "till 8 10 deep." Unless the person already has ideal soil (they wouldn't be calling anyway), there's almost no way to get the tiller in the ground 10" deep. It's difficult to get a 30 hp tractor to plow 10" deep in many of our soils. The point is that most tillers are simply not capable of this expectation. A recent comparison of 5 6 hp tillers (mid sized) showed that the absolute maximum depth on most models averaged 6.5". Even the professional models, with rear tine and 12 hp motors have difficulty in the clay soils. Realistically, home gardeners can till as far as possible, and then start adding the compost and other organic matter. Till this into the top few inches of soil and they've done about as much as can be expected. In most situations, a load of sandy loam topsoil would also be very beneficial.

BED EDGING: Once a year gardeners need to redefine the edges of the plant borders. Adding mulch is a good idea, but the area will look much better and be easier to manage throughout the summer if they re edge. Take a flat blade shovel and trench out about 2 3 inches deep and 5 6 inches wide all around the beds. Re mulch, letting the trench be the border. This fresh, crisp line will accentuate the grass and the bed. Professional landscape managers do this routinely. Available now are several power trench masters that do an excellent job.

IS THE SOIL TOO WET? One of the worst day's work you can do is work in the garden when the soil is too wet. You'll pay for a long time afterwards! One problem that many landscapers and home gardeners have had to contend with is compacted soil. Plants don't perform well, mostly because the roots have a difficult time growing and establishing. These growing problems are compounded in soils that were tilled or plowed when they were wet. Give wet soils a couple more days to dry out. .


FLOWER BED PREPARATION

Prepare new flower beds now for this spring. Summer annuals and bulbs perform much better and for longer periods if they are planted in well prepared beds. Although it is too early to plant, it isn't too early to till, incorporate organic matter, lime and fertilize. If the area is worked now, a shallow "fluff up" and hand raking is all that is necessary at planting time. Be sure to properly crown the bed to send the excess water to the edges.

POST BULB PERFORMANCE
After the spring flowering bulbs show off, gardeners need to address any nutritional needs with an application of 8 8 8 (repeat the fall application). After the petals fade and fall off, remove flower organs with scissors or hand pruners, and allow the foliage to die a natural death. If you plant bulbs for only one season, then you can remove the entire plant once the petals fade.