Have a Gardening Question? ASK A MASTER GARDENER!
Are you curious about vegetable gardening? Puzzled about what flowers to grow? Wondering what is the best way to get rid of those yucky worms in your cherries? “Lettuce” help you answer your gardening questions.
The Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners are still giving advice even though we can’t meet you in person, due to the current Covid-19 restrictions. We are offering contact and online resources in the following ways:
· Our website: https://www.mgabc.org “Ask a Master Gardener”
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The Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners Association (TSMGA) is a not-for- profit, charitable organization that provides information about gardening to the community and educates the public about environmentally responsible gardening practices.
GROWING SPRING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS #1
Corene McKay, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
Do you want to grow vegetables but you don’t have space for a large garden? Or maybe you don’t have a lot of time right now, and you want a small, simple project? If you have even a small amount of space that gets some sunlight, you can grow vegetables in containers. And if you want to start now you’re in luck, because it’s time to grow spring vegetables.
Vegetables to plant outside in early spring
Some vegetables, like tomatoes and basil, will die if planted outside in early spring, but others grow best in the cooler weather of spring. Some cool season vegetables you can plant now are radishes, peas, beets, and leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, mustards, arugula, and kale. If you aren’t sure when a vegetable can be planted outside, check the instructions on the seed package, or look up how to grow the vegetable on the internet or in a book.
Today I’m planting two containers, and I’ve chosen dwarf snap peas, radishes, arugula, and lettuce to go in them. When you’re choosing your seeds, try to find smaller varieties, for example dwarf or bush pea plants that will only get a few feet tall. Also, if you’re planting different vegetables in the same container, consider how quickly each vegetable grows. The radishes I’m planting with lettuce will be ready to pick before the lettuce gets to full size, and then the lettuce will have more room to grow
GROWING SPRING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS #2
Corene McKay, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
There is only one rule for containers – they must have drainage holes. Everything will go badly if your containers can’t drain. Most vegetables also need a reasonable amount of room to grow; your containers should be at least 9 to 12 inches (23 – 30 cm) deep. You can use fancy containers from the garden centre, or custom build beautiful cedar boxes, or you can use old rubbermaid bins or large dish pans (remember to drill holes in the bottom!). Your plants won’t mind what you use as long as they have enough room to grow.
I’m using some old potting soil I found in my garden supplies, but it’s not the best option because it contains peat, which is mined from ancient peat bogs and is not a sustainable resource. Talk to the staff at your local garden centre about better options like sea soil and/or coco coir container mixes. If you do want to use regular potting soil, your garden centre can help you select a good one for growing vegetables, or you can mix your own.
If you are planting peas you will need something for them to climb. My dwarf peas are supposed to get up to two feet (60 cm) tall, so I’ve put in some sticks that will be long enough for them
GROWING SPRING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS #3
Corene McKay, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
The Care and Feeding of your Container Vegetable Garden
Your container garden will need light, water, fertilizer, and protection from extreme weather. The cool season vegetables need less light than heat loving vegetables like tomatoes, but try to give them at least four to six hours a day of sunlight. They will appreciate some shade during hot sunny afternoons. Your containers will dry out faster than gardens in the ground, and will need to be watered more often, sometimes twice a day in hot weather. Because you will be watering so often, the nutrients will be washed out of the soil in your containers, and you will need to fertilize your plants. The simplest way to fertilize is to use a balanced organic fertilizer at half-strength once a week.
Even though spring vegetables enjoy cooler weather, keep an eye on the forecast. If there is going to be frost or a storm, move your containers somewhere protected, or cover them to keep your vegetables safe.
If your vegetables become too crowded as they grow, remove some to give the rest more space. Don’t forget that you can eat beet tops, radish tops, and pea shoots, and leafy greens can be harvested a few leaves at a time. If you eat all your spring vegetables by the beginning of June, you can reuse your containers to plant summer vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, and basil.
For more information about growing vegetables in containers, The Bountiful Container by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey, is a helpful book that explains how to grow many vegetables, edible flowers, herbs, and fruit.
HOW TO ERADICATE THE CREEPING BELLFLOWER FROM YOUR YARD
Pat Johannson, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
PLANT TYPE Perennial
SIZE Low growing clumped foliage in spring, grows to 1 m tall flowering spike in early summer
LEAVES Heart-shaped in early stage becoming lance-shaped, tooth-edged and coarse textured
BLOOMS Begin on lower stem
Creeping Bellflower has an extensive root system that turns any attempt at creeping bellflower eradication into a major challenge. If that’s not enough, creeping bellflower also regenerates by seed. In fact, the plants spread by sending down roots into every nook and cranny of the garden, including secluded shady spots, and produce between 3,000 and 15,000 seeds every year. It’s easy to see how this invasive weed can quickly get out of control. Avoid introducing this plant to your yard through wildflower seed mixes and potted plants, and ensure purchased Campanula species are NOT C. rapunculoides.
HOW TO REMOVE Creeping Bellflower in your gardens and yards:
Remove plants as they appear in your yard by digging out as much root as possible. Be sure to dig at least 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) deep and several inches around the plant. If you leave any tiny chunks of the tuber-like roots behind, the plant will regrow. Spraying with vinegar will probably not be too effective.
Dispose of all removed plant parts by bagging and sending to the landfill (never compost this species!).
Try to look only for organic means to eradicate the plant. Smothering and continuous deep weeding techniques are good. Cover the patch with several layers of newspaper, then top the paper with a generous layer of soil and mulch. Eventually the plant weakens and dies.
TRANSPLANTING RASPBERRY CANES
Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
Raspberries are easy to move/replant – but not sure that your driveway beds are a good choice to start with. Are the beds ground level or do you mean planter boxes? Raspberries need soil, they spread by root with new shoots and would invade your driveway, they also are not attractive to walk by (except when in eating season). They need to be staked/supported or they will fall over with fruit.
The berry stalks replace themselves every year with new shoots in the spring. Last year’s canes need to be cut back in late fall or early spring. Better to have an area that is dedicated to growing the canes - without being in a traffic area.
RASPBERRY VARIETIES IN KAMLOOPS
Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
There are choices to be made about whether you want a summer variety that will produce bountiful harvests, good for freezing/jam production for about 6 weeks – end of June/July or would you like to try a ever-bearing variety that produces usually smaller crops but will provide through the summer into September. These are nice to have for children or just snack eating.
Here are a few suggestions for your area. Raspberries generally produce well anywhere with attention to zone and soil. The Dallas area in Kamloops (zone 6) will provide a choice of many varieties. They need some space, good soil, some sun and maintenance.
The summer varieties that do well here are Tulameen, Malahat and Boyne with large berries and good flavor.
Ever-bearing varieties that are fun and do well would be a FallGold (yellow, sweet berries) or similar gold varieties.
There are other small space, designer, and heritage varieties and several colors - from the expected red to black and gold and in between.
This year is a bit more difficult to go shopping around but I believe that the garden centers (Art Knapps, Lyons) will have plants to choose from. I was just at Ollek nurseries and there was no line up and there seemed to be plenty of bedding plants and berries available.
I am not sure how many varieties will be on site this year? Do try to visit a couple of garden centers to see what they have and the staff generally can give you more information.
HOW TO GROW A JACKAMANNI CLEMATIS
We live on the South Thompson River in Kamloops, zone 6.
Which is the best way for us to grow a Jackamanni clematis. We lost last year’s clematis and so are ready to replace it. Because our yard is xeriscaped it is hard to dig down into the earth. I know that clematis like warm tops and cool feet so if I plant it in a large pot above ground is there anything else I should be doing. Concerned that the pot might get too hot and the roots will die.
Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.
RESPONSE BY Rob MacLaren, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
You already seem to have a good knowledge about your Clematis, but maybe there are a few things you might have overlooked:
It is essential that the roots remain cool (you already know that) and moist, so to accomplish that you need to have the roots protected with a heavy mulch but keep it from touching the stem or rot could occur. You could also protect the roots with the shade of low growing plants like Artemisia, Silver Mound.
If you plant in a large pot, you need to think about what it will do its climbing on. Some sort of trellis perhaps, installed before you plant. Another thing to think about is what will you do with the pot and clematis in the winter. If the container is not well protected the roots will freeze and that will be it.
The pot you plant it in and its location should allow for at least 6 hours of full sun with some light shading in the hottest part of the day and good air circulation to prevent mildew.
And lastly, your clematis requires that the soil be well drained and rich with a pH near neutral. The soil should be peaty but not too acidic with added bone meal and compost in the top couple of inches.
Good luck and Happy Gardening!
ESPALIER FRUIT TREES
Pat Johannson, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
Thank you for your question regarding fruit trees and espalier.
Espalier is an art and requires that one becomes fairly well-educated on the nature of tree growth, fruiting and pruning. I would recommend getting a good book or studying several reputable sites on-line before attempting to espalier anything. This link is to a site at Oregon State University: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/pnw400/html
This article contains detailed basic information on how to get started with espalier and mentions how to prune specific varieties of trees.
As for books, I suggest The Cavendish Encyclopedia of Pruning and Training: A Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual by C. Brickell and D. Joyce DK Books, 1996.
It is important to choose your trees carefully. Apple (eg. Golden Delicious), and pear (Kieffer), are the usual choices for espalier and the easiest for getting started, but you can espalier any variety of fruit tree.
To get started with espalier, the site and the support are the most important things to consider.
Any dwarf apple or pear variety will do but you need to start with a young tree; a two-year old tree would be perfect.
The good news is some garden centers sell already started espalier trees. These are usually cordon trained and have three tiers already established. I would recommend starting this way especially if a suitable young tree cannot be found.
Apricot and nectarine are self-fruiting. Plum trees are not self-fruitful and need another of the same species nearby for pollen transfer.
Apples and pears create flowering spurs and so they produce fruit on an existing fruiting spur (in the same spot) from year to year. That is why they are easy to espalier. Once the spurs are established you prune out the unwanted growth. Note: This should always be done in mid-summer (July) and never in the late winter or spring as pruning at these times will stimulate growth and the point of espalier is to control growth.
Apricots and peaches on the other hand flower on new wood from the previous year’s growth. This means they need to be pruned to stimulate growth while being trained at the same time. Tricky. Dwarf or semi-dwarf trees are best for small spaces. You will need about 8 feet of linear space in a well-drained spot (fruit trees do not like their roots to sit in water).
You mentioned that the site is in full sun (At least 6 hours of light per day is required).
Fertilizers higher in phosphorous will help with blooming and fruiting. Our soils are generally high in phosphorous and so the addition of bone meal is not necessary... it is in fact a gardening myth, according to Lina Chalker-Scott, The Informed Gardener Blooms Again p. 104.)
Espaliered trees can be grown:
- against a wall but on a support system that allows for proper air circulation around the tree;
- along a fence, trellis or pergola;
- Across a set of free-standing posts and horizontal wires.
SHADY PLOT GARDENING
Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
There are not many perennial food plants that will produce in a shady spot – Zone 4. It sounds like you are up in elevation compared to the valley of Kamloops and are starting with some good berries and fruits.
I have a couple of suggestions that might work for you.
Rhubarb will grow almost anywhere with a good, rich soil and plenty of water. The plants will benefit with the addition of compost around the plants.
Asparagus is another possibility. It will take a couple of years to be productive and requires a deep soil and compost as well.
There are some ‘wild’ plants such as comfrey and several herbs (oregano, sage, mints etc.) that should return each year.
It would be easiest to consider some annual vegetables/or just make it into more of an herb garden without planning on having the plants survive the winter.
Many greens (lettuce, spinach, chard, collards and kale) should do well enough in that situation to provide at least some summer eating.
Cucumbers and Asian cabbage (pak choi varieties) may also do well.
NEW LAWN
I live in Lone Butte, just north of Kamloops. The snow on my lawn finally melted a few days ago. Last fall I planted a new lawn by seeding and fertilizing and it is just coming up green now. I wondered if this was a good time for "overseeding". I have lots of seed left and thought I could just distribute it on the lawn to help it grow thicker. Is this the right time to do it?
I also wondered why the lawn has a lot of spots on it that look like the grass is dead. Is this normal for a new lawn or is it because of the fertilizer I put on it last fall or could there be another reason. Should I do anything at this time or just wait until the lawn starts to really grow now that it has warmed up
RESPONSE BY Rob MacLaren, Thompson Shuswap Master Gardener in Training
Thank you for posting your question to us. Happy to hear that spring has finally come to Lone Butte.
No doubt you received good advice as to the preparation of the soil, and the seeding you did last fall as you are seeing the fruits of your labor.
Now is a good time to repair the new lawn so the grass comes in evenly.
Regarding the over-seeding possibility, if you broadcast the seed in only one direction and your lawn is coming up 'thin looking' you can certainly go ahead and spread more seed but try to do it 45 degrees to the first seeding. This will help to fill in the thin areas.
The areas that look dead, probably are, and likely caused by the winter conditions. You should rake these areas over and remove the dead grass as the seeds need to contact the soil in order to germinate properly. I would suggest that you re-seed these places, roll the areas and water.
You must maintain a regular watering schedule – water lightly and frequently to maintain even moisture on the newly seeded areas.
Do not cut the lawn until there is enough grass to cut, usually after about 5 weeks of growth and then only cut it back to 2.5 inches to 3 inches in height. After the new lawn is established, maintain the mower height at 2.5 to 3 inches to promote vigorous growth and water deeply and infrequently to promote deep roots. A dense, deep root system is important to support top growth in grass. Grass needs about 1 inch of water per week to thrive. You can set a tuna can out on the lawn that is being watered and time how long it takes to fill the tuna can to 1 inch – this will be the length of time that you will sprinkle in order to maintain a healthy lawn.
Be careful with too much fertilizer on a new lawn as it can burn the grass. The best fertilizer for a new lawn would be a starter fertilizer with a high phosphorus ratio. The nitrogen ratio should not be too high as it will make the seedlings grow too fast and weak and subject to disease. Look for a fertilizer with a slow-release form of nitrogen. Phosphorus promotes root growth and development for a strong and dense lawn.
With a good lawn maintenance program your lawn should give you pleasure for many years.
PLANTING IN A SILTY SLOPE
Thank you for taking my question. I live in Dallas with a hillside facing North, so not a lot of sun till the afternoon.
We have been here 10 years and the bank is silt, every time i plant something it does not last till the next year 75% of the time, even thou everytime i change the soil by
- digging a hole
- add potting soil, sometimes manure
- bone meal
- lots of water
- placing some silt back on top to keep soil weighted
We have done okay with Spirea and tulips and iris, but my Thistle, poppy, lavendar, ornamental grasses, hostas never comes back. I have probably thrown away hundreds of dollars over the years.
We now created another bank by our house with a bit more stones and pebbles in there so question:
What is the best thing to plant to get ground coverage to cover the bank which is all sand/silt right now, however, we did throw down some clover seeds (not cheap 25% a bag) that is taking.
Thank so much for your reply.
RESPONSE BY Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
It sounds like you have made a sensible attempt at making a flowering area with your slope, shade and silty soil.
I am surprised that Hostas did not survive as it seems to be the right conditions for them and they are generally really hardy.
I do have a couple of other suggestions that you may want to try and a bit of information about watering. It is possible that there has either been too much or too little for the plants to root well and not survive the winter. The silty soil also may not need addition of nutrients (manure) but would be best to add a compost layer on top of the soil.
Silty soil has numerous tiny air spaces where water can pool that’s why it’s better at water retention than sandy soil. Because it’s good at holding on to water, silty soil tends to become waterlogged like clay soil. To prevent this, avoid overwatering your beds and plots.
Overwatering clogs air pockets, and the lack of breathing space chokes the roots. Too much water in the soil causes rotting roots, which appear as brown, black, grey, or slimy. And because the roots are damaged, they can’t take in the nutrients needed by the plants to survive. (Besides, working silty soil while it’s too wet can damage it and like clay soil, may take a very long while to rehabilitate.)
Overwatering is usually due to repeated watering but if you’re too wary of drowning your plants, there’s a chance that you might be watering too lightly as well.
When plants don’t get enough water, the roots don’t burrow deep enough so they become prone to drought stress. Shallow plant roots will be competing with weeds for nutrients because the latter also love water that’s near the soil surface.
How do you know when it’s the right time to water? When you pinch the topsoil, it’s dry to the touch. You’re drowning your plants if they have light green leaves that’s an unnatural color to the plant, or the foliage is wilted despite the fact that you’ve been watering regularly.
Lastly, make sure that you give the soil time to dry in between watering sessions. This will allow the roots to dig deeper into the soil, avoiding shallow rooting.
With that in mind, here are a couple of other possibilities for your new area that should do well:
Ferns – there are several varieties available at the larger garden centers eg.(Art Knapps) and they should do well in those conditions. Ferns do vary in hardiness – do check with staff.
Vinca (periwinkle) - These plants spread quickly and should thrive in the shade and soil an on a slope. Little care is needed and there are different flowering colors and varieties.
Cranesbill geranium – these are also hardy, nicely flowered, spreading perennials that should also do well in your garden area.
VERTICAL STRAWBERRY PALLET GARDEN
I want to make a vertical strawberry pallet garden. I’m wondering about the best way to keep the plants moist in our Kamloops climate.
I plan to stand it up next to our shed facing east so it would be in shade in the afternoon as the sun moves west.
Would it be good to line the pockets/shelves where I would put the plants with some moss?
RESPONSE BY Rob MacLaren, Master Gardener in Training
Thanks for getting in touch with us for some advice. I admire your desire to reuse something that is usually tossed or burnt. They can be reused in so many ways. Your choice is one that many do. The use of a pallet offers a couple of important options that traditional gardens don't. The most important thing is that they are usually more or less mobile which allows you to follow the sun (if you need to). The other thing is that the use of a pallet reduces the space needed to create your garden.
I see that there are several main pallet re-designs, with the main two being, the modification of the pallet so that when you stand it up there are actual shelves inside; and, the other option is to create pockets inside each open row where you put the plants. Wire mesh or chicken wire can be used to help hold moss and soil in place.
Back to your question, yes I do think it would be wise to line the pockets/shelves with moss as your correct assumption implies to hold in moisture. But you do not want the plants to stay too wet. Good drainage is also important. The soil you choose is also important; before you plant, ensure the soil is amended with good compost and well composed manure, this will ensure the plants have the best opportunity to grow.
Something else to consider, when watering, if your pallet is a standup version, that the plants at the top will likely dry out first as the water drains down. You will need to regularly watch for this.
Good luck and enjoy the 'fruits' of your labour.
Any advice would be appreciated.
RESPONSE BY Pat Johannson, Master Gardener in Training
major pest of potato crops in our area. Both larvae and adults eat the leaves and blossoms and can
strip the plant down to a skeleton. They may also attack tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.
- one of the first and most effective thing you can do is to go on the offensive and pluck the slow-moving beetles off your plants and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. This is easiest to accomplish on a sunny, warm day when the pests are out . Be sure to wear gloves, and wash your hands afterwards. The bugs contain a chemical that may irritate your skin.
- Attract beneficial insects to your garden; ladybugs, bees and earthworms, by planting flowers amongst your potato crops. Examples include Butterfly bush, Phlox, Anise, Hyssop and Asters.
- Rotating your potato or tomato crops every year is a good strategy to reduce beetle outbreaks. The beetles frequently overwinter in the soil. You can enhance the success of crop rotation by mulching with straw early in the season.
- Line trenches between potato rows with plastic to trap adults. A recent study found that trenches with walls sloping at greater than 46 degrees will retain an average of 84% of all adults caught. Punch small holes in plastic for drainage to avoid mosquitoes.
- Apply Diatomaceous Earth to areas where the bugs are found. It is made from thefossilized remains of tiny freshwater algae-like creatures called diatoms. A mild abrasive, it kills insects within 48 hours of contact. This will have to be re-applied after rain or watering.
More information is available at potatobeetle.org
ALYSSUM (Lobularia)
Can you identify this plant for me. I have seen it here in Salmon Arm growing in lawns. (Scroll down to see picture of plant.)
RESPONSE BY Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
Thanks for sending us your question.
In my humble opinion, this looks like a variety of Alyssum (Lobularia). This is a common annual plant that is widely used in flower gardens for its long lasting bloom, hardiness, color and fragrance. It easily reseeds itself into cracks and between paving stones – or in a lawn. It would be blooming now (spring), preferring a sunny location and well drained soil.
There are also wildflower varieties that vary in leaf shape, size and color that can also be found in the Salmon Arm area.
Hope this is helpful. It also attracts pollinators to the garden, which is a good thing for us all.
BONE MEAL / EPSOM SALTS
I'm curious to what your groups verdict is on adding bone meal and/of epsom salts to soil as amendments. I heard on a farming podcast that bone meal isn't proven to add any extra needed nutrients and that epsom salts aren't necessary either.
RESPONSE BY Brenda Olynyk, Master Gardener
This is a good question and the information can be confusing. Master Gardeners agree that the addition of Bone meal or Epsom salts are not necessary.
The only sure way to know if you should apply Bone meal or Epsom salts to your garden is to test a soil sample for nutrient deficiencies. Garden dirt that is not deficient in Phosphorus or Magnesium not only doesn’t need to be amended and the soil may be harmed by its addition.
Soil teems with microbes that work in tandem with nutrients to provide plants with the energy they need to thrive. Per the Colorado State University Extension, the application of phosphorus (Bone meal) to soil that doesn’t need it may result in chlorosis, a yellowing of leaves due to impaired chlorophyll production.
From <https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/composting/bone-meal-friend-foe/
In addition, it may destroy essential mycorrhizal-forming fungi, and soil’s ability to take up vital nutrients like iron.
The Master Gardener Garden Notes of the Colorado State University Extension on organic fertilizers state, “phosphorus from bone meal is only available to plants in soils that have a pH below 7.0.” If your soil pH is above 7.0, or on the alkaline side of neutral, the phosphorus in this type of organic fertilizer is unavailable for uptake by plant roots.
Kamloops soils are generally alkaline, the PH is above 7.
Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) is a normally occurring mineral consisting of magnesium and sulphur.
A plant suffering from magnesium deficiency cannot manufacture chlorophyll and leaves begin to lose their normal, green color. A deficiency is
most common on acidic, sandy soils.
Most of the purported benefits of Epsom salts, especially for use by home gardeners are not based on scientific evidence. It is safe to assume that in most gardens soil will benefit from the application of organic matter (well rotted manure or compost), adequate water and sunlight.
