The March edition of the K-State Garden Hour has been posted. If you are interested in learning more about how to care for houseplants and some fun new varieties, check out this recording.
By: Cassie Thiessen
Tag: Gardening
Container Gardening
Container Gardening is easy and often less maintenance then having many flower beds. Container combinations should be carefully thought out to have a striking display. This video goes over how to care for flower container gardens and how to design them for all seasons.
By: Cassie Thiessen
Starting Seeds Indoors
Discover the fun of starting your gardening season off early by growing your own bedding plants indoors. Learn the steps to growing healthy plants you can transplant into the garden this spring. Gregg Eyestone will explain how to save money growing those hard-to-find plants you want in your garden this year!
By: Cassie Thiessen
Growing Blueberries in Containers
Growing blueberries in containers is becoming more popular. Chosen varieties are usually half-high plants that are a cross between highbush and lowbush blueberry species. Plants can be as small as 18 inches tall and wide (Top Hat), but typically are larger. Here are several tips for producing container grown blueberries:
Acid soil pH: Blueberries need an acid pH between 4.8 and 5.2. Sphagnum peat moss is very acidic and often used in large quantities in soil mixes for acid-loving plants. In fact, blueberries can be grown in peat moss alone if nutrients are provided, but that is an involved process. A 50/50 mix of peat moss and potting soil is recommended. This will provide nutrients and weight so the plant is less likely to blow over in wind.
Container size: Though containers as small as 2 gallons can be used for half-high blueberries, a larger container will be more stable in the wind and provide a larger moisture reserve during hot, dry weather.
Watering: Blueberries do not have root hairs, so they are not efficient in picking up water. Potting soil should be kept moist. This will likely be the most challenging aspect of growing blueberries in containers. A large container will not need to be watered as frequently as a small one.
Winter care: Though plants are winter hardy, the roots are not. Move pots into an unheated, attached garage or bury them in the soil or mulch enough to bury the pot in early November. Water them periodically during the winter. Use your finger to determine if the soil is moist one inch deep. If not, then water until some flows out the bottom of the pot.
Varieties: Though blueberries will produce some fruit if only a single variety is grown, two varieties will increase the potential fruit crop. Suggested varieties include Top Hat and Northsky. Each should reach about 18 inches high, though Northsky will likely grow wider than Top Hat. Northblue is another choice that should produce more fruit than either Top Hat or Northsky but should reach 2 to 3 feet high. North Country is intermediate in size at 18 to 24 inches high and should produce a moderate amount of fruit.
Wind protection: Wind protection will decrease the amount of water these plants need and reduce the chances of leaf scorch.
Exposure: Blueberries do best with a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. Try a northern or eastern exposure that is protected from the wind.
By: Cassie Thiessen
Planting Peas in the Garden
If you are tired of winter and hunger for spring, try planting peas when the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees. Peas can be planted extremely early, or you can also wait and plant them until about mid-April. Peas are an early cool season crop and need to be harvested before the heat of summer sets in.
There are several types of peas we can plant in Kansas. Probably the most common is the shelling pea, and the old standard in this group is Little Marvel. Though Little Marvel is still on our recommended list, we have several others that do well including Green Arrow, Knight, Maestro, Burpeeana and Mr. Big. All of these are early maturing types that allow us to harvest a crop before the hot weather arrives and stops production.
Snow peas are those commonly used in stir-fry that have a crisp edible pod. Recommended varieties include Dwarf Grey Sugar and Mammoth Melting Sugar. Sugar snap peas resemble shelling peas but have a thick, fleshy pod and can be eaten fresh, steamed or cooked. Like snow peas, they are not shelled but eaten pod and all. We recommend Sugar Bon, Sugar Ann, Super Sugar Snap and Sugar Sprint.
Peas should be planted shallow, about one-half inch deep, to encourage rapid germination and emergence. Seed in the row should be spaced 2 inches apart. Many people often plant two rows 6 to 8 inches apart so the floppy plants can support one another. For some older varieties, this may not be enough. They may need trellising to support the growing vines. Fencing may be needed to keep rabbits away.
More information on planting peas:
By: Cassie Thiessen
K-State Garden Hour
K-State Garden Hour is ready to kick off the season with some fun, educational programs. The first webinar will be on Wednesday- January 4th, 2023. Reno County Horticulture Extension Agent, Pam Paulsen will discuss Gardening Myths and Misconceptions.
Your one-time, free, registration will sign you up for all 12 webinars.
Register here:
http://ksre-learn.com/KStateGardenHour
By: Cassie Thiessen
Attracting Birds to Your Backyard
Bird watching is a fun hobby and can be a way to connect with nature in the cold winter months. For more information on how to attract birds to your landscape, watch this Kansas Healthy Yards Video:
By: Cassie Thiessen
