Lupines

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Although Vermont Flower Farm closes each fall on Columbus Day, our website, this blog, and our two Facebook pages, George Africa and Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens , continue on year round. We use various other social media opportunities including Twitter and we remain active with a variety of horticulture-related sites and medias. Getting information out to our gardening friends has always been a priority for Gail and me and we see this as a regular responsibility...even if we are sharing information about a perennial--such as lupines-- when there is snow on the ground. 

Without fail, each June, gardeners stop at the flower farm asking to purchase lupines. Customers start arriving as soon as they see them growing at roadside, sometimes planted, sometimes self-seeded or helped along by birds or other wildlife. From our experience, lupines do not transplant consistently well and as such we recommend purchasing a package of seeds, soak the seeds in water overnight and get them planted. They will grow the first year and bloom in subsequent years. Once they begin to bloom, they drop seeds and your patch of flowers will grow over the years. Robinson Hybrids was always "the" lupine name to purchase but in more recent years seed companies have begun to sell separate colors, not just mixes, or not just the dark blues that we frequently see growing in New Hampshire and Maine...... growing----well-----everywhere.

Lupines have a long taproot that is significant in appearance and important to the plant. Transplanting must be done carefully so as not to damage the root or the plants will appear healthy until the following year when they won't reappear. So to avoid disappointment, use the direct-seed-into-the-garden method and you'll be pleased.

Once your lupines are growing well, you're never out of the woods. They have a reputation for being aphid magnets as seen in this picture. Your plants can look clean one day and be totally infested with aphids a couple days later. For this reason, it's recommended that they are planted in the distance so the bloom colors are obvious and enjoyable but without the opportunity to see the plant foliage (and insects) up close.

Gardeners can always find recommendations for organic and chemical aphid controls. One that can be helpful to lupines and not their aphid friends is the hover fly pictured here on a pink cosmo. Hover friends eat aphids--just aphids--all variety of aphids. You might have seen these flies before and never knew the name or anything about how they live. These are smaller than a dime, can often be seen mid-air in front of you "flying" but not moving, and they look like tiny bumblebees to some. If you want to have happy hover flies and many fewer aphids, plant dill or fennel randomly throughout your gardens. The flies lay their eggs on these aromatic herbs and the flies eat your aphids!

Another problem for lupine lovers is the fungal problems that sometimes appear. Here is an article that was recently written by Paul Pilon of Ball Publishing. The story is geared to professional growers and it mentions chemical controls for the problems. By knowing what problems you are seeing, you can decide what action to take. 

"Diseases on Lupine

Each year, I come across growers who experience one or more diseases on lupines. Lupines have been known to be highly susceptible to Colletotrichum, which is an anthracnose disease. This pathogen has been shown to be seed-borne, so the plants are at a disadvantage even before they germinate. The scenario gets even worse: Lupines are also highly susceptible to Fusarium. In many instances, I observe both of these diseases at the same time. Although that sounds like a pathologist's dream, it’s not what any grower wants to observe in their crops.

With the history of this plant getting anthracnose, many growers commonly assume that they have Colletotrichum and their preventative or curative fungicide rotations may not be effectively controlling Fusarium. Here’s how you can tell them apart:

Colletotrichum

Fusarium

Colletotrichum (above left) is typically a leaf-spot disease, but it can progress to cause cankers on stems and kill entire branches. Many growers naturally assume when the plants collapse that anthracnose is the culprit; this isn't necessarily the cause. When you see wilt symptoms, don’t just assume you have anthracnose. Plants with blighted or wilted leaves are commonly infected with Fusarium (above right). Fusarium is a crown/stem rot that causes the leaves and stems to collapse. Again, it’s not uncommon for lupines to be infected with both of these pathogens at the same time.

The most effective fungicides for controlling Colletotrichum and other anthracnose diseases are Orkestra, Phyton 27 and Spectro. Rotate these products at seven-to-10-day intervals until the progression of the symptoms have stopped.

The anthracnose rotation listed above will go a long way towards preventing fusarium as well. If you're targeting Fusarium specifically, a great rotation would be Orkestra, Medallion and Daconil. Daconil cannot be drenched, but it can be applied as a heavy spray.

For both of these pathogens, it's best to provide preventative chemotherapy, as I call it, rather than beginning the applications after the symptoms are present"

So-o-o-o lupines are popular, they don't transplant that easily, they do grow from seed easily, and they experience insect and fungal problems over time. Just they same if lupines are what you want, spring for a package of seeds, give them a try, be patient for a year and watch the blooms appear in year two. We guarantee that once you have them growing you'll be asked where you bought them--and then you can tell the whole lupine story--and brag a little!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where our outside chores continue, knowing full well that any day now the ground will be white. Have gardening questions? E-mail us at vermont-flowerfarm@outlook.com And remember....We're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Marshfield, Vermont 05658

A New Garden

Friday, October 21, 2016

A quiet morning here on the mountain. I have the truck packed and am about ready to head for the flower farm for what might be the final day of planting. We have been hard at it for a couple-three weeks now, digging and dividing perennials to replace what we sold out of this summer. Our recent focus was on daylilies although we have moved through trollius and hostas too. Yesterday Gail and Alex managed to find a few hours to plant a new hydrangea garden and that will look really nice next summer.

I started the garden 6 weeks ago by getting  a new plot started parallel to Route 2. We wanted a garden with some visibility from the road but also close enough to the parking area that visitors and customers could quickly walk to it and see mature specimens of the various paniculata hydrangeas we sell. The garden turned out to be about 85 feet long and 5 feet wide. The first ten feet closest to the entrance was solid clay and for now, we will avoid it. I'll work in some leaves and some gypsum over the next couple weeks and use that space for annuals like zinnias next summer. Since all our land was at the bottom of the Winooski Ocean 15,000 years ago, it's no surprise to find clay.

Alex asked for instructions and off he went, doing most of the project himself. If you know Alex,you know that he handles jobs a piece at a time. I always tell him what we're going to do a day ahead if possible and then repeat it the day we're doing a project. In this case,  I explained what items we had to get ready and then the timeline. He got it right the first time and as soon as he and Gail got all the pots placed, he started digging and went on from there.

It kind of bothers me when I hear stories about people starting jobs and "not working out" when more often than not the "not working out" means the whoever is supposed to be supervising them on the job might be overloading with lists of things to do even before clear training of the basics has been provided. America has some great employees out there....but..... Some are young and probably not experienced and could even have learning disabilities; others could be seniors who need a job, have good skills but need explanations and maybe reminders. As good managers and good friends, we need to remember this. Everyone has talents and with some it takes a little more time for them to develop. 

Start to finish the planting was completed in under three hours and it looks clean as a whistle. It will require another three years for the hydrangeas to get closer to their mature size but the shape, height and width, and the flower size and colors will be obvious next season. If you drive around Vermont you'll notice that many older houses and farms have wonderful specimens of hydrangeas, some of which have probably been in place since they were built. Based on the number of hydrangeas we sell every year, it's clear that many people like them.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond but now heading to the valley for some planting. If you drive by and see the gates open, stop in and say hello. We always have time to learn about your gardens and answer questions if we can.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Planting Peonies

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

A foggy morning here at the flower farm. Traffic on Route 2 is picking up as people head more west than east to work for the day. An Army convoy is heading east and it looks like the one I saw last week with chalk-marked numbers on the doors that commenced with ME---for Maine I surmise.

Last night's rain was enough to dampen the ground but the 1/10th inch did little more. I'm heading back  into the lower daylily garden today to dig more plants for Gail to pot up for next year's sales. She has a few more peonies to plant this morning and that will be it on them. Peonies are a great flower and one which often seems to be misunderstood.

Peonies have been around for thousands of years and they come with a list of misinformation. People seem to have been taught that they can only be planted in the fall, that they have to be planted deep, that they must have ants on them to ever flower---the list goes on and on. Peonies are easy to grow if you just remember a few things.

Peppermint--See thin red stripes?

Peonies grow from a thick root such as the ones pictured here. These are three year old roots from a wonderfully fragrant, pink peony named Dr. Alexander Fleming. (Dr Fleming discovered penicillin). Look closely and you will see the pink and white eyes. These will become the stems from which the flowers grow. In the commercial production of peony roots for sale, the plants are dug and divided every three years so that the roots at that time can easily be divided to this size with each root containing 3-5 eyes per root.

Peonies should be planted in full sun in well-amended soil in a dry location where springtime water is not a problem. The most important planting fact is that peony roots should never be planted deeper than 2". When I explain this to customers I use the "two digit rule" The top of the peony root should be no more than 2 finger digits below the surface.   With roots such as those pictured, find the eyes and adjust the root so the eyes are growing upward. When planting potted peonies, check the depth inside the pot with your finger. Press a finger down alongside a stem, checking for a root depth of 2 finger digits.

In garden settings, peonies sometimes become covered by grass clippings or leaves and other debris blown into the garden. Every few years check to see that the roots have not been covered deeply as long term that will have an impact on root bud production and the number of flowers you can enjoy.

In New England, peonies set buds for next year's flowers in mid August--a time known for hot, dry temperatures. If it's dry in your area then, water you peonies well. You'll notice increased production the following year.

We wish peonies would bloom all season long but they do not. By mid-July, the flowers have bloomed and all we have left until next year are leafy green plants, pictures and memories. You can extend your enjoyment by about 30 days if you cut peony stems when the buds are tight and just showing some color. If you simply lay cut peonies in the bottom of your refrigerator, they will keep surprisingly well. Take them out, trim the bottom off the stems a couple inches and put them in a vase with water. In a couple days, you'll be asking "Why didn't anyone ever tell me that before?"

In recent years, peonies have become a very important floral crop in Alaska. That's because the season there begins later than it does in the east. Having peonies available for the cut flower trade in August and September meets a growing demand. We wish ours would last that long in our gardens!

Have other peony questions? Want to know which peonies we have potted for sale? Give us a call at 802-426-3506 though Columbus Day or at 802-426-3505 year round. Peonies are special to us and we are sure they will be to you too!

Writing from the flower farm this morning where the fog has risen above the road but still holds tight along the river. A beautiful day is in the making!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens and also as George Africa

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!