Fur and Flowers Flourishes!

Happy to have Flowers that Help Animals. Makes farming a whole lot easier! (photo credit: Patri Feher)

So happy to report that just over $12,000 was donated to local animal rescue and animal welfare by Butternut Gardens LLC in 2019, thanks to record flowers sales. We really are the “Flowers that help animals” and this makes me very, very happy. Thank you all! The latest recipient is Hopalong Hollow, a local rabbit and small animal rescue, which has given love, care, and new homes to well over 1,400 wonderful little animals, who deserve our best care and appreciation. Thank you all again! Happiest of holidays!

Fur and Flowers update

This year Butternut Gardens LLC has been donating a portion of its farm profits to animal rescue and animal welfare efforts. I am proud to announce that as of December 10, 2019 donations of $11,400 have been made.

Tansy in the Butternut Gardens LLC Barn - summer 2019. Such a delicate addition to bouquets.

As an animal lover, I am so very grateful that others are working to make a difference in the lives of so many wonderful little animals. I am also extremely grateful for the support of local flower lovers - you, my flower friends and Butternut Gardens supporters - since your purchases are what keep me going, and have enabled support of our local animal welfare and rescue organizations. This year, Butternut Gardens LLC is proud to have supported PAWS, Stamford Animal Shelter Alliance, Connecticut Humane Society, BARC-CT, Valley Shore Animal Welfare League, Cat Assistance for PitStopNY, Norwalk Animal Control, Fairfield Animal Control, Bridgeport Animal Control, Wolcott Animal Control medical at Watertown Animal Hospital, and our CSA partners Darien Nature Center and New Canaan Nature Center, each with a number of rescue animals in their educational programs.

Fur and Flowers update

A real cutie!

Butternut Gardens LLC continues to donate some of its 2019 farm profits to local animal rescue and animal welfare. I am proud to say donations now equal $1,600. Thank you for for your support of this little farm’s flowers. Working very hard to help these wonderful little friends. Yes, we are growing for a cause!

Donations have thus far been made to Stamford Animal Shelter Alliance, PAWS, and Connecticut Humane Society of Westport.

A new season!

As usual, I become pretty silent in April. It is THE busiest month of the year. Well, maybe that busy-ness morphs into May… and then June…. Well, April SEEMS like the busiest! So many seeds to start and then seedlings to plant out. Then all of the tulips pop up en masse. Before you know it, it is crazy around here. To say I am in the thick of it is an understatement!

Here is some of what has happened: 1,700 Lisianthus were planted, along with 1,200 snapdragons. About 1,200 carnations are in the ground and several hundred Freesia are growing in crates of potting soil. 3,000 tulips have been pulled out of the ground and zinnias are about to be started. Tansies, dills, Queen Anne’s Lace, Corn cockle, pin cushion flower, several varieties of coleus (new for me) and so many more seedlings have sprouted and are planted. More holes have been burned in landscape fabric to allow for planting and growing with the fabric over the rows and the weeds underneath (for the most part). The Early Spring CSA Flower Share has started as have sales to my wonderful retail “partners.” New this year — very exciting- the Connecticut Flower Farmers have set up a Connecticut Grown Flowers Collective and we are together offering product to the wholesale market of designers and florists. There is definitely strength in numbers and our numbers are definitely growing! In January, as a matter of fact, I gave a full day workshop on the topic of Growing Cut Flowers to Connecticut farmers. We had 95 attendees! That is so, so, so, so very exciting. Slow Flowers. Field to Vase. What a nice direction. Today I was disbudding peonies. What does this mean? It means I was pinching off the little side buds so the stems I cut will have (for the most part) only one flower at the tip of the stem rather than several smaller flowers and one larger one. Also what it means is this — Peony season is coming soon! Can’t wait!

STORING YOUR DAHLIAS - PART FOUR OF A FOUR-PART SERIES ON OVERWINTERING DAHLIAS

So, your dahlias are dug, divided, cleaned, and have dried for a few days. Guess who’s ready for winter storage? Yes!

How to pack and overwinter is your next and final task. You have a few choices. I have tried three separate methods over the years. One method is to put your tubers in peat moss, which is slightly damp. A fresh bag of peat moss is usually a good dampness for storage. You could add a bit of water and moisten evenly with the goal of having the peat moss slightly more moist, but not dry and not wet. Too wet and you risk having your tubers rot. Too dry and the tubers will dry and shrivel, and will be unable to push out new growth in the spring.

A second choice of storage method is to put your tubers in a container that has moistened wood pet shavings. I do not use cedar shavings. I use the light colored wood shavings instead - aspen is common. As with peat moss, the shavings should be moistened so the tubers will not dry out over winter.

Dahlias in pet moist pet shavings. i have placed in onion bags to separate different varieties.

With either peat moss or pet shavings, I put my tubers in cardboard boxes. I use the “banker’s boxes” because it is easy for me to lift a top off and check tubers every so often in the winter to determine if any are rotting or are too dry. If they happen to be dry, or the peat moss or shavings have dried, I spritz using a spray bottle of water. Most growers advise against using plastic bins so the tubers can “breath” and the risk of rotting is reduced. I do know a number of gardeners and a few growers who have used plastic bins or garbage bags without problem. Hmmm… sorry to be complicating your thinking.

The packing method I use for storing in cardboard boxes is to first place a layer of either peat moss or shavings on the bottom of the box. Next I put in some tubers. I then scatter peat moss or shavings over and around the tubers. I keep going in this manner until the box is almost filled. I make sure to add peat moss or shavings on the very top to keep all tubers covered. If any are not covered they risk drying out.

Because I store a lot of tubers, I do not label each tuber. I simply put all of one kind in a box. In some cases, I put several kinds in one box, but I separate them with sheets of newsprint paper. I use the kind you can find for moving rather than inked newsprint. Just my personal preference. I make sure to use more than a single sheet and to be very careful unpacking in the spring because the paper can tear easily when it is moistened. Since I do not label each tuber it is essential that I do not let different varieties mix if I want to keep track of what’s what.

Since I am guessing you might have several varieties of tubers, it is a good idea to label them before you store them. How to do this? A permanent marker works quite well. Simple write the name directly on the tuber. You are done!

Dahlia ready for storage in cling wrap.

As you might recall, I alluded to three methods of storing dahlia tubers. The third one is to wrap your tubers in a clear cling wrap - what you use to wrap food. Simply tear off a piece of cling wrap, put your tuber in it, and wrap it up tightly. This method has worked well for me in keeping moisture in and also is a space saver compared to storing tubers in peat moss or clear pet shavings. You can simply put the wrapped tubers into a box and you are done. When I am storing in this method I first wrap individual tubers and then bundle a number of individually wrapped tubers of the same variety together with additional cling wrap. I then put a piece of blue painter’s tape around the bundle to keep everything together. Permanent marker works great on the blue tape for labeling purposes.

Bundles of dahlias of the same variety ready for the winter.

To overwinter well, dahlias should be kept in a cool, dark location. The cardboard box helps keep them in the dark. Ideally, storage temperature should be between 36 degrees and 45 degrees. Basically, don’t let them freeze, but don’t let them get above 50 degrees or they will break dormancy and shoots will commence growth. I have the benefit of being able to store in my floral cooler. From home gardeners I have heard storage success stories involving the garage, basement, crawl space, steps leading to the attic and steps leading from the basement to the outdoors. A finished part of a basement is usually too warm. Garages will occasionally freeze. To combat freezing temperatures in the garage, some have had success by putting their tubers in a cooler or putting insulating material around their box of tubers. Here’s a trick for checking temperature where freezing is possible: place a bottle with a small amount of water in it in the location to be checked. If the water starts to freeze, your dahlias need protection - either move to a slightly warmer location for the duration of the cold spell, or insulate a bit.

So, that’s it! Your dahlias can get ready for a nap. You can get going on those seed orders, and wonderful winter moments perusing plant catalogs and websites. Great job!

Dividing Dahlias for winter storage - part 3 in a 4 part series on dahlia winter storage

Welcome to a continued series on digging, dividing and storing dahlia tubers for next year’s growing season. Part 1 of this 4 part series discussed preparation and supplies needed for this task. Part 2 discussed digging dahlias. Now it is time to divide your dahlias - always a scary prospect to those who have not yet done this. Relax, you’ve got this!

What you see in the above photo is a single tuber, divided from a much larger clump. On the tuber, you will see a small raised bump (near the tip of the white plant stake). The bump is called “an eye.” This tuber, with an eye, is all you need for next year’s planting. Quite a difference from that mammoth, weighty clump dug from your garden, yes?

So, how did we get from there to here? If you recall, last post showed a photo of a partially-cleaned clump of tubers with the stalk cut back. Around that stalk were many tubers. Not all tubers have eyes, but many do. In the fall, the eyes are visible for a short time and then they become less raised and noticeable. There are three important things to know about dividing your dahlias. First, not all tubers have eyes, but if you can’t tell if an individual tuber has an eye or not, you can always simply cut the entire clump in half, by taking a bird’s eye view and cutting across the old stalk (the hole that you see in the middle) and cutting down through the entire clump. Yes, some tubers will be damaged in the process, but this leaves quite a few tubers on each half and you are bound to have eyes on each half. If you want to save something smaller, it is usually equally successful to then cut each of these halves again in half, leaving four quarters of a tuber clump, which also should have their own eye(s) for next year’s stem growth. Second, you will see from the photo above, that the eyes are located on this little “collar” that is at the tip of the tuber near the stalk. So, you must have this collar portion to have an eye. You can not simply cut across the “neck” of the tuber, which is the more narrow part between this collar and the rest of the tuber, and have a viable tuber for next year. No eye equals no go. Third, the neck, being thinner, can bend, can break, and will break if you do not handle with care. Broken necks are not good. You want to keep your tuber in tact, so gentle handling is important. Finally, dahlia tubers are surrounded by a “skin” of sorts. When the tubers are still wet/damp, the skin can be very easily peeled off, which, also, is not desirable. So, this is another reason to handle your tubers carefully. If the skin around the larger part of the dahlia is slightly peeled off, the tuber will, when dried by air and/or sun develop another skin and should be fine. Because I grow many dahlias, I like to store individual tubers, rather than entire clumps. During my first year or two of growing, I stored the entire clumps and put them in the ground as entire clumps the following spring. Now I go for space savings and divide clumps prior to storage. Do I save every tuber? Not at all. From some clumps I only take a single viable tuber or two. I look for a sizable tuber with a good eye, pull out my hand pruning clippers, and cut. The rest goes in compost.

Now, for some information on some problem areas and tips. Ideally, you would like a nice, big, or plump tuber to overwinter. Very thin tubers can be more problematic in terms of remaining hydrated enough to be viable when you plant in the spring. Having said that, certain dahlia varieties simply grow long, thinner tubers than others. So, for varieties that seem to have this longer, thinner dahlia shape, I will suggest you cut and save more than you think you want, and also consider saving a 1/2 clump or 1/4 clump rather than an individual tuber. Next up for problem areas: what to do about a tuber that has some “rot” for lack of a more specific term. Suppose you find a great looking tuber with a great looking eye, but you see a black or dark brown patch on the other end of the tuber, or you find a mushy spot along the tuber. What do you do? Take out your clippers again and cut it off or cut it out. If you find, in cutting, that the gunk is still visible further into the tuber, keep cutting until the tuber looks cleaned of this discolored or mushy material. If you do not remove these parts, they will likely continue to rot and cause decay of your tuber over the winter. If you find you have to remove more than 1/2 to 1/3 of the tuber, I would look to choose another tuber.

The brown “rot” on this tuber has to go. Cut it off or cut it out so you have clean surfaces going into storage.

Once I have the tubers I want to keep separated from the rest, I do a final cleaning. I dip the tuber in water, use a very soft bristled toothbrush to very, very gently brush down the tuber not across so as to try to clean without breaking the skin on the outside of the tuber. At this point, some growers dip the tuber in a liquid solution of a fungicide. Others recommend a gentle “shake in a bag method” of putting the tuber in a bag of perlite and sulphur, with the latter also acting as a fungicide. Doing so is up to you.

Drying prior to storage is important, and that is what comes next. When the tubers are allowed to dry, the skin hardens and this helps maintain moisture in the tuber over the winter. Place your dahlia tubers in a clean, dry, location. Do not place your tubers directly on your garage floor, or other cement surface, since cement will pull moisture away from the tubers. Let your tubers dry for 2 to 4 days, and check to make sure that they are drying on all sides. you might have to roll them over so they dry evenly.

In a couple of days, stop back for the final post on storage methods for your beautifully-divided tubers. Congratulations, I knew you could do it!

Digging Dahlias for winter storage - post number 2 in a 4 part series

To help readers with storage of their favorite dahlias, I am creating a series of posts on digging, dividing and storing dahlias for the winter. The first post of a few weeks ago let you in on what you needed to know to prepare to overwinter your dahlia tubers. Now, that you are ready, it is time to really get down to business.

As noted in the previous post, it is best to wait about two weeks after your killing frost to begin digging dahlia tubers. Some gardeners prefer to use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil under the tuber and lift. I, in my “plow ahead” style simply pull out my trusty “shovel” and begin digging. Well, it is not quite that simple… one of the things you must know is that your dahlia was not only producing a ton of blooms for you to enjoy above ground, but was also putting in quite a bit of work in creating a bunch of tubers underground. While you might have planted a single tuber, which looked anything from a fingerling potato to an unusual sweet potato, you will likely find, when you dig, a sizable “clump” of tubers, perhaps 12” to 18” in diameter. SO (note this part well) when you put your shovel to the ground, be sure to dig at least 9”, and maybe more, away from the old stems. Chances are, the tubers now extend this far out in every direction. Dig a bit on one side. Then dig a bit on another side. Dig around until you can loosen the clump from the soil and lift it up from underneath with your shovel. Next, flex your muscles a bit, and prepare to lift your dahlia clump with a bit of soil.

Two clumps of dahlia tubers just dug and hose-washed. Central stalks have been cut back.

What next? It’s time to find the hose! I spray down the tuber clumps with hose water on a gentle jet/spray. I want to rinse the soil off, but not damage the soft out skin surrounding the tubers. If you look closely at the area near the cut stalks, you might see some very small bumps, which appear to be raised, and slightly darker in color than the surrounding plant material. These are the eyes of the tuber. Not every tuber has eyes. You want to store tubers that do have eyes since these will be the new shoots for your next year’s plant. Stay tuned for dividing information in my next post. Because I dig so many dahlias each year, I often do not divide immediately after digging. I used to store the entire clump of tubers and either plant the entire clump the following spring, or do my dividing in the spring. I now prefer to divide tuber clumps in the fall, partly because I have a bit (not much) more time in the fall to do this task than I do in the spring, and partly because the eyes are easier for me to see in the fall.

Dahlia care for the winter - STEP 1 of 4 - the first of several blog posts describing what to do and when to do it

So many of you wonderful flower followers have asked for help with overwintering your own dahlias. A workshop is a bit tricky because Dahlia digging, dividing, and storing is a multistep process, which takes a bit of time because you must wait a bit in between each step. Basically, you can break down the process as I just described, into digging, dividing and storing PLUS PREP WORK, DESCRIBED BELOW.

This is the first of 4 blog posts to help you through the process. Check back for 3 more blog posts in the near future to read about STEPS 2 through 4.

PREP WORK STEPS – 1 - wait for frost.  For most of you this might have already happened. Here, at Butternut Gardens, the night of October 18/morning of October 19 was our first frost date. By later in the day on the 19th, many of the dahlia leaves had turned black. While some of the flowers still looked pretty “normal” (and many definitely looked bad) the season was done. A few days later, we had another frost, leaving all visible parts of the plants definitely looking like their season was over.  If you have not yet had this happen to your plants, i.e. you have not yet had frost, be patient, as it will happen sooner than later.

2 – Make a note of this frost date. Once you have frost and your plants look as described above, you may cut back the stems to about a 6” height, but leave the underground tubers alone.

3 – Wait about 2 weeks and do nothing more to the plants. For me, for 2018, this means waiting until November 1st. During this waiting period, get together some supplies. For dividing your tubers you will need hand held pruning shears at a minimum. Other tools that have been employed in dahlia dividing operations range from pvc pipe cutters to hack saws to butcher knives and the likes. Tubers can be clumped together and very thick, making it difficult to cut through the individual tubers. I have used many cutting tools, but usually go back to my trusty Felco brand pruners, which I use for all manner of operations related to flower farming. I don’t need every single viable tuber, so some, admittedly, are sacrificed in my less than perfect dividing method. Aside from a cutting tool or tools you will need supplies for storing your dahlias. You have several choices. I have stored dahlias in moist peat moss or moist pet shavings. I use the clear shavings not the cedar shavings. An alternative to these items is clear cling wrap from your kitchen. I have used this storage material with equally good results as the moist shavings or peat moss. I have not used vermiculite, but I know others have successfully stored dahlias in it as well. You will also need to label your dahlias. You can either do this by writing on your saved tubers with permanent marker or permanent wetable pencil. I no longer label every saved tuber. I do, however, make sure to label groups of like tubers in one way or another. Permanent marker on blue painter’s tape works well. If I am wrapping in clear cling wrap, I put additional wrap around a group of individually wrapped tubers, and then put the tape on this package and write the dahlia name on the tape. If I am using peat moss or pet shavings, I often package them in packing paper (newsprint paper without ink on it), wrap the blue painter’s tape around the package and, again, use the permanent marker to label the tuber package. So, now is the time to determine which method or methods you want to use, and gather cling wrap, peat moss, and/or pet shavings, painter’s tape and permanent markers. In addition, you will need to put your tuber packages into a container of some sort. I use cardboard boxes. I want the tubers to be in box so they do not receive any light during this storage period. I use cardboard so there is some airflow. Having said this, I know some people annually store their dahlias in black plastic garbage bags with no problems at all.

4 – Consider where you will store your dahlias. Your ideal storage location will remain at a temperature between 40 and 50 degrees until you are ready to plant out next spring. A basement often works, but not a finished basement, which is heated. The space under a Bilco doorway works for some, but for others this space becomes too cold. Garages can be good, but not if the temperature goes below freezing. Some people combat freezing temperatures by surrounding their tuber packages with vermiculite or other material, which can act to insulate against the cold. Newspaper can insulate to a certain extent as well. How do you know if your garage freezes? Leave some water in a container. Keep it closed or covered so a small animal cannot get stuck in it. If the water freezes even a little bit, it is too cold for your tubers. Dahlia tubers are not able to withstand freezing temperatures.

 So, that’s it for now. Cut your plants back. Gather your supplies. Wait.

The second set of dahlia tips will be coming in the next few days, so check back here soon.

Thanks for growing these beauties!