Articles by Dr. Francis Gouin

Corner-Lot Christmas Trees

How to buy and keep a fresh, fire-safe tree

The best way to purchase a Christmas tree from a corner lot is to buy as soon as the tree lot opens. The longer you wait to purchase that tree, the more water it will lose and the more likely it will become a fire hazard. Even if the corner Christmas tree lot advertises fresh trees delivered weekly, check to see where the trees are grown. A number of Christmas tree farms in Maryland operate corner lots. Often they’ll display pictures of their farms, and their vehicles...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 12/8/11

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

Cutting excursions are fun for the family; plus, fresh-cut Christmas trees are safer and smell better

Until 1970, when I published the first directory of Choose and Cut Christmas trees in Maryland, only two growers in the state were marketing their Christmas trees — with limited success — by inviting people to cut their own. Thinking it was a good idea, I convinced another 10 Christmas tree growers to give it a try. The directory was printed using a mimeograph machine and was distributed to local newspapers and county libraries. The program was so successful that...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 12/1/11

The Bay Gardener’s Thanksgiving

Thanks to my garden, we eat fresh and well all year long

This year’s fall vegetable garden has been a success. From seeds I planted in mid-July, I harvested three pickings of peas as well as two pickings of Crocket snap beans, the best variety I’ve tried yet. Crocket pods are round like a pencil, dark green and grow six or seven inches long. They are sweet and crisp and freeze well. For years I had grown Contender, but I have become a true believer in Crocket. I planted some in the spring and made several harvests, but...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 11/24/11

Jonquils, Daffodils, Narcissus?

Whatever you call them, plant them now for spring blooms

Jonquils, daffodils, narcissus: Which is what? Narcissus and daffodils are one and the same, according to the Encyclopedia of Horticulture, the bible of the horticultural industry. Jonquils, however, are a sub-species of narcissus. Over the years, I have seen people argue over the identification of this species when all the evidence they had to go on was tradition passed on by parents or friends. As for myself, I cannot tell the difference between a...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 11/17/11

Spring Tulip Displays Start Now

If you want big blooms that last more than one season, you’ll need to dig deep

This is bulb-planting time. But if you plant tulips following the package instructions, the plant will reach its full potential only in the first year. That’s because those instructions were written for growing tulips in cooler regions. Here in Southern Maryland, tulip bulbs should be planted at least two inches deeper than recommended by the distributors. Tulips are perennials, but when planted only six inches deep in our soils, they will only flower well the first...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 11/10/11

The Wye Oak Lives

Cloned seedlings on sale now

Seedlings of the Wye Oak are once again offered for sale by Maryland Department of Natural Resources. I myself can guarantee that these are truly seedlings of the original Wye Oak, as I started cloning them in the late 1990s before the Wye Oak was destroyed by high winds 2002. It normally takes 28 to 32 years for oak seedlings to mature and start producing acorns. Clones are quicker. I produced 33 Wye Oak clones, which started producing acorns within eight to 10 years. These...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 11/3/11

Needles Looking a Little Thin?

Damp-loving needle cast disease thriving this year

Most narrow-leaf evergreens will shed their old needles, some more often than others. In the fall each year, you can anticipate that white pine, Virginia pine, red pine etc. will develop yellowing needles that fall and accumulate on the ground beneath the branches. Evergreens such as arborvitae, chamaecyparis, Leyland cypress and white cedar trees will also shed their needles but at a much slower rate. Most pine trees will retain their old needles for 18 months or so...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 10/27/11

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Marble chips and bluestone look good, but your plants won’t like them

I recently drove by a modest home that was well landscaped with a moderate collection of azaleas, rhododendrons and Japanese hollies in the foundation planting. The junipers in the planting were thriving, while the remaining plants appeared chlorotic with dying branches. The house was dark green, and the white marble-chip mulch highlighted the plants. I have no idea as to how long the mulch had been in place, but based on the lush growth of the junipers and the declining...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 10/20/11

Compost Loves Rain

Irene and Lee enriched your piles

Have you noticed how quickly your compost pile has shrunk now that the rain has stopped? The umpteen inches of rain between Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee provided uniform watering to exposed compost piles. This surplus water promoted rapid decomposition by microorganisms and encouraged earthworms to invade the piles. The microorganisms accounted for the shrinkage. They need at least 50 percent moisture to function properly. Sixty percent is even better. So the...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 10/13/11

Troubled by Bagworms?

Pick them and squish them. Carefully.

A visitor came to Upakrik Farm recently with an arborvitae branch containing at least 20 fully mature female bagworms. What can I spray them with? he asked. He appeared shocked when I told him nothing. He insisted that the bagworms had just appeared, for he had not seen them before. I told him that the bagworms had been feeding on his plant all summer long but that he had not noticed them. Impossible, he said. He walked by that plant every day so he would...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin; 10/6/11