There are a lot of annuals that
are not true annuals; we just treat
them as such because they die after
the first killing frost. Many of these
plants, including geraniums, impatiens,
wax begonias and coleus, will
survive the winter if taken inside. If
you don’t have room for all the plants,
take cuttings of your favorites.
Here’s
what to do: Using a sharp knife,
cut about 3” to 4” from the tip of the plant, just below a leaf axle.
Remove one or two sets of leaves, dip the cut end in rooting
hormone and place the cutting in a clean 4” pot filled with fresh
moist potting soil.
Put the pot in a clear plastic bag and place it in
a bright area out of direct light. Check the moisture level daily and
add water if the soil is dry. Open the bag at least once a
day to allow for air exchange.
In three to four weeks the cutting should be rooted; at that time
remove it from the plastic bag and place it in a sunny window or
under grow lights. Pinch the plant to keep it bushy and don’t
fertilize until late February.
Tomato Seeds
Cooler weather is quickly bringing the tomato season to an end in
the Twin Cities. If you enjoyed heirloom
tomatoes this season, you can save their
seeds and plant them again next spring.
The process isn’t difficult.
Remove the
seeds from the ripe heirloom tomato and
float them and the gelatinous material
in a jar that is half filled with water.
Place the open jar in a dimly lit spot
for three days until it starts to ferment.
Then add more water, seal the jar and
shake it vigorously.
The viable seed (the ones that will sprout) will
sink to the bottom. Other materials will float to the surface. Skim
off the top stuff, strain out the good seeds and spread them out to
dry. Once dry, place them in a closed jar with a moisture-absorbing
packet. Store the jar in a cool, dry, dark place until early spring
when the heirloom seeds can be sown indoors.
Seedless Watermelon
Have you ever wondered how we get seedless watermelons? No
this isn’t an oxymoron, there are seeds that produce watermelons
that have no seed. So, how do they do that?
It’s all in the chromosomes. Normal
watermelons have two sets; seedless
watermelons have three. To create a
seedless melon, a regular melon is
crossed with a tetraploid, a melon that’s
been treated with growth hormones so
that it has four sets of chromosomes.
This cross produces the seeds for the
seedless watermelon, and no you can’t
produce your own seeds.
Mowing the Lawn
The best care advice for early fall
lawns is to keep the grass about
3” long and cut it often so that no
more than one third of the grass
blade is removed during each
mowing. Three inches has been
proven to be the ideal height to
help keep out weeds, pest
problems and disease. How long
should you keep mowing? As long as the grass is still growing…
probably until the snow flies. On the final cut, reduce the height to
2.5”.Once the mowing season is over, use up the gas in the mower
and clean it before storing. You should also remove the blade and
get it sharpened. It’s one less thing to do in the spring
Did You Know?
The word ‘tulip’ comes from the Turkish word for ‘turban.’
Tip
Spring-flowering bulbs are very forgiving when it comes to
planting depth. But in our climate it’s better to plant too deep than
too shallow. A shallowly planted bulb may sprout too early and
could be killed by a late winter freeze.
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If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
