Yard & Garden Line News Volume 8 Number 1                                                               January 1, 2006

Features this issue: Purchasing Seed and Understanding Seed Labels Beware of Bed Bugs Getting Ready for Seed Starting Plastered Paperwhites?? Editorial Notes

Purchasing Seed and Understanding Seed Labels
Bob Mugaas, Regional Extension Educator, Horticulture

Lawn Photo credit: Bob Mugaas

Purchasing the highest quality seed possible is always a good investment. Improper cultural practices will waste the money invested in purchasing high quality seed. However, poor quality seed will almost never result in a well-established lawn no matter how good the cultural practices. Determining what is high quality seed can be difficult for most people. Purchasing high quality seed can be easier if you understand a few basic terms on the grass seed label. See Figure 1 for an example seed label. All labels must provide information about the grass seed purity, its germination potential, crop seeds present, weed seeds present, noxious weeds present, and inert components in the package.

Purity is the percent by weight of pure seed, crop, weed, and inert ingredients in the package. These percentages added together should total 100 percent. Purity is concerned only with quantity, not quality. That is, not all seeds present in the package are capable of growing. To determine the seed that will actually grow or what is known as pure live seed, the percentage purity should be multiplied by the germination percentage. For example, 90 percent Kentucky bluegrass (purity) multiplied by 85 percent germination conditions. It should be apparent that you should always seek to purchase the grass seed with the highest purity and germination percentage possible.

Germination is the percent of pure seed that will germinate and grow in an ideal laboratory environment during a prescribed length of time. Since field conditions rarely duplicate these laboratory conditions, it is especially important to purchase seed with the highest germination percentage possible. As noted above, this is the percentage used to determine pure live seed.

TURF-GROW SEED COMPANY, TURFTOWN, OREGON
Lot No: 7890-8
Test Date: (month/year)
Pure Seed	Variety	Germination
44%	Arctic Creeping Red Fescue	85%
31%	Blue Ribbon Kentucky Bluegrass	80%
9%	Wilson Chewings Fescue	85%
12%	Gopher Perennial Ryegrass	90%
1.56%	Crop
2.11%	Inert Matter
0.33%	Weeds
Noxious Weed Seed: 25 Canadian Thistle Seeds Per Pound
Figure 1.: Example seed label. (Company and variety names are fictitious)

Crop is the percent by weight of seeds normally considered to be grown as an agricultural crop such as grain. This can include other types of grasses that may be undesirable in a lawn. This percentage should be as close to zero as possible.

Weeds refer to the percent by weight of all seeds in the package that are not otherwise listed in pure seed or crop. It is not required to identify these weeds or how many there are since this is on a percent by weight basis. For example, one or two large seeds or a weed would pose no particular threat to the new account for many thousands of weed seeds distributed over a 1000 sq. ft. of lawn area. This percentage should always be as low as possible.

Noxious weeds are listed as the number per pound, not the percentage per pound. Noxious weeds are weedy plants considered by individual states to be very difficult to control and that could pose hazards to both human and livestock. While this is often more of a problem in farm crop seed, one should always purchase grass seed without the contamination of any noxious weeds.

Inert is the percent of material contained in the package that will not grow under any condition. Broken and damaged seeds, chaff, and empty seed hulls are just some of the more common inert material included. Obviously, this percentage should be as low as possible.

Considering seed count vs. seed weight
The Federal Seed Act requires that grass seed be listed on the label by weight and that it be separated into two broad categories: fine-textured grasses and coarse-textured grasses. However many of the grasses vary significantly in their respective seed sizes and consequently vary significantly in the number of seeds per pound. A more accurate description of the grass seed contents contained in a package would be to list their percentage by seed count rather than percentage by weight. For example, large seeds (such as those of perennial ryegrass) are quite heavy and take only about 225,000 seed to make one pound. On the other hand, Kentucky bluegrass requires from 1 to 2 million seeds, depending on variety, to make a pound.

Kentucky bluegrass Photo credit: Bob Mugaas

Given the above example, a 50 percent perennial ryegrass: 50 percent Kentucky bluegrass mix by weight actually contains only about 112,500 seeds of perennial ryegrass per pound of mix. The number of Kentucky bluegrass seeds present in this mix would be about 500, 000 to 1 million. Therefore the percentage of perennial ryegrass: Kentucky bluegrass contained in this sample mixture based on seed count is about 11 to 23 percent perennial ryegrass and 77 to 89 percent Kentucky bluegrass. Using this example, one may need to add a certain amount of one type of grass or another based on seed count to create the best mix for a particular site condition. For example, adding some additional pure creeping red fescue seed to an off-the-shelf seed mixture for shady areas will increase the number of seeds of the more shade tolerant creeping red fescue. This should provide greater potential for establishing a lawn area in the more shady parts of the landscape.

Adapted from University of Minnesota Extension Service Master Gardener Core Course textbook - Lawn Care section.

Beware of Bed Bugs
Jeffrey Hahn, Assist. Extension Entomologist

Bedbugs. Photo credit: Jeff Hahn

There have been an increasing number of newspapers articles reporting the return of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius. Not only do people find them in their homes but more and more they are found in other sites including (but not limited to) dormitories and places you stay when you travel, such as hotels, motels, hostels. You might be tempted to believe that this is a problem only where the lack of cleanliness is an issue but how clean a room is has no bearing on the presence of bed bugs. Meticulously kept homes and five star hotels can be just as susceptible to bed bugs.

Most people living today have never seen a live bed bug as this insect had all but disappeared shortly after World War II. However, their resurgence has been noticed by entomologists and the pest management industry over the last six to eight years. They believe that the current increase in bed bugs is due to a combination of factors including travel outside the U.S., immigration into the U. S. from bed bugs endemic areas, the selling and rental of used mattresses, box springs, and furniture, reduced use of residual insecticides, and a lack of experience by the current generation of pest management technicians on the proper treatment of this pest.

A lack of awareness about bed bugs is also a problem. Some people are bitten for weeks or even months before bed bugs are properly diagnosed because they don't even consider that they are a possible cause. In fact some people believe bed bugs are just a myth, a creature that doesn't even occur any more. However, make no mistake about it, bed bugs are real and definitely on the increase not only in Minnesota but in all of the areas of the country.

You can try to avoid accidentally bringing bed bugs into your home by being careful about any used mattresses or furniture you acquire. Check carefully for any evidence of bed bugs and if you have any doubts, don't take them. Also take precautions when traveling as this is an increasingly common method to encounter bed bugs. Inspect your room, especially behind the headboard for evidence of bed bugs.

An adult bed bug is about 1/8th inch long, reddish brown, oval, and flattened. In a lot of respects, it is similar in appearance to a wood tick. An immature bed bug is very similar but smaller. The flattened body of a bed bug allows it to hide in any small crack or crevice which makes them so difficult to detect as well as so easily transported in luggage, bags, boxes, and furniture.

Bed bugs hide during the day and come out at night to feed. They take up to 10 minutes to take a full blood meal, although their victims are seldom aware of these bites. Bed bug bites are found anywhere on the body, generally where skin is uncovered. People react differently to bed bug bites; some will experience itchy welts or swelling while others show no reaction at all. While their bites are unpleasant, there fortunately aren't any disease associated with bed bugs. Bed bugs will feed at regular intervals when hosts are readily available but they are quite resistant to starvation. Immature bed bugs can survive several months without feeding while adults can go over one year without a meal!

Bedbug. Photo credit: Jeff Hahn

It is not surprising that bed bugs are most commonly found in bedrooms and other rooms used for sleeping where they are most commonly associated with various bed parts, such as mattresses, boxsprings, and headboards, as well as under edges of carpets and rugs, on walls, and behind baseboards. Surprisingly they are also commonly found in non-sleeping rooms including living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.

There are several signs of bed bugs that can help you detect them. The most obvious is to find live bed bugs themselves as well as their molted skins. Remember that they will be hiding under, behind, and in just about any small space you can imagine. You may also discover dark reddish brown fecal matter stains on sheets, walls, and furniture. This matter is mostly composed of undigested blood which explains its color. Sometimes a sickly sweet odor is associated with severe bed bugs infestations.

Bed bugs are very challenging to eliminate and an experienced pest management service should control them. The first step in controlling bed bugs is a very thorough inspection of the bedroom and other rooms in the home. Because they can hide in any small crack or crevice, it is necessary to disassemble beds and remove the drawers and their contents from night stands and dressers. Someone inspecting a room should also pay particular attention to mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture, curtains, window and door casings; behind pictures, clocks, posters, light switch and electrical outlet plates, loose wall paper; under loose carpeting, rugs and behind baseboards. A thorough inspection of an average sized bedroom should take a minimum of an hour and a half.

You can help control bed bugs in part through nonchemical means. Infested sheets, pillow cases, or clothes can be laundered in hot water (at least 120º F). You can also set these items in freezing temperatures (under 32º F) for at least two weeks. However, you need at least 30 days to kill the eggs (which are very difficult to see). A pest management technician may also use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to remove bed bugs.

In the end, a technician needs to apply residual insecticides into all bed bug harborage areas to control them. This may be a liquid or dust or even sometimes as an aerosol application. The success of a treatment depends on how well the room was prepared, i.e. removing pictures and other objects from the walls and disassembling beds and other objects. Because of the complexity of a bed bug job, it is likely that a pest management service will need to return and treat again to completely eliminate them.

Get the low down on this month's insect pests at Insects
http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/EntWeb/Ent.htm

Getting Ready for Seed Starting
Beth Jarvis, Yard & Garden Line

Plug tray Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

As the holiday trappings are packed away and the credit card bills dribble in, it's time to start your 2006 garden. There's lots of preparation you can do now. While early January is a bit too early to stick a host of seeds in soilless starting mix, there are a few real slow-pokes in the seed world that you can starte in late January or early February.

Seeds:

Seed catalogs have been arriving since fall. If you're looking for specific seeds, a Google search will point you toward sources. That's: http://www.google.com then type in what you want. Otherwise, you might enjoy browsing some garden catalogs on line. Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has a collection of 1,400 current catalogs for browsing plus they will also refer you to sources if you have a cultivar name in mind. They can be called at 952-443-1405.

A good seed source for short-season gardens is: Territorial Seeds. They sell to folks in the Rockies and similar microclimates so their offerings are suitable for us: http://www.territorial-seed.com/stores/1/index.cfm.

Of course there's the giant Burpee at http://www.burpee.com and Park's at http://www.parkseed.com. Johnny's Selected Garden Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ is a long-time favorite of many. A favorite of mine for seeds is: Pinetree Garden Seeds, http://www.superseeds.com/ They ship small packets of seeds for very reasonable prices. (I wasn't impressed with the strawberry plants they shipped but the rhubarb was fine.) Jung Seeds, a Wisconsin source, is at: http://www.jungseed.com/

Tomato Growers Supply, http://www.tomatogrowers.com/, has a fun catalog to read. Totally Tomatoes, is well-rated for tomato seeds though the plant orders fared poorly. They've branched out into other vegetables seeds, as well. Their site is at: https://www.totallytomato.com/ttsiteDefault.aspx.

Seed potatoes, garlic and onions can be ordered from Ronninger's http://www.ronnigers.com/. "Seed potatoes" can be ordered from most seed companies, as well. I just received a catalog from John Scheepers Kitchern Garden Seeds. They sell a smaller assortment of seed potatoes, garlic and onions in addition to a whole host of other veggies from a very pretty website. See: http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/. Their website look a lot like Renee's Garden, due to the use of line drawings. Renee's publishes only an on-line catalog that can be viewed at: https://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/seeds.html. Renee's has a very high customer satisfaction ranking.

Nichol's Garden Nursery http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/ sells herbs and rare seeds. Richters Herbs is at: http://www.richters.com. I confess, I prefer Richters' catalog to their website, but one can always plan with the catalog then order on line.

Some seed houses offer some organically grown seeds. Seeds of Change is 100% organic. They're at: http://www.seedsofchange.com/

For old-fashioned, heirloom flower seeds, there's Select Seeds http://www.selectseeds.com/

Seed Savers Exchange of Decorah, Ia., a well-known source of open-pollinated, heirloom vegetables can be found at: http://www.seedsavers.org/ They also have maybe a dozen seed racks set out at co-ops and other places in Minnesota.

This list, focusing on seed companies, not plant vendors, is by no way exhaustive. The vendors cited in this publication are possible sources, only. References is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Minnesota Extension Service is implied.

I've mentioned ratings. There are a couple of glaring omissions here because they flunked miserably when I checked them out at: Dave's Garden Watchdog site http://davesgarden.com/gwd/ . Here, you can read about other gardeners' experience with various mailorder companies. Dave's gives scores and separates the saints from the stinkers.

Local garden centers put their seed displays up sometime in January and February. It's always fun to see what they have to offer! The colorful packets make impulse shopping so, so easy.

Planning for Planting
Colleagues and friends used to laugh when I numbered the weeks to last average frost date on a new year's calendar. For the Twin Cities, I use May 15 as D-Day, or perhaps PO-Day, for planting outside day, would be more apt. We generally have about 18 weeks to wait, here in the TC, until we can plant frost-sensitive plants outside. Where I grew up, in USDA zone 3, the target date for planting out is Memorial Day weekend. Don't forget, anything started from seed indoors needs to spend a week or two outside hardening off before it can go in the ground. Of course, cool season crops can go in the still-chilly ground, generally in mid-April here, providing the soil is thaw and has dried.

Many flowers and vegetables can be started indoors four to six weeks before the last average frost date, though there are a number who can be started earlier. If seed packets don't tell you how early the seeds should be planted, look it up in a reference. A calendar is a good place to jot down what seeds should be started when. Or just make a note on the seed packet and sort them by how early they should be started. Lisianthus, those stately annuals with rose-like flowers, are very slow growers and should be started soon. There will be a handful of flowers to start around Feb. 1 and the fun doesn't stop until April, then direct-seeding into the garden begins.

Starting Times for Annual Flowers and Vegetables
Month weeks to last frost 2006	Flower	Vegetable
mid-January, 16-17 wks	lisianthus	.
early February, 15-14 wks	wax begonias geraniums, pansies/violas	onions, leeks
mid-February 12-13 wks	lobelia, stocks, black-eyed Susan, impatiens, browallia, torenia, larkspur, dusty miller, fountain grass, nemesia*, clarkia* *=start in peat pots as the plants resent transplanting.	celery
early March, 10-11 wks.	gazania, heliotrope, lavatera*, rudbeckia, coleus, dahlia, schizanthus, petunias, ageratum, scabiosia, snapdragons, vinca/periwinkle, verbena	broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, head lettuce
mid-March, 7-9 wks.	bells of Ireland, dianthus/pinks, salpiglosis, scarlet sage/salvia, statice, nicotiana, nierembergia, annual phlox, sweet alyssum hollyhock, mimulus, ornmental pepper, candytuff, cleome, tithonia, marigold (African), melampodium, strawflower, trachymene	.
early April, 5-6 wks.	aster, balsam, celosia, cornflower, marigold, portulaca, bachelor buttons, babys breath, amaranthus, strawflower, ornamental basil, calendula, four o'clock, ornamental kale, morning glory, nasturtium	.
mid-April, 3-4 wks.	thunbergia, sweet peas, zinnia, cosmos	.
early May, 1-2 wks.	harden off	harden off

Some seeds need light to germinate and a few need full dark. You can find lists of both at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/H236startseeds.html

Starting Seeds Indoors.

A National Garden Association site with another list of seeeds and their light/dark requirements is at: http://www.wowpages.com/nga/EDIT/seeds/seedann.html .

Plug tray

Extension has 2 basic publications on planting vegetables in the home garden: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1422.html Planting the Vegetable Garden

This listing covers suggested vegetable varieties: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1425.html Suggested Vegetable Varieties for Home Gardeners

Supplies:
Sterile seed-starting mixture is very important. Non-sterilized seed starting mix can harbor a host of seed and root-rotting fungi. Damping-off disease, the bane of seed starters, is one. It's truly heart-breaking to have emerged seedlings just topple over and die.
You can use recycled four or six-packs from previous year's plant purchases. They should be washed and sterilized in a one part bleach to nine parts water solution before use. Another option is to use plug trays. I found several retail sources of plug trays listed through a Google search, particularly on E-Bay. Plus various seed-starting kits are available through seed catalogs and garden centers. I was given some used plug trays with something like 162 thimble-sized cells per tray. After cleaning them, I cut them down to fit in the bottom of water-tight greenhouse trays and planted most of my garden into a couple of trays. Commercially, most if not all annual and vegetable 4-packs are plugs transplanted into the four or six packs. Seedlings do surprisingly well in plug trays. They remain healthy for a long time, considering the small amount of medium in teach plug cell. Ideally, you want to use some kind of compartmentalized containers. Starting seeds in a milk carton or some such isn't recommended because the roots of the seedlings are damaged when the plants are separated. If you want to hedge your bets and plant several seeds into a 4 or 6 pack cell, cut the weaker seedlings off with scissors, rather than try to pull them. This will avoid damaging the roots of the remaining seedling.

All medium-filled planting containers should be watered before planting to keep the seed at the desired depth. Fine vermiculite may be top-dressed over seeds that need light to germinate as vermiculite will keep the seeds moist yet let light in. Milled sphagnum moss dusted over the tops of planted trays will help reduce damping off. You need to use the dried sphagnum plants you buy for air-layering (or collect from a peat bog yourself), then render into powder in your blender. The rust colored peat you buy as a soil amendment won't work.

Planted trays should be placed on a heated grow mat for the one to two weeks needed for seeds to germinate. (Watch the moisture level as seedlings will dry out quickly!) Heat mats keep the medium temperature at 70 degrees F. Once the seeds have germinated, the trays can be moved to space without bottom heat but with adjustable fluorescent lights. Grow-lights aren't necessary. Shop lights provide light in all colors of the spectrum that plants need and more.

You'll need some kind of tags for your seedlings. I cut strips from plastic milk or laundry soap jugs. A permanent marker works well to note the cultivar name.

That should be all you need: a sterile medium, clean containers, vermiculite and milled spagnum peat, a heat source, a light source and tags/labels. Oh, and perhaps a fan. An occillating fan run periodically, daily, will encourage thicker, sturdier plant stems because air movement encourages lignification of stems. Isn't science wonderful?

Paperwhites Photo credit: U.S. Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center

Plastered Paperwhites?? Tired of floppy paperwhites?? If you're bummed because your paperwhite nasrcissus always flop over, help is at hand. No, you don't need to stake or tie them, just keep them mildly buzzed by watering them, after they've rooted in, with a 4 to 6 percent alcohol solution. Gin, vodka, tequila, gin--any distilled spirit will do. Beer and wine won't. Rubbing alcohol can also be used. Researchers at Cornell found planting paperwhites in gravel, letting them grow for a while to root in, them replacing the plain water with the alcohol solution kept the plants shorter yet did not impare the blooms. You can learn all about it in a highly readable report at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf. Directions for replicating the experiment are included.

Editorial Notes

Blooming jade. Photo credit: Beth Jarvis

Yes, even foliage plants sometimes burst forth in bloom. This is a very happy jade plant in the Arb conservatory.

Next month, Bob Mugaas will discuss the non-selective, organic herbicide trials he conducte last summer. This study included citric acid, among other options. For March or April, Bob Mugaas will provide the data from the two year perennial evaluation program that he, Janna Beckerman and a host of Master Gardeners conducted.

Please feel free to cut and paste any of the articles for use in your own newsletters. All we ask is that you give our authors credit.

Back issues Yard & Garden Line News are on the Yard & Garden Line home page at www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/.

Deb Brown will be answering a few gardening questions with Cathy Wurzer on MPR, the first Friday of January and February, at roughly 8:40 am. Then in March, she'll be back at her regular schedule, 10 am the first Friday of each month. The program is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations. (Scroll down for map.)

For plant and insect questions, visit http://www.extension.umn.edu/askmg. Thousands of questions have been answered, so try the search option in the black bar at the top left of the board for the fastest answer.

If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the next issue of the Yard & Garden Line News is posted to the web, just send an e-mail to: listserv@lists.umn.edu (note: the second E in listserve is omitted), leave the subject line blank, then in the body of the message, type: sub yglnewslist or to unsubscribe, enter: unsub yglnewslist

Happy gardening!

Beth Jarvis
Yard & Garden Line Project Coordinator


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