Many hobbies require planning.
If you like to cook, you need to have ingredients to prepare. If photography is your interest, plan around the weather and seasons of interest.
However, a few hobbies look to the future as gardening. Believe it or not, now is the time to plan and order those bulbs next spring.
Not all “light bulbs” are really light bulbs, so the word bulb is a misnomer. A true bulb consists of layers of improved foliage, which allows the plant to withstand unfavorable conditions. Onions are a common bulb, with layers of altered leaves visible when exposed.
In contrast, other light bulbs, like crocuses, are actually truncated trunks. Visually, they look similar to real bulbs, but when cut in half they are solid tissue without rings. The last large bulbs are stem tubes growing at the base of the trunks above the roots. They look like raisins, which are surprisingly different from other bulbs, and it is best to water them for several hours before planting.
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Many gardeners are attracted to big daffodils, such as the Dutch Master and King Alfred. They are really interesting, but take a moment to look at the small daffodils and species of tulips. An impressive list of small flowers always invites close inspection and the size is often more suitable for residential gardens. “Minnov” is a beautiful little daffodil with beautiful white petals and a yellow-yellow central cup, and “Jetfire” seems to be shaking with the yellow leaf behind the bright orange trumpet.
For tulip lovers, late tulip, tulipa urumiensis, is a long-lasting natural tulip. Up to 8 inches tall, the leaves are marked with white tips and yellow centers, and green marks appear on the flower. The longest-lived tulipa also has a deep purple center with “little princess”, orange and yellow flowers.
If you would like to delve deeper into this subject, join Master Gardener Debbie Lagatuta on August 7 to 8 p.m. She discusses many lesser known light bulbs and incorporates a combination of design concepts and stunning light bulbs. Go to go.rutgers.edu/xnjg03f0 to learn more.
If you can’t see the presentation, you may want to go to njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1220/ and read the fact sheet on the bulbs. Early flowering bulbs can be planted with great success or in grassy areas under shrubs and forest gardens. They also appear to have worked in a variety of low-lying areas that have recently earned the nickname Green Moose. If you have an open field under a tree or a large area of grass, consider moving to a green tree bed. Great for light bulbs, and provides the necessary habitat for caterpillars to learn about butterflies and moths.
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One of the biggest summer events hosted by Rugers every August is the great tomato-flavored procession in the pineapple fields in Pitista. Typically, more than 100 varieties of tomatoes are available for sampling. Unfortunately, the tomato plant did not grow this year due to the epidemic, but do not be afraid! On August 24, from 2 to 7 p.m. What could be more exciting!
Rutgers NJAES teachers and staff are on hand to answer any questions. The event is free, but availability is limited, and it is recommended that you schedule a visit now. Go to go.rutgers.edu/d6tmzars to register.
Although there are no tomatoes to be grown on a sniper farm, there must be plenty of them in your garden. This was a good year for the gardeners. Of course, in advance, you may be thinking of collecting the materials needed to build low-lying caves that will last until December and beyond. The cover support may be folded like a PVC pipe and covered with an agribon. Crops such as spinach, lettuce and bok choy develop new and unexpected flavors as they grow on colder days and the results are well worth the effort.
If the plan makes you hungry, no snacks need to be planned because simple snacks are usually in your kitchen to satisfy your hunger. Pasta chips! Tasty and addictive, this little snack tastes good and is super easy to make. Go to go.rutgers.edu/3puv0awt and find out the secrets at noon on August 17.
Probably more than any other hobby, it is planned to create a beautiful garden. Your magazine, along with reviews, is sure to bring colorful rewards to your garden for years to come. Start those bulb orders now!
Bruce Crawford is the program’s director of home and public gardening at the Rutger New Jersey Agricultural Experiment. Email him at Crawford@njaes.Rutgers.edu.