What are dormant oils and how are they used?

What are dormant oils and how are they used?

Dormant oils also known as horticulture oils.  They are oils that are sprayed onto trees while they are dormant.  When sprayed on the trees they cover soft bodied insects and their eggs and suffocate them.

Every company makes a different one and directions must be followed exactly! Wear your protective gear also!

In general terms dormant oil can usually be sprayed on the fruit trees in our area in any month that contains the letter “R”.  This is not always true in September, March and April.  Do not use once the buds on the trees have started opening.  Do not use in May, June, July, and August.  There are other sprays to use on those pesky bugs those months.

Spray the dormant oil in the morning when it is cooler.  Do not use on windy days. Do not use is rain is expected.  Protect other plants if needed.  Check the label for more details regarding these conditions.

I usually spray once the leaves have fallen off the trees.  I do this once or twice.  Depending on my free time and the weather.   I spray again usually starting in February, but this year I didn’t get started until March.  I will continue to use it as the directions say until the buds start opening.  I only spray my fruit trees, but dormant oil can be used on other deciduous (those that lose their leaves during the winter) trees and plants.  It can be used on roses, but I use a different method that will be part of April’s to do list.

Try to use dormant oil at least once or twice in the late winter if nothing else.

Here are two articles on dormant oil that I think you may enjoy.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2181250_spray-fruit-trees-dormant-oil.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_7985938_dormant-spray-schedule-fruit-trees.html

March To Do List

Starting Seeds Indoors See When do I plant what? post for more specific dates.

Basil, chamomile, sage, and thyme herbs should be planted by the middle of this month.

Broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, and cauliflower crops should be started indoors by the middle of this month for your spring crop.  

Start tomato and eggplant seeds indoors by the end of the month.

Starting Seeds Outdoors

Plant lettuce, onion sets, peas, radishes, spinach, shallots, potatoes, and turnips, outdoors about the middle of the month.  I am going to plant mine as soon as the snow is gone.  I can cover my crops and keep them protected.

Amending Soil for the Vegetable Garden

Get your soil amended as soon as possible.  I add two inches of compost, two inches of manure, and two inches of peat moss to my soil every year.

A Side Note About Potatoes

I am only going to add peat moss and compost to my potato bed.  I recently learned that too much nitrogen is causing the brown spots on my potatoes every year.

I am also going to plant some potatoes in a tote this year.  I have one that the dogs chewed up the top on, so it is perfect for planting in.  I am going to mix equal amounts of soil, compost, and peat moss to use in the tote.  The tote is 32” x 13” x 13”.  I will put four inches of my mixture in the bottom of the tote.  I’m thinking four potatoes will fit nicely.  Then I will cover them with two inches of my mixture and keep filling the tote with my soil mixture as the potatoes grow until it reaches about 11 inches deep.  Keeping about two or three inches of plant showing each time I add my mixture until the tote is filled.  I always plant my potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day!

Dormant Oil

Spray dormant oil on fruit trees.  There is still time since there are no blossoms on the trees yet this year.

Weed Control

The weeds are going to be out in full force after the snow melts and it starts to warm up in a few weeks.  My favorite weeding tool is a hula hoe.  Use it to scrape just under the surface of the soil and chop the weed roots.  If the weeds are tiny it pulls them right out of the ground.  For the weeds that are in areas that I can’t get too easily and I feel a need to spray I am going to try something new I heard of.  I am going to spray them with vinegar.  It is a lot cheaper than weed killer and I hear it works just as good.

Roses

DO NOT prune your roses in March.  I don’t know how this habit got started.  There will be another frost causing more pruning to be done.

Plants to Prune

My Butterfly Bush and Russian Sage will get cut back the end of this month.  The fruit trees will be pruned too.  Cut off any broken or dead branches.  Cut off any branches that are rubbing on another branch (keep the branch that will make the tree look more open and full if possible)  Trim the branch that is being removed to the collar (the collar has a little different texture).  This will allow the bark to grow over the cut and heal itself.  NO MATTER WHAT DO NOT PRUNE OFF OVER 20 PERCENT OF YOUR TREE IN ONE YEAR!

Dividing Day Lilies

Another good project for the end of this month.

Bear Root Tree Planting

This is my favorite tree type.  It is easy to plant and the cost is a lot less.  Plant any time this month.  Make sure the roots do not have any kinks or curls that appear to be the way they have been growing.   These kinks and curls will stay and grow until the tree cannot take nutrients up them.  Place the grafted area to the north to protect that weaker area of the tree from the elements.

Pumpkins, gourds, and herbs under the grow light

The pumpkins, gourds, and herbs are together under the grow light.  The grow light rest on poles which can be moved up and down as needed in the stand.  My husband built me this stand from scrap lumber he had.  The holes are two inches apart.  I have the plant trays sitting on  two inches of stacked scrap lumber to get them close enough to the light to begin growing.  The light stays on as long as it is light outside and the blinds stay open also.

Herbs under the grow light

Different types of herbs started under the growl light 2/28/11.  The tray is labeled "front" at one short end and each pot is labeled with its contents on a sheet of paper.  This tray holds 72 timy peat pots.

Pumpkins and gourds under the grow light

Pumpkins and gourds started 1/28/11 under the grow light.  These things need more than 90 days to reach maturity and do not transplant easily, so they are planted in 4 inch peat pots.  Their names are on labels laying on the top of each pot.

How to start planting seeds and growing seedlings indoors

How to start planting seeds and growing seedlings indoors

Select the containers you want to plant in.  Here is a list of recycled things I use:

Six pack flower containers

Lettuce and spinach containers from my bulk food store.  I don’t poke holes in the bottom these, because I can see if they have enough water or not in the bottom.

Half gallon milk/juice boxes. Cut off the top or one side.  Poke some drainage hole in the bottom.

Anything that can hold your seed starting mixture can be used.

I also save the black flats that the six packs of flowers set in at the stores. I set all my other containers in these.

Sterilize all containers

Remove as much soil as easily possible from your containers. They don’t have to be super clean, but they must be sterilized.  Mix one part plain bleach to nine parts water and rinse your containers.  Make sure all surfaces are rinsed.  Allow to dry.  (If I am drying them indoors I rinse with plain water, so I don’t have any bleach drip on my towels)

Make a soilless mixture

I use one part peat moss, one part vermiculite, and one part perlite.  Put all of these into a large container and mix.  Add enough warm water to hold the mixture together.  The peat moss will float if you use cold water.

Fill your planting containers

Put the soilless mixture into the containers you are going to plant in.  Push the mixture in tight enough to get rid of all air pockets.  Fill to about ½ inch from the top.

Plant your seeds

Plant seeds three to four times the depth of the seed thickness.  What is the thickness?  Lay your seed on your counter, table, or wherever you are working.  The way it lays by itself is the thickness (height) and the way you are going to plant it.

I place my containers of seeds in the black flats that I brought my flowers home in.  I first line it with a plastic trash bag. This will hold any water that may drip out of the bottom on the pots.  Shallow cardboard boxes lined with plastic work good too.

Light for your seedlings

Now place the containers in the window that gets the most sun.  Six hours or more a day of light is best.  Move from window to window if you have to. I put mine on a table in the sunniest window, but I also use a grow light now.  My grow light is a four foot long fixture with two tubes.  A grow light is also known as a plant light, full color spectrum light, and a fish tank light.  Note that the price varies greatly depending on what name it is called when buying it.  Note:  Tomatoes germinate better in the dark, so cover them with a paper towel or set them on the floor under the table.

Growing with sunlight only

Put the containers as close to the window as possible, but don’t let them touch the cold glass.  Keep rotating the plants, because they will lean towards the window.  Anytime the temperature is above 45 degrees I take my plants outside in the shade for 20 to 30 minutes.  The more days in a row they can go outside the longer I leave them.  Just adding 10 to 15 minutes per day.  I start over with 20 to 30 minutes when they have to say inside for 3 or more days.  The reason for taking the plants outside is to try to keep the plants as short and compact as possible.  Plants will get long and leggy with window light only.  Thus creating weak plants.

Growing with a grow light

Put the containers under the grow light and keep the light as close to the container tops a possible.  As the plants grow move the light to just above the top of the plants.  It is ok to let the plants touch the top of the inside of the light fixture before moving it up.  I have never had plants that touch the light bulbs burn.  Move one or both sides of the light fixture up 1 inch at a time as needed for the plants to have room to grow.  I still take my plants outdoors the same as stated in the growing with sunlight only section.

February To Do List

Snow on Trees
With all the snow that is falling this February you need to knock some of it off trees.  Take you broom and swing in an upward motion under the limbs.  They have enough weight on them and don't need any more downward pressure.

No Measurable Precipitation
Two weeks ago I would have told you to go fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and dump the entire bucketful onto a tree and then go do the same thing for every tree.  That is exactly what I did for my trees and some of my other bushes and plants.  Do not let your trees go over 30 days with no measurable precipitation.

Bear Root Trees
Get ready to shop for bare root trees.  They will be showing up a Lowe's and Home Depot any day.  Pick out the one you think you want and then go into the store and look in the Sunset Western Garden Book and find out if the one you picked is good for this climate.

Starting Seeds Indoors
Get ready to start your garden seeds indoors the end of this month.

Iris
Fertilize your iris.

Compost
Check you compost.  If it hasn't decomposed much this winter then add a big handful of ammonium sulfate (the stuff you use to make your lawn green) to your compost bucket and mix it in.

Heirloom Seed Packets

Here are some heirloom seeds I found at Walmart a few days ago.  Notice the price.

Heirloom seeds

Here is a list of heirloom seeds.  I listed them in order of how easy they have been for me to find.  A lot of them are not listed on the packages as heirloom.  Many can be found in grocery stores that carry seeds.  The rest can be found in garden shops and nurseries.  Some of the tomatoes I have only found as plants. There are many many many more heirloom seeds out there. I have tried many of these, but not all and have tried others that are not listed here.  Some are favorites and some I am still experimenting with.
I would love to hear about your heirloom seed experiences and favorite seeds also.
Later in late spring or early summer I will post how to save seeds.

HEIRLOOM SEEDS

A.K.A.

OPEN POLLINATED or NON-HYBRID

                Asparagus (buy roots)                              Eggplant                                                    Squash, Winter

Mary Washington                                     Black Beauty                                             Waltham Butternut

Jersey Knight                                              Long Purple                                               Spaghetti

Purple Passion                                                                                                                 Banana

                                                                                      Lettuce                                        Delicata

                Bean, Bush                                  Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce      

Contender                                                    Buttercrunch                                                            Squash, Summer

Burpee’s Stringless                                    Red Romaine/Freckles                             Yellow Crookneck

Kentucky Wonder Bush                           Salad Bowl                                                  Black Beauty (Zucchini)

 (brown seeds or white seeds)                                                                                      Grey Zucchini

Royal Burgundy (Purple beans)                             Melon

                                                                      Hearts of Gold                                                            Turnip

              Beans, Pole                                   Hale’s Best Jumbo                                    Purple Top White Globe

Kentucky Wonder Pole                            Crenshaw

Blue Lake Pole                                                                                                                                  Tomato

                                                                                      Onion                                          Red Pear

                Broccoli                                       Walla Walla                                               Yellow Pear

Waltham 29                                                                                                                      Long Keeper

Atlantic                                                                        Pea, Garden                               Roma

De Cicco                                                      Little Marvel                                             Ace

Calabrese                                                    Green Arrow                                              Brandywine

                                                                                                                                          Green Zebra

                Beet                                                              Pea, Snap/Snow                       Amish Paste

Detroit Dark Red                                         Sugar Snap                                               Black Krim

Chioggia                                                      Oregon Sugar Pod

Cylindra                                                                                                                                          Watermelon

Early Wonder                                                             Pepper, Hot                               Moon and Stars

                                                                      Ancho                                                       Sugar Baby

                Brussels Sprout                          Anaheim Chili                                          Congo

Long Island Improved                              Habanero

                                                                      Hungarian Hot wax

                Cabbage                                      Jalapeno

Early Jersey Wakefield                             Long Red Cayenne

Copenhagen Market                                 Serrano

Golden Acre

Red Acre                                                                     Pepper, Sweet

All Seasons                                                 California Wonder

                                                                      Orange Bell

                Carrot                                           Sweet Chocolate

Danvers Half Long                                     Red Cherry Sweet

Chantenay Royal

Nantes Scarlet                                                             Pumpkin

Little Finger                                                 Small Sugar (Pie)

                                                                      Sugar Pie (Pie)

                Cauliflower                                  Big Max Pumpkin

Early Snowball                                           Dill’s Atlantic Giant

                                                                      Jack Be Little

                Corn

Golden Bantam                                                          Radish

Golden Bantam Improved                         Cherry Belle

Burpee’s Golden                                         Early Scarlet Globe

                                                                      White Icicle

              Cucumber                                      Watermelon

Armenian                                                      Easter Egg

Lemon                                                           Black Spanish

National Pickling

Straight Eight                                                             Spinach

                                                                      Bloomsdale Long Standing

How long does it take vegetable seeds to germinate and how long before it needs to be transplanted outdoors?

Crop	Days to emerge from seeding	Optimum germination soil temp. range	No. of weeks to grow before transplanting outdoors.
Beans	5 – 10	65° - 85°	Not recommended
Beets	7 - 10	50° - 85°	Not recommended
Broccoli	3 - 10	50° - 85°	5 - 7
Cabbage	4 - 10	50° - 85°	5 - 7
Carrots	12 - 18	50° - 85°	Not recommended
Cauliflower	4 - 10	50° - 85°	5 - 7
Celery	9 - 21	65° - 85°	10 - 12
Chard, Swiss	7 – 10	65° - 85°	Not recommended
Corn, Sweet	5 – 8	65° - 85°	Not recommended
Cucumber	6 – 10	65° - 85°	4
Eggplant	6 – 10	65° - 85°	6 – 9
Lettuce	6 – 8	50° - 65°	3 – 5
Melons	6 – 8	65° - 85°	3 – 4
Okra	7 – 10	65° - 85°	Not recommended
Onion	7 – 10	65° - 85°	8
Parsley	15 – 21	50° - 85°	8
Peas	6 – 10	50° - 65°	Not recommended
Pepper	9 – 14	65° - 85°	6 - 8
Radish	3 – 6	50° - 65°	Not recommended
Spinach	7 – 12	50° - 65°	Not recommended
Squashes	4 - 6	65° - 85°	3 – 4
Tomatoes	6 – 12	65° - 85°	5 - 7
Turnip	4 – 8	50° - 65°	Not recommended