Bees.....I need them.....but not always.

I need them and I don't. The vegetable crops at Earthworks count on the bees for pollination. As the bee moves pollen from flower to flower, they become pollinated. Once the flower is pollinated, the flower begins to decline as the fruit forms behind it, either a tomato, cucumber or melon etc. These 'fruits,' yes - cucumbers, pumpkins etc are botanically speaking 'fruits' of the plant. They are technically the enlarged ovary of the plant. In cool, cloudy weather, bees are not as active and less flowers may get pollinated. Gardeners often wonder if plants 'cross' in the garden, and the answer is no. You may occasionally get an oddball plant however. In a controlled situation, hybridizers can manipulate pollen/fertilization. That is how hybrids are created. The flowers I grow for cut bouquets react the same as the flowers of vegetable crops. As soon as the bees visit and pollinate them, they decline. So because of an abundance of bees in the field, my window of time to pick my flowers is smaller. Need them for veggies, not for cut flowers. Bees are very important to our food supply. About 70% of all our field crops are bee pollinated.

Garden soil & the potted plant.

Good garden soil is comprised of 5% organic matter 45% minerals, and the rest is pore spaces for air and water, as shown in the diagram of the previous blog entry.  Garden soil should stay right there...in the garden. Here is why you shouldn't use it in a pot, basket or container. Soil has a complex capillary system that likely goes to China, maintained by earthworms mining the soil and soil dwelling insects. When you remove a shovelful of soil, you disconnect it from it's established capillary system. What you will have in a week or so is a substance that looks like soil, but feels like concrete. Your lovely geraniums will soon be stressed when the 50% of air spaces it needs are non existent. The best thing to use for containers is 'potting soil.' Try to buy a product that is not to light in weight, go for medium weight or blend it with some heavier products. Peat moss is usually a main ingredient in potting soil. Peat moss is an unusual product. It is good at 'holding' water, but once it dries out, it becomes impervious to water, and is difficult to re-wet. Ever watered a container that you knew was dry and the water just ran through? Yep, peat moss. If this occurs you almost need to weigh the container down in a pail of water or a wheelbarrow full of water to force it to soak up water. Strange stuff, so the lesson is:  try not to get a product that is mostly peat, and don't allow the containers to totally dry out. If you can't correct the drying out issue, get a different potting mix and add a few inches to your pots and mix it in. Watering containers, unlike watering garden beds, should be daily if needed. Pots in the shade may only need water once every other day. Unlike garden plants, potted plants cannot stretch their roots to find water, all they get is what you give them.

Watering....should be simple, right?

Watering the garden should be so simple even a kid can do it. However, watering is one of the garden tasks most likely to go wrong. Simply put - too much or not enough. Let's talk about seeds first.When they are first planted, they should be kept moist, not soaked until sprouted. Some seeds like beets and flowering sweet peas benefit from soaking overnight before planting. After seedlings emerge from the soil, they should be watered about 2-3 times a week until they are about 2 weeks old. Water using a breaker head on the garden hose or your thumb as my staff is showing above.

 When planting transplants in the garden, you can see how using one the 3 good methods is more beneficial to retaining the water then just smooth exposed soil. (click on above diagram to enlarge) Using mulch material can reduces water lost to evaporation by 90%. That, my friends, makes it so worth the time. Not only does it reduce the water loss, but because it retains it, the plant has a more continuous moisture available without being soaked daily. The straw mulch also reduces water splash back on the plant, reducing disease problems and keeping the fruits clean. The general rule on watering for most plants is 1-2" per week. Factor in rainfall. It is best applied in 2 applications in 7 days. Water seldom and deeply, make those roots look for water which increase the root base. A gentle sprinkle everyday encourages shallow roots system. If you water everyday, stop! I know I know, people love to water!

Above is a diagram of perfectly watered soil. In daily or overwatered soil, the 25% of air spaces, would also be filled with water. Plants need air, just like people. The top of the soil, the part we see, will always look dry first. That doesn't mean that 1" deep it is dry. Dig around before watering, to determine if the soil is dry beneath the surface. Excessive much water as fruits are ripening can also dilute the flavor of melon as they are 'sugaring up,' and also cause fruits to split like tomatoes.

Symptoms of overwatering shown above, soft yellowing tissue. Crunchy and yellow is usually dried out (opposite problem). Avoid getting foliage wet when watering. Always water at the base of plants. Disease can spread by water/rain running off one diseased plant and splashing on another. Of course they get wet when it rains, but if 50% of the water they get is from the gardener, than at least we are reducing the run-off issues by 50% with careful watering. It's not really complicated, like anything, just developing better habits!