One doesn't have to wait until spring to enjoy the fragrance and beauty of springtime blooms - just force some bulbs indoors.
Forcing is the process of speeding up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring - it's a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its natural time. This week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted two separate containers of amaryllis bulbs, which will erupt with magnificent trumpet-shaped blooms and a mild, sweet and delicate scent later this season.
Enjoy these photos.
These ‘Sovereign’ amaryllis bulbs from Colorblends Wholesale Flower Bulbs in Bridgeport, Connecticut are in excellent condition. They are plump, well-rounded, and free from any soft spots, or discoloration. When in bloom, the flowers will be large, orange-red, and borne on sturdy stems.
Some of you may remember the gorgeous trumpet amaryllis blooms I have forced in previous years. I love to bring them into my Winter House as soon as they open. Of all flowering bulbs, amaryllis are the easiest to bring to bloom. This flower originated in South Africa and comes in many beautiful varieties.
The genus Amaryllis comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means “to sparkle.” Amaryllis flowers range from four to 10 inches in size and can be either single or double in form.
While the most popular colors are red and white, flowers may also be pink, salmon, apricot, rose or deep burgundy, and some unique striped varieties.
When forcing, any waterproof container can be used – just be sure there is about four-inches of space below the bulbs to accommodate root growth. I selected two pan sized planters made by master potter, Ben Wolff. Ben and his father, Guy, create gorgeous pots by hand on traditional potter’s wheels. I have the largest personal collection of Wolff pottery ever known.
Each pot has a drainage hole at the bottom. This is critical, so water can easily drain and adequate air can reach the roots.
As with all our pots, the drainage holes are covered with shards on the inside to help drainage and to keep the soil from leaking out. We save all the shards from broken clay pots for this purpose.
Ryan uses a potting mix that includes perlite and vermiculite for good drainage.
He fills the pot to just under the rim with the potting mix.
He also adds a generous amount of Miracle-Gro Osmocote fertilizer – small, round, yellow coated prills covering a core of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Then Ryan positions the first bulb keeping the top third of it sticking up above the soil level.
When planting more than one in a container, be sure there is at least an inch between the bulb sides and the rim of the vessel.
Amaryllis bulbs usually measure about three to six inches across.
The key to amaryllis forcing indoors is the temperature. The best, most rapid growth will occur if the container is in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
These pots are big enough to accommodate three bulbs each, so Ryan positions the third in each pot.
A little more soil potting mix is added. Once positioned properly, Ryan gently packs the potting mix down to anchor the bulbs.
Here, Ryan adds some pea gravel as top dressing. This gravel will also help to anchor the heavy amaryllis stems as they grow.
Here is a view of three planted amaryllis bulbs from above – all equally spaced and ready to water.
Ryan gives each pot an initial drink. When forcing, be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet. Water only when the top inch or two of the potting mix is dry to the touch.
For now, these pots will stay on my head house windowsill where they can get bright, indirect light. And in six to eight weeks, I should have beautiful large colorful blooms atop 12- to 24-inch straight stems. I can’t wait.
It's February and still cold here in the Northeast, but we're preparing for the next growing season here at my farm - my gardeners are busy starting all the many vegetables from seed.
Many of my vegetable seeds and other supplies are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine - a company I’ve been using for quite some time. Johnny's Selected Seeds offers a wide selection of products and provides practical solutions for both the home gardener and the professional farmer. Starting from seed isn’t difficult. They can be planted closely together in seed starting trays and then pulled apart easily when they're ready to move into larger pots or outdoors.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This time of year my head house tables are often filled with seeds ready to be planted in trays. Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer. I use many of Johnny’s seeds every year.
This is my giant half-acre garden in June. Lots of the produce grown is started from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Together with nutrient-rich soil, I have the best crops ever.
Some of the many vegetables I always grow – giant cabbages of all kinds including green cabbage, red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, and Napa cabbage, etc.
Here is a crop of kale from last year. Kale, also called leaf cabbage, is primarily grown for its edible leaves.
I grow tons of broccoli – perfect heads of delicious and nutritious broccoli.
I also grow large beds of artichokes. The artichoke is actually the bud of a flower. The bracts, or leaves, cover a fuzzy center called the choke which sits on top of a meaty core, which is called the artichoke heart.
And don’t forget the root vegetables such as carrots. These also grow so well in my garden.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds offers hundreds of varieties of organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and farm seeds that are known to be strong, dependable growers.
Some of this year’s offerings include this okra variety, ‘Jambalaya.’ (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Johnny’s ‘Rangitoto’ spinach has uniform bright green leaves on tall, upright stems. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
This eggplant variety from Johnny’s is called ‘Turkish Delight.’ They have an elongated shape and a rich flavor. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Johnny’s ‘Bacchus’ radishes are recommended for both early spring and fall harvests. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
When starting seeds, be sure to read the planting dates for each variety. Valuable information is written right on the seed packet.
Here my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, writes the seed variety on markers, so he’s ready to place it in the trays after planting the seeds. It’s also helpful to put the date of planting on the back. Ryan determines what order they will be started in trays depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate.
Seeds are started in trays like these. These can be saved from year to year, so don’t throw them away after the season. Seed starting trays are available in all sizes and formations from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
It’s best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores. I use Miracle-Gro Starting Potting Mix, which is effective for germinating both vegetable and flower seeds.
When possible, prepare several trays in an assembly-line fashion and then drop the seeds. Doing this saves time and simplifies the process.
Using his finger, Ryan makes shallow indentations in each cell where the seeds will be positioned.
Seeds come in a variety of sizes. Ryan drops one to three seeds into each cell compartment. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
And once the seeds are planted and covered with a layer of additional starting mix, the tray is watered and placed into my Urban Cultivator where the seeds will germinate. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost in an area – we will be planting seeds well into March. Are you starting some seeds this weekend?
Many gardening chores are best done in winter when the plants are dormant. Among them - pruning.
My blueberry bushes produce an abundance of fruit every summer, but they do need some maintenance to keep them productive. Pruning produces larger berries in greater volumes, ensures good air circulation and light throughout the plants, and helps to control diseases that may otherwise spread through the patch.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Blueberries are among the most popular berries for eating. Here in the United States, they are second only to strawberries.
Blueberries produce from early summer through fall. I pick cartons and cartons of blueberries each year. What is not eaten fresh is frozen and used throughout the seasons.
Blueberries are plump, juicy, sweet fruits that are low in fat, yet packed with vitamin-C and antioxidants. Everyone at the farm loves to pick these delicious fruits.
Blueberries are ready when they are completely blue. One may want to pick them as soon as they turn, but it’s actually best a few days later, when there are absolutely no hints of pink or green on the fruits.
Now the blueberries are bare of foliage and any fruit. It’s the best time to do some pruning and grooming.
Pruning blueberries is an essential chore for several reasons. Proper pruning maintains an open growth habit, opens the center of the plant to sunlight, and reduces disease. Annual pruning also maintains productivity by encouraging the growth of new fruit-producing stems.
In winter, flower buds are easily visible on one-year-old wood and their numbers can be adjusted by pruning to regulate the crop load for the coming year. New growth shows visible swelling of the flower buds. It also indicates good healthy plants. This stage can tolerate cold temperatures.
When pruning, it’s the four Ds that are removed – dead, diseased, damaged, or deranged branches. The stems are cut off all the way to where they join a thicker branch.
Most of the job can be done with garden pruners. Everyone on my crew has a pair. Here, Ryan cuts a dying branch.
The crew also makes sure all the tools are extremely sharp, so they make clean cuts.
At the base, blueberry bushes have multiple canes growing directly out of the soil in clumps. The canes or branches are smooth and thornless. When pruning, cut about one-third of the branches all the way down to the ground to stimulate new stems to emerge from the roots.
Adan occasionally stops to look at the work he has done and assess where else the bush needs trimming. The goal of good blueberry pruning is to remove enough old growth to encourage the production of new.
I instructed the crew to leave those branches that protrude from the sides – I wanted the bushes to remain full.
The posts are the same 18th-century Chinese granite uprights I use for the clematis pergola, my apple espaliers, and my raspberry bushes.
Here’s just one load of pruned branches ready to be taken to our chipping pile.
Phurba rakes up any debris in between the rows.
And then the patch is ready for a good layer of composted mulch.
The middle of the rows look so much better – no more overcrowding. And they look so tidy top dressed with nutritious composted mulch. Blueberry shrubs are actually extremely hardy. Some varieties survive down to minus-35 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, blueberries need a set number of hours below 45-degrees in order for their flower buds to open and produce berries. Without ample cold weather, blueberries do not produce fruit.
Pruning and grooming takes some time, but the benefits are great. With good, regular maintenance, my bushes are sure to produce bounties of fruits year after year.
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