Succulent Pumpkins for the Fall

Posted on October 23, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Finished succulent pumpkin with pods and drieds

Finished peanut pumpkin with succulents and fresh flowers

A Natural Fit-Pumpkins & Succulents

Pumpkins and succulents-a happy pairing! With some glue, moss, succulent cuttings, and an interesting pumpkin, you can create porch decor or a great centerpiece in minutes. These last for months too. And if you have any extra flowers available, you can stick them in to get a quick color burst for a party or event.

Pumpkin decorated with succulents, step by step

Material List

A pumpkin or large gourd
Sheet moss or sphagnum moss
Assorted cuttings of succulents- I was moving most of my succulents indoors to beat the frost, and this gave me the opportunity to trim the growth back. I simply nipped pieces of succulent tips from living plants, trying to vary colors, shapes, and textures
Assorted pods, i.e. pine cones, okra pods, lotus pods, milk weed pods, and berries. For one of my examples, I used nandina berries and foliage which dries quite nicely, and okra pods
Fresh Flowers for a quick change of color
Tacky glue or glue gun
Spritzer for moistening moss
Berries, pods, and foliage to add to the pumpkin

Step By Step

Find a wide topped pumpkin and cut the stem off; I used “Cinderella” variety which has a grayish orange color, deep pleats, and a wide roomy top. For my other example, I used a “peanut pumpkin”(see note below). I think a white or green pumpkin would look fabulous. Also, gourds would be funky too.
Glue moss on top about 1/2 inch thick with a glue gun or tacky glue.
Arrange your succulent cuttings to form a pleasing arranging, making sure that you use the larger chunkier pieces first, and using long pieces to trail around the edges. Stick the stems into the moss with glue so that they adhere. A hot glue gun works best for this.
Add berries, pods, or anything else that goes with the fall theme, gluing in place.
Spritz the moss so that it is moist.

Peanut Pumpkin

Peanut pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima ‘Galeux d’Eysine’) is an heirloom pumpkin known for its distinctive peanut-like growths adorning the exterior of its pink hued rind. The “peanuts” are actually a buildup of excess sugar in the flesh of the pumpkin giving it its unique texture. Those warty protuberances tell you the flesh is extra sweet for making pies and other dishes. See some other varieties of pumpkins at Pumpkin Eye Candy.

Peanut pumpkin

Maintenance

It is best to keep the pumpkin outside in the chilly weather when you don’t want to show it off. I keep the decorated pumpkin out during the week on my front porch under cover, and bring it in on the weekends when we are around the house more. Pumpkins need cold weather to stay firm through the season. A warm house will speed up the inevitable decomposition and I want mine to last through Thanksgiving. Sometimes the succulent cuttings even root in the moss and you have more succulents to pot up.

Spritzing the pumpkin

Succulent pumpkin without the berries and pods

More Centerpiece Ideas

For more centerpiece ideas, go to Centerpiece Ideas for Thanksgiving.

Decorated with fresh flowers

Gourd decorated with drieds

Posted in Floral Arranging, Gardening crafts | Tagged decorating with succulents, gourds with succulents, Pumpkin, pumpkin decorations, pumpkin with succulents, Sphagnum, succulent, Succulent plant, succulents, Thanksgiving | 6 Comments

Growing Gourdzilla Champion Pumpkins

Posted on October 19, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Seen at a local nursery, Valley View Farms

The Growing

Growing titanic orbs or gourds is a competitive cut throat sport. Less than 20 years ago, the heaviest (official) pumpkin weighed a mere 403 pounds. Now in 2016 the one ton mark has been surpassed. That is a lot of pumpkin, not to mention how do you move one that size?? With a fork lift and pickup truck at the very least, so this is not something that any home grower can do without a lot of help.

From Dill’s Farm with permission

But thousands of hopeful growers are hauling their giant squashes into farm and county fairs in search of that coveted blue ribbon for the heaviest pumpkin. Some of the mammoth pumpkins weigh as much as a compact car! The current world-record pumpkin weighed in at 2,323 lb and was grown by Beni Meier of Switzerland in 2014, authenticated by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) in Ludwigsburg, listed on Guinness World Records.

A blue ribbon winner from Dill's Atlantic Giant with peremission

A blue ribbon winner from Dill’s Atlantic Giant with permission

Champion pumpkin growers have their own methods and secrets that they guard closely in hopes of breaking the record books one more time. Because now big cash prizes are attached to those blue ribbons.

Imagine moving something this size!

Start Right-Good Genetics

The most important step in growing a champion is getting the right seeds and these aren’t available at just any seed packet display. High pedigree hybrid seeds are necessary which are bought and sold between serious growers, and can cost from $10 to $100 or more per seed. Dill’s Atlantic Giant is the granddaddy of most giant pumpkins, which is available from Dill’s Farm in Nova Scotia. Dills’ Farm is the home and farm of the late Howard Dill, developer of the “Dill’s Atlantic Giant”, the World’s Largest Pumpkin Variety. Three hundred to 500-pound specimens are routinely grown with this variety, but there is a lot of TLC that goes into the making of a champion.

Dills’ Farm even has a Pumpkin Regatta! With permission from Dill’s Farm

According to Dill’s Giant Pumpkin website,

“DILL’S ATLANTIC GIANT is the grand-daddy of all giant pumpkins. The present day record, for this variety is an amazing 2009 lbs (913 kg) and it is common for the variety to produce 400- 500 pound (180-230 kg) fruit consistently. Used mainly for fall fairs and International pumpkin competitions that are becoming increasingly more popular around the world. Also perfect for huge jack o’lanterns and fall displays! Fruit colours, vary from yellow to orange and the skin is slightly rough. Days to maturity-130.”

Pumpkin in field at Dill’s Farm in Nova Scotia, used with permission

Obtaining the proper seeds is truly the “secret” to growing huge pumpkins and are available at specialty companies and growers such as Dill’s Farm, and on Ebay.

Squash blossom being pollinated by a bee

Pumpkin blossom being pollinated by a bee

Work, Work, and More Work to Produce a Champion

This is an endeavor that starts not in the spring, but in the fall preceding planting your pumpkin. Ground preparation with lots of organic material tilled under begins when the leaves start to turn. Full sun with a minimum of 400 square feet is essential and forget about taking a vacation while the pumpkins are growing, because the plant requires constant tending. This is not simple thing. Among the tasks confronting a serious grower is daily pruning, removing excess pumpkins, pollinating, rotating the gourd, watering, fertilizing, setting up a temporary cold frame over tender plants, soaking and filing the seeds for better germination, applying fungicides and pesticides, and the list goes on and on. Not for the typical sunny day gardener!

There are all types of pumpkins

Splitsville, Oh No!

The pumpkin can gain 20 to 40 pounds a day during high summer. And that puts stress on the stem and the biggest calamity of all, splits! Once a fissure or rupture has occurred, the grower might as well hang it up and hope that he has another vine to fall back on. Literally, the grower devotes a whole year of his/her life to this endeavor and the day the pumpkin develops a fatal split, he has to wait until next year to start all over again.

A whale of a pumpkin seen at Valley View Farms

It’s Expensive

You can sink a lot of money into this highly competitive sport – from foliar nutrients, specialized sprinklers, beneficial soil inoculants, miniature cold frames, and other tools to help you grow that record breaker. And once you have a mammoth sitting in your garden, then you have to harvest it and it isn’t just a matter of cutting the stem and bringing the pumpkin into the house. There is a company that markets giant pumpkin lifting rings or slings for “lifting the gold” that can run up to $400. This is not a cheap hobby. However, to buy a ready-made giant can set you back at least $500(see below). My best guess on weight for this is around 900- 1000 pounds. I wonder if they deliver?

I saw this giant pumpkin, weight unknown, at Terrain for $500

Final Reward-Winning a Blue Ribbon

But if you are successful at fighting back the weeds, insects, and splits that can attack at any point, you can enter at one of the many pumpkin contests around the country and take home a prize of thousands of dollars. Considering the many problems and uncertainties that can strike without warning (think hail storm!), I think I will settle for carving or decorating pumpkins. See my post on embellishing pumpkins at Pumpkin Treats.

Angry Pumpkin

I will stick to decorating pumpkins

Posted in Garden Oddities, gardening, vegetable gardening | Tagged carving pumpkins, champion pumpkins, Circleville Pumpkin Show, Dills Farm, Dills Giant pumpkins, giant gourds, Giant pumpkin, giant pumpkins, pumpkin growing, pumpkin lifting rings, record breaking pumpkins, splitting pumpkins, titanic orbs | 2 Comments

Pesticide Free Nurseries and Seed Companies

Posted on October 12, 2016 by thegardendiaries

After picking out dead honeybees from a honeycomb frame recently, I pledged to use only plants that are neonic free. Neonics or neonicitonoids have been implicated in recent bee declines as well as other factors, such as loss of habitat and the bee parasite- the varroa mite. There are a number of studies that have conflicting findings and beekeepers aren’t convinced that there is a number one cause. See this article at The Huffington Post and you will be even more unsure what to believe. But I think that limiting the use of neonics will help.

Many gardeners have contacted me who say they are no longer buying plants from regular retail nurseries and seed companies because there is no way to tell if the pollinator-attracting plants they are purchasing have been treated with Neonicotinoids/imidacloprid, etc. As a beekeeper, I am interested in keeping my property free of these systemic pesticides.

673-2

Honeybees bring back pollen to the hive from flowers that could be contaminated with neonics

Plant Nurseries that don’t use Neonics

Some are wholesale and some are retail; the wholesale ones sell to your local nurseries

Annie’s Annuals – CA

Arrowhead Alpines – WI

Behnkes Nursery – MD, If the plant is listed as Pollinator Friendly, it hasn’t been treated with neonics

Bluestone Perennials – OH

Brushwood Vines – GA

Dancing Oaks – OR

Dawn’s Wild Things – NY

Digging Dog – CA

EcoTulips – VA

Edible Landscaping – VA

Far Reaches Farm – WA

Fernwood Nursery & Gardens, ME

Forest Farm – OR

Greener Earth Nursery – OR

High Country Gardens – NM/CO

Hostas Direct – MN

Iseli Nursery- OR

Joy Creek Nursery – OR

Lazy S’s Farm Nursery – VA

Mountain Valley Growers – CA

Niche Gardens – NC

Plant Delights-NC

Prairie Moon Nursery – MN

Prairie Nursery – WI

Rolling River Nursery – CA

Santa Rosa Gardens – FL

Select Seeds – CT ,They also sell plants

Streambank Gardens – DE

The Tasteful Garden – AL

Tripple Brook Farm – MA

Valley View Farms– MD, Read their policy concerning pesticide use at the link provided

Walters Gardens-MI, this is a wholesale nursery that provides a lot of Proven Winners Plants

Xera Plants – OR

Big Box

Lowe’s garden stores and BJ’s Wholesale Club have agreed to phase out all neonic-treated products on their shelves. Home Depot has asked its suppliers to label any plants treated with neonics. Many local garden stores are doing the same.

This is where it all starts-Monarchs mating

Neonics affect all insects, not just honeybees

Should you boycott nurseries that use neonicotinoids?

No! Many trees, conifers, ornamental grasses, ferns, and other plants provide habitat and tremendous wildlife value and don’t attract pollinators. There is no need to throw out the diverse array of plants available from these nurseries.

Every certified backyard habitat has a variety of plants-pollinator attracting ones and evergreens that shelter animals

Neonics aren’t all bad. The application process is safe in comparison to spraying of the old organic phosphate chemicals. Neonicotinoids are watered in and taken up by the plants roots to treat the plant internally, so when they are applied correctly, there is less potential for agricultural workers to be exposed to harmful chemicals, plus less residue left externally. For a great article disputing that neonics are causing pollinator problems, go to Financial Post. This article says that “Neonics are a minor issue for bee health and the continued false allegations are pulling resources away from stopping the real threat” and that according to an apiculture scientist there are three top reasons for bee colony death and they are “varroa mites, varroa mites, and varroa mites”. These tiny parasite like ticks suck the blood from bees and they can weaken the entire hive.

Pollen is collected from flowers and carried by the bee to the hive

Pollen is the problem with neonics. When plants treated with a neonicotinoid produce flowers and pollen, the pesticide is contained within the pollen and bees bring it home to their hive, where even small amounts can build up over time into a concentration that weakens or kills the hive.

Bumblebees are affected by neonics like honeybees

Many nursery owners who use neonics say they take precautions by not applying them when the plant is in bloom.Though growers who use neonics say they take these precautions, the chemical is still carried through the entire plant system-enough to harm honeybees.

Some seed companies that don’t use neonics

Seed Companies that don’t use Neonics

Adaptive Seed
All Good Things Organic Seeds
Annie’s Heirloom Seeds
Baker Creek
Blue River Hybrids
Botanical Interests
Burpee
Denali Seed Company
Fedco
Goodwin Creek Gardens
Grow Organic
Gurney’s Seed Nursery Co
Harris Seeds
High Mowing Seeds
Horizon Herbs
Hudson Valley Seed Library
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Maine Potato Lady
Native Seeds
Northeast Seeds
Peaceful Valley
Pinetree Seeds
Renee’s Garden
Seed Savers
Southern Exposure
Sustainable Seed Company
Territorial Seed

Other plant sources that are usually safe

Local native plant sales (ask to be 100% sure). Local farmer’s markets ( many growers are not organic and so it is important to ask). If you shop at big box stores and aren’t sure where the plants come from, the grower’s label is usually applied to the pot.

Where Can I Find More Information?

So much has been written on this subject and here is some further reading:Xerces Society

Buying Bee-Friendly Plants

How Your Bee-Friendly Garden May Actually be Killing Bees

A Native Bee Rancher

Beyond Pesticides

Home Depot to Label Neonics

Posted in Plant shopping, Pollination | Tagged harming honeybee, neonics, pesticide free nursery, pesticide free seeds | 11 Comments

Dried Flowers 101

Posted on October 3, 2016 by thegardendiaries

After each growing season in my garden, I assess what I grew, making up a wish list of new things to grow for next year. Planning what new varieties to try is half the fun of gardening! But this time I am going back to growing some old varieties that have fallen out of fashion that I haven’t grown for years, and these include everlastings or dried flowers.

Steely blue Sea Hollies come in all sizes; these seen in Oregon

A larger variety of Sea Holly

Air drying flowers or everlastings is simple and a great way to preserve your flower harvest for months to come. Knowing the correct varieties that dry well is key to successfully drying your blooms. I have dried flowers on and off for years; this was in vogue in the 70’s and 80’s and I have noticed a resurgence of interest, but people aren’t sure about which flowers are suitable.

A small colorful dried arrangement

After a recent visit to Priorwood Gardens in Scotland which is known for their dried flower culture and gardens, I was inspired to try this old craft again. Priorwood is a specialist center for the craft of dried flower arranging and has a dedicated drying room.

Priorwood Gardens in Scotland has dried flowers from their gardens for centuries

Priorwood Gardens in Scotland has had dried flowers from their gardens for centuries

A delightful historic walled garden in the Scottish Borders in Melrose, Priorwood is a rustic walled garden where the plants grown are selected for their suitability for drying. Maintained by the National Trust for Scotland, Priorwood is a delight to visit to learn about drying varieties and methods.

The shop at Priorwood Gardens is decorated with drieds

Priorwood Gardens entrance

Brimming with old-fashioned flowers such as Strawflowers, Teasels, Cardoon, Ammobium, Statice, Love in a Mist, Pearly Everlasting, and Yarrow, I walked the pathways identifying the ones that I recognized.

A large swath of white Pearly Everlasting at Priorwood Gardens

Yarrow is an outstanding dried flower; the rose color will fade to a light pink

If you are an Outlander fan, I visited Claire’s herb garden in Culross, Scotland where many drieds and herbs are grown also. In the Outlander show Claire walks the pathways gathering medicinal herbs for preserving in her medical practice in 18th century Scotland. Most flowers are fleeting but preserving them by drying extends the beauty and usefulness of them.

Culross Palace in Scotland is the location of Claire’s Outlander herb garden; here Teasels are shown

Claire’s Outlander herb garden is neatly divided by gravel pathways

Culross Palace gardens

Rose Hips dry beautifully

Poppy seed heads dry perfectly

Dried flower arrangements last for months

Steps to Perfect Dried Flowers

Choose flowers that are not completely open as they will continue to open through the drying process.
Cut flowers in the morning, after the dew has dried using sharp sheers.
Strip off all foliage.
Group flowers into small bundles and gather together with rubber bands. This allows the rubber band to contract and not lose its grip as the stems shrink.
Hang upside down in a cool, dark, dry, indoor spot where air can circulate.
When flowers are done drying, they will feel dry and stiff to the touch. This may take several days or several weeks, depending on conditions and the type of flowers.

Hanging bunches of flower upside down to dry

Claire’s Outlander garden in Culross, Scotland, where many herbs and dried flowers are grown

Strawflower

Strawflower

Strawflower

Everlastings to grow for drying
- Sea Holly(Eryngium ) – perennial
- Winged Everlasting (Ammobium alatum) – annual
- Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) – perennial (seed pods)
- Artemesia – perennial
- Hydrangea- perennial
- Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) – annual or perennial
- Sweet Annie (Artemesia annua) – perennial
- Cockscomb (Celosia cristata) – annual
- Bells-Of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) – annual
- Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena) – annual (primarily the seed pods)
- Money Plant or Honesty (Lunaria annua) – biennial
- Yarrow(Achillea spp.) – perennial – perennial
- Strawflowers (Helichrysum bracteatum) – annual
- Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) – annual; go to Plant Geek Alert
- Statice(Limonium spp.) – perennial and annual
- Bachelor’s Buttons or Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) – annual
- Lavender (Lavandula spp.) – perennial
- Roses (Rosa spp.) – perennial/shrub, flowers and hips (fruit)
- Peony-perennial
- Tansy-perennial
  
  Bachelors Buttons
  
  Nigella or Love in the mist is grown for its seed pods
  
  Statice for sale at Farmers market in Germany

Ammobium is a wonderful dried, easy to grow, and dries exactly as it looks

Tansy flowers are button like orbs that have brown edges as they age

Wait until hydrangea blooms turn leathery to the touch and then put them into a vase of water and keep there until all the water is gone

Bunch up your lavender bundles with rubber bands and hang to dry

Posted in Dried Flowers, Floral Arranging | Tagged air dry flowers, ammobium, bells of Ireland, best drying flowers, Claire's outlander garden, Culross palace, Dried Flowers, dried poppy heads, drying flowers, everlastings, globe amaranth, hanging dried flowers, herb garden, Hydrangea, lavender, love in a mist, outlander herb garden, perfect dried flowers, Poppies, Priorwood gardens, statice, strawflower, strawflowers, sweet annie, tansy, teasels, yarrow | 4 Comments

Little Prince Eggplant

Posted on September 28, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Little Prince Eggplant

I trialed a new eggplant this summer and fell in love with it! Called Little Prince, it produces quantities of glossy three to four inch ovals that are perfect for stir frying or roasting.

Tiny purple eggplant with flower

Little Prince is a very early and highly productive eggplant with a compact habit, making it a great choice for containers or in small gardens. A member of the nightshade family or Solanaceae, a plant family that includes eggplant, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes, the term ‘nightshade‘ may have been coined because some of these plants prefer to grow in shady areas, and some flower at night.

Available at Renees Gardens

Deep purple, egg-shaped fruit should be harvested at baby size-3 to 4 inches, and are delicious roasted or in dips and salads. Thornless leaves and calyxes allow for painless harvesting and makes Little Prince child-friendly, too. Plants will continue to produce fruit throughout the entire season.

The eggplants hang in clusters

There are lots of different types of eggplants to grow

Still susceptible to flea beetles which can decimate the leaves, older eggplants can sail through this but young plants will usually die from the effects.

Flea Beetles

Flea beetles, tiny black insects that pepper the leaves of eggplants with holes can be a problem. A good control is using yellow or white sticky traps around your eggplants to catch the flea beetles. Give the eggplant a gentle shake- the flea beetles will jump off and land on the sticky paper squares. Place several of these around your eggplant for a good trapping system. Praying Mantis take care of flea beetles on my eggplants. It is interesting to watch these voracious bug eating machines go after them.

Praying Mantis on eggplant

Posted in gardening, vegetable gardening | Tagged eggplant, eggplant growing, flea beetle controls, flea beetles, growing container eggplants, little prince eggplant, praying mantis, renees gardens | 3 Comments

Some Like It Hot-Tomatoes Do Not!

Posted on September 9, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Every gardener that I talk to in the mid-Atlantic region is singing the same refrain “This has been the worst year for tomatoes that I can remember”. I second that!

A pitiful tomato plant in September

Heat and humidity has hit us hard with extended periods of over 95 degree weather and the tomatoes are hating it. Climate change? Yes, the last month of July 2016 was the hottest on record according to NOAA dating back to when record keeping started in 1880. The average temperature for the globe was 0.87 degrees Celsius above the 20th century average. Go to State of the Climate from NOAA to see the statistics. There were 15 days of record-breaking heat in July. This is not good news for Tomato Central, the Mid-Atlantic region where I live.

From NOAA

According to Bonnie Plants, “Sizzling summer temperatures can bring your previously productive tomato plants to a screeching halt. When days hit 85°F to 90°F and nights hover above 75°F, tomato flowers often fail to pollinate, then drop — which in turn puts new fruit production on hold. The longer the heat lasts, the longer those tomato flowers will continue to hit the pause button. In short, hot weather can delay your tomato crop”. Tomatoes do not need bees to pollinate. They are wind-pollinated.

Tomatoes are mostly wind pollinated but benefit from insect pollination too

I am usually canning like crazy and making tomato sauce but that hasn’t happened this summer. I had a few times where I picked a large basket of tomatoes, but nothing like previous years when my kitchen counters are groaning under the weight of ripening tomatoes with my 20+ plants.

I am usually making sauce and canning tomatoes this time of year

Canning up a storm

Tomato plants thrive in balmy sunny summer weather, but overly high temperatures stress the plant and slow production. Prolonged temperatures above 95 degrees cause water stress, fruit damage from sun scald and slow ripening. One of the few bright spots were my dwarf tomatoes that seemed to hold up better than the full size ones. I had two dwarfs that sizzled, but four of them did very well. Check out my post on Dwarf Tomatoes. I will be planting more dwarfs next year. Taking much less room and easier to care for, I really enjoyed growing these for the smaller plants but full-sized tomatoes.

Dwarf Mr Snow

Dwarf Fred’s Tie Dye Tomato is a beauty

I kept a good straw mulch on the ground on my tomatoes; This one is Dwarf Mr Snow which produced like gangbusters

So, what is a gardener to do?

Plant heat tolerant varieties like Heatmaster, Solar Fire, Summer Set, Florida 91, and Phoenix. These set fruit even when the heat climbs up to code red days.
Mulch, mulch, mulch-This keeps the soil cooler by insulating the ground.
Keep some shade on the tomatoes, especially in the scorching afternoon. Shade cloth covering row cover hoops works well.
Stop fertilizing so the plant is not putting all its strength into new growth when stressed.
Water-Any plant can handle heat better if it is well watered.
Pick early and often. When temps consistently hit the 95-degree range, tomatoes tend to stop producing red pigments, which means typically red fruits may instead ripen to orange. I had this problem. I thought that I made a mistake and planted all orange tomatoes. Fruit left on plants may have some color on the outside, but may still be green inside. Pick any fruit already showing hints of ripe color and allow it to finish ripening indoors.

This is the stage that I am picking them-showing some color

Tomato diseases hit hard when plants are stressed

My strategy? I definitely will be on the lookout for the heat tolerant varieties next year. I already mulch and we had plenty of rain and my tomatoes have afternoon shade from a large tree. I am hoping for a cooler summer to continue enjoying my tomato sandwiches.

I want my tomatoes to look like this, nice and ripe

But I want to hear from my readers? How have your tomatoes been this year? Please let me know!

Posted in gardening, vegetable gardening | Tagged dwarf tomatoes, growing tomatoes in heat, growing tomatoes in hot weather, heat tolerant tomatoes, hot tomatoes, mr snow tomato, mulching tomatoes, tie dye tomato, tomato diseases, tomato shade, tomatoes | 3 Comments

The Monarch Diaries-Adult (Part 3)

Posted on September 8, 2016 by thegardendiaries

A just released Monarch hanging out

My three part series on raising Monarchs.

Preparations for Pupating

Prior to pupating, the cats go on “walk-about”, trying to find the perfect spot to make their chrysalis. In the wild, they can travel up to 15 to 20 feet away in their search. Found in some odd places, the chrysalis might be on fences, flower pots, window ledges, benches, bird houses, siding- just about any structure in your yard or house.

Yes, this caterpillar is searching for a spot to pupate

Yes, this caterpillar has found a place to pupate and is making a silk “button” to hang from

After crawling around the caterpillar finds the perfect spot to form their silken button that attaches to hang in their prepupal “J”, prior to their last molting. The silk comes from the spinneret on the bottom of the head. After shedding its skin for the last time, the caterpillar stabs a stem into the silk pad to hang. This stem extends from its rear end, called the Cremaster. The beautiful gold dots that adorn the chrysalis are not known to have a function.

The Cremaster is black and attaches the pupae to the structure. The pupae on the left was just formed and is still soft, the one on the right has hardened

For the last skin shed, the caterpillar makes it chrysalis and goes through the “pupa dance”, a process that only takes 3 minutes or less.

Relocating a Chrysalis

Sometimes the cats make a chrysalis in a place that isn’t safe, like on the Milkweed branch that they are eating. In a matter of days when the chrysalis completes the cycle, the Milkweed branch is dead and not sturdy enough to hold the chrysalis. Happening several times in my tomato tower, I relocated the chrysalis using some dental floss. Tying the dental floss around the black Cremaster, I relocated the chrysalis to hang at the top of the enclosure.

Tying a knot around the stem or Cremaster and moving the chrysalis to a sturdy structure enabled this chyrsalis to transform

Tying a knot around the stem or Cremaster and moving the chrysalis to a sturdy structure enabled this chrysalis to transform normally

Using dental floss to hang a chrysalis

For more information about relocating chrysalises, go to Shady Oak Butterfly Farm. Just remember that you must hang the chrysalis so that it will form normally.

Prior to making a chrysalis, the caterpillar hangs in "J" and the antanae

Prior to making a chrysalis, the caterpillar hangs in “J” and the antennae go limp; This one made a chrysalis on a Milkweed branch and I had to move it

Eclosure

To witness Eclosure, the moments surrounding a butterfly’s emergence from its chrysalis, is magical, no matter how many times you observe it. The only way to do that is to have the chrysalis in captivity, where you can monitor its progress and not miss the miracle of metamorphosis. It is extremely hard to catch this happening in the wild as once it occurs, it only takes about 3 minutes from start to finish.

I missed this one happening. But it still was clinging to the chrysalis, so it just occurred minutes ago

Eclosure normally occurs in mid-morning. You will notice the chrysalis darken after about nine days (typical of females) or ten days (typical of males), right before the butterfly emerges. Immediately prior to this, the chrysalis darkens to almost black. Bright orange wings begin to show through the chrysalis covering.

For a great image of the Monarch chrysalis as it ages and changes color, go to Spica’s World.

Eclosure is close when the chrysalis turns transparent

Eclosure is close when the chrysalis turns dark and you can see the coloration of the butterfly wings

The excitement builds as you watch and wait for the butterfly to emerge. Typically in early-to mid-morning, the chrysalis’s transparent skin cracks around the head at the bottom. The butterfly pushes it open and drops its abdomen down, still clinging with its legs to the empty shell.

When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, it has stubby little wings and a plump body. Fluid from the body pumps into the wings, expanding them to full size in a few minutes. After the wings have fully expanded, the butterfly discharges waste products that have built up during its dormant period. A couple of hours later the wings are dry enough for the butterfly to take its first flight, usually a short one to the nearest tree. As a fully grown adult, it is now ready to mate and to spawn a new generation. You can tell the sex at this time very easily.

A male Monarch with black dots on his wing which contain pheromone sacs that drive the females crazy!

Releasing the butterflies is always bittersweet as this generation that comes of age in September is most likely going to make it to California or Mexico for over-wintering. They have a long journey ahead of them. For more information about their journey, go to The Monarch Diaries, Part 1.

Three Monarchs who just emerged and will be released

One of my just released Monarchs clinging on to my hair

One of my just released Monarchs clinging to my hair

If you are interested in learning to tag Monarchs, go to The Butterfly Farm.

Learning to tag with the Monarch Teaching Network

Next up: Bad Year For Tomatoes

Posted in Insects and butterflies, monarchs | Tagged caterpillar j, cremaster, eclosing, monarch butterflies, monarch butterfly, monarch caterpillar j, monarch emerging, monarch migration, monarch pupating, monarch raising, monarch release, monarchs, prepupal J, pupa dance, raising Monarchs, relocating chrysalis, silk button, tomato tower enclosure, walk about | 1 Comment

The Monarch Diaries-Caterpillar (Part 2)

Posted on September 5, 2016 by thegardendiaries

As the cats get older and plump, they become eating machines

Larval Stage (Caterpillar)

Continued: The Monarch Diaries-Rearing Monarchs from Egg to Adult (Part 2)

Adding fresh Milkweed leaves to the container and cleaning up the gooey frass (poop) is a daily task that only takes a few minutes.

Lots of caterpillars munching away produces a lot of poop!

As the cats grow larger, shedding their skins, I transfer them to a slightly bigger container with fresh leaves. Clear salad mix receptacles that you buy at the grocery store make great containers at this stage.

Baby cats-I cut up the milkweed leaves and place them in a plastic container lined with a paper towel and fresh leaves for them to eat

cats

Milkweed-Eat & Grow

When the cats reach about 3/4″ inch long, I put them in with the “big boys” in the tomato cage tower that is full of several types of freshly cut Milkweed branches stuck into water bottles. To keep my Milkweed from immediately wilting, I use a flower arrangers trick-flaming the cut ends so that the milky sap stops flowing. I use a small propane torch, like one that you would use for creme brulee. A match doesn’t cut it. It just isn’t hot enough to sear the ends to stop the sap which will make the branch wilt.

The Milkweed on the left has not been flamed

Flame the ends of Milkweed with a propane torch to stop it wilting

All it takes to keep your cats happy and healthy is a good supply of milkweed, because that is all that they eat-nothing else! Eat and grow is the primary goal for the caterpillar. The Monarch butterflies nectar on many types of flowers, but the caterpillars eat only Milkweed. There are lots of kinds of Milkweed, but it must be Asclepias, which is the Latin name for Milkweed. Go to Milkweed Guide to see great pictures and descriptions if in doubt. Growing Milkweed around the country to fuel the Monarchs is really vital to the Monarch survival and people are starting to grow it everywhere. Check out Got Milk…….Weed to read some amazing facts about this essential ingredient to raising Monarchs.

Aphids are always on Milkweed leaves and are voracious and reproduce like crazy

Voracious Aphids are always on Milkweed leaves and reproduce like crazy

Milkweed is a source of food for many insects, most notably aphids and Milkweed bugs, which I wash off carefully before bringing inside. I don’t want anything else to be eating my collected Milkweed-just my caterpillars!

Milkweed bugs covering Milkweed seed pods

Instars

Monarchs complete almost all of their growth during the larval stage which lasts from 9 to 14 days, during which time they undergo five larval instars or skin shedding. Before molting, the cat will become very still. If you catch this right after it happens, you can see the skin and then they eat it!

This guy just molted and is getting ready to eat his skin

I try not to handle them at all, especially during this vulnerable stage as the larva spins a silk thread to keep attached to the leaf. From hatching to pupation, monarchs increase their body mass about 2000 times!

By the time they are ready to pupate the caterpillars become these pudgy clown-like eating machines. So, move them to a large enough enclosure so that they can move to a flat surface, stick, or other hard surface to attach their chrysalis which is their last skin molting or instar. I place sticks in my cage to give the cats added surface area for the chrysalis.

I added some sticks to the tower for additional areas to attach a chrysalis

Making a Caterpillar Tower

Tomato cage tower

As soon as I saw this ingenious enclosure at my workshop by The Monarch Teacher Network, made out of a tomato cage, black tulle, and clothes pins, I was hooked. Taking only a few minutes to slap together and tall enough for Milkweed plants, this was a great solution to keeping the cats contained while being able to observe them. Directions are below.

Directions for Monarch Tower

Buy a tomato cage with 4 rings. I used one that measured 14″ in diameter and 27″ from the first to the last ring in length. Cut half the length off of each protruding tine and bend the legs at the base inwards.

Start with a four ring metal tomato cage, a 54″ square of tulle and some clothespins

Take your 54″ square piece of tulle and knot one end and pull that over top of your tomato cage.

Tulle pulled over the cage

Laying the cage on the side, clothes pin the tulle to the bottom ring of the cage pulling it taut. Using needle and thread, overcast stitch the tulle firmly to the bottom ring of the cage. Almost there!

Using clothes pins to fasten the bottom of the tulle, use needle and thread to overcast stitch the tulle firmly to the bottom ring

Overcast stitch the excess tulle to the bottom ring
Using 3 clothes pins, fasten the overlap area of the tulle on the side and place your cage on top of a pizza box base. If you aren’t a pizza lover, cut a piece of cardboard to fit the base.

Use a cardboard base and set your Milkweed into a water bottle
Set up your cage on the base and it is ready to fill with your milkweed plant or cuttings. Tall enough for plants and lots of caterpillars, they will travel to the top when they are ready to pupate. This setup is easy to see through and clean, essential when you have lots of plump cats eating away.

Change out your Milkweed when the caterpillars eat most of it

Disease

I had a few cats die after turning black caused by a bacterial disease. This is upsetting but part of life. I removed these as soon as I spotted them to stop any spread of infection to others. Be sure to clean and rinse your milkweed before using and clean your cage thoroughly every day to increase your caterpillar survival rates. If you notice a caterpillar looking sick, remove it from the others immediately. Once your caterpillar gets sick, there is really nothing that can be done. You can euthanize by placing in a ziploc into the freezer. For more information on caterpillar diseases, go to 7 Common Monarch Diseases.

Blackened caterpillar from disease

Next Up: The Final Journey to An Adult Monarch Butterfly

Posted in gardening, Insects and butterflies, monarchs | Tagged caterpillars, cats, importance of milkweed, instars, making monarch enclosure, making monarch tower, milkweed, milkweed conditioning, monarch butterflies, monarch cage, monarch caterpillars, monarch chrysalis, monarch diseases, monarch enclosure, monarch frass, Monarch instars, monarch larvae, monarch molting, monarch pupa, monarch rasing, Monarch Teacher Network, monarch tower, monarch transformation, monarchs, shedding skin caterpillar | 4 Comments

The Monarch Diaries-Rearing Monarchs Egg to Adult (Part 1)

Posted on August 26, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Monarch on Mexican Sunflower

Incredible Journey

Monarchs always amazed me with their unique migration, over 3000 miles in some cases, which seems an impossible task for such a delicate creature. The only butterfly that makes a two-way trip, Monarchs are unique in the animal kingdom. Unable to survive cold winter temperatures, the Monarch has evolved to make this incredible trek to over-winter in warmer climes, such as Mexico and southern California. Using a combination of thermals and air currents, Monarchs sense when it is time to travel and know where to go even though the migrating generation has never been to the distant over-wintering sites.

Primary Monarch overwintering sites

Map from USDA Forest Service

Monarchs travel along one of three major routes and investigators think that a combination of directional aids such as the magnetic pull of the earth and the position of the sun among others guide them. Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day and it can take up to two months to complete their journey. Traveling only by day, Monarchs roost at night high up in trees to rest before warming up in the sun to continue their journey. A distance of 265 miles in one day is the longest recorded distance of a Monarch! A great website to track the migratory happenings of Monarchs and other animals is Journey North. Citizen Scientists record their observations all over North America to show the movements of animals north in the spring and south in the fall in real-time.

Many teachers include Monarch rearing in their science curriculum in Elementary school but I missed the opportunity in school and wanted to do it myself at home to observe the incredible transformation that these creatures go through. How can such fragile creatures make a 3,000 mile journey to an unknown location and remain there for months, mate and then return to the north to start new progeny?

Several chrysalises hanging in an enclosure at my house

MonarchTeacherNetwork

Monarch rearing has been on my “must try” list for several years and a two-day Monarch workshop put on by MonarchTeacherNetwork got me motivated and ready to go. Milkweed growing, enclosure instructions, Monarch activities and games, healthy practices of raising, and release ceremonies were all covered in simple, easy to follow directions with added field trips to meadows full of Milkweed and a butterfly house. After the intense two-day workshop, I felt fully prepared to set up my own Monarch raising operation at home.

Demonstrating milkweed in water tubes to keep it fresh at Ladew Topiary Gardens with MonarchTeacherNetwork

Showing us how to feed Monarchs JuicyJuice

Different types of Milkweed laden with Monarch eggs were scattered around the room

We each made our own Monarch cage out of tomato cages and tulle

We learned how to make a Monarch enclosure for adult Monarchs also

We learned how to make a Monarch enclosure for adult Monarchs out of 2 embroidery hoops, clothespins, and tulle

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar-We toured the butterfly house at Ladew Topiary Gardens to see other larval stages of butteerflies

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar-We toured the butterfly house at Ladew Topiary Gardens to see other larval stages of butterflies

Practicing tagging Monarchs

We went on a meadow hike at Ladew and I photographed this little guy who just molted his skin

After gathering some eggs from the meadow walk at Ladew I was ready to begin. Start with the eggs!

Egg Stage

This is where it all starts-Monarchs mating

For more information on Monarch Raising, go to Monarch Watch.

The hardest part of raising Monarchs is finding their tiny single creamy-white eggs which are smaller than pin heads. Carrying a portable hand lens on an overcast day makes it a little easier to spot the eggs in the field. If you observe Monarchs swooping in and landing on a Milkweed, there is a good chance that she just laid an egg.

I found this egg on the upper side of a leaf

Monarchs tend to lay their eggs singly on the underside of freshly grown leaves of Milkweed, hidden from predators and directly on their food supply for best survival rates.

Caterpillars are easy to spot with their big bold stripes: the eggs are much harder to spot

The butterfly glues the egg on the leaf surface so that it adheres even through a rain storm, but predators find the eggs a tasty treat. The first egg for me was hard to find, but subsequent ones much easier once I knew what to look for. The likelihood of a Monarch surviving the egg and larval (caterpillar) stages is less than 10% in the wild. For great tips on finding eggs, go to How to Hunt, Gather, and Protect Monarch Eggs . This site gives great information on where, when and how to look.

Smaller than a pin head, eggs can be tough to spot

After locating an egg, I note what type of Milkweed they were attached to and remove the leaf or branch and add it to my “nursery enclosure”, a small plastic container with holes poked in the top. Taking only 3 to 5 days to hatch, watch your eggs carefully as the caterpillar can emerge, eat their egg shell and will move on to fresher leaves pretty quickly. When the top of the eggs turns dark, hatching is imminent.

tiny

Adding some extra Milkweed leaves will keep the tiny caterpillars busy when they hatch. You could also place tulle or pantyhose over the top to keep any wandering minuscule caterpillars inside. Lining the container with a moistened paper towel makes cleanup of the “frass” or black gooey caterpillar poop easy and adds some moisture to their environment. Once inside the house, air conditioning tends to dry the air out for the caterpillars and a light mist from a spray bottle of water helps. I clean out the plastic container every day as the frass can bring in pathogens that can harm the caterpillars.

Itty bitty caterpillar with black head

After the eggs hatch in about 4 days, the tiny caterpillars are no larger than 1/16 of an inch long. They are delicate and easy to overlook as you handle the Milkweed leaves, so move carefully when you are changing out old for fresh leaves.

Next: Part 2-Larval Stage and How to Make a Tomato Cage Enclosure

Posted in Insects and butterflies, monarchs | Tagged finding monarch eggs, milkweed, milkweed bugs, moarchs, monarch butterflies, monarch cage, monarch cages, monarch chrysalis, monarch eggs, monarch enclosures, Monarch instars, Monarch larva, monarch migration, monarch milkweed, monarch raising, monarch rearing, MonarchTeacherNetwork, pupae, raising Monarchs | 3 Comments

Easy Tomato Tart

Posted on August 21, 2016 by thegardendiaries

Dealing with the deluge of delicious tomatoes in August is always a challenge. Recently I served this amazingly simple tomato tart that used up at least 5-8 large tomatoes and got rave reviews. The amount of tomato usage in a recipe is always paramount for me when I am looking at a counter top laden down with ripe ready-to-use tomatoes.

Different tomato varieties

Recipe

2 medium onions caramelized in olive oil

1 package puff pastry, defrosted

1/4 c mayonnaise

5-7 ripe tomatoes, all colors

1 wedge of Cojita cheese crumbled to make 2 cups and some grated cheddar

1 small package of Feta cheese, crumbled

salt, pepper, dried thyme and oregano to taste

cut strips of fresh basil

Caramelize 2 onions in olive oil until brown. Slice 5-8 large tomatoes 3/8″ thick and let drain for about a half hour. Place both pieces of defrosted puff pastry in a jelly roll pan, press firmly. Spread 1/4 cup of mayonnaise on top of the puff pastry along with most of the caramelized onions. Sprinkle cheeses, cojita and cheddar, on top. Overlap tomato slices to cover the entire pan and press lightly into pan. Sprinkle feta cheese, herbs, salt and pepper. Add reserved onions and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool about 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with basil strips.

Here is a step by step version:

Slice two medium onions thinly and slowly saute the slices in olive oil in a saucepan until caramelized. Stir the onions every few minutes to get an even brown color.

P1070293

Defrost a package of puff pastry which should contain 2 sheets. Lay out on a jelly roll pan(cookie sheet with short sides) and press to cover the bottom and side. If you want, you can spray a light mist of cooking spray on the pan first.

Press puff pastry on the bottom and sides of the pan

Spread mayonnaise on top in a thin layer. I didn’t measure this, but it probably was about 1/4 of a cup.

Spread mayo on top thinly

Spread the onion on top of the puff pastry, reserving some for the top.

Spread your caramelized onions on top of the puff pastry

Sprinkle 2 cups of crumbled or grated cheese (I use cojita cheese which crumbles nicely) and cheddar on top the onions.

Sprinkle cheese on top of the onions

Now for the tomatoes. I used different colors of tomatoes and sizes for variety. Slice them about 3/8″ thick and leave them on the cutting board to drain slightly.

Slice your tomatoes

Arrange your tomatoes in the pan, overlapping slightly and press them down lightly.

Overlap the tomatoes covering the entire pan

Sprinkle some more cheese (I used crumbled feta), salt, pepper, and dried thyme and oregano. Add the reserved caramelized onions.

Sprinkle the top with herbs and cheese, and reserved onions

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees until the edges brown. Shredded basil placed on top was the finishing touch. Let cool before cutting. It is also delicious cold.