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Aug 14
300

Monstera Deliciosa

By | Blog Post, House Plants, Medium Sunlight | No Comments

You might have seen the Mile Marker boards that parents create for their children – they highlight things like the height, weight, likes, and dislikes of their child at various stages of life. We at Nick’s Garden Center think Plant Parents should have something like this for their Plant Babies as well! Our Plant Parent Chalkboard Photos and blogs will provide you with an overview of what each plant needs in order to “grow up” happy and healthy!

Maybe the most popular houseplant ever (we can pretty much guarantee you’ve seen Monstera Deliciosa’s leaves depicted in some way over the last year or two!), this popular 70s houseplant is making its comeback due to its giant leaves with natural holes. These leaves can grow to be up to three feet in length, making them very impressive both on and off the vine. In its native tropical habitat, Monstera Deliciosa is a climber that will wind its way up trees and other tall plants to gain access to sunlight. In fact, if kept in too dark of a location inside, Monstera Deliciosa will actually grow toward the dark after a while, because the plant thinks it is growing towards the shade of another plant that it can climb in order to reach the sun!

This vining member of the Araceae family can grow to be around seven to ten feet tall indoors. That’s a massive houseplant! What’s even more impressive is that in the wild it can grow to be dozens of feet tall and up to two feet wide! That being said, even the very large house plant sized Monstera Deliciosa will need plenty of space near a bright window that gets high levels of indirect sunlight. If you’re looking for a Monstera but don’t have the space for a Deliciosa, never fear! Monstera Deliciosa’s cousin, Monstera Minima, is a great option for tight spaces.

Monstera Deliciosa is not safe for pets and is poisonous to any species (including humans) if ingested, but it is said to be helpful for cleaning the air in your space. It’s a fairly easy plant to grow, and for this reason we’re putting it in the beginner category. Just give it water when the top inch or two has dried out, and be careful to not over water. Don’t worry if you don’t see holes in the leaves right away, unlike Monstera Minima, Deliciosa develops its famous holes as the leaves mature. Rotate Monstera Deliciosa to encourage regular growth, and make sure it lives in a pot with good drainage (use a Moisture Meter to check the moisture levels at the bottom of the pot before watering if your pot does not drain). To give it an extra boost of happiness, give Monstera Deliciosa some humidity with a humidifier, and keep it away from vents and drafts.

Happy Plant Parenting!

Aug 07
300

Monstera Minima

By | Blog Post, House Plants, House Plants Beginner, Low Sunlight, Medium Sunlight | No Comments

You might have seen the Mile Marker boards that parents create for their children – they highlight things like the height, weight, likes, and dislikes of their child at various stages of life. We at Nick’s Garden Center think Plant Parents should have something like this for their Plant Babies as well! Our Plant Parent Chalkboard Photos and blogs will provide you with an overview of what each plant needs in order to “grow up” happy and healthy!

A native of Southern Thailand and Malaysia, Monstera MInima is a compact version of the popular Monstera Deliciosa. With similarly shaped leaves of a smaller size, this vining plant grows sideways, but can be trained to grow upward. Unlike Deliciosa, Minima’s leaves show cuts at a “young” age Monstera Minima is a rapid grower, and the vines will typically grow to between 6 and 12 feet in a growing season. This member of the Aracae family is also known as Dwarf Monstera, Monstera Ginny, and Mini Monstera, and its scientific name is Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma.

Monstera Mimina likes bright, indirect light and will tolerate some lower light. Plant Monstera Minima in well-draining soil with plenty of aeration, and plant it in a pot that also has plenty of drainage. As with most houseplants, Monstera Minima does not like for its roots to sit in wet soil. If your pot does not have a drainage hole, we recommend a moisture meter that will help you test the moisture level at the bottom of the pot before watering. In general, you’ll want to let the first inch or so of soil dry out before watering, but don’t let the soil get completely dry.

Monstera Minima is not pet safe, but it is known to be air cleaning. For both of these reasons, it’s a great plant to hang and train to “crawl” across a ceiling or wall, out of the reach of your furry friends. You can use any type of pin or hook to train the plant by resting the vines on the hooks or pins as they grow.

Keep Monstera Minima in a place out of reach of vents and drafts at around 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Monstera minima can tolerate dry air, but it prefers a little humidity. Try adding a humidifier to the room your Monstera lives in, or putting the Monstera in a bathroom with a sunny window. Overall, Monstera is fairly easy to care for, so beginners shouldn’t have much trouble.

 

Happy Plant Parenting!

Jul 18
300

Solving Summer Lawn Problems

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Solving Summer Lawn Problems

By Jodi Torpey

The heat is on in July and that’s when lawns, just like the folks who tend them, start to show signs of stress.

Heat, dry conditions and improper mowing can weaken turf grass so much it can take lawns a year to recover.

Gardeners can’t do anything about July’s high temperatures, but we should try to control all we can when it comes to our lawns.

The best way to solve summer lawn problems is to prevent them in the first place. That means keeping up with watering, making sure the irrigation system is working and mowing according to best practices. Sometimes we need to mow more often by cutting less off the top each time.

But if it’s already too late to prevent lawn problems this summer, here are the top turf issues to keep any eye on:

Brown lawns.

Cool-season turf grass, like Kentucky blue grass, has the tendency to go dormant in summer when heat is high and moisture is low. The obvious signs are when individual grass blades turn brown and die.

When temperatures cool and moisture starts up again, the grass will start to grow again, too. To avoid this summer dormancy, keep up with watering (according to the watering rules in your city) and use good mowing practices. Leave grass 3 inches tall and remove only 1/3 of grass blades at each mowing.

Dollar Spot.

Dollar spot is a summer turf disease that causes small brown patches of grass. Two ways to prevent dollar spot is to keep fertility high with regular lawn fertilizing and to maintain good soil moisture with about 1.5 inches of water a week.

Unsure how much water your lawn is getting? Set a number of shallow cans around the lawn to measure the amount of water used in the allotted watering time. This simple process helps determine how long you need to water to make sure the lawn receives 1.5 inches each week.

Manage weeds.

Manage weeds carefully by selecting the correct herbicide for the weeds you need to treat, using the herbicide at the right time, and applying it in the right amount. Read herbicide labels and follow instructions to coordinate with your other turf grass maintenance schedule.

Necrotic Ring Spot.

This turf grass disease shows up as dead grass in doughnut-shaped patches. It’s important to manage Necrotic Ring Spot when you see it, because this is a perennial plant disease that will show up again next season. Some of the causes of Necrotic Ring Spot include using too much nitrogen fertilizer and overwatering. There are a number of fungicides on the market that may help to get rid of this fungal disease.

Do yourself and your lawn a favor by keeping it healthy this summer. The easiest way is by reducing the environmental stressors that you control.

Jul 10
301

Time to Refresh Tired Containers

By | Blog Post, Edible Gardening | No Comments

Time to Refresh Tired Containers

By Jodi Torpey

Many annual plants start to look a little ragged by August—just like the gardeners who tend them. So this is a perfect time to give annual flower containers a little pick-me-up so they’ll look good until it’s time to put the garden to bed.

Here are some top tips for refreshing your annual container display:

Remove annuals that are past their prime. Some plants just fall apart in summer heat and can’t be revived to their former glory. Use a trowel to carefully lift plants from the container and toss on the compost pile.

Fill in bare spots. If containers look a little lean, add some new plants. Late season annuals will carry the garden through the fall. Look for marigolds, cosmos, zinnia or fill in with cool-season vegetables.

Replace droopy plants with ornamental grasses. Annual and perennial ornamental grasses will add some height and interest to containers until the season ends.

Pinch back spent flowers to help plants continue blooming. If stems have gotten too tall and leggy, use hand pruners to snip them back about 1/3 to ½. Plants will grow back quickly.

Remember to water according to the plant’s needs. Sometimes plants can wilt from having soil that’s too dry, but they can also wilt if they’re overwatered. Use your finger as a gauge and water deeply when the soil has dried to your second knuckle.

Fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer. Whether you use Miracle Gro or an organic fertilizer, dilute according to the label instructions and water to give plants a quick boost. If you have hanging baskets or containers, use a diluted solution every watering or keep up the fertilizing every few weeks through the season.

Pinch back culinary herbs. Herbs like basil, sage and mint respond well to pruning and fertilizing, too. Be sure to use the clippings to flavor salads, make iced teas or dry to use this winter.

Keep up with the harvest. If you planted containers of cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers or eggplants, be sure to clip fruits as they ripen. Plants will keep producing as long as you keep picking.

Shop the sales. Late summer is a great time to plan for next year’s garden. Stop at Nick’s for sale items that you can easily store for winter, like containers, seeds and tools. Once spring hits next year, you’ll be glad you did.

Jul 02
301

Solving Tomato Problems

By | Blog Post, Edible Gardening | No Comments

Solving Tomato Problems

By Jodi Torpey

If you’ve struggled with your tomato crop this season, raise your hand.

It’s been a tough tomato-growing year because of the long months of cool, wet weather. Tomatoes are tropical plants and they grow best with warm temperatures during the day that carry over into night.

This season tomato crops may mature later than usual, so let’s hope for a few more months of warm weather into fall. Until then, here are some common tomato problems you might see in your vegetable garden and what to do about them:

Leaf problems:

Leaves are curled with purple veins? The plant may be infested with psyllids, tiny insects that feed on the plants, causing leaves to yellow and curl. In extreme cases, psyllids can stop the plant from growing and producing fruit. Look for the pests on the underside of leaves and wash off with a blast of water from the hose or apply insecticidal soap as a control.

Missing leaves? Look for tomato hornworms, the large green caterpillars with white markings and a horn on one end. Hornworms are hard to spot, so look for large areas where leaves are missing. Pick off the pests or use a trowel to knock them into a bucket of soapy water.

Irregularly shaped watery spots on leaves? If the spots are on the younger leaves growing at the top of the plant, the likely problem is late blight. This is a fungus that infects tomato plants in the late part of summer when the weather starts to cool. Avoid late blight at planting time by spacing tomatoes as far apart as possible for good air flow, water only at soil level and removed diseased plants from the garden right away.

Fruit problems

Tan or dark soggy spots? This is blossom-end rot that can ruin tomatoes. It’s not a disease but a problem with low calcium in the soil and inconsistent soil moisture (see picture below). To prevent, keep soil evenly moist to help the plant take up calcium, especially when the weather is dry. A thick layer of organic mulch (like straw or dry shredded leaves) will help regulate soil moisture.

Cracks? Cracks usually form in tomatoes along the side starting at the stem. Cracking is usually caused by rapid growth because of wet weather followed quickly by dry weather and hot temperatures. Use a soaker hose for consistent moisture and apply more mulch.

Holes in fruit? One big hole could signal a squirrel enjoyed a bite of tomato; smaller holes may have been caused by a fruitworm that may or may not remain in the fruit. If you see only one tomato affected, remove it from the plant; if there are holes in many of the tomatoes, you may need to apply Bt. Keep in mind that worms already inside tomatoes won’t be affected.

Even if the tomato crop doesn’t measure up this season, there’s always next year!

Jun 11
301

Edible Flowers

By | Blog Post, Edible Gardening | No Comments

The Edible Flower Garden

Many of us are working on planning our gardens right now, and we’re also eating at home a lot (except for meals that we’re ording-in to support local small businesses!). We thought it would be fun to share some plants with edible flowers that you can grow at home to add flare to your cooked-at-home meals.

Any time we’re consuming flowers and plants that are not our obvious fruits and veggies, we want to be very sure we’ve identified the correct plant, so always check and double check before adding these things to your plate. After we’ve properly identified our plant, and confirmed no pesticides have been used on them, it’s time to give them a quick rinse and get creative!

Here are a few of our favorite edible flowers…

  1. Nasturtium is one of the most useful plants you can have in your garden. They are easy to grow, make a big statement with brightly colored flowers, round leaves that resemble lily pads, and trailing vines. Plus, every part of the above-ground plant is edible – leaves, flowers, and seed pods! They are also great for natural pest control. Plant these next to squash, especially, to keep the squash beetles at bay. Nasturtium flowers and leaves make a gorgeous showing in salads and add a peppery flavor.

  2. Pansies and violets are a popular flower for adding to cakes and baked goods. They can be dried or candied to add a decorative flair to your desserts, but they also look beautiful placed directly onto your dessert with no modifications. Pansies also look lovely in a salad, and can add color and decoration to home made spring rolls as well – just place the pansy face-down on the rice paper before you add filling, and when you roll it up, the pansy will be visible inside the roll.

  3. Snapdragon may not have as noticeable a flavor as other flowers, but they make a great addition to ice cubes. Place the flower in your ice cube tray and fill with water, then freeze. Any portion of the flower within the water will retain its shape and color, but any part left out might turn brown, so try to submerge the entire flower.

  4. Rose is a long-time favorite consumable flower. Roses come in many different types of scent, and therefore many different flavors. For a sweeter rose, try the Sugar Moon variety. Rose petals can be used dried or fresh. They can also be dried and used as incense or potpourri, or added fresh from the stem to water for a relaxing bath.

  5. Begonia is one of the most surprising edible flowers. Tuberous Begonias (Begonia X tuberosa) have a taste similar to sour citrus candy! This author keeps begonias on her patio all summer long and snacks on them! Just pluck the petal off of the flower and nibble away for a delicious treat that’s sugar-free.

Looking for ideas on how to use these flowers? Check out our Pinterest board called “Projects and Recipes”!

May 09
300

Houseplant 101: Pet Safe Plants

By | Blog Post, House Plants, Pet Safe | No Comments

Pet Safe Plants

A common question we hear often at Nick’s is, “What houseplants are safe for my dog/cat?”

We want to help you find some options that might work for you and your furry friend! We always encourage pet parents to research what is best and most safe for their own individual pets by checking with their veterinarians. A great resource for pet-to-plant safety checking can be found on the ASPCA website here.

One plant with which we will immediately remind pet owners to use caution is asiatic lilies. The pollen produced by these flowers is very toxic. While many animals instinctively stay away from plants that might cause them harm, it’s very easy for a pet to brush up against these pollen nodules, and then ingest the pollen while cleaning their fur. Simply clip these little pollen tips off (take care – they go everywhere and they stain!) and toss them safely in the garbage.

Now… onto the houseplants!

Large Hanging Plants

The Boston Ferns make a great showing. A moisture-loving plant, you’ll want to keep this plant well-moisturized (think spritzing with water regularly or keeping a humidifier nearby the plant). Many other ferns are highly toxic, but the Boston Fern is considered to be safe for pets. For an added bonus, the Boston Fern is an air-purifier.

Small Tabletop Plants

The African Violet is a small but striking flowering plant with green and fuzzy leaves, this plant has been around for a while and is making a comeback. African Violets are available with blooms in shades of pinks, blues, and purples.

Full Sun Plants

Many peperomia plants are safe for cats and dogs. With their trademark waxy and rounded foliage they are a favorite among plant collectors. A lover of bright sunlight, this popular plant is safe for your furry friends if they decide to have a little nibble.

Floor Plants

The Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans) can grow to be up to 6 feet tall. While it likes bright light, it will tolerate more shady areas of your home. No promises your cat won’t try to climb it, though!

Tabletop Pizzaz

For an easy-to-care-for plant that will make a big showing on a table, bookcase, or plant stand, try a Spider Plant. They will tolerate many different conditions, and will even stand for a little neglect if you’re new to being a plant parent. It’s also air-purifying!

Striking Floral Display

Moth Orchids are a great option for the houseplant enthusiast with pets to look out for. Moth Orchids are available in several different colors, and you can really have fun with how you display your orchids.

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Apr 17
300

Seed Starting Tips

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Seed Starting Tips

By Jessica Kendall

Many of us are working on starting our own gardens this year – be it a patio garden or a yard-garden, and a lot of us are starting those gardens from seed indoors. Whether we’re growing food to eat or flowers to create our own outdoor oasis, we want to offer some tips to help fellow gardeners succeed in growing from seed!

How to grow plants from seed?

Tip Number One – Make sure your seeds are getting plenty of light.
Most seeds need light to germinate (“germination” occurs when the seed opens up and begins to grow into a plant), and all seedlings need a lot of light to grow. Some seeds like Sweet Pea need darkness to germinate, and other seeds like Poppy need only be pressed on the surface of the soil because they need a lot of light to germinate. The best way to make sure that your seeds and seedlings are going to get enough light is to use a grow lamp. Sunny windows are great, but windows are coated to filter out a significant portion of UV rays, so our plants aren’t getting as much true light as we think they are. You’ll want your seeds and seedlings to get between 12 and 16 hours a day of full UV exposure.

Tip Number Two – Choosing a good soil is important, but equally as important is pre-wetting the soil before you fill your growing containers. When soil has been sitting for a while and is dry (this can even happen in bags), it can become “hydrophobic,” meaning it will not easily soak up water that is poured onto it. Getting the soil to the point that it soaks up water again can take a lot of mixing, which you don’t want to be doing after you’ve planted your seeds! When soil gets very dry, you’ll want to pour your soil into a bucket, and just add a cup or so of water at a time and stir until it is nice and moist. You don’t want the soil to be dripping wet, but you want it to clump together well. Fill the container you’re using to start your seeds with your nice clumpy soil and gently pack the soil down. It’s best for the roots to have some soil packed around them when you transfer from your growing container to your bed or final container so that the roots are nice and secure and protected from damage.

 

Tip Number Three – Watering seeds and seedlings in a balanced way is another key to success. Too much water and you risk Damping-Off – a condition caused by a bacteria that can grow on the surface of the soil and kill seedlings by pinching them off at the soil level. One way to keep this from happening is to sprinkle a little cinnamon on the surface of the soil. Cinnamon has natural antibacterial properties that will help keep bad bacteria at bay without affecting the seeds or seedlings. Once Damping-Off takes hold it’s not possible to get rid of it, so try to remove any affected area to avoid its spread to other seedlings. If you see a fuzzy white substance on the soil, don’t worry. You can’t see Damping-Off (you would only notice that the stem is browning at the soil level and the seedling is dying), and this fuzzy white substance is usually innocuous. Once the seedlings have their first set of true leaves (the first leaves you see from a seedling are not true leaves – those will be the next set of leaves), they are no longer susceptible to Damping-Off.

 

Tip Number Four – Paying close attention to the planting instructions on your seed packets will also help your germination rate. Seed packets  have a lot of good information (and if you’re growing seeds from Botanical Interests, don’t forget to look inside the packet for even more information!) and will give you the information you need for planting and cultivating your plants. Some seeds need to be planted deeper into the soil, some need only be pressed onto the surface, some need heat, and some do better when soaked or when their outer shell is snipped.

 

Tip Number Five – Heat mats are not necessary, but they are a great way to speed up and encourage germination. Some seeds prefer cool soil (like Chamomile, for example) but many seeds like warm soil to germinate. Heating mats made for starting seeds will be set to an appropriate temperature and will be left on while you grow your seedlings indoors.

Apr 01
300

Gardening Checklist for April

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Gardening Checklist for April

By Jodi Torpey

April is one of the best months for getting the landscape ready for summer. Mark your calendar to get these gardening to-do’s done this month.

  • Plant trees.  Celebrate two April events at once by planting new trees in your landscape. Earth Day and Arbor Day remind us how important it is to keep planting the trees that add so much to our environment. Be sure to match the mature size of your selected trees to the available space in your yard. Use best practices for tree planting by digging a saucer-shaped planting hole that’s three times the root ball diameter. Plant with the top of the root ball at ground level.
  • Look for lawn improvements. Now’s the time to evaluate the look of the lawn to see if sod can help. Whether you need to re-sod the entire lawn or just a small section, be sure to prepare the soil before planting and then keep sod watered.
  • Buy vegetable and herb seeds for starting. Select seed packets of your favorite vegetables to get a head start on the season. Use seed-starting mix in clean containers and provide the right amount of moisture for seeds to germinate. Grow lights can help seeds get a great start.
  • Remove plant wrap from trees. If you wrapped the trunks of young trees in November to protect them from sunscald over winter, it’s time for the unwrapping. 
  • Plant hardy vegetables. Buy transplants of vegetable plants like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Then give them time to acclimate to the outdoors before planting. Let transplants spend a little more time outside and in the sun each day. Then plant in the vegetable garden.
  • Help the Monarch butterflies. Plan now to buy and plant milkweed  seeds in your garden. Milkweed plants are an important food source for the young caterpillars that will grow into beautiful butterflies.
  • Cut back ornamental grasses. Use a sharp pair of pruning shears or electric hedge trimmers to cut back tall grasses left from last season. Cut a few inches above soil level to give new leaves room to grow.
  • Check the sprinkler system. Make sure the sprinkler system is in tiptop shape with an irrigation audit. Check the controller, sprinkler heads and look for leaky valves.
Mar 29
300

Plant a Healthy Vegetable Garden

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Plant a Healthy Vegetable Garden

By Jodi Torpey

Many gardening folks wait until the end of the vegetable gardening season to ponder what went wrong with their gardens. It may be because the tomatoes didn’t produce, insects ate the cabbages or cucumbers died on the vines.

Instead of waiting for your gardening results, start the season by planning ways to grow a healthier vegetable garden. There are many things gardeners can do to prevent the problems that make for an unhappy gardening experience.

The top item on the list is to make sure you start with good soil. Many problems can be avoided by paying more attention to the garden soil. Plants just can’t grow well in soil that lacks nutrients, soil that holds too much water because it’s clayey or soil that drains too fast because it’s sandy.

The best way to deal with soil issues is to take a soil test at the beginning of the season. CSU Extension has resources that give great advice about soil testing. It may seem like an extra unnecessary step, but it’s the one that’s sure to help with your gardening efforts.

Most garden soil can be improved by amending it with good-quality organic matter, like compost. Spread compost about an inch thick over the garden bed and dig it in. An alternative to amending garden soil is to find another planting method. You could grow in a new raised bed, starting with perfect garden soil, grow in a container garden or even plant vegetables right in a straw bale where you don’t need any soil at all.

Buy good-quality seeds and plants to start your vegetable gardening. Healthy transplants gives your healthy garden a head start. Look for plants that are green, sturdy and have healthy roots. Avoid plants that are tall and leggy, have yellowing leaves, sickly-looking roots or insects. Be sure to give plants time to acclimate to the outdoors before planting to reduce transplant shock.

Another key to a healthier garden is to wait for the weather to warm before planting warm-season crops. If you plant your tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins while the soil is still cool and night-time temperatures drop below 50 degrees, it will affect the plants. Tomatoes that set blossoms in cold weather can grow into malformed fruits while the growth of other plants can be delayed and they may not mature before the first frost hits in fall.

Once you have all these steps in place, maintain a healthy garden. Give plants the right amounts of sun, water and fertilizer. Keep the garden weeded. Watch for problems and take action right away whether it’s to cover plants with row cloth, pick bugs off of plants or spray aphids away with a blast of water.

If you take care of your garden, your garden will reward your efforts with bushels of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.