It's mid-November and as gardeners in our region are tidying up beds, tackling late-season tasks and taking stock of what worked and what didn't in their gardens this year, several wrote in with questions!
This Boston fern is moving in; how to keep it thriving
Q: First - I just LOVE Vermont Public and All Things Gardening. It has become my go-to show since moving to Vermont from Texas a little over one year ago. Since I'm still relatively new to planting and the seasons here, I have some questions! I have a beautiful Boston Fern. Can I bring it in over the winter months or is it a hopeless cause? Thank you for helping me and my plants thrive in Vermont! - Stephanie, via email
A: It's not a hopeless cause and yes, you can grow it as a house plant! The key to keeping it thriving will be in remembering certain things about Boston ferns.
Despite the New England moniker, Boston ferns are actually tropical and subtropical. They like warm temperatures in the 65- to 75-degree range, prefer indirect light, and most importantly, need at least 50% humidity.
Keeping your home that humid might prove tricky for some, especially during Vermont winters. Houses — especially those heated by wood stoves — can drop to around 20% humidity in the winter months.
So when your Boston fern moves indoors, choose a sometimes-steamy space, like your bathroom, for it to spend a significant amount of time.
For instance, you can hang the fern on the shower curtain rod and it can bask in some after-shower moisture. Also, choose a space in your home that's brightly lit.
If you run a humidifier in your home during winter, place the plant near there or close by to some other plants. That can help boost the moisture around it. If you do that, your Boston fern will survive the winter.
Q: Can I use my compost to nourish soil even though there are jumping worms in the pile? Thanks much. - Beth-Ann, in West Chesterfield, NH
A: It's best to wait till the spring. Then, as long as you don't have yards and yards of this compost, try this method, as it works fairly well to eradicate most jumping worms.
First, lay out a tarp on your driveway, spread the compost on the tarp, and then put some clear plastic on top of that and anchor it down. Let the soil heat up to over at least three days. You're aiming for the soil to get to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heating the soil for that length at that temperature has been proven to kill not only the jumping worm adults, but also the eggs in the cocoons. Then you can use your compost!
Q: I have a four-year-old asparagus bed and was really looking forward to harvesting this spring. To my distress, voles had dug through the bed and eaten 70% of the spears before they broke ground. I had dutifully mulched last fall with mulch hay after putting down a bit of composted manure. Right now I have cut back the fronds and not mulched. What should I do? Multiple people have said that it is mulching that is attractive to the voles, who are cute but destructive! (Two years ago they did in my potatoes, also mulched.) - Paris, in Saxtons River
A: The mulch might not necessarily be attracting the voles, but it is creating a habitat that they like. So this fall, try cleaning up the bed and remove some of the mulch, too.
Then next spring, find some castor oil pellets from the garden center and put those directly onto the soil.
They have a very strong smell, and mice and voles don't like it. Hopefully that'll drive them away.
Q: The last few gardening seasons we have had a big problem with voles eating our potatoes, carrots, and the roots of our parsley. Do you have suggestions on how best to deter them? Thanks for your help. - Bill and Ruth, in Pownal
A: In late summer, our region was experiencing drought conditions during the growing season. Moles and voles may have been looking for things to eat to get some moisture. In this case, they may have homed in on your root crops and parsley!
Try the same method suggested above: Add castor oil pellets, or a liquid form that you can spray on the beds.
One thing to remember: If you have pets, make sure they don't get into the garden and eat the castor oil pellets.
Q: In June, I pre-ordered six peony roots. I didn't get them until late October. I've read that they should be planted at least six weeks before the ground freezes. I don't know if there's going to be enough time. Can I keep them, maybe in a cellar, or would it stay cool enough there? - Gail, via email
A: The most important thing to do is to dig a good-sized hole and get them in the ground right now.
Plant them so that the crown, which is where the roots and shoots meet, is not more than two inches below the soil line.
Water them in well, and then probably around Thanksgiving time, put a whole bunch of wood chips on top of them. That layer will insulate them and will keep the ground from freezing really quickly.
And hopefully the peony roots will get that four to six weeks that they need so they can establish their roots in time.
Once spring arrives, remove the wood chip mulch, and if the peony roots don't prosper, contact the company. They sent them to you late, and you should get a refund.
All Things Gardening is powered by you, our audience! Send us your toughest conundrums and join the fun. Email your question to gardening@vermontpublic.org or better yet, leave a voicemail with your gardening question so we can use your voice on the air! Call Vermont Public at 1-800-639-2192.
Listen to All Things Gardening Friday evenings at 5:44 p.m., or Sunday mornings at 9:35 a.m., and subscribe to the podcast to listen any time.
