Garden Blog

Saffron in October

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

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

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

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

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

More Nests from Around the Nursery

Bird nest

All About Paperbark Maple

by Horsford Team

People often walk up to a Paperbark Maple growing in our fields and ask “What kind of birch is this?” They are always surprised by the answer, “It’s a maple!” Why the confusion? The Paperbark Maple is so named for its beautiful cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark. Huge curls peel back to reveal a lighter, rosy-brown inner bark.

Paperbark Maple bark Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) was first introduced in the United States in 1907 by Ernest Henry Wilson who collected seedlings of the tree during a plant finding expedition in China. Two of these seedlings were planted at the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts where they are still thriving today. Between 1927 and 1945, seedlings were distributed to nurseries throughout the United States. The tree has become a popular specimen in American landscapes.

So why should you grow it? It has many appealing attributes beyond its gorgeous bark. This is a small tree, growing between 20-30 feet tall, with an interesting branch structure that does not require pruning to maintain. The small cut-leaf leaves are not typical of what one thinks of as a maple leaf. Rather, each leaf is comprised of three leaflets that are an attractive, lush green until late autumn when they turn a brilliant orange-red (a lovely subject for watercolor).

Paperbark Maples are easy to grow. They prefer average, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. While they will be slower to mature, they will tolerate clay soils. Even though a Paperbark Maple does not compare in height or width to the Sugar Maple, it can still be considered a shade tree and is especially useful in small yards or as a focal point in a garden where it can be underplanted with perennials, short-growing shrubs, and bulbs.