Hort Shorts
- Chalk maple (Acer leucoderme), a relative of the sugar maple, makes a wonderful shade tree for small spaces. It has spectacular autumn foliage in hues of yellow, orange or red. This native tree ranges from 12 to 30 feet tall. It is usually multi-trunked, with smooth, pale-gray or whitish bark, and is suitable for sun or shade.
- Horseradish is a perennial vegetable whose roots are grated to produce the spicy condiment. The roots can be divided and replanted for the next year’s crop. Because horseradish is an aggressive spreader, it is best to plant it in its own bed with a barrier or put it in a whisky barrel planter or other deep container. Plant new roots in the spring and harvest in late fall after frost for best flavor.
- Look for pruners and loppers with racheting mechanisms to help boost cutting power. They grip and hold, allowing you to release and squeeze again to prune a single branch progressively and more easily.
- For indoor sowing of spring vegetable and flower seeds, use a soilless growing medium. Keep the mix moist but not saturated to prevent damping-off, a fungal disease. Air circulation is also important for preventing fungal infections.
- When ordering plants by mail, be shrewd when bargain shopping. If a plant is significantly cheaper in one catalog, compare the size (usually given in pot size or age of plant) between catalogs. If the catalog specifies no size, inquire before ordering.
- Coir is an alternative to peat as a medium for starting seeds and propagating cuttings. The fibrous material comes from the outer husk of coconuts, a renewable resource, unlike peat. Coir is sold in compressed blocks. When soaked in hot water, a brick expands up to eight times its size.
- Japanese flowering apricot (Prunus mume) is a small (10–20 feet) garden tree that produces abundant, fragrant flowers in early to midwinter. Depending on variety, blooms may be white or shades of red and pink, and single, semi-double or double in form. Trees develop a rounded form; some weeping varieties are available. Japanese flowering apricots prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil in a sunny exposure and are hardy in zones 6–9. Choose a sheltered spot in colder climates. Prune after flowering to ensure an abundant display the next year.
- Understanding the life cycles of weeds is key to controlling them. To view a handy online reference guide to common broadleaf, grassy, woody and vining weeds, along with control measures, visit www.garden.org/weedlibrary.