Fw: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday February 21, 2008

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ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday February 21, 2008

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Gardening Daily Tips

For JoyceThursday February 21, 2008 • Sage, Meadow (Salvia nemorosa) • Q & A: Separating Seedlings • Q & A: Flowers for Dried Arrangements • Tip: Start Impatiens and Petunias • Parenting Humor from the New Yorker • Reader Photos

Content provided byThe National Gardening Association.

Sage, Meadow (Salvia nemorosa)Today's Featured Plant

Sage, Meadow (Salvia nemorosa) Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com. Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Q & A: Separating Seedlings

Question: I have seedlings of different varieties of vegetables (beans, corn, broccoli, peppers, eggplant, peas, tomatoes). Each pot contains three plants of one kind. Since it's still too early to plant these seedlings outside, I need to transplant them to bigger pots. How do I safely separate the seedlings from each other without tearing the roots? I am very new at trying to grow my own vegetables (or any plant for that matter) and could use any help that you could give me. Answer: In a word, gently. Here's an easy method to use. First, have your larger pots ready for the transplants. Water the first pots well and allow them to drain. Then cup your hand over a pot with the seedlings between your fingers and turn the pot over. You may have to squeeze the pot a bit to get the soil to ease out into your hand. Gently drop the root ball onto a table or bench so that the soil and plants separate. I then gather the roots in my hand and gently pull the roots apart. If you need to handle the top of the plant, handle by a leaf rather than the stem. If the stem breaks, the plant will not survive, but the plant can replace a leaf. Avoid letting the bare roots sit in the open air for more than a few minutes or they will dry out. Replant immediately, a little deeper than they were before, and firm the soil gently so you don't squish them, but hard enough that they stand up securely. Water well to settle the soil and remove any air pockets. Thats it. Beans, corn, and peas should be planted outside where they are to grow because they grow large very quickly and don't fare well when transplanted. Plant peas as soon as the soil has drained and can be worked, as they grow best in cool weather. Corn and bean need warmth to germinate, and should be planted after the danger of frost has passed. Broccoli seedlings can be set outside early. Peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant need warm soil and warm weather to grow well, so plant the seedlings out about a week after the last frost. Finally, make sure to acclimate your seedlings to the elements before transplanting them into the garden. They need to become accustomed to the wind and sun gradually, starting in a very sheltered location with a little early morning sun and moving day by day into more sunlight over the course of a week or so. Bring them in each night, and by the end of the week they should be able to stay out all night. Have fun with your seedlings! Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Q & A: Flowers for Dried Arrangements

Question: I'd like to plant some flowers that I can cut and dry, then use to make wreaths, gifts, etc. What are some good choices for my area? Answer: Many plants have flowerheads, seedpods, stems, or leaves that have potential for dried flower arrangements. The best dried flowers are the everlastings--flowers that open fairly stiff and papery to the touch and without much moisture content. Those include strawflower (Helichrysum), yarrow (Achillea), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis), wormwood (Artemisia), globe thistle (Echinops exalatus), sea holly (Eryngium), baby's breath (Gypsophila), lavender, oregano (Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen') and sea lavender (Limonium). You can also experiment with ornamental grasses. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Tip: Start Impatiens and Petunias

Start impatiens and petunia seeds 10 to 12 weeks before your last frost date. Sprinkle seeds on flats and don't cover with soil since they need light to germinate. Keep temperatures in the 70Fs and the soil moist. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Parenting Humor from the New Yorker

Enjoy cartoons about the lighter side of parenting with a free subscription to the New Yorker Parenting Humor ezine. For more humor every day, sign up for more of our New Yorker cartoons: Dogs and Cats, Love and Relationships, Office Humor, and Food Humour. Find out more and subscribe to New Yorker Parenting Humor. -- From the ArcaMax editors

Today's Reader Submitted Photos

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