Lake Washington Horticulture

Horticulture students apply for a variety of scholarships to help fund their  education as they work towards completion of their certificate and/or associaties in Horticulture.    The scholarships available in any given quarter are offered by local garden clubs, memorial foundations associated with the Horticulture Program and Professional Organization like that of  the Washington State Nurseryman and Landscape Association (WSNLA).  

This quarter we are proud to announce seven Lake Washingington Institute of Technology Horticulture Students were awarded scholarships. 

Jim Coleman Scholarship
Bea Ringbloom

Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association Scholarship
Celia Milota
John Moody
Sonia Moore
Bea Ringbloom
Patty Schuchart

Lake Washington Institute of Technology Horticulture Scholarship 
Cheryl McGrath
John Moody

Many thanks to the Lake Washington College Foundation for their support and management of the LWIT Horticulture and Jim Coleman Funds.

This past weekend approximately 150  high school students from around the state arrived on campus to take part in the "FFA"  state competition.  Staff and students alike in the Horticulture program assisted "FFA" by providing volunteers and facilities for the  competition. 

Although the letters "FFA" stand for Future Farmers of America, the official name of the organization was changed from "Future Farmers of America" to the "The National FFA Organization" in 1988 to reflect the growing diversity of agriculture and a focus on leadership skills.  When founded originally in 1928 by a group of young farmers,  their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught young farmers that agriculture was more complex than just planting and harvesting, it was a science, a business and an art. 

While at LWIT, the students competed in scenarios involving floral design, nursery repotting, plant identification, bidding and estimating, merchandising and sales amongst other categories.  Students competed as individuals and as teams and were graded not only on the outcomes of their assigned scenarios but teamwork with one another.  They were engaged, inquisitive and respectful young adults. We look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments as they continue to peruse their interests in horticulture.  

Late winter and early spring is a great time to do a lot of pruning around the yard.  But what do you prune and how? 

We'll start by talking about hydrangeas since they seem to be in just about every yard around here.  Before you can prune a hydrangea you will need to determine what kind you have. 

What you are really trying to determine is when they bloom; off of wood from last years growth or off of growth from the current year.  If you have a hydrangea that blooms on growth from last year and you cut it to the ground now...you've lost your blooms for this year.  Whereas if you do the same with one that blooms on new wood...you will still get blooms if you where to prune hard now.

Here's a list of some of the most common Hydrangea species grown around the PNW:
-Hydrangea macrophylla, Mophead or lacecap hydrangeas
-Hydrangea quercifolia, Oakleaf hydrangeas
-Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' - Pee Gee hydrangea

Here are a few quick pruning tips for each type of Hydrangea:

Mophead & Lacecap Hydranges: These hydrangeas bloom earlier on growth from last season.  
   ~Spring pruning: The rule of thirds is key at this time of the year to ensure good blooms and a healthy full plant. The key to keeping your flowers is to cut back to where you can see some nice healthy green buds. 
        -Remove 1/3 of oldest stems all the way to the ground 
        -Cut 1/3 of stems in half, cut to a healthy bud
        -Remove tips of remaining 1/3 of branches, cut to a healthy bud

    ~Summer pruning: Pruning late in the summer will promote more new growth that may be more susceptible to freeze damage in the coming winter.  Because of this it may be best to avoid hard pruning at this time.  It is however, a great time to cut back stems with blooms on them to enjoy inside.    

-Oakleaf & Pee Gee Hydrangeas: These hydrangeas bloom later on new growth from the current year. 
   ~Spring Pruning: Spring is the time to do most routine and restorative pruning.  If you need to reduce the size of the plant or just thin out the weaker or oldest stems now is a great time. 
   ~Summer/Fall Pruning:  Avoid pruning in summer before it flowers as this will cut off the flower buds.  The best bet, should you need to prune, is to wait till just after it flowers so you don't miss the floral display.   

This is a very quick overview of Hydrangea pruning.  To get more details and diagrams on how to prune check out one of the great references below.

Great pruning references to check out:
'The Pruners Bible" by Steven Bradley.  A great book for people learning how to prune.  References many of the most common shrubs, vines and trees in our region.

"American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training" by David Joyce.  This is a more indepth book on pruning.  A great reference if you have a diverse garden or if you're really into pruning.

The Plant Amnesty website.  You'll find great info on pruning techniques and references to horticulture professionals  who can do it for you. They also offer great pruning classes.

It's only 8 weeks till our big Spring Plant sale April 27th-28th & May 4-5th.  

Horticulture students here at Lake Washington are preparing to host their Spring Plant sale.  They've been working all year to grow plants just for this sale.  They've studied propagation and botany to learn teh many different techniques to produce plants. 

During fall quarter they focused on dividing perennials and taking cuttings of shrubs, perennials and some specialty annuals.  This winter quarter it's all about starting seeds and learning how to maintain the nursery crops. 

Each student has chosen 3 plants to grow from seed to sale.  They learn how to research the crops, sow them and grow them on to the perfect size.  Instructors and staff guide the students as they undertake this research.  In order to become growers they first have to determine when to start the seeds, techniques to start them and how to properly care for them over the 16 weeks preceeding the sale.

This year students are growing  over 60 different varieties of annuals, vegetables and herbs; everything from begonias and salvia to tomatoes and lettuce.  Check back on our blog and events page for details on the students progress and plant list.

Here's a look at the process the students undergo when growing plants from seed.

Just recently our students went out and learned how to prune upright japanese maples at a local wholesale nursery.  The question was asked...
Is there a wrong and right way to prune? 

Answer:  Absolutely.  

The correct way to prune depends on the goal of your pruning job and the desired result for the pruned trees and shrubs.  Is it corrective pruning for a tree formerly malpruned?  Is it maintaining the tree's shape?  Is it to give the shrub more air circulation and light to better it's health?  Once you've established the answers to these questions and what your desired results are for your pruning the next question often is should I make the cuts level or at an angle.

Answer: There are two kinds of pruning cuts when you’re dealing with live wood: a heading cut and a thinning cut. 

A heading cut prompts new growth from the buds closest to the cut.  Heading cuts should be used carefully, with the goal of reducing the plant’s height and keeping its natural form. A heading cut should be made about a quarter-inch above a bud and it should point toward the bud.  (The length of stem from bud to cut should be shortest on the bud side of the stem).

A thinning cut is used to reduce the overall density of a shrub.
Thinning cuts are made where the stem is attached to another stem or the trunk.
It should be made just above the parent stem or just above side branches on the
parent stem, and should point away from the next lowest bud.

For more information and illustrations of thinning and heading
cuts, see “A Guide to Successful Pruning” by Virginia Tech Cooperative
Extension.

Citations:
Megan Shin, “The Right Way to Prune."   Horticulture.16 Feb 2012
 http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/qa/the-right-way-to-prune?et_mid=538868&rid=233380861

The students project for this week has been creating one of a kind wreaths.  Instructors Don Marshall and Chris Smith taught the students how to make their own seasonal wreaths. 

Many nurseries around town now offer wreath making classes and even have wreath machines available for use.  If you are thinking of holiday gifts or decorations that are personal and inexpensive try making a wreath with plants from your yard or the recipients yard. 

Every year our students have the opportunity to make wreaths for friends and family.  They spend the week collecting greenery and accent pieces from their yards and campus while some get donated from alumni. 

This year we've all decided to make wreath's to raise money for horticulture scholarships.  We already have a dozen or so ready to go and will be cranking them out all day today.  Check out our facebook page for details on how to purchase them.
Here's a quick rundown of the process involved in making a wreath using a crimping machine:

1-Gather base material:  10-12" long pieces  (fir, juniper, leyland cypress work great)
2-Create bundles of the base material:  for a 12" wreath you will need 12 bundles about 1.5" thick (touch your thumb to your middle finger...that's about the size you're looking for)
3-Choose pieces of flair: This is where a good design eye comes in.  You really can't go wrong here but if you treat it like a landscape design it will be spectacular.  (contrasting colors, textures and forms)  The flair should be the same size as the base material.
4-Start designing:  I usaully lay out all 12 bundles in a row. Then I top each one with a few different accent pieces, alternating accents every few bundles. 
5-Start crimpling the bundles in place:  This one is harder to explain but essentially waht you're doing is holding the bundle while you crimp down the wires on the ring to hold it in place.  (Alternately you could use a mor traditional ring where you would wire the bundles onto it.)
6-Fluff and hang!

Finding a way to pay for school is what stops many of us from pursuing a degree.  I took my time getting my degree out of necessity.  I would work for a few quarters to save money and then go back to school for a few quarters until I  eventually completed.  At the time I was unaware of how many scholarship opportunities there were for local hort students.  Even the ones I knew about I assumed that I couldn't compete against all the others that would apply. 

For the past five years I have been working with student here at Lake Washington Institute of Technology.  We work with students to find scholarships, financial aid, internships and eventually jobs.  While doing this I've come to realize how many people make assumptions and choose not to apply for scholarships.  On the other hand I've seen many motivated students apply and get nearly there whole course load paid for all four quarters.  Here's a testimonial from a recent graduate:

"When I started at LWTC, I was surprised by how much information  the  instructors gave us on the scholarships that were available for  Horticulture  students. I was able have most of my books and tuition for the full year paid from the money I was given.  You just have to be to be motivated to fill out the applications and send them in on time. ... There are plenty of organizations that are willing to give money to help students 
get started in horticulture, so go ahead, apply for a couple of them!"
-Jacquelyn Davis, graduate in Environmental Horticulture, December, 2010
 
If you know someone that's been pondering taking classes in horticulture I highly recommend doing some research on the funding available.  Check out our Scholarship page for some commonly offered Horticulture Scholarships in the area and contact us for more assistance.  

And remember...you can't win if you don't play the game and you'll never get a scholarship if you don't apply!

~Jen, Hort Staff

Taking care of your garden tools will make your yard work much easier but it is often the thing we most neglect.  Who among us does not have a rusty shovel, hori hori or pruning shears?  Perhaps you left it in the garden or sitting out in the rain.  But it's not to late to save them.  Your tools can be rehabilitated.  They can shine like new and cut with ease once again.  That’s what our students learned this week. 

The instructors demonstrated techniques needed to keep your tools in good shape and renovate much neglected tools.  Students learned how to dismantle, clean and sharpen garden shears in Tools class this week.

Garden tools can be the most neglected of tools.  We use them, abuse them, and put them away dirty and wet only to see them rust and lose their effectiveness over time.  The main enemy of garden tools is simply lack of maintenance.  Maintaining clean, sharp tools not only protects our investment but makes are our work as gardeners and professionals easier, faster and more effective.

Time spent repairing tools on the job, struggling with a dull blade or edge can be better spent by investing in your tools with regular maintenance and sharpening.

Felco has a great set of videos helping to explain the step by step process of cleaning, dismantling and sharpening your tools.  The instructions are gear more at professinoals using their tools daily but the techniques will apply to all.  Check it out at: http://www.felco.com/felco/pages/maintenance.page

If your shears have been neglected I highly recommend dismantling them and cleaning the individual parts.  You can sharpen them next or wait till they are reassembled, it's a personal preference.  These videos are great references wether you own a felco, corona, barnel or bahco brand tools.  Each tool may have slightly different parts but the general care will be the same.

Now is the time to start forcing bulbs for Valentines Day flowers.

This week the students planted up tulips, hyacinths and daffodils to force for the NW Flower and Garden Show, February 8-12th 2012.  These flowers will end up at our education booth designed by the students.  The same techniques we use here can be applied to force bulbs at home.

Forcing Tulips
We have the best luck using early flowering, single tulips.  Also keep in mind that, typically, the flowers will be paler in color when forced in our dark winters.  So we tend to choose darker richer colors.  This year we are using 'Bellona', 'Purple Prince' & 'White Marvel' Tulips.

The trick with tulips is placing them in the pot to get the leaves arching around the pot and flowers around the perimeter.  Look at the bulb from the top.  You should see one side that looks rounded or bulbus and one side that is more flattened. 

Place all the rounded sided together in the center of the pot (5 bulbs/6" pot).  Fill in with soil leaving just the very tips of the bulbs exposed once you've watered the pot well.

Now all you need to do is chill them down for 12-16 weeks, keeping them bellow 40-45 degrees.  This can be done in a refrigerator (beer fridge in the garage would be perfect) or outside.  We place ours in an open area near the greenhouses and cover them with wood chips (leaves would work) to a depth of 4".  Because tulips are well loved by rodents it's also a good idea to place some 1/4" metal screening under the wood chips.  
 
Then all you have to do is wait.  In the first week of January, uncover your bulbs and place them in a cool bright location in the house.  Watch them grow!

Nothing says Garden Show and spring like a blooming fragrant Hyacinths and colorful Tulips!

Lake Washington Institute of Technology, in partnership with Green Kirkland Partnership, is hosting a native plant restoration event this weekend at Juanita Bay Park.  This event is part of the Make a Difference Day. 

Work alongside trained native plant stewards to make a difference in our community. 
 


When: October 22, 2011, 9:00 to 12:00 pm
Where: Juanita Bay Park: 2201 Market Street
Kirkland, WA 98033

Visit the LWIT website for more details on the event.