Garden Blog

Preparing Your Garden for Winter

November 1, 2017 by E. Schilling

Avid gardeners know the gardening season isn’t over even as summer is winding down. In fact, it seems there’s just as much to do as in the spring, if not more! Here are a few tasks we make sure not to miss in the gardens at Horsford Gardens and Nursery:

The Vegetable Garden

Root vegetables like beets and carrots sweeten with cold weather.

After your final harvest pull up annuals such as tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Remove leaf litter to help prevent the wintering over of leaf-borne diseases. Leave root vegetables for harvesting later, and brussels sprouts until after the Thanksgiving meal. You can also leave kale plants, as they tolerate some frost.

Topdress cleaned beds with a light layer of compost. Once the bed is cleaned and prepped, it’s good to plant a cover crop to prevent erosion and weeds, to break up compacted soil, and to work into the garden later.

Some gardeners rototill their gardens in fall with the belief this brings insect eggs to the surface to perish. The following season you may see less bug issues but there is no guarantee.

Herbs and Annuals

Annual flowers and herbs last one season. After your final harvest and seed gathering pull up the plants and compost them. Woody perennial herbs such as thyme, savory and lavender don’t die to the ground so cutting them back late in the season can kill them. Herbs such as tarragon and lovage can be cut to the ground.

Perennials

A perennial is a non-woody plant that dies to the ground each fall while the roots persist through winter. New growth emerges in spring from the crown. Cutting back the entire perennial garden has become standard practice in recent years. There are pros and cons to this.

Pros: It looks tidy. You get a jump on spring garden chores. Rodents cannot hide under stems and dead foliage, or live off the crowns of plants such as hosta, geraniums and daylilies.

Cons: You’ve made the garden bare and unprotected from winter’s elements. Stems left standing will trap blowing leaves and falling snow. The layer of leaves and snow helps maintain a constant temperature and prevents intermittent freezing and thawing that can kill plants. Decomposed leaves are wonderful soil builders. Birds live on bugs in the summer, and seeds and berries all winter. Leaving your grasses and coneflowers standing provides a natural food source all winter.

Cut back hosta leaves in early October before they turn to mush after a frost. Set out rodent traps beginning in August when critters are preparing their nests for the long winter.

Trees

Protect your tree investment with a $2 tree collar!

If you have newly planted young trees, especially fruit trees, wrap plastic tree guards around the trunk from the ground up. Tuck the bottom end into the ground. This is your best method to prevent mice and voles from girdling the tree, and will be the best $2 you spend on your landscape.

Shrubs

Prune Hydrangea paniculata in fall or spring.

Prune plants that bloom on new wood in late summer or fall. Hydrangea paniculata, in particular, benefit from a sharp pruning that helps strengthen branches.

Shrubs that bloom on old wood, such as lilacs, should not be pruned in the fall. Doing so will remove all of next spring’s flowers.

Newly planted shrubs (and trees) should be well watered right up to frost. If winter is light on snowfall and spring is light on rainfall, resume supplemental watering in the spring.

Plants begin to “shut down” and prepare for dormancy in late August when the days shorten and evening temperatures cool. You should stop fertilizing and adding compost to plants at this time. Late season feeding can trick a plant into growing, especially if we are treated to an Indian Summer.

Saffron in October

October 19, 2017 by Horsford Team

For those of you who joined us in growing saffron this year, you should be seeing some movement in your corms above ground, and in some cases flowers beginning to bloom! This is a very exciting time considering all of our landscape has started to transition into winter.

Saffron can handle frost, and will persist even as snow begins to cover the ground. As the flowers begin to bloom, you should start to harvest them. Pluck the saffron stigmas, and if you’re interested, the stamens as well, and leave them out in an area to dry for 48 hours. This should be a place with little breeze as these stigmas are easily blown around. Once the stigmas are dry, store your saffron in an air tight container and begin using in in your future saffron recipes. The stamens can be used as dye, and have traditionally been the source of the color yellow in Nepalese cultures.

To harvest your flowers, pick the flower below its purple petals every two days, and place in a container to bring to an area where you can process the flower. Pulling back the petals to reveal the stigmas and stamens, use whatever tool you find comfortable to separate with. You should see 3-5 flowers per corm planted, so if you only pick one, don’t worry there’s more to come.

After the flower has been harvested the corm will remain vegetative and continue to develop daughter corms well into winter. Eventually the corm’s filaments will die back and the corm will go dormant until the following fall.

Our corms are 100% above ground here at Horsford’s and have begun to show flower development! Have fun and please share your saffron gardens and dishes with us, as we close out the harvest season!

-Saffron Production Team aka Steve

Bug Eat Bug World in Horsford’s Greenhouses

April 27, 2017 by Horsford Team

The mighty lady beetle in full force in Horsford’s greenhouses

Today’s garden pests are beefed up, hungry to consume, and resistant to most traditional methods of control in your garden and on house plants. There seems to be continuous production of state-of-the-art chemicals that only serve as the next temporary band aid on pest management. If you observe our native landscapes you don’t usually see large populations of pests, or even any single species populations. Pests are diverse, spread out, and quick to move, as there are the same number of natural predators lurking between the leaves and consuming these pests as fast as they can produce.

At the nursery, we embrace a garden’s natural cycles and incorporate beneficial insects to help control our pests as we encounter them during the growing season in our greenhouses. We aren’t able to completely eradicate all pests but we can manage their populations and remove them from our plants more effectively. Eliminating pesticide use in our greenhouse is the most important aspect of our entire program. Now our greenhouse gravel floors and surrounding gardens are nurturing generations of natural predators to help not only our greenhouse annuals, but all the plants we grow at the nursery.

Horsford greenhouse-vegetables — Horsford’s annuals, herbs and vegetables are pesticide-free

The mites, wasps, and army of bugs in this bug eat bug world

The most destructive pest we encounter is not usually one people think of, or even can see. Its tiny golden weevil body is about the size of a few grains of salt. It quickly finds fresh pollen, lush green growth, and flower petals and sucks life from a plant. The Western Flower Thrip has become increasingly resistant to pesticides, and quickly develops a home in greenhouse production. They have been known to bite growers depending on populations!

With a simple application of multiple species, predatory mites can completely control a thrip population. These mites will breed in the soil, disperse themselves throughout the application area, and seek and destroy the thrips. Predatory mites are now considered by the greenhouse industry to be the most effective way to control thrips.

Green Peach Aphids consistently meet and greet every season in our greenhouse. We use two different predators for control. Parasitic wasps are a longer, slower control but have proven to be very effective against aphid populations. These wasps lay their eggs into the aphid, and as the larvae develop they consume and hatch out of the aphid’s body (gross). Here are some from our greenhouse.

These beneficial bugs are part of the #horsfordteam! Thanks @ullrrise , our Greenhouse Manager, for catching them on camera! ・・・ Instead of covering our greenhouse plants in chemicals we enlist the biological forces to control our problems. Don’t be fooled by box store annuals, we got the real deal @horsfordnursery. More bees, more bugs, more life. #saynotopesticides #greenhouses #parasiticwasps #aphiddestroyer

A post shared by Horsford Gardens & Nursery (@horsfordnursery) on Apr 22, 2017 at 11:24am PDT

To help keep our wasp populations thriving we also grow Bird Cherry Oat aphids that specifically only eat oat grass. These aphids don’t bother our plants in the greenhouse, and serve as a banquet for our wasps. Look for these “banker plants” in baskets hanging at the end of each greenhouse. These keep the wasps roaming for the aphids that do harm to our plants. Once a population of Green Peach Aphids appears, the wasps are attracted to them and help manage the pest.

Ladybeetles in Horsford greenhouse — Lady beetles in Horsford’s greenhouses

Our second predator is the mighty lady beetle, who although have a long development phase from egg to beetle, have proven to be useful and effective in controlling aphid population outbreaks.

Next time you’re at the nursery be sure to stop in our greenhouses and take a closer look at our plants. You’ll be amazed at the ecosystems within the beautiful flowers, aromatic cooking herbs, and lush vegetable starts.

Horsford greenhouse-petunias — See you soon in the greenhouses

Spring Shrub Pruning

April 7, 2017 by E. Schilling

Spring in the Northeast can be very demanding. The beautiful snow has probably covered a lot of debris in your flower gardens, from broken branches strewn about to misplaced driveway gravel. In general people know how to tidy up, but we do regularly get phone calls beginning in early April inquiring about shrub pruning. Shrub pruning can be simplified into two seasons; spring pruning and summer pruning.

Spring Pruning

Spirea (in the foreground) can be pruned in the spring

Any shrub that blooms in the summer or early autumn can be pruned in the spring. These plants bloom on new wood. The term ‘new wood’ refers to that season’s growth. In terms of actual shrub growing, the season in Vermont begins in late March or early April and ends around late July.

I will use the Hydrangea paniculata treeform for my spring pruning example. This plant puts out masses of large flowers starting in August. Each spring we severely prune the plants growing for sale at the nursery. For the entire spring they look like sticks with stunted branches. However, once the temperatures warm up they will start to put on new growth. In August, those stubby little branches will be three feet long with enormous flower heads that formed and matured during the growing season. The summer-blooming spirea, like ‘Little Princess, ‘Pink Parasols’ and ‘Anthony Waterer’ are some more shrubs that would benefit from a sharp spring pruning.

We severely prune Hydrangea paniculata in the spring

Pruning Tips

How far back you prune a shrub is really a matter of taste. Personally, I like a shrub to maintain its natural shape. In order to ensure this we always recommend that people prune the branches at least a foot or more back than the ultimately desired height. This will eliminate what we in the nursery business call ‘flat top’ or ‘bank jobs’ (have you ever noticed how the shrubs at a bank always look like boxes?!). I am convinced all those badly pruned shrubs are mortified at their appearance and wish they had a big evergreen they could hide behind. So, if a shrub in your yard is an attractive three feet tall and it grows a foot per season, prune the branches back by a foot at least. It will maintain its natural shape as it matures during the summer.

What NOT to Prune in Spring

Forsythia, quince, mockorange, lilacs, and all the other beautiful spring bloomers should not be pruned until after they bloom. These early flowers are borne on old wood. Last season the buds formed after the shrub put on all of its growth, and the shrub has held on to the buds all winter long. If you prune during the shrub’s spring dormancy, or, as in the case of my lovely quince, if the rabbits prune them all winter long, you will be cutting off this season’s flowers. Instead, wait until the flowers have passed and then take the pruners to them. Lilacs in particular should be pruned as soon as they are finished blooming.

Notice the forsythia buds on last season’s growth – prune after blooming

Likewise, quince blooms on last season’s wood and should be pruned after flowering

Onion Starts

March 30, 2017 by E. Schilling

We sell Onion Starts at the Garden Center each spring. These are little bareroot plants that were started from seed and harvested after growing for 6-8 weeks. They come to us dormant with dried roots. However, once planted, they plump up and turn bright green. We’ll have the following varieties for this season:

Red Wing – red onion, stores 8-10 months

Red River Sweet – red onion, super sweet, best eaten fresh during growing season

Walla Walla – white onion, famous, big bulb, sweet, short keeper that stores for 1-2 months

Highlander – white onion, good for long keeping

Lancelot Leeks – big, beautiful leeks great for cooking and soups

Onions growing in field — Onions prefer full sun, and moist, well-drained soil

Some planting tips:

Onion starts can be planted 4-5 weeks before the last spring freeze. So, that means get them out there with your peas and early greens.

Choose an area that gets full sun all day and prep your site by loosening the soil. Onions prefer to grow in loose, fertile soil that drains well. If it is compact add some compost and fork it in. Onions do well in a raised bed of sorts (or a raised row). A bed or row 4 inches high by 20 inches wide is good. Plant the onions either 2 or 4 inches apart. When planting, fertilize onions with a 10-20-10 fertilizer spreading at half a cup of fertilizer per 10 linear feet. Do not put the fertilizer directly on top of the onions; instead work it in the soil about 4 inches away from the onion. If you planted your onions 2 inches apart, thin them to 4 inches apart after 45 days and eat them as spring onions. This allows the others to mature to a larger size.

Onions ready to harvest — Fallen tops indicate onions are ready to harvest

Water thoroughly after planting, and as needed thereafter. Onions are shallow-rooted so they will dry out quickly. You never want the soil in your onion patch to be dry and cracked. Every 2-3 weeks fertilize the plants again with ammonium sulfate. Again, half a cup per 10 feet of row. Sprinkle it on top of the other fertilizer. No need to work it into the soil, but do be sure to water well after each application. Stop fertilizing when the onions start to bulb. You’ll know the bulb process is beginning when the soil starts to heave as the onions push it away from their base.

You can harvest your onions any time but if you want big flavorful bulbs wait until you see the green tops start to turn yellow or brown and fall over. This should happen roughly 3.5 months after planting. Now the fun starts. Go out early one sunny morning and pull the onions out of the ground. Leave them on the ground to dry in the sun for 2 days. They are dry enough for storing when the entire neck of the onion is dry all the way to the surface of the onion. You can then clip back the roots and cut the tops, leaving about one inch. They are now ready for eating or storing.

Onion braids are a beautiful garden gift

Another fun way to store onions is to cure them and then braid the dried tops instead of cutting them. A braid of onions is a lovely gift for a friend or neighbor! Here’s a video on how to make an onion braid.

It is important to research whether the onions you’re growing are best eaten fresh or if they are good for both fresh eating and storing. Not all onions are good keepers. And nothing smells worse than a bunch of rotten onions.

Bird Nests

March 22, 2017 by E. Schilling

Bird Nest in tree — Bird condos at Horsford’s

Spring has officially arrived as of March 20. Don’t let Stella’s snow deceive you – the new season is noticeable in recent longer days, warm sunny light, and cheerful bird songs. There are many birds in residence here on the nursery’s 50 acres, and on the adjoining acres of open fields and woodlands that reach all the way to the shores of Lake Champlain.

Empty nests abound and are clearly visible during the winter months when the trees are leafless. Some of our maples look like bird condominiums with as many as 5 nests in one tree. Rain, wind and snow can dislodge some of the nests and we will randomly find them looking rather forlorn on a foot path. It is interesting to examine the nests up close as the construction is so unique to each species.

Hanging nest in evergreen — Improvised building materials in an oriole’s nest

Some are slapped together (Mourning Dove) and I cannot figure out how the poor chicks manage not to fall to the ground. Others are elaborate pieces of art, intricately woven and plastered. Birds use all sorts of materials for nest building. Some birds seem to be very specific in their choices while others improvise using whatever is in sight.

Swifts, robins and swallows do often return to the same nesting sites. They may use the same nest or at least build a new one on top of the old. Eagles and herons spend their summers here and they usually reuse the same nest site, adding some new touches to last year’s nest. Most birds, however, build a whole new home for their eggs.

Bird Nest filled with Horse Chestnuts — A red squirrel’s cache of horse chestnuts in an abandoned robin nest

Other clever animals can repurpose the empty nests. A red squirrel used this sturdy Robin’s nest as a winter bin for food stores. Unfortunately it was dislodged during a recent building remodel.

The photo below was taken in Panama and shows nests woven by the Montezuma Oropendola, a bird native to the Caribbean coastal lowlands. The female weaves the nest which can hang 3 feet or more long. Often the nests are found at the very tips of branches near wasp nests. The delicate branches cannot support nest invaders and the sting of the wasp is a further deterrent. They prefer tall trees in the open, as monkeys are less likely to scale a single tree. Monkeys prefer the protection provided by multiple trees that they can travel across since they don’t like to cross open ground. The intricately woven nests are often found in groups, and can take about 10 days of work on the part of the female.

Montezuma Oropendola hanging nests — Exotic bird nests in Panama

Last year some of the Horsford Team here at the nursery decided to see how many different birds they could spot in one season. The only criteria was that the bird had to be identified by two individuals in order to make the list. Males and females were sited for at least half of the birds on the list. It is pretty impressive and I have included it at the end of this writing.

What nests have you spotted before? Learn more about identifying nests where you live with NestWatch.

Bird Sitings Recorded at Horsford’s – 2016

Killdeer, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Baltimore Oriole, Purple Finch, American Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Belted Kingfisher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Scarlet Tanager, American Redstart, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Robin, Common Grackle, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Flicker, Chimney Swift, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Wild Turkey