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FEATURED QUOTE : "Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed." ~Francis Bacon |
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January To Do List |
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1. Plant bare-root roses, trees, vines, berries and vegetables
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Gardeners who have learned the glories of picking fresh fruit from their own orchards eagerly await the bare root season to take their list of desired trees to the local nursery. Your first look at the bare root fruit tree that you envision bearing baskets of fresh sweet fruit may be a bit of a disappointment; it won't win a beauty contest. But there is a bonus to buying bareroot. As those smart gardeners know, you get great fruit trees at a price considerably less than a containerized tree. Unlike evergreen fruits such as citrus, deciduous trees go through a dormant phase during which they lose all their leaves. Whether you're choosing plum, nectarine, pear, peach, pomegranate, persimmon, cherry or quince trees, the safest time to dig these young ones from the field for transportation to the nursery sans soil on their roots, is when they are in a state of dormancy, hence the term "bare root." Planting your trees without soil from a foreign area means that the roots will grow into the native soil, the same soil they will remain in during their life span, thus ensuring a healthier, stronger tree. True gardeners have learned patience. They will choose the smaller specimens, as the larger the tree the more out of balance will be the root to stem ratio. And while it may be momentarily painful, top that first year bare root off at 2 to 3 feet in height, with no side branches remaining. Doing this means that the scaffold, which is the lower side supporting structural branches, will be lower to the ground, making harvesting and pruning less of a chore. And while we're on pruning, peaches and nectarines will need to be heavily pruned each dormant season; apples, pears, almonds, plums, persimmon and apricots, once they are established, will only require moderate pruning. It's wisest to ready the planting holes for your trees prior to going to the nursery, so that you can get them into the ground the same day. As with most plants and trees, they like loose soil with good drainage, and sunny locations. If your soil conditions are less than perfect, but the location you've chosen is, why not plant your new additions in a raised bed? This allows you to completely control the soil into which you are placing the trees. Group trees that have similar spraying needs, and those varieties of fruit trees that require pollinators. Bees and the wind will assist you with this, so how lucky if your neighbors have cultivars that are needed for pollination of your trees! Your planting hole should be wide rather than deep. A depth the length of the rootstock, or approximately 1.5 feet, should suffice. Put your hands into the earth and form a slight mound. Place your tree on the mound, gently spreading out the roots so that they aren't encircling the tree. Use the native soil to fill in the hole, and don't fertilize until you see growth on the tree. For the first two years, dilute the fertilizer by half so that young roots do not get burned. It will take a couple of years before your bare root fruit tree actually bears fruit, but what a relatively short wait for the satisfaction of knowing that you were a part of the growth process nearly from the beginning. And imagine how sweet that first bite of fruit will taste! |
Pruning Deciduous Fruit Trees |
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All deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned at least once a year for good shape and to bear fruit. The time to do major pruning is during the winter. The rule of thumb with pruning deciduous fruit trees is to prune while the trees are dormant, after the leaves have fallen to the ground but before new buds have swelled. Each type of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently, so it's important to know which kind of tree you're pruning and how to prune it properly. For example, apples bear their fruit on spurs that bear again and again, sometimes for as long as twenty years. If you whack off all the spurs you'll have no fruit. However, peaches and nectarines bear their fruit on one-year-old wood. By pruning them hard, you encourage new growth to replenish fruiting wood. The best shape also differs among types. Apple and pear trees, for instance, do best with a central trunk, with shorter branches at the top, longer ones on the bottom. Peaches and plums do best with an open-center shape (kind of like a bowl). No two trees, even of the same type, can be pruned exactly alike; basic guidelines will apply differently according to the placement of their branches, their age, and their overall vigor. If you're not an expert, follow a pruning manual (one that contains charts) that applies to your climate and type of tree. When you buy a fruit tree, ask us for the best pruning method to use for that tree. Pruning a young tree properly to start with will save you a lot of time and effort later. If you are dealing with a large old tree that has been neglected for some time, keep in mind that it may require several years of pruning to bring it back to where it should be. Your primary goal is to open the tree so that sunlight can penetrate inside of the foliage during the fruiting season and to shorten the taller limbs to bring the fruit production down to a more manageable height. It is safest to call a professional to do the high work and any large branch removal for you. They have the experience and equipment needed. Remember after pruning deciduous fruit trees to clean up the ground under the tree and follow up immediately with dormant spray. |
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Roses must be pruned every year to maintain vigorous growth and to keep them flowering well. The best time to prune is while they are dormant. Steps in pruning your roses:
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Gardeners choose plants on a whim, or because they admired a neighbor’s plant, or a newsletter they received alerted them to a new idea in grouping familiar, and rare, plants. We hope to entice you with our favorite list of winter blooming shrubs.
The Callicarpa americana, which is known more familiarly as the Beautyberry (Callicarpa means beauty berry) was used by Native American tribes for various medicinal purposes. The roots, leaves and branches were boiled down and used in sweat baths to treat malarial fevers, rheumatism, dizziness and stomachaches. The roots and berries were boiled and drunk to treat colic, and the bark from the stems and roots was used to treat itchy skin. This miracle plant has been found to be repellant to the mosquitoes which carry yellow fever and malaria, as well as the tick which carries Lyme disease. And all of this wrapped up in a deciduous shrub that grows from 6 to 8 feet tall, thrives in zones 5 to 10, is very drought tolerant, and carries tiny lilac flowers in spring that by cool weather turn into tightly clustered berries in resplendent shades of purple.  During medieval times, the hellebore, also known as the Christmas rose, was considered a weapon against witches, evil spirits, and general insanity. Perhaps these apocryphal stories arose because these exquisite beauties not only have a long bloom time, but as they love the cooler weather, it’s not unusual to see them in the middle of winter.
This northern gardener has even seen them proudly appearing through a bank of snow! Their colors remind one of a Japanese water color, as they drift from a light green to pale lavender to a deep plum. Mature plants form clumps about 18 to 24 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches in width, and if happy where planted, they will self-sow. Expect 50 or more flowers per plant.
The leaves are evergreen, but when cutting them back in late winter, be sure to wear gloves, as contact with the leaves may cause mild dermatitis in some people; don’t worry about losing them to deer for this same reason. We love them as ground covers for deciduous shrubs, so consider housing them beneath the Callicarpa americana.
The Iberis sempervirens, or perennial candytuft, was employed by the ancients up through Colonial times as a cure for rheumatism, and gout, and is said to be useful in treating cardiac hypertrophy, asthma, and bronchitis in doses of from one to three grains of the seeds.
Today it is used in homeopathy for nervousness and muscle soreness. The candytuft is a low growing evergreen sub-shrub, 10 to 12 inches in height, which will thrive from zones 3 to 8 (just be sure to provide full sun). This is one of the truly great plants for rock gardens, spilling over a wall, or as a remarkable border plant for walkways. The flowers are flat, dense clusters of a startlingly bright white.
The candytuft is a care-free plant, whose fragrance also encourages one to add it to a cutting garden. Plant it around your mailbox and you’ll have instant curb appeal! We’ve been discussing plants that not only provide us with verdurous vision, but also have been used throughout the centuries as curatives.
We’d now like to introduce you to that antithesis, the Daphne odora, or winter daphne, which is highly toxic; even coming in contact with the sap may cause a mild case of dermatitis. Originally from China, and named in 1784, by 1874 it was being grown in California. Its highly aromatic flowers are dark pink and the sweet smell of them may last for many weeks, beginning mostly in March but as early as late January.
Initially named Shui Hsiang, or Sleeping Scent, the legend that surrounds the daphne is that a Chinese monk of Lu Shan discovered the plant upon awakening from a nap to its spicy fragrance.
To best appreciate this evergreen’s intoxicating aroma, plant it towards the front of a sunny, sheltered border close to an entryway or a path. Use the flowers for sachets, and potpourri, or to perfume water. The leaves are long, oval, green, and often variegated. It’s hardy from zone 7 to zone 10, prefers moist, extremely well-drained soil, morning sun with afternoon shade, and will grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet, with a width of 2 to 4 feet. 
Another of our favorite plants for winter watching is the Bergenia 'Autumn Glory'. This low-growing perennial is known for its long and narrow dark green leaves, which develop rich plum-red tones in the winter. Topping this glossy, rubbery textured evergreen are tall stems of bell-shaped coral-pink flowers which add the “glory” in early spring.
This gem thrives in both sun and partial shade, is a perennial in zones 4 to 9, is deer and rabbit resistant, and at only 6 to 12 inches in height, has a vast array of uses. Mass plant the bergenia, or use it as an edging along a walkway. It’s perfect for container planting or in your cutting garden. This gardener uses it as a border for my ornamental grasses garden; as the season cools, and we look to our plants for textual interest, the bergenia will provide it where lesser plants will succumb to the elements. Just as we look forward to adding a dramatic touch to our holiday wreaths with holly berries, we can enjoy that same drama in our gardens. A recent introduction from master plant breeder Dr. Elwin Orton of Rutgers has given us the Ilex 'Red Beauty', an evergreen hardy to zone 7, which grows upright in a wide conical shape, similar to that of a Christmas tree. It sports very dark blue-green, glossy leaves with undulating edges, and in fall and winter dark red berries provide additional visual interest.Have we whetted your appetite for a winter garden? We guarantee that these will serve up a capacious Cockaigne, a wintry wonderland of scent and color and texture that will extend your gardening pleasure throughout the year. |
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What You'll Need:
Step by Step:
Yield: 6 servings
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