TIPS SINGKAT BUDIDAYA KIWI MENGUNTUNGKAN PETANI

Bagi masyarakat, kiwi biasanya diolah menjadi puding atau minuman yang menyegarkan. Dalam penyajian makanan secara internasio­nal, kiwi lebih sering digunakan sebagai granis yang juga berfungsi sebagai isian makanan yang disajikan, seperti salad buah. Dengan terus meningkatknya kebutuhan akan buah ini, usaha budidaya buah kiwi masih menjanjikan. Kiwi bukanlah tanaman yang sulit dibudidayakan. Pohon kiwi dapat tumbuh di daerah beriklim tropis seperti Kamboja, malaysia dan Indonesia.

Kiwi secara komersial tumbuh pada struktur dukungan kokoh, karena dapat menghasilkan beberapa ton per hektar, lebih dari tanaman merambat agak lemah dapat mendukung. Biasanya ini dilengkapi dengan sistem air untuk irigasi dan perlindungan embun beku di musim semi.

Kiwi anggur membutuhkan pemang­kasan kuat, mirip dengan anggur. Buah ditanggung pada satu tahun dan tongkat yang lebih tua, tetapi produksi menurun karena setiap usia tebu. Tongkat harus dipangkas mati dan diganti setelah tahun ketiga mereka.

Tanaman biasanya dioecious, yang berarti individu tanaman baik laki-laki atau perempuan. Hanya perempuan tanaman berbuah, dan hanya jika pollenized oleh pabrik laki-laki. Satu pollenizer laki-laki diperlukan untuk setiap 3-8 anggur perempuan.

Suatu pengecualian adalah ‘Issai’, hybrid kultivar a (Actinidia arguta x polygama) dari Jepang, yang memproduksi bunga sempurna dan dapat diri penyerbukan, sayangnya tidak memiliki semangat, kurang kuat daripada bentuk A. paling arguta dan bukan merupakan produsen besar.

Kiwi ini sangat sulit untuk penyerbukan, karena bunga tidak terlalu menarik bagi lebah. Beberapa pukulan produsen dikumpulkan serbuk sari di atas bunga betina. Umumnya, pendekatan yang paling sukses, meskipun, adalah saturasi penyerbukan, di mana populasi lebah dibuat begitu besar (dengan sarang menempatkan di kebun) yang lebah terpaksa menggunakan bunga ini karena persaingan yang ketat untuk semua bunga dalam jarak penerbangan.

Budidaya Buah Kiwi

• Kiwi dapat tumbuh dengan cukup subur di wilayah tropis seperti di Indonesia. Penyiapan lahan bisa kita mulai dengan membersihkan lahan dari tanaman-tanaman liar.
• Setelah lahan bersih langkah selanjutnya yaitu kita gemburkan bagian-bagian yang akan kita tanami. Setelah digemburkan, tanah bisa kita pupuk dengan pupuk kandang secukupnya.
• Kita juga bisa mengatur tingkat keasaman tanah dengan cara mengapur tanah dengan dolomite.
• Selanjutnya di bagian-bagian tanah yang digemburkan tadi kita buat lubang-lubang tanam dengan jarak kurang lebih 2 x 2 meter.
• Proses pembajakan, pemberian pupuk, pengapuran, dan juga pembuatan lubang-lubang tanam sebaiknya telah selesai dikerjakan dua minggu sebelum penanaman bibit kiwi dilakukan. Sembari menggarap lahan kita juga bisa memulai proses pembenihan sehingga ketika benih telah siap tanam, lahan juga sudah siap untuk digunakan.
• Pembenihan atau pembibitan buah kiwi dapat dilakukan dengan cara me­nyemaikan biji-biji kiwi. Untuk membantu mempercepat proses penyemaian, biji-biji buah kiwi kita rendam dahulu dengan air hangat, lalu kita keringkan. Setelah itu biji-biji tersebut kita simpan terbungkus dengan tissu maupun kapas selama satu malam. Setelah itu kita keluarkan biji-biji tadi dan mulai kit semai di atas tanah.
• Media yang baik untuk penyemaian adalah tanah humus. Caranya yaitu kita sebar biji-biji tadi secara merata di atas tanah dan diamkan selama sepuluh hari (hingga kecambah dan daun mulai tumbuh).
• Perlu diingat juga bahwa selama proses penyemaian sebaiknya biji-biji tadi diberikan naungan untuk menghindari sinar matahari langsung.
• Setelah biji-biji buah kiwi mempu­nyai daun-daun, kita bisa memindahkan mereka ke dalam pot-pot hingga cukup besar untuk ditanam di atas lahan. Cara menanam benih-benih tersebut yakni tinggal dimasukan saja bagian pangkal batangnya ke lubang-lubang tanam yang telah siap digunakan.
• Selanjutnya, seperti cara tanam pohon pada umumnya, kita timbun dengan tanah dan timbunan tersebut sedikit kita tinggikan supaya tidak tergenang air ketika hujan.
• Perlu diketahui bahwa struktur tanah yang diperlukan untuk menanam pohon kiwi haruslah kuat, karena tanah akan menahan beban pohon kiwi yang sangat berat ketika pohon-pohon tersebut berbuah.
• Cara merawat pohon kiwi supaya tumbuh subur yakni dengan mengairi secara teratur, memupuk tanah secara berkala, membabat rumput-rumput liar, dan juga mengendalikan hama pohon dengan penyemprotan.
• Selain itu kita juga perlu memelihara bunga dan membantu proses penyerbukan dengan kuas halus supaya berbuah lebih banyak.

Upcoming class- Seed Starting and Planning your Mountain Vegetable Garden

Seed Starting and Planning your Mountain Vegetable Garden Wednesday, March 14   6:30pm   Exhibit Barn (230 Norton Dr, Black Hawk, CO)   $5   

We will discuss how to start seeds so that they are ready to plant out when the weather warms, and how to pick varieties that are suitable for the mountains, as well as how to maximize your garden.

PANDUAN BUDIDAYA TANAMAN KAILAN

Membudidayakan kailan merupakan hal yang mudah untuk dilakukan, terutama jika anda mengetahui cara budidaya yang tepat untuk tanaman yang satu ini. Tanaman yang satu ini membutuhkan perawatan yang khusus agar bisa tumbuh dan berkembang dengan baik. 

Kailan (Brassica oleracea) merupakan salah satu jenis sayuran yang memiliki daun tebal berwarna hijau dengan batang tebal dan memiliki kepala bunga berukuran kecil dengan jumlah kecil hampir mirip dengan bunga pada brokoli. Sayur kailan ini bisa digunakan dalam masakan Tionghoa terutama masakan Katon. Sayur ini biasanya di masak tumis dengan bumbu jahe dan bawang putih atau juga di masak rebus kemudian disiram dengan saus tiram. Banyak orang yang menyukai sayuran kailan karena kailan memiliki banyak manfaat bagi kesehatan karena kandungan gizi yang terdapat pada sayur kailan diantaranya pro vitamin A, asam askorbat, mineral, vitamin B, vitamin C, serat, antioksidan, zat besi dan masih banyak lagi yang lainnya.

Ada beberapa macam teknik budidaya yang harus anda lakukan, mulai dari pembibitan, penanaman, pemeliharaan hingga apa persiapan yang harus dilakukan pada saar panen. Hal pertama yang harus anda lakukan pada saat penanaman adalah menyiapkan ukuran petak tanah yang tepat. Siapkanlah sebuah bedengan yang memiliki lebar 120 cm dan ukuran panjang yang sama dengan petak tanah yang dimiliki. 

Untuk bisa membudidayakan tanaman ini dengan baik, diperlukan sebuah media yang memiliki ketinggian 100 meter hingga 500 meter dpl. Umumnya tanaman ini sangat cepat tumbuh jika ditanam di suhu yang lembab yaitu pada saat musim hujan. 

Cara Menanam Tanaman Kailan

Untuk cara tanam kailan adalah sebagai berikut. Seminggu sebelum penanaman berlangsung, pastikan anda menyiapkan lubang tanam yang akan disiapkan untuk menanam kailan ini. Lalu jangan lupa untuk memberikan pupuk pada tanah yang akan ditanami oleh bibit. 

Cara menanam dengan menggunakan bedengan yang telah dipupuk terlebih dahulu terbukti ampuh untuk menghasilkan tanaman kailan yang baik. Pupuk yang dianjurkan di sini adalah pupuk kandang. Siapkan pupuk kandang sebanyak 10 ton/ha. Jarak tanam dalam bedengan juga harus diperhatikan. Pastikan tanah dalam bedengan memiliki jarak 40 x 40 cm, 30 x 30 cm atau 20 x 20 cm. Memilih bibit yang baik juga harus Anda lakukan. Bibit yang baik tersebut nantinya harus dipindah dan ditanam di bedengan yang sudah Anda siapkan tadi. 

Pemeliharaan Tanaman Kailan

Berikutnya masuk ke tahap pemeliharaan tanaman kailan ini. Proses pemeliharannya cukup sederhana. Anda bisa melakukan penyiraman pada tanaman ini. Jika kebetulan anda menanam tanaman ini pada saat musim hujan, maka penyiramannya bisa dikurangi agar tanaman ini tidak kelebihan air. 

Tetapi jika penanaman dilakukan pada saat musim kemarau, anda bisa menambah air yang akan digunakan untuk menyiram tanaman ini. Hal lain yang bisa anda lakukan adalah dengan melakukan penjarangan. Lakukan aktivitas ini setelah penanaman. Penjarangan harus dilakukan bertujuan untuk mencabuti tanaman yang tumbuhnya terlalu rapat. 

Perawatan Tanaman Kailan

Jangan lupa juga untuk melakukan perawatan dengan cara mencabuti tanaman yang mati akibat terserang hama atau penyakit dan menggantinya dengan bibit yang baru. Hal ini bertujuan supaya tanaman yang sakit tadi tidak menularkan penyakitnya ke tanaman yang sehat lainnya. Pencabutan tanaman ini bisa anda lakukan ketika menganalisa tanaman kailan setiap harinya. 

Selain itu lakukan juga langkah memelihara tanaman kailan dengan cara penyiangan. Apa itu penyiangant? Penyiangan adalah proses mengganti tanaman yang lama dengan tanaman yang baru. Biasanya ini dilakukan apabila anda menemukan tanaman yang tidak memiliki potensi untuk bisa tumbuh dengan baik. Jika anda sudah bisa memprediksi bahwa hasil akhirnya nanti pasti tidak bagus, sebaiknya proses penyiangan ini dilakukan. 

Hasil Panen Tanaman Kailan

Tanaman kailan juga bisa dijadikan sebagai sumber bisnis. Anda bisa menjual hasil panen dari tanaman ini apabila berhasil tumbuh dengan baik. Satu hal yang perlu anda ketahui adalah tanaman ini akan bisa menghasilkan hasil panen selama 70 hari paling lama, dan paling cepat 40 hari. Maka dari itu, anda harus menentukan iklim yang tepat untuk menanam tanaman ini. Iklim yang tropis sangat dianjurkan sebagai media untuk menanam kailan.

Selective Plant Shaping … An overview of Pruning and what it means to our gardens and varying plant groups

By Jan Boone

Image by Lewis Landscape Services, Inc.

Perhaps one of the most confusing things in our foothill’s garden work is also a key factor for our garden’s health and appearance, maybe even seasonal crop production.  When we look at the winter landscapes and think of the coming potential for our usual wet Spring snows and cold damage to pines, fruit trees or shrubs, we mustn’t forget that selective pruning may come in different ways throughout the cycles of our growing seasons.  Before you or I feel the urge to pull out hand saws, clippers or just our own nimble fingers, it’s beneficial to our plants and ourselves to review some plants and re-visit some basic techniques. Enhancing our know-how or simply modifying past favorite methods when it comes to shaping our plant landscapes can produce new and often valuable results.

Pruning really is a valued practice in our gardens.  The Valerian shrubs on my hillside and Nepeta (catnip family) plants along the driveway immediately come to mind.  Of course, the deer and elk often help w/the Valerian shaping but the Nepeta really has few worries, except for the occasional odd browsing by critters.  Alas, my cotoneaster is a frequent victim of browsing damage, so a good trim is usually called for after a hungry herd wanders through the yard! I have watched with amazement over the past few years a small white lilac that blooms along a dirt roadside near a house that has had infrequent work going on inside.  I’m amazed how it survives to bloom with only filtered light in pretty basic soils and absolutely no care pre or post bloom.  It must have resilient roots way down deep!  Many of our local houses enjoy spirea, viburnum or lilacs in their yards, especially as they produce their Spring branches filled with blossoms.  I’ve lost track of the times I get asked when is the best time to shape or prune these plants!  One of the best references I can share is CSUExtension Garden Notes #619 on Pruning Flowering Shrubs.  It includes shaping, shearing and thinning tips for these plant varieties.

Here’s a good list of reasons for pruning:  Help in allowing a plant to heal from weather related damage, also insect or general structural damage; to train plants or trees to enrich a habitat and/or to control size (i.e. clearing out plant suckers or squash runners); to prevent injury to people or from insects.  It is often helpful for the container and vegetable gardeners to prune, thus promoting flowering and fruit production.  Whether it is a diseased fir limb or an ignored fruit tree with erratic production; or even plants and vines in the vegetable garden, there will come the time you will want to consider pruning. 

Photo by Provident-Living-Today.com

When to prune may be the definitive question for every gardener.  Timing requires focused attention and expertise.  Sometimes by learning what doesn’t work on a favorite blooming plant or tree can reinforce what should have been done in a different manner or time frame!!  Don’t take the chance and instead refer to a good seasonal overview for pruning in Cornell University’s CooperativeExtension, Bulletin #23 An illustrated Guide to Pruning Trees and Woody Shrubs, page 27.  It provides a reasonable outline that you can monitor and adjust to your own garden and microclimate needs, also considering our altitude and quirky weather patterns.  For another good resource on pruning of fruit bearing trees.  Review CSU Fact Sheet#7.003 on Training and Pruning Fruit Trees.  There are also good CSU Fact Sheets on Aspens.   You should visit www.cmg.colostate.edu.  For Aspens, remember that dressing pruning cuts, cankers or wounds usually only provides safe harbors for the potential of insect and abiotic growth.

When thinking ahead to our upcoming spring & summer growing seasons for flowers and vegetables, knowing how to prune affords several options in productive methods These also apply to containers and ground plantings. Consider this … Do you recollect the differences in deadheading and pinching as opposed to utilizing a tool to cut??  Deadheading rids a plant of it’s spent flowers.  This has aesthetic appeal as well as the benefit of increasing blooms and potential fruiting. Many experts consider deadheading most effective in herbaceous annuals, encouraging renewed flowering for blossoms and may impact eventual fruit formation in differing varieties.  Deadheading also takes away dead tissue that can harbor insects or other abiotic diseases.  It also prevents a flower from setting seed.  Perennials that flower don’t rely on seed production, so the practice is not a good option.  Pinching is used to modify growing tips of herbaceous plants.   It’s often a go-to method in the vegetable garden to encourage additional fruit bearing branches. By removing the tips of branches, chemicals in the plant’s stem are activated to grow added shoots or branches, thus promoting a fuller appearance. 

Photo by Tractor Supply

For those striving for the elusive and ultimate heirloom tomato, pruning awareness is essential. In determinate tomato varieties, getting rid of suckers from the bottom of the main stem (which is reproductive) helps to open up the plant, making it fuller and more adaptive to additional growth. With indeterminate tomato varieties, prune up to the second flowering branch.  The stem is non-reproductive.  Finally, as you consider pruning, know the fundamental characteristics of your plant type.  Removing damaged or spent tree limbs is far different from encouraging tomato growth.  Do good research and be aware how microclimates and wildlife around your garden may impact the results of your efforts.

We cannot overlook the right tool for the right pruning job.  Pole and pruning saws are obviously of little help in your vegetable beds, but the correct hand clipper can save hours of frustration.  This is true when working on your ornamentals as well.  Last season’s Russian Sage flowering stalks will disappear quickly into the compost pile!  If you are using a pole, hand saw or other tool to work on a diseased tree or woody trunk of a large ornamental, disinfection of the tool afterwards is important.  Did you know that pruning cuts made at the peak of the growing season will normally carry a higher risk of transferring plant pathogens? Fire Blight is easily transmitted on dirty tools.   Research, clean and read labels carefully for your garden tool disinfecting.  Homemade remedies mixed with water can inadvertently do more damage than good.  Remember, manufacturers change ingredients, so check those labels.    Bleach solutions to disinfect may be preferable for many, but it will be corrosive on most metals. Research also shows the use of Isopropyl alcohol (70%) will not kill all bacteria.

A Good plant worth growing for enjoyment or food is also reliant on good soils, water and added supplements where warranted.  Take a look at potential candidates to prune now, as winter is here and branches are bare, then again as the seasons progress.  Your end result of selective plant shaping can optimize strength, form, aesthetics and crop output.  Enjoy the results of your thoughtful work this growing season!

Post-holiday Bulb Care

By Irene Shonle, CSU Extension Gilpin County

The holidays are behind us, and many of us now have pots of withering Amaryllis and paperwhites.  While it’s harder than I consider worth it to get paperwhites to rebloom again in our climate (they are not hardy for planting outdoors), don't throw out your Amaryllis.  With a little care, it can bloom again next year --even better than it did this year!

 The secret is to keep the plant actively growing after it blooms to recharge the bulb; it takes a lot of energy to produce such big flowers. If the bulb does not produce a flowering stalk the next blooming period, it is likely that has not stored enough nutrients during the post-blooming period.

After the flowers have faded, cut the flowers off to prevent seed set. Only cut the flowering stalk after it turns yellow, a green stalk continues to produce energy for the bulb.  In order to feed the bulb for next year's show, water and feed the plant regularly with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer. Put the plant in the sunniest possible location for the rest of the winter to encourage strong leaf development. I have found that putting the pot outside during the summer after all danger of frost helps maximize photosynthesis and gives the best results. Make sure to slowly acclimate the plant to full sun to avoid sunburn (gradually increase the time spent in the sun each day for about a week).  I have also noticed that critters don't seem to bother either the leaves or the bulb - a bonus around here.  Remember to feed the plant a few times during the summer in addition to regularly watering.

For blooms in time for the holidays, stop watering in mid-August and bring the pot inside. Let the foliage die back naturally as the soil dries out completely. When the leaves have withered, store the dormant bulb in a cool, dark and dry place for a minimum of eight to twelve weeks. Then, about six to eight weeks before you want the Amaryllis to flower again,  place it in bright light and begin watering again - sparingly at first, so the bulb is not sitting in water.

If you don’t care when it blooms, there is no need to do the fall dormancy protocol. Continue watering and fertilizing the plant, and bring it inside before frost. Keep it in a sunny window, and it will usually bloom sometime in spring. The flowering stalk should emerge with or before the leaves if you have taken proper care of the plant. Watch as the number of flowers on the stalk increases in both number and size as the bulb increases in size.  Over time, the bulb may produce a new bulb, which you can remove and pot up separately. Amaryllis plants bloom best when they are somewhat potbound (crowded roots). They require repotting only every 3 or 4 years. The best time to repot them is after they have gone through a dormant period in the fall.

Baking and Cooking in the Garden

By Kurt M. Jones, Chaffee County Extension Director

I was at a conference recently and was visiting with some colleagues from across the Western United States.  The conversation came around to how baking, cooking and gardening all relate to one another.  It was an interesting analogy that I will attempt to recreate for you here.

If you think about it for a while, you realize that for many of us, Baking is a prescriptive activity.  You find a recipe that you like, maybe tweak it for high altitude adjustment, but then you follow the directions and let the science of chemistry and physics turn into delectable treats.  Gardening has similar attributes.  You pick plants that will work in our growing environment, arrange them according to their irrigation needs (what we call “hydrozoning”), and provide plant care including proper irrigation, proper plant nutrition to minimize stress, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques when problems appear.  Even our current Master Gardener textbook is entitled The Science of Gardening, and employs many of these concepts for those students.

I have to admit, I may be addicted to cooking shows.  I find it fun to see cooks sweat it out when presented with a basket of mystery ingredients and they need to create a meal from unusual ingredients.  They are judged on taste, creativity in how they use the basket ingredients, and cooking technique.  In other words, they are skilled in the art of cooking based on their understanding of the base ingredients and cooking techniques. 

Gardening definitely has an artistic component as well.  Landscape Architects utilize design concepts such as line, color, texture, form, unity, scale, balance, simplicity, variety, emphasis and sequence when creating themes for the outdoor “rooms” they create.  They create rooms by considering the plants that make up the floor, walls, and ceilings in the outdoor spaces based on a family’s desires for that space, and the potential of the site where the landscape will be located.  Plant selection and placement in the landscape is much more about its “fit” into the total picture, rather than the “pick and plunk” method that many of us employ.

Much like how the creative cook utilizes different spices and herbs to elicit different sensations on the palate, the artistic gardener utilizes plant materials and other garden elements to create different emotions for those who experience it.  Understanding the science behind how to grow appropriate plants successfully and keep them healthy is much like the baker who utilizes the science to create delicacies which compliment the gourmet meal. 

It is about time for lunch, so here ends the analogy between baking, cooking and gardening.  Happy Gardening, Cooking and Baking!

IT’S DRY DRY DRY!

By Sharon Faircloth, Master Gardener

We’re in the throws of another record, dry, winter.  The dry wind that brings those unseasonably warm days in the winter, cause substantial damage.  The seed catalogs are coming in the mail so spring MUST be just around the corner.  Hopefully, we’ll get feet of that lovely moisture-laden snow in March and April to help mitigate the stress created from so little precipitation (without the damage that can come along with that wet heavy snow)!

In the meantime, if you have no snow cover but do have water rights, consider watering trees, shrubs and susceptible plants.  Trees that are particularly susceptible are spruce, alders, mountain yews, maples, mountain ashes and conifers.  Watering can be done when temperatures can get to about 40 degrees by mid-day.  Ideally, you’d like to be able to get the water down about twelve inches and to give the enough time to soak in before temperatures drop.  Also, try to water to the drip line and beyond if possible.  If you’re on a well and watering outside is prohibited, you may want to contact a local arborist for a price to provide water, or look into getting a cistern.   Our trees are precious and water will protect that investment.

Some ways to mitigate dryness around all plantings is to use mulch.  Mulch can reduce moisture loss as much as 25-50%.  It also protects soil against temperature extremes and erosion.  Try applying 2-4 inches of heavier weight mulch away from the base out the drip line. 

Colorado native plants are an excellent choice for your landscape.  Natives are already acclimated to our environment, soil and local conditions.  They are unique and attract a wide variety of wildlife including bees, birds and butterflies.  They are also more pest and disease resistant than non-natives when planted in their optimum environment.  Natives typically require little maintenance and resources, once established. There is usually little need for fertilizing or soil amendment; just keep weeds away and then let the plants go to seed in the fall.  Clean out the dead stuff in the spring and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.  As always, you have to choose the right plant for the right place for the best chance for success.

There are a number of ways to incorporate natives into your landscape.  You won’t find natives at your local box store but there are local garden centers that source them and check out the Colorado Native Plant Society website for plant sales.   You can also start from seed.

Combining plants and seed will give you a bigger impact faster.  It’s very important to use the scientific names when choosing, as there are a number of similar varieties that are not native.  Also, if you’ve ever studied the Noxious Weed website, you may have seen plants that you like and wonder why they are being demonized.   One of the biggest problems with the “noxious weeds” are they are not native and have become invasive.  You will find many examples of very similar plants that are native for you to choose from.

As in life, we can’t control the elements but we can control how we react and deal with them.  We live in a magical environment where we have many, many challenges.  Try incorporating natives into your landscape for a unique, water-wise alternative.  If you’re looking for a new challenge, look into being a Native Plant Master! (http://conativeplantmaster.colostate.edu/)

www.ext.coloradostate.edu

Native Trees: CSU Extension Fact Sheet 7.421extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard.../native-trees-for-colorado-landscapes-7-421

Native Shrubs: CSU Extension Fact Sheet 7.422 extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/.../native-shrubs-for-colorado-landscapes-7-422

Colorado Native Plant Society:  https://conps.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Low-Water-Native-Plants-for-CO-Gardens-Mountains.pdf

Noxious Weeds: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agconservation/noxious-weed-species

Native Plant Master program: http://conativeplantmaster.colostate.edu/

Sunflowers

By Cherie Luke

Sunflowers, an annual, are one of the easiest plants to grow. The botanical
name for sunflowers is Helianthus, helios meaning sun and anthus
meaning flower. They are part of the asteraceae family and are native to
North America. They have a habit of turning their heads to face the sun,
usually facing east when their flowers open.

Although gardeners in general love to grow the tallest and biggest
sunflowers, there are many varieties that are beautiful and fit nicely into
almost any garden setting. Sunflowers can be grown in colors besides
yellow and gold. You can find seeds at your local garden center in bronze,
purple, orange, and red, and in varying heights. At one seed catalog I
visited there were 42 sunflower choices.

Farmers in the U.S. started growing sunflowers commercially after WWII
because of their many uses. The commercial crop consists of two types of
seeds; confection and oilseeds. The confection seeds are used in baked
goods, trail mixes, granola, and cereal. Oilseeds produce a citron-yellow
oil pressed from the seeds which is low in saturated fat and high in
polyunsaturated fats. It’s an ingredient in magazines, soaps, cosmetics,
and is also marketed as wild bird food.

Plant seeds after all danger of frost is past and chose a site in full sun.
While the sunflower is not particularly fussy about soil type it does
appreciate a well drained, loose loam soil.
The easiest way to prepare sunflower seeds for snacking is by roasting
them whole. Begin by soaking unhulled seeds in water for 8 hours. Drain
the water, spread the seeds on a shallow baking sheet, and roast at 200
degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours, stirring occasionally until crisp.
Be sure to include one of the many varieties of sunflowers in your garden
this year, you’ll be happy you did. Not only are they fun to grow, the birds,
bees, and other pollinators will love them.

You can find more information about sunflowers at Planttalk Colorado
#1828.

Post-Season Poinsettia Care

by Kurt M. Jones, Chaffee County Extension Director

            The holidays are behind us, but that doesn’t mean that you need to discard your poinsettias!  Poinsettias often lose their color in late winter, usually by mid-March.  When the plant has passed its stage of usefulness in March or April, remove the colorful bracts and part of the stem.  This cutting back can be done any time from March through mid-July, depending on the desirable size and shape of the plant.  Be sure to leave three or four leaves on each stem to insure sufficient photosynthesis.

           During the early summer, the plant will need to be repotted into the next larger size pot.  Use a well-drained potting soil, such as a blend of sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and/or perlite.  Thoroughly mixing a phosphate fertilizer with the soil at the time of repotting is a common practice.

           Place the poinsettia in a bright area where the temperature will remain constant.  Water as needed to keep the soil moist to the touch, and fertilize with a complete fertilizer every two to three weeks.  During the summer, the plant can go outside provided it is partially shaded and temperatures don’t fall below 55 degrees F.   To keep the plant well-formed, trim tall growth at six-week intervals.  The last pruning should occur in late August. 

  

          Poinsettias are short-day photoperiodic plants.  This means that they set buds and produce flowers as the autumn nights lengthen, blooming naturally during November or December.  To flower and develop colored bracts, a poinsettia must receive as much sunshine as possible during the day.  Starting about October 1^st, it also needs at least 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F.  Stray light of any kind such as street lights, pool lights or lamps could delay or halt the reflowering process.  Keep this dark treatment until color shows in the bracts.  This normally happens near Thanksgiving, but could happen as early as two weeks before Thanksgiving.  Continue watering and fertilizing to encourage good growth.

           There are many pests that can infest poinsettias.  Insects should be washed off with a mild soap solution using a sponge or spray bottle.  Mealybugs and whiteflies may require a pesticide treatment or removal of infested plant parts.  Mealybugs can be treated using rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

   

         Cool, moist soil temperatures encourage root diseases.  If lower leaves start turning yellow and fall off, a root rot condition may be present.  This can be overcome by using a fungicide as a soil drench.

     

       One common misconception with poinsettias is the fear they are poisonous.  In a 1995 poll, 2 out of every 3 people held the false impression that poinsettia plants are toxic if eaten.  Research conducted at Ohio State University showed that rats fed unusually high doses of poinsettia plant parts were not adversely affected.  To equal this experiment, a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 poinsettia bracts.  Based on this research, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission denied a 1975 petition to label poinsettias as dangerous.  Poinsettias are not edible and are not intended to be eaten.  If eaten, parts of all plants may cause varying degrees of discomfort, but usually not death.  Keep all plants out of the reach of small children.

Aphids On My Honeysuckles!

Aphids On My Honeysuckles!

by Kristina Hughes, Clear Creek County Master Gardener

I’m writing this blog partly as a reminder to myself to attend to a problem I first noticed last growing season but whose best treatment is applied during the winter. Now would be a good time to deal with it.

I have several honeysuckle shrubs on my property. They are one of the few types of shrubs I can grow which don’t get savaged by the animals and don’t require extra water. I have been hugely pleased with them.

Photo by Kristina Hughes

This past summer, I noticed that the honeysuckle leaves looked odd: small, purplish and rolled length-wise, growing in tight little clusters as if the leaves had never fully expanded. From a distance the leaf clusters on the branches looked like they were covered in flecks of black and white dirt. When I looked more closely, I saw tiny white flecks and tiny green bugs, LOTS of them, all over both the outside and inside of the rolled up leaves.

I knew they were aphids because the tiny white flecks are discarded carcasses, like snake skins, which they shed as they grow bigger. And on the rear-ends of the living, green bugs there were little “tailpipes”, like two stubby tails.

Once I identified the bug as an aphid, I looked for information by googling ‘honeysuckle aphids site:.edu’. The first part of the search doesn’t require explanation. The second part, “site.edu”, may be unfamiliar. It instructs Google to limit results to websites that end in “.edu”. I like to use this search-refining tool to get straight to the university-based information which forms the basis of the Master Gardener program.

W Cranshaw, CSU, Bugwood.org

I immediately found web resources that described my problem exactly. The new growth on my honeysuckles had been attacked by a honeysuckle leaf-folding aphid, scientific name Hyadaphis tataricae. It’s also called honeysuckle witches’ broom aphid. Aphids are very common and usually don’t cause extensive damage to their host plant. They are a favorite food of many birds and predatory insects, which often keep the aphid populations at a reasonable level without human intervention. And if aphids get a little out of hand, they are easily knocked off the plant with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Worst case scenario, one might choose to use an insecticidal soap which kills the aphids on contact. Aphids prefer sucking on new tender plant growth, so anything that stimulates new growth (such as cutting off the damaged areas) should be avoided. Pretty simple, right?

Unfortunately, I learned from a University of Wisconsin factsheet that the honeysuckle leaf-folding aphid has an adaptation which makes it more challenging to control. It sucks on the top side of emerging leaves and this causes the leaves to curl upward, thus enclosing the aphids and protecting them from the above-listed control measures. Predators can’t get to them easily because they are rolled up in their protective leaf. Strong sprays of water don’t easily dislodge them. Insecticidal sprays which kill on contact can’t reach the insects through the rolled up leaf. So these little aphids are especially tough to get rid of. Their saliva stunts the new growth of the infested plant and this can cause a decline in the vigor the plant. And several years of heavy infestation can kill the plant. I’m normally not very concerned when I find some aphids on my plants, because they are usually so easy to control, but these aphids seem to be different!

W Cranshaw, CSU, Bugwood.org

Apparently, these aphids lay eggs which overwinter on the tips of the branches and in the curled up leaves. So, one strategy for control is to trim the branches to 6” below any obvious distorted growth during winter and remove any leaves. Horticultural oil is also recommended to control leaf-curling aphids. Horticultural oil is applied during the dormant season (winter) before bud break, but when the temperature is above 40F. These are the steps I am reminding myself to do soon.

Another strategy is to watch carefully for bud break in the spring and spray contact insecticides on the new growth before the aphids cause the leaves to curl up. So I’ll have to set another reminder for that step.

I am glad I noticed the problem and then found information that seems to match the issues, so I can take targeted, effective steps to solve it. I really value my honeysuckles, especially since I have limited choice of plants which can thrive on my property in spite of the animals and the never-dull climate here in the mountains. I think I have my work cut out for me!

CARA PERAWATAN MESIN POTONG RUMPUT

Memiliki halaman rumah yang indah dengan ditumbuhi rumput hijau serta bersih merupakan dambaan bagi sebagian orang. Halaman dengan rumput yang hijau dan bersih sangat indah untuk dipandang serta dapat memberikan nuansa tenang, pikiran pun akan terasa rileks.

Akan tetapi kita pun sering terpikirkan bahwa merawat rumput sangatlah merepotkan ketika berkeinginan untuk memiliki halaman dengan rumput yang hijau serta bersih. Anda bisa memakai jasa layanan pemotong rumput, ataupun melakukannya sendiri.

Jika halaman rumah anda tidak begitu luas, anda dapat menggunakan gunting pemotong rumput, sedangkan jika halaman rumah anda lumayan luas anda dapat memakai mesin pemotong rumput. Apabila anda tidak memiliki mesin tersebut dan berencana hendak membelinya, baca lebih lanjut artikel ini yang akan memberikan tips memilih mesin potong rumput. Dalam memilih mesin potong rumput Anda harus memperhatikan 3 hal yaitu jenis mesin potong rumput, tipe pisau mesin pemotong rumput dan cara perawatannya. Berikut ulasannya untuk Anda.

Jenis Mesin Potong Rumput

Ada 2 jenis mesin pemotong rumput yaitu:

1. Pemotong Rumput Dorong

Mesin jenis ini hanya dipakai untuk halaman yang memiliki permukaan tanah rata. Pada bagian tangkai pendorong pada mesin jenis ini bisa dilipat sehingga mudah sekali ketika disimpan. Mesin jenis ini bisa memotong rumput hingga pinggir sesuai dengan jalur roda. Mesin jenis ini pun terdapat penampung rumput yang tidak sulit ketika dipasang maupun ketika melepaskannya. Apabila halaman maupun lapangan lumayan luas serta berbentuk segi empat, lebih baik pakai mesin potong rumput dorongserta ketika menggunakannya lebih baik berkeliling memutar. Hal ini bertujuan supaya rumput yang terpotong dapat terkumpul di tengah-tengah halaman, sehingga rumput yang sudah terpotong tersebut mudah dikumpulkan serta dibuang dan hendaknya ketika memotong rumput dikerjakan sewaktu siang hari saat embun telah hilang, gunanya adalah agar rumput yang sudah terpotong tersebut tidak banyak menempel di kantong penampungan pada mesin tersebut sehingga mudah untuk dibersihkan

2. Pemotong Rumput Gendong

Mesin potong rumput gendong digunakan untuk memotong rumput di lapangan maupun halaman yang permukaan tanahnya tidak rata maupun bergelombang. Bentuk mesin jenis ini hampir sama dengan alat penyemprot hama yang kerap digunakan oleh petani untuk menyemprot dan membasmi hama. Mesin jenis ini mempunyai gagang besi berukuran panjang. Cara menghidupkannya hanya dengan menarik tuas yang terletak di dekat mesin. Ketika menggunakan mesin jenis ini, sebaiknya dipakai dengan cara berjalan maju, bukan dengan cara berjalan mundur. Bila terdapat batu pada tanah, sebaiknya disingkirkan terlebih dahulu sehingga bagian pisau pemotong rumput tidak cepat rusak atau cacat.

Tipe Pisau Pada Mesin Pemotong Rumput

Ada 3 jenis pisau pada mesin potong rumput tipe gendong yaitu:

• Pisau palang : Dipakai untuk memotong rumput berukuran besar misalnya alang-alang, rumput gajah, dan sebagainya.
• Pisau bulat bergigi 8 : Pisau jenis bulat bergigi 8 dipakai untuk memotong semak belukar.
• Pisau bulat bergigi 80 : Pisau jenis bulat bergigi 80 digunakan untuk memotong tumbuhan yang amat besar.

Tips Merawat Mesin Potong Rumput

1. Rutin Mengganti Oli dan Bensin

Selalu pastikan oli atau pelumas penuh sesuai dengan parameter yang ada dan jangan lupa untuk menggantinya secara berkala. Pastikan juga bensin selalu terisi sebelum menggunakannya.

2. Rajin Memanaskan Mesin

Sebelum dipakai, jangan lupa untuk memanaskan mesinnya terlebih dahulu untuk mencegah terjadinya kemacetan di tengah pemakaian. Jangan lupa juga untuk menjauhkan kabel busi dari businya terlebih, karena bisa menyebabkan mesin menyala mendadak.

3. Mengganti Saringan Udara

Mengganti saringan udara ini juga harus dilakukan secara berkala. Saringan udara yang sudah terlalu kotor dapat menghambat kerja mesin sehingga tidak maksimal.

4. Pakailah Busi yang Sesuai dengan Mesin

Suku cadang merupakan komponen utama dari sebuah mesin. Oleh karena itu, jangan sembarangan memakai suku cadang, khususnya pada busi. Gunakan busi yang sesuai, pilih yang memiliki jangka waktu pemakaian panjang, serta jangan lupa untuk membersihkannya secara rutin.

5. Perhatikan Senar Pada Mesin

Sama halnya dengan saringan udara, senar pada mesin pemotong rumput juga harus selalu diperhatikan dan diganti secara berkala.

6. Gunakan Pisau Pemotong Standar

Selalu gunakan pisau pemotong standar sesuai dengan spesifikasi. Hindari penggunaan pisau pemotong yang tidak sesuai karena akan menjadikan mesin bekerja dengan tidak maksimal.

7. Hindari Bensin yang Tercampur Air

Sebisa mungkin hindarkan air masuk ke dalam tabung bensin. Rajinlah membersihkan karburator untuk membersihkan air dan kotoran yang tertinggal.

8. Gunakan Mesin dengan Baik dan Benar

Bukan hanya perawatannya saja yang penting, pemakaian mesin juga harus diperhatikan. Gunakan mesin potong rumput dengan baik dan benar. Dan hindari kecerobohan dalam pemakaiannya. Jangan memaksa mesin untuk bekerja terus menerus karena akan menurunkan kinerja mesin. Rawat motor mesin secara berkala, setidaknya enam bulan sekali dengan membersihkan kerak yang menempel pada piston, ruang bakar, knalpot, dan sekrup mesin.

9. Jauhkan dari Jangkauan Anak-Anak

Usahakan jangan libatkan anak-anak dalam kegiatan menggunakan mesin potong rumput ini. Karena akan sangat berbahaya bagi anak-anak jika mereka dibiarkan menggunakan alat tersebut.

10. Simpan di Tempat yang Terlindung

Penyimpanan mesin juga harus diperhatikan. Jauhkan mesin dari sumber api agar tidak berpotensi terbakar.

Sumber:

http://dapurteknik.com

http://alatkebunku.com

https://news.ralali.com

Poinsettias by Kurt M. Jones Chaffee County Extension Director

The Aztecs cultivated the poinsettia in Mexico long before Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere.  They used the bracts for a reddish-purple dye and the latex to counteract fever.  The plant also played a part in midwinter celebrations and was widely planted in gardens.

            In 1925, Joel R. Poinsett, a botanist and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, sent some plants to his home in South Carolina.  He shared his find with other plant enthusiasts.  December 12^th is National Poinsettia Day and recognizes Poinsett’s contribution to the holiday season.

            Poinsettias do well in the home and keep their color until mid-March.  The showy red, pink, white, yellow, bicolored or speckled modified “leaves” are called bracts.  With proper light and temperature, they accumulate the pigments that give them their color.  The flowers of the poinsettia are in the center of the bracts. 

            Poinsettias come in many colors and forms.  New selections appear every year.  When selecting a plant, choose one with dark green foliage.  However, cultivars with lighter colored bracts typically have lighter green foliage. 

           Plants with pale green, yellow or fallen leaves generally have a root disease problem, have been overwatered, had an excessive dry period, or received limited fertilization.  Bracts should be well-developed with little pollen showing on the flowers at the center of the bracts.

  

          When outside temperatures approach 35 degrees F, be sure the plant is well wrapped or sleeved before transporting.  Low temperatures, even for short periods, can damage leaves and bracts.

            To care for your new poinsettia, place it where it can receive a lot of indirect sunlight.  Poinsettias thrive on indirect, natural daylight–at least six hours per day.  Avoid direct sunlight, as this may fade the bract color.  To prolong color, keep plants out of cold drafts and away from excessive heat.  Ideal temperatures are 67 to 70 degrees F during the day and 60 to 62 degrees F at night.  Remove damaged or diseased leaves.

            Poinsettias require moderately moist soil.  Check plants daily and water thoroughly whenever the soil feels dry to the touch.  Plants in clay pots require more water, while those in plastic pots are easily overwatered.  Do not allow the plants to sit in standing water.  You may need to remove foil wraps or poke holes in it to allow for water drainage.

            A poinsettia does not require fertilization while it is in bloom.  However, to maintain green foliage and promote new growth, apply a balanced all-purpose house plant fertilizer once a month.  Always follow the directions on the fertilizer label.

How to contain plant-eating varmints and hail on deck planters by Ed Powers

We have lived in our house in Evergreen for the past 7 years.  And for the past 6&1/2 years we have battled plant-eating varmints and hail on our deck planters.  We started with pots that had wire cages that we built.  Well, the varmints managed to get thru the cage and destroyed our plants.  We then bought hangers and hanging planter bags and put wire cages around them.  Again, both the varmints and hail got the plants. 

Half way through this summer we decided to put pots that sat on the deck railing and put plastic sheet plastic on each side of the planters on the railing. It partially worked: we stopped the varmints from getting in. At the same time we set up a night-vision game camera to find out who the culprits were.  No luck, we were only able to get a picture of a tail.

Not only could we not discover what the varmints were, but the hail again destroyed our flowers. Out of desperation, we designed and built a modified mini greenhouse type enclosure.

We made it from a 24 inch  clear plastic roofing material (my terminology) (cut from a 8 foot sheet) supported with 15 inch high and 24 inch wide ¾ inch pvc.  We then forced the enclosure to stay in place with a piece of wood at each end.  All materials were bought at an home improvement store.

These are some of the materials used in building the enclosures.  As you can see we had outstanding flower displays after we were done.

They even made it through snow!

All pictures and ideas were done by my family.  Maybe they will be of use to you.

Ideas from the Garden Center by Sandy Hollingsworth

Gardeners are notorious for getting ideas and finding new ways to use space in their garden by visiting garden stores and nurseries. After the fall cold snap when our gardens succumb and we find ourselves sad about the abrupt end to the season, we just can’t stop thinking about gardening. 

While you may know that raised beds are a great way to use space and reach your veggies as they grow, you may like to see some ideas to ponder for next season. A rectangle (pictured) is the most common shape for a raised bed and it is generally recommended that it be 3-4 feet wide and about 6-8 feet long so that you can reach if from each end. Shorter is just fine and having two or more is often desired depending on how much produce and variety that you want to grow. 

Three tips in the mountains for new raised beds are to line the bottom with hardware cloth to deter critters from digging from below, adding row covers to warm the soil for seeds and keep insects and critters, including birds, from snatching your seeds and seedlings, and adding a hoop and cover above to let the plants grow in more even temperatures plus protect them from hail or sunscald. Row covers are synthetic fabric from garden stores or even cotton sheets. Plastic is ok for the hoop cover as long as the plastic doesn’t touch the plants - or the hot or cold plastic will likely harm the plants. 

A fun idea recently spotted at a garden center is the wall garden (pictured) with multiple smaller planters using vertical space instead of only horizontal space. Also in the photos are vertical trellises that peas, beans, cucumbers or other vines can grow up. Using good fresh amended garden soil or “topping off” an existing raised bed with soil formulated with ingredients for raised beds will give your seeds and seedlings the nutrients that they need. 

In the upcoming winter months there are many good CSU Extension Fact Sheets (FS) you may wish to read or review about soil preparation (FS 7.235) plant selection for the mountains (FS 7.248), growing from seed (FS 7.409) pest control (FS 5.569), and new to Colorado gardeners (FS 7.220 and 7.244) to plan for the warmth of next spring. 

Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference --Save the Date!

Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference --Save the Date!

February 10, 2018 at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Registration for the 3rd Annual LWCNP Conference coming December of 2017: landscapingwithcoloradonativeplants.wordpress.com.

Our keynote speaker will be Panayoti Kelaidis.   Topics for the ‘New to natives’ breakout session will include planting for habitat, planting for year-round interest, adding natives to an existing landscape (including replacing your lawn), and “plant this, not that”.  Topics for the ‘Knows the natives’ breakout sessions will include maintenance,  rock/crevice gardening (including bare-root planting), soils for native plants, and water conservation through passive water harvesting.  We will end the day with panel with a grower’s perspective on natives.

We will also have many wonderful vendors to check out before and after the conference, and during breaks.

The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference promotes the inclusion of native plants in our landscaping to benefit pollinators and songbirds, save water, and restore the beauty and health of nature in the places we live, work and play.

While we recommend the use of straight species and local ecotypes wherever possible, we support the use of varieties and cultivars of native species as long as their breeding doesn’t interfere with their ability to function in nature and maintain key relationships with pollinators and other lives.

Mountain Gardening Tips and Tricks

This week on Salida Yard & Garden, a meeting of the minds: guest Gilpin County Extension Director Irene Shonle and host Chaffee County Extension Director Kurt Jonesshare their "Mountain Gardening Tips and Tricks." Also in this episode, an unintentional poem from Irene:
"There is no use
In shooing off a moose."
http://www.khen.org/salida-yard-and-garden