Starting vegetable Sprouts from Seed

Starting vegetable Sprouts from Seed

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Q: Now that I have more time on my hands at home, my kids and I were thinking of starting a vegetable garden. How should I get started? AJ

A: The situation we collectively find our community in is a bit scary, but what better way to social distance ourselves than working out in the garden? And it’s a great way to supplement our food, as well as a fun activity for your kids. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

First, you’ll need to decide what you want to grow. Good vegetables for first-time gardeners are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and bush beans. Potatoes are also a good choice. You can supplement these with some herbs, such as basil and oregano.

Seeds for these are available online if you don’t want to get out, or you could visit one of our local garden centers to pick up what you need. I am guessing that some of our local vendors would be more than willing to bring your order out to your car for you.

Of the crops we mentioned, it’s best to start your seeds for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and the herbs indoors, so you are going to need some type of container to plant your seeds. These can be as simple as used yogurt or butter containers or something more elaborate like the peat pot starters you can get at the store. Whatever you decide to use, it would be good to get some seed-starting soil. Seed-starting soil is much less course and is a great medium for starting new plants.

Next, fill your containers with the seed-starting mix, moisten it, and place a seed in each one. Move your newly planted seeds to a sunny, warm location, and wait. Germination times vary, but with any luck, you should see your plants start to emerge in a few days. Seed germination heating mats can speed up the process, but that may be something you what to think about for this fall or next year.

Be sure to keep your seeds well-watered without drowning them. In these small containers, it is easy to overwater, especially if you are using a container without drainage in the bottom.

The typical day we say you can plant your seedlings outside is April 15. This is historically after the last threat of frost has passed, but in Oklahoma, all options are on the table.

Seed potatoes can be planted now, and bush bean seeds should go in the ground after April 15.

Most gardeners started their seeds a few weeks ago, but better late to the party than never showing up. We have an entire page on our website about growing vegetables with resources that you should find helpful. Just go to tulsamastergardeners.org and click on the button marked Vegetable Garden Help.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Garden tips

·        All cool-season vegetables, strawberries, asparagus and other small fruit may be planted this month.

·        Established broadleaf weeds can easily be controlled in lawns at this time with post-emergent broadleaf herbicides. These herbicides are most effective in spring and fall when weeds are growing.

·        Cut down dead pine trees as soon as possible. Most of these trees died of pine wilt disease due to a nematode infection. The infection is spread by the pine sawyer beetle, and dead pines are a source of infection carried by these beetles.

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Q: I would love to have a vegetable garden, but we rent our home. Any suggestions? KT

A: This is a dilemma faced by a number of people whether you rent a home or an apartment. Fortunately, there are a number of options that will enable you to grow your own vegetables.

The best solution for your dilemma is container gardening. Almost any kind of container can be used to grow vegetables. The simplest would be a 5-gallon plastic bucket.

Just get a bucket, drill some holes in the bottom to allow for drainage, fill it with garden soil, and you are ready to go.

Buckets are great for tomatoes. There are even some smaller “patio” varieties of tomatoes that can produce all summer without trying to grow 6 feet tall.

You can also grow peppers, bush beans and any number of herbs, such as basil. You could even grow potatoes.

Fabric pots are another container option. These pots are typically made of a felt-like material and come in a variety of sizes. They even have handles on top to ease in moving them around. Many of us grow potatoes in these pots as we can start the potatoes in shallow soil and add soil as they grow. This helps increase your harvest.

Another great thing about containers is that they can be mobile. If you live in an apartment, you can move the container into the sun in the morning and then maybe place them in shade for that late-afternoon sun. Also, spring weather can sometimes be challenging for vegetable gardeners because we are likely to get a hail storm or two.

In case there is news of a hailstorm, you can just move your containers to a protected area. This is a luxury those of us with raised-bed gardens don’t have. These are not the only options, but at least these will get you started.

Garden tips

• Remove flowers from spring-blooming bulbs after blooming is completed. This will allow the plant to direct its energy into its bulb for next year's blooms, rather than producing seeds.
• Allow foliage of these bulb plants to die and turn brown naturally before removal. If the leaves are green, they are storing energy for the following year.
• These bulb's root systems become inactive after blooming and cannot absorb fertilizer. It is best to fertilize them at the time of planting, in the fall or in the spring when their leaves first emerge
• The Master Gardener Online Plant Sale continues through April 1.

Oklahoma Proven Plants for 2020

Oklahoma Proven Plants for 2020

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Q: I have a friend who suggested I try some Oklahoma Proven plants. What is he talking about? BC

A: Oklahoma State University has a program called Oklahoma Proven, where plants are tested to see how well they perform in the somewhat unpredictable and oftentimes brutal Oklahoma climate. Each year, a variety of plants are evaluated, and several are selected to become that year’s Oklahoma Proven selections. The winners for 2020 are out. You may or may not be familiar with some of these, but any of them would be great additions to your garden.

The tree for 2020 is the Hornbeam (Carbines species). This tree does great as an understory tree and needs little pruning. It is slow growing and can be used as a tree or a hedge, typically reaching heights of about 20-30 feet. It grows well in full sun to part shade. Plant in a place with well-drained soils.

The shrub this year is the Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora). This perennial has evergreen leaves from 2-3 feet in length while the flower stalks can rise up to 5 feet with coral-colored tubular flowers. It’s drought-resistant, and the flowers can attract hummingbirds. This one would be great for xeriscape or low-maintenance gardens.

The perennial for 2020 is the Golden Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus griminess “Ogon”). This grassy plant is native to Asia and will do well in full sun to part shade but will appreciate some afternoon shade if planted in a full-sun location. Boggy or consistently moist areas are not a problem for this one. The Ogon cultivar is a dwarf variety that should grow to 6-12 inches tall, making it great for a border or an interesting filler plant.

The annual is the Brazilian Verbena (Verbena bonariensis). This plant usually has a 1-foot-tall base of dark green leaves with flower stems of up to 3½ feet. Even though it is technically a tender perennial, in Oklahoma it is considered an annual. If sheltered, it might survive the winter. Even if they don’t, they are self-seeding, so you may be able to enjoy them for years to come. It is heat- and drought-tolerant and has the added bonus of being a great attraction for pollinators.

Oklahoma Proven has been around for 20 years and has compiled a book that can be purchased or downloaded for free. Check under the Hot Topics link on our website if you would like a copy.

Garden tips

• If you had previous damage to the tips of pine tree limbs, especially non-native pines, it may be diplodia tip blight (a fungus) or Nantucket pine tip moth damage. Both are controlled with pesticides starting this month. Call the Master Gardener office for recommendations.
• Preemergent herbicide to control crabgrass and other summer weeds should be applied by the middle of March.
• Divide and replant overcrowded, summer- and fall-blooming perennials. Mow or cut back old liriope (monkey grass) and other ornamental grasses before new growth begins.
• The Master Gardener online plant sale continues through April 1.