Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

winter garden chores

The New Gardening Year: Can I Use Old Seeds?

What a wonderful time of year to be a gardener! The mailbox overflows with seed catalogs showcasing what is new for 2020. I also find myself looking at the 78 seed packets I already have—most great performers from past years—and see some were “packed for use in 2015” or even earlier!

Seed Packets

It’s time to decide if you need to buy new seeds; we can plant onions and peas outdoors as early as mid-February and if you grow your own transplants, you’ll want to start planning, too! For example, tomatoes will need 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost to grow to transplant size, so you’ll need to start them indoors early to mid-April here.

Seed longevity

Must I buy seeds packed for 2020 and throw away these old favorites? Not always—many seeds are viable for years. The Chicago Botanic Garden provides some general guidelines for vegetable seeds: http://my.chicagobotanic.org/wp-content/uploads/Seed-Viability-Chart.pdf

So, for example, if you have cucumber, pumpkin, or squash seed from 2014, you might be fine, but onion, leek, parsnip, or parsley seeds from 2018 may already be worthless!

Testing seed viability

If you want to test your own seeds, Ward Upham, Kansas State Master Gardener Coordinator, suggests the following quick and easy test for each type of seed you want to test:

Place 10 seeds on a paper towel moistened with warm water and cover with a second moistened towel. Roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag with enough holes for air exchange but not so many that the towels dry quickly. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of a refrigerator. Remoisten towels with warm water as needed. After the first week, check for germination. Remove sprouted seed and check again after another week. Add these numbers together to determine the percent germination.

Testing Seed Viability and Germination

Planting old seed

If your old seed is still viable, you can simply plant extra seed in anticipation of lower germination rates.

Storing seed

The best places to store your seed are where it is cool and dark, such as the refrigerator or a cold basement. If you save seed from your garden, be sure the seeds are dry before you store them. For purchased seeds, keeping them with their original packets allows you to quickly determine the contents. Seal seeds in an airtight container, such as a canning jar, to prevent moisture.

Article by Bob Wardwell, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information:

Vegetable gardening planting times: https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NC-Vegetable-Planting-Guide-1.pdf?fwd=no

**Note: Planting times for Western North Carolina Mountains are in purple and times to harvest from seed are indicated in the left-hand column. Those with an “*” should be started indoors rather direct seeded in the garden.**

Tips for growing plants from seed:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation#section_heading_5129

 

What NOT to Do in the Garden

Frost has left your yard looking kind of dead. You hear the neighbors blowing leaves and see them busily tidying up—you feel guilty that you’re going out for a hike or sitting inside dreaming of next spring rather than doing yardwork. But you may be doing your landscape a favor by doing less!

Leaves that need to be raked, bagged or not ?

What to do with leaves?
Do you really need to rake up and dispose of leaves?
Leave them! In many cases, you can simply leave them where they fall: in wooded areas, under trees or shrubs, on your vegetable garden, flower beds—in fact, almost anywhere but a lawn, leaves can act as a mulch and eventual soil enrichment.
• Move them where needed. If the leaves are constantly blowing back onto your lawn, or are matting and smothering groundcovers or small plants, move them to other areas where they can break down in peace.
• Shred them with a shredder or lawn mower. Shredding will help leaves stay in place and break down more quickly. Using a mulching mower on your lawn before leaves get too deep will save you from raking there, too.
• The bottom line: If you must rake, save your leaves in a compost pile or in an unobtrusive area of your yard to spread back on your planting beds once they break down.

What about leaf blowers?
If you must move leaves around, consider that these concerns—Electric or gas blowers may:
• Harm beneficial insects, small animals and their habitats
• Damage plants and shrubs
• Create noise and air pollution.

What about pruning?
With the exception of diseased or damaged wood, leave pruning shrubs and trees until late winter—or immediately after bloom in the case of trees and shrubs that bloom on “old” wood.

Evening primrose_Oenothera biennis_seed pods_Andreas Rockstein_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Consider leaving seed heads for awhile.

What about annual and perennial plants?
Although you may be tempted to cut everything back in the interest of neatness, consider leaving dried seed heads for winter interest, self-sowing, and feeding the birds—at least until the seeds are gone or stems start to break down. One exception, of course, is if plants seed so aggressively that they become nuisances. Consider removing such plants and replacing them with more desirable alternatives.

Enjoy your break from yardwork!
Take time to reflect on what is working well in your garden and what needs rethinking. How does your yard look at this time of year? Does it have good “bones” that make it attractive in all four seasons, or do you need to consider adding some new plants that look good in fall or winter? Do you need to remove failing or overgrown trees or shrubs? Is there too much lawn? You still have time to plant this fall—until the ground is frozen—or start planning for next year!

Take time to evaluate your landscape.

Article by Debbie Green, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information about fall planting:

https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/09/fall-is-the-best-time-to-plant-trees-and-shrubs/

 

Time to Maintain: How to Prune Deciduous Trees

Deciduous trees are ones that lose their leaves in the fall. Examples include oaks (Quercus spp.), hickories (Carya spp.), maples (Acer spp.), and sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) trees. Their autumn color display is long gone and the trees have entered their dormant period for the winter. Now is the time to consider pruning.

Pole Saw_99th Air Base_Lawrence Crespo_CC BY-ND 2.0_Flickr
Tree pruning with pole saw

Advantages of pruning
Proper tree pruning can add form and structure. Removing dead and damaged limbs leads to healthier trees and reduces the risk of insect attacks and infection with diseases.

What you’ll need
The first step is making sure you have the correct tools. Tree pruning typically requires:

  • Sharp hand pruners to remove smaller twigs and branches less than 1 inch in diameter.
  • Heavier pruners commonly called “loppers” for branches 1 to 3 inches in diameter.
  • Hand saw for branches and limbs 3 to 5 inches in diameter.
  • Pole saw—which will extend to about 10 feet—if you need to remove branches up to that height.

 Cautions
Using ladders when trimming requires extreme caution! Do so only when you have someone who is able to steady the ladder for you while you climb. Limbs and branches greater than 5 inches in diameter and any pruning more than 10 feet off the ground require the use of gasoline-powered chain saws and specialized climbing equipment. Unless you are trained and certified in the use of such equipment, hire a certified arborist or tree company that is fully insured!

What to prune
Once you remove a limb or branch you cannot put it back, so use caution when approaching any pruning decision! Take time to walk around the entire tree and envision what it will look like when you complete the work.

First consider removing branches growing directly toward the house or that impede your ability to walk under the tree. Once these are removed, take a step back and evaluate how to proceed. Next to go are dead branches and limbs that are rubbing against other limbs.

Pruning small branches: When pruning small branches, always cut back to a vigorously growing branch or bud that points in the direction you want the branch to grow. Cut about 1/4 inch above the branch or bud to avoid leaving a perceptible stub. This will minimize any damage to the branch collar that might occur if you cut any closer.

Limb Collar Intact_Freshly pruned silver maple_Eli Sagor_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Correctly pruned tree leaves limb collar intact.

Pruning larger limbs: Branches greater than 3 inches in diameter require three cuts:

  • Make the first cut away from the trunk to avoid “stripping” the bark. Start about 6 inches from the trunk and begin to cut up from the bottom of the branch, stopping when you’re a third of the way through the branch.
  • Make your second cut from the top of the branch, in line with the bottom cut so the limb will fall from the tree.
  • Your final cut will remove the stub that remains. This cut should be made flush with the “limb collar” at the base of the branch, not flush with the trunk.
Topping weakens a tree's structure, health, and beauty.
Tree topping – unsightly and unhealthy

Pruning practices to avoid!
Tree topping: Never “top” your trees! Although this technique is often seen in the landscape, it is the surest way to have your trees decline in vigor and health. Topped trees develop multiple secondary branches that are problematic aesthetically and weaken the trees’ structural integrity. No responsible arborist or tree company will recommend topping trees.

Wound dressings: Do NOT dress tree wounds under any circumstances! Researchers have shown that commercial products for tree wounds—paint, tar, varnish, or other such materials—trap moisture and increase disease problems. 

Learn more
Trees and Shrubs: General Pruning Techniques
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/general-pruning-techniques

Article written by Bob Wardwell, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

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Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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