Hiking and Botanizing the Alpine Tundra in the Rocky Mountain National Park

Where in the World is Leslie Hiking and Botanizing?

Where have I been hiding? If you couldn’t find me for the last couple of weeks, that’s because I’ve been hiking all over different elevations in the Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as some spots in New Mexico before CO, and the Palo Duro Canyon in Canyon TX afterwards.

On this particular day we were hiking the Ute Trail up at about 12k ft, in an alpine tundra biome. SO MANY COOL tiny plants! If you know me, you know I'm a little obsessed with TINY PLANTS. Unfortunately, I missed the bulk of the spring blooms here, but I was fortunate to catch a few species on their last legs. It can be pretty chilly up there and winds were around 40 mph (which can gust or come and go) so make sure you go prepared!

This alpine tundra (above the tree line) is both a biome as well as several types of ecosystems: apine turf, boulder fields, fellfields, and rocky cliffs. Each unique ecosystem within the alpine tundra biome supports different communities of plants and animals.

Be sure to find the Visitor Center at Grand Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park near the trail if you visit that part of the park. It has an excellent educational display on the tundra plants as well as indigenous tribe information.

I still have a lot of final plant ID left to do, so I'll add more as I have time, but you’ll see some moss campion (Silene acaulis) with dried blooms, some tiny Alpine Sandwort (Minuartia obtusiloba), Fendler’s sandwort (Eremogone fendleri) still flowering (white flowers), and purple/blue alpine harebell (Campanula uniflora) and a few others, along with some amazing lichens (the orange are likely Rusavskia elegans but haven’t confirmed).

With around 8-12 miles a day of hiking I have a MILLION photos to share! Unfortunately this was not primarily a botanizing trip and the pace was steady so I couldn’t get as many plant studies as I’d like, but stay tuned for some amazing nature pics I'll share more of over on my @lesliehalleck Instagram channel.

Tiny Alpine Plants

I have many more species to share, so I'll add those to this post as I get them ID'd and labeled. But here are a few of my favorites!

Nature Therapy for Wellness

I can't tell you how therapeutic simple hiking and botanizing are for my mental health and happiness. When I'm out hiking, I always take time to record bird song and catalog my bird sightings, observe and document all the interesting plants I find (of course!), spend time absorbing the healing sounds of water...and most often the SILENCE I can find in remote areas. Immersing yourself in the forest, or any kind of nature, is a must for remaining grounded and connected as a human being.

I have a few favorite tools I like to use while getting some nature therapy and botanizing, which include my handy little waterproof field notebooks (like the one you see in my pack pocket!) and some short pencils. I use these to take notes on plants or other observations. I take a lot of photos with my phone of course because it's just easier than lugging around the larger camera. I love using the Gaia GPS app for accurate topo trail maps and recording my hikes (especially if you hike solo-download your trail maps ahead of time). I use my brain for plant ID (then confirm with field guides later). I use the Merlin Bird ID app, which is incredibly addictive, to get suggestions on IDs for bird song, which I can then confirm with sightings. AllTrails is also great for locating good local trails and getting crowdsourced info on current trail conditions.

If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I highly recommend getting out into nature. You don't have to take challenging 10-mile hikes at altitude! Simply taking some time to sit quietly in nature wherever you can access it...stare at water, bird watch and listen, and accept the reciprocity of nature is immensely beneficial to regulating our moods and emotions. So GET OUTSIDE!

Confused About Fertilizer Ratios?

Ok folks, we need to knuckle down and have a horticultural heart-to-heart about fertilizer ratios and guaranteed analysis…because they are not synonymous!

Pretty much everyone online gets this wrong, therefore most of AI responses that are getting spit out at you through aggregation are also wrong. Just about any time you plug in a question about what type of fertilizer ratio is best for a particular plant, you’re instead provided with a specific guaranteed analysis of a fertilizer. This is misleading and could cause you to use the wrong fertilizer or over apply fertilizer. Whether you're fertilizing your indoor houseplants, garden shrubs and trees, or your vegetable garden, it's key to understand both ratios and guaranteed analysis!

Fertilizer Ratios Explained

Let me explain. (I’ll give you the short form explanation on this topic here, but if you want to dig deeper you can always join me in either my Indoor Plants or Botany courses!)

A fertilizer guaranteed analysis provides the percentage of the macronutrients (N-P-K) (N)= nitrogen (P) = phosphorus, and (K) = potassium of the total product weight in pounds, or in pounds per gallon volume, of the bag or container. For example, a 20-20-20 N-P-K GA fertilizer (that’s the number you’ll see printed on the bag) means the weight of the product is made up of 20% nitrogen, 20% phosphorus (as phosphate P2O5), and 20% potassium (as potash K2O). This can help you determine exactly how many pounds of each are actually being applied to your land or containers. The remaining 40% of product weight in that bag or container is composed of other elements from the N-P-K compounds and micronutrients, inert ingredients, amendments, binders, etc. If there are available micronutrients, those will also be listed by percentages in the full guaranteed analysis breakdown on the label.

It’s also possible to see a fourth number, which usually would represent iron (Fe) or sulfur (S), but usually these will be listed in the detailed analysis.

Here’s where things are often misrepresented online: When applying a 20-20-20 guaranteed analysis fertilizer (the numbers you see printed on the bag), you’re not applying a 20-20-20 ratio fertilizer: You’re applying a 1-1-1 ratio fertilizer.

The fertilizer ratio is just that: the ratio of each nutrient against the others. For example a 5-5-5 N-P-K fertilizer is also a 1-1-1 ratio fertilizer. Examples of 3-1-2 fertilizers are a 15-5-10 GA fertilizer and a 30-10-20 GA fertilizer. An example of a 2-3-1 fertilizer is a 10-15-5 GA fertilizer.

Now, pound for pound, while both 5-5-5 GA and 10-10-10 GA fertilizers are 1-1-1 ratio fertilizers, the 10-10-10 provides twice the nitrogen by weight than a 5-5-5 fertilizer. A 20-20-20 fertilizer (also a 1-1-1 ratio) would provide four times the nitrogen by weight than a 5-5-5.

As you can see, a specific ratio fertilizer can manifest as very significant differences in the amounts of each element you are applying. By understanding this concept, you could have a 20-20-20 N-P-K fertilizer sitting on your shelf, but plants you are growing can’t handle or don’t need that high a percentage of N in one dose. By cutting the product application dose of a 20-20-20 in half, you could deliver the same balance of elements and get similar results, using less overall quantity by weight.

For example, fruit trees are reliant on nitrogen stores from a late-winter feeding of a slow release balanced 1-1-1 fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 N-P-K, usually delivered in a slow-release form, for their spring bud break growth and development. However, a higher dose of nitrogen, say in a 20-20-20 quick release granular or liquid, could overdose the nitrogen, encouraging more shoot and foliage development, versus flower and fruit set. If all you have is a 20-20-20, you could cut the application dose in half to apply the recommended balance and percentage of nitrogen for the desired results.

How to Calculate the Ratio of any Fertilizer

Using a simple calculation, you can determine the ratio of any given fertilizer by dividing each number in the GA by the smallest number.

For example for a 15-5-10:

15/5 = 3

5/5 = 1

10/5 =2

So a 15-5-10 GA fertilizer = a 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer.

When someone references using a “balanced” fertilizer, that means one with a 1-1-1 ratio. The same balance and percentages of each macronutrient. An “imbalanced” fertilizer could come in the form of a 3-1-2, 2-0-3, 1-3-2, and so on.

Why are fertilizer ratios useful?

The fertilizer ratio is important because it shows you the relationship between N - P2O5 - and K2O. Different species of plants, as well as plants in different stages of growth (vegetative versus flowering) and age will benefit from different balances of these elements. Why? Because different species of plants use elements differently, and different biological processes use more or less of them during different stages of growth or development.

Guaranteed Analysis - Not So Fast!

Wait a minute, like you said my fertilizer GA shows compounds containing N, P, and K. Am I getting 20% of that compound, or 20% of elemental nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium? Good question. This is where things get a little complicated.

Only nitrogen is represented in the guaranteed analysis as a total percentage of the free elemental form of N. Phosphorus and Potassium, on the other hand, are represented as a percentage of their respective compounds P2O5, and K2O. That means in a 20-20-20 guarantee analysis N-P-K fertilizer you are getting 20% by weight of elemental nitrogen, and 20% P205 (phosphate), and 20% K20 (potash). So, how much elemental P and K are you actually getting in a 20-20-20?

Let’s break this down how to do this math, starting with nitrogen:

Even though your fertilizer GA % will tell you how much elemental N you’re getting, you won’t see elemental nitrogen listed as an ingredient on your fertilizer. Instead, it needs to be delivered as part of a compound, usually more than one. Common compounds containing nitrogen you’ll find in fertilizers include:

Urea (CH₄N₂O)
Ammonium Nitrate (NH₄NO₃)
Nitrate (NO₃)
Ammonia (NH₃)
Ammonium (NH₄)

There are other forms of nitrogen compounds as well, but these are the most common. To figure out exactly how much nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium you’re actually getting in a fertilizer, you must use the atomic weight of the element and calculate the percentage of it within the atomic weight of the molecule.

For example, in Urea CH₄N₂O, elemental nitrogen represents about 46% of the molecular compound.

First. We take the atomic weight of each element. You can get these numbers from the periodic table:

Carbon12.01 g/mol

Hydrogen 1.01 g/mol

Nitrogen 14.01 g/mol

Oxygen 16.00 g/mol

Now, we calculate the molar mass

Carbon = 12.01 x 1 = 12.01 g/mol

Hydrogen = 1.01 x 4 + 4.04 g/mol

Nitrogen = 14.01 x 2 = 28.02 g/mol

Oxygen = 16.00 x 1 = 16 g/mol

Total = 60.07 g/mol

To calculate the percentage of nitrogen in urea we divide the total mass of N by the total molar mass of a urea compound, then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

28.02 g/mol N / 60.07 g/mol Urea = 0.466 x 100 = 46.6 % N

We call this percentage the “conversion factor” when calculating the content of an element within a compound.

Depending on the amount of urea or other compound used in the fertilizer by weight, manufacturers will calculate this conversion and provide the percentage by weight of elemental N on the bag. Therefore you don’t need to run the numbers on N. But you do for P and K if you want to know the exact amount of each in the elemental form.

For phosphorus (P) and potassium (K):

(You can go to the periodic table to find the atomic weights for each element in phosphate and potash and calculate the total molecular weight for each compound and do the same math as for Urea, but I’ve done those conversion factors for you already here).

• Based on molecular weights the conversion factor for phosphorus within phosphate (P205) is 44%.

If you have a 20-20-20 N-P-K fertilizer, you multiply .44% x 20% = 8.8% elemental phosphorus

• Based on molecular weight the conversion factor for potassium within potash (K2O) is .83%

In the same 20-20-20 fertilizer you multiply .83% x 20% = 16.6% elemental potassium.

If your fertilizer bag weighs 20 pounds then by simple arithmetic

20 lbs x 20% N = 4 lbs elemental N

20 lbs x 8.8% P = 1.76 lbs elemental P

20 lbs x 16.6 x 20% = 3.32 lbs elemental K

The remaining 10.2 lbs of material in the bag are inert materials, other elements/micronutrients, or amendments (such as compost).

Understanding how to calculate this is very helpful when fertilizer application instructions for specific plants or crops are offered up in pounds of macronutrients (and micronutrients) per area, size of plant, or diameter of trunk. As they often are.

Soluble or Insoluble N: What’s the difference?

You’ll also find N listed as soluble or insoluble forms. Soluble N (WSN) will be the percentage included that is water-soluble and therefore can be taken up by your plants right away. This can be helpful if a plant is suffering from a nitrogen or other macronutrient deficiency that needs to be quickly corrected. Insoluble N (WIN) is in compounds that need to be broken down to release the elemental N and thus provide a “slow-release” component. In fertilizers labeled “slow release”, at least 33% of the elemental N needs to come from an insoluble form.

There is a lot more we could get into here, but I for a basic understanding of ratios versus guaranteed analysis, I figure this is plenty to take in! If you'd like to dig into more horticultural learning, you can join some of my courses through UCLA Extension, Indoor Plants and Botany

Wildflowers and Edible Crops are Going to Seed

Saving My Seeds

Got wildflowers and cool season vegetables in the garden? Depending on where you live, you may be hitting an important seed harvesting time. Personally, I'm being covered up with many of my wildflowers going to seed en masse, as well as many leftover cool season crops loaded with mature seed.

When it comes to wildflowers and natives, and the type of planting and space you have, you may want to leave a lot of seed to naturally fall in place so new plants will fill up that same space next year. Wildflower seeds that fall in spring and early summer typically germinate in late-summer and fall, growing vegetatively over the winter, then blooming again the following spring. Or, seeds will overwinter (some need the cold stratification) and then germinate in spring in colder climates.

With open pollinated vegetable plants, on the other hand, you're usually hoping to harvest, store, and save seeds until the following season when it's time to re-seed into your vegetable garden.

I'm loaded up with both right now, and just trying to keep up with all the seed harvesting and storage I need to do! Many of my wildflowers that are prolific seed producers, such as love-in-a-mist, larkspur, bachelor's buttons, Indian and painted blanket, pink silene, forget-me-nots, and others are so loaded up with seed it's been hard for me to keep up. Now, of course a lot of this seed has dispersed in place and will grow new plants that germinate this fall. But I also have other areas I'd like to spread some of this seed so I need to collect some of it; and I enjoy packaging and giving away seeds to friends and followers. Some super fast seed heat-loving producers, such as cosmos, that were just direct seeded into the garden in spring have already been blooming long enough that they are already producing mature seed! I'm adding some of those back to the garden and saving some.

Some of the more heat-tolerant cold season veggies, such as arugula, mustard, and some late-seeded lettuce, have been setting seed for the last month (in fact a lot of new arugula seed has already germinated in situ - but it's one of the very few cool season crops that will tolerate early-summer in Texas). So I'm collecting that seed to plant in the fall.

Just make sure you're harvesting seed from straight species or open-pollinated varieties (not hybrid cultivars) so the resulting seedlings are true to type.

Collecting Dry or Wet Seeds

When collecting seed from your plants, you'll need to keep in mind there are two main types of seeds: wet and dry. Dry seeds develop inside a husk or a fruit pod that dries completely so seeds are visible. Good examples are most wildflowers, beans, okra, peppers, onions, and herbs such as dill produce dry seeds.

You'll need to wait until dry seed types have completely matured and dried on the plant before you harvest them. The dry pods are usually easy to open or will burst open on their own, and the seeds inside will be hard and dry. Dry seeds are easy to collect and store. Once you have harvested the seeds, leave them on a towel in a cool, dry place for a few days to ensure they are completely dry before you store them.

Wet seeds are produced from fleshy fruits such as tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. They typically remain inside a large amount of flesh and are not visible unless you break open the fruit. To harvest wet seeds, break open a mature fruit that has begun to shrivel, then separate the seeds from the fleshy part of the fruit. After the seeds are completely clean, spread them out on a dry surface for several days before storing.

Fermenting Wet Seeds

Some wet seeds, such as tomato seeds, perform best if you ferment them before storing. Fermenting mimics the process the seeds go through on the vine as they mature and enables you to eliminate fungal activity that could damage the seeds or prevent germination in the future. Fermentation also breaks down germination inhibitors that may remain in the seed coat.

To ferment seeds, place them in a bowl of water with some of the fruit flesh remaining around them. Use about twice the volume of water as the amount of seed. Place the container in a warm area, where temperatures are between 75°F and 80°F (24–27°C), for two to five days. (Alternatively, look for bubbling or mold to appear on the surface of the water, which could occur sooner.) Once the fermentation is complete, the viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the container and the bad seeds and any remaining debris will float to the top. Do not let the seeds ferment too long or they can start to germinate. Spread out the good seeds on a dry surface for several days, then store them as you would dry seeds.

Place your dried seed in sealed containers—such as an envelope, a paper seed packet, or a jar—and store in a cool, dry, dark place. If you store seeds in an area where they will be exposed to very hot, or very cold, temperatures they can degrade.

I personally use paper seed packets with my own labels, so I remember what I’ve stored and when it was harvested. Gifting seeds you collected, or trading them with your friends and family, is fun and rewarding.

Learn More About Saving, Storing, AND Growing Your Seeds

For many of you, it will soon be time to start cool season transplants indoors for fall harvest. For those of us in hot climates we'll wait until the end of summer and fall to germinate those seeds, so we need to store them for a while. Same with wildflower seeds, which are best distributed in late-summer or early fall.

If you want to dig deeper on learning about seeds, how to germinate them properly - including special seed preparation techniques - grow healthy seedlings on indoors and transfer them to the garden, be sure to check out my book "Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make More Houseplants, Vegetables, and Flowers". It's a comprehensive step-by-step primer on all things propagation!

Welcome to the Wildflowers!

Hey Neighbors (and other visitors),

I hope you're enjoying my wildscape! If you're passing by my wildflower lawn and wondering what's growing here, I've started a blog diary of the different species that may be blooming (depending on the season) for you to identify. Things change quickly in a wildflower planting, so there's usually always something new to look at. There are also times when there may NOT be much to look at. This is Texas, and the weather can be brutal and unpredictable. It can also take a few years for some species to germinate or become established. I also have a quite a bit of shade on the side yard for the first half of the day, which makes for challenging light conditions for many plant species.

Over time I'll add more plants and photos as they bloom, as well as add in growing information about each species. (Keep scrolling for images and Plant ID)

In case you didn't know, this side of my property is actually city easement (there may be a lot more of what you THINK is your property when you live on a corner that may not actually belong to you; if you look at your survey you'll find that corner easements can be pretty large.) So if you've always wondered why my fence is built where it is, and why there is such a large space I've never "landscaped" it's because anything you plant on a city easement becomes city property, and they need access to those easements for construction work, be it water/gas/electric lines, street repair, sewage, etc. And let me tell you, there has been a lot of street construction on my corner over the years. With my luck, if I spent thousands of dollars to landscape this large easement (about 2000 sq ft), the city construction trucks would show up the next day to rip up water pipes. NOPE, not doing it! BUT, as the adjacent property owner it is my cost and responsibility to do whatever maintenance is required for the easement, including maintaining whatever trees and plants I plant there, and that means pruning, mowing and watering, etc.

SO, for both my benefit and YOURS, I decided trying to water the ugly Bermuda grass I inherited with the lot was absolutely not worth it, so a wildflower lawn it shall become!

* Now, you may ask, "why didn't you just rip up all that grass and put down gravel or stone?" Well, because I live on a pretty steep slope and strong grade at the very top of the neighborhood, so guess what? All those downpours we get send all the water down the street straight to my house and then it all washes down up against my house and across my property down the hill. SOIL EROSION big time. Run off and erosion is not only bad for the environment, it's bad for my property and home foundation. So I have to keep something - anything - growing at all times on my property. AND the last thing we need in Dallas is more concrete or gravel. We need more PLANTS, specifically to to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce temperatures (and the desertification process), reduce runoff, control erosion, improve air quality etc. Pick plants over gravel any day. Now, do I have some gravel on my front easement? Yes. Why? Because I got sick of neighbors calling city code on me when my plants weren't even taller than the required limit. I mean, if my salvia grows 2-inches into the sidewalk I've gotten notices. SO I ripped them all out (not cool but what are you going to do).

If you'd love to make your property more supportive of wildlife and overall more environmentally friendly, you don't need to get to technical about it - simply strive to reach about 70% biomass of native plants in your landscape (including your trees), and you'll be doing your local ecosystem (and the planet) a big service!

The Wildscape Wildflower Lawn Project

Establishing wildflower lawns or pocket prairies in urban landscapes isn't a quick overnight process. Sometimes it can take a while to get the area into a state where it can better transition, due to existing plant competition or soils issues. So, this might explain why it seems like I've been at it a while. To prep the area, which was full of a mix of Bermuda and St. Augustine turf grasses, plus plenty of other invasive "weeds", I basically spent a couple of years just not watering it, coupled with regular scalping, specifically to weaken and kill off the turf. I also hit everything with multiple sprays of vinegar (of course we know none of that is going to eradicate Bermuda grass, but the goal at this point is that everything just shades it out so it can't thrive.)

After I was left with mostly bare dirt, I used a rolling spike aerator on the soil to prep it for seeds. Then, in mid-August through September I spread out seeds of a number of different species and used a water-filled roller to press them into the soil (through mid-October is a good time to put down wildflower seed in N. Texas). Now, remember, I live on a steep slope, and we get torrential downpours of rain here in Dallas. So I no doubt lost some seed to runoff early on. You just have to factor these issues in.

Also, we had VERY warm weather all the way through January ('24-25) so many of the species germinated and were almost in blooming stage in December, when they shouldn't have been...and then we got smacked in the face with a sudden 13F freeze in mid-February. Because the plants were not acclimated to that degree of cold, many perished, including LOTS of California poppies and a number of other species. Bummer! SO, I'll have to start over with some of those. You have to go with the flow and just see what does or doesn't work.

Sweet Alyssum

Johnny Jump Ups

Baby Blue Eyes

Chinese Forget Me Nots

Four 'O Clocks

Cherianthus

Bachelor's Buttons

Blue Flax

Baby's Breath

Five Spot

Texas Bluebonnet

Silene

Love in a Mist

Blanket Flower

Toadflax

Tickseed

Sweet William

Red Poppy

Indian Blanket Flower

Phlox

White Achillea

Rocket Larkspur

Calendula, common marigold

Borage, starflower

Mexican hat

Lemon Mint, Lemon Bee Balm

Texas Dandelion, Texas dandy

Horseherb

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Mycorrhizal fungi indoors and out

When you’re growing hydroponically, you are in control of all the nutrients available to your plants. But when you’re growing in a soil-based media, nature takes over. While you can still add fertilizers to supplement plant nutrient needs, it’s the microfauna and microflora in the soil that does a lot of the work for you.

Soil, in contrast to a contained hydroponics system, is itself a living organism. Beneficial bacteria, insects, arthropods and beneficial fungi are the engines that drive soil productivity. In soil, it’s the living inhabitants that break down organic matter, making nutrients available to your plants.

One of the most powerful residents in your soil is mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi is a network of interconnected fungal root-like tissues in the soil that help boost nutrient availability and uptake by plants.

Mycorrhizal fungi live beneath the soil, attaching with root-like threads to soil, plant roots and even to mulch that is decomposing. These white colored “threads” are actually the mycelial filaments of fungi – or the “body” of the fungus. The mushroom caps you see above ground are actually the fruiting bodies of the fungi that produce spores; sort of like a flower.

Mycorrhizal fungi not only helps to break down organic matter in the soil, it also acts as an extension of your plant’s root system. The thin filaments actually join with the cells in plant roots, growing into them and create a bridge over which nutrients can be transferred. The plants provide sugars to the fungi, while the fungi provide nutrients like phosphorus to the plant. Essentially, it’s a symbiotic relationship that significantly expands the reach of a plant’s own root system.

Mycorrhizal fungi helps plants absorb nutrients more efficiently and take up nutrients that are often bound up in the soil. They even release enzymes that break down compounds to make nutrients more available to your plants.

If you grow an outdoor garden, grow edibles in raised beds, or use patio containers to grow your plants, there are liquid and powder products you can apply to introduce and encourage mycorrhizal fungi to proliferate in your soil.

But wait, did you know you can also introduce mycorrhizal fungi to your plants grown in hydroponic systems?

Certain mycorrhizal fungi products can be introduced into your growing system just as you would any other powder based additive. If you’re looking to boost flowering and fruiting, get the most from your nutrient solution, improve water and nutrient storage and expand root systems, you should consider using mycorrhizal fungi.

Just make sure you select a product that is labeled for use in hydroponic systems.

Boosting levels of mycorrhizal fungi in your soil and hydroponic system is a great way to help your plants help themselves in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.

Here are a few of the most common fungal diseases you’ll fight indoors and out

No matter if you are growing your plants indoors, or tending an outdoor garden, the balance of temperature and water always plays a big part in overall plant health. When temperature and humidity reach certain levels, fungal diseases can explode, ruining the crops you’ve put so much effort into growing. Over-watering, watering on top of foliage and too much humidity create conditions in which fungal diseases can thrive.

POWDERY MILDEW

Poor ventilation and too much water are an open invitation for powdery mildew to move in. In addition to these environmental conditions, pests such as aphids can also spread the diseases to your plants. As they pierce the leaves to suck out juices, they spread the fungal spores from leaf to leaf. Many indoor grown plants, roses, zinnias and tomatoes are especially susceptible to powdery mildew.

In the outdoor garden, you can reduce the spread of powdery mildew by restricting watering to the early morning hours, so that water doesn’t sit on foliage overnight. Also, try to water at the ground level, rather than water plants on top of their foliage. Plants like roses commonly succumb to fungal diseases due to overhead watering. Overcrowding plants in the garden can also lead to breakouts of fungal diseases when humidity levels are high.

Indoor growers should be sure to ventilate their growing area well and keep the growing area very clean. Always remove infected foliage, or any infected foliage that has dropped. Leaf litter around your growing space can harbor and spread new fungal spores to your plants, as well as create habitat for pests.

Organic remedies for powdery mildew include SaferGro Mildew Cure and Safer Garden Fungicide.

TIP: Keeping a clean grow area and tools will keep fungal diseases and pests from spreading or breeding.

DAMPING OFF

Damping off is a disease that typically affects new emerging seedlings and cuttings. The stem will start to weaken, rot right at the soil line, and then fall over. There is a large host of fungal pathogens that cause damping off and most are present in all soils. These pathogens include Fusarium, Botrytis, Rhizoctonia, Alternaria and many more. Young seedling stems are most susceptible to these pathogens. Strong seedlings with quick growth and vigor will be most resistant to infection.

There is no cure for damping off so preventative care is key. Damping off generally becomes a problem when planting media is kept too moist as seedlings are emerging. High humidity and poor air circulation also add to the problem. It’s best to use a quality, well-draining medium when germinating seeds. Organic Mechanic seed starting blend or JumpStart Pellets are both good options.

You can also use a sterile medium, such as Premier ProMix that contains a natural biofungicide to help suppress fungal diseases.

GRAY MOLD, BOTRYTIS

Have you noticed gray, soft and mushy spots on plants leaves, stems, flowers and fruit? If it looks a little like hair or lint, it’s probably gray mold, or Botrytis. Excessive humidity is the biggest cause of gray mold; once it takes hold, gray mold is very difficult to cure. Plants with a severe Botrytis infection often die. Immediate removal of infected plants from your growing area will keep it from spreading to healthy plants. If you catch an outbreak quickly, you could potentially fight it off. Remove the mold from leaves with a soft, dry cloth, clean and sanitize your grow area, remove debris in the garden if outdoors, increase ventilation and reduce humidity.

Eva-Dry Dehumidifier EDV2200 is a an example of a mid-sized conventional dehumidifier that can knock moisture out of most spaces.

You can also treat plants with gray mold with fungicides, including organic copper and sulfur based fungicides. A good option is the biological fungicide SERENADE Garden Disease Control: The spray can be used on fruits, vegetables, and flowers without harm to people or the environment.

How to use flushing agents in your hydroponic system

Speaking of clean, how clean is your hydroponic system these days? A healthy harvest requires a clean growing area. If you’re growing hydroponically, then keeping your system clean and your nutrients balanced is also crucial to success. Salt buildup, algae, and other debris can inhibit plant growth impact the quality of your harvest.

Plants grown hydroponically using mineral nutrients can often experience nutrient imbalances; excess minerals and additives can build up inside plant tissue. The result can be plant damage and poor flavor in your harvest. When you get close to harvest time, do your plants seem to get a little peaked? Flushing can help. You might have also over-fertilized and need to correct the problem. Flushing your system can help plants get the nutrients they need and remove buildup of unwanted chemicals in the plant.

The easiest way to flush your system is to simply supply your plants straight water with no nutrients added for the last week to two weeks before you harvest them. This will force the plants to use up any of the excess stored nutrients or additives they’ve retained in their tissue. However, using just water may not thoroughly clean your system or the plants. Flushing agents can aid you in both cleaning your system thoroughly and better correcting nutrient imbalances.

Example product: Grotek Final Flush eliminates excess fertilizer salts in the final stages of growth and can also be used to correct overfeeding or for desalinization of reusable growing media.

How to clean and flush your hydroponic system with a flushing agent in 5 easy steps:

1. Depending on your type of hydroponic system, you’ll need to drain the reservoir. Recycle the old water by using it in your landscape or container plants. The residual nutrients in the reservoir water can give your outdoor plants a boost.

2. Clean the reservoir completely. Remove all sediment, algae and other pollutants that might be present. It might be necessary to scrape the algae off the sides. If you have a lot of algae build up, you’ll probably want to use an algae cleaner. Using a cleaning product such as Safer Moss & Algae Cleaner & Killer will make this task a breeze. Then, be sure to rinse the reservoir thoroughly.

3. Now refill your reservoir with water and your choice of flushing agent and pump it through the system. A flushing agent makes the cleaning process quicker and more efficient. Be sure to follow the directions on the flushing agent label so you don’t use more than you need to.

Example product: General Hydroponics FloraKleen removes fertilizer residue that can accumulate over time in hydroponic systems, growing media, and potting soils.

4. Once you’ve flushed the system, discard the water and refill the system with plain water. Test the pH of your water and adjust appropriately. Run your system for 24 hours.

5. Drain your system once more and refill the reservoir with fresh water and nutrients. Or, if this is a final flush before harvest, you may refill using water only. (Learn more about how to manage the nutrient solution in your system).

Example product: X Nutrients Flushing Solution is designed to flush away fertilizer salts and residues that accumulate in a plant’s stems, leaves, flowers and buds. Your crops will be healthier and cleaner.

Some growers will do a short flush every two weeks, while other will only flush their system once during a plant’s growing cycle; about one to two weeks prior to final harvest. Techniques will vary depending on your water quality, the type of plants you’re growing and the length of their growing cycle.

Did you know you can use flushing agents in soil and coir growing mediums too? Again, if you’re using mineral nutrients (synthetic fertilizers) in your potted crops growing in a soil or coir-based medium, excess nutrients can still build up in your plants. You should flush your container plants before harvest as well.