Gardening Tips

Do You Dig Dahlias?

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By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Dahlias in a bed at Enders island
Dahlias at Enders Island. Photo by dmp2024

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to visit the spectacular dahlia gardens on Enders Island in Mystic. For those unfamiliar with this retreat, an 11-acre seaside estate was donated to the Society Edmund by Mrs. Alys E. Enders in 1954. This Roman Catholic religious community offers ministry, retreats and respite to many. The grounds are open to all for contemplation or just unbound appreciation of nature and horticultural beauty.

Gardeners will delight in the gorgeous, well laid out garden rooms but especially be entranced by the vast array of dahlias. The gardens at Enders Island are filled with over 300 varieties of prize-winning dahlias in all colors (except blue), shapes and sizes imaginable. A Dahlia Preservation Trust was established to preserve the dahlia collection that is rated as one of the largest in New England.

Any of us growing dahlias while appreciating their cheery, attractive blossoms lasting long into the fall, do realize they are not winter hardy, even with milder winters attributed to climate change.  Dahlias are native to Central America. In fact, they are Mexico’s national flower. Those wishing to save the tuberous roots for replanting next year, must dig them up and store them over the winter.

Ideally, gardeners should wait until a frost blackens the foliage. Then, if possible, wait a week so any carbohydrates left in the above ground tissue can make their way to the roots to enable good sprouting next spring when the tuberous roots are replanted. This has been a particularly confusing fall to both plants and gardeners. Frosts have hit some areas but often not severe enough to affect all plants and dahlias in more protected sites are still blooming their heads off, a trait most appreciated by pollinators such as bees.

On the other hand, it is November. Time to reign in gardening activities and begin preparations for the holidays. What’s a gardener to do?

Since my plants were losing bottom leaves to disease and looking a little ragged, I just decided it was time to dig them and move the tuberous roots into the cellar. Before digging any dahlias, be sure to note their names. If tags were not written out when planting, make them out now if color and flower type are important.

Cut back stems to 2 or 3 inches and carefully dig the tubers starting at least 8 inches away from crowns so tubers do not get sliced or speared. Use a spade or pitchfork but dig in carefully. This year the soil is so dry that it was not necessary to leave the tuberous roots in the sun for a few hours so the soil clinging to them could dry and be shaken off. Every one I dug up was dry enough so that practically no soil clung to the roots. Each was placed in a separate container with repurposed labels.

Dahlia tubers with a white tag
Dahlia tubers tagged for storage. Photo by dmp2024

Perusing through online sources, many suggest washing tubers off with a hose and letting them dry before storing. I have let them dry out in wet falls and shaken dried soil from them before storing but have never hosed them off. Maybe follow the approach that makes most sense to you. If any remaining soil is washed off, the tuberous roots should most likely be stored in lightly moistened peat moss or other slightly damp organic material, so they will not desiccate over the winter. For me, leaving a bit of soil around the roots that are stored in pots in the cellar over winter helps to keep tubers from shriveling with only a sparse sprinkle of water once or twice a month.

When happy, dahlias will multiply but it is probably best to leave the whole clump together and separate it before planting next spring when multiple buds or eyes can be seen. Keep the tuberous roots at 45 to 55 degrees F and check every 2 to 3 weeks for signs of decay or desiccation.

For an early start, the tuberous roots can be set into beds usually by late April unless unseasonably cold weather is predicted. If you have questions about overwintering dahlias or for other gardening questions, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Helping Plants During the September-October Drought

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By Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

A sloped yard showing signs of drought stress.
Drought stress on a sloped lawn. Photo by Pamm Cooper

Here at the UConn Home and Garden Center we have been getting questions about lawn and garden issues that have been particularly widespread in the state. Whether in the landscape or the garden, there is always something going on, good or bad, and keeping up with pests or cultural issues can be challenging. Because of the extended late season drought conditions this year, plants may be showing signs of stress. There are some basic things homeowners can do to help plants go into winter as healthy as possible.

Plants in temperate climates, like we have in New England, are normally manufacturing food to enable carbohydrate storage for new growth that will occur next spring. To do this, plants need both sunlight and water, and our extended drought conditions have limited most plants to enter survival mode, and carb storage is a second priority. The best way to help your plants is to water deeply any that still have green leaves. People with wells may need to determine if this is a priority for them. We can hope for a warm winter or insulating snow cover to help any plants with shallow roots survive until warm weather returns.

Drought stress on dogwood leaves
Drought stress on dogwood leaves. Photo by John Ruter

One sign of drought stress in woody broadleaf plants is leaf edges that curl upward. This is a good clue as to the beginning of water stress. Make sure to water these plants deeply, to ensure roots will be able to pick up the water. Usually the next day, leaves will start to uncurl if adequate water is applied. If drought stress continues, leaves may turn brown at the edges and early leaf drop may occur.

Evergreens, even established ones, can benefit from regular watering as long as the soil is not frozen and drought conditions remain. Evergreen foliage, whether needles or leaves, photosynthesize all year, and it is important that soil is not dry. Normally, we have snow that melts on and off, and if soils are not frozen, roots will be able to take up water and photosynthesis can still take place.

Perennials of certain species may be doing fine in this drought. Yarrows, some ox-eyed daisy cultivars, obedient plants, goldenrods, mountain mints and Agastache may be showing no signs of stress. Still, if any have green leaves at this point, consider watering them if dry and warm conditions continue.

This weekend I planted a small shrub, and I had to dig about fourteen inches down to accommodate the root mass. I have to say that I was surprised that the soil, not particularly one that dries out often, was powdery to the bottom of the hole. If you are planting anything now, make sure to water the soil thoroughly as you fill in the area around the roots, then water again when done. This is especially needed for small trees and shrubs but do the same for perennials.

Next year, woody plants that were impacted by drought this year may be more susceptible to certain diseases like verticillium wilt, Nectria canker and evergreens to Rhizosphaera needlecast. Be vigilant and scout for any signs or symptoms of these diseases.

Lawns that did not receive any rainfall or supplemental watering during the past two months may be dormant and crunchy at this time. It may not be clear if the grass will recover when temperatures cool and adequate water is applied. Some grass species may be dead, but it may not be clear until next spring when they fail to green up. There still may be time to apply supplemental irrigation, and with warm temperatures, grass may or may not green up, but at least the crowns may be kept alive to generate new leaves next spring. If any lawn areas were seeded in late summer, water new grass as needed. If it is wilting, water it for sure.

Be alert to what is happening in your own backyard, for the sooner you discover any problems the better. Contact us at the University of Connecticut Home and Garden Education Center for advice on lawns, landscapes, and other gardening subjects. Here's hoping for some needed rainfall and cooler temperatures to help our plants recover from the trying drought of 2024.

Penn State Extension has a good article on long-term effects of drought stress- https://extension.psu.edu/the-long-term-impact-of-drought-on-trees-and-shrubs

If you have questions about caring for plants during a drought, or if you have other gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

What’s Eating My Brassicas?

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By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Broccoli, cabbage, kale and other members of the brassica family are tasty and so good for you but its not just us who find them delectable. Brassicas have a number of insect pests but probably several caterpillar species do the most damage.

A close up of caterpillar damage on broccoli leaves.
Caterpillar damage on broccoli. Photo by dmp2024

When checking plants, look for holes in the leaves. A few irregular holes may soon become a skeletonized leaf with only the midrib left if control measures are not taken. These caterpillars can quickly devour plants.

Two of the most common pests are the imported cabbageworm and the cross striped cabbage worm. According to Dr. Shuresh Ghimire, UConn Vegetable Extension Specialist, imported cabbageworm is the offspring of the cabbage butterfly, a butterfly with white wings with 1-2 round black spots on the forewing. Eggs, laid singly on leaves, are light green or yellow and slightly elongated. Three to 5 days later, the eggs hatch. The lime green velvety caterpillars feed for 2 to 3 weeks.

Dr. Ghimire noted that imported cabbage worm feeding and resting mostly occur on the underside of leaves. Be sure to check both the tops and bottoms of leaves. Damage includes round or ragged feeding holes and deposits of wet, green or brownish frass. There can be 4 to 5 generations each year. This pest overwinters as a pupae close to host plants.

Cross stripped cabbage worm
Cross striped caterpillar. Photo by dmp2024

The cross-striped cabbageworm used to be a southern pest but no longer. The adult moths fly at night so are seldom seen. Cross-striped cabbageworms are most abundant on late-season plantings says Dr. Ghimire. Unlike the other major caterpillar pests, such as cabbageworm and diamondback moth, the cross-striped cabbageworm lays its eggs in batches (3-25) rather than singly, so caterpillars emerge in clusters. Egg batches are yellow, flattened, overlapping like fish scales, and attached to the lower leaf surfaces.

The distinctive-looking caterpillars are bluish gray on top with green on their undersides, a yellow stripe on each side with a row of numerous black bands across the back. Clusters of these caterpillars are voracious feeders and plants infested with cross-striped cabbageworm larvae are often completely skeletonized, while adjacent plants may be left undamaged. There are 2 or 3 generations per year.

Two other caterpillar pests of brassicas are the diamondback moth and the cabbage looper. Eggs of these two pests are laid singly and most years they do not cause considerable damage to home vegetable gardens.

There are several strategies to control these caterpillars on broccoli plants. If you have just a few plants, check them every few days looking at both sides of the leaves and either squish any caterpillars you find or drop them into a can of soapy water.

A close-up of a leaf with chewing damage
Caterpillar damage on brassica leaves. Photo by dmp2024

Rotating your plantings and interplanting with flowers may confuse pests. Dr. Ghimire suggests planting flowers to attract natural enemies, like Braconid wasps, which lay eggs on soft-bodied caterpillars such as cabbage worms. The larvae feed inside the live caterpillars, weakening or killing them. Some plants known to attract pest predators include dill, parsley, hyssop and mints.

Since brassicas do not need to be pollinated, they can be covered with netting or row covers to exclude insect pests. The holes in the netting should be one-quarter inch. Hoops can be used to hold up the barrier or one can make wooden or PVC cages for a custom fit. Be sure to tuck or pin the edges to the soil so pests can’t crawl under.

Finally, if the caterpillar infestation becomes too extensive, Dr. Ghimire recommends Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a biological control for Lepidoptera species of moths and butterflies. Bt is a bacterium that when sprayed on your plants and consumed by the caterpillar enters the insect’s gut and causes it to die. While it is effective for controlling these pests, it is harmless to humans and other animal species. Limit its use to brassicas to prevent it from affecting desirable caterpillars.

As with all garden pests, the key to healthy plants is regular monitoring and putting control measures into practice when pests are first noticed. For questions on brassica pests or any other gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu

Eastern Tent Caterpillars

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By Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Tents in a tree

Eastern tent caterpillars, Malacosoma Americanum, are native to North America and are noticed mainly because of the silken tents they build in the forks and crotches of trees in early spring. While most tents are found on black cherries, they can also be found on other trees such as apple and crabapple. They are readily visible since tents are constructed before leaves fully expand. There is only one generation per year.

These caterpillars are hairy and dark when small, and later instars have two yellow lines along the back. A white medial stripe goes along the sides of the body, and this is flanked by two yellow lines. There are blue blotches along its side as well. Bottom hairs on the body are rusty brown. Forest tent caterpillars are also hairy, but they do not make tents, and their bodies

are blue with white dots on the back. Handling should be done with gloves on as some people may have sensitivity to the hairs.

Egg masses are black, laid on small branches of host trees the previous year, and the egg mass rings around the branch. Sometimes they are mistaken for small black knot galls. 150-300 eggs may be in each egg mass. Caterpillars typically hatch as black cherry leaves begin to expand the next spring. Caterpillars feed on leaves and buds and rest communally by day in the nests they construct from silk.

While they can almost defoliate small trees, these caterpillars usually have completed their feeding stage in time for the trees to put out new leaves by early summer. The more tents there are on small trees, though, the greater number of caterpillars there are, so damage will increase.

While protected from many predators while inside the tents, there are birds that will tear the tents apart to feed on the caterpillars inside. Both the black-billed and the yellow-billed cuckoos are known for their ability to do this, and native vireos will also seek out and rip apart the tents.

Mature caterpillars leave the host plants in early summer in search of suitable sites to pupate within a silken cocoon they will spin. Moths emerge later that year. The moths have a fluffy light brown body, and the wings have three bands with the center being narrower than the outer bands and a lighter brown in color. The center band is bordered on both sides by thin, creamy bands.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Tents in a tree

Occasionally, eastern tent caterpillars have outbreak years where large numbers of the tents can be seen on the same tree. Fresh buds may also be consumed if trees are severely defoliated. When found on residential properties, tents can be swept apart by rakes or brooms, exposing caterpillars to predators, or knocking them off the trees. If warranted, foliage can be sprayed with a biological product called Bacillis thuringiensis subspecies, Kurstaki, or BtK, which only harms caterpillars and not other insects. Caterpillars will ingest the product as they feed on the foliage.

Most healthy trees can tolerate severe defoliation from eastern tent caterpillars. If concerned, look for egg masses in the winter on trees that had been damaged the previous spring. Remove them, if possible, or crush them, or prune the branch off below where the egg mass is found. Or let them be if the trees appear to have recovered. Letting nature take its course with native insects on native trees can often benefit birds and other predators. Do not confuse them with the notorious gypsy moth caterpillars which do not make silken tents or nests of any kind.

If you have a question about tent caterpillars or other gardening topics, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education at (877) 486-6271 or www.homegarden.cahnr,uconn.edu or your local Cooperative Extension Center.

 

 

 

DIY – Grow Flowers for Cutting

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By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Cut flower arrangment
Fresh cut flowers - Photo by dmp2024

Do you just love fresh flower arrangements for the table or even that single bloom in a vase by your bedside? Wouldn’t it feel great to just stroll out your back door, clip some blossoms, bring them inside and enjoy their beauty? There’s no reason that you can’t. Even a small yard or garden space can yield blossoms for cutting.

While many of us have flowering perennials and even woody plants that make for great arrangements, perhaps a dedicated cut flower planting would provide many more stems for cutting and not create any empty spaces in our garden designs. When planning your cut flower garden, first decide where it should go. The majority of blooming plants need at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day, a well-drained, fertile soil and adequate water during dry spells. As with all garden plants, a soil test is a great way to find out what is needed to add to soils before planting but without a soil test, follow the directions on fertilizer packages.

There’s still time to prepare new beds for cut flower plantings but another alternative would be to turn over part of the vegetable garden to cut flower production. Probably your vegetable garden already has great soil and is located in a sunny area.

The hardest part of designing a cut flower garden is selecting what plants to grow. There are so many beautiful and exciting flowers to choose from. A good suggestion is to grow easy flowers at first and then progress on to more demanding ones. Another important factor to consider is which flowers need to be purchased as transplants (or started inside earlier under lights) and which can be easily grown by sowing seeds directly in the garden. While there are a number of flowering plants that can be started by direct seeding, you’ll get faster blooms if you purchase or grow your own transplants.

Zinnias planted in a row
Zinnias - Photo by dmp2024

Some that I typically grow each year from seed are zinnias, the tall African marigolds, cosmos, bachelor buttons, calendulas, nasturtiums, and some sunflowers. Cool weather calendulas and bachelor buttons can be sown now but wait until later in the month to plant the rest. A number of cutting annuals will self-seed if blossoms are allowed to mature and the beds are not heavily mulched. Some that spring up for me include ageratums, verbena, ammi, nigella, and wheat celosia. If you have some known self-seeders, wait a bit longer to prepare or till beds to see what sprouts.

Those best purchased as transplants include rudbeckia, snapdragons, cleome, stock, strawflowers, globe amaranth, tithonia, asters and amaranth. Some might have tiny seeds or be slower to germinate or just need a longer time until they produce flowers so starting with transplants may be a good option.

Two annual bulbs that are great for cutting are gladioli and dahlias. A few glad corms can be planted every other week until about mid-June to provide a summer full of spiky, colorful blooms. Dahlia tubers planted mid-May generally start producing blooms by late July but continue until a heavy frost.

There really are quite a few potential cut flower candidates to choose from. Feel free to select whatever colors and flower forms appeal to you most. From a designer’s viewpoint, consider what colors would be most compatible with where you want to place arrangements indoors. Also, whether making more formal arrangements or informal bouquets, flower shape plays a prominent role. Often the most attractive arrangements are filled with an assortment of shapes featuring a focal flower, spiky exclamation points, mounded shapes to hold the arrangement together, greenery for filling spaces and delicate airy springs to lighten the mood. I find mints, artemisia, and ferns make good fillers while grasses, kalimeris, boltonia, and white wood asters provide an airy touch.

The majority of annual flowers do fine at about a 9 by 9 inch spacing so you can pack them in pretty close. Do note that for copious blooms, a fertile soil and adequate water are essential. Maintenance also includes dead-heading, or removal of spent flowers to encourage the production of more blooms. Keep an eye out for plant pests as well.

Even beginning gardeners can set aside some space to grow beautiful flowers for enjoyment indoors. Try out a few this year, make notes on their performance and change up the plant rooster as they gain your approval or not.

For cultural information on growing various species of cut flowers or on other gardening topics, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

 

 

 

Gardening for Climate Change with Connecticut Public

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Connecticut Public: Where We Live - 4/26/2024
This year, we're gardening with climate change in mind

Dawn Pettinelli from the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab & Home and Garden Education Center joins Catherine Shen & Charlie Nardozzi on Connecticut Public to discuss ecological gardening and strategies for gardening for the environment.

Start Now For a Rosy Summer

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By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

A rose shrub in full bloom
Proper care of your roses will give you lots of blooms. Photo by dmp2024

The warmer days of spring will soon be upon us and it is time to think about spring rose care. Any winter protection such as mounded soil, mulch, leaves or rose cones that were placed around grafted bushes should be removed. Release any stems that were tied for winter protection. Fertilize your plants when new growth sprouts with a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or and natural organic equivalent at the rate recommended by a soil test or follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package. Generally, the fertilizer is sprinkled around the base of the plant and gently worked into the top of the soil.

Repeat blooming roses are heavy feeders and ideally should be fertilized monthly through July. Stop fertilizing at this time as later fertilizations may result in tender new growth late in the season that may not have time to harden off properly. Roses that bloom only once in June are usually only fertilized once in the spring. These include many ramblers and climbers, species roses and antique varieties. Rose books often recommend a dose of Epsom salts for each rose to supply magnesium. If you use a dolomitic limestone to modify the soil pH, however, the plants will most likely have enough magnesium available to them and additional magnesium will not improve growth or branching. Note that according to the American Rose Society, roses prefer slightly acidic soil so strive for a pH between 6.0 and 6.5..

climbing hybrid tea rose ‘Climbing Tangerine.’
This climbing hybrid tea rose is called ‘Climbing Tangerine.’ Photo by dmp2024

Most types of roses benefit from a spring pruning with the exception of climbing roses which are generally pruned immediately following flowering. Roses are pruned to improve their appearance, to remove diseased or dead wood and to increase the quantity and quality of flowers.

Polyanthas, floribundas and shrub roses do not require much pruning. Any canes that are damaged or broken should be removed as well as canes that are rubbing together. If just the tip of the stem is winter killed, cut back to sound wood just above a healthy bud. Rose bushes that are really overgrown can have about one-third of their canes removed from the base.

Hybrid teas and grandifloras usually require more severe pruning. After eliminating all dead and damaged wood, cut back to 18 to 24 inches. Make your pruning cuts at a slant slightly above a bud, preferably one oriented away from the center of the plant.

If your roses are grafted, it is also important to remove any suckers arising from the rootstock.

Spring is a great time to add a few more roses to your garden. Roses are soil either bare-root or as container plants. Those sold in containers can be planted either in partial leaf or full leaf. Mail ordered bare-root stock, however, should be planted when it is still dormant. It is best to plant bare-root roses as soon as you get them. If planting has to be delayed for a day or two, remoisten the packing material and store in a cool, shady location. When it is time to plant bare-root stock, unpack the plant and place the roots in warm water for an hour or two. Cut off any dead or injured parts and plant immediately after soaking.

Roses require a minimum of 6 hours of sun each day for maximum bloom. An area with good air circulation will cut down on disease problems. Soil type is not as important as drainage. Roses will not tolerate wet feet.

When planting grafted plants, set the bud union, which is the point where a rose cultivar is grafted to the root stock, about one inch below the soil level. Roses require about one inch of water per week. If at all possible do not get the leaves wet when watering as this promotes the spread of diseases such as black spot.

Roses benefit from the application of an organic mulch like shredded bark, pine needles or cocoa bean hulls. Mulches not only keep weeds down but help conserve moisture. If you have any questions on roses or other gardening topics, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education at (877) 486-6271 or www.homegarden.cahnr,uconn.edu or your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Spring Gardening & Houseplants on CRIS Radio

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CRIS Radio: Focal Point 3/22/2024

Heather Zidack from the UConn Home & Garden Education Center talks to host, Stephen Thal, about spring gardening, UConn services, and houseplants.

Transcript

00:00:00 Stephen Thal 

Hi, welcome to another segment on Focal point. This is Stephen Thal and I'm going to be your host for today's program. 

00:00:09 Stephen Thal 

But before we get into it, I just want to remind if any of our listeners have any suggestions for future programming. Please call CRIS Radio at 860-527-8000 and leave your suggestions here and they'll pass them on to me and we'll try to get them for future programs. 

00:00:28 Stephen Thal 

So today we're going to be getting some great information on horticulture plants that have done a lot for people and here to help us out is Heather Zidack and she's the horticulture consultant for the UConn Program at the University of Connecticut and it's the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. So welcome, Heather. 

00:01:03 Heather Zidack 

Thank you so much for having me today. 

00:01:06 Stephen Thal 

Yeah. Today I'm going to learn as much as most of our listeners cause this is a program I used to use many years ago when I had a garden, but it's been so long, I'm sure there's been a lot of new changes going on right now. 

00:01:20 Heather Zidack 

Yeah, there's been a lot of new trends in gardening and the Home and Garden Education Center here at UConn has done a lot to help Connecticut gardeners with all sorts of problems that they've had, you know, plant identification, bug identification and also just we get pictures of plants all the time that say what's going on to help people kind of troubleshoot their issues as well as a lot of the things that we put out to help gardeners. 

00:01:45 Heather Zidack 

So. Everybody in our office loves gardening and we're here to help. 

00:01:50 Stephen Thal 

Yeah, that's great. It sounds like we're going through one of the health programs to viral. 

00:01:55 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. Yeah. We really enjoy what we do here and there's a few of us in the office. We work with the UConn Soil Lab, the UConn Plant Diagnostic lab and the extension program with Master Gardeners. So we have all the - all the resources to help people figure out what they want for plants if they're trying to figure out finding the right plant for them and also what to do once they have them. So I think it will be a good thing to talk about today what we like about gardening. 

00:02:24 Stephen Thal 

Ok. Because I think that you're making plants sound like people with the individual personalities.

00:02:31 Heather Zidack 

Sometimes they are a lot of times people you know, they say gardening has so many benefits. They say plants are the new pets, right? That's one of the things that I've been hearing. And with that it's something that a lot of people have found to be very beneficial though. 

00:02:46 Heather Zidack 

Through there's actually programs of horticultural therapy out there. They found that it improved physical and mental health. It can reduce stress, improve your mood, it can even help with blood pressure and muscle tension. Not to mention it's great exercise to be outside with your plants. 

00:03:02 Stephen Thal 

And I'm sure the same is similar somewhat with plants inside the home. 

00:03:07 Heather Zidack 

Absolutely. People that have plants inside their home. Found benefits of, you know, cleaning air quality and things like that, but also it's great to just have your plants there, a lot of people, myself included talk to their plants every Sunday when they water or whatever it is and it's just nice to have a little bit of green especially in these cold winter months. 

00:03:29 Stephen Thal 

Oh yeah, and I'm sure by doing that you end up benefiting in the long run. 

00:03:34 Heather Zidack 

Absolutely, it's a great thing to have. You know, if sometimes it is kind of like having someone to talk to. As silly as that is, we have a plant here in the office. Named Harry and it's a Fern. And we take care of it all the time. And we're always seeing how he's doing and if he's gotten any bigger, it is kind of like having a pet. 

00:03:54 Stephen Thal 

Well, let's learn a little bit about the home and garden program, the Education Center. 

00:03:58 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. So at the at the home and Garden Education Center, one of the big things that we do is not only answer questions with horticultural advice, but we also do kind of put out fact sheets. We have a blog, we have social media where people can learn tips and tricks throughout the week about gardening. 

00:04:18 Heather Zidack 

And with all of the questions that we've had come in, I thought it would be a great chance for me to share with you some of the common questions we're getting right now, especially about house plants.

00:04:29 Stephen Thal 

OK.

00:04:37 Heather Zidack 

So one of the first questions that that comes along at this time of year is common signs of stress and what to do? 

00:04:38 Heather Zidack 

So sometimes at this point in the year, your plants not looking so well maybe and I've done this before, you've forgotten to water it for a couple of weeks over the winter or even over the summer. And the initial response is to love it and give it more water and give it attention. And when we start to baby them sometimes we can actually over water. And then it doesn't look like it's getting better because what often happens is plants can only communicate in one way, and that way is through wilting. So when it wilts, it could be that it needs more water, or it could be that it's getting too much water. So the best way to learn which one it is is to know the species of your plant. And you also need to take a look at the soil itself and feel it if it feels like it's too wet. If it feels like something, you wouldn't want to stick your hand in. It's probably too wet for the plant, and so that's some ways that you can kind of work through that issue. And try to make sure that you're not over watering, especially when something's dried out for too long. 

00:05:43 Stephen Thal 

So in terms of the soil lab, when do you send the soil up to you people to evaluate? 

00:05:50 Heather Zidack 

So our soil lab, they take samples for a lot of outdoor things instead of the house plants. But the best time to do it is either in the spring or in fall. If you do it in the fall. Sometimes there can be a little bit quicker of a turn around time because it's not on as many people's minds. 

00:06:06 Heather Zidack 

So that's the pro tip right there. If you send it in now, you do get a response and they give you all sorts of information about nutrition as well as how much you might need to put onto the soil to help it get back to that optimal level. So it's a good way to find out what you need and what you have. 

00:06:25 Stephen Thal 

We'll be giving the address and everything towards the end of the program as to where they can send it. 

00:06:30 Heather Zidack 

Yes, I can do that absolutely. 

00:06:32 Stephen Thal 

How do you do plant diagnostics? 

00:06:35 Heather Zidack 

So plant diagnostics is a is a fascinating thing that not everybody knows that we have here the way that it really works out well is people send in their plant samples. And sometimes something will look sick or it will be caused by something other than the environment. And it's hard for us to see that with our eyes. And sometimes we need to send in that sample to see what it is going on inside the plant. So our plant diagnostic lab does all sorts of microscope work. They do a lot of chemical tests and strip tests for different diseases of the plants, and they also they know what to look for with symptoms and location and are able to advise. Kind of. The next steps to take if you do have something that's diseased, we help out both commercially and homeowners themselves to learn what's going on with the tree, what's going on with the shrub, what's going on with crops that are being grown, and how to how to manage them. So it's a really cool thing that we have here as well and I can give you their contact information too. 

00:07:42 Stephen Thal 

How about the UConn extension Master Gardeners program? 

00:07:47 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. The UConn Master Gardener program is also a really good resource. One of the benefits that they have is that there is an extension office in every county of Connecticut and you're able to connect with a master gardener. They are a group of individuals who every year there's a new class. They go through a training program and learn how to become a master gardener. And they learn a lot of the things that we talk about here in home and garden as well, where it's soil conditions and plant selection and how plants grow. They learn all of those different things. 

00:08:26 Heather Zidack 

And they actually work with the public to help them understand them as well as part of a community outreach project that they each have to do. So it's a great program for people in Connecticut to either, if they love gardening, to pursue it further and get that master gardening title for themselves. Or to go to as a resource. And like I said, it's great that there's one in every county in the state. 

00:08:52 Stephen Thal 

Well, that's good. So how do you find their number? 

00:08:56 Heather Zidack 

So they actually go through UConn Extension Master gardener. You can find their website and you can find it through that or I can give you their number as well. 

00:09:08 Stephen Thal

Ok. Why don't we take a break and let's give out some of the phone numbers for these programs we just talked about?

00:09:15 Heather Zidack 

Fantastic. 

00:09:16 Stephen Thal 

OK, so the first program would be soil samples. 

00:09:21 Heather Zidack 

Yes. So our soil lab can be reached at 860-486-4274, 860-486-4274. That's for the soil nutrient analysis laboratory. 

00:09:40 Stephen Thal 

Right. And how about the plant diagnostics lab? 

00:09:44 Heather Zidack 

So the plant diagnostics lab works with our office as well, and you can call for plant diagnostics or for the Home and Garden Education Center at 860-486-6271, 860-486-6271. 

00:10:05 Stephen Thal 

And how about the UConn extension and master gardener? 

00:10:09 Heather Zidack 

The Master Gardener program can be reached at 860-486-7178. Again, that's 860-486-7178. 

00:10:23 Stephen Thal 

So there you have some phone numbers to call and educate yourself. How to help make your plants stay healthy and to really give you some benefits. I know my wife has found some plants in in the garbage and she's taken them and replenished them. And then now growing great. 

00:10:44 Heather Zidack 

Yeah, a lot of people are able to revive plants after they've they've taken a little bit of a hit. It's amazing how forgiving plants can be. Sometimes we see them and they haven't been watered for too long or they're they've been in the wrong condition and it's just a matter of taking care of something. And again, that leads into one of the benefits where there's a sense of pride of I brought this back. Or I've really accomplished something with what I've done, sorry. 

00:11:12 Stephen Thal 

Now with plants, I'm just curious, do you have to have good vision to have a plant so you know it's getting in bad shape? 

00:11:20 Heather Zidack 

Not necessarily. There are a lot of things that you can learn through feel when you're working with plants. Sometimes if you feel the leaves especially. If you're feeling if you have succulents, for example, there are very popular house plant that people will have on windowsills and in their offices and things like that. And with succulents you can actually tell if they need water by the feel of the leaf. If you pinch a succulent leaf and feel the leaf between your fingers. It's actually, it should feel firm and a little bit smooth to the touch. 

00:11:58 Heather Zidack 

If it needs water. They get a little bit squishy and a little bit rubbery, and so that's how, you know, maybe it needs some water. At this point. The other thing that you can do is you can feel the soil to tell if something needs water or not. The other thing that you can do to assess health of a plant is feel the leaves of themselves and if there's ever a crunch, you know that's a bad sign and that there's something going on. Either disease or possibly just watering. And you also can tell the differences you're feeling. If there's been any issues with like chewing marks you can feel a lot of times. Insects will leave a sticky residue so you can tell what's there. So there's a lot of senses other than vision that are involved when it comes to looking at your plants and their health. 

00:12:45 Stephen Thal 

Yeah, that's good to know. Because uh, some of our people may not be able to see the plants, but they really enjoy having them around in the house. 

00:12:56 Heather Zidack 

Absolutely. It's one of those things that the plants are multi sensory and so we're able to kind of understand them through more than just vision. 

00:13:06 Stephen Thal

And you mentioned the word succulent. What are some examples of succulent plants?

00:13:12 Heather Zidack 

So a succulent plant is kind of an overarching group. They are all of the ones that love to be in dry conditions a lot of times they are. They are not cactuses but they end up being lumped into that group where they like those drier conditions. They tend to be the ones that look like little rosettes. Or little mounds on the soil that will grow from there. They're very I. I talked about the rubbery texture. They some of them almost don't seem real when you feel or see them because they have this this very strange look to them. So they're a very popular plant because they're so easy to take care of and they're also very unique in their appearance. 

00:13:57 Stephen Thal 

This is Stephen Thal and another focal point program and we're interviewing Heather Zidack and she's from the UConn Extension program and we're learning about what that program is all about. There are several programs and we've shared some phone numbers earlier and she's educating us on more and more and how we. And be with the plants, enjoy them and have fun with them. What are some of the other benefits of the plants? 

00:14:30 Heather Zidack 

So another great thing with having your plants is like I said, that sense of pride and accomplishment and what you've done or what you've been growing and producing. So it's something that it gets you outside. If you have an outdoor garden or even if you're inside it has you proud of what you've accomplished, some people grow vegetable gardens. And they are so proud of all the produce that they grow and what they're able to do with that. So there is a sense of pride and joy that comes with gardening. There is exercise benefits, there's all sorts of great things that come with working with plants and being part of that. You're connecting with nature. So it's always a great thing to be able to connect back to nature. 

00:15:14 Stephen Thal 

And also they have found that it helps people reduce stress. 

00:15:19 Heather Zidack 

Yes it can. It can reduce stress. It can reduce blood pressure. It can help with your pulse and help bringing your heart rate down and muscle tension. It's a great way to take a break from everything else you know, being even from personal experience, when I'm able to go out into my own garden or transplant my house plants or plant my seedlings, it's a break from everything else that's going on. We get very busy with our lives and being able to take that break and go garden. 

00:15:53 Heather Zidack 

Or go, you know, take 5 minutes to just take a breath and trim some plants. It's a great way to de-stress. 

00:16:02 Stephen Thal 

In terms of fertilizers, how do you know which one to use for different plants? 

00:16:10 Heather Zidack 

Usually picking a fertilizer can be a little tricky. You have to know what species of plant that you're working with, and then you're able to figure out from there. And that's something that we would be able to help with for sure. 

00:16:23 Heather Zidack 

In general terms, plants need three big things to be able to grow. They need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. And so when you're looking at fertilizers, a lot of times you'll see that there are three numbers there and they're always like in increments of five or ten, like it says 5-5-5, 10-10-10, 20-10-20 those are all ratios and a balance of those three main nutrients. Your first number is nitrogen and then phosphorus and then potassium. And in general terms of balanced fertilizer is always the best way to go. 

00:17:01 Heather Zidack 

Those different elements can encourage flowering versus root growth versus leaf growth. But when you're trying to take care of the plants that you have, that balanced fertilizer makes sure that you're getting enough fertilizer and enough nutrients to the plant in a balanced way. 

00:17:21 Heather Zidack 

Our clients that go through our soil lab, they get specific recommendations based on what they have for soil and what they're looking to grow. 

00:17:31 Stephen Thal 

Let's take a look at some of the common questions you get from your constituents. So what are some of the common signs of stress and what to do? 

00:17:41 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. So with stress, with plants, it's one of those things where like I said they have-They only have one way to communicate, and that's through wilting. They can change color as well, but wilting is really that big flag of communication and so they can wilt if they're overwatered, they can wilt If they're underwatered. They will also change colors at times and so that makes it difficult for us sometimes to know what's going on. 

00:18:09 Heather Zidack 

When you're looking at stress, if you have a plant that is wilting, or if you have a plant that is feeling spongy like I had mentioned before, it doesn't feel like it's firm. And the way that it should be, the first thing you want to look at is watering, so make sure that you have enough water in the soil. It's not too dry, it's not too wet. That's a good thing to start with. Additionally, you can start looking at the conditions around it. So one of the things is sometimes you. 

00:18:40 Heather Zidack 

Look at it and you think would I be happy sitting in this spot? So is it getting enough light? Is it getting a draft from the window near it because it's getting a little bit colder than it should be. A lot of house plants that we have come from tropical regions and so they want to be warm. They want to be they want to have a little bit of humidity and they want to have the right amount of water so. Taking a look at them and saying is this the spot for this plant is a way to kind of look at the stress and manage it. 

00:19:13 Stephen Thal 

What are some of the other questions that people are asking in terms of the plant itself? 

00:19:19 Heather Zidack 

Another question that we get a lot of the time is the question of “is it dead?” We get pictures of plants and people are worried that they have killed their house, plant or even sometimes plants outside. And one of the things with plants that you need to be aware of is that some of them can go through a process called dormancy. It's a lot like hibernating in the winter, and when they go through dormancy. You notice this with trees outside. They drop their leaves, they get kind of gray looking. They don't look like there's a lot of life in them. And so in that dormant state, one of the ways that we can see if they still have life in them is to go ahead and scratch the surface of the stem. 

00:20:07 Heather Zidack 

And if you are able to see it, you'll see that there's some green or whitish tissue in there, and that that means that there's life in the stem. Still, if you struggle to see it, you should feel a difference and that it will catch on your fingernail instead of just being a dry break. And so if you feel that where it's catching. Then it's actually there is some life there and it means that it's going to come back from dormancy now, that's where things with woody stems. If there's plants that are dying back all the way to the ground, it's really hard to tell. Is it dormant or is it not? And a lot of times, we recommend just giving it time.  

00:20:46 Heather Zidack 

Sometimes plants nap a little bit longer than others, and so it's really important to give them their time to make sure that they've come out of dormancy. This goes for both house plants as well as plants in the ground. There are some perennials here in Connecticut that don't even start waking up until after Memorial Day in May and so give it time. Have a little patience. There might be some life there. It's just a matter of waiting for it to come back. 

00:21:14 Stephen Thal 

I think another question is do you have recommendations of house plants? 

00:21:18 Heather Zidack 

Yeah, another. That's another question that we get a lot and it's different recommendations of what to grow for varieties. And so I actually have a list here for you of house plants that have varieties and texture, scent, color and movement because who wants to have just green plants around, right? We have so much selection now in the plant world that it's really awesome that we can bring some interest into our plants. One of the first ones that I always love to recommend is it's called a prayer plant or a calathea. What they do is they will either curl their leaves or bend them up and down depending on what time of day it is. So. 

00:22:02 Heather Zidack 

It adds a little movement. They tend to have a lot of bright colors to them. My personal favorite is called rattlesnake calathea. And it has some really big spots on it. Purple underside to the leaf, and it'll actually fold its leaves straight up in the air at night, and then during the day those leaves will come down to get the sunlight. So it's really cool to add some movement. Another thing that people like to do is they have some scent in their house plants, so adding scented geraniums, those are a type of geranium. 

00:22:39 Heather Zidack 

It's related to the ones that we see all year in the summer. However, it's different in its flower and also in its scent. When you touch it and move the leaves you get a really nice scent out of them. Some are peppermint, they have apple, they have lemon, they have all sorts of different geranium scents, so if you start looking for scented geraniums, that's a really cool way to add some fragrance into your house plant garden. Another really good plant to have is the sensitive plant. It's as its name says, it's a little sensitive and that whenever you touch it, it will recoil and those leaves will drop right down. And it takes maybe 10-15 minutes for them to recover and open, back up and then they will do it again. 

00:23:28 Heather Zidack 

The sensitive plant is a really cool thing that I used when I was working in the garden center. We would use it in fairy gardens and children absolutely loved to be able to touch it and have it actually move. It brought more life to that little garden that they created. Another one is called the Chenille plant. 

00:23:48 Heather Zidack 

Where it has fuzzy fuzzy flowers, they feel like little rabbit feet and they are bright red so you can grow it as a hanging basket. You can grow it in a little pot as a house plant where you can put it outside during the summer. So it's a really versatile plant that adds some texture and brightness and like I said, they're very fuzzy. It's one of the wildest ones that I've seen. There's another called a Tricolor Stromanthe that is green, cream, and pink and the leaves have different colors all year long. So it's another nice way to get away from just green house plants. And then lastly, the other one that is a good conversation starter at the very least. 

00:24:29 Heather Zidack 

Is the carnivorous plants or the cacti that can add interest and they can add texture and it's just like I said, a conversation piece of “Wow, what is that?” And it's a Venus Flytrap that will close up when touched by flies. Or there are some pitcher plants out there that also attract insects that are carnivorous as well. So it's just a cool way to add something to your collection that's not just green and it adds texture and scents and really involves all the. 

00:25:00 Stephen Thal 

And we have a few minutes left in our program and I was wondering if you could make suggestions on where people can buy plants and how they can tell they're making sure they're getting a good plant without disease, without flies or whatever else. 

00:25:14 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. 

00:25:17 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. So we always recommend shopping local when possible. And so there are independent garden centers in the state that offer a wide selection of plants. However, there's also a lot of hardware stores and box stores that you can get good material at as well. 

00:25:35 Heather Zidack 

When you're looking for your plants, it's the plant itself that you want to make sure it's healthy, more so than where you're shopping. So taking a look, feeling that soil, like I said, if it's bone dry, chances are it hasn't been watered in a minute. And maybe that could affect the plant itself. 

00:25:55 Heather Zidack 

Use some of those senses that I've talked about previously where you're feeling the leaves and feeling for some crunch. Or really if they're succulents, getting a feel of that leaf to make sure that you're aware of what it feels like. Some people will bring home plants to rescue. But if you want a nice lush plant, start with that. Don't look at something and feel like oh man, this is a little bit rough and I could save it if you want to start strong, start with a plant that is healthy. There's no spots, there's no tears. 

00:26:27 Heather Zidack 

If you feel any chew marks, if you're able to see the roots, sometimes you see roots growing out of the pot. Check that they're not black and mushy. Make sure that they're white and firm. 

00:26:41 Heather Zidack 

And really, most plants from from garden centers are going to be in pretty good shape and they'll thrive with care. So really it's about the plant and make sure it's healthy when you start and then just do your best to take care of it once you get it home. 

00:26:56 Stephen Thal 

And I noticed that there are a couple of areas that we didn't mention quickly, like herbs are good to do. 

00:27:02 Heather Zidack 

Yes, yeah, herbs are great. 

00:27:06 Heather Zidack 

If you're doing, especially if you're doing a container garden or raised bed gardens, herbs are really great to mix with your flowers. The nice thing is that herbs will add a little bit of scent and use. You can actually harvest them and use them in your cooking in addition to the container plants that you have. So we recommend that with a lot of outdoor containers, more so than indoor. However, if you're growing herbs indoor, just grow them separately from your other house plants. 

00:27:37 Stephen Thal 

And also the sunlight is important too, because some plants don't like sunlight all the time. Some do. 

00:27:44 Heather Zidack 

Right. Yes. So sunlight is one that can be tricky too, and I explained that if you think about if you've had a cat and you understand how cats behave, plants can kind of feel the same way. So anything that requires direct sun or full sun. 

00:28:00 Heather Zidack 

If you think about a cat laying in the sun on a on a nice warm day and it's right in the window where it can get that sun. That's what direct sun is. It has to be in contact with the leaves for six hours a day or more. If anything asks for indirect sun, that means that the sunlight doesn't directly contact the leaves but it likes to be able to be somewhere that it can see that light for six hours or so a day. That's kind of like your cat that sits near the window and watches, but maybe that spot in the direct sun is a little too warm for him. So he shifts over a little bit. 

00:28:37 Heather Zidack 

And then you have shade and with shade. The sun does not make contact with the leaves at all. That's kind of your cat that's going to hang out on the couch and doesn't care too much about being near the window at all. So that's a really good way to remember direct sun, indirect sun and shade is kind of where does that cat like to hang out? 

00:28:56 Heather Zidack 

It's kind of funny, but it works. 

00:28:58 Stephen Thal

Do you have any final recommendations for our listeners?

00:29:02 Heather Zidack 

My biggest recommendation is to just get out there and garden. You know, we talked today about some of the best benefits of gardening and working with plants. And don't be afraid. It's one of those things that's really great to do. And don't say I don't have a green thumb. You can do it. You just need to maybe get a little bit of advice and we can offer that here at the garden Home and Garden Education Center, but maybe you just need to do it and say I did it, so get out there and garden. 

00:29:35 Stephen Thal

Heather, why don't you leave your phone number in case people want to talk to you directly.

00:29:41 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. So I can be reached at the Home and Garden Education Center and my number here is 860-486-6271, 860-486-6271. 

00:29:57 Stephen Thal 

It has been very interesting. We've given out a lot of information and we hope that our listeners will take you up on it, call you and if they need more information. Ohh. One other thing I forgot to ask, is there a cost involved for the soil samples and all this sort of thing? 

00:30:14 Heather Zidack 

So for soil samples there is a cost. 

00:30:17 Heather Zidack 

For our plant diagnostic lab, if a sample needs to be submitted, there is a cost. However, working with the UConn and home and Garden Education Center, our advice is free and we will also if you if clients e-mail us pictures, we can kind of take a look and get the ball rolling and sometimes we can we can make a determination from a picture, so advice that comes out of the office that I'm in is free. 

00:30:41 Stephen Thal

We appreciate your coming on and we'd love to get you back in the fall. So give us a call, call me like in August.

00:30:49 Heather Zidack 

Yeah. Thank you for having me. 

00:30:50 Stephen Thal 

And let's see if we can get you back in, whether you come in September or October, you let me know and we'll work it out with the studio in terms of, yeah, having you get involved. 

00:31:00 Heather Zidack 

That would be great. Thank you for having me. 

00:31:02 Stephen Thal 

Yeah, it's a pleasure. You know, we try to cover a wide range of things for our listeners and we know that some of our programs really move the people forward and get some things done that they like. 

00:31:14 Heather Zidack 

That's fantastic. Yeah. 

00:31:16 Stephen Thal 

So we want to thank you. This is Stephen Thall with another segment on focal point. We want to thank everyone for allowing us into your homes. Couple of last minute comments first. 

00:31:25 Stephen Thal 

Please wear your sunglasses and a hat during these days when you're outside with the sun because it's protects your eyes and the second thing is develop an emergency plan at home and practice it. And when you're traveling, make sure that you go to places where there's at least two exits. So in case one is blocked, you can get out the other door. 

00:31:48 Stephen Thal 

So again, thank you all for listening. Stay safe, stay healthy.