Page 113 - Southern Oregon Magazine Spring 2018

or many gardeners, Black Friday doesn’t happen on a gray, driz- • The hen-and-two-chicks plant you put in turned out to be hen-and-
zly day late in November in an overcrowded store. Instead, it a-thousand-chicks. Unwelcome or unplanned newcomers in the
Ftakes place on a sunny spring day at one of the area’s many garden garden require special attention to keep them at bay. What may be
fairs and plant sales. At these sales, an almost overwhelming variety of an obedient plant for some may turn into a multiplying monster in
tempting tomato and vegetable seedlings, perky perennials, and gotta- your particular site. Make a note to stay away from these types of
have-it garden gadgets are tantalizingly displayed for sun-starved green plants when plant shopping.
thumbs in the Rogue Valley. These once-a-year events are an opportu-
nity to not only stock up on favorite plants and supplies, but also to
talk to the many growers and fellow gardeners attending the event and
dream a little dream of this year’s garden glories to be. VEGETABLE GARDENING CARRIES ITS OWN LIST OF
CHALLENGES. HERE ARE THREE FACTORS TO KEEP IN
Plant sales are indeed a great opportunity to add exciting new plants to MIND AS TOMATOES TEMPT YOU AND CUCUMBERS CALL
your garden. But, just like the frenzied shopping spectacular of Black YOUR NAME:
Friday can prove, buying plants that won’t work in your space or that • Was the production rate of the vegetable varieties you planted too
you should have thought about more is just like buying twenty tin tubs much, too little, or just right? Even within types, some are bred to
of popcorn that nobody wants for Christmas. By taking the time to be high yielding and some have more modest harvests. For exam-
plan ahead, you can make the most of spring plant sales. Knowing a few ple, among bush beans, Aramis and Derby are high yielding while
key questions can save you time, money, and future headaches as you Oregon Trail is more disease resistant and the Full Measure variety
shop the area’s many sales. is especially suited to canning.

There are four big questions that you should know the answers to • Was the growing habit what you expected? Did the plant spread
before you shop the sales. First of all, reflect on your garden last year. more or become taller than you planned on? Did you have to water
Make a list of which plants worked and which ones did not. Growing it a lot more than you planned on? Knowing what to expect with
conditions can vary from garden to garden, even on the same property. plant care is key to having a successful garden.
Simply because a plant was supposed to be good for your site’s condi-
tions doesn’t mean that it will work well for you; it might be time to • Did you like the taste of the variety you bought? Maybe you thought
go back to the drawing board and rethink a particular plant selection. you’d like black tomatoes but the taste was just not for you or pars-
nips seemed like a good idea but they really weren’t.

HERE ARE SOME COMMON SCENARIOS OF PLANT ISSUES.
HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EVER HAPPENED TO BY BEING AWARE OF THESE FACTORS, YOU CAN STEER
YOU? YOURSELF TO VARIETIES THAT WILL, LITERALLY, LIVE UP
• You bought the latest new hydrangea color and it never ended up TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS THIS YEAR.
looking like the tag. Trendy plant fails are disappointing and usually After you’ve reflected on the past year, you should now be ready to
caused by putting the plant in the wrong growing conditions or by answer a second question. Do you want to try something new this
improper maintenance of the plant. Back at the photography studio, year? Maybe you read about a new plant or saw something you really
that hydrangea was meticulously pruned and given an exact formula liked in a friend’s garden last season. Take just a few minutes before
of fertilizers to give it an enviable mounded shape and lovely range shopping to see if you have the right space, water, light, and soil type
of blue and pink hues. The lesson in this situation is to make sure you for the plant to work out. If so, put it on your shopping list. If you don’t
understand how to grow a new type of plant before you purchase it. happen to see it, sales staff are eager to share their plant knowledge
with shoppers and can likely tell you where you can purchase it.
• Your evergreen shrubs suddenly died off. Diseases and unforeseen
changes in growing conditions that result in loss of plant vigor can Third, ask yourself if you are hoping to address any problem areas.
take you by surprise. What to do with the new-found hole in your Try to make a sketch of your yard and add notes like “dry,” “sunny,” or
landscaping? You can either replace the dead plants with similar “sloped.” Put in buildings and objects that will cast a shadow over the
plants or do a little research and find something else that will work area, too. Having a sketch of the site will help you find something that
in its place. Either way, make sure to add it to your plant sale shop- will work even if you don’t have an exact idea of what to fill it with.
ping list. Chances are, sales staff will have lots of ideas for you.

• You planted a decorative grass that was in a 4” pot that morphed Finally, before you head off to a plant sale, ask yourself how much you
into an 8’ giant in your garden. Surprising takeoffs, like trendy plant are comfortable spending on your garden this year. While a $5 plant
fails, can be a result of not knowing a plant’s habit. They can also here and there doesn’t seem like much, over a few shopping trips, you
happen as a result of the mysterious inner workings of the sun-soil- can be well into triple digits. Remember to factor into your budget any
and-water combination. If you had this happen to you, make sure soil amendments (i.e. peat moss), fertilizers, tools, and other items
you are reading the plant’s tags and pruning back unwanted growth such as stakes or cages that you might need.
throughout the season. In cases of plants with no tag, be sure to talk
to the sales staff about the plant and its habits before you purchase it.
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