Archives for October 2020

MUMS ON THE REBOUND

By Marigay Black

Grayson County Master Gardener

We all enjoy the infusion of fall colors from our Chrysanthemums, whether in pots or in the ground, but three to four weeks after they’ve bloomed, we see the blooms and leaves fade to  brown and become dry. The genus Chrysanthemum is in the family Asteraceae and are a perennial plant that will regenerate from their roots. What’s the best way to help your mums on the rebound?

Whether your plants are in the ground or in a pot, you can leave them all winter just as they are – brown stems and all. If you want to trim off the unsightly dead stems, trim them down to an inch or two above the soil line. These cut stems can be put into your compost bin if you have one. The roots need to be protected from our coldest temperatures with an inch or two of mulch or dry leaves, keeping the soil around the plant evenly moist and not soggy. In early Spring, the new growth will be visible at the crown of the plant where you’ll see new shoots beginning to emerge.

The mums will grow strongest in slightly acidic soil with an application of nitrogen and potassium when you see these little leaves emerging, usually in March. A time-released fertilizer works well so the roots will receive nutrients during their growth and may even put on new buds early in the season for a Springtime show. The blooms of mums respond to the number of hours of light in the day and the cool temperatures, so depending on what our crazy North Texas weather delivers, you may enjoy an extra season of blooms. This early show of blooms can be trimmed back as soon as the stems die back but not later than July, and one more dose of fertilizer applied, so that the plant has time to put on new growth and blooms for the Fall.

Mums prefer full sun but not our Texas heat in late summer. That’s why mums in pots work well – you can move the pot to a location that provides some protection from the late afternoon sun that can cook the leaves and steal your Fall show. Mums planted in the ground can be located around other plants that will provide some shade or in an area of your flower beds that receive afternoon shade.

One more factor to consider in helping your mums on the rebound is that the potted plants we buy from our nurseries can become root bound very quickly – maybe even when you bring them home. If you water your plants but they don’t seem to respond – they just remain wilted looking – they could be root bound. If you want to repot your mums, you can remove the plant from the pot and replant into a pot that is at least one size larger than the original pot. If you want to divide your mums, gently remove them and separate the roots. You can choose new pots for your divisions or transplant them into the ground. With pots, choose a good potting soil, many of which are formulated with fertilizer and the right mix for good drainage. If you’re planting into the ground, look for inground soil.

The last consideration for your mums is watching for pests and diseases. The most common pests that bother mums are aphids, thrips and spider mites. Aphids can be yellow or black and usually congregate along the stems, hiding under the leaves; thrips are slender, light to dark brown, winged (but they aren’t strong flyers); and spider mites are tiny red mites that spin webs on the underside of leaves. They will cause leaf and stem damage and can kill your mums if not detected in their early stages. The common diseases that attack mums are botrytis, rust, powdery mildew and viruses. My personal favorite go-to treatment as an insecticide and fungicide is Neem oil. It is non-chemical and effective. It can be purchased in a concentrate form which makes it economical. As always, read and follow label instructions carefully.

Here’s to enjoying Chrysanthemums in the future – on the rebound.

Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Reach us by email at [email protected], by phone 903-813-4204, our web page txmg.org/grayson, or our Facebook group.

 

MUMS – NOT JUST A PRETTY FALL FLOWER

By Marigay Black

Grayson County Master Gardener

Chrysanthemums, most times known as mums, are seen everywhere this time of year, a perennial favorite to usher in the cooler Fall temperatures and shorter days. Did you know mums date back as far as the 15^th century in China, and by the year 2014, the estimate is now over 20,000 cultivars around the world. They were first imported to the United States from England in 1798.

The flowers can be boiled to make tea and used as a flavoring in rice wine; the leaves can be steamed or boiled as “greens.” The flowers can also be pulverized to extract a natural insecticide called pyrethrins. Be forewarned that the leaves and flowers can be toxic to dogs and cats, and because of the aroma they emit when disturbed, deer commonly avoid the plant if there’s a better choice nearby.

The varieties we refer to as garden mums are categorized by flower shape: anemone, reflex, pompom, regular incurve, irregular incurve, intermediate incurve, single (or daisy), spider, spoon, quill, brush (or thistle), exotic and decorative. The National Chrysanthemum Society USA showcases pictures of mums and shares information on their web page, mums.org, and also Mums USA on Pinterest. There are interesting varieties that are not seen very often in area garden centers but can be grown from seeds that can be special ordered from a nursery or mail-order company, such as Clara Curtis, Mary Stoker, Apricot Moneymaker, Ruby Mound, Patriot and Tripoli.

Each variety is developed to bloom at a certain time in the season beginning in mid Summer all the way into early Fall, and for the bloom to last a certain time before fading. With proper growing conditions, the blooms should last three or four weeks. Chrysanthemums are photoperiodic, meaning the plant contains a hormone that measures the length of dark (as the days get shorter) to produce the flower bud. While we expect to see mums in full bloom in the Fall, they can also set buds and bloom in the Spring so we can enjoy two bloom seasons a year.

Chrysanthemums are a plant with a national spread, being rated in USDA Climate Zones 3 – 9. That’s north to the Canadian border and to the southern border of Texas. Our area is Zone 7b, making mums an excellent choice of plant to enjoy in our flower beds.

Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Reach us by email at [email protected], by phone 903-813-4204, our web page txmg.org/grayson, or our Facebook group.

 

Growing Rhubarb in Southern Grayson County

Part 2

Krystl Philyaw

Welcome back to growing Rhubarb in southern Grayson County.  According to the Texas A&M article mentioned in part one of this series, the seedlings are ready to go into the garden when they are about four inches tall or have three to five leaves.  My plants were ready to go by September 28, but I had not prepared the bed where the plants will spend the next six months until harvesting in the spring.  Let us talk about bed preparation.

I planted my Rhubarb into an established 4’x8’ raised bed.  Only minor preparation was needed to get the soil ready.  First, I turned the existing soil with a garden fork; you may have heard this tool referred to as a digging or spading fork.  I added 1”-2” compost, dried molasses, and horticultural cornmeal to the top of the bed and mixed it into the loosened soil with the garden fork.  I use bagged compost, mainly because I cannot produce enough on my own to accommodate all of my garden needs.  The dried molasses and horticultural cornmeal were added to aid in soil structure and attract soil microbes.  This combination works for me.

The best thing to do is to have a soil test completed, especially if you plan to plant into a new area.  If you send off your soil sample when you first sow your seeds indoors, you should have the results in time to prep your space before the seedlings are ready to get planted.  After prepping your area, water well and give it 1-2 weeks to settle before planting your seedlings.  By the time I was prepared to plant, it had not rained in nearly a month.  I gave the bed a good soaking the day before the seedlings went into the garden.  On planting day, October 4, I gave the seedlings a soaking bath.  Plain water, they had received a Garret Juice soaking the week prior.  You do not want to put dry plants into a dry bed.  Perennial Rhubarb plants can grow quite large.  Not knowing how large these will get, I spaced my eight plants about 18” apart.

In the photo below, you will notice I added drip irrigation lines.  It is easier to put in now than to try to maneuver around larger plants.  It would be nice to get a good soaking rain. October is supposed to be the third wettest month of the year.  Until that happens, the babies get hand-watered every day to assist them in getting established.

So far, so good.  Check back in November to see how my experiment is progressing.

  

Rhubarb plants with drip irrigation lines

6-week old Victoria Rhubarb 10-4-2020

It’s Garlic Planting Time

Krystl Philyaw, Grayson County Master Gardener

It is mid-October, and here in North Texas, it is time to plant garlic.  The bulbs will grow in a wide range of soil types and pH ranges.  As with anything you grow underground, your soil needs to have some tilth or fluff to it.  If the soil is too compacted, the bulb will have a difficult time forming.  You also need patience to grow garlic.  The cloves you plant now will not be ready to harvest until May or June of next year.  It is a long time, but garlic is one of the easiest herbs to grow, requiring minimal effort on your part.

There are two different varieties of garlic, hardneck and softneck.  The hardneck is typically grown in the north and softneck in the south.  As you can see from the picture, they each form a different type of bulb.  Hardnecks have fewer but larger cloves than softnecks.  Another difference is hardnecks will produce a garlic scape.  The scape is an edible central stalk that grows up from the underground bulb.  It can be harvested and used in a variety of recipes.  You want to cut the scapes; leaving them in place will diminish the underground bulb’s growth.  If you choose to grow hardnecks, you get two harvests from one planting.  The disadvantage of hardnecks is the bulbs have a shorter storage life after harvest.  Softnecks typically are what you find in the grocery stores around here.

Garlic Scape

I grow garlic in raised beds.  I cannot speak about if garlic can be grown in containers.  My guess is it would not be difficult given enough space to allow the bulb to mature.  Many resources recommend buying “seed” garlic due to the possibility that growth inhibitors get applied to store-bought garlic.  Store-bought potatoes are said to have been sprayed or dipped too, but I bet you have had one or two potatoes to sprout in your cabinet.  I started three years ago with three bulbs of store-bought garlic.  Each year after harvest, I choose the largest, best-looking bulbs to save for planting the next season.  If you want to try different types, go ahead and purchase “seed” garlic.  If you are only experimenting or want simple cooking garlic, head to the local grocery and pick up 2-3 bulbs.  Pick a sunny spot in the garden that you have added 1”-2” compost and that you are willing to give up for the next 8-9 months.  Also, do not plant garlic where you planted onions in the spring.  Break the bulb into cloves, leaving the skin on them.  Insert the clove 2”-3” deep into the soil with the pointed end up and cover the hole.  Continue inserting cloves, leaving 4”-6” between the “seeds” in each direction.  The spacing is dependent on the size of your original bulb.  Each planted clove should grow to the size of that original bulb.  Water well and keep moist, but not soggy.  Soon small green shoots will appear.  If you do not receive supplemental rain, add water if the soil is dry below 1”.  Sit back and wait until the tops begin to turn brown and fall over late next spring or early summer.

When the tops turn and begin to fall, gently pull the bulbs up.  Let them cure in a shady spot, out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks.  Once fully dry, trim the tops and roots.  Trim the stalk where it naturally bends above the bulb.  If the stem is still stiff, let the bulb dry longer.  Store trimmed bulbs in a cool, dry, dark place.  Warmth and sunlight will cause the bulbs to sprout.

It is easy to grow garlic.  Prepare your garden spot and buy some bulbs.  The best time is now to plant.  Enjoy.

Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501( c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Reach us by email at [email protected], by phone at 903-813-4204, or our web page txmg.org/grayson, or our Facebook group.

by Krystl Philyaw,

Grayson County Master Gardener

Okra plants are relatives of the hibiscus and Rose of Sharon plants.  The beautiful blooms on the okra plant form edible pods that are great fried or used in soups and stews.  Growing okra is not hard; the plants are very hardy here in north Texas.  The challenge is harvesting.  If you have grown okra, you know harvesting needs to be done regularly to catch the pods at their tenderest when they are two to three inches long.  During the peak of the season, this may mean harvesting two, three times per day.  For me, I always seem to miss one here or there until it is too large to eat.  Most of the time, I will cut the pod that is too large and put it in the compost pile.  Late in the season, if I find a pod that is too large, I will leave it on the plant.  I do this to be able to save the seeds to plant next year.

When you leave a pod on the plant, it will grow to seven or eight inches long and about the diameter of a quarter.  One pod will produce plenty of seeds for you to plant next season.  I prefer to leave several pods on each plant.  I get plenty of seeds for myself and plenty to give away.  Leave the pod on the plant until it is completely dried.  It will turn from green or red (I grow red okra) to a tan/white color.  If you shake the pod, you can hear the seeds rattling inside.  Cut the dried pod off the plant and let it dry another week or two in a cool, dry place.  A brown paper lunch sack works well.  After a couple of weeks, remove the pods from the bag and split them open.  Splitting the pods open is easy to do when they are dry.  Open the pods over a large bowl to keep the seeds from rolling everywhere.  After you have opened all your pods, pour the seeds back into the brown paper sack.  Close up the bag, be sure to date and label it and store in a cool, dry location.  I keep my brown bag on a shelf in a spare bedroom closet.  When next spring arrives, and the soil has warmed, you are ready to plant.  It is that simple to have an endless supply of okra in your garden.

Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Reach us by email at [email protected], by phone 903-813-4204, our web page txmg.org/grayson, or our Facebook group.

 

  Good sized pod to have for dinner 2”-3”

  These are too long and tough to eat – leave to dry for seeds

  Dried Pod on a stalk