Sweet Basil

2 years ago we had so much basil that even after giving lots of it away we had huge plants to dry at the end of the season. We filled several 2 quart containers with dried basil. Last year we got almost nothing. All of the plants in the greenhouse failed. We bought 6 plants to set out in the garden. Only 2 lived and they were scanty producers.

This year everything in the greenhouse has done extremely well except for the basil. Experience is supposed to be a good teacher. What was different 2 years ago? For one thing our greenhouse was really just a big cold frame then. We did not have the bottom heating pads. We seeded directly many things into egg cartons. We used store-bought potting soil instead of home made.

Having read lots of stuff on the internet about growing basil, there seems to be no problem with anything we are doing; but I think it is time to go back to the egg cartons and no bottom heat. Basil is too wonderful to forgo. There is only 2 and ½ weeks before garden planting time; but we will start over with the basil and see what happens. I’ll let you know how it goes. Any suggestions?

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Monkey Grass out the Wazoo

It is called monkey grass when you have lots of it and “liriope” when you want to sell it for $3+ per plant. Monkey grass makes great borders and has really nice blue flower spikes in the summer. Once established it will spread quickly. It is easy to transplant. I have a friend who claims it will grow on concrete. I haven’t tried that. Not sure about the purpose.

Dig up a big clump, break it into individual plants and transplant them in a row. Once they are well established, mow them. This is like shaving. It just causes thicker growth. Lilies seem to work the same way; but it is important to get a bulb with each division. It is not necessary to mow the lilies, they go away in the winter anyhow. They should be dug up and divided every few years though.

Monkey grass is really useful for bordering beds and filling areas where low maintenance is desired. Some people mow it every year; but once every couple of years is enough.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?” These are 4 really great herbs that go together in almost anything. Except for Parsley, they are all perennials and once they get started they continue producing. They are also evergreens and give a little fresh winter flavor. The parsley of course can be dried.

Parsley is usually started in the greenhouse. It is a great companion plant with almost everything; but especially with tomatoes and peppers. The rosemary bushes are scattered around the yard. A new one is planted every 2 years or so; because the younger shoots are good in stews and stuff. The older tougher branches are used for skewers with the leaves left on or laid in the bottom of the crock pot until the dish is complete. They are then pulled out and put in the compost. The dead wood from pruning is thrown on the grill to add flavor when charcoaling.

We have no sage yet; but that is one of this years goals. It is a beautiful evergreen plant. The leaves can be picked for seasoning, teas, or medicinal herbs. Thyme is planted in the garden; but it is also used for borders and allowed to flower. The flowers are pretty. If you go to Scarborough Fair, please watch for my old true love.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The First Day of Spring

The trees are budding, the girls are wearing short skirts and tank tops. Is that a lawn mower I hear? Some people say this has been the worst winter ever. I think Charlotte dodged the bullet. A good freeze is still possible. There are Indian Summers surely there can be Indian Winters.

The ground in the garden is ready for the serious planting. The summer seeds go in on Good Friday. The plants go in the ground the following weekend. Some of the plants are so big they may have to go in earlier. Nasturtiums and Cilantro are the heroes of the greenhouse this year. I hope they will be heroes in the garden. The basil is the week sister. It looks like the garden may have to play host to store-bought basil again. Everything else is pretty much on schedule.

Raised beds are really wonderful. They are easy to plant and weed and they can be planted when the rest of the garden is still wet. Also, they warm up faster than the dirt level beds.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Bamboo for Trellises

An article in this month’s Organic Gardening magazine recommended using bamboo for trellises. Bamboo is so ubiquitous around here that that should make a great choice. I have been using whatever kind of old stick I can find. They are convenient and picturesque; but they are also ugly. I know where there is a bamboo forest near the university; but I would like to find something closer to home.

The article suggests driving some rebar into the ground and tying them to that. I think some short pieces of plastic pipe could be driven into the ground and the bamboo simply inserted in the pipe. I don’t know how much the pipe would cost. I think it comes in 21 foot sections. It could be cut to 2’ sections or maybe 18”. If someone knew a plumber, scraps could possibly be found for free. Perhaps the bamboo could be cut at an angle and just pushed into the ground. I have done that with sticks in wet weather.

Bamboo should make a very attractive trellis for espalier pruning tomatoes. I have not done that in years; but I am thinking about trying it with a few plants this year.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Green Around the Gills

That is how I am celebrating St. Patty’s day. Daylight savings time got me really excited about having an extra hour every day to play in the yard. I forgot about my poor body. I am so sore that I ache all over. Nothing like an extra hour of tiller and posthole digger to bring pain. Exercise is like drugs. More exercise will hopefully take the pain away and make the yard and the garden look better.

The “dry water garden” is tilled and raked and ready for more planting. The line parallel to the sidewalk is tilled; but not raked. The posts for the deer fence are all installed. Everything in the garden is up except the potatoes and about 2/3 of the sugar peas. The garden is not as green as my gills; but it is getting there.

My friend Mitchell who is a brick mason gave me enough bricks to finish the floor of the greenhouse. Yesterday (the 16th), I went to an empty property and found a whole stack of bricks outside. Now I need another project to use the extra bricks.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Home Based Weather Station

Have you ever seen the rain fall in your neighbor’s yard; and not fall in yours or vice-versa? You might want to set up your own weather station at home. The information could be invaluable for your garden if entered in your garden journal. All you really need is a maximum/minimum thermometer (“$7) and a rain gauge ($6). Of course there are more expensive options for those who thing quality is measured by cost.

I am installing a fence that I hope will keep the deer out of my garden. A friend, who is a beautician, is saving me a couple of bags of human hair. These will be placed in little bags and hung around the garden. I won’t know whether it is the fence or the hair that works; but I won’t care if it works. If neither works, I’ll know that.

I found a beautiful little flower in my flower bed and I didn’t know what it was. I guess the birds planted it or if it is a bulb; maybe it came with leave or grass that I picked up by the side of the road. I had intended to ask the readers of this column, if there are any, what it was. I did find out that it is a crocus. Here is a picture, in case the person told me wrong.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

One Wet Weekend

The super soaking that we received over the nights this weekend killed a lot of plans; but it helped some others. The rain all came at night; so it did not force people inside. There were some people who started celebrating St. Patty’s day on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. Wow. They had a beautiful day for the parade.

The yard and garden were almost too soggy for walking. The grass did start growing though. The weekend was great for digging postholes; so the garden fence got started and most of the posts are planted. The fence will probably not keep the deer out; but maybe it will change their traffic pattern.

All of the crucifers have come up now and one or two sugar peas have sprouted. A few cabbage plants graduated from the greenhouse to the garden. They are not in cages; but they probably need to be.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Garden Weekend

The sun is shining (finally). The flowers are blooming. How can a Friday be so long? My garden is calling and my work is too. Should I listen to the work or the garden? The ground is too wet to really get into the dirt; but this would be a great time to dig postholes for the garden fence. The deer were so brutal last year. They must be excluded this year somehow.

Deer can jump 18’ flat footed. The fence will only be 8’ high. I am hoping a combination of fence and bags of human hair will at least deter them. I will also attach a rain gauge to the fence and a maximum minimum thermometer to help with data collection. There will also be a tree cam to catch the rascals in the act of eating my goodies. At least I can enjoy watching them eat. A motion detector might be a good idea too; but the ones on the eaves of the house don’t seem to have any effect at all.

It is not too wet to set out some cabbage plants in raised beds. I have a few in the greenhouse that are getting too big for their pots. To heck with work, it is time to start the weekend.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The Wearing of the Green

The price of corned beef has suddenly gone up and is on sale. Cabbage is too. Everyone is getting ready for St. Patty’s day. It is after all the real all American rite of spring. At least a few of the beds in the garden are getting their green clothes out. The Arugula came up on the 10th. The spinach, kale, rape, mustard and turnips popped up yesterday (the 11th). They should be large enough to bring color to the garden in another 5 days.

Something has been digging in the sugar peas. I hope the did not eat all the seeds. There were a couple of seeds laying on top of the ground; so maybe the digger was looking for earthworms. A few of the onion sets have sprouted. That means it is almost time to plant a follow-up crop. One never needs to run out of onions.

The cherry trees on Sardis Rd. are blooming. That is the signal that the sap is rising and Spring is springing. This weekend the time changes giving us an extra hour in the garden each day. Praise be to Mother Earth.





David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Groundhog Revisited

Some may remember that I stated my differences with Paxatawny Phil. He did not see his shadow. I saw mine. We have had 5 weeks of miserable winter weather in Charlotte since Groundhog day. Finally it seems that Spring has sprung. No freezing temperatures are predicted for the next 10 days. The cherry blossoms are popping out like crazy. The daffodils are blooming. The arugula in the garden has sprouted. Hallelujah!!

The broccoli and bok choy that was planted a few weeks ago is doing well. The little cages have kept it from running away to find greater happiness in Bugs Bunny’s stomach. Even Bambi’s mama hasn’t bothered it. Her tracks are all over the garden. She really hasn’t eaten anything that I can tell. We are eating spinach finally from the fall planting. The old arugula is really getting ratty. I hope it will last until the new is ready to pick.

Everything that is going to be planted in the greenhouse has been planted except for a few more Marglobe tomatoes. There are more trays with sprouted stuff than with un-sprouted stuff. The Nasturtiums and the Cilantro are big enough to plant; but I will be satisfied to repot them instead. For the last several years we have had a late cold snap on or shortly after Easter weekend.




David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Finally it Wiggles

Every day, unless the weather is really brutal, I walk through the garden and the greenhouse before going into the house. This probably sounds silly in the winter; but I have to see if anything has come up or grown. Earthworms go into the earthworm habitat whenever they are found; but I only disturb them once a week. If it is really cold, their peace is not disturbed then.

Normally it seems that I have to dig over a foot to find any at all. Then there are only a few. Where did they go? Yesterday, March 9, I got a surprise. With the first handful of medium my hands were full of wiggly little earthworms. They still are not eating the cornmeal that is sprinkled on the top of the tub. There is obviously plenty of feed in the medium which is finished compost. The castings will be harvested when they start eating the cornmeal.

The goal is to have enough earthworm castings by good Friday to fill the planting holes for the tomatoes. That may not happen; but possibly there will be enough if mixed ½ and ½ with garden soil. That should be rich enough.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Pruning Crepe Myrtles

Now is the time to prune crepe myrtles. If they have been pruned correctly in the past, the task is fairly easy. From the end of each branch, where the seed pod is formed, trace back to the branch from which it grows. Cut about 6” from this branch. This will cause new branches to grow just below the cut.

If the plant has not been properly in the past, remedial pruning will be necessary. You could just start pruning them correctly. If the branches are too long and floppy, it may be necessary to go back more than one intersection to get to a point where the tree has a nice shape. If the tree has been cut back too severely, it may even be best to cut the tree off at ground level and start over growing a pretty tree.

Think about how you want the tree to look. Observe the way the tree grows and prune to achieve your desired results.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Soil Temperature and Seed Germination

Why do we plant when we do? There are lots of reasons. As the bible says in Ecclesiastes, “there is a time to every purpose under heaven.” Some plants and seeds are very forgiving about the planting time. Others are not. Soil temperature is one important factor. Seed germination and soil temperature are very interrelated. Some plants like most of the crucifers require a fairly cool temperature for optimum germination. Other’s like beans require a high temperature.

Another factor in the time for planting is day length. Some plants set seed when the day gets to a certain length. If seeds are the desired crop this is great. If leaves or roots are the desired crop, it is not so great. Tomatoes will grow really well in short days. They just don’t produce flowers or tomatoes.

Another factor is the time to maturity of the plant. If a plant takes a long time to mature the growing season in a particular area may not be long enough unless the plant is started earlier in a greenhouse. Of course the gardener’s patience may be the reason for planting slow maturing plants inside. Who can wait for that first tomato?


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Spring Garden Finally Planted

The traditional time in Charlotte for planting the spring garden and starting greenhouse plants is Super Bowl weekend. The greenhouse plants were pretty well started; but the spring garden was a problem. The ground was frozen Super Bowl Saturday. Sugar peas went in on Super Bowl Sunday along with broccoli and bok choy plants. The rest of the stuff did not get in until this weekend and yesterday. On the weekend spinach, kale, radishes, beets, onions, mesclun and arugula went into the ground. Yesterday (Monday) the rape, chard, turnips, mustard and potatoes were planted.

The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?

Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/