I am lucky to work at a school that also employs an expert horticulturalist as one of its biology teachers. He has a PhD in hortoculture from Cornell and prior to teaching, worked at the NY Botanical Gardens. Today I paid Ernie a visit with many questions.
1) My strawberry plants. As you know, I planted these about a month and a half ago and have yet to see an action--no greenery emerging from the crowns. He said these plants should have started to leaf out by now and likely my source of plants provided me with dead, not dormant, roots. Thanks a lot, Wal-mart (though I had an eerie suspicion about this even as I purchased the plants.) Since it is sort of late in the spring to plant crowns, he suggests buying starter plants (or bribing someone with a garden for their extra strawberry runners.) Off to the nursery this weekend, as I want to establish my strawberries this year to ensure a good yield of fruit next summer.
2) My peas. The peas that I started indoors and transplanted to the garden a couple weeks ago have begun to turn yellow. The cause? Since it is still mild in temperature, it's likely not the weather (peas need cool weather to thrive), according to Ernie. And I haven't noticed any spider mites or other bugs. Probably transplant shock, according to my consultant. The seeds that I sowed directly in the garden are growing well, bright green. Next year, he said, direct sow all seeds in the garden (which I couldn't do this year because we didn't have the raised boxes done yet.)
3) My newly planted herb seeds. A few days ago, I cleared my herb garden, again. Last year, I cleared the area and mulched the garden with four inches of mulch, knowing that I wasn't going to plant it at the time. But grass grew through the mulch and boy did it grow prolifically. In fact, I hyperbolize by saying there was more grass in my herb garden than in my yard. So I spent hours upon hours the other day de-grassing my garden bed. Laborous work, especially at seven months pregnant. But after ridding the garden of about 200 pounds of grass, weeds, and attached soil and mulch, I was ready to plant. First though, thinking I was so smart, I sprinkled Preen weed preventer in the garden bed, which prevents weeds from germinating (it does not kill existing weeds). And then I planted my rosemary, dill, chive, basil, lemon balm, parsley, mint and cilantro seeds.
I began worrying about the error in my ways shortly thereafter--what if the Preen prevents my herb seeds from germinating as well? Reading the Preen label carefully, it lists the weeds that it is supposed to prevent, and none of the herbs are on the list. However, it doesn't list any of the herbs among the plants to use this product around either. Ernie said, wait and see, but you may have to go by some starter plants if you want herbs in there this year (the Preen says that it will prevent germination for three months.) Boo.
4) My mystery plant. Remember the stranger that just appeared (and has overtaken) my border? The one that I thought might be coreopsis? Well, it is likely not coreopsis, but I may have my answer tomorrow. Ernie said he could probably identify it for me if I bring in a sample. I have a feeling I will be ripping it out this weekend, but I'm also curious as to what it is anyway. The fact that it has an herb-like smell and appears nowhere else on my property as a weed are two curious characteristics. I'll keep you posted.
5) Succulents. I recently read an article on succulents in
Better Homes and Gardens and decided to start an indoor window box with these architecturally interesting plants. And Ernie has an extensive collection of succulents lining wth windows of our school hallways. He was generous enough to snap-off leaves for me, which will generate their own roots when I replant them at home. Here's what I snagged: Aloe ballyi, pachyphytum, crussula lycopodioides, crassula perfoliata, and haworthia (see pictures). Now I have to go buy a pretty little window box for my new babies!
