Happy Garden - June 16, 2009

We are getting so many gardening requests that we are sending out this extra gardening newsletter. We'll also published the thursday gardening newsletter as we normally do. In this special tuesday edition we have an interesting article by Ellen Brown about Hybrids and Heirlooms.

Be sure to give a "thumbs up" to tips and photos that you like!

Thanks for reading,

The ThriftyFun Team

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Photos:

• Garden: Concrete Block Raised Bed
• Garden: Beautiful But Invasive Flower

Tips and Articles:

• Simple Science For Gardeners: Hybrids and Heirlooms Explained
• Recycling Items for Drainage Fill in Plant Containers

New Requests:

• Tomato Plants With Yellow Leaves
• Pruning Rainier Cherry Trees
• Getting Rid of Groundhogs
• White Rose Bush Has Red Blooms
• Red Rose Turned Pink
• Replanting an Uprooted Tree
• Concord Grape Berries Turning Brown
• Planting Dahlia Bulbs
• What is This Plant?
• Cucumbers Have White Spots
• Making a Screen for Reclaiming Landscape Stone
• Ground Cover That Tolerates Heavy Rain
• Red Hot Poker Plants Not Blooming
• Recipe for Neem Oil
• Growing Tasty Blueberries
• Pests That Attack Sunflowers
• Squash Not Getting Fruit
• Growing a Cherry Tree in a Pot
• Do Sweet Gum Trees Weep Sap?
• Tomatoes Not Blooming

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Garden: Concrete Block Raised Bed

I planted herbs and flowers in the holes in the concrete blocks. I also planted the lettuce, radishes and spinach early then later sowed the squash, peppers and tomatoes between the rows. As the early crops were harvested, the later crops grew into that space.

By rbrady from Meridian, Texas

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Garden: Beautiful But Invasive Flower

By Deb H. from East Brunswick, NJ

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Simple Science For Gardeners: Hybrids and Heirlooms Explained
By Ellen Brown

You don't have to be a scientist (or a botanist) to be a gardener, but knowing a little bit about the science behind gardening can make digging in the dirt an even more enjoyable experience. The more you know about your plants, the more you'll appreciate them, and the better you will be able to meet their needs. In turn, your plants will give you a more beautiful and productive garden.

What Is "Heirloom"?

In the world of gardening, heirloom is a term most often used to describe certain seeds and varieties of edibles, although the term can also be applied to flowers, trees, and shrubs. Although experts disagree on exactly what constitutes an "heirloom variety," a simple way to think about it is this: heirloom seeds and vegetables are our edible heritage. Early gardeners saved seed based on the best tasting, best-performing plants in their gardens. They continued to plant, grow, save, and pass down these seeds from one generation to another--often within a family or region, which is why these varieties are called heirlooms.

Open Pollinated

Heirloom varieties promote self-pollination, or pollination of flowers by the parent plant. This means that each new generation will grow into a plant that exhibits the same characteristics as its parent (it will be a "true to type" or "true breeding" plant). For example, if you were to plant a Honey Rock melon and save some of its seed, the next year you could plant that seed and grow a Honey Rock melon identical in taste and appearance. Heirloom plants are often referred to as "open pollinated", but the term is actually a bit misleading. The true definition of open pollination is "pollination by wind or insects, not by human intervention." By definition alone, saving heirloom seeds could easily run amuck if care is not taken to avoid cross pollination within your garden. For example, if your Honey Rock melon is planted too close to a second, unrelated variety of heirloom melon, they may cross-pollinate by way of wind or insects. In that case, seed saved from either of this year's melon varieties may no longer produce offspring like their parent plants next year. If you plant heirlooms with the intention of saving seeds, it's important to keep different varieties within the same vegetable family isolated from each other to avoid cross pollination.

A Long History

What makes an heirloom old? To be considered an heirloom, a plant variety has to have shown the same characteristics for at least 50 years, but many varieties go back much further--hundreds, even thousands of years. Although quality new heirloom varieties continue to be introduced, some authorities argue that heirloom vegetables should only include those varieties introduced before 1951, the date when modern plant breeders introduced the first hybrids. Regardless of their age, heirloom varieties are known to reflect the flavor and appearance of the individual gardeners or regions that have worked hard to preserve them.

What Is A "Hybrid"?

A hybrid plant is the offspring of two different plant varieties or species. Two different parent plants are cross pollinated in an effort to incorporate the most desirable traits of each into the offspring. For example, plant breeders may cross two different tomato varieties, one known for its excellent flavor and the other for its resistance to disease, with the hope that the offspring will exhibit both excellent flavor and resistance to disease. Hybrids are often developed to encourage traits like bigger flowers, greater yields, disease resistance, better flavor, specific colors, earlier maturity, and winter hardiness. Seeds saved from a hybrid plant will not produce offspring "true" to its parent. Instead, the offspring may exhibit any random number of traits, including those passed down from its parent and/or "grandparents."

So Which Is Best For Your Garden?

The short answer, at least in my opinion, is both. After all, isn't a healthy garden is all about diversity? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. It's up to you to decide.

Heirloom Varieties

Advantages:

• Known for their flavor and color.
• Come in an exciting array of shapes and sizes.
• They have been carefully passed down through generations of growers and they have a heritage that is worth preserving.

• The success of some varieties is geographically specific-they may not be as hardy or disease resistant when grown out of a particular region.
• Some seeds may also be slower to germinate or germinate erratically.
• Their growth habits may not be as widely understood.

Hybrid Varieties

Advantages:

• Usually more dependable. Bred to exhibit specific traits, like disease resistance or hardiness to cold.
• They tend to be faster to germinate.
• Their growing habits are widely understood.

• Dependability sometimes comes at the expense of other desirable traits, like flavor.
• If you find a variety you like, you are forced to buy new seeds every year, because even when self-pollinated, the offspring of hybrids will not be "true" to their parents.
• Some hybrid seeds are known to be more vigorous so may be more expensive.

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Recycling Items for Drainage Fill in Plant Containers

Those lightweight plastic cups that flowers are sold in - I recycle them by using them for drainage when I transplant the flowers into terra cotta pots. I flatten them somewhat with my foot, and put them in the bottom of the pot. Then I add the soil and the flowers. The flattened trays are much lighter than broken terra cotta pieces for drainage, and it's a savings because less soil is required. For a large, deep pot, I use three or four smashed trays. When I need to move the pots around on my patio, it's easy because they don't weigh a ton. The smashed trays can be used year after year.

By Carla from Greensboro, NC

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Tomato Plants With Yellow Leaves

Why do my tomato plant's leaves turn yellow?

Hardiness Zone: 10a

By weston kittinger from Palmdale, CA

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Pruning Rainier Cherry Trees

How and when do I trim two really big Rainer cherry trees? There are tons of cherries, but they are out of reach (except for the birds).

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By flenzy from Portland, OR

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Getting Rid of Groundhogs

How do I deter a pair of groundhogs that are living under my shed? I don't want to trap and release them, nor do I want anyone to kill them. Is there anything I can throw down into their hole to make them relocate?

By kimmcg from NJ

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White Rose Bush Has Red Blooms

I have a rose bush that has bloomed white roses for the last four years, now it has the big white blooms starting but there are some small red blooms on it, why?

Hardiness Zone: 5b

By sandy49 from Longmont, CO

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Red Rose Turned Pink

I planted a deep red Hybrid tea rose last year. Now this year it is a deep rose pink. Can anyone explain what happened? Thanks.

Hardiness Zone: 4a

By kostalota from Kamloops, BC

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Replanting an Uprooted Tree

We had a storm come through last night and up rooted our cherry tree. The tree landed on the roof and most of the root system is out of the ground. It was my husband's pride. When we bought the house 18 years ago it was just a little thing standing almost 6ft. Now uprooted and gone. I have searched everywhere to see how or if we can take the roots from that tree and replant it or if it is lost cause. Can you help us?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

By mntigirl72 from Clarksville, AR

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Concord Grape Berries Turning Brown

Some of my concord grape berries are turning brown. What is the cause and can I stop it?

Hardiness Zone: 6a

By Msdara from Mammoth Cave, KY

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Planting Dahlia Bulbs

I got some Dahlia bulbs. Any tips on how to plant them?

By Flower info. from Edmonton, Canada

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What is This Plant?

Can anyone identify this plant for me? Is it a weed or flower (perennial)? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you and have a great day.

Hardiness Zone: 5b

By Trudy2 from Bluffton, IN

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Cucumbers Have White Spots

These are cucumbers straight from my little garden. The plants are two months old. I know that I over soak the plot. These cucumbers are like all the rest I have harvested. They grow green except for along the top surface, where they grow an off white color and have a soft texture on all or part of that surface. They taste bitter as well. Any thoughts about this?

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By Woodysgood

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Making a Screen for Reclaiming Landscape Stone

Does anyone know how to reclaim landscape rock by building a home made "sifter"? I'd love to see some pictures. We had to dig up a 4' x8' section of 1/2inch rock landscaping and now much of it has dirt and debris in it. We want to get it back to what it was, without putting dirty rock on top of the landscape fabric, thereby defeating the purpose of the fabric. I've been researching on the web to no avail.

By shaunagirl from Devon, AB

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Ground Cover That Tolerates Heavy Rain

I am looking for an easy to care for ground cover that can tolerate heavy rains. I would like advice on how quickly they spread and what I need to start, etc. I have 18 inches surrounded by concrete along the side of my house. I have tried containers, but the bugs love those plants too much. Some plants have "drowned" there due to heavy heavy rains. This happens despite drainage holes.

By poepadoe from Okinawa, Japan

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Red Hot Poker Plants Not Blooming

My poker plants (Kniphofia or Red Hot Poker) haven't bloomed in 3 years except for one plant in 2007. They were in pots until last winter when I planted them in full sun and well drained soil. The foliage is healthy and the plants are getting bigger. I did one application of miracle grow to one plant 3 months ago. Any ideas why they won't bloom? Thanks.

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By jpeterzelldo from Athens, GA

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Recipe for Neem Oil

What is Neem Oil made of? Does anyone have a recipe for this organic fungicide?

By suzyspinkmoon from Clinton, TN

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Growing Tasty Blueberries

Any ideas on how to help our blueberries taste good for next year? Last year's crop was a great mix between tangy and sweet. This year, they are so bland and blah. We haven't done anything different but would like to ensure great tasting blueberries next year.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

By Icook_Ucleanup from AL

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Pests That Attack Sunflowers

I am a very amateur gardener, and I decided to take a stab at growing sunflowers. They are still young, no flowers yet, and they seem pretty healthy. My only problem is there are these tiny yellow-black larvae-worms that are tunneling in the leaves of my sunflowers and eating the leaves from the inside out. I have not the slightest idea what they are.

I also have little black ants everywhere. They seem to be associated with the larvae-worms, but I don't know for sure. I live in New Mexico and my sunflowers are in a spot where they get sun all day except when New Mexico weather decides to, well, not be sunny.

My main questions: What are these bugs? Are they associated with the little black ants? Are the ants harming my flowers? How do I get rid of the larvae-worms without hurting my plants? Thanks.

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By kioku-arielle from Albuquerque, NM

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Squash Not Getting Fruit

My Delicata squash blossoms fall off and leave a stem only. No fruit, just a stem. I am in a high wind area. My Butternut squash have lots of growing fruit and they are in the same area. I fertilize organically, only. Do I need to hand pollinate? I grew all my squash from seeds in the same growing medium and they are grown in the same soil mix. What gives?

Hardiness Zone: 9a

By msmarla1 from Fairfield, CA

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Growing a Cherry Tree in a Pot

I love bing cherries. Can one survive as a potted tree with controlled watering?

Hardiness Zone: 10b

By Desert Rat from Sonoran Desert, AZ

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Do Sweet Gum Trees Weep Sap?

Please verify this debate with a friend. Does the Sweet Gum tree weep sap that gets on autos? I say there is no weeping. I consider the Sweet Gum "Nature's Air Conditioning Tree", a cool breeze always, where as an oak has dry hot shade, etc. I've never experienced sap weeping from a Sweet Gum, just gum from the trunk of the tree. Please help, I want to know for sure. Thanks. Sue

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By RaindropFresh from Brandon, MS

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Tomatoes Not Blooming

I am a new gardener to planting in pots on our deck. We have 28 tomato plants and all except four have blooms. Others have bloomed and now have nice tomatoes setting on. Why are four of the plants without any blooms at all? They are almost 5 ft. tall.

Hardiness Zone: 8a

By bluegrass from Greenville, NC

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