Author Archives: GCSDev

Decorating for the Holidays

Whether your prefer a single candle in each window or a 12-foot tree covered with glittering decorations, our ideas will help you create a special home, from the simple to the dramatic! Try some new and stunning decorations this holiday season, including…

Garlands and Swags
Graceful drapes of greeneries and ribbons are the perfect choice for mantles, doorways, arches and railings. Weave two coordinating ribbons around a swag for a stunning contrast, or attach cones, berries or dried or silk flowers with a dab of hot glue for a colorful burst. You might also weave a bead strand into a garland or swag for extra glamour.
Wreaths
Classic wreaths can be stunning on doors, over mantles or on windows. They can be completed with a single bow or festooned with berries, trumpets or other decorations to match your décor. Whimsical wreaths may be made of candy or faux cookies, or you might tuck small gift boxes or other accents into the design.
Fresh Cut Greens
Cedar boughs and holly sprigs look and smell great, whether they are scattered on the mantle, tucked behind pictures or brimming from vases and baskets. Tie a bunch together with a big bow for a delightful, simple door decoration. When using in a vase, make a fresh cut at the base of greens before arranging and check the water often the first few days to keep them plump and fragrant.
Roping
Simple ropes of white pine look great along a fence, railing or light post. Add large, bold bows along the railing or fence with even larger bows at the base of the gateposts for an easy decoration and to bring the look together.
Ornaments
Ornaments don’t just belong on trees anymore! Fill a tall, clear vase or glass pillar with colorful ornaments to display them elegantly, no tree required. For a more elegant look, use ornaments of just 1-2 colors, or ornaments only in coordinating shades and similar hues. You can also display ornaments in a broad open dish, around the base of a pillar candle or worked into a wreath or swag.
Treats
Your favorite holiday treats can also be elegant decorations. String candy canes along a garland or arrange them in a vase for a sweet decoration. A gingerbread house can be a beautiful centerpiece, or fragrant gingerbread cookies can be attached to a garland or swag. You can even add a dish of bright peppermints as a candle base or ribbon candies to a wreath.

No matter what your decorating style, there are creative and unusual ways you can add festive elegance to your home to celebrate the season.

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Making a Terrarium

Hold onto your gardening hats, folks! Remember terrariums? A new trend revitalizing this old style is now better than ever. Creating a theme for your terrarium is easier too, with the all the miniatures now available. Remember those skinny-necked bottles and what a hassle they were? New container styles make terrariums easier to plant, simple to maintain and more beautiful in your home.

Style

What is your terrarium’s style? Tropical with ferns, arid with cacti or beach-like with tiny grasses, sand and water-like pebbles? Will you have figures such as fairies or gnomes? To choose the plants, consider the lighting where you plan to place the terrarium. If your gnome home is to be in the corner, consider using a cute fluorescent light or similar illumination to help keep your terrarium’s plants healthy and thriving.

Container Shape and Size

Choose your container and ensure it has enough room for your completed dream. Clear glass allows views of different layers of sand, soil and top dressing, giving your terrarium extra depth. Container shapes include hanging, footed, cylindrical, spherical, even leaning. Multi-sided geometric shapes are popular, as are smooth, curved shapes with a natural flow. If your garden includes tropical plants, consider a container with a smaller opening or a lid to increase humidity for healthier plants.

Don’t forget to consider size – tiny terrariums with just a plant or two are popular and can be hung like ornaments or make great gifts, while larger containers can create an entire microcosm and unique environment for a stunning display.

How to Plant

Planting a terrarium takes a little extra care, but is no more difficult than planting any houseplant.

Put an inch or two of small gravel, pebbles or expanded clay pellets into the container, providing a drainage base. Mixing in several tablespoons of horticultural charcoal prevents odors. If the container is large enough, layer other colors or sizes of pebbles or sands to create visual interest when viewed from the side.
Soil goes in next. Many plants grow well in light soils mixed with peat moss and vermiculite or perlite. Moistened coir is another option. Alternatively, consider special prepared soil mixes for African violets, succulents or cacti.
Create a landscape plan by first arranging the plants on the tabletop to determine where they will be placed in the container, taking into account how the plants may touch the sides or top of the container.
Plant the largest plant first. Dig a small hole, place the plant, and firmly tamp the soil around it. This is very important to stabilize the plants and remove air pockets. If the space is tight, smaller plants may be able to help stabilize larger plants.
After placing the plants, you may want to top-dress with decorative pebbles or bark. Sand looks great around cacti. This is also the time to place fairies, cottages, twigs, larger stones, marbles and other decorative items in your terrarium to create the desired theme.
When everything looks good (look at it from all sides and angles), use a small artist brush to clean any loose dirt or sand away from the sides and leaves.
Use a mister to water the plants. Because the container acts as a small biosphere and much of the moisture is recycled, a little water lasts for quite awhile. Do not overwater your terrarium or the plants may rot, and replacing them can be a challenge.

Place your terrarium in its new location and enjoy its beauty and your accomplishment!

Herbal Delights

No matter how cold the temperatures or how deep the snow, you can enjoy the pleasures of herbs this winter season by growing them in your windowsill. Herbs are great for adding zest to any food and are a delicious substitute for salt and artificial flavors. They can also make dinner a visual delight! Add herbs to breads, soups and stews for flavor or use as a lovely garnish. Here are some great selections to try…

Rosemary is a must for the cook. Fresh rosemary is much richer and more fragrant than dried sprigs. Its needle-like foliage has a piney or resinous aroma and flavor. Rosemary is good with any meat or poultry, with stronger tasting fish, and with pizza, breads and potatoes. It is companionable with garlic and citrus flavors. A pleasing apple jelly can be scented with rosemary for a gourmet touch.

Chives, being a member of the onion family, is one of the few flavoring plants that appreciates some fertilizer. The hollow spears should be cut as needed by clipping a few spears just above the ground. It is used mostly as a garnish or final ingredient wherever a light onion taste is wanted, and it won’t overpower your recipes.

Mints are a necessity for herb windowsill gardens. No one would want to be without spearmint and peppermint, and maybe orange mint, for fresh teas and additions to fruit cups and ice cream. Fragrant and luscious, mints also make delightful garnishes for drinks or can be frozen into ice cubes.

Sage is a standby for poultry, breads and stuffings and combines well with corn or apples. Fried leaves are good to nibble. Experiment with different types of sage to enjoy their subtle variations and different flavors.

Thyme, a huge family of small upright, mounding or creeping plants, comes in a variety of flavors. You will find varieties labeled French, English, Common and Lemon, with leaves that may be all green or silver-edged or even variegated with gold. Every herb garden should have some thyme, and it pairs will with lamb as well as in marinades and salads.

Oregano is the hardier cousin of marjoram. It is a familiar flavoring in Italian and Greek cooking, in meats, sauces and of course in pizza. Oregano can be added to salads, used in marinades or mixed in with breads for rich flavor without any butter needed.

When growing your herbs, be mindful of their sunlight needs and keep them away from heating vents that can dry the soil out too quickly. Use organic fertilizers like fish emulsion and seaweed sparingly. Although fertilizers make the plants beautiful to look at, the less fertilizer used on an herb, the better it will taste. Now is a great time to start growing or to add to your culinary herb collection. Winter is the perfect time to start adding zest and flavor to your cooking!

Create a Beautiful Tree in 6 Easy Steps

Have you ever wondered how to create that beautiful Christmas tree, the kind featured in photo shoots and magazines? Whether you opt for a live potted tree, a fresh cut pine or an artificial tree you can reuse for several years, the steps to a stunning, artistic tree are the same, and you don’t have to be an interior designer to create a lovely Christmas tree.

Color
Pick a theme color or color pair. This may be colors you simply like together, or you could mimic school colors, a favorite sports team or classic holiday pairings like burgundy and gold or blue and silver. Consider your tree theme and choose colors accordingly, such as blue and aqua for a tropical, undersea tree, or white and silver for a winter wonderland tree.
Lights
Use one strand of 70 to 100 lights for each foot of tree (7 strands for a 7-foot tree). This will be the approximate ratio on a pre-lit artificial tree, or you will need to add lights to a live tree. Spread the strands out evenly, and tuck wires into the tree so they are less visible. White lights or a single color are generally more elegant than multi-colored strands.
Ribbon
Plan on 40 to 60 yards of ribbon unless the tree is in a corner. The treetop will typically take 10-15 yards of this amount. You can also mix two ribbons for a nice effect, too. Wire-edged ribbon is easier to shape into graceful curves, and a broad ribbon will make a more dramatic impact, particularly on a larger tree. Drape the trailing edges of ribbon down the sides of the tree, either straight toward the ground or in a graceful spiral.
Accents
Add silk or dried flowers as your next step along with garland. Make sure flowers are placed at different depths within the tree so there is dimension. Holiday flowers such as poinsettias are most popular, but you can opt for different blooms to coordinate with your theme, such as roses for a Victorian tree or tropical flowers for a festive beach-themed tree.
Balls
Use 6-8 boxes of plain glass ball ornaments, either all the same color or 3-4 boxes each of two coordinating colors. Tuck some of these ornaments deeper within the tree to reflect more light and add depth to your decorating. A medium-size ornament is appropriate, or choose balls of different sizes but in the same plain color and basic shape.
Ornaments
Add themed ornaments last for that finishing touch and to give your tree some whimsy and pizzazz, but try not to go overboard with quirkiness. If you prefer a simpler, more elegant look, avoid overly themed ornaments but choose simple colored ornaments in different shapes that match your overall color plan, such as using drip, icicle, or star-shaped ornaments to complete the tree.

Voila! You have a Christmas tree that will bring beauty and elegance to your holiday decorating all season long.

Ornamental Cabbage & Kale

Looking to add extra appeal to the fall and winter landscape? This year, try ornamental cabbage and kale! Planted alongside chrysanthemums and winter pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale add distinctive bold texture and vibrant seasonal color to the late-season landscape.

Foliage not Flower

Frequently called ‘flowering’ cabbage & kale, these fall favorites are not flowers at all, but large, dense rosettes of colorful, frilly foliage richly variegated with cream, white, green, pink, rose, and purple – the perfect fall palette.

Kale leaves are frilly-edged and sometimes deeply cut or lobed.
Cabbage leaves tend to have a smoother appearance with a wavy leaf edge.

While the typical large ornamental cabbage and kale varieties are readily available at this time of year, you can also try more unusual options, including dwarf varieties, suitable for planters, and upright, tall, long-stemmed varieties that are useful in fall floral arrangements.

Unlike most other fall ornamentals, these cold-tolerant annuals improve in appearance after a frost or two, bringing out more intense and brilliant colors in their foliage – perfect for use as both an autumn accent plant mixed with other fall favorites or as a specimen plant, commanding all the attention. Initially select your ornamental cabbage and kale for the leaf texture as the true leaf color will not be recognized until after temperatures have cooled down quite a bit.

Our favorite tried and true varieties include:

Cabbages

Color Up
Grows upright with green leaves surrounding a center of white, pink, or magenta.

Osaka Cabbage
A compact plant with large, smooth, wavy leaves boasting a center of white, pink, or jewel-toned purple.

Kales

Crane
When grown close together, Crane is a tall variety, perfect for cutting and using in floral arrangements.

Peacock
This extra fancy variety sports deeply cut, frilly, loose leaves in purple, magenta, and white.

Planting

Popular in fall borders, grouped in planting drifts, or planted in containers for the deck or patio, ornamental cabbage and kale typically grow to 12-18” high and wide, depending on the cultivar. Plant these fall jewels in September and early October, at least 12” apart, depending on the variety, in an area with full sun that has rich, moist, well-drained soil.

In Ground
If planting in the ground, add a shovel full of compost to each planting hole to enrich the native soil. Also, sprinkle in a small handful of starter fertilizer to get your cabbage and kale off to a healthy start.

In Containers
When planting in pots, planters, urns, and window boxes, it is best to plant using lightweight, nutritious potting soil. Don’t forget the fertilizer! A slow-release fertilizer will feed your plants, with no additional effort, all season long.

Cabbage and Kale Tip

While these plants are quite similar to the cabbage and kale cooked in the kitchen and consumed in salads, soups, and stews, it is important to note that ornamental varieties are cultivated for color and shape rather than taste. If you’d like to use them in the kitchen, use them as a garnish only. They are more attractive than tasty, and their proper place is in the garden.

Enjoy your ornamental cabbage and kale during the cold months of the year as once they begin to bolt in the spring, sending up their flower stalks, it is time to pull them up and replace them with late spring and summer flowering annuals. This fall, however, try several new varieties planted in both containers and directly into the garden. You’ll love the long-lasting color that they’ll bring to your surroundings.

Building A Simple Raised Bed

It’s a bittersweet time of year. Frost has put to rest another growing season. It is a time for endings as we clean up the garden and jot down this year’s successes and failures. It is also a time for new beginnings, such as planning and anticipating next year’s garden.

For those who love gardening, the season does not have to end when the cold arrives. The chilly, late-season air is perfect for getting outside and beginning garden projects like building a raised bed garden. A little work now will go a long way come spring.

Why Raised Beds

Just about any plant that is grown in an in-ground garden may be cultivated in a raised bed; this includes flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Raised bed gardening offers several advantages over growing in the ground; these include:

Improved soil conditions
Earlier planting
Easier maintenance
Decreased garden pests
Higher crop yield

Building a Simple Raised Bed

Raised beds are available in various styles, materials, and sizes. They may be purchased complete or in DIY kits. If, however, you are adventuresome and thrifty, building your own raised garden bed from scratch is the way to go.

A home-built raised bed can be made to any size you choose; however, it is best to build the bed no wider than 4 feet. Optimal for ease of planting and maintaining, a raised garden of 4 feet wide will ensure you will never have to stretch further than 2 feet into the bed, a comfortable reach for most.

Materials for a Simple DIY 4’ x 8’ Raised Bed

A 4’ x 8’ raised garden bed is a perfect size. It will provide plenty of room to grow a variety of vegetables, including peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and more. Whereas lettuce only requires a 6-inch soil depth to accommodate its root system, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini need about 16 inches. We recommend building your bed at least 18 inches deep to accommodate plants with a heftier root system.

Note: All wood is not equal. For your bed’s longevity, we recommend using either cedar or white oak. We do not recommend using pressure-treated lumber for a raised bed where edibles will be grown.

Materials

6 pieces of 2” x 10” x 8’ boards

4 pieces of 2” x 2” x 24’ wooden stakes

Deck screws

Table Saw

Electric Drill

Electric Screwdriver

Let’s Prepare

Gather your supplies and tools, borrowing tools if necessary.
Select a full sun site with level ground convenient to a water source.
If the selected site is lawn, mow it short and cover it with landscape fabric or a thick layer of cardboard or newspaper to help suppress weeds.
To save time and energy, work directly in the area where the raised bed will be situated.

Let’s Build

Cut 2 of the boards in half, creating four 4’ pieces. Leave the remaining four boards uncut at 8’.
Form a rectangular frame with 2 of the 4’ boards and 2 of the 8’ boards.
Pre-drill screw holes that will be used to secure the corners – 4 per corner.
Fasten the boards together with the deck screws.
Repeat with the remaining boards.
Lay one frame over the selected site.
Mark the 2” x 2” x 24” stakes with a line 8 inches from the pointed tip of the stake.
On the inside of one of the corners of the frame, pound a 2” x 2” stake into the ground up to the 8” line. This will leave 16 inches above the ground.
Insert a stake directly inside the frame at the remaining three corners of the bed and pound them into the ground at the 8” line.
With the deck screws and drill, secure the frame to the stakes.

Preparing The Raised Bed

Fill

Now is not only the perfect time to build a raised bed but to fill it as well with high-quality topsoil amended with plenty of compost. YOUR GARDEN CENTER will assist you in calculating the amount of soil your specific bed size requires.

Feed

Organic fertilizers are naturally slow-release. Fertilize your raised bed at soil filling time, and it will be perfect for planting come spring. Select a fertilizer specifically recommended for the crop that you will be growing.

Protect

Soil should never be left exposed to the elements. Be sure to cover your prepared raised bed soil during the winter. Place a thick layer of salt marsh hay, straw, or leaves atop your soil and leave it in place until ready to plant in the spring.

Late fall and early winter are the perfect times to build and fill a raised bed. Addressing this late-season chore will keep you gardening in the colder months, assuring that your muscles remain active and will leave you with a lighter workload when spring arrives.

Tulip Time

It’s finally here, that time of year that we’ve all been anticipating – fall! And, you know what fall means? Tulip time!

The cooler days of fall entice us back into the garden that the August heat forced us to abandon. This is when your garden retailer is brimming with fresh, new, seasonal plant material and overflowing with fall-planted, spring-flowering bulbs. And, we wish to point out, that no bulb type is more treasured than the tulip. With an almost limitless selection (100 species and over 3000 varieties divided into 15 distinct groups), you’ll never tire of the tulip.

Tips for Planting Tulips

Tulips are an easy-care addition to any garden or landscape, and they are simpler to plant than many gardeners realize. Tulips need cold winters to stimulate blooms. They flower effortlessly and, in most cases, return for many years in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 – 7. Tulips may be grown in Zones 8 – 11 with a pre-chilling period of 10-14 weeks at 35 to 45°F. In these warmer climates, tulips should be treated as annuals.

Tulip 10 Step

Choose only top-sized, firm bulbs without bruises or obvious damage. Bigger bulbs generally indicate better quality and will provide more and larger flowers.
Bulbs should be planted as soon as purchased, otherwise store them in a cool, dry location until ready to plant. Plant tulip bulbs before the ground freezes. When planting in Zones 8 – 11, store bulbs at 35 to 45°F until planting time.
Choose a full or part sun location to plant tulips. A semi-shady location provides some relief from the heat in Zones 8 – 11.
If planting a large number of bulbs, consider digging a free-form bed or trench in which to plant. Individual holes are appropriate when planting a small number of tulips.
Planting beds and holes should be well-draining, and the soil enriched with plenty of high-quality compost.
Plant tulips at the depth of three times the height of the bulb, approximately 6 inches deep.
Always plant pointed end up.
Apply a generous amount of bone meal at planting time.
Backfill with the excavated, compost amended soil.
Water the planting area thoroughly and mulch generously after planting tulip bulbs.

Tried & True Tulip Selections

Some tulips can be a little finicky, and while these may disappear from your garden after a year or two, other selections promise trouble-free blooms for years to come if planted and cared for correctly. The three tulip types that perennialize most readily are…

Species Tulips

Species Tulips are by far the longest-lived tulips and will even naturalize when given advantageous growing conditions. Small in stature, species tulips are an excellent choice for rock gardens and for planting in the front of beds and borders.

Darwin Hybrids

Darwin Hybrids perennialize quite well and are valued for their long-stemmed and large brightly colored flowers available in a wide range of hues. These mid-season bloomers make excellent cut flowers.

Emperor Tulips

Emperors are also good perennializing tulips These modern hybrids are known for their substantial, elongated blooms borne on tall stems. Some even boast decoratively patterned and mottled foliage.

The temps are cooler, the garden is waiting, and your garden retailer is ready for you. So, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of tulip time and prepare for a bright and floriferous spring!

darwin hybrid tulip

The Fall Herb Garden

The end of the summer doesn’t mean the end of deliciousness from your garden, not when a fall herb garden can add tantalizing tastes to all your meals. As the season changes, give your herbs a little tender loving care to ensure that they thrive through fall and into winter.

Caring for Perennial Herbs

Perennial herbs that are already established in the garden can easily be winterized, including mint, oregano, thyme, chives, rosemary and sage. So long as the herbs are healthy and thriving as summer wanes, they can be prepared for winter.

First, stop fertilizing herbs in August so they do not continue to produce delicate new growth. Continue to water them adequately, however, as drought stress will make the plants less able to tolerate winter. As their growth slows, trim each plant carefully, using sharp, clean shears for crisp cuts that will minimize strain on the plant. Prune herbs to 4-6 inches in height. It is a good idea to add a layer of mulch to insulate plant roots in colder climates.

Planting Herbs in Autumn

Cool-weather herbs, annual or perennial, can easily be planted in autumn and will be ready to flavor many savory dishes. A container herb garden is an ideal choice for fall herbs since it can be easily moved and protected for the best care. Choose a container with suitable size and depth to nurture the desired herbs, and ensure it has adequate drainage holes to promote good drainage.

Planting several herbs in the same pot will save space and keep them all close by for easy use. You may also consider using smaller pots that can be grouped together in an attractive arrangement. Pots can be positioned right near the kitchen or patio door for easy access, or in a sunny window box.

Protecting Herbs in Winter

Annual herbs or newly planted perennial ones can be at risk if a hard freeze or unexpected storm arrives. Staying alert to weather forecasts and keeping a keen eye on the barometer will help you protect your herb garden as the season deepens. If the temperature is dropping, it is best to shelter your herbs with sturdy covers, cold frames, or cloches. Moving pots or containers temporarily into an insulated garage and near an interior wall that will be warmer can also protect them from cold snaps.

If container herb gardens can safely remain outdoors in the late fall, the pots should be elevated so their drainage holes do not become clogged. Pot feet or plant stands are great options and will help keep the soil from becoming too damp after repeated rains or snows.

Trimming plants into dome shapes is another way to protect the fall herb garden from the onslaught of winter weather. A more compact shape will shed rain and snow more effectively, providing better protection for the plant’s structure and minimizing damage. A dome shape will also be easier to cover if necessary.

Dishes for a Delicious Fall

Fresh herbs add subtle flavors to salads and can be used to season roasts and meats. Infusing soups, sauces, and gravies is another way to create layers of flavor in autumn foods, and herbs can even add unique notes to hot teas, fruit compotes and jellies, or spiced cider. The better you protect your fall herbs, the more you will be able to enjoy them throughout the season and well into winter.

Fall Mulching Pros and Cons

Mulch can add a protective layer to any fall garden, flowerbeds, or shrubs, but is it best for your landscape? Understanding the pros and cons of fall mulching can help you better prepare all your plants for the changing season.

Benefits of Fall Mulching

There’s no denying that when done properly, mulching in fall can provide enormous benefits to the landscape. The biggest pros of fall mulching include:

Insulating the soil.
Fall mulching preserves heat that will keep microbes, earthworms, and other life active and thriving in the soil longer to improve the soil condition. The insulation mulch provides will also help moderate temperature swings that can damage tender roots, especially those of newly planted plant material.
Saving time with spring chores.
Spring is a hectic season in the garden, but if mulching is already done in the fall, it doesn’t need to be redone in the spring and there will be more time to spend with other planting and gardening tasks when the weather warms.
Easier climate for working.
The milder temperatures of autumn make it more enjoyable to spend time outdoors with the heavy labor of spreading mulch. This is especially true if you will be mulching multiple flowerbeds, tree rings, borders, and other spaces throughout the landscape.
Simpler to spread.
If you mulch in spring, you may need to be delicately working around emerging sprouts and blooming bulbs. In fall, however, the work is less delicate after beds have already been cleaned out, and you can spread mulch much more quickly and efficiently.
Weed suppression.
Weeds don’t stop growing when summer ends, and just like spring mulching, spreading mulch in fall will help minimize weeds. This will make it easier to keep weeds under control when spring arrives again, and growth is renewed.
Preventing soil erosion.
Soils on sloped beds can quickly erode in autumn and winter weather as rain and snow batter the slopes. A good layer of mulch will protect the soil and keep it in place throughout the season, so it is ready to work again in the spring.
Nourishing the soil.
Organic mulches that are spread in autumn will have several months to settle and begin decaying. This will introduce more nutrients into the top layer of soil, so it is richer and healthier for spring planting.
Tidy Appearance
A fresh layer of mulch will always make the landscape and garden look well-tended.

Problems With Fall Mulching

While fall mulching can be very beneficial to the landscape, it may not be the best choice for your gardens. Potential cons of fall mulching include:

Stopping self-sowers.
Any herbs or flowers that would normally self-sow as seeds ripen will be inhibited by a layer of autumn mulch, and the yield for new growth in the spring will be significantly reduced. The thicker the mulch, the fewer seeds will germinate.
Time constraints of shorter days.
While the autumn climate may be perfect for big mulching jobs, shorter days and the risk of early snows or freezes can make it difficult to complete the undertaking. If the mulching is started too late in the season, it may not get finished before winter begins.
Loss of winter interest landscaping.
One benefit of fall mulching is that it is easier to spread the mulch over already pruned perennial beds. This same step, however, requires pruning perennial stems back which removes that winter interest from the landscape as it takes away stems, berries, and seeds that winter wildlife may have needed.
Attracting unwanted pests.
A deep layer of fresh mulch can be very attractive to unwelcomed fall and winter guests, including rodents and slugs that will burrow into the mulch and make themselves at home until spring. This problem can be minimized by taking care not to use too much mulch in autumn.
Depriving roots of oxygen.
While fall mulch will help moderate soil temperatures to protect delicate roots, a thick layer may also stifle airflow into the soil and deprive roots of essential oxygen. At the same time, excess moisture that accumulates under a thick mulch layer could lead to problems as well. Be sure to keep your fall mulching to no more than 2 inches deep from plant stem to the dripline.
Fading before spring.
Once fall mulch is laid, it will begin decomposing and could lose its sharp color and freshness long before spring arrives. This can be fixed simply by turning the mulch in the spring to refresh the layer even as new bulbs and shoots are starting to pop up to greet the season.

Fall Mulching Tips

Every gardener must decide when to mulch, and if you do want to take advantage of the benefits of fall mulching, doing so carefully can help prevent many of the cons. First, adjust the mulch depth to match the requirements of your local climate and plant needs – a layer 2-4 inches deep is typically adequate. Apply fall mulch after the first hard freeze when perennials can be cut back easily but take care not to pile it against tree trunks or shrub bases where it may invite gnawing pests or induce bark rot.

Mulching can be a very productive fall chore for flowerbeds, garden spaces, borders, and other parts of the landscape. It has to potential to save you time and energy and help keep your property looking its very best not only in autumn, but through the winter and into spring once again.

Pruning Red Raspberries

There’s an unfounded rumor that raspberries are difficult to prune. This isn’t true if you understand the type of raspberry in your garden. Summer-bearing raspberries produce only one harvest per year while everbearing, or fall-bearing, raspberries can produce two harvests.

Raspberry Types

Summer-bearing raspberries plants bear fruit on one type of cane, a floricane. These large, thick canes grow fruiting lateral branches. Most of the purple and black raspberry varieties and some red varieties are summer-bearing plants.

Everbearing raspberries grow two types of fruiting canes, floricanes and primocanes. The floricanes are similar those of the summer-bearing raspberry. However, the primocane has no lateral branches. Instead, the fruit buds are located on the thick cane. Most red and yellow raspberry varieties are everbearing.

No matter what type of raspberry you grow, proper pruning improves production and the taste of the fruit, the appearance of your garden and makes it easier to harvest the delicious fruit.

Raspberry Pruning Tips

If you are growing summer-bearing raspberries, you will follow a cycle of pruning out the older floricanes, which already bore fruit. If you are growing ever-bearing raspberries, you will prune out floricanes and the top one-third of the primocanes where fruit developed in the fall. However, you can choose a second option for pruning everbearing raspberries. Simply cut the entire plant to the ground in early spring to produce berries from fall until the first frost. This sacrifices the summer harvest, but puts all plant energy into fruit production for fall harvest, creating a larger, more robust crop. It also protects the canes from any extreme winter conditions and reduces insect damage. Using row covers or greenhouses to maintain a warmer temperature easily extends the harvest season later into the fall.

To simplify the pruning process…

When you grow your own berries, you know exactly how they were grown, you save money, and best of all, they taste great, even with dirt under your fingernails!

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