Monthly Archive for October, 2011

The chrysanthemum, more commonly known as the mum, is a perfect flowering plant to add some color and pizazz to your fall landscape. Originally from China, the chrysanthemum flower was boiled to make “chrysanthemum tea”. According to Chinese folk medicine, the tea was quite the remedy for the flu. In the United States, the chrysanthemum serves a much different purpose, adding depth and beauty as a popular landscaping choice in the fall. Mums are well suited, given that they bloom late and have tremendous eye appeal.

Decorating with Mums

Mums are terrific for complementing a fall landscapes as they come in a variety of colors. From white, off-white, yellow, gold and bronze to red, lavender, burgundy, pink and purple, the mum is extremely decorative. They’re also quite versatile, meaning that they work great for both mass planting and in small decorative pots next to the front door.

When looking to add mums to your fall decor, choose colors that complement your landscape design. In other words, to add depth to an outdoor display, try mums in gold, yellow or off-white to highlight the orange and browns of pumpkins and hay. Another trick- try mass planting with a gradual color shade change or to get the most dramatic effect, use only two colors. Remember, mums also look great in small containers by the front door. They’re super simple choices for lining a window box or for the center of a pot with trailing foliage. Make certain to visit Uncle Luke’s Feed Store for all your gardening needs from small clay pots for your doorstep to fertilizer and soil for your garden.

Florist Mums Versus Hardy (Garden) Mums

Florist mums are large-flower plants with a variety of different bloom forms. They’re almost always grown in greenhouses and used as indoor plants. Try to plant a florist mum outside and you will quickly see that it will not survive the winter, regardless of much protection you offer it. On the other hand, garden mums produce an underground stolen and as a result, can survive the cold weather much better. In general, garden mums are much tougher than florist mums and in certain zones, are perennials.

In Michigan, if you’re considering planting mums, coordinate your plants with the weather. Remember, while most garden mums can withstand a light fall frost and will do fine this year, if you’re trying for perennials, it’s best to choose hardy cultivars to plant in the spring so they have a chance to establish roots before the really cold weather hits.

Planting

Mums are perfect fall plants because they add so much color to an otherwise drab looking landscape. However, before planting your mums, choose an area that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. This is critical because if your plant doesn’t get enough sunlight, it will grow fewer, smaller flowers.

As for the soil, well drained is best. In fact, you may want to consider raising your plants if your growing area is too wet. Plant about 1 inch deeper than the original nursery pot and be sure to spread the roots out carefully. Adequate water is important when you first plant your mums. Make certain to give them enough until they are fully established. After they take hold, reduce water to about an inch per week. Fertilizer is not necessary if you plan on planting your mums in the fall for annuals, however, if you plan on overwintering, fertilize once or twice a month until colder weather sets in.

Decorating with mums in the fall is an easy and inexpensive way to add color and pizazz to your home or business. Remember to choose complementary colors and don’t forget to visit Uncle Luke’s Feed Store where you can find everything you need to create the perfect fall landscape.

Are you looking for an effective way to reduce your fertilizer costs? Have you considered using cover crops to protect your soil through the cold, idle winter months? Garden cover crops like grain, hairy vetch, clovers and winter peas are an effective way to protect your soil by managing nitrogen content, controlling for wind and water erosion and reducing weeds. Michigan cover crops offer superior protection and are super simple to use.

Choosing a Cover Crop

Most people in Michigan use cover crops to protect their soil through the winter months, which is why they plant in the fall. There are a variety of cover crop seeds to choose from, each offering slightly different benefits. Some inhibit weeds or recycle nutrients, some protect water quality and still others reduce disease. Nevertheless, there are three basic groups that most cover crops fall into- grains and grass, legumes and other broad leaved plants.

Clover, Grain Rye, Hairy Vetch and Winter Peas

In Michigan, the most popular cover crop is the red clover, a legume used quite frequently to increase soil organic matter and reduce soil erosion and surface water pollution. However, don’t forget that once red clover has served its need, it must be killed or it will become a weed. Another clover which is pretty new to the Michigan area is crimson clover. Crimson clover grows more quickly than red clover and has taller flower stems and larger seeds. It’s great because it offers faster growth during cool weather than more traditional red clover.

Cereal grains are another popular cover crop choice because they grow extremely fast, giving quick cover even when the weather is already cold. Rye, wheat, oats, barley, and triticale are all cereal grains. Grain rye is popular because it’s pretty vigorous, germinating and becoming established in cool weather. Winter wheat is also useful for late season plantings. In fact, if you plant before late September, you’re likely to get disease or premature death. Check out the selection of cereal grains cover crop seeds at Uncle Luke’s feed Store. Now is the perfect time to get them planted for the most effect.

Hairy vetch is another legume, pretty aggressive actually, considering that legumes generally are slow to grow in cool weather and do much better when paired with something else. Nevertheless, legumes are especially helpful for increasing the amount of soil nitrogen for the next crop. In addition, Austrian winter peas, sometimes called “black pea” and “field pea” are known for their good winter hardiness and can be grown alone or mixed with cereal grains to provide great cover.

Mixing Cover Crops

In many cases, mixing cover crops gives you the added advantage of getting the benefits from different types of cover crops easily. Typically, mixtures combine two species, but it’s possible to mix up to five. A common mixture is cereal rye and hairy vetch. Vetch germinates in the fall but grows slowly until spring. The rye makes the perfect structure for the vetch to grow. Basically, when you mix a cereal with a legume, you get the soil covering ability of the cereal and the nitrogen fixing ability of the legume.

Using cover crops is not a new idea. In fact, before fertilizer was invented, this was the only way to improve soil structure and productivity. Now, because of the environmentally safe angle, cover crops are the preferred method of many Michigan farmers. From grain rye to winter peas, remember to mix crop cover seeds for added benefits and shop Uncle Luke’s Feed Store for the best selection and prices.

Garlic is an excellent addition to a wide variety of foods, adding a unique flavor and punching up the taste to many bland dishes. With over 600 subvarities, growing garlic from home can be fun, supplying you with enough for the whole year ahead and then some. Although there are some challenges, taking the time to learn a few facts about planting garlic will help you create a successful harvest.

Choosing Your Garlic

There are two main categories of garlic- softneck and hardneck. While there are some similarities between the two types, there are distinct differences making it relatively easy to tell the two apart. Softneck garlic is commonly grown in warm climates and has large, distinctive cloves. Generally, this is the type of garlic you see in the supermarket.

Hardneck garlic is traditionally grown in colder climates and although it tends to produce fewer cloves, farmers claim that it has a more robust taste than softneck garlic. As a result, it is a favorite among Michigan garlic farmers.

Why Plant in the Fall?

In Michigan, if you intend to grow garlic, the best time to plant is in the fall for the following year. Why so far ahead? Simple. It takes a long time for garlic to grow good roots. Once the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees F, the roots of the garlic cloves will start to germinate, begin to take hold and anchor the plant. In Michigan, if the ground freezes before the roots have developed, the garlic plant will heave itself out of the ground. Applying mulch after the first freeze will help control heaving. So go ahead, plant in the fall, because generally, your garlic won’t be ready to harvest until mid to late summer.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Before planting, separate your garlic into cloves, making certain to keep the papery layer around the clove intact. Try to choose the larger cloves for planting and reserve the smaller ones for eating. When choosing a location, remember that garlic does best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade fairly well.

Soil

Your Soil should be loose and loamy with moderate to heavy organic matter with a pH somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0.  You want your soil moist, but not waterlogged. Loamy soil that combines equal parts of sand, silt and clay works best. Loamy soil keeps moisture in, but drains well to allow air to reach the roots. Remember, mulch may also be helpful for keeping soil moist and moderating temperatures. This is particularly important in Michigan where colder weather can result in winterkill. Straw, hay, chopped leaves, even plastic make suitable mulch. While there are a variety of things to make proper mulch, most Michigan farmers prefer straw because it’s inexpensive, easy to find and easy to remove. Visit Uncle Luke’s Feed Store to find the mulching material that will work best for you.

Spacing

Proper spacing is also important for growing garlic successfully. However, there are a couple of different thoughts as far as planting is concerned. Everyone agrees that you plant your garlic clove with the pointed end facing down into the soil. However, some farmers believe that placing bulbs close together will produce more garlic. Others argue that close positioning results in smaller cloves. Nevertheless, normal spacing is cloves around 5 inches apart with 20 inches or so between rows for larger bulbs. Additionally, try to plant 2 inches deep if you plan to mulch, and a little deeper (3 to 4 inches) if you don’t plan to mulch.

Growing fantastic garlic is easy with a few tips.  Planting in the fall for the following year gives your garlic time to grow sturdy, solid roots which keep it firmly anchored in the ground. The soil is cold in the winter, particularly in Michigan, making it even more important to choose the right mulch and planting materials. Find everything you need to grow the most amazing garlic at Uncle Luke’s Feed Store. Have fun and get planning that menu, you’ve got some garlic to try!