Every January, in addition to visiting garden centers just to smell the fresh air, I start looking for hot new items.
Every year brings a few new plants, a few new tools and one or two items that gain popularity with an infomercial.
After scouring Web sites and pestering many of my gardening pals, here are my predictions for what is "in" for 2010.
- More fruits and veggies. If your yard is too small for a garden, think about ways to add fruit and vegetable plants to existing landscape beds or grow them in containers on the porch or patio. Fruit and vegetable gardeners save money on grocery bills and get to experience the satisfaction of eating the fruits of their labor.
- More green. This is a trend that is building rapidly. Look for more planting containers made from recycled materials, more electric-powered equipment, suggestions for environmentally friendly gardening, and all kinds of eco-friendly items.
- More gadgets. Robotic lawn mowers and gardening applications for smartphones are a few options for gardening technology junkies.
- Tropical foliage plants in the landscape. Giant elephant ears might be to blame for this trend, but I was excited to see landscapers using large-leaved tropical plants to create big impact in flowerbeds last year. When picking out flowers this spring, take a look around the houseplant section of the garden center for new ideas. Just remember that tropical plants cannot survive Kansas winters outdoors.
- Topsy-turvy planters and maintenance-free indoor gardens. Strawberry, hot pepper and a combination tomato/herb planter round out the Topsy-turvy collection with the more common upside-down tomato planter. There are several versions of tiny indoor gardens with their own grow light where you can grow your own lettuce and basil in the house all year round.
- Pondless waterfalls and bubbling fountains. This is a great option to get the sound of a waterfall into the garden without the maintenance of a pond. Fountains also provide water for songbirds and beneficial wildlife that visit the garden.
- Smart controllers for irrigation. Weather stations that work with irrigation systems are becoming smaller and more affordable. An extra few 100 dollars spent on a new system or even the cost to upgrade an old system will pay for itself in efficiency over the years. Talk to your irrigation installer.
- Jennifer Smith is the Douglas County Extension Agent - Horticulture for K-State Research and Extension and can be reached at 843-7058.
Comments
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smitty (anonymous) says…
Did you know that cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mesclun, and other salad greens can be grown in as little as 2-4 hours of sun? Early or shorter seasoned plants are recommended for shady spots. Container salad garden is easy and can be maintained for a full season of harvest. All are container friendly.
Last year was the first year I attempted to understand shade/partial shade gardening. The above are some lessons learned.
merrill (anonymous) says…
This year I already have more self watering containers for food growing.
I also came across this product late in the year which should improve a container growing season.
At Organic Mechanics, we’re passionate about all natural, sustainable gardening that provides superior results. That’s why our soil products are 100% organic, completely peat-free and used by professional gardeners at arboretums and botanic gardens including Longwood Gardens, Scott Arboretum, Chanticleer Garden, and more.
http://www.organicmechanicsoil.com/
Other things that can do well in containers are chard and kale. Not only that when the sun gets to hot just move containers to a partially shaded area.
been_there (anonymous) says…
I don't know too many people that had much luck with topsy-turvy. I have one left, I may try cherry tomatoes, but tomatoes and cucumbers were a bust.
George_Braziller (anonymous) says…
smitty - What variety of tomatoes did you plant?
smitty (anonymous) says…
George, I don't even remember. We got some of the ones that were thrown out at a nursery to do this experiment. From the reading I've done since then, any of the cherry or roma can be used. Slicers need more sun, support, though.
As far a successful upside down growing, it is recommended to use determinate plants in pots but I found the indeterminate were good for the pots, too. Just loop the plant up and over the pot. The looped plant then covers the potting soil to help with slowing evaporation while being supported. Also, mulch the pots for moisture control.
Make sure the water supply is consistent. Pots dry out faster. I've drilled some holes along the length of a 2 inch, 1-2 foot PVC pipe and stuck it into the pot at planting to aid the watering process, slow water release that keeps the soil moist, not soaked . This watering process can be used for organic feeding or the ole miracle grow, if that's your thing. Too much fertilizer will make vegetative growth without much fruit, so don't over fertilize.
If you want to limit the growth of the indeterminate plants, just pinch off the growth end once the plant has developed to the size you wish. Pinch the suckers off too. Growth then goes to the flowers and fruiting but no more flower groups will set on.
Walks and talks around the neighborhood gardens this past summer taught me a valuable lesson in good soil. A neighbor had planted beefsteak tomatoes where there is more shade than sun. These plants were so healthy and produced a bountiful crop. It didn't seem possible to me so I asked questions. It seems the spot was once where a compost pile existed.
This winter is already too long. Looking at the catalogs and dreaming up the next garden is part of the fun.
TMI?