The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of April 22 to April 29, 2021

Gardening

Planting Tips for Growing Success

Vertex Tomato Support
Set tomato stakes or towers in place at the time of planting and make sure they are strong and tall enough to support the mature plants.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Gardener's Supply Company


Increase your growing success by giving your transplants a good start with a few simple planting techniques. Preparing them for the transition outdoors and planting properly will help you grow your best garden yet.

Transplants started indoors from seed or purchased at a local garden center or greenhouse need time to prepare for their outdoor home. Gradually toughen them up with a procedure called hardening off. This process helps them adjust to the outdoor growing conditions, so plants will suffer less transplant shock and establish more quickly.

Start by moving the plants outdoors to a sheltered shady location about one to two weeks before the recommended planting date. Stop fertilizing and water thoroughly when the planting mix is starting to dry. Move plants into an hour of direct sunlight the first day, increasing the time by an hour each day. Make this easier by placing transplants in a wagon, old saucer sled or Gardener's Supply Garden Cart (gardeners.com). Keep frost protection handy or move plants indoors when frost is in the forecast.

Once the plants are hardened off, move them into the garden. Water the planting mix thoroughly the night before planting. If possible, plant in the morning or on a cloudy day to reduce moisture loss and stress on the plants.

Follow spacing recommendations on the plant tags to save money and time. You will need fewer plants to fill the space and allow each plant to reach its full potential.

Press on the sides of the pot to loosen the roots and carefully slide the plant out of the container. Do not pull the plant out by the stem or you may end up with all stem and no attached roots.

Gently loosen any encircling and tightly bound roots. This encourages the roots to explore the surrounding soil and establish a strong root system. Use fingers to tease apart the roots or a sharp knife to slice through the surface roots in a few places.

Plant tomato transplants several inches deeper or set long leggy plants in a trench. This encourages roots to form along the buried stem. Remove the lowest leaves that will be covered by the soil and loosen the roots on the hardened-off transplant.

Dig a shallow trench two to three inches deep. Lay the leggy tomato in the trench and carefully bend the stem so the upper portion remains above ground. Cover the stem with soil and water.

Set stakes and towers in place at the time of planting to reduce the risk of damaging roots and stems when trying to secure tall plants. Make sure the support is strong and tall enough for the plants. Gardener's Supply Vertex tomato cages and supports are flexible, lightweight and can be installed around established plants without damage.

Remove any flowers and fruit on the transplants at the time of planting so plants can direct energy into forming roots, resulting in more flowers and fruit over time. If you cannot bring yourself to do this, try removing flowers on every other plant or row at planting. Do the same to the remaining flowers the following week.

Water new transplants often enough to keep the soil moist, but not soggy wet. Water thoroughly and gradually extend the amount of time between watering to encourage deep, more drought-tolerant roots. Adding a layer of shredded leaves, evergreen needles or other organic mulch will help conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve the soil as it decomposes.

Implementing these strategies will help increase your enjoyment and reduce maintenance throughout the growing season.

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardeners Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Antiques

What is an Antique's Provenance?

Janis Joplin bracelet


For those of you who collect antiques or even watch antique related television shows, you've probably heard the term "provenance." Merriam Webster's definition is "the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature."

It is always helpful to have some historical information that has passed been down with your family heirlooms. Most of the information that we hear from family members is valid. Sometimes the stories have been embellished. Other times the facts may be true but there is no way to confirm it and sometimes the family history doesn't line up with the facts.

When I first started this business over 20 years ago, a woman contacted me and said that she had a rifle that family history said was used by a soldier in an African American Regiment during the Civil War. The rifle was old enough to have been used then. An expert on antique weapons from New Hampshire accompanied me to view the rifle. He was familiar with the weapons used by Civil War regiments. The rifle was a model that wasn't one used by African American regiments.

Another potential consignor from the Southwestern part of the country contacted us regarding an early desk that he had. He claimed that it belonged to Mother Goose, who is said to have written some of the world's most famous nursery rhymes. Mary Goose was buried in the Old Granary Burying Ground in Boston in 1690, according to the History Channel's website. Local legend said that she was the person who penned the famous Mother Goose nursery rhymes. The History Channel said that Mary Goose in Boston isn't the person who wrote the nursery rhymes though. References to Mother Goose date back to the Roman Empire during the 8th century. "'Mere l'oye' or 'mere oye' (Mother Goose) was a term used in France during the mid-17th century to describe a woman who captivated children with delightful tales," according to the History Channel. There were two problems with the desk that the consignor wanted us to sell. There was no documentation showing that the desk belonged to Mary Goose and evidence shows that Mary Goose wasn't Mother Goose. The desk would have to be sold for what it was, just an antique desk.

Here are some things that you may have that can increase the provenance and subsequent value of your items. We sometimes find hand-written notes along with objects in an estate describing who owned the piece and when it was acquired. An old sales receipt can determine provenance. Sometimes photos can be matched with the item. For example, we've had a photo from the late 1800s of a woman wearing a piece of jewelry that we were selling. A certificate of authenticity by a reputable company is always helpful, but even a signed letter by the person who received an item from a celebrity explaining when and how they received something is beneficial. When we sold a jacket that belonged to Admiral Byrd we had a letter saying that it had been de-accessioned back to the family from the Smithsonian Museum. it's hard to find any better provenance than that.

Our multi-estate online auction ending June 2nd features Rock n'Roll memorabilia from a New York promoter who was James Brown's agent. Items include rings that belonged to Elvis Presley, a Janice Joplin bracelet, along with other pieces owned by Freddie Mercury, and James Brown. There will be letters of provenance accompanying these items. We are still accepting quality consignments for this auction. Our online auction of sports and non-sports cards all from one estate will be running soon. The third session of model trains, die-cast cars, and other toys is now running online. See our website for details on upcoming events: www.centralmassauctions.com.

Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com