USDA Hardiness Map- we are zone 6B!!

Very Important New Garden Info!

We have a new USDA Hardiness map! This is big news for gardeners. Why, you ask? Because gardeners base their plant choices on zone hardiness. (Oh, that magnolia is only hardy to zone 6b and I’m in zone 5b. It’ll never last the winter!)

Why are zones important?

It determines what plants we, the avid gardeners and professionals, can use and where.

Why did this map change? Global warming?

Actually, it’s not reflecting global climate change. The last revision was 1990. Since 1990, the amount of new information and technology available is staggering. The USDA is very adamant that this is a new set of data, with new parameters, that is more accurate than the “long term predictions” in the old map. Huh?   “The increase in our computing power today allows the research team to build into their algorithms things they knew were important factors in 1990, but couldn’t include,” said Catherine Woteki, Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics for the USDA.

Also, they've now taken into account how close an area might be to bodies of water, the slope and elevation of areas and other microclimates that occur. This may not sound like much- but it is staggering! We have suddenly been rated as Zone 6B. For the past 20 some years, we've been mostly rated as Zone 5B. That's a major temperature change. They've taken into accounts all the valleys (Clinton Lake, the hills of the Wakarusa Valley and other factors I'm sure). Follow this link to get to the new interactive site: USDA map. You can find the Kansas map here. If you enter your zip code, you will get to see close up all the little microclimate deviations within our state! I love this.

How will this change how you garden?

We still need to be cognizant that many/ most of our plant issues happen with exposure to wind (in Kansas) and freeze/ thaw issues. This will not even begin to address those issues. It just gives you the median lowest winter temperatures. So for me, while I will try to place my delicate, sensitive plants in protected areas, I will worry less about winter freeze temperatures. I think the thing that may kill those delicate Magnolia, cute Japanese Maple and the like are the rapid temperature fluctuations. These allow the plant to thaw out, come to life and begin to grow (the cambium begin to generate and grow). Then the temperature rapidly drops and freezes the new growth. I think this very mild winter will see more winterkill than normal for just that reason.

Galanthus or Snow Drop

Also, Punxsatwney Phil just saw his shadow. This incredibly decisive, fact-based predictor AND the predictions of the Farmer's Almanac confirm, for me, that we will be getting three big ice/ snow events this month and March. Whaddya think of that?

Lawrence Landscape and Midwest Custom Pools will be making an appearance at the Lawrence Home Show, Feb 10-12. It is being held at Crown Toyota this year! Leave a comment on our blog or on our Facebook page for free tickets. Include your name, email and any preferred way to contact you.  Good Luck!

A butterfly garden- from seed, from transplant

Continuing with Seeds….

January 21, 2012

Winter is a great time to plan out your garden. While things are bare, you can really get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. Continuing with the theme of seeds, because it’s seed buying and seed starting time (nearly so), I give you a simple nativizing Butterfly garden bed.

It features annuals that can be grown from seed and re-seed themselves, perennials that (if not native exactly) will become very comfortable in your KS garden and a few shrubs for structure and year-round interest. 

-Full Sun

-Garden Soil

-Low Maintenance (no fancy pruning required)

-Xeric or simple water requirements (would like regular water until established, please!)

 -Butterfly gardens need a place for butterflies to get water. This could be a rock that holds water but some sources say that a shallow bowl, filled with moist soil works better for the insects.

-They also need protection from wind, so place the whole bed in a protected place (or plant butterfly bush around one edge to form a wind block).

Plant List

Shrubs to ground the bed:

Buddleia- a white variety

Buddleia, ‘Black Knight’ (wonderful dark purple butterfly bush- 5-6’H) (from plant)

Rhus typhina (Sumac), ‘Tigers Eye’ (from plant)

Perennial Flowers from plant:

Achillea (Yarrow), ‘Paprika’ (plant)  

Coreopsis gradniflora, ‘Zegreb’, ‘Early Sunrise’ (plant)

Echinacea purpurea, ‘Magnus’ (seed or plant)

Lavendula, ‘Hidcote’ (plant)

 Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed) (plant) food source

Monarda (Bee Balm), ‘Raspberry Wine’ (plant)

Sedum, ‘Vera Jameson’ (shorter and less likely to topple over) (plant)

  

Monarda, Yarrow in the background

From Seed:

Bronze Fennel (direct sow) - food source

Echinacea purpurea, ‘Magnus’ (direct sow or plant)

Larkspur (direct sow) - nectar

Liatris (Gayfeather) (plant, from seed) – nectar

Winter Weather Reminder:

-It’s always a good time to prune out dead and broken limbs (from trees and shrubs). These can affect the future growth of the tree and promote infection (later on when it’s time to come out of dormancy).

-Water your new trees and shrubs. Remember, deep infrequent waterings save the day. Your plant is using much much less water in the cold weather. But still, a watering every month will help new trees and plants stay alive in bitter cold weather. 

 
 Frank says: water at every major holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day). I like to throw in a watering in January. Right now, wait until one of our 40 degree days and water in the afternoon. Don’t water the leaves and try to minimize water on the bark! 

Seed Catalogs... in spades!

Seed Catalogs- January 5, 2012

It is seed catalog time folks! If you are like me, you will begin to be inundated with tons of catalogs, seducing you with pictures and tips and ideas for this next season’s garden. Be careful! Needless to say, my eyes are bigger than my “plate”. To save you money and frustration, let me give you some rules to follow.

            

• How many seeds do you have left over from last year? If they have gotten too warm, wet or are really older than a year, they are probably not viable. Feel free to do a germination test!
• Be honest about how many plants you can fit in your space! How many square feet do you really have in full sun where the soil drains well? BE HONEST.

• All vegetables and many annual cutting flowers require the same full sun site. I include them with my seed buying (zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, cosmos, etc.).
• All of that space has to be water accessible. It’s nice that you have a broad sunny strip of easement. But can your hose or drip system reach out there?? Vegetables require deep, regular soaking for highest yield.
• Also, follow the spacing/ mature sizing listed for each plant you will put in. I mean, do not crowd your broccoli or your squash- it will wreck your yield and/ or promote fungal growth!  If the seed packet says it needs to be planted 36” apart, plan on that spacing. Base your spacing on the mature size of your plant. I often shove in some smaller annuals or herbs around larger vegetables to beautify my plot. But I do not crowd out my major producers.  (Example: I love summer squash and zucchini but it is a huge space hog. Do I have the space for it?)
• What do you eat most of and is really expensive locally?? Tomatoes? Basil? Eggplant? Zucchini? For me, I must have and eat an enormous amount of greens (lettuce, spinach, chard), beets, tomatoes, basil (I pesto it up), zucchini. However, what of my favorites is very affordable locally? Squash and zucchini, regular bell peppers and green beans. Potatoes, onions are inexpensive for me locally.  I also love to grow all my own herbs because they are too, too much to buy- I use a bunch of herbs! THIS IS YOUR MASTER LIST.

Not all of this will you want to start from seed.

• What grows best directly seeded (or needs repeat sowing)? Lettuce, greens, beans and peas, roots like carrots and beets, dill, basil, cilantro. For me: beans, lettuce, greens, beets, herbs.  Also, many old fashioned cutting flower varieties are only available from seed. If you are having a cutting garden, make sure you consult your MASTER PLAN! Do you have room?
• What do I need LEAST of (that do great from transplant)? Examples include: cherry tomatoes, Thai hot peppers (amazing but who needs 18 plants of this??) or any exceptional “one off”, eggplant (for me personally). I also don’t need 18 thyme plants. I buy these from my favorite farmer’s market booths! 

Laurel’s Master list- based on four 4’ x 10’ raised beds (and a little cheating with some pots)

Tomatoes- paste tomatoes (8) (S), slicing tomatoes (4) (N)

Basil- one long row (8-16 plants) (S)

Beans- pole beans (Blue Lake or some other long bean) 1 long rows (DS)

Beets- 1 long row (DS)

Chard- 1 row (DS)

Lettuce- 2 rows Buttercrunch, 2 rows leaf (interplanted with Bean and Peppers) (DS)

Spinach-2 rows (DS)

Cilantro- interplanted with other hot season veg. (N)

Peppers- bell (4), jalapeno (4) (N)

Arugula- 2 rows (DS)

Zucchini- 1 long row on a trellis (DS)

(DS)- direct sow, (S)- from seed, plant start, (N)- buy start from nursery

What did I forget??? Herbs.

Thyme (S)

Basil (S) already mentioned: Purple Ruffles, Boxwood Basil and Genovese

Rosemary (N)

Lemon Balm (S)

Yarrow (S)

Italian Parsley and Cilantro (N)