Ask the Master Gardener: Some plants are very susceptible to damage in cold temps – Brainerd Dispatch

Dear Master Gardener: I got excited with the 80-degree weather and planted some herbs and poblano peppers. When I watered them today, I noticed black on the edges of the leaves of the basil and they were curled, and the flowers on the pepper plants were shriveled up. With the dip in temperatures to the low 40s last night, I realize I should have covered them. Will they recover or will I need to buy new plants?

Answer: Basil (and most herbs) and peppers are very cold-sensitive. Basil is especially susceptible to frost and often cannot recover from a light freeze. Plants with cold damage will have brown or black leaves or leaf edges, or may wilt and become limp, or die. According to Iowa State University Extension, plants that have suffered minor damage (minimal leaf damage) should recover within a few weeks. Pepper plants are warm-season crops and can tolerate temperatures down to 50 degrees, but when exposed to temperatures below that their growth may be slowed down and/or stunted. If your plants have sustained only minimal damage, cover them with sheets to help retain heat until nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees. Do not use plastic. If your warm-season plants have suffered significant damage, you will probably have to replant them.

Dear Master Gardener: I planted 25 daffodil bulbs two years ago under a Japanese tree lilac and 25 more last fall. Last year about half of the plants that came up had flowers and this year there were only about 10 flowers. What could be the problem?

Answer: If you allowed the foliage to die back naturally after blooming and did not cut it down prematurely on the first batch planted, then the most likely problem is insufficient sunlight. When daffodil bulbs are planted in part shade, they may not receive enough light to store food in their bulbs. When the foliage has died back, dig up the bulbs and move them to a site that receives at least six hours of sunlight. Plant the bulbs three times as deep as the bulb is high with the pointy end up.

Dear Master Gardener: I was working in my yard last weekend and was bitten by a spider. I know it was a spider because it was tangled up in my hair and I pulled it out. I received four spider bites along my hairline in the back of my head. Other than four little red welts and itching for a few days, I had no other symptoms, so it must not have been poisonous. My friend said it was a good thing it wasn’t a brown recluse or black widow. Do we have them in Minnesota?

Answer: Spider bites are rare in Minnesota, but when they occur, it is usually in the spring and summer. We have lots of different species of spiders in Minnesota, but the brown recluse and black widow are not two of them. Neither one of them are native to the upper Midwest. The few confirmed sightings of black widow spiders in Minnesota were transported in from another state. It is even more unlikely to find a brown recluse spider, as they prefer warm weather. The natural range for brown recluse spiders reaches to southern Iowa.

Although spiders rarely bite people, when they do, it is usually in self-defense because they are being crushed by a human. So, the spider was probably in self-defense mode when you were squishing it as you were trying to get it out of your hair. A spider characteristically only bites once unless it feels trapped, then it may bite repeatedly as it tries to escape, as you experienced. All spiders inject venom through their hollow fangs into living prey, but their venom is usually not strong enough to hurt humans. The venom is what causes the pain, redness, and swelling and the severity of the symptoms depends on the type of spider, amount of venom injected, and how sensitive a person is to the venom. Spider bites typically look like other bug bites and are often treated as such. Mayo Clinic recommends cleaning the wound with mild soap and water, then applying an antibiotic ointment three times a day to help prevent infection. Use calamine lotion for the itching. Although spiders are scary for many people, they are beneficial to have in the garden because they eat lots of insects.

Dear Master Gardener: I would like to put in an herb garden. What herbs are typically planted in an herb garden?

Answer: According to the Colorado State University extension, a basic culinary garden contains garlic, chives, basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. A tea garden might have spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomile and catnip. A garden for potpourri may have lavender, scented geranium, santolina and rosemary. Once established, most herbs require little water, but annual herbs and mints require a bit more water than other herbs.

You may get your garden questions answered by calling the new Master Gardener Help Line at 218-824-1068 and leaving a message. A Master Gardener will return your call. Or, emailing me at [email protected] and I will answer you in the column if space allows.

University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners are trained and certified volunteers for the University of Minnesota Extension. Information given in this column is based on university research.