The Origin Story of Plants

The Origin Story of Plants

Posted on by Blumen Fields Flower Farm

The Plant Origin Story - Why It's Important to Know Where a Plant is Native To.

Plants are diverse and come from many different parts of the world, each with unique growing conditions, soil types, and climatic patterns. A plant’s native environment can provide important clues about its preferred growing conditions, including soil type, water requirements, temperature range, and sunlight exposure. Therefore, it’s important to understand where a plant is native to in order to determine how to care for it properly.

Here are a few reasons why you should check where a plant is native to in order to determine how to care for it:

 

1. Adaptation to Climate and Soil

Plants are adapted to the specific climate and soil conditions of their native habitats. Understanding where a plant is native to can help you to provide similar growing conditions in your garden, which can promote healthy growth and minimize stress.

2. Understanding Pests and Diseases

Plants that are native to different parts of the world may have different pest and disease issues. By researching a plant’s native environment, you can identify any potential pests or diseases that may affect the plant in your garden and take steps to prevent or treat them.

3. Watering and Fertilizing Needs

Plants from different regions have different water and nutrient requirements. Understanding a plant’s native environment can help you to determine the right watering and fertilizing schedule to keep the plant healthy.

4. Conservation and Ecology

Understanding where a plant is native to can also provide important insights into conservation and ecology. Plants that are native to a specific region may play an important role in the local ecosystem, and planting them in your garden can help to support biodiversity and promote ecological health.

5. Legal Restrictions

In some cases, certain plants may be restricted or prohibited in certain areas due to concerns about invasive species. Checking where a plant is native to can help you to determine whether it is legal to plant in your area.

Rose
Ranunculus
Peony

Checking where a plant is native to can provide important information about how to care for it. Ranunculus, peony, and roses are often confused in bouquets because they can look similar but trying to treat them the same when growing is a sure step towards disappointment. 

By understanding a plant’s native environment, you can provide similar growing conditions, identify potential pests and diseases, determine the right watering and fertilizing schedule, support conservation and ecology, and comply with legal restrictions. So, before planting a new species, make sure to do your research on its native range and requirements.

Nadine

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation

Posted on by Blumen Fields Flower Farm

Drip Irrigation - Why You Should Ditch the Sprinkler

Drip irrigation is a method of watering plants where water is slowly delivered to the roots of plants through a network of tubes or emitters. This method of watering is preferred over overhead watering for a number of reasons.

While overhead irrigation from sprinklers is less expensive to set up, one of the main advantages of drip irrigation is that it is much more efficient than overhead watering. Because the water is delivered directly to the roots of the plants, very little water is lost to evaporation or runoff. This means that less water is needed to properly hydrate the plants, which is especially important in areas where water is scarce or where water restrictions are in place.

Overhead irrigation is an incredible source of wasted water. If we are watering in the hot sun, as much as 50% of this water will be lost to evaporation.

Source https://okwaterwise.ca/waterwise-in-the-yard.html

Another advantage of drip irrigation is that it can help to prevent plant diseases. When plants are watered from above, the leaves, flowers, and stems of the plants become wet, which provides an ideal environment for the growth of fungi and other plant diseases. Here on the flower farm, it is also important for us to keep the plants dry because water can cause petals to discolour, thereby ruining the flower. When water droplets land from overhead irrigation and hit the soil, they cause soil to bounce back up at the plants. This not only makes the plants dirty but it also causes soil borne fungus to hit the plants. By delivering water directly to the roots, drip irrigation helps to keep the leaves and stems of plants dry, which reduces the risk of disease.

At this point you might be thinking, “Wait. Rain comes from the sky, so wouldn’t overhead irrigation be considered natural?” 

Yes, rain is indeed overhead irrigation. However, rain causes all of the above problems and areas with consistent rain (coastal weather) have to continuously deal with all of the above issues. A rain once a week isn’t too much of a cause for concern for diseases, but when the sun doesn’t come out in between to dry up the rain on the plants or dry the soil surface, then the issues start to add up and become more prominent. 

Overhead irrigation every day or every couple of days exacerbates these problems. Keeping the foliage and flowers dry on plants is critical for plant health.

Drip irrigation can also be more convenient for gardeners than overhead watering. Because the water is delivered directly to the plants, there is no need to move a hose or watering can around the garden. This can save time and effort, and make it easier for gardeners to keep their plants properly hydrated.

In addition to its efficiency and convenience, drip irrigation can also help to improve the overall health and appearance of plants. Because the water is delivered directly to the roots, plants are able to absorb more nutrients from the soil. This can lead to healthier, more vigorous plants that are better able to withstand drought, pests, and other challenges.

Overall, drip irrigation is a superior method of watering plants compared to overhead watering. It is more efficient, convenient, and beneficial for the health of plants, making it the preferred method for many gardeners and farmers, ourselves included. We have 30,000′ of drip line irrigation in our flower field!

Nadine

Foraging for Holiday Greens

Foraging for Holiday Greens

Posted on by Blumen Fields Flower Farm

Holiday Greens - Tips for Sustainable Foraging

While there is no arguing that fresh greenery adds an unmistakable festive air to holiday decorating, the way in which one forages for greenery can have negative impacts on the environment. Here are some tips to allow you to harvest in a sustainable way.

Whether you are harvesting mushrooms from the forest floor, berries for a delicious jam, or the aforementioned holiday greens, it is important to only take what you need and to leave enough for the plant to continue to thrive. The plant needs to have enough spores, seeds, leaves, flowers, etc. remaining after you have harvested to be able to continue to flourish and produce another generation. A general rule of thumb with berries and mushrooms is to only take up to 50% of what you see. Holiday greens are different, of course, because you are harvesting the stems and leaves of the plant, thereby reducing its ability to photosynthesize and produce food for itself. A sustainable way to harvest these branches is to only take a couple of branches from each tree. This is especially important on small shrubs or young evergreens that don’t have as many branches/leaves to sustain them.  

When harvesting branches, it is extremely important to make proper pruning cuts to avoid leaving ragged wounds that can leave the tree vunerable to disease.

Ensure that the pruners you take out with you are sharp and give them a good cleaning and a wipe with alcohol prior to going out forging. This cleanliness will ensure that you are not going to be importing any pathogens from your cultivated garden into the forest. 

A basic understanding of pruning cuts is necessary to ensure that you leave the plant in the best possible condition to continue to grow after your foraging expedition. Every cut should be made cleanly so that the plant is not torn or bruised. If a branch is accidentally broken or torn, make a new, clean cut further down the branch. Always cut on a diagonal at about 45 degrees to ensure that water cannot collect on the cut which encourages fungal rot. Cuts should always be made just above a bud, at a fork on a branch, or just outside of the branch collar. If you are unfamiliar with any of these locations, educate yourself prior to heading out to forage. 

Lastly, observe the area around you when foraging to avoid trampling sensitive areas or disturbing wildlife. Foragers not paying attention to their surroundings may accidentally damage delicate ecosystems. 

 

Foraging for greenery can be a truly enjoyable activity but it is important to do so responsibly in order to minimize the negative impacts on the environment.

When you deck your halls, please do so in a way that allows you to responsibly enjoy the bounty of the natural world.

Nadine