Community ClicksQ: Last year we grew pumpkins. After they turned orange, we harvested them hoping to make jack-o-lanterns. All but one pumpkin rotted before Halloween. What did we do wrong?
A: Only ripe, cured pumpkins store well. Green and immature pumpkins last only a few weeks after harvest. Pumpkins are fully ripe when they turn bright orange and their skin is shell-like hard. The skin should resist your thumbnail when gently pressed. A ripe pumpkin will make a hollow sound when thumped. Take care in harvesting your pumpkins. Leave at least two inches of stem on each pumpkin. Do not carry them by the stem or cut or bruise them. To cure the pumpkins, set them in a warm location (70 degrees) for 10 days. “Curing” will toughen the skin and heal surface cuts. After curing, store the pumpkins in a cool (50 to 55 degrees), dry place with good air circulation. Do not store pumpkins on concrete floors or near apples or allow them to touch each other.
Q: When should you trellis Marionberries?
A: Good question. Marionberries are trailing blackberries. Their canes are on a two-year cycle, growing leaves and setting buds the first year and producing berries the second year. Marionberry canes get very long and naturally run along the ground; to keep the berries clean and free of diseases and make harvesting easier, the canes need to be put on a trellis before the fruiting season. Many gardeners trellis first-year canes in late August. However, canes that have been trellised are at greater risk of cold injury and may be killed by cold weather. In most areas of Clallam County it is best to leave first-year trailing blackberry canes on the ground over the winter. Mulching the canes with several inches of straw can provide added protection. In late winter, when all danger of severe cold has passed, train second-year (and soon to be flowering and fruiting) canes onto the trellis.
Q: Will geraniums survive the winter?
A: “Hardy geraniums” (genus: Geranium) will survive North Olympic Peninsula winters. However, Pelargonium, a plant commonly referred to as a garden geranium, will not and must be overwintered using one of the following methods.
Before frost, dig Pelargonium plants from the garden and put them into pots. (If they are already in pots, leave them in the pots.) Prune plants to one-third their original height and move them indoors into a cool (55 to 60 degrees), well-lit spot such as in a south-facing window. Inspect plants for pests before bringing them into the house and isolate them from other houseplants until you are sure they do not carry pests. Pinch back the plants frequently and use low nitrogen fertilizers to keep them bushier. If you don’t have a bright room for winter storage, let the potted geraniums go dormant, storing them in a dark, frost-free basement or garage (45 to 50 degrees). Water the pots when you first bring them in and again only when the soil is dry. Another approach is the hanging method. Dig geraniums before the first frost and carefully shake the soil from the roots. Hang the plants upside down in a cool dark place (45 to 50 degrees) with low humidity. For all methods, after all danger of frost has passed, cut back the plants and repot them (if necessary), and put them out again. In a few weeks fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer. Overwintered Pelargonium plants can look pretty bad by the end of winter. Don’t be discouraged; most will come back when temperatures warm in the spring!
Jeanette Stehr-Green is a Washington State University certified Clallam County Master Gardener.
Clallam County Master Gardeners will hold their Fall Plant Sale at the Demonstration Garden on 2711 Woodcock Road, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 1. This year’s plants include a large and varied selection of ground covers, shrubs, flowering plants, grasses and trees. Arrive early for the best selection.
