I Do This All the Time!

I went to a friend's house to help her know which plants were worth keeping and which ones were weeds. There was one that I was pretty sure was a weed, but I couldn't identify it and it drove me crazy. I came home and researched in my books, and looked all over online. (I found some great websites along the way!) I couldn't find it!

Then, some of it came up in my weed patch, er, garden and I recognized it as the same plant but I still couldn't identify it.

I thought about it off and on, today and finally the name came to me. Western Salsify (Tragopogon dubius)

The problem was that it is a biennial and so the stage that my friend's was in made it harder for me to identify. Mine had a flower and was much larger.

I'm really grateful for all for the knowledge that I've gained...I just wish that I didn't have to wait for my brain to find the right "file" sometimes!! (But at least I have the files...)

Tomato Leaves Curling

Why are the upper leaves on my tomato plants curling? It's not all of them and there are no spots on them. Any ideas? Thanks for the question,Mrs. Organic!

I looked it up and it looks like the most likely culprit for your problem is cooler, wetter weather. It won't affect your tomatoes and there isn't anything you need to do.

Here are a couple of sites that have more information:

Common Tomato Problems

Tomato Pests. (This one has possible other sources for curled leaves.)

Questions??

I want to post more and keep my knowledge of plants sharper! I am asking for questions that I can answer so that I have something to post here that is helpful and will help me stay in my books and websites. I really want to be able to remember all of the things I have learned and I can't if I don't use them!

So ask away and I will answer your questions! Thanks!

Random Sites from Last Class

I said I'd put several sites on here, since I realized I needed them last night! Thank you all for coming each week! I had a great time and I learned a lot as well! I hope you learned the things you hoped you would! If you ever have questions or if you find something you think I'd be interested in, leave me a message! I love to hear from people!

Home Vegetable Garden Varieties for Utah

Vegetable Gardening in Containers Has a list of varieties

Guide to Container Gardening Has a list with varieties and container type to use

Topsy Turvy Site which sells upside-down tomato planters

Mini Farm-Growing Tomatoes Upside-Down Instructions with illustrations

Growing Tomatoes Upside-Down Instructions with pictures

Tire Crafting

Gulley Greenhouse Inc 2007 Herb Catalog with lots of info (There is a lot of other info on the rest of this site, too!!)

Companion Herb Planting

--And, crop rotation is used to help with disease management for tomatoes.--

Fertilizer Questions

I found a couple of sites with some specific information about which type of fertilizer to use.

How to Choose and Buy Fertilizer

Fertilizer

Always read and follow the package instructions. They will tell you how often to fertilize.

Potentilla--Fading

I have found some information to answer a question that was asked about a potentilla in which the flower color changed. I found a site with an article called All About Potentilla. In it, they say that the flower color often fades or "bleaches out" under heat and drought conditions. I wonder if that was the case with the flowers that were asked about last week.

Questions from January 30th

I answered these in class, but I thought I should put them here as well.

That I know of, I cannot find a Crabapple (Malus) that blooms pink and has no fruit.
I do have a catalog that tells lots of information about lots of trees.

The only crocus-like, night-blooming flower I could find is a cactus called Peniocereus gregii.

As far as I could find, Helleborus have leaves on year round and therefore make a nice shady ground cover. They are supposed to bloom in late fall to spring, depending on the variety. It grows in zones 4-7.

The chocolate flower is called Berlandiera lyrata. The whole plant smells like chocolate!

The only real reference I could find about growing mint in with grass for the scent when mowed was some chocolate mint that crept into the lawn. The problem is that mints are REALLY invasive and may take over the grass.

Apple Pollination

I had a question about apple pollination. From what I found, you cannot use pear trees to pollinate an apple tree. You also have to be careful about the bloom time with other apple varieties chosen. The trees should be within 50 feet of each other. There are also apple varieties that are listed as self-fruitful, but there will be more fruit with cross-pollination.

Here are some sites with good information:

Pollination for the home Gardener
Home Fruit Production-Apples
Pollinating Fruit Crops
Pollination of Tree Fruits

I hope this helps!

Seed Storage Update

My husband, Aaron, found this seed storage site at the Colorado State Extension. It has a lot of great information about keeping seeds for up to 10 years. There is also a link on that page for vegetable and flower seeds, with additional information.

To answer the question about seeds surviving without oxygen, here is a quote from there:

"When seed moisture and storage temperature are low, the presence of oxygen has not been shown to be a factor in seed longevity. Germination is unaffected by storage in atmospheres of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, partial vacuum or air."

Canned Seeds

I was asked about the longevity of seeds and if they could survive in a can, without oxygen. I am having trouble finding specific information about canning seeds for emergency preparedness. I did find a place where you can buy them. I'll keep looking.

Air-Filtering Plants

I found a couple of sites about some plants that can filter the air. This one is from Wikipedia, so I am not sure of its authenticity. The other is an article about these plants, but does not have a list. I hope this helps!!

Poisonous Plants

Here is a list of poisonous plants from Cornell University.