Picture this!
Picture a long, chilly winter. The landscape is fairly drab and colorless. Will spring ever come?!
Now, picture an array of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus in beautiful, bold scolors. Interested? Well, there is no better time than now to plant those spring bulbs that will greet and dazzle you next season.
Planting bulbs can be as easy or as involved as you want to make it. During October and early November, the soil hasn't frozen yet. And as long as you can dig, you can plant bulbs. Obviously, how many bulbs you plant is up to you. But once you see their spring show, you may find yourself planting more and more every year.
Basic bulb-plating tips and tricks: Tip #1
The bigger the bulb, the bigger the flower. Seems pretty logical, right? It's helpful to know that a flower bulb isn't the same thing as a seed. Kris, Tagawa's bulb expert, says we should think of bulbs as "swollen storage systems." Cut one in half, and you'll see layers of future leaves surrounding a tiny stem and an embryonic flower. Cut open a hyacinth, for example, and the pale, half-inch tall blossom is clearly visible. (And it's a great "visual" for kids.)
If you're buying individual bulbs, it's well worth the money to invest in the largest bulbs you can find for that flower type. Tagawa's has a big selection to choose from.
If you want a cluster of the same flowers, pre-packaged bags of bulbs make sense. They'll be less expensive per bulb, but they'll also be smaller than the premium bulbs. It's a trade off.
Tip #2: Add organic material
Odds are that if you're planting in Colorado, your soil is good old Colorado clay. (For the record, the "good old" part is a joke. A little gardening humor....) Bulbs don't like heavy clay soil, but don't despair. Compost is the answer. Mix a few scoops of compost into the planting hole before you set in the bulbs. The compost will help to lighten the soil so it doesn't stay too wet. Give a bulb a soggy planting site, and it's very likely to rot before it ever blooms.
Compost is also the answer if you have sandy soil that drains too quickly. The organic material will help hold on to moisture.
Tip #3: A little food, please...
Your bulbs will definitely appreciate a little phosphate boost. Sprinkle the phosphate into the planting hole with the compost, stir to mix and then start planting. The staff at Tagawa's can point out the
phospate fertilizer that you need.
Tip #3: Easy does it as you plant
The flat end of a bulb is the end with the roots, and should go next to bottom of the hole. The pointy end is the top and should be pointing up when you plant.
Remember that bulbs can bruise and damage. You don't want to smash them into the soil Just set them in carefully, give them a gentle push so they're well-seated, and then cover them up.
Tip #4: Planting depth is a big deal!
The rule of thumb for our climate is to plant a bulb three to four times its height. Example: if a daffodil bulb is two inches tall, it needs to be planted six to eight inches deep.
Bulbs that are planted too high can emerge too soon in the spring and get zapped by the cold.
And here's a great planting tip from Kris: plant in "bouquets." You don't have to plant just one kind of bulb in each place. Dig a hole wide enough and deep enough to accomodate different types of bulbs. The largest bulbs, often daffodils, go in first. Cover them with some compost-amended soil, then plant tulips, for example, above the daffodils at their proper depth.
Cover again, and plant still smaller bulbs on top of the tulips.
Depending on the bulbs you choose, you could have different flowers blooming at the same time, or have a succession of blooms.... one type of flower after another. Either way, it's a great look!
Tip # 5: Care after planting
Water the bulbs well once you're done planting. They'll actually begin to grow while the soil is still warm, but you won't see the shoots since they'll all stay underground.
Kris recommends that once the soil is "good and cold," usually some time in December, mulch the bulb beds to hold in the cold. That helps to keep the bulbs from "waking up" during one of our warm spells in winter.
Remember to water them once a month during the winter if we haven't had a good, soaking snow. It can make all the difference in keeping the bulbs healthy until spring.
Tip #6: After the flowers have gone....
Be sure to cut off the flowers and stalks as the blossoms begin to fade. Plants are programmed by Mother Nature to set seed. "Dead heading," cutting off the flowers as they begin to fail, prevents the formation of seeds. And that keeps more energy going to to next year's show of color.
Now go plant some bulbs! Give them a little T.L.C., and you'll be well-rewarded next spring.
Welcome to Tagawa's Blog
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Garlic: One of the basic food groups.
In my world, garlic is one of the basic food groups (along with dark chocolate, of course.) Some people are surprised to learn that garlic grows great in our Colorado climate. And with the gourmet varieties that Tagawa Gardens sells every fall, you'll be amazed at how much better home-grown garlic tastes than the more bland one-size-fits-all garlic you can buy in the grocery store.
Just listen to some of the exotic names of the garlic you'll find at Tagawa's: "Porcelain," "Purple Stripes," "Rocambole" and "Chet's Italian Red."
Garlic planted in the fall (October is ideal), will begin to develop roots before the ground freezes, and be ready to take off come spring.
There are two strains of garlic, "hardneck" and "softneck." Don't worry too much about the technicalities. Just remember that the hardneck varieties are known for their superior flavor, but don't store as long at the softnecks. And if you're crafty and want to braid your havested garlic, you'll want to make sure you plant the softneck varieties. Both strains like the same growing conditions.
Garlic is a little fussy about the soil it grows in. Our heavy Colorado clay needs to be amended with compost or peat moss to provide a deep, well-drained bed. The cloves could rot in a soil that stays soggy. The looser your soil is, the larger the bulbs will
be.
Once you have your garlic bulbs in hand, don't separate them into individual cloves until you're ready to plant. That will help to keep them from drying out. .
Planting the largest cloves will give you larger bulbs when you harvest next summer. Each clove needs to be planted with the pointy end up and the blunt side down. But it's time for a confession. For some unknowm reason, one year I planted all of my garlic upside-down. Go figure. The garlic still grew just fine. The stem made an underground U-turn and headed for the sunlight, but it's not a planting technique I recommend.
Once you've amended your soil until it's fairly loose and light, the individual cloves can easily just be pushed into place. The cloves should be planted about three inches deep and at least four inches apart. Kris, Tagawa's garlic and herb expert, recommends
adding a little 5-10-10 fertilizer as you plant each clove.
Don't worry if your garlic begins to send up green top growth before winter sets in. Snow and freezing temperatures won't damage the plants.
Garlic doesn't compete well with weeds. A layer of loose mulch that won't pack down will help keep the weeds at bay and keep soil moisture more even.
Several inches of straw or shredded leaves would work well. If we have a dry winter, it's worth your time to drag out the hose every four to six weeks hose and give your garlic a good drink.
Once warm spring weather arrives, your garlic will take off. The hardneck varieties will send up what's called a "scape," basically a garlic flower. It's best to remove the scape so all of the plant's energy goes toward making a nice, plump bulb.
I think harvesting garlic is great fun. Once you see the foliage begin to dry out in mid-summer, back off of the watering. The garlic is ready to harvest when half of the top growth has dried out.
A garden fork is better than a shovel for gently lifting the bulbs out of the ground. Don't cut the bulbs from their leaves. Gather the bulbs in bundles of five to ten plants and hang them upside down in an airy place out of direct sunlight. The bulbs will store better if they're allowed to cure for three to four weeks.
Once the garlic has thoroughly cured, cut off the top growth about half an inch above the neck of the bulb. Trim the roots and scuff off any dried soil. The garlic will keep best in something like a netted onion bag in a well-vented area that stays cool, but not cold. Never store your garlic in a refrigerator. It will think its going through winter and begin to sprout.
There are dozens of ways to use your home-grown garlic. Oven-roasted garlic and a loaf of fresh bread is pretty hard to beat.
You might want to plant more garlic than you really think you need. Once your friends know you have home-grown gourmet garlic, expect them to be knocking at your door.
Just listen to some of the exotic names of the garlic you'll find at Tagawa's: "Porcelain," "Purple Stripes," "Rocambole" and "Chet's Italian Red."
Garlic planted in the fall (October is ideal), will begin to develop roots before the ground freezes, and be ready to take off come spring.
There are two strains of garlic, "hardneck" and "softneck." Don't worry too much about the technicalities. Just remember that the hardneck varieties are known for their superior flavor, but don't store as long at the softnecks. And if you're crafty and want to braid your havested garlic, you'll want to make sure you plant the softneck varieties. Both strains like the same growing conditions.
Garlic is a little fussy about the soil it grows in. Our heavy Colorado clay needs to be amended with compost or peat moss to provide a deep, well-drained bed. The cloves could rot in a soil that stays soggy. The looser your soil is, the larger the bulbs will
be.
Once you have your garlic bulbs in hand, don't separate them into individual cloves until you're ready to plant. That will help to keep them from drying out. .
Planting the largest cloves will give you larger bulbs when you harvest next summer. Each clove needs to be planted with the pointy end up and the blunt side down. But it's time for a confession. For some unknowm reason, one year I planted all of my garlic upside-down. Go figure. The garlic still grew just fine. The stem made an underground U-turn and headed for the sunlight, but it's not a planting technique I recommend.
Once you've amended your soil until it's fairly loose and light, the individual cloves can easily just be pushed into place. The cloves should be planted about three inches deep and at least four inches apart. Kris, Tagawa's garlic and herb expert, recommends
adding a little 5-10-10 fertilizer as you plant each clove.
Don't worry if your garlic begins to send up green top growth before winter sets in. Snow and freezing temperatures won't damage the plants.
Garlic doesn't compete well with weeds. A layer of loose mulch that won't pack down will help keep the weeds at bay and keep soil moisture more even.
Several inches of straw or shredded leaves would work well. If we have a dry winter, it's worth your time to drag out the hose every four to six weeks hose and give your garlic a good drink.
Once warm spring weather arrives, your garlic will take off. The hardneck varieties will send up what's called a "scape," basically a garlic flower. It's best to remove the scape so all of the plant's energy goes toward making a nice, plump bulb.
I think harvesting garlic is great fun. Once you see the foliage begin to dry out in mid-summer, back off of the watering. The garlic is ready to harvest when half of the top growth has dried out.
A garden fork is better than a shovel for gently lifting the bulbs out of the ground. Don't cut the bulbs from their leaves. Gather the bulbs in bundles of five to ten plants and hang them upside down in an airy place out of direct sunlight. The bulbs will store better if they're allowed to cure for three to four weeks.
Once the garlic has thoroughly cured, cut off the top growth about half an inch above the neck of the bulb. Trim the roots and scuff off any dried soil. The garlic will keep best in something like a netted onion bag in a well-vented area that stays cool, but not cold. Never store your garlic in a refrigerator. It will think its going through winter and begin to sprout.
There are dozens of ways to use your home-grown garlic. Oven-roasted garlic and a loaf of fresh bread is pretty hard to beat.
You might want to plant more garlic than you really think you need. Once your friends know you have home-grown gourmet garlic, expect them to be knocking at your door.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Seed-starting 101
As I write this, we are smack dab in the middle of winter. The snow is being especially stubborn about melting, which has a lot of gardeners even more wistful for the arrival of spring. But there is one gardening project you should be seriously considering: starting some garden plants from seed.
It's easier than you think!
No garden center I know of has a better springtime selection of bedding plants than Tagawa's. But there still might be something different you'd like to try.... or maybe you're just up for a little adventure while you wait out winter. Starting plants from seed may be just what you need!
It's so easy, a child could do it. In fact, if you have any children handy, recruit them to help you. For big folks and little folks, there's a special wonder to eating a bright red tomato in the summer, knowing that it started out as that tiny cream-colored seed back when.
Equipment list
The first item on your list: seeds, of course. Tagawa's seed racks are bursting with hundreds of choices of flowers and seeds that can be started indoors. Be careful of left-over seed from a past gardening season. Seeds' viability.... it's vigor.... can diminish quickly, and result in a poor germination rate.
You'll also want to use a seed-starting mix sold just for this purpose. These mixes are sterile, which cuts down on disease problems for your delicate seedlings. And I don't have to tell you not to use soil from your garden, right? Right. Soil from your garden should stay in your garden, and never end up in flower containers or in the tiny pots your seedlings will be growing in. Just too much risk of importing problems you don't need.
Here a pot, there a pot...
Any small, spanking-clean container with a hole for drainage can be used for starting seeds. Or you can treat yourself to ready-made products especially designed for this project.
There are lots of combinations of small cell-packs and plastic pots that work perfectly for starting seeds. Kris, Tagawa's Annuals Co-director, also likes the ease of peat pots, Jiffy pots and something new: "
Root Riots." Check 'em out. They're little pre-formed cubes of seed-starting mix. They're cute as the dickens, and making planting the seeds a snap.
Let the seed packet be your guide!
There is so much information on seed packets that can help gardeners succeed. The packet will say whether a particular flower or veggie is appropriate for starting indoors. And it will tell you when to plant... usually referring to your area's last frost. For metro Denver, the average last frost is mid- to late May.
The seed packet will also tell you how deeply the seed should be planted. Planting seeds too deeply is one of the most common reasons that a seedling "crop" fails. The standard rule is to plant a seed twice its depth. Twice a tomato seed's depth is about and eighth of an inch. Some very tiny seeds aren't "planted" at all. They're just dusted sparingly on top of the moist planting mix, and gently pushed down just a bit.
And yes, I said "moist" planting mix. It's much easier to moisten the planting mix with warm water before any seeds go in. Set the pots or cell packs in a tray of warm water and let the planting medium soak up the moisture through the drainage holes in the bottom the pots This is also how you'll water the seedlings until they're strong enough to stand up to gentle overhead watering,
Two more steps
Trying to start seedlings in a "bright window" often doesn't work. The seedlings simply need more light that most "bright windows" can deliver.
The answer is to set your seed trays under florescent light fixtures... what you might think of as "shop lights," the kind often mounted above a work bench. Hanging the lights from chains that can be adjusted for length is perfect.
And trust me on this one: the lights will need to be almost touching the plants.... within three inches or so, for about 14 hours a day. That's how much light the seedlings will need to be robust and stocky. Spindly seedlings are usually trying to tell you that they're not getting nearly enough light. And once a seedling gets leggy, it doesn't make for a good transplant.
The clear humidity domes that are generally used when the seeds are planted can be removed once the seedlings are up, letting you put the lights right down at plant level.
Also make sure the seedlings get good air circulation to prevent a fungal disease called "damping off." With too much moisture and too little air flow, damping off can cause your seedlings to collapse right at the soil line. It's a sad sight to see a whole tray of vigorous little plants just laying down.... done for.
A little heat would be nice....
A lot of seeds respond very well to "bottom heat." And the easiest way to deliver that is with a special heat mat made just for this purpose. Tagawa's has heat mats in stock. One of our gardening pro's will be happy to explain how to use them.
Bottom line...
With the right seeds, the proper planting mix, good planting technique and lots of bright light, there's no reason you can't have bragging rights come summer, letting folks know that you grew these flowers or those veggies from seed. Well done!
It's easier than you think!
No garden center I know of has a better springtime selection of bedding plants than Tagawa's. But there still might be something different you'd like to try.... or maybe you're just up for a little adventure while you wait out winter. Starting plants from seed may be just what you need!
It's so easy, a child could do it. In fact, if you have any children handy, recruit them to help you. For big folks and little folks, there's a special wonder to eating a bright red tomato in the summer, knowing that it started out as that tiny cream-colored seed back when.
Equipment list
The first item on your list: seeds, of course. Tagawa's seed racks are bursting with hundreds of choices of flowers and seeds that can be started indoors. Be careful of left-over seed from a past gardening season. Seeds' viability.... it's vigor.... can diminish quickly, and result in a poor germination rate.
You'll also want to use a seed-starting mix sold just for this purpose. These mixes are sterile, which cuts down on disease problems for your delicate seedlings. And I don't have to tell you not to use soil from your garden, right? Right. Soil from your garden should stay in your garden, and never end up in flower containers or in the tiny pots your seedlings will be growing in. Just too much risk of importing problems you don't need.
Here a pot, there a pot...
Any small, spanking-clean container with a hole for drainage can be used for starting seeds. Or you can treat yourself to ready-made products especially designed for this project.
There are lots of combinations of small cell-packs and plastic pots that work perfectly for starting seeds. Kris, Tagawa's Annuals Co-director, also likes the ease of peat pots, Jiffy pots and something new: "
Root Riots." Check 'em out. They're little pre-formed cubes of seed-starting mix. They're cute as the dickens, and making planting the seeds a snap.
Let the seed packet be your guide!
There is so much information on seed packets that can help gardeners succeed. The packet will say whether a particular flower or veggie is appropriate for starting indoors. And it will tell you when to plant... usually referring to your area's last frost. For metro Denver, the average last frost is mid- to late May.
The seed packet will also tell you how deeply the seed should be planted. Planting seeds too deeply is one of the most common reasons that a seedling "crop" fails. The standard rule is to plant a seed twice its depth. Twice a tomato seed's depth is about and eighth of an inch. Some very tiny seeds aren't "planted" at all. They're just dusted sparingly on top of the moist planting mix, and gently pushed down just a bit.
And yes, I said "moist" planting mix. It's much easier to moisten the planting mix with warm water before any seeds go in. Set the pots or cell packs in a tray of warm water and let the planting medium soak up the moisture through the drainage holes in the bottom the pots This is also how you'll water the seedlings until they're strong enough to stand up to gentle overhead watering,
Two more steps
Trying to start seedlings in a "bright window" often doesn't work. The seedlings simply need more light that most "bright windows" can deliver.
The answer is to set your seed trays under florescent light fixtures... what you might think of as "shop lights," the kind often mounted above a work bench. Hanging the lights from chains that can be adjusted for length is perfect.
And trust me on this one: the lights will need to be almost touching the plants.... within three inches or so, for about 14 hours a day. That's how much light the seedlings will need to be robust and stocky. Spindly seedlings are usually trying to tell you that they're not getting nearly enough light. And once a seedling gets leggy, it doesn't make for a good transplant.
The clear humidity domes that are generally used when the seeds are planted can be removed once the seedlings are up, letting you put the lights right down at plant level.
Also make sure the seedlings get good air circulation to prevent a fungal disease called "damping off." With too much moisture and too little air flow, damping off can cause your seedlings to collapse right at the soil line. It's a sad sight to see a whole tray of vigorous little plants just laying down.... done for.
A little heat would be nice....
A lot of seeds respond very well to "bottom heat." And the easiest way to deliver that is with a special heat mat made just for this purpose. Tagawa's has heat mats in stock. One of our gardening pro's will be happy to explain how to use them.
Bottom line...
With the right seeds, the proper planting mix, good planting technique and lots of bright light, there's no reason you can't have bragging rights come summer, letting folks know that you grew these flowers or those veggies from seed. Well done!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Tired of snow? Your landscape isn't...
Okay, so I've never been to Minnesota. I'm sure it's lovely. But I'm just not in the mood for what feels like a Minnesota winter.... where you can't see the grass from fall to spring 'cause there's always snow on the ground, and it just won't melt!
I'm spoiled. Colorado winters frequently give us blue-skies and sunshine breaks between storms, so the snow actually has a chance to disappear.
But I'll stop whining now, and look on the bright side, and there definitely is one! Moisture!! And lots of it out of this last storm. Officially, snowfall is measured near DIA, which reported 15 inches of snow from last weekend's storm. The National Weather folks say there was .8" of moisture in those 15 inches of snow.
So those of us who were shoveling out 22 inches and more must have recieved over an inch of moisture, right? Just knowing that makes me feel better about my three hours of shoveling and snowblowing. (And truth be told, I'm still not done.)
Winter water is a big deal?
You bet! (spoken with an adorable Minnesota accent.) Water in winter is a very big deal if you're a landscape plant in a semi-arid place like Colorado.
A lot of people seem to think that when plants go dormant in the fall, they basically take a full "time out!" Not so. The visible portions of the tree or shrub may seem to be frozen in time. But the parts of the plant you can't see, the roots, are still on duty, collecting whatever moisture they can find
and "delivering" it up into the plant on warm days.
So when we get a nice, soaking snow like this past storm gave us, I should be doing more cartwheels than complaining. Then again, you haven't seen my cartwheels
Those tricky trees
I'm convinced that trees have a vindictive streak. If a tree doesn't get enough water during winter, some (or all) of the roots will die. This is especially true of younger trees, those planted during the past few seasons. But the damage to the roots may not show up right away.
Spring rolls around and the tree leafs out and looks vigorous and healthy, using food and energy stored up last season. But it's a trick! When the heat of summer moves in, and the tree is calling for more water, the root system can't deliver. Too much of it dried out and died last winter. The tree's leaves may suddenly discolor or start to dry up and fall off. "Winter dessication" is the technical name for it. I'm cutting to the chase, and just saying the roots dried up and died.
Roots don't have to die!
The general rule of thumb for winter watering is this: If your landscape hasn't received about an inch of moisture in the past four weeks, get ready to drag around some hoses on a warm winter day when the ground isn't frozen. (Don't use the sprinkler system unless you want to blow it out again.)
For young trees and shrubs, set the sprinkler or hose over the outer edges of the root system. The root ball will still be fairly small. Don't water right at the very base of the tree or shrub. That's not where the roots are.
For older trees and shrubs, put the water down in a zig-zag pattern just inside the outermost point of the branches, what's called the "dripline."
Make sure you finish that day's watering in time for the moisture to soak in before freezing termperatures return. We're not trying to make a skating rink.
If trees or shrubs do show winter damage once summer's heat sets in, begin to water them appropriately for their type of tree or shurb, its age, size, and location. Over-watering at that point will only make things worse. The Garden Experts and Tagawa's can help you if you have specific questions.
Don't cheat the lawn!
Lawns routinely show winter damage once spring rolls around. Turf on south and southwest exposures, and turf grown on a slope, can be especially challenging. Again, a hose.... a sprinkler...a warm morning... You get the idea.
If you do this one thing....
If you can push yourself (or your kids) to winter water during dry spells, it can be one of the best things you can do for your landscape. Really!
If it helps, think of it in terms of dollars: trees and shrubs that go into spring strong and healthy, thanks to winter watering, are trees and shrubs you won't have to pay to replace.
I'm spoiled. Colorado winters frequently give us blue-skies and sunshine breaks between storms, so the snow actually has a chance to disappear.
But I'll stop whining now, and look on the bright side, and there definitely is one! Moisture!! And lots of it out of this last storm. Officially, snowfall is measured near DIA, which reported 15 inches of snow from last weekend's storm. The National Weather folks say there was .8" of moisture in those 15 inches of snow.
So those of us who were shoveling out 22 inches and more must have recieved over an inch of moisture, right? Just knowing that makes me feel better about my three hours of shoveling and snowblowing. (And truth be told, I'm still not done.)
Winter water is a big deal?
You bet! (spoken with an adorable Minnesota accent.) Water in winter is a very big deal if you're a landscape plant in a semi-arid place like Colorado.
A lot of people seem to think that when plants go dormant in the fall, they basically take a full "time out!" Not so. The visible portions of the tree or shrub may seem to be frozen in time. But the parts of the plant you can't see, the roots, are still on duty, collecting whatever moisture they can find
and "delivering" it up into the plant on warm days.
So when we get a nice, soaking snow like this past storm gave us, I should be doing more cartwheels than complaining. Then again, you haven't seen my cartwheels
Those tricky trees
I'm convinced that trees have a vindictive streak. If a tree doesn't get enough water during winter, some (or all) of the roots will die. This is especially true of younger trees, those planted during the past few seasons. But the damage to the roots may not show up right away.
Spring rolls around and the tree leafs out and looks vigorous and healthy, using food and energy stored up last season. But it's a trick! When the heat of summer moves in, and the tree is calling for more water, the root system can't deliver. Too much of it dried out and died last winter. The tree's leaves may suddenly discolor or start to dry up and fall off. "Winter dessication" is the technical name for it. I'm cutting to the chase, and just saying the roots dried up and died.
Roots don't have to die!
The general rule of thumb for winter watering is this: If your landscape hasn't received about an inch of moisture in the past four weeks, get ready to drag around some hoses on a warm winter day when the ground isn't frozen. (Don't use the sprinkler system unless you want to blow it out again.)
For young trees and shrubs, set the sprinkler or hose over the outer edges of the root system. The root ball will still be fairly small. Don't water right at the very base of the tree or shrub. That's not where the roots are.
For older trees and shrubs, put the water down in a zig-zag pattern just inside the outermost point of the branches, what's called the "dripline."
Make sure you finish that day's watering in time for the moisture to soak in before freezing termperatures return. We're not trying to make a skating rink.
If trees or shrubs do show winter damage once summer's heat sets in, begin to water them appropriately for their type of tree or shurb, its age, size, and location. Over-watering at that point will only make things worse. The Garden Experts and Tagawa's can help you if you have specific questions.
Don't cheat the lawn!
Lawns routinely show winter damage once spring rolls around. Turf on south and southwest exposures, and turf grown on a slope, can be especially challenging. Again, a hose.... a sprinkler...a warm morning... You get the idea.
If you do this one thing....
If you can push yourself (or your kids) to winter water during dry spells, it can be one of the best things you can do for your landscape. Really!
If it helps, think of it in terms of dollars: trees and shrubs that go into spring strong and healthy, thanks to winter watering, are trees and shrubs you won't have to pay to replace.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tap Into Garden Outreach at Tagawa's
The wonderful folks I work for at Tagawa Gardens aren't the type to toot their own horn. So I've made a command decision, and I'm going to do it for them. Here goes: Tagawa's has the most extensive Garden Outreach program in Colorado, and quite possibly, in the entire country.
And what is "Garden Outreach?" As Tagawa's Garden Outreach Ambassador, I'm glad you asked.
Garden Outreach is Tagawa's way of taking the amazing expertise of our staff, about 700 years total gardening experience among our year-round employees. We combine that with examples of the plants and products we carry and offer the whole package to the community as Outreach.
Schools, church groups, garden clubs, private businesses, service organizations, retirement homes, senior centers... You name it, and my Garden Outreach partner Mary Ann (a.k.a. "Grandma Mimi") and I have done it. We visit many of the places for free. It just depends on the type of organization. Businesses, for example, pay a small fee. With non-profits, there's usually no charge. If you're a 501c3, the trip is on Tagawa's dime. Neat, huh?
What ever do we talk about?
Easy! We demonstrate and talk about pretty much any gardening or nature-related topic you ask for. (I did one time decline an invitation to discuss phytoplancton. Not my strong suit....)
Mimi and I have traveled as far north as Broomfield, as far south as Monument and as far east as the wilds of Elbert County. (I'm crazy about the terrific folks in Elbert County. They couldn't be nicer!)
Garden Outreach programs don't have to be "out." If space is available, we're happy to host interested groups right here at Tagawa's. The work of a garden center will continue around you. There may be a little noise from a load of plants going by, or occasional pages on the P.A., but that's part of the fun! We think of it a genuine garden center ambiance.
Tagawa's Outreach program also has a growing history of helping service organizations raise money through our Garden Outreach Gift Cards. Groups can plan a class or demonstration and sell gift cards at the same time. And it's way easier than organizing a bake sale!
Topics, please....
Okay, I'm going to take a deep breath and list just some of the items from our Garden Outreach "menu." Here goes: Indoor Holiday Plants, Holiday Porch Pots, Holiday Baskets and Decorations, Late-season Container Gardens, Growing Veggies in a Pot, Indoor Herb Gardening, Low-water Gardening, Fairy Gardens (for kids of all ages), Composting in a Worm Bin, Helping the Honey Bees, Coping with Wildlife, and Birds, Bees and Butterflies. The list goes on and on. And we're wide open to "special requests," too. Just ask (as long as it's not about phytoplancton).
Mimi and I also do several classes just for school-aged kids. Good Bugs and "Bad" Bugs, Backyard Birds, Pond Life, Animal Defenders and many more. We can incorporate topics the kids are currently studying at school with "real life" lessons. And for the pre-schoolers, I have a cast of zany puppets that can keep the kids smiling and learning at the same time.
Why do we offer Outreach?
Beth, Tagawa's general manager, is quick to answer: "Tagawa's takes pride in offering the best plants, products and service possible. But we also want to be the best neighbor we can be for our community and our environment. It's a priority!"
Our Outreach Program played a role two years ago in helping Tagawa's become the first Veriflora certified sustainable garden center in the county.
Plan ahead!
We at Tagawa's are proud of the fact that our Garden Outreach Program is proving to be a great success. The enthusiasm we've seen and heard from the groups and organizations we've served comes through loud and clear.
So we take it as good news that groups now need to plan ahead if they want to reserve a particular date on the Outreach schedule. Making the arrangements is easy. The person at the helm of Outreach is Michelle. She can juggle a calendar like no one I've ever known. You can reach her by calling Tagawa's main number: 303-690-4722, extension 107. Ask for Michelle in Outreach or leave her a message. She'll take excellent care of you. She can also fill you in on the Outreach Gift Card can help your group raise money.
Don't be shy!
We'd love to hear from you at Tagawa's. If you're tired of booking the same old topics for your organization, do something different!! Let Tagawa's Garden Outreach program help make your next gathering shine!
And what is "Garden Outreach?" As Tagawa's Garden Outreach Ambassador, I'm glad you asked.
Garden Outreach is Tagawa's way of taking the amazing expertise of our staff, about 700 years total gardening experience among our year-round employees. We combine that with examples of the plants and products we carry and offer the whole package to the community as Outreach.
Schools, church groups, garden clubs, private businesses, service organizations, retirement homes, senior centers... You name it, and my Garden Outreach partner Mary Ann (a.k.a. "Grandma Mimi") and I have done it. We visit many of the places for free. It just depends on the type of organization. Businesses, for example, pay a small fee. With non-profits, there's usually no charge. If you're a 501c3, the trip is on Tagawa's dime. Neat, huh?
What ever do we talk about?
Easy! We demonstrate and talk about pretty much any gardening or nature-related topic you ask for. (I did one time decline an invitation to discuss phytoplancton. Not my strong suit....)
Mimi and I have traveled as far north as Broomfield, as far south as Monument and as far east as the wilds of Elbert County. (I'm crazy about the terrific folks in Elbert County. They couldn't be nicer!)
Garden Outreach programs don't have to be "out." If space is available, we're happy to host interested groups right here at Tagawa's. The work of a garden center will continue around you. There may be a little noise from a load of plants going by, or occasional pages on the P.A., but that's part of the fun! We think of it a genuine garden center ambiance.
Tagawa's Outreach program also has a growing history of helping service organizations raise money through our Garden Outreach Gift Cards. Groups can plan a class or demonstration and sell gift cards at the same time. And it's way easier than organizing a bake sale!
Topics, please....
Okay, I'm going to take a deep breath and list just some of the items from our Garden Outreach "menu." Here goes: Indoor Holiday Plants, Holiday Porch Pots, Holiday Baskets and Decorations, Late-season Container Gardens, Growing Veggies in a Pot, Indoor Herb Gardening, Low-water Gardening, Fairy Gardens (for kids of all ages), Composting in a Worm Bin, Helping the Honey Bees, Coping with Wildlife, and Birds, Bees and Butterflies. The list goes on and on. And we're wide open to "special requests," too. Just ask (as long as it's not about phytoplancton).
Mimi and I also do several classes just for school-aged kids. Good Bugs and "Bad" Bugs, Backyard Birds, Pond Life, Animal Defenders and many more. We can incorporate topics the kids are currently studying at school with "real life" lessons. And for the pre-schoolers, I have a cast of zany puppets that can keep the kids smiling and learning at the same time.
Why do we offer Outreach?
Beth, Tagawa's general manager, is quick to answer: "Tagawa's takes pride in offering the best plants, products and service possible. But we also want to be the best neighbor we can be for our community and our environment. It's a priority!"
Our Outreach Program played a role two years ago in helping Tagawa's become the first Veriflora certified sustainable garden center in the county.
Plan ahead!
We at Tagawa's are proud of the fact that our Garden Outreach Program is proving to be a great success. The enthusiasm we've seen and heard from the groups and organizations we've served comes through loud and clear.
So we take it as good news that groups now need to plan ahead if they want to reserve a particular date on the Outreach schedule. Making the arrangements is easy. The person at the helm of Outreach is Michelle. She can juggle a calendar like no one I've ever known. You can reach her by calling Tagawa's main number: 303-690-4722, extension 107. Ask for Michelle in Outreach or leave her a message. She'll take excellent care of you. She can also fill you in on the Outreach Gift Card can help your group raise money.
Don't be shy!
We'd love to hear from you at Tagawa's. If you're tired of booking the same old topics for your organization, do something different!! Let Tagawa's Garden Outreach program help make your next gathering shine!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Time for Amaryllis and Paperwhites
Whether you go all out with your holiday decorations, or not so much..... the beauty of amaryllis and paperwhites is hard to beat. They'll add charm to an elaborate holiday display, or a bright touch of elegance to a more low-key setting. And there's a bonus: both amaryllis and paperwhites are easy to grow, and waiting for you now at Tagawa Gardens. This is a perfect time to start them!
Part of the appeal of an amaryllis is watching it grow. Once they start sprouting, the giant bulbs can easily put on an inch of growth in a single day. I used to send a bright red amaryllis to my grandfather every Christmas. He was frail and didn't get around much, but he was always anxious to tell me that if he stared long enough, he was sure he could actually see that stem get taller and taller. It had been a long time since he'd been able to garden, but the amaryllis brought some of the old joy of gardeneing indoors.
Amaryllis come in a wonderful variety of colors: red, salmon, pink, white and stunning bi-color mixes. The giant flowers look like lilies. Each bulb will produce one or two hollow stems. Three to four huge flowers will emerge from the top of each stem. What fun!!
So where do you start? At Tagawa's, of course!
Tagawa's has a wide variety of amaryllis bulbs to choose from. Some are sold loose in bins, so you can pick exactly the bulb you want. Other amaryllis come boxed with a pot and soil included, and make a great gift.
The bigger the bulb, the bigger the flowers it will produce. Makes sense. And the planting takes about two minutes... no more!
Amaryllis like to be a bit crowded, so a pot just a couple of inches larger than the bulb is perfect. The pot has to have good drainage. Soggy soil is a sure way to rot the roots of an amaryllis.
You can set the pot with the drainage into a nice designer pot. The heavier container will give the plant stability as it gets taller, and more inclined to tip. Just remember to take the amaryllis out of the designer pot when you water it and let the excess water drain away before you put it back on display. This can help protect your furniture, too, and avoid the need for a saucer.
Amaryllis do best in good quality potting soil.... something loose and airy.
Fill the pot half way with the soil, set the amaryllis into the pot, then backfill with the remaining soil until only one third of the bulb is still showing. Water the bulb well, then set it in a warm room and don't water it again until the first shoots are a couple of inches tall. Bright light will keep the plant from getting leggy. Give the plant a quarter turn each day to keep it straight.
Next you wait... but not for long!
You should see your amaryllis begin to grow within a couple of weeks after planting. Depending on the size of the bulb, your amaryllis will take about eight weeks from planting to flowering. Larger bulbs take a bit longer. The bud stalks usually emerge first, followed by the leaves.
Water your amaryllis when the top of the soil is dry to the touch.... always remembering never to let it sit in standing water. Once the flowers have begun to bloom, keep the plant in slightly cooler conditions, even if it's just overnight, to help the blossoms last longer.
And there's more, if you choose....
When the flowers finally begin to fade, remove the stalks with a very sharp knife an inch or so above the bulb. Continue to nurture the leaves with bright light and feeding a gentle fertilizer (5-10-5, for example) twice a month. The amaryllis can even go outdoors in the summertime to give the leaves a chance to "bulk up" the bulb for next year's show. You may need to stake the leaves they get floppy.
Once the leaves die back on their own, store the bulb, pot and all, in a cool place for a couple of months. Water it just a bit to keep the soil from completely drying out.
And next fall, start all over again!
Or......
You can also choose to enjoy your amaryllis this season only, and then toss it out. If this is your preference, why not grow an amaryllis in a special glass vase that lets you see through to the lovely tangle of roots.... one more way to enjoy these fascinating plants.
Paperwhites are just as easy!
Tall, elegant paperwhites have been a winter and holiday tradition for years, and for good reason. It's easy and inexpensive to start several paperwhites in a shallow bowl of small rocks, marbles or decorative stones. The reward comes four to eight weeks after planting, with petite white flowers that look like tiny daffodils.
Tagawa's sells pre-rooted paperwhites for no additional charge. Gently transfer the bulbs to your own pot or tray, and watch them take off! The bulbs can sit on top of the pebbles an inch apart, just barely nestled in. Leave the bowls of paperwhites in a bright, cool room until the shoots appear, then move them into direct sunlight to keep them from getting leggy.
You water them with what?
Another trick to keep the leaves and stems slightly more compact: booze!
Specifically, any of the clear distilled spirits like gin, vodka or tequila.
The alcohol serves as a growth regulator that keeps the plants more compact.
Kris, one of Tagawa's amaryllis and paperwhite experts, offers the following instructions: Water the paperwhites normally for seven to ten days. Once the shoots are two- to three inches tall, replace the plain water with a diluted alcohol solution.
With any clear distilled spirit ranging from 40 to 80 proof, use one part of alcohol to seven parts of water. Use this solution for all further watering of the paperwhites. Kris says the result will be plants that are about one-third more compact, with flowers just a large, long-lasting and fragrant as usual.
Why not plant now?
Amaryllis and paperwhites can be grown indoors so easily. The only challenging part is making sure that you buy the bulbs while they're available, like now, leading up to the holiday season.
Whether you grow them for you own home or give them as a lovely holiday gift, amaryllis and paperwhites from Tagawa's are a terrific way to make the season an especially sweet time of year.
Part of the appeal of an amaryllis is watching it grow. Once they start sprouting, the giant bulbs can easily put on an inch of growth in a single day. I used to send a bright red amaryllis to my grandfather every Christmas. He was frail and didn't get around much, but he was always anxious to tell me that if he stared long enough, he was sure he could actually see that stem get taller and taller. It had been a long time since he'd been able to garden, but the amaryllis brought some of the old joy of gardeneing indoors.
Amaryllis come in a wonderful variety of colors: red, salmon, pink, white and stunning bi-color mixes. The giant flowers look like lilies. Each bulb will produce one or two hollow stems. Three to four huge flowers will emerge from the top of each stem. What fun!!
So where do you start? At Tagawa's, of course!
Tagawa's has a wide variety of amaryllis bulbs to choose from. Some are sold loose in bins, so you can pick exactly the bulb you want. Other amaryllis come boxed with a pot and soil included, and make a great gift.
The bigger the bulb, the bigger the flowers it will produce. Makes sense. And the planting takes about two minutes... no more!
Amaryllis like to be a bit crowded, so a pot just a couple of inches larger than the bulb is perfect. The pot has to have good drainage. Soggy soil is a sure way to rot the roots of an amaryllis.
You can set the pot with the drainage into a nice designer pot. The heavier container will give the plant stability as it gets taller, and more inclined to tip. Just remember to take the amaryllis out of the designer pot when you water it and let the excess water drain away before you put it back on display. This can help protect your furniture, too, and avoid the need for a saucer.
Amaryllis do best in good quality potting soil.... something loose and airy.
Fill the pot half way with the soil, set the amaryllis into the pot, then backfill with the remaining soil until only one third of the bulb is still showing. Water the bulb well, then set it in a warm room and don't water it again until the first shoots are a couple of inches tall. Bright light will keep the plant from getting leggy. Give the plant a quarter turn each day to keep it straight.
Next you wait... but not for long!
You should see your amaryllis begin to grow within a couple of weeks after planting. Depending on the size of the bulb, your amaryllis will take about eight weeks from planting to flowering. Larger bulbs take a bit longer. The bud stalks usually emerge first, followed by the leaves.
Water your amaryllis when the top of the soil is dry to the touch.... always remembering never to let it sit in standing water. Once the flowers have begun to bloom, keep the plant in slightly cooler conditions, even if it's just overnight, to help the blossoms last longer.
And there's more, if you choose....
When the flowers finally begin to fade, remove the stalks with a very sharp knife an inch or so above the bulb. Continue to nurture the leaves with bright light and feeding a gentle fertilizer (5-10-5, for example) twice a month. The amaryllis can even go outdoors in the summertime to give the leaves a chance to "bulk up" the bulb for next year's show. You may need to stake the leaves they get floppy.
Once the leaves die back on their own, store the bulb, pot and all, in a cool place for a couple of months. Water it just a bit to keep the soil from completely drying out.
And next fall, start all over again!
Or......
You can also choose to enjoy your amaryllis this season only, and then toss it out. If this is your preference, why not grow an amaryllis in a special glass vase that lets you see through to the lovely tangle of roots.... one more way to enjoy these fascinating plants.
Paperwhites are just as easy!
Tall, elegant paperwhites have been a winter and holiday tradition for years, and for good reason. It's easy and inexpensive to start several paperwhites in a shallow bowl of small rocks, marbles or decorative stones. The reward comes four to eight weeks after planting, with petite white flowers that look like tiny daffodils.
Tagawa's sells pre-rooted paperwhites for no additional charge. Gently transfer the bulbs to your own pot or tray, and watch them take off! The bulbs can sit on top of the pebbles an inch apart, just barely nestled in. Leave the bowls of paperwhites in a bright, cool room until the shoots appear, then move them into direct sunlight to keep them from getting leggy.
You water them with what?
Another trick to keep the leaves and stems slightly more compact: booze!
Specifically, any of the clear distilled spirits like gin, vodka or tequila.
The alcohol serves as a growth regulator that keeps the plants more compact.
Kris, one of Tagawa's amaryllis and paperwhite experts, offers the following instructions: Water the paperwhites normally for seven to ten days. Once the shoots are two- to three inches tall, replace the plain water with a diluted alcohol solution.
With any clear distilled spirit ranging from 40 to 80 proof, use one part of alcohol to seven parts of water. Use this solution for all further watering of the paperwhites. Kris says the result will be plants that are about one-third more compact, with flowers just a large, long-lasting and fragrant as usual.
Why not plant now?
Amaryllis and paperwhites can be grown indoors so easily. The only challenging part is making sure that you buy the bulbs while they're available, like now, leading up to the holiday season.
Whether you grow them for you own home or give them as a lovely holiday gift, amaryllis and paperwhites from Tagawa's are a terrific way to make the season an especially sweet time of year.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Do your lawn a favor. Aerate and fertilize!
The timing couldn't be better. Mark-the-Aerator-Man has a date with my lawn this week. And right on cue, Mother Nature has delivered a nice soaking storm. The moisture in the soil will help Mark's machine (and Mark, of course...) pull lots of lovely aeration plugs of out of the lawn.
If your area didn't get this weekend rain and snow, a deep soaking from your sprinklers will work just fine. Either way, the lawn should be well-watered to make the aeration effective.
We want holes in our turf? You bet!
A deep core aeration will help open up the top few inches of this lovely Colorado clay that so many of us like to complain about. That means less compaction and more air for your lawn's root zone. A little "breathing room" can be a very big deal if you're a root.
Increased air circulation helps fight the different types of fungus that can be so hard on our lawns. Greater air flow near the soil surface reduces the higher humidity that the fungal spores need to thrive. The spores are there in our lawns anyway. That's a given. Our goal is to make the spores' job of reproducing as tough as possible, and aeration can help us do just that.
And there's more!
There are lots of benefits from aeration besides increased "breathing room" for your lawn's roots. For example, when you apply your fall fertilizer after you aerate, those helpful little grains of nutrients can reach even farther into the soil when they drop down into the aeration holes. It's as if you're giving them a two- to three-inch head start.
As long as your lawn is still green, it's a great time to ferilize. Tagawa's Garden Experts at Dick's Corner can recommend just the right lawn food. There are several that do especially well here. "Colorado's Own" and "Richlawn Winterizer" are among Tagawa's recommended choices. They're slow-release, which is just what your lawn needs. Apply the fertilizer at the recommended rate, then water it in well. Fall fertilization is a big deal, so don't neglect that piece of the puzzle!
Aeration can also be helpful if you're over-seeding a lawn. Again, the aeration holes can capture some of the grass seed and help "baby" it a bit so it doesn't dry out as quickly. Tagawa's has several kinds of grass seed in bulk so you can buy just what you need for your particular setting.
By the way, there are two schools of thought re: the aeration plugs. Do you leave them where they fall or rake them up? I'm adhere firmly in the "leave 'em" approach myself. The plugs have lots of nutrients that will break down and go back into the soil. Besides, I can always find more pressing gardening chores than raking plugs. But gathering up the plugs and recycling them to another part of your landscape is fine, too.
Spring and fall, that's all!
My first couple of years as a Master Gardener convinced me that aeration is one of the best things we can do for lawns here. I make a point never to aerate in hot weather. That would be too much air circulation and moisture loss during an already-challenging time. But Mark-the-Aerator-Man knows to expect my calls every spring and fall, when the weather is cool.
Despite a host of other challenges.... less than ideal soil, hot dry winds that make gardening "interesting," and more dog traffic than I care to mention, my lawn rarely has problems.
I'm convinced that the secret to having a strong, healthy lawn starts with some T.L.C. in the fall and the spring. Good care in between (including winter watering, which we'll talk about down the road a bit) is important, too. But if you've had problems with your lawn, and don't aerate regularly, you might want to change your routine. There's a very good chance your lawn will thank you.
If your area didn't get this weekend rain and snow, a deep soaking from your sprinklers will work just fine. Either way, the lawn should be well-watered to make the aeration effective.
We want holes in our turf? You bet!
A deep core aeration will help open up the top few inches of this lovely Colorado clay that so many of us like to complain about. That means less compaction and more air for your lawn's root zone. A little "breathing room" can be a very big deal if you're a root.
Increased air circulation helps fight the different types of fungus that can be so hard on our lawns. Greater air flow near the soil surface reduces the higher humidity that the fungal spores need to thrive. The spores are there in our lawns anyway. That's a given. Our goal is to make the spores' job of reproducing as tough as possible, and aeration can help us do just that.
And there's more!
There are lots of benefits from aeration besides increased "breathing room" for your lawn's roots. For example, when you apply your fall fertilizer after you aerate, those helpful little grains of nutrients can reach even farther into the soil when they drop down into the aeration holes. It's as if you're giving them a two- to three-inch head start.
As long as your lawn is still green, it's a great time to ferilize. Tagawa's Garden Experts at Dick's Corner can recommend just the right lawn food. There are several that do especially well here. "Colorado's Own" and "Richlawn Winterizer" are among Tagawa's recommended choices. They're slow-release, which is just what your lawn needs. Apply the fertilizer at the recommended rate, then water it in well. Fall fertilization is a big deal, so don't neglect that piece of the puzzle!
Aeration can also be helpful if you're over-seeding a lawn. Again, the aeration holes can capture some of the grass seed and help "baby" it a bit so it doesn't dry out as quickly. Tagawa's has several kinds of grass seed in bulk so you can buy just what you need for your particular setting.
By the way, there are two schools of thought re: the aeration plugs. Do you leave them where they fall or rake them up? I'm adhere firmly in the "leave 'em" approach myself. The plugs have lots of nutrients that will break down and go back into the soil. Besides, I can always find more pressing gardening chores than raking plugs. But gathering up the plugs and recycling them to another part of your landscape is fine, too.
Spring and fall, that's all!
My first couple of years as a Master Gardener convinced me that aeration is one of the best things we can do for lawns here. I make a point never to aerate in hot weather. That would be too much air circulation and moisture loss during an already-challenging time. But Mark-the-Aerator-Man knows to expect my calls every spring and fall, when the weather is cool.
Despite a host of other challenges.... less than ideal soil, hot dry winds that make gardening "interesting," and more dog traffic than I care to mention, my lawn rarely has problems.
I'm convinced that the secret to having a strong, healthy lawn starts with some T.L.C. in the fall and the spring. Good care in between (including winter watering, which we'll talk about down the road a bit) is important, too. But if you've had problems with your lawn, and don't aerate regularly, you might want to change your routine. There's a very good chance your lawn will thank you.
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