Published by: almanac.com

During a cold spring, it’s better to delay sowing a little to ensure the soil temperature is warm enough than to jump the gun and get disappointing results. 

Which Seeds to Start Indoors?

Not ALL seeds should be started indoors. Most vegetables grow perfectly well when started outdoors and even prefer not to be transplanted. Ultimately, it’s important to consider how each type of vegetable grows in addition to where you’re growing it.

Remember that there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule about what you can start indoors and outdoors; it varies by your experience, personal preference, location, and the plant itself. In general, we find that:

• Crops that are best started indoors include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and tomatoes.
• Those with slower root development, like cauliflower, celery, eggplant, and peppers, should also be started indoors.
• Tender vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are very susceptible to the cold temperatures of spring, so it’s best to start them indoors and keep them safe from unpredictable weather.
• Plants that do not transplant well and are, therefore, best started in the garden (or in outdoor containers) include cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash. These are all tender, however, so refrain from sowing them outdoors while frost is still a threat.
• Some plants truly resist transplanting. Root vegetables, like carrots, turnips, and beets, don’t like having their roots disturbed, so it’s usually safer to just start their seeds outdoors in the ground rather than transplant them later on. Plants with long tap roots also dislike being transplanted; examples include dill and parsley.
• Finally, plants like radishes and peas are so fast-growing and cold-tolerant that putting them right in the ground makes sense!

The post When to Start Seeds Indoors appeared first on C-Medisolutions.

Birth flowers have been around for many generations, similar to birthstones. The flower designated each month usually ties to the season when it blooms; many flowers also have cultural or religious associations from ancient times. For example, the hawthorn was known as Mary’s Flower of May.

In our lives today, birth flowers are a wonderful way to mark an occasion, from birthdays to marriages to funerals. For example, a simple bouquet of birthmonth flowers makes it more thoughtful if you are struggling to find a gift.  

January ~ Carnation & Snowdrop

January’s primary birth flower is the carnation and the secondary flower is the snowdrop.

February ~ Violet & Primrose

The February primary birth flower is the violet and the secondary flower is the primrose.

March ~ Daffodil & Jonquil

The March birth flower is the daffodil referred to as the jonquil (which is simply a type of daffodil).

April ~ Daisy & Sweet Pea

The primary April birth flower is the daisy, and the secondary flower is the sweet pea.

May ~ Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn

The May birth flowers are the lily of the valley and hawthorn.

June ~ Rose & Honeysuckle

The primary June birth flower is the rose and the secondary flower is the honeysuckle.

July ~ Larkspur & Water Lily

The primary July birth flower is the larkspur and the secondary flower is the water lily.

August ~ Gladiolus & Poppy

The primary August birth flower is the gladiolus and the secondary flower is the poppy.

September ~ Aster & Morning Glory

The primary September birth flower is the aster and the secondary flower is the morning glory.

October ~ Marigold & Cosmos

The primary October birth flower is the marigold and the secondary flower is the cosmos.

November ~ Chrysanthemum

The November birth flower is the chrysanthemum.

December ~ Narcissus & Holly

The primary December birth flower is the narcissus (such as the paperwhite narcissus) and the secondary flower is the holly which has small white berries that give way to the festive red berries that we see at the holidays.

The post Birth Month Flowers: What Is My Birth Flower appeared first on C-Medisolutions.

Make the flowers of summer last a little longer! Discover plants that bring colorful flowers to your gardens throughout September and October. Here are 50 fall flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants that welcome the season with a blaze of color.

Foxgloves that were cut back after flowering this summer are putting out second spikes of bloom. The rugosa rose is still producing blossoms as well.

But we can add an extra season of interest with fall-blooming flowers, colorful shrubs, and other plants that are at their best in the fall.

Make the flowers of summer last a little longer! Discover plants that bring colorful flowers to your gardens throughout September and October. Here are 50 fall flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants that welcome the season with a blaze of color.

Foxgloves that were cut back after flowering this summer are putting out second spikes of bloom. The rugosa rose is still producing blossoms as well.

But we can add an extra season of interest with fall-blooming flowers, colorful shrubs, and other plants that are at their best in the fall.

Annual Flowers

Lots of annuals that can take some cooler temps will still be pumping out the blossoms into fall.

These include nasturtiums, zinnias, calendula, marigolds, and rudbeckias.

Perennial Flowers

Fall-blooming perennials often showcase the jewel tones of the season with beautiful reds, golds, and russets.

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is a reliable native perennial that blooms from late summer through the first few frosts. The large, purple, clustered flowers grow on plants that can be over 6 feet tall in the right place. Where is that place? Since this plant likes moist soil, many wild ones grow along stream beds and riverbanks in full sun. Pollinators love Joe-Pye weed, so add a couple to the back of your sunny border.

Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum) ‘Autumn Joy’ is truly a joy this time of year, when deep-pink blooms emerge from its fleshy foliage. ‘Matrona’ is another variety that produces tall stems.

Yellow heliopsis are in full flower in fall.

Surprise lily, Lycoris squamigera, is known by several names, each more revealing than the next. Its genus honors the mistress of the ancient Roman Mark Antony, while it is more commonly called resurrection, surprise, and magic lily because its straplike foliage appears in spring and dies back in late summer. And just when you think that it has failed you, its flower stem rises between 18 and 24 inches to burst forth with 4 to 7 trumpetlike, rose-pink blooms that have exceptional fragrance.

Asters are the queen and king of the fall garden, deserving of several entries. They are easily grown from seed, but this time of year, the garden centers offer a wide range of colors and heights to choose from.

New England asters; despite their name, they grow throughout the US and Canada. They can get quite tall if not chopped back by half in early summer. That quick pruning encourages them to branch, giving us even more flowers on more manageable-sized plants. They have also had a name change, being moved from the crowded aster family to their own separate genus Symphyotrichum.

Snowbank’ false aster, Boltonia asteroides, only sounds chilling; in fact, its billowing profusion of daisylike flowers with their gold centers spreads sunshine. Evocative of aster (hence its nickname: false aster), coreopsis, and cornflower, this North American native begins to flower in August and continues well into September (the first frost will bring its show to an end). A compact plant, it grows just 3 to 4 feet tall and needs no staking.

Other favorite perennials for fall color include:

• Canadian burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis)
• Blue monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii)
• Hardy chrysanthemum ‘Venus’, ‘Sheffield’
• Boltonia asteroides ‘Snowbank’
• Black cohosh (aka bugbane) (Cimicifuga racemosa) ‘Hillside Black Beauty’
• Lycoris (Lycoris squamigera)
• Bugbane ‘Hillside Black Beauty’

The post 50 Fall Flowers and Plants for Autumn! appeared first on C-Medisolutions.

Don’t reach for harsh chemicals. They will do more harm than good by polluting the watershed, killing good and bad bugs alike, and eventually the insects you are trying to kill may grow resistant to those chemicals requiring you to use even stronger ones! They can also harm birds, animals, you, and your children!

Try a more natural approach by making one of these homemade insecticidal sprays. Bear in mind that although they are less toxic, they are not harmless. Keep them away from kids and pets. Test them on a few leaves before you go all in to make sure they won’t injure your plants. Be sure never to spray them on your plants during the sunny, hot part of the day, or they will cause foliar damage. Spray in the evening, when bees and other pollinators are not active.

Dish Soap Spray: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of a mild liquid soap such as pure dish soap (no bleach, degreaser, or detergents added) or castile soap in 1 quart of water. Dr. Bronner’s soap may be expensive, but it uses no animal fats, which makes it a good choice for vegans. Insecticidal soaps are good for killing soft-bodied insects. Be sure to cover the whole plant—both sides of the leaves and on the stems. Soap sprays only work when wet, so they will need to be reapplied every 4-7 days or until you notice that populations have decreased. After a few applications, if rain hasn’t done this for you, spray the plants with plain water to rinse off any soapy residue.

 Oil Spray: Mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap. Add 2-8 teaspoons of this mixture to 1 quart of water and spray your plants as above. The oil in this spray smothers the insects so it is effective on aphids, thrips, mites, and scale.

Tomato Leaves Insecticide: The leaves of tomatoes contain solanine and tomatine and can be used as an insecticide. Soak 2 cups of fresh leaves in 1 quart of water overnight. Strain and spray. It kills aphids and many types of chewing insects, but also attracts benefits. Please don’t use it on other nightshades like eggplants, peppers, or potatoes because it could spread disease from plant to plant.

Garlic Repellent Spray: Despite all you’ve read, garlic acts as more of a repellent than a killer. Puree 2 bulbs of garlic with 1 cup of water and let sit overnight. Strain the liquid into a quart jar, add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, and fill the jar the rest of the way with water. Put one cup in a 1-quart sprayer, fill it with water, and apply it to your affected plants. It is good for repelling aphids, cabbage worms, leafhoppers, squash bugs, and whiteflies.

 Hot Pepper Repellent Spray: Hot pepper is also a good repellent and works on rabbits, deer, and many insects. Mix 1 tablespoon of dried chile powder, 1 quart of water, and 1 teaspoon of mild soap. Spray full strength on the plants under attack.

If you have many hot peppers growing in your garden, you can make a fresh concoction from 1/2 cup of chopped peppers pureed in 1 cup of water. Add the puree to 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Let sit until cool and then strain. Add 1 teaspoon of mild soap and spray full strength on plants. You might want to wear gloves when working with this spray and be sure not to get it into your eyes!

The post 5 Organic Pesticide Sprays for Insects appeared first on C-Medisolutions.

Published by: AARP

Karen Beauchemin calls gardening her therapy. Over the years, she’s spent a lot of time in her West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, garden tending to her vegetables and flowers from her perch on “my little bench.”​

Gardening should be fun, not backbreaking. So, like Beauchemin, invest in the tools that make it an easier and safer activity as you age. Those tools are often simple and inexpensive — or things you can adapt yourself.​

1. Lightweight hose​

These come in different styles, including coiled plastic, metal, and various fibers, and are much easier to drag around the yard. Some retract, others wind on a hose reel. To make them last, drain them after use. Price: $35 and up for 100 feet.​

2. Hori Hori​

This Japanese all-purpose blade is about 7 inches long, 2 inches wide, and concave. Linda Scharf, 64, of Onset, Massachusetts, says she uses hers for digging, weeding, measuring depth, and cutting weeds. “The weight is really good, and I really have not bought any other tool.” Price: $25 and up.​

3. Adjustable, telescopic rake​

These lightweight rakes adjust for handle length and the width of the raking tines, so they are wide enough for a yard or narrow enough for flower beds. Price: $20 and up. ​

4. Kneeling bench or kneepads​

Turner’s husband wears hockey pads. Kelly-Begazo prefers one of the padded seats that flip to become a kneeler with side handles that support you as you stand. Price: $40 and up for a kneeler.​

5. Two-wheeled wheelbarrow​

Traditional single-wheeled wheelbarrows can tip when they get heavy, twisting your back, says Turner, who prefers a child’s wagon. Look for carts or wheelbarrows with two wheels. Price: $70 and up, depending on size.​

6. Elevated garden beds​

Installing a bed raised off the ground will prevent you from having to bend over or kneel on the ground to do your planting, weeding, and harvesting. An elevated bed allows you to sit on a stool or a chair to work on your garden. Build the bed to your own desired height, but be sure to consider the root depth of the kind of flowers or vegetables you’ll likely plant, and use cross supports for anything taller than 18 inches. You can buy raised garden planters or make your own.​

7. The right clothes

What you wear can make gardening easier and safer. Start from the top with a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face from the sun. Next, consider sunglasses or safety goggles to protect your eyes from dirt and stalks. If you live in an area with ticks, wear clothing treated with .5 percent permethrin, and tuck your pants into your socks. Wear long sleeves or invest in a pair of “farmers sleeves” — stockings for your arms that cost about $25 a pair and come in fun colors and patterns. Don’t forget gloves to protect your hands from dirt, bites, and chemicals. For weeding, try kitchen cleaning gloves, which are flexible but have a grip delicate enough for the smallest intruder.​​

The post 7 Essential Tools for Gardeners 50 and Older appeared first on C-Medisolutions.