Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Saturday January 9, 2010

Friday, January 8, 2010

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Saturday January 9, 2010

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Get Healthy in 2010

Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Saturday January 9, 2010

Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
Q&A: Heirloom Seeds
Q&A: Lotus Pods for Arrangements
Tip: Fertilize Winter Lawns
Send in Your Winter Pet Photos
Reader Photos

Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)

Today's Featured Plant
Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)

Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com.

Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword.

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Q&A: Heirloom Seeds

Question: What are heirloom seeds?

Answer: Heirloom seeds come from older varieties of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. These varieties are often ones that had been used for hundreds of years, and many were almost lost to the trade. But recent interest in the characteristics of varieties that "grandma used to grow" has brought these wonderful plants back into public demand. Sometimes they don't have the qualities that large-scale operations need, such as ripening all at once, disease resistance, or uniform appearance. But they have other appealing features, such as unique flavor, fragrance, color, shape, etc., that fell out of fashion or was lost in the development of newer varieties. Most heirlooms are open-pollinated, too, so you can save the seed from year to year. If you haven't tried some of the heirlooms, do so, and I'm sure you will be pleased!

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Q&A: Lotus Pods for Arrangements

Question: I really enjoy growing plants to use in dried arrangements. I am searching for the lotus seed pods that we see in craft and florist shops. I would be interested in growing them if possible. I have several different types of environments on my farm. Sunny and arid, full shade, wetlands w/springs, a 60'x100' pond both in sun and shade, gently flowing stream, and your average flower beds and veggie gardens.

Answer: The American lotus is a member of the water lily family, botanical name Nelumbo. They are found in Ontario to New York, Minnesota, Florida, and Texas -- so you may be able to grow them in some section of your pond. They like a situation where they can be planted in full sun in a mud-bottom pond, covered with 1 to 3 feet of quiet water. The rhizomes should be protected from freezing.

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Tip: Fertilize Winter Lawns

In warm areas, fertilize cool season grasses such as fescue and ryegrass with a fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate every three weeks. This type of fertilizer is fast acting in winter's cool soil conditions.

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Send in Your Winter Pet Photos

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-- From the ArcaMax editors

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors