Eco Gardeners

Here it is late January and those of us living in the northeast are seeing forsythias and cherry trees in full flower. My girls and I went for a walk yesterday in t-shirts and as we strolled through our Richmond, VA neighborhood it felt like the start of spring as we encountered daffodil after daffodil with their flower buds ready to pop open. Its the neighbors with the heart wreaths on their front doors that remind us we are approaching February.

So how does this disappearing winter affect the gardens of those of us living in areas including those 21 states that have had more than 300 record high January temperatures? In a nutshell, it will mean fewer nuts on our nut trees, less blossoms on our perennials, decreased flowers on our trees/shrubs, and not as much fruit on our fruit trees. This upcoming spring and summer will show signs of the winter stressed plants but most should acclimate okay.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the extremes yet that would cause a lot of long-term damage to trees and shrubs,” says George Good, professor in Cornell University’s Department of Horticulture. “Some flower buds will be killed. So we may see fewer blooms on flowering trees and shrubs this spring. ” This has commercial growers concerned as their harvests will be affected.

David Wolfe, scientist at the Department of Horticulture, is studying climate change and states that chances are good that we will continue seeing more warm winters, caused in part by increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere which is affecting agriculture, especially in the Northeast.

For more information, visit the Cornell University at

www.gardening.cornell.edu

Diets in Review.com has compiled a nice list of alternative fundraising programs that are designed to eliminate the sweet treats and expensive giftwrap.

Included are The Happy Gardener’s Eco-Fundraising Programs which allow schools, groups and organizations to raise necessary funds while educating families and communities on healthy living methods.  Products include flowering bulbs, organic bug repellent, chemical-free cut flower/holiday tree preservatives and “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow Kits for veggies and herbs!

Read the entire article by visiting http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/09/guilt-free-school-fundraisers-are-replacing-candy-pushers/

Organic Gardening Tips: Fall is the time to get your spring-blooming bulbs into the garden.

Tulips, crocus, and daffodils offer a gorgeous display of flowers throughout the spring season. Following is a step-by-step on how to plant your bulbs:

1. Choose healthy bulbs. Avoid bulbs that are dry and withered or spongy. In general, the larger the bulb for its type, the more flowers.
2. Choose an appropriate location. Most flowering bulbs prefer full sun, but that can be almost anywhere in the spring, before the trees leaf out.  Well-drained soil will prevent the bulbs from rotting in cool weather.
3. In areas with cold winters, you can plant bulbs as long as the soil is soft enough to dig a hole. However, they will have more time to begin growing roots if planted by mid-November.  In areas without a freezing winter, you may need to purchase pre-chilled bulbs or you can keep them in the fridge for 14 weeks before planting your bulbs in early spring.
4. Plant bulbs with the pointed side up. The pointed end is the stem. You may even be able to see some shriveled roots on the flatter side. If you really can’t tell, don’t worry about it. The stem will find it’s own way, sooner or later.  Need a good bulb planting tool? Check out The Happy Gardener’s line of tools at www.thehappygardener.info
5. If you have problems with animals digging up your bulbs, add a few Happy Naturals pest repellent tablets to the hole at the time of planting. The calcium will provide food for your bulbs and the garlic smell/taste will detract pests. The Happy Gardener also has several varieties of bulbs that are deer & rodent resistant.
6. Plant bulbs to a depth of about 3 times their diameter. For Daffodils, that’s about 6 – 8 inches. Smaller bulbs can be planted to a depth of 3-4 inches and so on.
7. Mix some Happy Naturals All-Purpose Soil Conditioner  into the soil at the bottom of the hole at planting time, to encourage strong root growth.
8. Replace the soil on top of the bulbs. Water the bulbs after planting, to help them settle in and close any air pockets. Through the fall and winter, you only need to worry about watering your bulbs if you’re having a particularly dry season. Come spring, you should be well rewarded for all your efforts.

To view The Happy Gardener’s line of specialty bulbs go to www.thehappygardener.info