{"id":417,"date":"2011-07-11T08:45:11","date_gmt":"2011-07-11T12:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymontys.com\/wordpress\/?p=417"},"modified":"2011-08-05T12:50:33","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T16:50:33","slug":"ak-montys-71111-coneflowers-turnips-and-buggered-by-broccoli-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordpress.mymontys.com\/?p=417","title":{"rendered":"Ask Monty’s 7\/11\/11: Coneflowers, Turnips, and Buggered by Broccoli Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask Monty\u2019s: <\/strong>\u201cI planted an awesome hosta bed under my old oak trees in a section of my yard and then dropped in some coneflowers behind them to add some color and height.\u00a0 The first year everything was pretty well on their way to settling in and growing well.\u00a0 The second year the coneflowers did okay, but this third year the hostas were outstanding and the coneflowers appeared to have all died, except for one lonely clump trying to hang on.\u00a0 What happened here?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chevy – Topeka, Kansas<\/p>\n

Chevy: <\/strong>You sort of lucked out getting those coneflowers to bloom at all.\u00a0 The fact that your hostas are doing so well tells me the area is quite shaded –a hosta environment that they thrive in.\u00a0 Coneflowers are a true wildflower and grow best in full sunny, well drained soil.\u00a0 Your coneflowers are sun lovers and shade is not the place for them.<\/p>\n

Ask Monty\u2019s:\u00a0 <\/strong>\u201cI didn\u2019t get around to planting my turnips this spring and was wondering if it\u2019s too late to plant them now in July?\u201d<\/p>\n

Deann – Wiota, Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Deann:\u00a0 <\/strong>The one nice thing about turnips is that about the time other vegetables in your garden are winding down, turnips are turning out tasty tops and yummy meaty bulbs.\u00a0 While often planted in the spring, if you want a winter crop they are best sowed in July or early August.\u00a0 Late plantings are also less susceptible to turnip root maggot damage too.\u00a0 If you decided to plant both a spring and summer turnip patch next year, they do make good companions for onions and peas in the garden, so keep that in mind.\u00a0 But back to your question \u2013 plant those turnips now!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0Ask Monty\u2019s: <\/strong>\u201cI planted broccoli from seeds this year and it seemed to take forever for anything to come up.\u00a0 The seeds were so small it was impossible to keep from getting them too thick in the furrows.\u00a0 It was a nightmare and now they\u2019ve all grown up and I\u2019ve started pulling them out so there is more room between them to develop.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever plant them again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie – Nappanee, Indiana\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stephanie: <\/strong>Don\u2019t give up on your broccoli endeavors yet!\u00a0 Wait until you taste that first fresh head and realize how much your effort paid off.\u00a0 But yes, planting by seed directly into the ground is a test of patience for those little, bitty seeds like radishes, carrots and celery as well to name a few.\u00a0 If a person has the room, sowing the seeds inside in early spring in trays gives you a major head start and gives the little plants a good head start after you\u2019ve weeded out the ones that got too close together.\u00a0 You can also buy seed strips that have the seeds on a biodegradable material and, pre-spaced that you just lay down in the furrow, cover with dirt and wait for them to come up. They\u2019re a little pricey, but definitely easier. Since I only plant for small family usage, I do buy the plants already started in the spring from my local greenhouse.\u00a0 They come in four or six packs with a good head start, so putting them directly in the soil where they need to be is a lot less stressful for me. I\u2019m not much for seed starting either, but have to have that broccoli in my garden!\u00a0<\/p>\n

One last note on broccoli, don’t expect to see them with the large softball sized heads that you see in the grocery store.\u00a0 Those are grown by farmers and usually with a volume of chemicals and fertilizers that you, as a home gardener, would neither want, need, afford, or be able to attain.\u00a0 The heads will be smaller, but sweeter and, overall, better than their mass produced-counterparts. Plant your heads plants in the ground about two per week until you’ve planted the deisred number or have filled your row.\u00a0 By doing this you will extend your growing season and have fresh-from-the-garden broccoli for several weeks.\u00a0 If doing that requires too much patience, then you can plant them all at once, just be prepared to preserve them.\u00a0 Borccoli do well in the freezer\u00a0if they are par-boiled for about 2 minutes, run under cool water, dried as well as possible then cut into florets and frozen in zip-top baggies.<\/p>\n

Oh, and don’t forget, like the turnips and other veggies metnioned above…broccoli and cauliflower can start going in the ground in the last third of July in the far Northern US through late August in the Deep South (check with local county agents for exact timing) for wonderful fresh fall veg crops.<\/p>\n

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Ask Monty\u2019s: \u201cI planted an awesome hosta bed under my old oak trees in a section of my yard and then dropped in some coneflowers behind them to add some color and height.\u00a0 The first year everything was pretty well on their way to settling in and growing well.\u00a0 The second year the coneflowers did […]<\/p>\n

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