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Hi, guys!
Happy Father’s Day to all you great dads! I hope you’re getting some rest and relaxation (no mowing the lawn today — tell them I said so!)
This is my first Father’s Day without my husband and my fourth without my own dad, both of whom helped or inspired me in the garden.
My father, Anthony Pace, grew roses (and romantically clipped bouquets for my mom every weekend during the growing season). He grew figs and planted grapevines in our small Queens, NY, backyard, too, and tended never-ending crops of juicy tomatoes, hot peppers, eggplants, zucchini, herbs and — my favorite — cucuzza squash that grew taller than me. He also grew pussy willows and a “silver dollar” plant. Both fascinated me as a child — and still do.
His garden instilled in me an interest in gardening, which grew into love, although admittedly, it took many years.
As an adult in my own garden, I knew what, how and when to prune, so most of the time, I was the one wielding the hand saw and pruners. It was my husband, John, however, who always cleaned up behind me, allowing me to leave piles on the ground as I worked (and duck into the house when I was finished). He also dug the deep holes. That’s something I always appreciated and sorely miss, among so many other things, this Father’s Day.
If you’re a dad, remember that your hauling, digging, planting, pruning and harvesting are so appreciated by your loved ones, and your hard work will yield fond, lasting memories.
And if you have a gardening dad, tell him how much his example has impacted you. It’ll likely be the best gift he receives today.
📬 Ask Jessica
DEAR JESSICA: When you wrote about starting plants indoors, you said not to use regular potting soil. I had already started my dahlias in that soil but got bugs (as you said). Please tell me what to use for next year as I plan to start them indoors next March. — Susan Lohrer Evangelista, New York
DEAR SUSAN: I’m sorry your dahlias got infested. My advice actually was not to use garden soil. It’s too heavy and dense for tender seedlings and can harbor diseases, insects, or eggs. Ordinary potting mix is not ideal for seed starting. Instead, I recommend a sterile blend specially formulated for seed starting.
Dahlias start as tubers, however, not seeds, and new growth emerges from above the soil, so ordinary peat-free potting mix is ideal for them.
I suspect fungus gnats were the source of your infestation. Bagged potting mix sometimes harbors them, unfortunately.
Next year, start your dahlias indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in your area, planting them vertically in large pots with their necks fully exposed.
When eyes develop, begin watering and place them under grow lights or by your sunniest window.
Keep an eye on the main shoot, and when it reaches about 4 inches in height, pinch or snip off the tip down to the uppermost set of leaves and remove all but the five sturdiest shoots that have emerged from the tuber. These measures will encourage plants to grow stronger, bushier and produce more blooms.
When the danger of frost has passed, bury tubers outdoors with only the new growth exposed.
Good luck!
💡 If you do one thing this week…
Rinse your berries in a water-vinegar solution. I don’t measure: Sometimes, I add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to a bowl of water; sometimes, I fill the bowl with half vinegar, half water. Works either way.
Then line a bowl with a paper towel to absorb excess water and place it in the refrigerator.
You’ll be amazed at how long they last without getting moldy. I’ve had raspberries — probably the most tender of all — last more than a week. Blueberries have lasted more than 2 weeks for me without any issues.
This works for store-bought as well as homegrown strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and any other berries you need to store.
👏 Sunday shoutout
Reader Linda Santorello sent photos of her Black Krim tomato, peas and beets taken after a storm. “The veggies live the raindrops,” she mused.
Send in your photo, and you could be featured next (bonus points if you’re in the photo!)
📰This week in my Associated Press gardening column
I write a weekly gardening column for the AP, so you might have seen my byline in your local paper (or news website) — wherever in the world you happen to be. In case you miss it, though, I’ll post the most recent here every week.
Last week: Your garden doesn’t like wildlife smoke and ash, either. Here’s how to help it.
Before that: June is rhubarb picking time, so pucker up! Here’s how to grow the strange fruit.
A week prior: Tips for planting a container like the pros do.
You can read all my AP gardening columns here.
📚📺🎵 Random things I enjoyed this week
📺 I finished the final season of Manifest on Netflix and was so glad that everything wrapped up nicely with no loose ends. What a wild ride!
🎵 I’ve been listening to Milky Chance’s new album, Living in a Haze, on repeat. It’s excellent music to garden by.
DROP YOUR FAVORITE song to listen to while gardening in the COMMENTS, and I’ll compile them into a playlist and share it here.
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I’m a freelance writer who juggles various gigs to piece together a living. I spend hours every week writing The Weekly Dirt, answering your questions and sharing advice to help you achieve the garden of your dreams, so this, too, needs to be part of my livelihood. If you work for a paycheck, I’m sure you’ll agree.
I considered putting it behind paywall and charging a subscription fee, but although I am reserving that as a last resort, I’d rather not go that route because I understand that not everyone can afford even a nominal fee, and I genuinely love helping people garden better.
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📧 How’m I doing?
I welcome your comments and suggestions, so please send them along — as well as any topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like answered in the Ask Jessica section.
Hello Jessica. I have been reading your column since I came across it a few months ago. I enjoy reading it on Sunday it very helpful. I also like that you include some of your personal feelings and interests along with all the information. I have a question… I live in Lake Grove and have a very small lawn area on the side of my house bordered by my flowerbeds. I really would like to get rid of the grass and wonder if I can try to grow clover without digging up the existing grass. It doesn’t have to be perfect; I don’t mind a mix of grass and clover. I have read about white clover and red clover seeds and don’t know if either one would be appropriate to try and grow. Thank you and keep up the good work!