Goji berries. (Getty Images)
Five things to do in the garden this week:
1. Consider introducing goji berries into your garden. Goji berries are scarlet red and 1-2 inches long. They are most commonly dried and eaten like raisins although they can be consumed raw as well. The plant they grow on can reach six feet tall with a spread of ten feet, so there will be plenty of goji berries — which ripen from July until fall if not beyond — for the whole family. Although needing moderate water, the plant (Lycium chinense) is hardy down to 18 degrees below zero. It can be ordered from Annie’s Annuals (anniesannuals.com).
2. Don’t leave any bare soil in the garden. You may think of waiting until spring to cover bare ground with plants but you can at least spread mulch over it at this time. The mulch will hold the soil in place in case of heavy rain, especially on lightly sloping terrain. And the mulch will immediately start to break down and provide minerals for your plants when weather warms. For steeper slopes, roll out jute netting and hold it in place with galvanized landscape staples.
3. You can create an indoor herb garden this time of year as long as you have good light, ideally six hours per day. This is best found next to a south-facing window. However, in the absence of natural light, you can utilize two 40 watt cool white fluorescent bulbs. The lights should be 6-12 inches above the plants and should be turned on for 14-16 hours a day. As for herbs appropriate for indoor growing, select from parsley, lemon balm, sage, rosemary, tarragon, mint, chervil, and chives.
4. For an unusual ornamental herb, plant Tuscan Blue rosemary in the garden. Among rosemary varieties, this one has a unique growth habit where stems shoot up in all directions, producing a pyrotechnic effect. The stems – which may be utilized for making aromatic wreaths – are studded with royal blue flowers. Tuscan Blue also differs from other rosemaries in its mature height, which reaches six feet. This rosemary would make a wonderful complement to ‘Torch Glow’ bougainvillea, a cultivar whose magenta bracts are festooned along shoots that also grow out in all directions.
5. If azaleas, gardenias, or blueberry bushes are displaying older leaves that are chlorotic (yellow with green veins), you have an iron deficiency problem that can be alleviated by applying iron chelate. Iron is often present in our soil but it may be tied up by alkaline minerals. This situation can be resolved by application of iron chelate — a Greek word meaning claw. Iron in this form is surrounded by a protective ring of organic elements that prevent it from being tied up by alkaline compounds. Iron chelate can be applied either to the soil or sprayed on foliage directly.
If you have any garden questions, please send them to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your comments regarding any plant or gardening practice or problem are always welcome.