Growing Venus' Flytraps

Venus' flytrap in bloom

I posted this photo recently and had several positive responses, and interest in learning how to grow these Carnivorous Plants, Pitcher Plants, Butterwort, Venus' Flytrap, Sarracenia.  There will be duplicates, but these should link to every post.  If you want a guide on growing them yourself, stay tuned.
cool plants.  I looked back through the blog, and, while I had written about carnivorous plants a lot, I hadn't written a how-to guide on growing them.  If you want to read all the other posts about the various carnivorous plants I've written about, they are here:

Much to everyone's amazement, Venus' flytraps are not some strange, exotic plant.  It is native only to the Carolinas, and, according to Wikipedia, probably within a 60-mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina.  They are found mostly around crater-like formations known as Carolina Bays, which are located mostly in the same area.  Connections to these bays, which are thought to be caused by meteors, only help theories of their alien origins.  Now, how to grow them.

One of the first mistakes that people make with these plants is that they put them on their windowsill.  Flytraps need full sun to thrive.  Their soil needs to stay moist all the time as well.  Some people use a low-nutrient mixture of half peat and half sand.  Some people use a 50:50 mixture of peat and perlite, but I found that mixture too hard to manage when I was repotting mine.  I potted mine in all peat and they have done fine.  I used the finely ground peat, not the long-fibered sphagnum peat moss that you can get at garden centers.  You shouldn't use garden soil or potting soil, or anything with added nutrients or fertilizer.  Flytraps will get most of their nutrients from the flies that they catch.

You will need to keep them constantly moist, especially during the warmer months, but don't let the water level get too high.  My experience shows that flytraps are more sensitive to the water level than pitcher plants.  Pitcher plants tolerate minor droughts as well as floods fairly well, but flytraps like a more consistent moisture level.  Placing their pot in a saucer of water should be enough for them, as long as there is always water in the saucer or tray.

Another thing they need is a dormancy period during the winter.  Not letting them rest will cause them to weaken and possibly die.  When flytraps are dormant, they don't die back completely, at least where I live.  There will be some green and the traps will be smaller, but it doesn't put a lot of energy into producing traps when there are few insects.

There are any number of opinions about when Venus' flytraps should be repotted.  Some say ever spring, around February, before they begin putting out new growth in the spring.  This can be good, because it freshens up their growing medium, but if you repot only every two years, like I do, you'll be fine.  In fact, I'm not sure when I repotted mine, but it's been probably no more than two years.

If you'd like to read more about flytraps and other carnivorous plants, I recommend the book, The Savage Garden.  It has good information and great photos of every carnivorous plant imaginable.  I hope this has given everyone that wants to grow Venus' flytraps hope that they too can do this as well.  Once their basic growing conditions are met, just sit back and enjoy them after that.

When To Apply Preemergence Herbicides - Spring 2013

Chamberbitter

Here in coastal South Carolina, we are approaching the time in the spring when preemergence herbicides need to be applied.  What are they, you ask? Herbicides are chemicals that kill plants.  Most people are familiar with post-emergent herbicides that kill actively-growing weeds.  Preemergence herbicides do their job as the weed seed is germinating - that's why the timing of their application is critical.  Too early and it is washed away.  Too late and the weed is past the point of being affected by the herbicide.

So, when should you apply preemergence herbicide in the spring?  Where I live, it is typically during early March, but there is a universal way to get the timing right no matter where you live.  When dayime temperatures reach 65-70 degrees for four consecutive days, it is time to apply the preemergence herbicide.  This will control seed germination of summer annuals.

Here in coastal South Carolina, we are about at the right time for a spring application.  With the exception of Thursday, we are in a week-long-plus warm spell that meets the criteria set out above.  High temperatures most days will exceed 65 degrees.

What about fall?  Here,  PE is applied in late September, but, for everyone else,  it is when nighttime temperatures reach 55-60 degrees for four consecutive days.

Florida Betony

Since we're talking about applying chemicals to lawns, I thought I would talk about something that some of the master gardeners feel very strongly about:  Don't use "weed and feed" products.  These products have both a preemergence herbicide and fertilizer in a single product.  They should not be used on lawns in our area, and probably throughout the south.  As discussed before, PE typically will be applied around March 1st, when weed seeds are germinating.  Fertilizer should not be applied to lawns until the grass has completely "greened up", probably in late April.  If it is applied early, it will control weed germination, but will burn or stress the still-dormant grass.  If applied later, the effect of the PE will be significantly diminished.  The best course of action is to buy separate products, applying the PE earlier, when temperatures warrant it, and the fertilizer after the lawn has greened up.

Getting Your Gourd...Seeds

A while back, I wrote about growing and preserving bottle gourds - today, I want to share how to harvest the seeds.  I know it seems fairly straightforward, but since Robin found a few decorative gourds at Goodwill, some that still had seeds in them, I decided to do some seed saving.

Unless you're going to make a ladle or a birdhouse, it's probably best to make a small hole at the bottom of the gourd to collect the seeds.  You need the hole to be large enough for the seeds to fit through, but not enough to ruin whatever you may want to make with the gourd in the future.  I got out my electric drill and used a 9/16 inch bit - these are larger bits that look more like Neptune's trident than the spiral ones we're used to seeing.

I wasn't sure if this would crack or break the gourd when I drilled into it, but, almost without exception, I ended up with very round holes.  On one of the gourds a small piece chipped off the edge of the hole, but it was pretty small.

Once there is a hole in the gourd, it's pretty simple after that.  I put a bag over the gourd and shook the seeds out.  That's it.  Once it's empty you can use it for your craft project, whether it is a birdhouse, a ladle or carving designs into it, like the ones we have.  There are so many choices.

Trellises

Last year, I was looking for a simple trellis design that I could put up easily and take down and store during the winter - something that would last a long time.  I had done variations on a trellis that Mel Bartholomew uses in his square-foot gardening books, but I wasn't happy with that.  I wanted something sturdy that I could grow pumpkins or watermelons on if I wanted to.  I was browsing GardenWeb, looking for trellis ideas and I found people using cattle panels.  This seemed like the idea that I was looking for, but I needed to learn more.  I did some research on the different sizes and prices of feedlot fence panels and decided on the cattle panel.  They were the cheapest ($22 at Tractor Supply) and they were the best size for me.  The cattle panels are 50 inches tall and 16 feet long.  I was hoping to find a six foot tall fence panel, so I could make four trellises from it, but this was the best I could find.  50 inches is wide enough for the beds and 16 feet would get me two trellises with a little extra.

As a frugal gardener, I was a little hesitant about spending this much money on something I haven't tried before.  The panel plus four 6-foot posts cost about $42.  I was worried that it might not work out as I planned.  I went to Tractor Supply one night and did some window shopping and spent a good bit of time talking to the salespeople, asking how the fence panels work and how easy it is to cut - remember, I had to get these things home!  They also showed me a $25 post setter that I might need to get them in the ground.  Finally, I was ready to make my first buying trip.  I bought a panel and four 6-foot t-posts - I took with me a couple of different size bolt cutters to cut the panel to be able to put it on the top of our car.  In a perfect world I would have cut it in a 6-foot piece and a 10-foot piece, or cut the 10-foot down to 6-foot and 4-foot, intending to use the leftover pieces for half of another trellis - but it was just easier to cut it in half and tie it to the roof racks and go.  I used the 36 inch bolt cutters, but when I got home and trimmed the pieces - I tried the 18 inch pair and they worked fine too.  Once I got them home, it took less than 30 minutes to trim and put up both trellises.

A couple of concerns I had was the size of the t-posts.  I went with the six foot ones, but I worried they might not be tall enough once they were in the ground a foot, but they seem really sturdy.  Also, it was fairly easy getting them in the ground without the $25 post setter.  They went in about six inches with a little arm strength and it took a little body weight to get the rest of the way.  I would definitely recommend this if you need a trellis of any kind.  I put up two more the following weekend and I have a couple more ideas for them other places in the yard.

Update:  I am moving forward with my front-yard vegetable garden and plan to use similar trellises at the north end of my planting beds - always plant the tallest plants on the north side of the bed, so they don't shade the rest of the plants.  The same goes for trellises as well.  I'll be putting them up in my beds and using them for beans, peas, squash and any other vining crops.  Go browse fencing on the Tractor Supply Co. website.  They have a good selection to help you find the right size for you.  If there's not a store near you, call your local feed stores to see what they have for sale.

Bottle Gourds

This summer I decided I wanted to grow gourds.  I didn't get an early start, but there was still plenty of time to get a small crop of them.  I had collected seeds from an apple gourd and a luffa gourd, and I had a pack of mixed gourd seeds as well.  I started the gourds in seed flats - I knew I had lots of apples and luffas, but I didn't know what type the mixed gourds would be.  Gourds are a vining plant, similar to squash or pumpkins - since I have a small garden, anything that vines usually gets trained to grow on a trellis.  In this case, it was the lattice hiding our garden tools from our neighbors.  Once the fruit started developing, I realized I had a few Lagenaria siceraria, or bottle gourds, also known as Calabash.  Supposedly the bottle gourd was the first cultivated plants in the world, but it wasn't used primarily for food - it was used as a water container.

Growing the gourds was the easy part - if you plant too many - like I did - they will be almost uncontrollable.  Mine grew up the lattice and onto the roof and started fruiting up there too.  I had to do some pruning, and pull up several plants that hadn't thrived like others.  Once the fruits finish growing, the vine leading to the gourd will slowly dry out and turn brown.  When it's completely dry, harvest the fruit by cutting the vine several inches above the fruit.  Like any warm-season plant, you will need to harvest before the first frost, to avoid any damage to the fruit.  When harvesting, be careful and avoid damaging the fruit - any bruises or scrapes could lead to rotting.

Once harvested, you need to clean the gourds with soap and water and let them dry.  After they are dry, soak them in a 1:10 bleach and water solution to kill any fungus or bacteria that might form.  For the gourds to completely dry, they need to be in a warm, dry area out of direct sunlight.  Place them on clean newspaper or cardboard, spaced so that they do not touch.  Depending on the size of the fruit, drying could take as long as six months.  The bottle gourd you see here was harvested on August 27th, so it took less than a month to dry completely.

Now that the bottle gourd is completely dry, there is one more step for a Lagenaria type of gourd - you have to scrape off the outer skin to reveal the hard inner shell. Soak the gourd in warm water for about ten minutes - this is harder to do than you think!  Then take a scouring pad and scrub off the outer layer.  Almost anything rough will do - I used a stiff-bristled brush and some steel wool.  Once the outer layer is completely gone, let it dry, and you'll be ready to harvest the seeds, or make it into something that holds water, or a ladle, or whatever you can think of.  For more information, see Harvesting & Curing Gourds.

Soil Drainage Test

How well does your soil drain?  This is an important question - it could mean life or death for your plants!  If your soil has too much clay, it could remain waterlogged, keeping oxygen from getting to plant roots.  If it is too sandy, water and nutrients drain right through the root zone.  Here's how to find out how well your soil drains:

First, dig a hole about a foot deep.  Fill with water and let it drain completely.

Immediately refill the hole and measure the depth of the water with a ruler.  Fifteen minutes later, measure the drop in the water level in inches and multiply by four, to calculate how much water drains in an hour.

What is your soil's drainage rate?
If it drained between 1 and 6 inches per hour, then you have well-drained soil.  If your rate was less than an inch per hour, your soil has poor drainage.  If it drained more than six inches, your soil has excessive drainage.

What does this mean?  What do I need to do?
If your soil has poor drainage there are a few things you can do.  Amending the soil with compost or other organic matter will help with drainage as well as adding nutrients.  You can also choose plants that tolerate wet conditions - there are many native plants that work well - hibiscus, bog lilies, pitcher plants, and many others.

Adding organic matter helps soil with excessive drainage as well.  If the area gets a lot of sun, you may want to consider growing succulents.  There are a number of aloes, agaves, yuccas and cactuses that are hardy in your area.  Also, once established, native flowers like Rudbeckia and Echinacea can thrive in areas where drought-tolerant plants are needed.

With the right information, there's no need to let plants grow in a soil that's not right for them.

When to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Chamberbitter

Here in coastal South Carolina, we are approaching the time in the fall when pre-emergent herbicides need to be applied.  What are they, you ask? Herbicides are chemicals that kill plants.  Most people are familiar with post-emergent herbicides that kill actively-growing weeds.  Pre-emergent herbicides do their job as the weed seed is germinating - that's why the timing of their application is critical.  Too early and it is washed away.  Too late and the weed is past the point of being affected by the herbicide.

So, when should you apply pre-emergent herbicide in the fall?  Where I live, it is typically during the second half of September, but there is a universal way to get the timing right no matter where you live.  When nighttime temperatures reach 55-60 degrees for four consecutive days, it is time to apply the pre-emergent herbicide.  This will control seed germination of winter annuals - perennial weeds, such as Florida Betony, will not be affected.

What about spring?  Here,  PE is applied around March 1st, but, for everyone else,  it is when high temperatures reach 65-70 degrees for four consecutive days.

Florida Betony

Since we're talking about applying chemicals to lawns, I thought I would talk about something that some of the master gardeners feel very strongly about:  Don't use "weed and feed" products.  These products have both a pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer in a single product.  They should not be used on lawns in our area, and probably throughout the south.  As discussed before, PE typically will be applied around March 1st, when weed seeds are germinating.  Fertilizer should not be applied to lawns until lawns have completely "greened up", probably in late April.  If it is applied early, it will control weed germination, but will burn the still-dormant grass.  If applied later, the effect of the PE will be significantly diminished.  The best course of action is to buy separate products, applying the PE earlier and the fertilizer after the lawn has greened up.

How To Get a Soil Test

One thing that everyone should do before planting their garden, or even landscaping their yard is have the soil tested.  I have to admit that I had never done this - until last year.  Here's how you do it.

You need to get a representative sample of the area that you want tested, which means you should collect a dozen samples and combine it into one composite sample.  Soil samples should be collected from the surface to 6-8 inches deep.  Using a soil tube or auger is pretty straightforward, but if you are using a spade or trowel the technique is a bit different.  Dig a v-shaped hole about 6-8 inches deep and use your trowel or spade to take a thin slice from the side of the hole.  Combine all the soil samples in a clean bucket and mix them thoroughly.  You'll need at least two cups of soil per sample.  You can either take your sample to your local Clemson Extension office or purchase a soil sample mailer.

 About a week after I dropped off my soil samples at the Clemson Extension office, I received an email with a link to the results of my soil tests.  I had two different soil tests done - one for the vegetable garden and one for the beds in the front yard.  When you fill out the forms, it helps to let them know what you plan to plant and whether you want organic recommendations as well.  I thought I asked for both, but I only got inorganic recommendations.  Here is what the chemical analysis of my soil looks like:

The soil test found low levels of potassium; phosphorus and calcium levels were very high, which is common for this area.  To correct the potassium deficiency, it was recommended that I use muriate of potash.  Since I didn't get organic recommendations, I tried to learn more about these fertilizers and amendments, to understand what they were and what the organic alternatives were.  In general you can tell what an amendment is by the fertilizer grade.  I knew muriate of potash (MOP) was solely to correct the potassium deficiency, since the third number was so high, but I decided to read more.  MOP is actually potassium chloride and there are a lot of people out there that think it's harmful to soil biology, but others say it leaches out of the soil fairly quickly - and supposedly chloride increases yield by improving disease resistance.  Since I wasn't a fan of chlorine, I decided to see what my options were - it turns out that there are few.  Sulfate of potash is a common substitute, but it tends to be more expensive and it has less potassium (0-0-50), so you need more of it.  It is used for plants that are sensitive to chlorides.  An organic alternative to these are wood ashes.  They may contain around 6% potash, but they also contain lime which raises the pH of the soil, making it more alkaline.  There's no easy way of knowing how much potash is in it and, if you don't need lime, you shouldn't use it.

The other fertilizers are pretty straightforward.  10-10-10 is what it seems like and it turns out 15-0-15 is a common fertilizer for centipede grass.  I haven't looked into organic alternatives to these, but it seems easy enough.  Maybe it won't be in one product, but I'm sure there are things out there that are good substitutes for this.  That will have to be a future blog post.  For more information about soil tests, click here:

HGIC 1652 Soil Testing

Simple DIY Compost Bin

 I've wanted to do a lot more composting around my yard, but didn't know where to start.  Recently I attended a local weekend "gardening school" where I learned about composting.  An easy compost bin made from wire fencing made my day and I wanted to share it:

Take a 10-foot length of wire fencing, about four feet high.  You need something flexible enough to make a cylinder , but sturdy enough to stand on its own.  I recommended welded-wire fencing - make sure it has been "galvanized after welding".  This will prevent the joints from rusting prematurely.  You can get this type of fencing, and others, at home improvement stores and feed stores.  You can also look at the other fencing options they have as well.

Compost piles should be at least three feet wide and three feet high, and no more than five feet in each direction.  A 10-foot length of fencing will make a bin just over three feet wide.  You want it at least three feet tall - that is why I recommend fencing at least three and a half feet tall.

Cut the fencing so that you have a few inches of wire to bend around the other end of the fencing when you make your cylinder.  If you have chosen a more rigid fencing, it will most likely stand on its own.  Don't worry if you are using something less sturdy, like chicken wire - you can use a few t-posts to keep it upright.

 Using these wire bins also makes it easy to turn your compost pile - unhook the wires holding the cylinder together, or just pick it up, and set it next to your pile.  Then use a shovel or garden fork to turn it back into the cylinder.

 Now that you have an easy-to-make compost bin, I hope everyone will be collecting all of their yard waste to use, instead of putting it on the curb...in plastic bags.