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Your Fall Planted Bulb Questions Answered

September 20, 2016/in Flowers

This month we’ve covered how to plant cool-season veggies. If flowers are more your thing, then it’s time to plant spring-blooming bulbs. Favorites such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and alliums are planted in fall but burst forth with color in spring.

There’s nothing difficult about planting bulbs and you can plant dozens of them in just a few minutes. Here are three easy steps for planting fall bulbs.

Today, the experts at North Haven Gardens answer the top 10 most common questions about planting bulbs.

Top 10 Burning Bulb Questions

1. When should I plant spring flowering bulbs?

Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils are planted September to November. They need several weeks underground to grow roots before the ground freezes.

Check your hardiness zone to be sure when the best time is to plant. Usually, Zones 1 – 4 can plant late August through late September and Zones 4 – 7 can plant mid-September through early November.

2. How far apart and how deep should I plant?

The bulb package should tell you how deep and wide to plant bulbs. If you’ve lost your package, follow the 3×3 rule. Plant bulbs three times as deep as their height and keep 3x the diameter of the bulb between plantings.

3. Which end is up?

Bulbs with pointy ends make it easy: plant the pointed end up. Corms and tubers should have roots attached. Plant those down.

4. When should I feed my bulbs?

Bulbs do store their own food, but a little extra nutrition will help them last years. Add a sprinkle of Bulb-tone to the hole of each newly planted bulb. Come spring, sprinkle a little more Bulb-tone on top of the soil to give them an extra boost.

5. Should I water the flower bulbs after I plant them?

We call spring-flowering bulbs drought-tolerant. While they’re not exactly, you only need to water immediately after planting them.

6. Should I mulch bulbs?

We are huge advocates of mulch as long as it’s applied correctly. In cool climates you can mulch after the soil freezes. In warm climates, Zones 8 and above, mulch after planting and watering.

7. What should I do with the leaves after the flowers have faded?

Give leaves at least 8 weeks of growing, after the flowers fade. You can cut the stem, but the foliage provides energy for next year’s blooms. This is also a good time to feed bulbs, as they’re building up reserves.

One solution is to camouflage the fading foliage. Plant perennials or cool-season annuals. They will emerge right as unsightly foliage is fading.

8. Are there any bulbs deer don’t eat?

Daffodils are the most pest free spring bulbs you can grow. Alliums, in the onion family, are also unappealing to deer. However, if they’re really hungry, they’ll eat anything.

9. What about other pests?

There are measures you can take to keep unwanted visitors from eating your bulbs. Lay a small layer of hardware cloth or chicken wire over the top and around the sides of the new plantings. Just don’t forget to remove it come spring.

10. Will my flower bulbs come up again next year?

Flower bulbs are divided into three groups: annuals, perennials and naturalizing. Annual bulbs such as tulips produce their most beautiful display during the first year and if you’re lucky, may also emerge the following year. Perennial bulbs such as daffodils and hyacinth emerge and continue to bloom year after year. Naturalizing bulbs such as muscari, snowdrops and crocus will emerge every year and better yet, increase in number.

Have a question we didn’t answer? Visit our Facebook page and ask us!

Fall Gardening Checklist

September 13, 2016/in Fall Gardening

September marks the turn of a new leaf. The hot summer weather is fizzling out in favor of cool, crisp fall breezes, prompting bonfires, football games, and pumpkin everything.

For gardeners, fall can be one of the busiest seasons. Often, gardeners juggle wrapping up their summer harvests with the responsibilities of preparing for the coming seasons.

With this to-do list from Homestead Gardens, you’ll be ready to fall in love with fall, and with some extra preparation, you’ll be better prepared for winter and spring, too!

7 Things To Do in the Garden This Fall

1. Deadhead to get Ahead

Freshen up flowerbeds by deadheading and removing plants that have stopped blooming. Do maintenance in the morning before the weather gets too hot.

2. Don’t Stop Planting.

After you’ve harvested your remaining summer veggies, you can plant fall crops and begin transplants! Use Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus at the time of planting to ensure your new or transplanted plants have the nutrients they need for establishment.

3. Serve… or Preserve. Have more vegetables and herbs than you know how to handle? Preserve your harvest. Experiment with making jams or pickles, and try freezing raw fruit, veggies, or herbs. Make sauce out of your tomatoes, or slow-roast them.

4. Flower Power

Keep your annual flowers blooming as long as possible! The key to success? Use Espoma’s Bloom! liquid fertilizer.

5. Watch out for Winter!

Start winterizing your garden’s watering system. Keep an eye out for the first few frosts of the season, and cover plants when necessary. Gradually transition your summer houseplants back indoors.

6. Divide and Conquer

Divide and split your perennials, dig and store tender bulbs like dahlias and caladiums, and start planting spring-flowering bulbs.

7. Red, Dead Ahead!

Are your tomato plants lacking fruit? Producing dull leaves? Sprinkle some Tomato-tone to give them a final boost.

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With these tips, your fall landscape will look its best.

Do you have a picture of your fall garden that you’d like to share? Drop by our Facebook page!

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Grab Your Books for a Lesson in Gardening 101

September 6, 2016/in Blog, Fall Gardening

Back to Gardening School: A Fresh Start for Your Garden

Remember the excitement of a new school year? Fresh notebooks, a backpack ready for adventure, and the feeling that anything was possible. That same sense of renewal is waiting in the garden this season.

Whether you’re just starting out or brushing up on your skills, it’s the perfect time to get back to the basics. Sharpen those tools (and pencils) and let’s head to Gardening School.

1. Build a Strong Foundation

Every successful garden begins with healthy soil. Start with a quick soil test to understand what nutrients your garden may be missing, then build from there. For raised beds, fill them with a rich blend of natural ingredients—like those in Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix—to create the perfect growing environment. Adding an organic compost such as Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost further improves soil structure, boosts moisture retention, and encourages healthy microbial activity. For container plantings, Espoma Organic All-Purpose Potting Mix provides the ideal balance of drainage and organic matter to keep roots thriving. And whenever new plants go in the ground, a starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus helps them establish quickly by supporting strong, resilient root growth. With the right foundation beneath the surface, the garden above will flourish.

2. Check Your Supplies

Just like gathering fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils, gardeners should review their tools. Replace cracked handles, rusty clippers, or wobbly rakes so nothing slows you down during the season. A little care and preparation now saves frustration later and makes gardening smoother and more enjoyable.

3. Redefine Your Garden’s Style

A new season is the perfect time to refresh the look of the garden. Whether the goal is calm and classic or bold and colorful, the right nutrition helps plants live up to their potential. Espoma Organic Plant-tone provides complete, balanced nutrition for a wide variety of plants, while Espoma Organic Holly-tone supports acid-loving favorites such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas. Feeding properly is the simplest way to bring a dream garden style to life.

4. Learn From Last Season

Every garden has its victories and its challenges. Take time to reflect on what thrived and what struggled, then plan for improvement. Espoma Organic Garden-tone is specially formulated for vegetables, helping ensure bigger, tastier harvests season after season. When planting new crops or ornamentals, Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus gives roots the boost they need to grow stronger and more resilient than before. Each new season builds on last year’s lessons with the right nutrition.

5. Don’t Forget Your Indoor Plants

While outdoor gardens take the spotlight, houseplants need care too. Feeding them regularly keeps leaves lush, colors vibrant, and growth steady all year long. Espoma’s Indoor! organic liquid fertilizer makes it easy to give houseplants the nutrition they need with every watering. When repotting, Espoma Organic Potting Mix provides the perfect organic base to keep indoor plants healthy and happy. A thriving indoor garden completes the picture of a gardener’s success.

6. Sharpen and Shine

Tools are the unsung heroes of every garden. Taking time to clean, sharpen, and maintain them ensures they last longer and work more effectively. Well-maintained tools make every gardening task easier, allowing more energy to be devoted to growing beautiful, thriving plants.

7. Grow Your Community

Gardening is even better when knowledge is shared. One of the most valuable tips to pass along is to start every planting with a quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to set roots up for success, and then feed with Espoma Organic Plant-tone throughout the season to keep growth steady and strong. These trusted essentials have been used by generations of gardeners, and passing them along helps the whole community grow stronger together.

Graduation Time!

Congratulations—you’ve completed your Back-to-Gardening School crash course! Toss those gardening gloves in the air, because the lessons learned here will lead to healthier plants, bigger harvests, and gardens worth celebrating.

At Espoma, teaching organic gardening practices has been a passion since 1929. With products that are safe for people, pets, and the planet, Espoma is here as a mentor and partner on every gardener’s journey. Class dismissed—now go grow with confidence!

Kids Course

Looking for a fun way to introduce kids to gardening? Check out our brand partner Farmer Nick’s course, The Adventures of Farmer Nick and Plant! Designed for children ages 4 and up, this 10-episode series inspires a love of gardening and plant science through hands-on lessons. Sometimes silly, always fun, it’s a playful way to spark curiosity and delight both kids and adults alike.

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Fall Is the Best Time for Planting

August 23, 2016/in Gardening

Every gardener knows it. Fall is for planting. From the cooler weather and heaps of rain to fewer pests, diseases and weeds, fall has distinct planting benefits.

Throughout the fall we will identify some of the best plants and activities to do in fall. Stay tuned for our expert tips, guest blog posts and giveaway’s.

But in the meantime, learn why planting in fall can make spring gardening much, much easier.

6 Reasons Why Fall is the Best Time to Garden

1. Work is Easier on Plants… And You

The cooler air temperatures are easier on both plants and gardeners. Neither of you need to suffer through the intense summer heat. Yet, in fall, the soil is still warm enough for roots to thrive. They will grow and get established until the ground freezes.

2. There is More Time in Fall

There are more good days for planting in fall than in spring, when bad weather can make being outside impossible. Plus, you have more free time as a gardener than during the spring rush.

Note: The window for fall planting ends six weeks before your average hard frost, usually September or October.

3. Mother Nature Does the Watering for You

In many regions of the country, fall showers happen often. You might not ever have to water new plantings, which means less maintenance for you. However, due to the cooler temperatures, it’s a cinch to water plants if it doesn’t rain at least 1” per week.

4. Easier Weed Control

In the fall, weed seeds are dormant, i.e., they don’t grow. So any weeds that do grow up in your flowers are easily removed when they first appear as sprouts in spring.

5. Bye-Bye Pests and Diseases

Pests and diseases are less prevalent in the fall. Most of the bugs are either dead or preparing to hibernate in fall. Plus, the humidity that promotes many diseases fades away.

6. Fall Planting Results in Earlier Blooms

Like fall-seeded lawns, fall-planted wildflower seed has a chance to “settle” into your site during the winter, and is ready to burst into growth in early spring. This is why fall-planted wildflower seed is up and in bloom about two weeks earlier than spring-planted seed.

While all of these make compelling reasons to garden in the fall, the season also means bargain time at garden centers. Check back often for the best deals.

Have a picture of your fall garden that you want to share? Drop by our Facebook page!

Late Summer Gardening Tips ☀️🪏🪴

August 2, 2016/in Gardening

August is an exciting time. After all, your flower beds are radiant and your vegetable garden is thriving!

Although it may seem like watering and weeding are your only tasks this month, there’s still a lot to do. Help your garden beat the heat and prep for fall at the same time.

Keep your garden beautiful during August:

Maintenance and Preparation

Level low spots in your lawn.
Remove weeds.
Choose your autumn flower seeds and order in advance.
Fertilize and fortify your lawn with Espoma’s Summer Revitalizer.
Harvest produce regularly and hoe weekly to weaken weeds.
Add compost and mulch to keep your garden cool and prepared for fall planting.
Plant fall veggie starts or transplants.
Remove fallen fruit from fruit trees to limit insect infestations.

Mind the Flowers

Divide and transplant spring and summer-flowering perennials after they bloom.
Spray water onto plants to evict seasonal pests like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.
Remove diseased foliage before leaves drop.
Deadhead summer-flowering perennials and lightly shear to encourage more blooms.
Move houseplants back indoors to acclimate them to limited sun exposure.

Water, Water, Water!

Water plants deeply. Avoid getting leaves wet in the direct sun and avoid soaking containers during the hottest part of the day.
Water before 9:00am. If you can’t water in the morning, aim for watering in the early evening, to avoid letting the water sit all night. Letting the water sit all night can cause mildew and disease.

Looking Ahead

Fall is for planting! Start thinking about what shrubs and trees you want to include in your fall garden.
Select and order spring flowering bulbs.
Cut or preserve your vegetables for winter use. Begin to save seeds and take cuttings.
If you have a cold frame, make sure it is ready to use!
When it’s planting time for your region, use colorful plastic golf tees to mark the location of dormant plants like spring bulbs or perennials.
Don’t forget, it’s best to work during early morning or early evening so you don’t overheat!

Congratulations on all your hard work on the August garden!

How will you and your garden be celebrating the end of summer? Let us know in the comments!

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Pollinators: Nothing to Sneeze At

July 26, 2016/in Flowers

Did you know that honeybees are directly responsible for pollinating one third of the food we eat?

Pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, play a big part in getting our gardens to grow. They help fertilize flowers, carrying pollen from one plant to another. In return, pollinators only ask for food — the nectar and pollen from flowers they visit.

Lately, pollinator populations are declining. Thankfully, you can still “bee” an ally for pollinators by creating habitats for them in your own garden.

A garden frequented by pollinators is both healthy and beautiful. Give pollinators what they need and you’ll watch your whole garden bloom livelier than ever.

How to Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Attract Pollinators:

Location. The best way to attract pollinators is to plant flowers that appeal to them. Either add to an existing garden or designate one specifically for pollinators. Choose a sunny location and remove weeds from the plant beds.

Layer. Entice pollinators with native flowering plants that bloom at different times throughout the year, provide food and habitat. Include several types of flowers that produce nectar and sticky pollen.

At the back of your garden, plant tall flowers such as coneflowers, sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and asters. Their petals provide landing platforms for pollinators. In front of the tall flowers, plant medium flowers, like catmint and yarrow. In front of those, plant shorter flowers such as verbena, or herbs that flower, like oregano.

Planting. Plant tall flowers 18-20” apart, medium flowers 12” apart and short flowers 8-10” apart.

Sprinkle flowers with Plant-tone, an organic plant food that won’t harm any visitors to your garden. Or, try our new Grow! organic liquid plant food to quick-start your plants’ growth.

Now that your garden is set up to welcome pollinators, wait for the flowers to bloom!

Share pictures of your pollinator habitat with us on our Facebook page!

Fix It to Nix Hydrangea Problems

June 21, 2016/in Flowers

Hydrangeas are supposed to be forever gorgeous! The most flawless, must-have flowers in the garden! Yet, you may see black spots on your hydrangea’s leaves. Or worse yet, blooms are turning brown!

Don’t worry.

Stick with us, and we’ll have your garden favorite looking tip-top again. Here’s how to easily fix those common hydrangea problems.

Simple Steps to (Once-Again) Stunning Blooms — How to Solve Common Hydrangea Problems

1. Not a Spot! When it’s unusually rainy (or if you’re overwatering), hydrangeas’ leaves develop unsightly, black spots. This is a pretty harmless leaf fungus with a scary name — Cercospora! Prune away heavily affected areas and spotted leaves to prevent the fungus from spreading.

2. Will to Wilt. Hydrangea blooms drooping or wilting? Most likely, your plant is soaking up too much sun and not getting enough water. Check to see if the soil is moist 1-2” deep. If not, water deeply. For best hydrangea care, repeat weekly. Add a bit of mulch to help conserve water, too. If that’s not the case, check your soil’s nitrogen levels using a soil test. Add necessary amendments.

3. Brown Blooms. If your hydrangea blooms are turning brown too soon and quickly petering out, they likely need more water. Ditto if your flowers wilt during the day and don’t bounce back at night. To confirm, look for brown spots on leaf edges. To fix, deeply water hydrangeas once a week.

4. Holey-Moly Foliage. Fruit worms and slugs munch holes through hydrangea leaves. Lift up a holey leave. If you find what looks like a caterpillar, that’s a fruit worm! Get rid of them with soapy water. If nothing’s there, it’s likely slugs. You can hand pick them at night — or give them a night cap. Bury a plastic cup near the hydrangea, so the rim is level with the soil. Then, fill the cup halfway with beer.

5. Blooms Be Gone. No flowers on your hydrangea? You likely pruned your hydrangea at the wrong time — and cut off all its new blooms. Skip the pruning this year, and check out our tips for pruning hydrangeas so you never prune hydrangeas at the wrong time again.

6. Purple Pout. If your leaves have purple spots, remove the affected leaves and branches. If the entire leaf is purple, your soil may not have enough phosphorous. Perform a soil test and amend as needed.

Abracadabra! Your hydrangea problems will be gone soon. Then, you can focus on all the best parts of growing hydrangeas — like admiring those big, fluffy flowers!

Find the right hydrangea for you by choosing one that loves sun, blooms all summer or is perfect for beginners.

Guide to Growing Hydrangeas Here

Container Garden Tip: Extend Summer Color! 🌸

May 31, 2016/in Blog, Flowers

4 Tips to extend the life of containers for a summer of color.

Containers filled with bright blooms are great additions to any patio, yard, or landscape. Containers help add beautiful pops of color and are easy to maintain with the right care.

Before summer’s heat and dry conditions get the best of them, give containers what they need to extend their life into summer with these 4 easy tips.

1. Deadhead. Use pruners or shears to snip off dead or dying flowers, stems, and foliage. This is called deadheading. Don’t be afraid to clip stems back a little to encourage new growth. This not only makes the plant look better, it helps encourage more blooms.

Hint: Want even less work? You can always opt for plants that do the deadheading on their own, like Million Bells.

2. Feed. Feed established containers with our Bloom! liquid fertilizer to promote & prolong flowering or sprinkle granular plant food, like Plant-tone, on the soil surface and gently work in and water thoroughly.

3. Water. Containers need to be drenched – generally every day – and make sure to get the roots. Water the container until it pours from the drainage holes. Be sure to empty saucers to keep roots from getting waterlogged.

4. Replace. If all else fails, simply replace the leggy or tired plants in your container garden with late-season bloomers, like ornamental cabbage, coneflowers or sedum.

Now that your containers are taken care of, sit back and enjoy the extra color that will surround you while enjoying the beauty and warmth of summer!

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Spruce Up Your Garden Before Memorial Day Weekend

May 25, 2016/in Flowers

As the official kickoff to summer, Memorial Day weekend is the perfect excuse to tidy up the garden. So before you bring out your red, white and blue and get ready for the summer season, spend a little time cleaning up around the yard.

And yes, Memorial Day may be the start of summer fun, let’s not forget the real reason behind the holiday and thank our veterans.

This federal holiday, observed the last Monday of May, honors those who’ve died serving in our country’s armed forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, the holiday originated after the Civil War to commemorate both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war.

Take some time and follow these simple, inexpensive and necessary gardening tips to get your yard in tiptop shape.

Five Ways to Spruce Up:

CLEAN.

It’s not the prettiest task but it is one that can have the most impact. First, give lawns a nice clean cut and trim. Next, rake leaves out of garden beds and borders. Shred or leave them whole and place in a compost pile. Finally, remove tools, debris and the uncoiled hose that may be sitting on the patio.

WEED.

Another task that’s low on the fun list, but necessary for a clean yard is weeding. Pull any weeds and discard. Do not compost weed seeds.

MULCH.

Adding fresh mulch to the garden makes everything look clean. Mulch with shredded bark, compost or other biodegradable mulch.

FEED.

Now is a good time to apply the second application of your annual feeding program for your lawn. It’s also a good time to give your plants a boost with liquid fertilizer Bloom! to ensure they’re looking their prettiest and peppiest for the party.

DECORATE.

Colorful flowers do a world of wonder for a garden. Buy annuals and plant them along borders. Choose heat-loving flowers that will bloom all summer. Decorate with colorful containers and place by front door and at focal points. Putting a few plants out around the patio will really set the mood.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend! If you used any of our tips, let us know! Share your pictures with us on our Facebook page!

$100 Mother’s Day Giveaway from Espoma

May 2, 2016/in Flowers

This Mother’s Day, it may be a little easier to make mom happy.

Enter the Espoma Mother’s Day Giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

‘Like’ Espoma on Facebook and beginning May 2^nd simply share our Mother’s Day container photo for your chance to win.

While you’re at it, tag your mom, aunt, neighbor, sister or best friend who has kids. And dads, don’t forget about the mother of your children! If you win, you can use it to do something nice for any of them.

Give her the gift she’s always wanted, whether it’s a new hydrangea or brunch. Surprise mom today!

But, you have to enter to win so….

One winner will be announced Friday, May 6^th and awarded a $100 VISA gift card.

And to all the mothers out there, we wish you a happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for your dedication, support and unending love.

Tag Archive for: flower garden

Your Fall Planted Bulb Questions Answered

Fall Gardening Checklist

7 Things To Do in the Garden This Fall

1. Deadhead to get Ahead

2. Don’t Stop Planting.

4. Flower Power

5. Watch out for Winter!

6. Divide and Conquer

7. Red, Dead Ahead!

Grab Your Books for a Lesson in Gardening 101

Fall Is the Best Time for Planting

Late Summer Gardening Tips ☀️🪏🪴

Mind the Flowers

Water, Water, Water!

Pollinators: Nothing to Sneeze At

Fix It to Nix Hydrangea Problems

Container Garden Tip: Extend Summer Color! 🌸

Spruce Up Your Garden Before Memorial Day Weekend

$100 Mother’s Day Giveaway from Espoma

Espoma. A Family Tradition Since 1929.