AboutLong Island Gardener Expertise Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.
Experience I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.
Publications Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.
Education/Credentials B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.
Awards and Honors I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.
Question I was wondering how to get the flowers I grow from seed to stay relatively short and have thick stems like the ones from the greenhouses i used to purchase by the flat. This year I started petunias, impatients and marigolds, as well as tomato's from seed. All of them grew very tall with long thin stems, "leggy" i guess its called? I have been told it was because they grew too fast, but I dont know how to make them grow slower. Any tricks I should know? I started them in one of the small indoor greenhouses from lowes, and when warm enough moved outside. I live in Northern NY if it makes a difference.
Thanks
Ryan
Answer There are special, costly chemicals that growers use to get the effect you are asking about. But they are used in conjunction with basic textbook care.
That includes things like the right light intensity and day length for optimal growth. The condition you describe is almost always a result of a shortage of footcandles -- very common, in fact, among gardeners who can't wait to get a start on Spring, and sprout their seeds indoors in anticipation of the coming season. You guilty of that?
What exactly does the Greenhouse from Lowes offer in the way of lighting options? Watts, type of bulbs, and size of bulbs? Enquiring minds want to know, rsvp,
