First, the study of vitamins as they are used by plants is relatively new. The factual data is limited, while the assumptions and false claims are already running rampant. Before adding anything to your soil, conduct a lab-based soil test.
 
Next, let me tell you that the currently available research is some pretty thick reading. I’m not going to delve deeply because I want you to keep reading and I want what you read to be useful. If you want more in-depth information, check out  “Benefiting others and self: Production of vitamins in plants” by Yufei Li, et al, and “Vitamins and Their Effects on Plant” by Hayder Abid Alrazzaq, et al.
 
We will take a far more simplified view while retaining the facts.
 
What are vitamins?
 
There are four nutrient groups: amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Vitamins are molecules, or groups of molecules, used in very small amounts by living things for proper metabolism. Very often, plants can make or synthesize their own vitamins, but rarely can they produce as much as they need. The rest must come from elsewhere.
 
How do plants use vitamins?
 
Plants use vitamins much the way we do. Vitamins are like puzzle pieces [coenzyme regulators] that bring together important physiological processes:

• Counteract environmental stress
• Fight disease
• Increase crop yields
• Maintain proper cell function
• Protect against rot
• Regulate growth and development
• Resist salinity stress
• Support photosynthesis

 
But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. For example, too much vitamin B6 can make diseases worse for plants.
 
Which vitamins do plants use?
 
Plants use many of the same vitamins we do. I can tell you that reading the Latin names of some of these made it easy to see why we use abbreviated letters and numbers!
 
Here is a list of the vitamins used by plants and what we currently know about them:

• Ascorbic acid (C)—Promotes vegetative and reproductive growth, activates photosynthesis, enhances seedling growth but delays flowering
• Biotin (H)—Regulates construction and destruction within the plant, critical to the Krebs cycle
• Cobalamin (B12)—Acts as a cofactor for several enzyme functions
• Ergocalciferol (D2)/cholecalciferol (D3)
• Folates (B9)—Promotes vegetative and reproductive growth and cell division, supports photosynthesis, helps fight against Pseudomonas syringae, cucumber mosaic, and several Xanthomonas/leafspot diseases
• Niacin/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (B3; NAD)—Primary focus on root development, DNA repairs, metabolism, pollen fertility, silique growth, and stress responses
• Pantothenic acid (B5)—Promotes vegetative and reproductive growth, supports metabolism and photosynthesis
• Phylloquinone/menaquinones (K)
• Pyridoxine (B6)—Critical to early root development, an important part of most biochemical changes related to growth
• Retinol/β-carotene (A)—Growth regulator at the cellular and tissue level
• Riboflavin (B2)—Used in breaking down amino acids, photosynthesis, and other metabolic processes, helps combat bacterial speck in tomatoes, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, and tobacco mosaic, helps produce growth hormones (auxins)
• Thiamine (B1)—Functions as a growth regulator and stimulator, reduces membrane permeability, improves photosynthesis, activates antioxidant enzymes, especially important when growing corn, helps fight leaf blight and sheath blight, and is a major player in the Krebs Cycle, nitrogen assimilation, and the Calvin cycle
• Tocopherol/tocotrienol varieties (E)—Maintains membrane stability, found throughout the plant in chloroplasts where it supports photosynthesis, regulates growth and development, and reduces the negative effects of physical stress

 
We also know embryonic and early seedling death can occur when the synthesis of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and E is disrupted. Note that I said disrupted and not absent from the soil. Plants manufacture many of these vitamins.
 
But how does all this help you be a better gardener?
 
Your soil test will not tell you which vitamins are present. Vitamin deficiencies and toxicities in plants is a relatively new science. There are no handy tips, tools, tests, or solutions. Not yet anyway.
 
As the nutritional values of many food crops continue to decline, research has focused on increasing vitamin levels in the plants we eat. This process is called biofortification. In many cases, these plants are genetically modified (GMOs). Other times, it is simply a matter of selective breeding. Unfortunately, I do not have access to a list of which is which at this time. The good news is that as more research is conducted, we are likely to have access to more useful information.
 
The best way to ensure your plants have everything they need to grow and thrive is to top dress your soil with alfalfa meal, blood meal, compost, and aged manure. And keep reading and learning about new discoveries related to plants, vitamins, and gardening!

Alfalfa is a legume, like peas and beans, so it can fix atmospheric nitrogen. But it grows more like oats and barley. Before it goes to seed, deep-rooted alfalfa plants improve soil structure and make more nitrogen available to neighboring plants.
 
If you cut those plants down, ferment, dry, and grind them up, you have alfalfa meal.
 
How does alfalfa meal help in the garden?
 
Alfalfa meal adds nitrogen, a fatty-acid growth stimulant (triacontanol), and trace minerals, like Vitamins A, B, and E, magnesium, and iron to your soil. Triacontanol stimulates root and stem growth in young plants. Generally speaking, alfalfa meal has an NPK value of 3-1-2. This means it contains three parts nitrogen (N), one part phosphorus, and two parts potassium.
 
Amending your soil with alfalfa meal improves its structure by helping to build better soil aggregates. Those are the clumps of soil that hold water and nutrients while allowing roots and gases to move around freely.
 
What is alfalfa meal?
 
While you can certainly mulch your garden with alfalfa hay, it may take a while to break down into nutrients your plants can use. Alfalfa meal eliminates that lag time by grinding dried alfalfa up into a fine powder. The powder is then used as-is or pressed into cubes or pellets. Because these pellets are made from a finely ground powder, they decompose quickly. They decompose so quickly that they can jump-start your compost pile if conditions have slowed the heating process.
 
How to use alfalfa meal
 
Alfalfa meal decomposes so quickly that it can create significant amounts of heat. Alfalfa meal is spread on top of the soil. You can either rake it in or cover it with mulch to prevent it from blowing away, using the following application amounts:
 

• Light applications—12 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft.
• Medium applications —25 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft.
• Heavy applications—50 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft.

 
You can also sprinkle ¼ to ½ cups of alfalfa meal around individual plants.
 
Problems with alfalfa meal
 
Alfalfa meal can attract mice, rabbits, rats, and other herbivores to your garden. You can get around this problem by using loose meal instead of pellets. Apparently, those creatures find licking up alfalfa powder too time-consuming.
 
Alfalfa meal is generally free of weed seeds, but lower-quality alfalfa meal may contain alfalfa seeds. In my opinion, that’s fine because alfalfa is a great addition to the landscape, but you may feel differently, so buy accordingly.
 
Most livestock-grade alfalfa is genetically modified and specifically engineered to withstand heavy doses of pesticides. [The name ‘Roundup Ready’ should be a clue.] If you want to avoid GMOs and keep those chemicals out of your garden, buy organic alfalfa meal from a reputable seller. Look for the OMRI-certified label on the container.
 
Of course, you can always grow your own alfalfa. Its roots reduce soil compaction, the flowers are lovely and attract pollinators, and once it starts growing, plants can live for up to 20 years! Read my post on alfalfa to learn more about growing your own.
 
How to make your own alfalfa meal
 
If you want to make your own alfalfa meal, cut your alfalfa when plants start to flower and ferment the silage for a couple of weeks in an anaerobic environment. This is then dried and ground into a powder. Personally, I’m not sure my coffee grinder or food processor would be the same after grinding up a load of alfalfa. Of course, buying ready-made is simpler, but alfalfa is still nice to have in your landscape.

Some people use alfalfa meal to make a fertilizer tea. If you’d like to try your hand at this, use the following steps:
 

1. Put 5 gallons of tap water in a large bucket and let it sit for three days to allow the chlorine to dissipate.
2. Stir in 4 cups of alfalfa meal (any form) and cover with a lid.
3. Stir once or twice every day for one week.
4. Apply your alfalfa tea as a foliar spray or pour it on the soil.

 
Whether you use alfalfa meal or alfalfa tea, the best time to apply it is after your seeds have germinated.

Alfalfa contains chemicals that can slow or halt the germination of many crops. But the nutrients provided will help your seedlings thrive once they’ve sprouted. Research has shown that soil amended with alfalfa has a healthier microbial community than soil amended with only composted manure. Those bacteria support plant health, resulting in earlier and better yields. Your strawberries will be bigger, sweeter, and ripen earlier.
 
Alfalfa meal is also said to make life difficult for root-knot nematodes, but the research does not support these claims. In fact, nematodes are alfalfa pests. Oh, well.

Hairy root management
 
If hairy root disease becomes a problem in your landscape, soil solarization may be your only option.
 
It is much easier to prevent this problem in the first place by buying certified pest- and disease-free plant stock from reputable sellers. As tempting as it may be, do not add grocery store plants or seeds to your landscape. Those plants are certified safe to eat, not to grow. If you must grow plants from the grocery, keep them in containers and place them in quarantine to avoid putting other plants at risk.
 
Also, be gentle with your trees and shrubs when transplanting. Damaged roots are more susceptible to infection.

The matted row system takes advantage of the natural behavior of strawberry plants to produce some of the best strawberries for your gardening efforts. It takes longer to harvest the first crop, usually 12 months, but I think the long-term benefits outweigh the initial wait.
 
Commercially, strawberries are grown as annuals. Runners are removed, forcing plants to focus on root and fruit formation. This results in harvests in as little as 7 or 8 months. After harvesting, the plants are removed, and you start over again the next year. In the matted row system, strawberry plants are allowed to produce intertwining runners, creating daughter plants. This tangle of runners creates a matted row of strawberry plants. Each of these plants provides daughter plants for the next growing season, for up to 5 years.
 
The downside of using the matted row system is that you will have to tend your strawberry plants all year. Of course, you won’t need to buy strawberry plants for a very long time.
 
How to prepare a matted row system
 
Assuming you have already created healthy soil in your garden and had your soil tested, you will make rows that are 3 feet apart, keeping the plants in a strip less than two feet wide. The plants in the middle of wider rows do not produce very well. Narrower rows make picking all those luscious red fruits easier!
 
Mulching the space between the rows will help maintain soil moisture and stabilize temperatures. It also cuts down on weeds.
 
Strawberry plant placement recommendations range from placing plants 12 to 15 inches apart to spacing them 18 to 30 inches apart. I suppose it depends on too many variables to say for sure. Soil texture and structure, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, drainage, and all those other factors that affect our plants play their part. My suggestion: play with it and see what plant spacing works best for you in your garden.
 
In contrast, the other methods of growing strawberries manage those runners in different ways:

• Hill system—all runners are removed; plants set one foot apart in multiple rows
• Spaced row system—only a few daughters allowed to remain; spaced at least 4 inches apart

 
 
Which strawberry varieties should you choose?
 
Any June-bearing strawberry variety can be grown using the matted row system, regardless of whether they are day-neutral or everbearing. Some of the more popular varieties include Allstar, Benton, Cavendish, Delmarvel, Earliglow, Honeoye, Hood, Jewel, Rainer, and Totem. Of course, new varieties are always fun to try!
 
Matted row system plant care
 
As runners appear, they are coaxed into staying in their row and at least 4 inches apart. Regular fertilizer, irrigation, and weeding will keep your plants healthy and productive.
 
At the end of each growing season, you will need to renovate your plants. This means removing spent plants, keeping runners within the row, reduce any overcrowding, and checking for signs of disease, pests, and weeds.
 
As brutal as it sounds, this also means mowing your strawberry rows within 7 to 10 days after the final harvest. Set your mower to a height one inch higher than the tallest crown and mow the rows. After mowing, rake the area and move all that plant debris to the compost pile. Remove any weeds, fertilize your strawberry plants, irrigate thoroughly, and cover the area with straw for the winter.
 
These practices will reduce pest and disease problems and prepare your plants for a productive spring for many years to come.

When those eggs hatch, larvae burrow into the seed and begin feeding. After eating their fill, they are ready to pupate. To guarantee they can escape after pupating, they create a larger exit hole before returning to the relative safety of their food-lined apartment.
 
How to manage bean weevils
 
Bean weevils are hard to control. Insecticides are not recommended.
 
The best way to keep bean weevils out of your garden is to not bring them in in the first place. This means investing in certified disease- and pest-free seed stock, not grocery store beans.

Parasitic wasps prey on bean weevils, so keeping your landscape healthy for them makes your job easier. Those garden helpers love plants with umbrella-shaped flowers, like carrots and parsley. And avoid using unnecessary chemicals.
 
And if bean weevils do appear, be sure to remove plant debris after harvesting. This makes it harder for overwintering adults to hide.
 
To be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to freeze harvested dried beans for a couple of days, just in case. And then store your bean crop in airtight containers.
 
Finally, adult bean weevils have a funny trick – when startled, they play dead and fall to the ground. Don’t be fooled! As soon as you walk away, they get right back to what they were doing.

​Bilberry plants prefer loose, loamy, or sandy soil. Being short, wind damage isn’t a problem.
 
Do you have a partially (or fully) shaded area of your yard?
 
These plants prefer acidic soil (4.5-5.5pH), so they may enjoy being tucked under a pine tree for some long-term slow-release acidification. If you decide to install more than one bilberry plant, they should be spaced 18-24 inches (45-60cm) apart. You can also grow them in large containers.
 
To plant bare root stock, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. This allows you to spread out the roots, giving them free rein for their first weeks, and ensures that you install plants to the same depth they were before. Too deep and too shallow are both bad for your bilberries.
 
You can mix some aged compost into the removed soil before you sprinkle it over the roots. Resist the urge to tamp the soil down. This damages root hairs and makes life difficult for your latest addition. Instead, simply water it well. Also known as mudding in, this eliminates air pockets and hydrates the roots, all without causing harm. Finally, mulch around, but not touching, your bilberry to stabilize soil temperature and conserve moisture. Do not overwater.
 
Bilberry pests and diseases
 
Drainage is important to bilberry plants. Soggy soil commonly sets the stage for root rot. And poor air flow can lead to leaf spot diseases, so avoid overhead watering. Aphids and birds are the most common pests of bilberries.

How to manage cane borers
 
First, monitor canes for signs of blackened or brown cane tips, dieback, galls, or wilting. If symptoms occur, you can try to save the cane by making a cut two or three inches below the affected area, removing and destroying the infected portion. Continue to monitor those trimmed canes for signs of speedier-than-normal larvae who may have gotten below where you made your cut. It is often easier to completely remove affected canes.
 
Keeping your garden and landscape free of wild brambles can help reduce the chance of cane borers finding your berries.
 
The insecticides used by commercial growers against adult borers are rather nasty and not recommended for the home gardener (or anywhere, for that matter).

Peat v. peat moss
 
First, peat and peat moss are not the same thing.
 
Peat moss is a type of moss. Actually, several types.
 
And peat is a conglomeration of partially decayed organic matter that makes up bogs. Peat moss is a major component of peat, but not always.
 
Peat moss, the plant
 
Peat moss also goes by the name sphagnum. There are nearly 400 species of sphagnum moss. It can grow on pretty much anything.
 
Sphagnum has one rather odd characteristic: it alternates living cells with dead cells. Those dead cells are used to store water. Using this method, some mosses can absorb up to 20 times their own weight in water, which is why it is so popular in gardens.
 
How we use peat moss
 
Being able to hold so much water, peat moss helps keep our plants hydrated. Due to this characteristic, it is a common ingredient in potting soil and when growing microgreens. It is advertised as a soil amendment that improves soil structure and nutrient availability. You can overwinter tubers in a bucket of peat moss. Root cuttings are often stored in moist peat moss.
 
Contrary to popular opinion, adding peat moss (or pine needles) to your soil does not effectively alter its pH. That only works in laboratory settings and large-scale commercial enterprises.
 
Peat moss is used as fuel, in floral arrangements, and in crafts. Dried sphagnum moss has been used as a wound dressing. Note that peat moss can contain the fungus Sporothrix schenckii, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can infect people with rose handler’s disease, or sporotrichosis, a potentially serious condition. As always, wash your hands after working with peat moss or in the garden.
 
But there is another problem associated with peat moss.
 
The problem with peat moss
 
Peat moss is harvested from peat bogs. Peat bogs cover approximately 3% of the Earth’s surface, store significant amounts of carbon dioxide, and are home to countless wildlife species.
 
Technically, peat bogs and peat moss are renewable resources. Some companies harvest peat responsibly, while others do not. [How can we tell by looking at a bag in the store?] It takes one year to generate one millimeter of peat on average. And we are using it at ever-increasing rates.
 
Instead of using peat moss to improve your soil, opt for more sustainable materials, such as aged compost, wood chips, coconut coir, and even shredded paper. These materials can be added to potting soil or used to top dress a garden bed without the drawbacks associated with peat moss.

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are halfway between sprouts and baby greens in the plant development process. Where sprouts are germinated (or partially germinated) seeds without any real leaf development, and baby greens are miniature versions of adult plants, microgreens are harvested just after the cotyledons and first true leaves have appeared, usually when they are two or three inches tall. They are a fast-growing way to add bright freshness to your diet, even in the middle of winter.

While they may be small, microgreens can contain 4–40 times the level of nutrients found in their adult counterparts, according to the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the University of Maryland. In that study, broccoli microgreens were found to contain sulforaphane, known to block DNA mutations that can lead to cancer, as well as compounds that neutralize toxins and reduce inflammation. These little plants are nutritional powerhouses and easier to digest than full-sized greens.

Raspberry fruitworm identification
 
Adult fruitworm beetles are only 0.16 to 0.19 inches long (4-5mm), so you could fit three or four of them across the face of an American dime. They are yellowish-brown with tiny hairs.

Raspberry fruitworm larvae are twice as long as their parents. They are white underneath with light brown segments on top and darker brown lines along the center.
 
Fruitworm larvae get bigger than their parents by eating your young raspberries. But the problem starts much earlier than that.
 
Raspberry fruitworm lifecycle
 
Adult fruitworm beetles spend the winter underground or hidden under leaves, protected against the elements. In spring, they emerge and start eating young raspberry leaves and flower buds. They start close to the ground and work their way up the canes to be closer to developing flower buds. Fruitworm beetles prefer feeding on the tissue found between the veins of new, unfolded leaves. This skeletonization is a clue.
 
After mating, females lay more than 100 eggs on and near developing flower buds. Eggs hatch about the same time fruit is developing. The larvae burrow into the fruit, out of sight and safe from predators, where they feed for a month or so before dropping to the ground to pupate in the soil and begin the cycle again.
 
All this feeding and burrowing can leave your raspberry harvest looking pretty meager. And there’s no guarantee that that raspberry you’re about to pop in your mouth doesn’t contain a guest. Ew!
 
Raspberry fruitworm management
 
The first step in reducing fruitworm damage is to monitor your plants regularly, as soon as new growth starts in the spring. Look for signs of adult and larval feeding. Handpicking adult beetles before they start laying eggs is much easier than dealing with a bigger problem later on. These beetles are most active in early evening, so that’s the best time to look for them. After removing beetles from your plants, simply drop them in a container of soapy water for chemical-free control. You can also use sticky traps near your raspberry plants to monitor for these and other pests.
 
Ladybugs and lacewings are your allies in this battle, so make sure your garden is welcoming and free from indiscriminate chemicals. Fruitworms are more of a problem when weeds and wild blackberries are present, so keeping the area around your canes tidy and clean can help prevent the problem.
 
Serious infestations may call for applications of spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). There are several types of Bt. To deal with fruitworms, you will need BtK, which can be found at local garden supply stores. This is best done during warm evenings while the plants are in the flowering stage. Follow package directions carefully and do not spray open flowers.
 
After harvesting your raspberry crop, rake the area around the canes lightly to make life more difficult for overwintering beetles. If you have chickens, let them have the run of the area for a few days. Hens can be powerful pest control, and they are fun to watch.

Chipmunks, deer, groundhogs, livestock, mice, rabbits, rats, squirrels, and occasionally voles will also cause leaf damage.
 
Nutrient disorders that cause leaf damage
 
Healthy leaves are deep green, to one degree or another. It depends on the plant species.
When things start going wrong, they may turn into paler versions of themselves. This yellowing, or chlorosis, can be due to nitrogen or potassium deficiencies.
 
Other symptoms (and causes) of nutrient-based leaf damage include the following:

• Burnt or dead leaf edges may mean there is too much salt in the soil for that plant.
• Purple-ish older leaves may indicate a phosphorus deficiency (or low soil temperatures).
• Yellowing alongside green veins (interveinal chlorosis) may indicate an iron or magnesium deficiency. It may also mean poor drainage or high soil pH.
• Yellow leaf edges, combined with weak stems, indicate your plants may need more potassium.

How to grow bramble fruits

Brambles have perennial roots and crowns that grow new canes each year. Most brambles are biennial hermaphrodites. This means they are self-pollinating and produce fruit the second year of each cane’s life.

You can start a lychee tree by air layering. Simply take a young, healthy twig and cover the cut end with growing medium, such as peat, and wrap the medium with plastic. Before long, roots will form, and you can remove the plastic and place your baby lychee tree in its forever location.

You can grow Spanish lime trees in USDA Hardiness Zones 10A to 11. You can also grow them in containers, which can be brought indoors or moved to more protected locations if your winters are less than tropical. These trees prefer full sun and moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0–6.5). Fragrant flowers appear in late spring to early summer. They are white with four petals and eight stamens. The trees are slow and steady growers.

Fruits start out yellow, then turn green and develop a pink blush as they ripen. Mature fruits are approximately two inches (5 cm) in diameter. The skin is somewhat spiky, so gloves are recommended during harvest.

Common pests of Spanish limes include aphids, citrus leaf miners, and scale insects. You can use insecticidal soap or neem oil to control those pests. The only disease I saw mentioned was citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing.

These fruits do not store well unless you can them, so eat them as they ripen. They can be used in margaritas, pies, salsa, and smoothies. See if you have a sunny spot for this lush, productive shade tree in your landscape for planting next spring.

Fragrant white flowers bloom from late winter to early spring and turn into small, green berries. As the berries ripen, they change from red to black or purple by mid to late spring. These are some of the first berries you can harvest each year. When they are dark and fully ripe, they hold tightly to the plant and can be easily squashed, so handle them carefully when picking.

Be sure to consider their growth habits when selecting a site for dewberries. They can easily turn into a thicket that can be challenging to manage.
 
You can grow dewberries from seeds or cuttings. Plants should be installed in early spring and spaced three feet apart. They are best trained up a trellis, protected from strong winds. They prefer full sun but can also be grown in partial shade. This is especially true in areas with scorching hot summer temperatures.
 
It takes a few years for dewberries to start producing fruit, but once they do, you will probably have a lifetime supply. Dewberries can also be grown in large containers. In either case, they will benefit from top dressings of aged compost.
 
Aphids, cane borers, dewberry mites, leaf beetles, peach blossom moths, and spider mites may be attracted to your dewberries. So will chipmunks, deer, fox squirrels, raccoons, white-footed mice, and many other mammals. But these plants are rugged. Overwatering and poor drainage are more likely to cause fungal problems, such as blight, downy mildew, fruit, root, and stem rots. As with other bramble fruits, remove spent canes with a pair of high-quality bypass pruners to improve air flow and promote new growth.
 
Did you know that boysenberries are a cross between loganberries and dewberries? Now you know.

Seeds should be planted one inch deep, and plants should be at least 12” apart. You can allow the vines to stay on the ground, but they perform best when trained up a trellis. The fruits are very impressive, hanging overhead. You may want to intercrop your serpent gourds with red noodle beans for an especially impressive display.
 
Your serpent gourds need full sun, but a little afternoon shade is fine.