Rutgers Master Gardeners of Burlington County Blog

By Bonnie McNamee  There’s a lot to think about when starting annuals and perennials from seed.   Do you want a mixed garden of annuals and perennials?   Or perhaps just annuals for continued color all summer?   Would you like native or pollinator plants to help the bees, butterflies and other insects?   How about plants that invite hummingbirds into your garden? An annual is a plant that performs their entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed within a single growing season.   A perennial is a plant that will come back year after year.   There are also biennials that take two years to complete their life cycle. With these, plan on foliage in year one and flowers the year following.   Some biennials self-seed, giving you flowers every year. There are so many of each flower type to choose from, it’s almost endless. A plan and sketch as mentioned in last week’s article helps with decision making. Starting annuals and perennials from seed is much like starting vegetables fro

By Bonnie McNamee Starting vegetable seeds indoors has many benefits and possibilities. It can be fun, educational, and rewarding for children and adults alike.   Not only is it cheaper, but you can buy seeds in many more varieties that include different flavors, shapes and colors.   Planting seeds indoors give some plants a head start that brings earlier harvests and greater yield. Now is a good time to obtain seed catalogs from different companies and compare their seed crops and prices.   Make a list of what you would like to grow.     Consider how much space you have indoors to accommodate your seed trays and how you will care for them as they grow indoors.   After planting your seeds make sure to label everything.   It’s all too easy to forget what is planted where.   Keep your outdoor space in mind, too.   You’ll want enough seedlings to fill your garden plot so take a few minutes to plan your garden and determine where you’ll plant each crop of transplants. A sim

By Bonnie McNamee For both new gardeners and veterans, the following is pertinent information on understanding seed packets prior to buying.   Before purchasing, it’s important to read both the front and back labels.   They list important information you will need to know for achieving success in your garden.    With that in mind, I’ve chosen a packet that’s relatively easy to read and understand.   I’m going with Ferry-Morse seeds.   On the front is a beautiful picture of a sunflower which is what probably caught your attention in the first place.   At the top of the packet is the word ANNUAL along with the weight, and the name of the company FERRY-MORSE since 1856.   This tells you that the plant will only bloom one season, the weight is 1.5g, and the company is well established.   Next it tells you it is a SUNFLOWER, “Dwarf Teddy Bear”.   This tells you it’s a Sunflower as well as the variety of sunflower in which there are many.   At the  bottom it tells you to use an 18”

By Merry Bogert This insect pest may arrive in Burlington County in the coming months .   Already in northern New Jersey counties and in Pennsylvania, the Spotted Lantern f ly is likely to arrive this summer. This blog series will cover topics from identifying the insect to how to control its spread, including limiting its impact on county residents. How can the homeowner help? (1)     Inspect your property for Ailanthus trees, for egg masses, and for signs of infestation.      (2)     Mechanical approaches include: ·          Scraping egg masses off infested trees or any other surfaces using a flat object (such as a knife or plastic card) to scrape egg masses off and into a plastic bag containing some rubbing alcohol. This is a very effective way to kill them. Seal the egg masses in the plastic bag and dispose of it. A succinct YouTube video showing this technique is presented by Penn State Extension Agent Emilie Swackhamer via the following link: