About six weeks after I plant my vegetable garden in the spring, I usually get very discouraged because everyone else’s garden is doing better than mine.  My garden soil is solid clay and takes a long time to dry out in spring and a longer time for the soil to warm up.  Six weeks after planting I still have weak looking seedlings that aren’t showing any sign of growing into healthy vegetable-producing plants.  Before I was an organic gardener, this is when I would go out with the Miracle-Gro.  Now I have a much better solution, one which is healthier for the plants and for the environment. 

      Foliar fertilizers means feeding plants through their leaves.  Plants have a remarkable ability to absorb nutrients through their leaves, especially on their undersides, because the leaf pores are more likely to be open.

      Foliar fertilizer sprays can be made by brewing compost or manure into a tea and straining the mixture before putting it into a spray bottle.  Or you can purchase a fish emulsion or liquid seaweed or kelp solution which you dilute with water.  In general, only one tablespoon of the solution is diluted in a gallon of water.  One quarter teaspoon of a mild soap can be mixed in so that the water sticks to the leaves better and doesn’t bead up.  Any sprayer or mister will work, from hand trigger units to knapsack sprayers.  Set the sprayer to emit as fine a mist as possible.  NEVER us a sprayer that has been used to apply herbicides in the past.

      Spray until the liquid drips off the leaves.  The best time of day to spray is early to mid-morning or any time on a cloudy day.  Avoid spraying in the evening because the leaves will remain wet overnight which invites disease.  

      Foliar feeding provides micronutrients, minerals, vitamins and amino acids which plants need and which may not be present in the soil, or may be tied up in the soil due to the soil being too wet, too dry, or having the wrong pH.  Besides giving the plants a boost to get them started, foliar feeding is helpful right after transplanting to minimize transplant shock.  Spray again when plants start budding, blooming or forming pods or fruits.  Also spray after damage from hail or wind for quick recovery.

      Foliar feeding will also perk up houseplants, annual or perennial flowers, shrubs or small trees.  A regular foliar feeding program of every 10-14 days throughout the growing season will keep your plants healthy and strong.

      In Wisconsin, roses must be protected against not only low winter temperatures but also fluctuating temperatures and winter winds.  Different types of insulators such as soil, cones, and mulch can provide the necessary protection.

      To protect roses using soil, mound soil 8-10 inches high around the base of the canes after the first hard frost while you can still work the soil.  First, either shorten the canes or tie them together to prevent them from whipping in the wind and loosening the soil around the base of the bush.  Bring soil from another part of the garden for mounding because you may injure roots if you remove soil from around the rose plant or bed.

      After the ground has frozen, usually around Thanksgiving, pile hay, straw, pine needles or leaves over the mounded canes and cover with more soil to hold the material in place.  These materials help to keep the soil temperature constant.  It is important to wait until the ground has frozen so mice don’t make their winter home inside the mound and snack on the canes while they’re there.  For additional protection, place twiggy branches or evergreen boughs from your Christmas tree over the top of the mounds.  The branches will help accumulate snow around the bushes which helps insulate the roots while still allowing air to circulate.

      You can also make or buy your own rose protectors or cylinders.  Cylinders 12 inches in diameter, styrofoam or biodegradable cones or similar coverings will work.  These items also should not be used until after the ground has frozen. 

      To use an open top cylinder, tie the canes together, set the cylinder over the plant, and fill it with leaves, straw or pine needles.  Cut the canes even with the top of the cylinder and cover it with heavy plastic to keep the insulation material dry.  Anchor the plastic to keep it from blowing away.

      To use a cone, mound the soil as above, prune the bush to fit inside the cone and place the cone over the top of the bush.  Anchor the cone in place by placing a rock on top or soil around the base.  Poke a few holes hear the top of the cone to prevent moisture buildup and mold.        

            In spring, remove protective materials as soon as danger of hard frost (several degrees below freezing) has passed, but before new growth appears.  If new growth has already started, the plant may need protection in case of frost, so replace the protective covering if frost is predicted.

October is the last busy month of the year in the garden. 

      Bulbs of spring flowering plants such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths should be planted around October 15.  The rule of thumb is to plant the top of the bulb 2 ½ times as deep as the bulb is tall.  For example, if the bulb is 1 inch tall, you would dig your hole 3 ½ inches deep so that the top of the bulb is 2 ½ inches below the ground.  Throw a scoop of bonemeal in the hole before placing the bulb, set the bulb firmly in the bottom – flat side down, pointy side up –fill the hole with soil and water well.

      Fall is a good time to plan for next year.  If you want to make a new flower bed for next spring in what is now a lawn area, here is the easiest way to do it.  Mark the edges of the bed using a garden hose or spray paint.  Lay newspaper several sheets thick to cover the entire area, making sure the sheets overlap.  If you are ambitious, dig a trench along the edge of the bed and fold the edges of the newspaper down into the trench which makes for a neater edge.  Wet the newspaper with a sprinkling can or hose and then cover the paper with wood chips or other organic mulch.  That’s it!  In spring, the grass under the newspaper should be dead and you can dig right through it to plant. 

      An important fall chore is to water evergreen plants deeply several times before the ground freezes.  Evergreen needles continue to lose moisture all winter and they are unable to replenish their water supply through their roots when the ground is frozen, so it is important that they are well hydrated.  There are anti-desiccants that you can spray on your plants, but that is impractical for large evergreen trees and shrubs.

      My last column was about overwintering geraniums in paper bags or boxes in the basement.  One reader had a few further questions.  Okay, the reader was my mom, which is why I have to put the answers in my column today!

      In February when the geraniums start coming out of dormancy, pull off the dead leaves, cut the stems in the healthy green area below any dead or shriveled parts, and shorten the remaining stems to 10-12 inches, leaving a nice bushy-shaped plant.  Plant in any good potting soil mix  – I usually add a handful each of vermiculate and perlite to each pot – and water well.  Then water about once a week until it is time to move the plants outdoors.

Two types of plants are commonly referred to as geraniums.  One, which is the true geranium, is really the cranesbill, a bushy long-lived perennial plant. The other is the red, pink or white-flowered plant seen everywhere in flower boxes and pots which is correctly called Pelargonium. 

      There are five types of pelargonium:  zonal, dwarf and miniature zonal, regal, ivy-leaved, and scented-leaved. 

      Zonal pelargoniums have rounded leaves, usually marked with a distinct dark zone and single, semi-double or double flowers.  Some cultivars do not have a zone and others have golden, white-variegated or tri-colored leaves.

      Dwarf and miniature zonal pelargoniums are 5-8 inches tall, bushy and free-flowering.  They come in a wide range of colors and have green to greenish-black leaves.

      Regal pelargoniums, also called Martha Washington pelargoniums, are small shrubby plants with rounded, deeply cut leaves and wide, trumpet-shaped flowers, often in exotic colors.

      Trailing or ivy-leaved pelargoniums have rounded, lobed, ivy-like leaves and flowers similar to the zonals.  They are used mainly in hanging baskets or are planted so that they spill over the edge of a raised bed or wall.

      Scented-leaved pelargoniums have small, delicate flowers with five leaves and fragrant foliage which may smell like lemon, pine, nutmeg, rose, lime, apple, apricot, chocolate or peppermint.

      All types of pelargonium grow best in full sun with well-drained soil.  They should left to dry out between waterings.  Cut back to encourage branching if they grow too tall and produce flowers only at the top. 

      Now, the answer to the question I have been asked more than any other since I became a Master Gardener:  How do you overwinter geraniums (pelargoniums)? 

      Pelargoniums should be brought indoors when nighttime temperatures get down to 40 degrees.  If there isn’t space to treat your pelargoniums as houseplants over winter, remove the plants from their pots and shake the soil from the roots.  Cut off flower heads and place the plants in brown paper bags or cardboard boxes, closing the tops so light doesn’t reach them.  Store the bags or boxes in a cool, dark area of the basement.  The plants will go dormant and the leaves will turn brown and fall off, but about mid-February they will start to grow new yellowish leaves.  At that time, plant them in the pots in which they will spend the summer, or in a temporary container, until all danger of frost is past in spring when they can once again be moved outdoors.

By mid-August, many gardens start to look a bit unkempt.  With a little attention, your garden can be spruced up to carry on well into fall.

      Begin by cutting back the straggly flowering stems and seedheads from perennials and annuals that have finished blooming.  Cut off any tattered or overgrown foliage.  August is also a good time to move or divide perennials that have finished blooming. Mulch around the newly groomed plants and water them well, or refresh them with manure tea.  To make the tea, scoop a shovelful of manure into a large bucket, cover with water and let sit for a day or two.  Then ladle out the nutritious water and use it to water your plants.  The manure will have settled to the bottom of the bucket and you can continue to add water and make more tea several times.

      If there are gaps in your flower garden that need filling, many beautiful chrysanthemums are available now in nurseries.  Another alternative is to move some of your container plants to the spaces in the beds.  Place the container atop a brick or two so it can drain properly.

      In the vegetable garden, remember to harvest green beans, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini at least every other day.  As you harvest the vegetables, the plant is stimulated to produce more.

      It is important to keep tomatoes evenly watered.  If enough rain doesn’t fall, make sure that the plants get an inch a week from your hose.  This will prevent blossom end rot and splitting of skins.  One deep soaking is better than several light waterings.  Try to avoid wetting the foliage since wet foliage invites disease.  Tomatoes will benefit from manure tea also.

      Raspberry canes that bore fruit this year should be cut to the ground.  You can tell which canes have borne fruit – the stems are brown and appear woody.  Canes with stems that are still bright green will bear fruit next year.

      There are some things you shouldn’t be doing in August.  Discontinue deadheading and fertilizing roses and do not prune or fertilize any deciduous or evergreen tree or shrub.  Deadheading, pruning and fertilizing all stimulate growth and any growth that occurs now will not be tough enough to survive winter and will likely suffer winterkill.

      This time of year the tops of the leaves of many plants and shrubs become covered with a dull white dusty substance called powdery mildew.  This frequently happens to roses, lilacs, phlox, honeysuckle and zinnias, but many other plants, shrubs and even trees are affected.  This fungal disease usually occurs during periods of cool nights, humid days and no rain.

      The good news is that the problem is mostly cosmetic; rarely does a plant die from powdery mildew.  The other good news is that the cure for the problem is inexpensive and is probably already in your kitchen cupboard.

      Just mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle and spray the affected leaves every 7-10 days until the problem is gone.  To make the spray stick to the leaves better, add ½ teaspoon liquid castile soap which you can purchase at health food stores.  You can try using dish soap instead, but spray a small area of the plant first and wait a week to be sure the soap doesn’t harm the plant.

      Use the spray as soon as you notice any mildew growth.  If you had powdery mildew last year, you probably will have it again this year, and you may want to use the baking soda spray preventively on a 7-10 day schedule.

      This same spray is helpful for two other more serious fungal plant diseases as well:  blackspot which affects roses, and downy mildew which attacks many fruits, vegetables, flowers and grasses. 

      Blackspot is a common rose disease in which black spots with yellow margins appear on leaves.  Eventually the leaves turn brown and the plant dies. Downy mildew is characterized by a white to purple downy growth on the underside of leaves and corresponding yellow spots topside.  If left unchecked, the plant can eventually die.

      My first experience with downy mildew was last year when my grapes were affected.  I immediately began a baking soda spray program.  It didn’t take long for the mildew under the leaves to disappear and for the yellow spots on the tops of the leaves to shrink to small brown specks.  Japanese researchers have found that not only does baking soda prevent fungal spores from germinating and stops the development of the disease, but it even appears to help the plant repair fungus-damaged tissue.

      Since downy mildew overwinters in affected plant parts and remains viable in the soil for several years, being spread by wind and rain, this year I am using the baking soda spray preventively.  Since my roses are near the grapes, I usually give them a spray also to prevent powdery mildew and blackspot.  So far, so good!

When the seedlings pop up they first develop cotyledons, which look like leaves but are really food storage cells.  Next a set of true leaves will form.  At this point, the seedlings need fertilizer.  Use a half-strength fish emulsion, compost tea or manure tea for the first three weeks.  After that, use full strength fertilizer every 10 – 14 days. 

      Now the seedlings need to be transplanted to a larger container, either another flat with wider spacing or individual containers.  Fill the container with moist potting soil.  Carefully lift the seedlings with a spoon or fork.  Handle seedlings by their leaves rather than their stems – if the stem is crushed the seedling will die, but it can always grow a new leaf. 

      Use a pencil to make a small hole in the potting soil of the new container and place the seedling slightly deeper than it was growing in the seed flat.  Gently press the soil around the roots and water well.

      Transplants often droop or wilt but recover quickly if properly cared for.  Keep them in good light, but not full sun, for several days and fertilize with half strength fertilizer once a week.  Be sure to keep the soil moist.

      The seedlings can be transplanted to the garden according to the date on the seed packet.  Before they go out, however, they need to be hardened off.  This is done by placing the containers in a shady protected area for several hours each day, gradually moving them to the sun for a very short time.  Bring them indoors at night.  Increase the length of time they stay in the sun each day for a couple weeks so they can take a full day of sun by the time you are ready to plant them in the garden.  Watch them closely to make sure they don’t dry out.

      Choose a cloudy day to plant them out, or do so in the evening.  Cover them with upended berry baskets, milk jugs, or floating row covers to keep them out of intense sun for a few days.  Keep them watered until the roots take hold, and then treat them just as you would any other garden plant. 

      You’ll be so pleased when you harvest your vegetables or pick your flowers.  Nothing is better than doing it yourself!

I  am an organic gardener, so you will never see me write anything in this column about applying pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers.  There is an alternate organic method for solving just about every garden problem.  There is, also, the alternate mind set.  For example, my lawn is not full of weeds; it is a wonderful source of medicinal plants and herbs.  These include dandelions, chickweed, plantain, purslane and stinging nettle.

      Dandelion leaves taste great in salads if picked when young before the plants flower.  The leaves are high in vitamins A, vitamin C, niacin and potassium.  Tea made from fresh dandelion roots cleanses the blood, liver and gallbladder and stimulates the kidneys to remove toxins via the urine.  The root tea also lowers blood sugar, inhibits the growth of fungus that causes yeast infections and has an anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect.  Rubbing the milky sap from the stem on skin fades liver spots.

      Chickweed has small smooth, oval leaves with little white flowers.  Use the leaves in salads, soups and stir fries or boiled as a vegetable to provide vitamin C and phosphorus  Throw some chickweed in your bath water to reduce the inflammation of rheumatic joints.

      Plantain has broad, oval leaves close to the ground and a green nubby stalk shooting up out of the middle.  Crush plantain leaves and apply them to relieve the pain of bites, stings, burns or poison ivy.  Plantain has mild anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects.

      You are more likely to find purslane in your flower or vegetable garden than in your lawn.  It has small smooth fleshy leaves on reddish stems that lay along the ground.  The flowers are tiny and yellowish.  Purslane is a nutrition powerhouse to add to your salad:  it contains vitamins A and C, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. 

      If you’ve ever been stung by stinging nettle, you know what it looks like.  For those lucky people that haven’t been stung, nettle is 12-50 inches tall with narrow toothed leaves, small greenish flowers and invisible stiff stinging hairs that you will never forget once you’ve touched them.  The many benefits of a tea made from dried stinging nettle leaves (once dried, no more sting) warrant donning thick leather gloves and collecting as much as you can find.  Nettle leaves are a source of vitamin C, potassium and iron.   The tea is used to purify blood, control bleeding ulcers, relieve hay fever and allergy, as a diuretic and astringent, and for anemia, gout, glandular diseases, rheumatism, poor circulation, enlarged, spleen, diarrhea and dysentery.

      This year when your neighbors are dumping toxic chemicals all over their perfect green lawns, go out and harvest some good health from yours instead!

When you buy transplants for your garden and flower beds this spring there are several things you should know before exchanging your hard-earned green dollars for green plants.  First, I strongly recommend that you do your buying at a local greenhouse rather than at a department store.  Prices for plants are comparable at a greenhouse and you can be confident that the plants offered have been cared for by employees who know what they are doing, rather than someone who works in Health and Beauty Aids or Sporting Goods the rest of the year. 

      Whether you are buying annuals, perennials or vegetables, don’t leave home without a list of what types of plants you intend to buy and how many of each you need.  It is very easy to get carried away and to forget how much or how little space you have at home when you are dazzled by the huge selection of plants at the greenhouse.

      Here are some tips for buying strong healthy plants.

• When choosing plants, make sure they are well rooted.  Tug very gently on the stem – a plant with damaged or rotten roots will feel loose. 
• Avoid leggy overgrown plants.  The green part of the plant should be no more than three times the size of the container.
• Choose plants with lush but compact foliage.
• Never buy wilted plants thinking you can rescue them.  Under-watered plants are weak and will be slow to establish.
• Check for insects on the tops and undersides of leaves and along the stems.
• Avoid plants with brown or yellow foliage.  They have either dried out or have disease problems.
• Check underneath the planting container.  If roots are coming out of the holes, the plant is rootbound and probably starved for nutrients. 
• When buying vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, do not buy plants that are already flowering.  They won’t survive the shock of transplanting as well as smaller plants will. It won’t take long for small plants to catch up and you’ll have a stronger plant that hasn’t undergone the stress of adjusting to new conditions while trying to develop fruit at the same time.

If you aren’t able to put your new plants in the ground as soon as you get home, water them well and keep them in a shady spot away from frost until you are ready to plant.

Our Wisconsin growing season is too short for some vegetables to ripen or flowers to bloom if you wait to plant them outdoors in May.  They need a head start indoors.

        Starting seeds indoors is easy to do and doesn’t cost much.  Start with a sterile soiless mix – you can get a bag at any garden center and many department and home improvement stores.  Anything that says “seed starting mix” on the bag will do.  Next, you need a container that will drain well.  You will find several options in the store right next to the seed starting mixes, or you can use tin cans, egg cartons or the black plastic containers you bought greenhouse plants in last year.  I use a plastic miniature greenhouse measuring about 20” x 10” x 4” that works well and costs about $3.00.

      Fill the container with seed starting mix to ¼ inch from the top and wet the mix thoroughly.  Spread the seed over the mix evenly, or put one or two seeds in each compartment of a divided container.  Cover the seeds lightly with more soiless mix to a depth of about four times the diameter of the seed.  Press the mix firmly onto the seeds and water liberally but gently, trying not to disturb the seeds.  A fine spray will work, or gently tip water off a small spoon onto the planting mix.

      Next, cover the container with plastic.  My miniature greenhouse came with a clear plastic cover, but if you are using a homemade container, just slip the entire container inside a clear plastic bag and use a twist tie to close it.  You can also cut the bottom off of a clear two liter soda bottle and set that over your container if the size is right.

      Place the container in a warm, bright place, but not over a furnace register.  Keep the container covered until the seeds germinate.  Then, remove the covering and water as needed to keep the soiless mixture moist.  Turn the container once a day so the seedlings grow straight.

When the seedlings pop up they first develop cotyledons, which look like leaves but are really food storage cells.  Next a set of true leaves will form.  At this point, the seedlings need fertilizer.  Use a half-strength fish emulsion, compost tea or manure tea for the first three weeks.  After that, use full strength fertilizer every 10 – 14 days. 

      Now the seedlings need to be transplanted to a larger container, either another flat with wider spacing or individual containers.  Fill the container with moist potting soil.  Carefully lift the seedlings with a spoon or fork.  Handle seedlings by their leaves rather than their stems – if the stem is crushed the seedling will die, but it can always grow a new leaf. 

      Use a pencil to make a small hole in the potting soil of the new container and place the seedling slightly deeper than it was growing in the seed flat.  Gently press the soil around the roots and water well.

      Transplants often droop or wilt but recover quickly if properly cared for.  Keep them in good light, but not full sun, for several days and fertilize with half strength fertilizer once a week.  Be sure to keep the soil moist.

      The seedlings can be transplanted to the garden according to the date on the seed packet.  Before they go out, however, they need to be hardened off.  This is done by placing the containers in a shady protected area for several hours each day, gradually moving them to the sun for a very short time.  Bring them indoors at night.  Increase the length of time they stay in the sun each day for a couple weeks so they can take a full day of sun by the time you are ready to plant them in the garden.  Watch them closely to make sure they don’t dry out.

      Choose a cloudy day to plant them out, or do so in the evening.  Cover them with upended berry baskets, milk jugs, or floating row covers to keep them out of intense sun for a few days.  Keep them watered until the roots take hold, and then treat them just as you would any other garden plant. 

      You’ll be so pleased when you harvest your vegetables or pick your flowers.  Nothing is better than doing it yourself!