 A Worm's Eye View - NOVEMBER 2009
by Editor: Elena North
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As I sit here in my Adirondack chair on this glorious Indian summer day, it is a perfect time to reflect back on my last 2 years as President of this Society. The time has gone quickly but there are instances that certainly remain as memories of my term. One memory I hold is the wonderful event we had of Coffee in Templin Gardens where we planted the Gingko tree to commemorate the Society’s 150th and the Town of Fergus’s 175th Anniversaries. I hope to see this tree grow for many years and have future generations enjoy its shade. I had the opportunity to work with many members of the Society to hold two very successful plant sales and two wonderful garden tours. It also was an opportunity to work together with various departments of the township and members of the community. This makes our community a better place to live.
On the downside, there are always more things that one hoped to achieve but was not able to do due to lack of time or the time was not right. I missed not being able to work with the Diggin' in the Dirt gang on Tuesday morning. They have a great time and then enjoy fellowship with coffee afterwards.
All in all, I am pleased with the last 2 years and look forward to my term as Past President. I am sure I will have no problem finding activities to be involved in but I will leave the helm in the hands of our upcoming President Helen Lacroix. Thank you to the members of my executive. It has been great working with all of you. Thank you to the members of the Society for your kind words of “great meeting” and “leadership".
Have a great winter and get ready to plan for a new year of gardening.
Kathy
BILLBOARD.
Our final membership tally is 120. At the October meeting, we welcomed Pat MacDougald.
December 1 is the deadline for the Society’s photo competition. Details are on page 19 of the yearbook; winners will be announced at the January 20 meeting. Outside the contest, please send your a photos to fergushortsociety@hotmail.com for posting on the website.
FEATURE ARTICLE: Brightening winter days with forced bulbs
One way to relieve the grey days to come is to coax or ‘force’ bulbs to bloom indoors. The actual forcing begins when the bulbs are removed from a cool, root-growing environment into warmth and light, triggering the growth of leaves and flowers. Most bulbs will require about 3 or 4 weeks of sunshine and warmth from the time they are removed from cold storage before they bloom.
Bulbs may be divided into two types, hardy and tender. Tender bulbs do not require the same cooling period as hardy bulbs and will grow and bloom naturally in a warm room. These include Amaryllis and Freesia, paperwhite Narcissus and Chinese sacred lily. Hyacinths too can be bought partially pre-cooled and thus more quickly brought to flower. Given the time of year, tender bulbs are your best bet for holiday blooms.
For Amaryllis, the Hippeastrum:
1.Use a pot that is only slightly larger than the bulb and leave approximately one inch between the bulb and the edge of the flower pot.
2.Using well-drained potting soil amended with peat or vermiculite, plant the bulb so that the roots are in the soil, while the top 2/3 of the bulb are visible.
3. Place the potted bulb in a warm, well-lit place and water well. Increase the amount of water as the plant grows and keep the soil damp. Rotate the pot every few days to prevent the stalk leaning toward the light and keep it upright.
4 .When the plant flowers, extend the life of the blossoms by moving the plant to a cooler, shaded location.
For paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta) and Chinese sacred lily (Narcissus tazetta var orientalis ), choose a shallow container and pot in gravel.
1. Place bulbs on a layer of gravel and carefully fill in enough gravel to hold bulbs but not cover them. A crowded grouping will be the most attractive.
2. Add water to the container. It should go just to the base of the bulbs, but not touching the bulbs. Place container in a sunny spot. You should see roots in a day or so, and flowers in three to five weeks.
Hydroponic forcing (from Martha Stewart Living)
Hyacinths, crocuses and narcissus can be made to flower using water as the planting medium. ‘Hyacinth glasses’ are specially shaped containers that suspend the bulb over the water but you may experiment with any container that’s sturdy enough to hold the bulb above water, while providing rooms for root development below. Make sure it won’t tip over. The bulbs will flower about 6 weeks after you put them in water, so if you need blossoms for an occasion, count backward to determine the planting time.
1. Place a bulb in its glass or other vessel and add water until it reaches the bulb's bottom.
2 . Put the bulbs in a cool (40 F to 55 F), dark place until roots develop and leaves begin to sprout, about 3 to 4 weeks. Below 40 F, the bulbs will remain dormant. Above 55 F, they could rot. Basements and garages often provide the ideal conditions. Check the bulbs to be sure that the water level is high enough, and change the water periodically.
3. Once foliage begins to develop, move the bulbs to a slightly warmer (65 F), sunlit spot for flowering; a north-facing window is perfect. Turn them daily to prevent leaning, and change the water regularly, tipping the liquid out and replacing it with fresh, lukewarm water.
4. After about 2 weeks, you will have gorgeous perfumed flowers that will last (in a cool spot) another 2 weeks. Once the blooms have browned and died, throw them out; they will not rebloom.
Hardy bulbs
Tulips, daffodils, irises are classed as hardy meaning they require a cooling period of 12 to 14 or even 16 weeks for root development. Ideally they should be potted up successively between late September (for January bloom) and November 15 (mid-March and later bloom). Forcing these bulbs is not too difficult, provided you plan ahead.
1 .Get a journal or calendar to keep track of planting dates, cooling periods and when to transfer your pot(s) into warmth and light.
2. Choose your bulbs (miniature daffodils are considered to be the best hardy types for forcing at home), an appropriate container (a 6-8” pot is a popular size for forcing bulbs, generally holding 3 hyacinths, 6 daffodils or tulips or 15 crocuses) and potting soil. Starting with a layer of gravel and a half-filled pot, position bulbs and add soil around them so that the bulbs are ½” to an inch below the soil, the tips just visible. If you are planting multiple bulbs in one pot, don’t be afraid to crowd them; it stimulates root growth. Make sure tulip bulbs are planted with the flat side out so that the first large leaf will drape over the pot.
3. Water the pots thoroughly and place them in a cool place (the refrigerator if you have room, an unheated basement or a cold frame; alternatively, dig the pots into a trench outside) for at least 12 weeks in temperatures between 40 and 50 F for root development. Even longer is better, for the longer bulbs are in the cold the longer the stems will be.
4. After 12 to 16 weeks rooting time in a cool, dark environment, move the pots to indirect sunlight at about 60°F to trigger leaf and flower growth. When the shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall, move the pots to a sunny window to stimulate blooming. A temperature of about 68°F is ideal at this stage. Most bulbs require three to four weeks from the time they are removed from cold storage before they bloom. When buds take on color, return them to indirect sunlight to make the blossoms last. Don’t allow the soil to dry out. To retard blooming, move the pots out of direct sunlight to a cooler spot until you want growth resumed. After flowering, hardy bulbs should be planted outdoors where they may rebloom within a year or two.
More information on bulbs may be found on the website of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center for North America: http://www.bulb.com/.
GIFTS FOR GARDENERS Inspired by the current issue of Canadian Gardening, here are 10 gifts for the gardeners on your Christmas list, most available locally and all costing $20 or less
1. The obvious - a live plant: cyclamen, poinsettia, amaryllis and hyacinth for forcing. Various prices at local establishments (our sponsors - LittleTree Horticultural & Cedar Springs Garden Centre) or at Zehrs, Zellers or Price Chopper.
2. A subscription to Canadian Gardening Magazine $20 (a saving of $2.95) if you call 1-800-303-5557.
3. Garden flags by Grand Flags, $14.99 and $19.99 at Country Forge, St. Andrew St. West near Wilkins.
4. From Lee Valley, cold weather gardening gloves: Atlas Glove’s Therma-Fit puncture-resistant gloves have latex-covered palms and fingers for water resistance and a napped liner and backing for warmth. Item AH161 to 167 depending on size; $7.95 plus taxes, shipping and handling, from http://www.leevalley.com/ , 1-800-267-8767,or at the Burlington store, 3060 Davidson Court off Guelph Line, north of the QEW.
5. Also from Lee Valley, a Windowsill Seed Starting Kit, including 24 cells and a capillary mat for watering, $19.95 for one; $17.80 for 3 or more, plus taxes, S&H..
6. For hands, Bag Balm, a topical balm created in 1899 to sooth cow udders after milking, comes in an attractive tin and is a perfectstocking stuffer. Available at Sharpe Farm Supplies, 285 Beatty Line North for $8.95. Sharpe’s also stocks garden tools.
7. In the kitchen, The Endurance Herb Scissors make simple work of cutting and chopping herbs. The unusual blade design features a set of five 3” blades that allow you to cut, chop or mince herbs conveniently & quickly. $15.00 each at From the Kitchen to the Table, 125 Broadway Avenue (north side), Orangeville.
8. For fireside reading, any of the excellent Lone Pine guides, available at LittleTree Nursery on Hwy. 6 north for $18.95 plus tax. LittleTree also stocks a kit of a hyacinth glass with bulb and paperwhite narcissus for immediate forcing, to be followed by poinsettias and other plants for Christmas.
9. Calendars and planners from Roxanne’s Reflections, including the Sierra Club agenda and Wayne Bridge’s “Year in Ontario”; various prices.
10. A membership to the Fergus and District Horticultural Society. Just $10! Contact Meg (519-843-7781) or Elena (519-787-7717).
BOOK OF THE MONTH The Flora of Wellington County: Dr. Richard Frank and Alan Anderson $20
This project of the Wellington County Historical society is a must for anyone interested in the history of landforms and habitats that surround us. In what surely was a labour of love, the authors combed historical survey records and supplied their own research to offer a sobering account of man’s impact on the natural landscape of the county.
Horticulturalists will surely be interested in the detailed lists of indigenous trees and plants, alien species, with their dates of introduction into the county and native rare plants with known sites. Available from the Wellington County Historical Society, the Museum gift shop and Roxanne’s Reflections, this too would make a wonderful gift for the serious gardener.
THE NOVEMBER GARDENER
Given the weather we’ve had, it’s not too late to plant fall garlic or flowering bulbs. Otherwise, The Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Guide recommends the following activities for November:
Make certain that climbing roses are securely attached to their supports.
Use small stakes or markers where you've planted bulbs or late-starting plants in the perennial garden to avoid disturbing them when you begin spring soil preparation.
Apply protective mulches on the perennial garden after the ground has frozen an inch or two.
Cover strawberries two inches deep with hay or straw.
Bring garden furniture under cover if you have not already done so Destroy breeding places for pests and disease.
Work a trowelful of bonemeal into the soil around your rosebushes, then hill up more soil around the bases. ~ Prune grapevines.
Give the compost pile a good turning before winter sets in.
Give all trees and shrubs plenty of water before the ground freezes.
Check trees around your house for weak branches that should be removed by you now, rather than by snow and ice later.
And in December…
Clean any tools not likely to be used during the winter and oil any parts likely to rust.
Start pruning dead and dangerous limbs from trees. These should be burned in case they harbor insects and disease. The wounds made in sawing off the limbs should be protected by painting them.
As most plants and shrubs winter-kill because of alternate freezing and thawing, bank them up with snow when it comes.
Look over the stored vegetables frequently and remove decaying specimens.
PLANT Rx
In a previous issue we talked about whitefly as a threat to healthy houseplants. This time we focus on fungus gnats, small pesky black flies that may arise from your plants at watering time. These insects lay eggs in surface soil and love moisture. Here are tips for control from Gardenwise. B.C.’s best-selling garden magazine:
1. Always use sterilized soil indoors, if possible mulch your existing soil with 1" of sterilized indoor soil. Soils treated with
moisture-holding materials such as Miracle Gro Moisture control are not recommended.
2. Consider for biological pest control. The mite Hypoaspis miles is a natural predator of fungus gnat pupae. You will have mites on your house plants, but they are inconspicuous, beneficial, and non invasive.
3. Hang up yellow sticky cards to trap the flying gnats and cut off the life cycle.
4. Be sure not to overwater, always allow your soil to dry out before watering.
5. Haul your plants out doors come spring and rinse with Safer’s insecticidal soap and water.
6. Increase air circulation around plants, prune, open a window, be sure containers drain.
7. Fertilize your plants to keep them healthy and resist gnats. Go for an organic 4*2*3; a product such as RainGrow would be helpful. Read more:
http://www.gardenwiseonline.ca/gw/plants/2007/08/08/fungus-gnat-help#ixzz0VXnrtMVc
Note on Invasive plants: The scourge of the Southern US, Kudzu, has been found on the shores of Lake Erie. Known as the ‘mile-a-minute vine’, kudzu smothers the land and vegetation, killing food sources for animals. On September 19, The Ontario Invasive Plant Council issued a news release warning of the discovery. Read it here: http://www.stewardshipcentre.on.ca/index.php/oipc_pages Also available for download on this website is the Landowner’s Guide to Controlling Invasive Woodland Plants, a copy of which was sent to our society. (Thanks to Doreen Telford for this.)
WEB TALK
In addition to order the websites mentioned elsewhere in this issue, we recommend:
GardenWise Magazine Online: http://www.gardenwiseonline.ca/
Pest Control Canada: http://pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/Flies/Gnats.htm
The Canadian Tomato Project, a subset of Seeds of Diversity: http://www.seeds.ca/proj/tomato/ .Did you know that there are over 5,000 types of tomatoes but that the market is dominated by just a few, thanks to agri-business? The Tomato Project is trying to redress this situation.
EVENTS CALENDAR
November 18: Our Annual General Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner; get acquainted time at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the AGM at approximately 7:30.
November 25: the regular meeting of the Elora Horticultural Society, 7:30 p.m. at Heritage River. Martha Schatti will speak on “Living Christmas Arrangements”.
November 26: tree lighting at the Fergus Public Library
December 4: Elmira Candlelight Tour, 6 to 9 p.m.; a tour of homes that are decorated for the holiday season in the Elmira area; contact Barb Smith 519-669-8239.
December 13: Wellington County Museum Christmas Festival, 12- 4 p.m., Admission $1.
January 20, 2010: Please mark your calendars for the first society meeting of the new year. At the Seniors Centre; doors open at 6:30 p.m.
THERE WILL BE NO DECEMBER ISSUE OF WORM’S-EYE VIEW ~ HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
SPECIAL GREETINGS TO LITTLETREE HORTICULTURAL LTD., GRAND FLAGS, CENTRE WELLINGTON HYDRO, THE FERGUS BIA, CEDAR SPRING NURSERY, NEWDON INDUSTRIES, VICTORIA PARK SENIOR CENTRE, THE FERGUS-ELORA NEWS-EXPRESS AND THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER. SINCERE THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR ACTIVITIES. SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR
PHOTO GALLERY Members are encouraged to submit their digital photos to fergushortsociety@hotmail.com for publication in our enewsletter. This month's photos are “November Colours”.
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