Questions and Answers Hot Pepper Spray

Q:I sometimes need to spray my herbs and vegetables to combat pests, but I'm not comfortable using a pesticide on plants that my family and I eat. What is a safe alternative?

A:I can understand your concern and one product I like to use is hot-pepper spray. This product combines paraffin wax and other ingredients with capsaicin, a chemical naturally found in peppers that makes them hot. When sprayed directly on plants and foliage, the wax lightly coats it and holds the hot spray in place. I find this to be an effective and organic way of dealing with certain pests in the garden, like leafhoppers, spider mites, and whiteflies, just to name a few.

When you use this product, you certainly want to keep it away from children, and you don't want to get any of it in your eyes because it can really burn. But don't be afraid to spray it directly on the produce in your garden. You see, it washes off with just a little warm water.

Hot pepper spray is available from many organic garden supply companies or you can mix your own at home. To make the homemade version, simply puree two large cayenne peppers in a blender or food processor. Strain the puree to remove any seeds or solids. Add the strained puree to 1 gallon of water. When you are ready to spray, dilute 1/4 cup of the hot pepper concentrate with 1 gallon of water. Instead of paraffin, to help the spray adhere to the leaves add about 1/4 tablespoon of baby shampoo. When working with hot peppers it is important to wear gloves and keep your hands away from your face and eyes.

Garden To Do List September---In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb color effects as from August to November.

Good to Know

In my southwestern Pennsylvania garden fall is a slow transformation into winter. The heat may not break until late September with the first frost occurring at the end of November. I no longer think of fall as a time to put the garden away, but rather the season for reaping all that I’ve sown during spring and summer. The colors are so saturated and there is such a bounty of fruits, flowers and vegetables. As I ponder this I feel a twinge of betrayal, but I’ve come to love autumn even more than spring.

* Start a compost bin. A circle of woven wire fence is a simple way to contain leaves and garden debris. Fill the bin with alternating layers of leaves and green plant material, like grass clippings. Avoid adding sticks, diseased plant material, and weeds. Lightly water and turn about once a week. After the blend decomposes into dark, fertile organic matter, add it to your flower and vegetable beds to enrich the soil.

* If you didn't get all your seeds sown this summer, save some for next year. Store left over seeds in a labeled, airtight baggie or glass jar in a cool, dry location. You'll have better luck if you keep them indoors rather than a garage or tool shed.

* Build a cold frame to extend the growing season.

* Begin holding back on water and fertilizer on Christmas cactus until buds appear.

* Move your houseplants indoors before the first hard frost. The best time to make the move is when inside temperatures are similar to those outdoors. Wash the leaves with a diluted mixture of mild soap and water. This will help your plants breathe and respond better to light. Then to eliminate any pests they may have picked up during the summer, treat with an insecticidal soap.

* Early fall is the best time to sow many types of wildflower seeds. The key to success is to make sure that your plants have enough time to germinate and establish themselves before the first hard frost. That's usually about 8 weeks.

* Sow arugula seeds. Sprinkle the seeds in narrow furrows that are 5 inches apart and cover with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. Keep the soil evenly moist and the seeds will germinate in about 10 days. The plants are ready to harvest in 5 weeks when the leaves are about 4 to 6 inches tall and just beginning to form lobes.

* Stake tall growing autumn blooms such as salvia, dahlias and chrysanthemums.

* Gather green tomatoes before the first killing frost. Wrap them in paper and store at 60 to 65 degrees F.

* If you live in a region where winter temperatures typically drop below 20 degrees F for extended periods, you will need to lift and store tender bulbs such as elephant ears, dahlias and calla lilies after the first frost. Read more.

* Freeze corn on the cob to use in soups and casseroles this winter. To freeze sweet corn simply leave the husks on and cut an inch or so off the tip of the ear then slide the corn into plastic bags to store in the freezer. Read more.

* Selective applications of herbicides on perennial weeds are especially effective during the fall while the weeds are storing nutrients in their roots for winter.

* If you live in an area that is colder than zone 7 (0 to 10 degrees F in winter) move your banana trees indoors before the first frost. Read more.

* Root crops such as carrots, radishes and potatoes may be left in the ground well into winter. Mulch heavily and harvest as needed.

* Add well-rotted manure and organic humus to your flowerbeds. Your plants will thank you for it next spring.

Lettuce Tom Thumb Lactuca sativa

Categories: vegetable fruit or berry, cool season vegetable

Zone: null

Soil: moist, fertile, well drained

Light: Full Sun

Seed Spacing: 1 to 1 inches

Row Spacing: 12 inches

Planting Depth: 0.13 inches

Description

Even though its heads are only the size of tennis balls, Tom Thumb has that famous mild flavor, soft texture and blanched heart of the bigger butterhead lettuces. It's just the right size for single serving salads.

Planting tips

Plant seeds in early spring as soon as ground can be worked. Note: Lettuce seeds won't sprout when soil is warmer than 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Before planting enrich the soil with compost. Sow seeds sparingly, firm soil gently over the row and keep moist. Continue planting every 3 weeks. Lettuce is a cool weather crop and must mature before hot weather arrives. Early spring and late summer plantings are the most productive. Begin thinning and eating when seedlings have 3 true leaves and continue thinning until plants are at the recommended spacing. Keep well watered. HARVESTING: To harvest full-size plants, snip off individual outer leaves or cut off the entire plant.

Houseplant of the week is Calamondin orange---Citrus x citrofortunella mitis ‘variegata’ commonly known as “Calamondin Orange.” The lovely Calamondin Orange has beautiful cream and green variegated foliage, making it a very desirable ornamental fruiting plant. But don’t be fooled-- the small, juicy, sour oranges are also edible and are often used for preserves or cooking. Fragrant flowers appear from spring to summer and a heavy set of fruit follows, ripening in time for the holidays. The ripe fruit holds well on the plant, adding to its decorative show. The variegation does slow its growth a bit but makes it more desirable for container culture. Calamondin Orange is hardy to USDA Zone 9 and higher for outdoors. This beautiful plant thrives in full sun, grows to 1-3 feet tall in a container and needs a minimum temperature of 50°. This new introduction for Fall 2008 from Logee’s (www.logees.com and 1-888-330-8038) sells for $11.95 in a 2.5 inch pot.

Winterizing Cannas---I get a lot of questions about cannas from readers so I thought I would take a few minutes to comment about their care. Most recently, a reader from Kentucky asked what do about winterizing her cannas also known as canna lilies they aren’t true lilies though. I’ll get to that in a minute, but first some basic information. Cannas are tropical plants USDA zones 8 to 10) and will die off in colder climates if they are planted in the garden. Here’s what you need to do to get your cannas ready for winter.

1. If the cannas are in pots…All you need to do is bring them indoors.

2. If the bulbs are planted in the ground…This is where the fun begins. If your cannas are planted in the ground, then you will need to dig them up, remove excess soil and any dead leaves, and bring them inside.

3. When to dig---In theory you should dig them up before the first frost, but if you like to wait until the last minute you can wait for the frost the canna leaves will turn black and then dig.

4. Where to store the bulbs---Canna bulbs can be stored in the garage or basement, but don’t put them in the refrigerator. If temperatures dip below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit) in your region, avoid the garage. Canna bulbs don’t tolerate freezing temperatures and will die.

5. In late spring---In late spring check for signs of growth and when the danger of frost has passed, plant the bulbs in the soil.

Overwintering Geraniums---With the rainbow of flower and leaf colors, it is hard to watch beautiful and costly geraniums die from a hard frost. There are several ways to keep those geraniums through the winter for a head start on blooms next spring and a savings to your garden budget.

Keep them growing in containers---Geraniums grow easily indoors in containers with proper care and environmental conditions. Before the first frost, cut back plants to half of their original size and inspect them for signs of insects or disease. Then, dig up healthy plants and transplant into containers. Use a potting mix made for containerized plants instead of garden soil. Garden soil is often heavy, compacted, and drains poorly in containers. Place containerized plants in a cool location with plenty of bright, direct sunlight. Water plants well after potting and as needed when the soil begins to dry. Shoot tips may need pinching once or twice during the winter to promote branching and prevent weak growth. Before planting outside in May, fertilize lightly. Plants kept in containers over the winter are typically larger than most geraniums sold in the spring. This allows you to have a head start on growth and blooms for next year's garden.

Taking cuttings from outdoor plants---Geraniums root readily from cuttings. This is also a great way to multiply the number of plants for next year's garden. To take a cutting, remove a 3- to 4-inch section of the plant's stem tip with a sharp knife. Pinch off the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the cut end into a rooting hormone. Rooting hormones are sold in powder or liquid form at your local garden center or discount store. Stick the cuttings in a moist, porous, well-drained rooting media such as coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite. Cuttings can be rooted in individual pots or several cuttings can be placed per container. Make sure the container has holes for drainage. Ideally, cuttings root best in a moist, humid environment. This is easy to achieve by securing a clear plastic bag over the cuttings and container. This "mini-greenhouse" should be placed in bright, but indirect light. Check the media occasionally to insure it remains evenly moist. Rooting normally occurs in 6 to 8 weeks. After roots are approximately 1-inch long, transplant cuttings into a 3- to 4-inch container with a standard well-drained potting soil. Place in a sunny window and water as needed. Pinch shoot tips back to force branching and prevent spindly growth. New plants produced from cuttings should be vigorous and about the same size as most geraniums sold in spring.

Dormant Storage---Geraniums are unusual and unlike many annual flowers, they have the ability to survive for most of the winter without soil. If properly stored, they can resist extended dry periods due to their thick, succulent-like stems. To overwinter geraniums in dormant storage, dig up the entire plant before frost and gently shake the soil from the roots. Place the plants inside open paper bags or hang them upside-down from the rafters in a cool, dark location for the winter. Ideally the temperature should be between 45-50 F. Two or three times during the winter, take the plants out the bags or down from the rafters and soak the roots in water for 1 or 2 hours. At this time, inspect the stems. While many of the leaves will die and fall off, the stems should remain firm and solid. Discard any geraniums with shriveled stems, since those plants will most likely die. Pot up healthy dormant geraniums in containers in late March or early April. Water plants thoroughly and cut back the dead stem tips. Place potted plants in a sunny window to initiate new growth. It often takes several weeks for plants to initiate growth after dormant storage.

No matter how geraniums have been overwintered, they should be healthy, free-flowering plants for spring. After being indoors all winter, your geraniums may be as anxious as you are for spring planting. Plant them after the danger of frost has passed and enjoy their colorful blooms all summer. You can invest your savings in new geranium varieties to overwinter next year.