A GOOD READ

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Here is a list of books recommended by Kent and Sussex Master Gardeners. Great for winter reading and garden planning

Mike McGrath’s Book of Compost (Sterling Publishers, 2006).

Easy Garden Projects to Make, Build and Grow: 200 Do-It-Yourself Ideas to Help You Grow Your Best Garden Ever, edited by Barbara Pleasant and the Editors of Yankee Magazine (Rodale Books, 2006).

Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin (Pantheon Books, 2009).

Weeds of the Northern U.S. and Canada: A Guide for Identification by France Royer and Richard Dickinson (University of Alberta Press, 1999).

The New Oxford Book of Food Plants, 2^nd Edition (Oxford University Press, 2009).

Wildflowers: A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native Flowers of North America by William Cullina (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000).

“English Garden Mysteries” series by Anthony Eglin includes The Blue Rose, The Water Lily Cross and The Trail of the Wild Rose (Minotaur Books).

Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older by Sydney Eddison (Timber Press, 2010).

The Nonstop Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner (Timber Press, 2010).

DECEMBER GARDENING CALENDER

First week in December:

ü Spray seed heads and dried flowers with hair spray to keep them intact.

ü The holidays are just about three weeks away, and there is still time to make herbal presents such as herbal vinegars and potpourri.

Second Week:

ü Order your 2011 seed catalogs.

ü Check stored dahlia tubers and gladiolus corms; if sprouting, move to a cooler location. If they appear to be shriveling, rewrap them using a ventilated plastic bag. If there are signs of molding, change their environment; this is usually a result of moisture.

ü Scout your landscape for the small, buff or yellowish velvet gypsy moth egg cases attached to trees, stones, walls, logs and other outdoor objects, including outdoor household articles. Pick off and destroy them.

Third Week:

ü Prune fruit trees anytime this winter. Keep in mind, it is easier on the tree if the temperature is 45 deg. and above.

Final Week:

ü Fertilize peach and apple trees anytime after the leaves drop and before spring growth.

HOW TO OVERWINTER POTTED PERENNIALS

At one time annuals were the majority, if not the only type, of plant material being used in containers. Now everything from perennials to small trees and shrubs are commonly being used. And while these perennials can be treated like annuals and replaced the next season, many gardeners can't bear the thought of having something die that has the potential of coming back. Because of this, gardeners now have to consider the best way to overwinter these pots so they can have these plants survive the winter and come back next spring.

Perennials in pots need protection because their root system is basically above ground in a container, This poses problems because the root system is now subject to extreme cold injury.

If these same perennials were planted in the ground, the roots would have the benefit of the soil to help insulate and protect the roots from potential cold injury that can kill roots leading to a good number of the plants not coming back in the spring. Above ground, that protective root insulation disappears, making the roots vulnerable to extreme winter temperatures.

What can a gardener do to protect that investment in perennial plant material?

There are several ways to provide needed protection.

With any container that you are considering to use, make sure the plant material in the container is dormant, Wait for temperatures to drop to the twenties for several nights and make sure the soil in the container is moist. Plants in moist soil tend to overwinter better that those where the soil is dry. Now you can bed them down for the winter.

• If the pots are small, and if you have garden space, dig a hole in the garden large enough to accommodate the pot up to the rim. Place the pot in the hole and backfill the hole with soil.

Cover the pot with a thick layer of mulch such as straw or hardwood leaves.

• If you don't want to dig holes, gather up your pots and group them together on an inside corner of a building, preferably on the east or north side. Once grouped, mulch them with straw or hardwood leaves.

• The last way to help protect your containers is to move them into an unheated building such as a garage or shed where temperatures are slightly above freezing all winter.

This inside storage will protect them. When using inside storage make sure to check on the pots occasionally as they may dry out. If so, apply just a little bit of water to moisten the soil slightly.

Whichever method you choose, leave the plants protected until spring weather conditions moderate and they can be safely moved back into the garden.

University of Illinois Extension Service

NOVEMBER GARDENING CALENDER

First week in November:
Finish planting spring flowering bulbs.
Cut back and mulch perennials. This mulch will insulate them from the winter cold, and cutting them back will give them a tidy appearance.
 Dig up dahlias, caladiums, gladiolus, etc. Wash away soil, dry, label and place in a bag or box; cover with sphagnum, moss, sawdust or perlite. Store in a cool, dry place.

Second Week:
 Drain and take in garden hoses and sprinklers to avoid freezing damage.
 Transplant trees and shrubs after leaves have dropped.
 Prevent mice and rabbits from damaging young trees by wrapping the base of the trunk 18 in. high with screening.
 Cut back roses 18-20 in. and mulch heavily to give them protection and help them survive the winter.

Third Week:
 Fertilize shade trees and peach trees.
 After frost has killed the leaf stalks on perennial vegetables, such as asparagus and rhubarb, cut leaf materials down to ground level.
 Mulch evergreens.
 To prevent winter windburn, thoroughly water all trees and shrubs weekly until the ground freezes.



Final Week:
 After chrysanthemums have stopped blooming, cut the stems back to ground level and add these stems, dried leaves and branches to the compost pile.
 After leaves have fallen, go into the woods and collect grapevines for making wreaths. While in the woods, collect nuts, old bird nests and pine cones to be used for decorating.
 Check guy wires around newly planted trees to make sure they will not be damaged by windy weather throughout the fall and winter.

LEAF GALLS ON WILLOW OAK

Galls can be unsightly, but rarely harm the plant. There are different types of galls caused by fungus, bacteria or insects. If you don't like the look of the galls, and the plants are small enough, cut out the infected section. If heavily infested, contact the Cooperative Extension office to determine type of gall and how to treat.

OCTOBER GARDENING CALENDER

First week in October:
 Dig dahlias, gladiolus, tubers and other tender bulbs.
 Plant blooming chrysanthemums to add color to fall landscapes.
 Water evergreens if needed.
 Take a soil sample of the gardens, so that the results are available in time to add fertilizer or lime that will improve or adjust soil fertility.
 Consider using shredded white pine needles as mulch around azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and andromedas.

Second Week:
 Rake deciduous tree leaves and add them to the compost pile.
 Pick and destroy bagworms from evergreens and shrubs. This will eliminate the spring hatching of overwintering eggs.
 Plant shrubs and divide crowded perennials.
 Prune leaves and stems of herbaceous perennials as they turn brown.

Third Week:
 Continue to mow the lawn so that it will not be matted down under heavy snow, if we have any.
 Plant spring flowering bulbs.
 Rake and clean up rose gardens to prevent black spot and other diseases.
 Keep an eye open for reduced prices on end-of-the-season gardening tools and equipment to be used next year or given as gifts.

Final Week:
 Transplant small trees after leaves have fallen.
 Secure vines to their support systems.
 Clean up garden debris and add to the compost pile.

Sussex County Fall Workshops

Three more workshops are slated on the Sussex Co. Master Gardener summer/fall schedule. All are free, except where noted, and will be in the Carvel Center building, except where noted. Register by contacting Karen Adams at 302-856-2585 ext. 540/ adams@udel.edu or online at http://ag.udel.edu/rec/Extension/MasterGardeners/ workshopreg.html. On the workshop list are:

Color for All Seasons – Lisa Arni – Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.

Beauty and the Beets – Tracy Mulveny – Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.

Hands-On Holiday Arrangement – Mary Noel – Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. –

Cost is $8. Class size is limited to 30.

MASTER GARDENER CLASS

Applications are now being accepted−for the next Master Gardener class that will begin in September 2011. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2011. The application form can be downloaded from the website http://ag.udel.edu/rec/Extension/MasterGardeners/MGTraining.html.

KENT COUNTY FALL WORKSHOPS

All workshops in Kent Co. are free, excepted where noted, and are held at the Paradee Center, except where noted. Please call the Paradee Center to register at 302-730-4000.
.
Growing Bulbs – Ellen Scheel and Eileen Wells – Friday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Corn Husk Wreaths – Marilyn McFarlin – Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. – Class size limited to 15. Cost: $7.

Feeding the Birds – presenter to be announced – Thursday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.

Making a Christmas Centerpiece – Pat Renfrow – Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $10.

SEPTEMBER GARDENING CALENDER

First week in September:
• Have soil tested to determine the amount of lime and fertilizer required and apply to lawn area.
• Space strawberry runner plants about six inches apart. Pull out extra plants.
• Start tomato plant indoors in a peat pot. Select a short-day variety such as ‘Pixie.’ When large enough, transplant into 3 ½ -inch or larger pot and place in the sunniest window. Water and feed it regularly, and tomatoes will be ready for Christmas dinner.

Second Week:
• Collect and dry herb blossoms, grasses and seed pods to decorate holiday wreaths.
• Start cuttings from geraniums and begonias.
• Start new begonias by digging and dividing roots. Use a sharp knife to slice through the root system. When dividing, each division should have three or four buds (the small pinkish-colored buds at the crown of the roots). When planting new roots and buds, do not place the tops deeper than two inches below the soil surface; otherwise, the plant will produce foliage but may seldom bloom. Provide moisture to promote new root growth.

Third Week:
• Clean up garden debris and add to compost pile, or turn under vegetation. To improve soil structure and decrease erosion during the winter, plant a cover crop. These winter cover crops can be planted from Sept. 1 through Nov. 1.
• Take in Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus and place on a cool porch or cool part of the house. Do not water for four weeks so that buds can set. After that time, fertilize well and resume weekly watering.

Final Week:
• Keep strawberry beds weed free. Every weed pulled now will make weeding much easier next spring.
• When planting spring bulbs, the depth of planting varies with the size of the bulb; for example, tulips are about 5-6 inches; for daffodils, 5-7 inches; 3-4 inches for hyacinths; and 1 ½ -3 inches for small bulbs. A good rule of thumb when planting bulbs is to set them three times as deep as the bulbs’ greatest width.
• Take poinsettia inside. It is best to repot into a similar but slightly larger container, using a regular commercial potting soil. Place in a warm sunny window.
• Don’t wait for frost warnings to take houseplants indoors. For many tropical houseplants, night temperatures of 50 deg. or lower can cause damage. Check all houseplants for pests and diseases and repot if needed.

AUGUST GARDENING

First Week in August:
 Now is the ideal time to take pictures and plan for next year’s vegetable and flower gardens.
 Order your spring flowering bulbs.
 Check your garden plants, shrubs, flowers and trees for diseases and insect pests.
 Begin planning and planting your fall vegetables, such as lettuce, radishes, kale, spinach, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and peas.
 Pinch back to remove dead heads from annuals.
Mid-August:
 Collect materials for dried flower arrangements, including weeds, flowers, marsh grasses and foliage.
 Prepare lawn or lawn areas that are going to be seeded.
 Harvest ripened vegetables. Sweet corn is ready when ears feel full and firm and the silks have turned brown and dry; cantaloupes are ready to eat when stems slip or separate easily from the fruit.
 Feed roses for the last time.
 Check azaleas, if they are beginning to look pale green to yellow. This is called chloritic. Check soil pH. These acid-loving plants may need to be fed.
Late August:
 Grapes that are ripening now perish easily, so keep refrigerated after harvesting.
 Inspect trunks and branches of dogwoods and other trees for injured bark or fine dust pushed from burrows in trunk by borers.
 Plant new lawns or reseed bare spots in old lawns. This can be done until Sept. 30 in Delaware. If it’s dry, be sure to water newly seeded lawns daily.

Kent Co. Master Gardeners Award Scholarships

Three students have each received a $1,000 scholarship from the Kent Co. Master Gardeners. The scholarships, funded solely from profits from the annual Plant Sale in April, were awarded at a dinner meeting at the Paradee Center. Earning the scholarships were: Nathan Adamson from Dover, who will be a junior at the University of Delaware, studying plant science with a minor in biology and landscape horticulture; Lindsey Bethard from Magnolia, who will be a sophomore at the University of Delaware, studying Agriculture Education; and Amanda Fabi from Felton, who will enter the University of Delaware in the fall planning to major in Animal Biotechnology/Wildlife Biology. According to Kathleen Berhalter, chair of the scholarship committee, these students were chosen from “an impressive field of applicants.” They all came with high grade point averages and excellent recommendations.

Applications for Class of 2011 Kent/Sussex Co.

Applications are now being accepted−and some have already been submitted−for the next Master Gardener class that will begin in September 2011. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2011. The application form can be downloaded from the website http://ag.udel.edu/rec/Extension/MasterGardeners/MGTraining.html

GREEN THUMB GARDEN CLUB

The garden club at The Modern Maturity Center, Dover will open the classroom doors on August 25th in the West Conference Room at 9:30 AM. and again at 6 PM. The topic is:

GROWING GRASS FROM SEED
Tom Dix will give you his sure fire tricks for getting grass to grow even on poor soil.
The best time to plant grass in Delaware is from August 15th to September 15th.
This is a great class for a guy who cuts grass and knows very little about grass. It is being offered at 6 PM to accommodate the working population. Grass pests and diseases will not be covered during class. Bring pictures and samples for an after class session.


As the weather cools down it is the proper time to trim your shrubs and trees. You can take a class in:
PRUNING AND SHAPING
TREES AND SHRUBS
John Trivets will visit us from Sussex County for a class on the proper way cut trees and shrubs.
He likes to call it Pruning or Shaping! He will join us at the green house at 9:30AM on Sept 1st.
Bring pictures of your trees or shrubs.


We will meet in the west conference room on September 8TH at 9:30 AM to discuss:
FALL PLANTING OF BULBS FOR SPRING FLOWERS
Rexene Ornauer, a Master Gardener perennial expert, will take you through all the spring plants
we normally call bulbs. She will show and tell you all different ways you can plant these easy to grow plants.


Our last class for the year will be a bus trip to Wendy’s house to cover:
GATHERING SEEDS
&
THINNING OUT PERENIALS
Wendy’s garden near Killins pond is a total joy this time of year. Bring labels and small plastic
bags to carry all the cuttings. Listen to her tell you many stories about the various plants in the outdoor rooms of her garden. A most pleasant way to spend a few hours. Please join us by meeting the bus at the greenhouse at 9:30AM on September 15th. $2.50 transportation fee will be charged. This the last gardening class at Modern Maturity for the year.

If you have Gardening question, call the Master Gardener Hotline at 730-4000.
Please stay out of the hot sun from 11AM to 3PM. Or, garden on the few cloudy days!

We are charging a fee of $4.00 for the four classes. Those students that had previous registered
for the year are exempt from this fee. All others should go to the customer desk to register.

Thank you very much.
Tom Dix
302-674-7404

Sussex County Summer-Fall Workshops

Seven workshops are slated on the Sussex Co. Master Gardener Workshop schedule. All are free, except where noted, and will be inside the Carvel Center building, except where noted. Please pre-register by contacting Karen Adams at 302-856-2585 ext. 540/ adams@udel.edu or online at http://ag.udel.edu/rec/Extension/ MasterGardeners/workshopreg.html. On the workshop list are:

Hydrangeas – Vickie Thompson –

Tuesday, July 13 at 1 p.m.

Herbal Vinegars From the Ground Up – Susan Trone, Emily Peterson, Donna Fellows –

Tuesday, July 27 at 1 p.m. – Held in the Demonstration Garden and in the Carvel Center kitchen –

Cost is $10. Class size is limited to 30.

Attracting Songbirds & Other Wildlife Using Native Plants – Brent Marsh –

Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m

Growing Greens – Ingrid Hetfield –

Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. in the Demonstration Garden.

Color for All Seasons – Lisa Arni –

Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.

Beauty and the Beets – Tracy Mulveny –

Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.

Hands-On Holiday Arrangement – Mary Noel –

Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. – Cost is $8. Class size is limited to 30.

WORKSHOPS SUMMER 2010

Make a Hypertufa Pot
Thursday, June 10, 2010
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Raindate: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Location: SORC Smyrna Outreach and Resource Centerh

Hypertufa expert and Master Gardener,
Carolyn Donahoe, will lead a small class in
making the lightweight and attractive
alternative to heavy stone and cement
planters. Make your own hypertufa planter
which is excellent for growing garden
oddities such as succulents, cactus or alpine plants.
To protect your hands, please bring a heavy pair
of dishwashing gloves with you to class.
$15.00 Fee Class size is limited to 15.

Make a Rain Barrel

Thursday. June 24, 2010 1:00 p.m. Location: Paradee Center

Catching and using rainwater is beneficial to the

environment and your plants (especially if you

have a water softener) while also saving you

money and energy. Master Gardener, Paul Myers,

will lead the class through the process of making

a rain barrel so you can catch and use rainwater in

your yard and around the home!

$ 62.00 Fee Class size is limited to 14.

Fall Vegetables

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 1:30 p.m Location: Paradee Center

Join Master Gardeners, George and Marion

Brewington, to learn about delicious fall

vegetables that will extend the gardening season

well after earlier crops have finished. Find out

about the many cool weather vegetables that

produce their best flavor & quality, while maturing

during cool weather!

Protect Our Streams

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 5:30 p.m. Location: Paradee Center

Gardeners love what they do but they also

need to know their effect on the

environment and what they can do to

protect natural resources. Ginger North

from the Delaware Nature Society, will talk

about the health of our streams and what

each one of us can do, as gardeners, to keep

our water healthy.

Garden Bouquets

Thursday, August 19, 2010 6:30 p.m. Location: Paradee Center

Did you grow flowers in your garden this

year? Do you have some in your yard?

Bring a few flowers with you to the class

along with an empty fruit or vegetable can

that is color coordinated. After a

demonstration on the principles of arranging,

by Master Gardener Wendy Aycoth, you will

make your own beautiful arrangement!

MAY GARDENING CALENDER

§ Prune your spring flowering shrubs (lilacs, forsythias, spireas, etc.) after they have finished blooming. You also want to thin these out by removing up to one-third of the older branches at or near ground level.

§ Check your trees, especially wild cherry, for tent caterpillars: remove and destroy tents (they look like a white cotton-candy mass on branches).

§ Keep newly planted trees and shrubs watered (unless it’s a rainy month). Do not let the soil dry out.

§ Plant gladiolus, dahlias and other summer bulbs.

§ Stay out of your garden when plant foliage is wet. Walking through a wet garden spreads disease from one plant to another.

§ If you are having a problem with earwigs and sow bugs, try trapping them with rolled up newspapers that have been moistened with water. The insects will hide in the paper by day. Gather up the traps and dispose of them frequently.

§ Closely examine your ornamental plantings for disease and pests. Check your dogwoods for borers; boxwood, holly and birch for leaf miners; evergreens for spider mites and aphids.

§ Mulch flowers, established vegetables and evergreen shrubs. Grass clippings are great and easier to handle if allowed to dry first. Remember, never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with an herbicide.

§ Allow leaves on tulips and daffodils to mature; do not cut off until brown. Fill in spaces in your flower beds with annual flowers.

§ Pinch annuals when 4-6 in. high to promote bushy growth; for example, zinnias, petunias and salvia.

MOLES ARE RUINING MY LAWN…OH, MY

One pest that I get telephone calls and e-mails on almost all year long is moles. Moles are small mammals that create underground tunnels that are evident by mound-type (runways) across lawns, gardens, pastures and woodland areas. These are used as travel lanes and cause damage to grass and other plants by disturbing and sometimes destroying roots, tubers and bulb systems. Moles create the tunnels in search for food, which consists of mature insects, snail larvae, spiders, small vertebrates, grubs, and earthworms. The last two are their favorite foods. Because they eat many “bad” insect pests, they could be considered beneficial.

The common mole found in Delaware is small, about 5-8 inches long, dark gray, furry, and has a long tapered snout. It has no external ears and very tiny eyes. One feature that stands out is its large, paddle-like front feet and prominent toenails, which are used to dig the tunnels.

Moles have one litter of two to six young a year. Gestation lasts about six weeks and the pups are born anytime from mid-April to the end of May.

There have been many unsuccessful “home remedies” to control or rid lawn and garden areas of moles. Some of these include moth balls, chewing gum, castor oil, pickle juice, red pepper, human hair, ultrasonic devices and bleach. These don’t work because moles are meat eaters (insectivores.)

If moles have become a nuisance, the two methods recommended are trapping and reducing the insect populations in your yard. Remove their food source and they will forage another area for their food supply.

There are two types of traps: the harpoon and choker loop traps (read and foolow manufacturer’s packaged instructions.) Trapping is more successful in the spring and fall, especially after a rain. In the summer and winter, moles are active in deep soil and harder to locate. Also, you will need to select a frequently-used or active tunnel. To locate an active tunnel in your lawn or garden area, use your foot and step on it to cave in short sections of several runways. Remember to mark these areas with a stick. Moles are very smart, so don’t disturb the tunnels more than necessary. The following day, check each tunnel to see which ones are reopened. The re-opened ones are active tunnels, which is where you want to place your trap. If there is no catch within a day or two, move to a new location and reset the trap.

Using insecticides to reduce food supply (the soil insect population) is also an option. The best time to control grubs is when they are actively feeding close to the soil surface in late sumer and early fall. After applying the soil insecticide, don’t expect mores to leave the area immediately, it may take a short while. Also, keep in mind that insecticides will kill most soil insects—good and/bad. For a fact sheet on grub control, contact your local Cooperate Extension office for fact sheets on Home, Yard, and Garden, or Lawn Insects and Their Control, or go to the website: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/ent/ent-17.pdf Read and follow all label directions.

Maggie Moor-Orth

Delaware State University Cooperative Extension

Blooming Sanseveria

Janis Greene a Dover Master Gardener reports that her Sanseveria (snake plant/mother in laws tonque plant) is blooming. “I had no idea that they ever bloomed and therefore didn’t recognize the lovely fragrance as coming from a small hidden stalk of tiny flowers, I guess it blooms when the plant is root-bound. Who knew!?! The flowers don’t last long and seem to hate sunlight, wilting right away in the extreme light. The house smells wonderful!"

Searching the net for information I found that many people have had plants for 30 years and never saw a bloom. They are native to Africa and apparently do bloom in the wild. They grow in rocky places and do not like to be over watered. They should be repotted only when the pot topples over from the weight of the plant.

GERMINATING OLD SEEDS

April is here and many of us will soon have our gardens amended and prepared for the new growing season. And if you are like me, you have seeds left over from last year, the year before and some seed packs dating back four or more years. When you have old seed packs, you have to ask yourself, “Should I plant these, throw them out or test them for quality and germination rate?” My answer would be to test them. I remember my dad testing seeds in our kitchen before he would make any decisions on their fate.

To do a germination test, count out 10 to 20 seeds. Then spread the seeds out on several layers of moistened paper towels. Carefully roll them up in the paper towels so that the seeds do not touch one another. Place the roll in a plastic bag (this keeps the moisture in), twist-tie it shut, and keep it in a warm spot. Remember to label the roll or bag with seed variety and mark the start date of the test. Then, every three or four days, carefully unroll to see what is sprouting (evidence of a root or cotyledon structures protruding from the seed.) Keep in mind, some seeds take three or more weeks to germinate. After a week has passed and no additional seeds have germinated, it is time to count the germination rate.

If you started with 20 seeds and 10 have sprouted, you have a 50% germination rate; if 5 seeds germinated from the 20, then you have a 25% germination rate. Let’s say you start with 10 seeds and only 2 have sprouted; then you have a 20% rate. If 5 of the 10 sprouted, you have a 50% germination rate. You can now decide what to do. If I had a 50% germination rate, I would still use the seeds, and just plant twice as many.

So how long are seeds good or viable? The following chart is a guideline of seed viability stored under dry, cool conditions.

Seed	Years	Seed	Years
Beans	3	Muskmelons	5
Beets	4	Mustard Greens	4
Broccoli	5	Okra	2
Cabbage	5	Parsnips	1
Cabbage, Chinese	5	Peas	3
Carrots	3	Peppers	2
Cauliflower	5	Pumpkins	4
Celeriac	5	Radishes	5
Collards	5	Rutabags	4
Corn	2	Spinach	5
Cucumbers	5	Squash	4
Eggplant	5	Tomatoes	4
Kale	5	Turnips	4
Kohlrabi	5	Turnips	4
Leeks	3	Watermelons	4
Lettuce	5

If you are like me and have retrieved your seed storage box for planting this year’s garden only to find leftover seeds that you think may have to be discarded, why not test their germination rate first? And if you are lucky, they will germinate and grow for you again this gardening season.

Maggie L. Moor-Orth

Delaware Cooperative Extension, Delaware State University