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Writer's pictureJudith Cox

Twenty-one

Updated: May 14, 2021


Herbs - maintaining and propagating. Composting - Arlene Rowe.

Greetings fellow gardeners,


I have been enjoying these little moments of cool breezes as the summer continues. One thing that I have noticed is that a number of my herbs have been looking tired. My borage is forming seed heads and is drooping so I cut back the old growth to where the new growth was beginning.


Borage


I discovered borage a few years ago. I tried it as I try something new every year. It came easily from seed with rough leaves and good height and then in August blue flowers appeared; I was impressed by the beautiful blue flowers and that the plant was covered in bees. This is a real pollinator plant. The seed is easy to collect and it will often self-seed if the conditions are favourable. It has a mild cucumber taste and the flowers can be used as a garnish for cakes. I like to grow it with calendula as the flower colours work so well together.





My calendula is producing flowers at a good rate and beginning to set seeds. It is a great plant for pollinators and I often plant it with my tomatoes. I deadhead my calendulas but towards September I will let them go to seed so I can collect good seed for next year.


Calendula


Calendula is an amazing herb. It is quite edible but does not have the zing of the nasturtium plant. I am making calendula oil this year. Calendula oil and cream are very healing for your skin. There is a possible allergy alert if you have a heavy ragweed allergy so be sure to test it out first.







I have a love of sage. In addition to common sage for cooking I have pineapple sage, royal raspberry sage, hummingbird sage and white sage. All sages have a tendency to look tired at this time of year, so it is a good idea to do some trimming. I grow pineapple sage for the glorious pineapple scent and royal raspberry for the strong red flower.


Hummingbird Sage


Hummingbird sage has a blue flower that is stunning and white sage has leaves that feel like velvet. I use white sage for tea if I am not feeling well. Sage leaves steeped in hot water with honey have been used for a variety of ailments since Roman times.


















Now is the time of year to take cuttings of your rosemary and lavender. Clip several branches of lavender, strip the bottom third of leaves and place in a pot of good soil. The clippings should root giving you new plants. You can plant the new plants in the garden once they have rooted.


Lavender cuttings


I usually put some leaves around my lavender to provide some winter protection and don’t cut it back until the spring. You can use the same method to get rosemary cuttings. I am not able to keep rosemary in the garden for the winter, but it will do well under my plant lights.


This week we have another article by Arlene Rowe. Have a wonderful week, water your pots, and deadhead your flowers.

Judith (email: lapisdragonarts@gmail.com)






All Veggie Bites are available on the SGHS website https://sites.google.com/site/sghortsoc/



Compost Revival

Some of you may recall the five-part series on composting that I wrote in the spring. To follow up on those articles, I thought it would be helpful to write about the experiences and problems that I encounter with my own composting efforts.


It has been an extremely hot and dry July this year. Normally I check the compost during July, but it was so hot that other garden chores took much longer to complete. And the dryness forced me to use the precious rain-barrel water exclusively on my gardens. Consequently, the compost piles were neglected. In previous years, this hadn't been a problem, since there is usually the odd rainstorm that will keep the piles moist and the process takes care of itself. When I finally looked at my compost pile in August, my heart sank. The thermometer registered the same temperature as the air and there was a thick layer of undecomposed vegetation on top of the piles - nothing had happened for most of the summer. Two of the piles were so dry and dusty, I had to use a particle mask to move the top layers. Not willing to give up on the material, I tried to revive the compost. Just before a significant rainstorm I moved the undecomposed layers to a third pile, mixed in a little finished compost from the other piles and made certain that there were no overhanging branches to impede the rainfall on the pile. The day after the rainstorm, the thermometer started to inch up a few degrees. After the third rainstorm, the pile was cooking at 149 °F; steam appeared when I lifted the top layer to turn it. I can't get back the time lost over the June/July period, but this pile will be definitely ready for the garden by Spring.


This experience shows the importance of moisture in the decomposition process. Generally, in this area, moisture is not a problem; but as with this year, you will encounter situations where the compost is not getting enough moisture and the decomposition process stops. Know that you can always revive it.


Nematodes and Compost

In my compost articles, I talked mostly about bacteria, but in truth, there are many more organisms in a compost pile. The organisms living in your compost fall into three basic categories: First level (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes), second level (springtails, nematodes, beetle mites, mold mites and protozoa) and third level (Ants, beetles, centipedes, “composting” worms, flies, millipedes, slugs, snails, spiders, and woodlice (sow bugs)). The illustration below shows how each category interacts and contributes to producing compost.

Lately, the microorganisms called nematodes have become of particular interest to gardeners because of the role they play in and out of the compost pile. Nematodes are very small worms, usually only 1 millimeter or less in length. They are simple organisms, equipped only to eat and reproduce. Most members of this very diverse family are beneficial, fortunately in a well-maintained compost pile the beneficial species are more prevalent.


They play an important role in your compost's ecosystem. As the most prolific invertebrates in the pile, nematodes digest the decomposing matter itself as well as fungi and various parasites. They, in turn, provide food for larger organisms that help keep the pile aerated.


There are a couple main types of nematodes you’ll find (Steinernema, Heterorhabdtis) in your compost pile. Each nematode targets specific pests by attacking and killing the pests by either injecting deadly bacteria or entering the host, parasitizing, and then feeding on it. For instance, one species of the former (S. carpocapsae) is effective on larval stages of armyworm, weevils such as black vine, caterpillars, cutworm, and sod webworm. Another species (S. feltiae) is used for larvae of cabbage maggot, onion maggot, raspberry crown borer, and thrips. Both species are effective on larvae of codling moth, corn earworm, and cucumber beetle. The Heterorhabditis species target larvae of tree and vine borers, European chafer, Colorado potato beetle, corn root worm, flea beetles, and grubs including those of the Japanese beetle and ones damaging lawns. Another reason for using compost in your garden and on your lawn.


The large quantities of nematodes that flourish in compost can have a notably positive effect on your garden's soil. Beneficial nematodes, found in compost won't overcome a full blown infestation, but they will help to reduce the population of plant pathogens or parasites directly by preying on them or indirectly by outcompeting them within their local environment and thereby reduce the likelihood of an infestation taking hold in the first place.


Everything you wanted to know about compost but were afraid to ask!

Recently I came across a website that provided a wealth of information on composting for both the novice and the technophile. I am still digesting (no pun intended) the information.




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