Spring 2013 - Chippewa Valley Growers

Spring 2013
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Gardening Gazette
T
Beautiful Flowers For Our Hot, Dry Summers
oo much heat is the enemy of many plants. Many varieties
shut down their blooming processes when the temperature is
over 80 degrees, even if they have consistent feed and moisture.
Most plants like 72 degrees, just like we do. But there are plants
out there that will continue to produce flowers even when the
temperatures are in the 90s.
Flowering Vinca (catharanthus rosea) may be the most
heat-loving flowering plant we have. It will continue to bloom
despite the heat. In fact, if it has trouble, it is with cool moist
conditions. We recommend the Cora Series of Vinca. It has been
bred to resist cool weather diseases.
Moss rose (portulaca) has been an inexpensive, consistent
summer bloomer. The flower closes at night and then waits to
open until the sun is high enough in the sky the next morning.
A cousin of the moss rose, flowering purslane is also a great
performer in the hot summer weather.
Lantana has gained in popularity in recent years because
of its ability to perform in the heat. Breeders have improved the
branching and habit of the plant. This year's new release of the
Little Lucky Series, a short 10-12 inch, well-branched version of
Lantana looks interesting.
Consider tropical plants
Tropical plants perform well in
Wisconsin summer heat. Plumbago, a
Salvia Mystic Spires
Dark blue
Sun
uniquely-colored, light blue flowered
Helenium Dakota Gold
Yellow
Sun
plant, flourishes in sweltering temps.
Other tropicals such as hibiscus, which
Ornamental Peppers
Yellow to Red, Purple
Sun
are shrubs in the south, can be grown to
Ornamental Grasses
Bronze, Blue, Maroon, Foliage Sun to Shade
give continuous flowers throughout a hot
Gomphrena
Purple, Pink, Red
Sun
summer. Problems result from cool conditions (for hibiscus, below 55 degrees).
Impatiens Sunpatiens/Fanfare Red, Purple, Orange, White
Shade (Sun with Moisture)
Other tropical choices are the vining
Canna
Red, Rose, Yellow
Sun
Mandevillas and Bougainvillas.
Caladium
Reds, White, Green Foliage
Shade (Some In Sun)
When we look for varieties that take
the heat, we often rely on plant trials from
Coleus for Sun
Reds, Yellow, Green Foliage
Sun to Shade
southern states like Texas. The Dallas ArWax Begonia
Red, Pink, White
Sun to Shade
boretum has extensive trials with annual
Euphorbia Breathless Series
White
Sun
varieties of plants and posts results on
their website. We figure if it can take the
Other heat-loving summer flowers to consider
Dallas heat, it can take Wisconsin heat!
Tip:
Visit
our
website
(www.ChippewaValleyGrowers.com)
and
Zinnias are also heat lovers. Some of
find
the
link
to
the
Dallas
Arboretum
Trial
website.
the recent introductions like the ProfuChoosing heat-loving plants certainly goes a long way to
sions and Zaharas have great color
helping
us grow great gardens in scorching summers. It's also
and disease resistance making them a
important to mulch garden beds to prevent high moisture loss.
good choice for hot summer weather.
There should be about 2 inches of mulch in order to effectively
Deadheading (removing spent blooms)
help hold moisture in the soil. If you grow plants in containers,
every couple of weeks helps these plants
use a layer of heavy soil in the bottom of the container to help
flower more profusely.
slow moisture from soaking through too fast and use a saucer
Pentas is a plant that has been grown in
under the container to catch water that runs through. Soil can
the south for years, one of the only plants that continue to bloom
wick up moisture as required by plants in the heat of the day.
in the southern summer heat. The colors are mostly pastel reds,
Remember, the joy is growing. 
pinks, and lavenders. They take the heat and keep flowering.
Angelonia is the summer snapdragon. This plant loves the
7825 Prill Road • Eau Claire, WI 54701 • (715) 839-8448
heat and has a spiky texture that is different from the flat circular
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flowers of other plants.
Variety
Color
Light conditions
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Hours
April 15 - April 30
Monday - Saturday • 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday • 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
June 9 - June 30
Monday - Saturday • 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday • 10:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
May 1 - June 8
Monday - Saturday • 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sundays • 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Memorial Day • 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
July 1 - October 12
Tuesday - Saturday • 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Closed Independence Day and Labor Day
We're open all summer long!
7825 Prill Road
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Want More Tomatoes? Try New Grafted Plants
F
or the past 15 years, commercial tomato
producers have been using and growing tomato plants grafted on to other tomato plant roots because they can get up to
twice as many tomatoes from a single plant.
For the first time, these grafted plants will
be offered to the home gardener!
Grafted plants perform better for
three reasons. First, the root systems chosen for grafting are much more vigorous
than the root system of the variety from
which we want fruit. More vigor equals
more tomato production.
Second, the root systems are also
more disease resistant than the root system of the original tomato variety. That
translates into a higher yield.
Lastly, in growing trials, grafted
tomato plants better withstood stressful
temperature extremes. They also produced better under drought conditions.
Look at the production of the grafted tomato
plant (left) compared to the regular plant!
Planting grafted varieties is different
from planting non-grafted tomatoes. The
graft union must NOT be planted below
the soil line. Planting too deep will allow
the roots of the original variety to take
over and the benefits of the root vigor and
disease resistance are lost.
Grafting isn’t for every tomato variety.
A non-grafted Supersweet 100 tomato plant or a Napa Grape Tomato plant
produces around 2000 tomatoes a season.
That’s enough for most home gardeners.
However, heirloom varieties have
wonderful flavors and textures and are
good candidates for grafting. Highly
sought after by gourmet chefs, their
plants are susceptible to disease and are
not very vigorous. Check out grafted
plants for these varieties of tomatoes:
Black Krim, Brandywine Red, Mortgage
Lifter, San Marzano, German Johnson,
Old German, and Pineapple. 