Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Kim's weekly garden newsletter September 24, 2013

September 24, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter


These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hello Gardeners
Dahlia Mrs I. De ver Warner


I was very pleased to get an inch and ½ of rain this weekend.  The plants around here were pleased too.  I was not so pleased about the frosty conditions on several nights although I don’t think we had more than a touch of light frost here and there.  I have been covering a few plants still, the dahlias are so beautiful right now I hate to lose them just yet- and I have been potting up some tender things and moving them inside.   I slowly take plants from the porch into the rest of the house- it takes me a while to decide just what window I can squeeze them into. 

I have decisions to make about indoor space. I still have to dig and pot all my geraniums, they’ll occupy the porch after other things are moved out because colder conditions don’t bother them.  I store the summer bulbs out there in bins.  My rosemary stays out there too.  But I still have a lot of things outside I need to decide if I want to save.  For example I have a huge bowl filled with frilly purple and big leaved golden coleus that’s gorgeous but will take up a huge amount of space indoors.  I have some nice New Guinea Impatiens baskets and I know they will bloom indoors all winter but I don’t think I will have room for them.  We need more windows!  At least there is going to be a few nicer days coming to give me a little more time to decide.
Our organic red delicious apples.

I picked about 50 really nice, big red delicious apples Sunday.  No sprays at all and the apples look beautiful and taste great.  The tree is a dwarf and still young so 50 or so apples is a good crop.  I made an apple pie even though the red delicious isn’t the best pie apple.  I am waiting for the better pie type apples on our other trees to get ripe.

I have a theme for this week’s newsletter, the last week of September and its things that start with S.  Hope you enjoy.

Survey – help me please

People have been talking to me about the lack of birds this fall at feeders and just generally in the yards.  I know that my feeder hasn’t had to be filled in 2 weeks which is just really hard to believe.  Normally I would be filling it every other day in the fall.  Some birds have migrated I suppose but I haven’t been seeing many birds since August and I think something is wrong.  Other people are asking me why their feeders aren’t being emptied. 

I suppose there is a lot of natural food in the fields and yards right now but that hasn’t stopped the birds in other years.  And I do have quite a few cats, but I am not seeing the red winged blackbirds around the ponds and other types of birds which don’t come to feeders either.    There have been some news reports about a big drop in the numbers of House Sparrows in both India and Britain, and come to think of it I don’t have any hanging around the barn eating chicken feed this year.   Usually the migrating robins will be swarming over the Autumn Olives by the pond at this time of year to get the berries but I am seeing only an occasional robin.

So what about you?  Are you seeing and hearing fewer birds?  Are you filling your feeders less?  I have talked to Seven Ponds and they said they haven’t really noticed if there are fewer birds but that they would be interested in knowing what other people are experiencing also.  I’ll let them know what you have to say about it.  So help me take a survey. Drop me a line and let me know about the birds around your house.  You can just reply to the  newsletter to let me know or email me at kimwillis151@gmail.com  Please give me your general location when you write. 

Spider or Surprise lilies

Whether you know them as Spider Lilies, Surprise Lilies, Magic Lilies, Hurricane Lilies, Resurrection Lilies or Naked Ladies the interesting Lycoris species are charming plants for fall color in the garden.  Spider Lilies are sometimes called Surprise Lilies because they send up their flower shoot after the leaves have become dormant and died.  They send up a long shoot, seemingly from nowhere, that sports dainty flowers in the fall.  Once established, they are carefree, pest free plants that persist for many years.

The two best known species are Lycoris radiata, which has red flowers, hardy to Zone 6, and Naked Ladies or Lycoris squamigera, hardy to zone 5, with pale pink flowers that tend to face more outward than other Surprise lilies.  

Other species are Lycoris sprengeri, which has glowing lavender pink flowers, hardy to zone 5, Lycoris sanquinea , with orange flowers, hardy to zone 6, and Lycoris albiflora, white flowers and narrow foliage hardy to zone 5.  A hybrid species Lycoris aurea Guizhow also called Golden Hurricane lily, has tall spikes of golden flowers and is hardy to zone 7. (A South American plant Nerine, commonly called Rain Lilies, has similar flowers and also appears after a dormant period.  Lycoris and Nerine are sometimes mislabeled or confused by plant sellers.)

Spring is the best time to plant the bulbs of Lycoris, although they are also sold in the fall.  Bulbs are not common in garden stores; they usually have to be mail ordered.  Plant them as soon you get them as they do not store well.   If a friend offers you some, dig them in late spring to transplant.

When you plant your bulb it may or may not begin growing leaves.  Sometimes they flower the fall after planting, but sometimes they will wait a year.  Some species wait until spring to produce the leaves which grow for a few weeks then die back. These are plants that require patience. They sometimes lie dormant for a year or two if fall conditions aren’t right and then return to surprise you.  Once they are established in a good spot though, the floral display will be quite abundant and the plants long lived. 

The leaves of lycoris persist long enough to make food for the plant and set a new flower bud in the bulb and the die back, disappearing from your sight and conscience.   Then in late summer or fall, usually after a good rain, hence the name Hurricane lily, a long stalk appears out of the ground.  The stalks are 12 to 24 inches in height depending on species.

The stalk will produce clusters of tubular flowers with 6 long, narrow petals.  These flowers last a long time in the garden, and also in the vase if used as cut flowers.  The petals on the flowers curve backward and the long stamens in the center give it an airy appearance and contribute to the name Spider Lily.   There are some varieties with wider petals that look more like small lily flowers.  The flowers come in shades of red, pink, white, lavender and yellow.

Lycoris are woodland edge plants.  They like to be in the light or dappled shade of deciduous trees in summer, in full sun during the winter.  Since tree canopies shed rain and tree roots absorb what moisture falls in the summer, the plants go dormant to survive.  When plants go dormant make sure you mark the spot so you won’t disturb them. Over time the bulbs produce more bulbs and large clumps of plants will develop. 

Then in the fall when rains typically pick up, the plant flowers, springing up and coming to bloom rapidly.  You may have forgotten it was there – surprise!  It then forms new leaves as the trees shed theirs and let more light in.  

Lycoris prefer a rich soil full of organic matter.  The soil must be well drained; the bulbs rot if they sit in waterlogged soil over winter.  If summer has been very dry and fall rains are not coming, you may want to deep water the area around your Lycoris bulbs to stimulate flowering.

Surprise lilies are pretty disease and pest resistant.  Deer and other animals don’t eat the foliage or bulbs.  The plants don’t need fertilization or much care.  Just make sure you don’t dig them up or plant something on top of them when they are dormant. In areas where the ground freezes mulch should be applied over the bulbs, after the ground is frozen, and removed in the spring.

All Lycoris parts are poisonous so keep them away from pets and children.  Sources to buy Lycoris from (You may have to wait until spring.)- are Old House Gardens, http://www.oldhousegardens.com/  McClure and Zimmerman, http://www.mzbulb.com/  and Van Bourgondien http://www.dutchbulbs.com/  

Sansevieria or Snake Plant

Sansevieria are one of the oldest of houseplants, being kept by the ancient Chinese in homes.  If you need a houseplant that will survive low light and benign neglect a Snake plant will fit the bill.  These plants can survive for a very long time; I have a plant that is at least 40 years old.

Sansevieria trifasciata has broad strap-like, upright leaves that are dark green and marked with a pattern of wavy cross stripes in a lighter color. The striping gives it the common name of snake plant. It is also called mother-in-laws tongue, perhaps because of the sharp point to the leaves. There are also sansevieria that form a short rosette of leaves and these are often called birds nest sansevieria. Sansevieria or snake plants come in several color variations. Some have gold edges or cream stripes. Bird nest varieties can have some pink color to them. 

All sansevieria are very adaptable and easy to care for.  They will grow in almost any light conditions, including bright artificial light and north windowsills.  Pot them in a lightweight potting mix; allow the mix to dry out between watering.  If the leaves appear thin, floppy and wrinkled there is probably a watering problem.  Check the pot, if it’s dry water the plant.  If the soil feels wet drain the excess water from the pot and don’t water the plant until the soil feels dry again.

Use a houseplant fertilizer once on the plant around the end of March.  Sanservieria don’t mind being root bound so don’t re-pot the plant until its actually breaking the pot.  The upright Snakeplants can get 3 feet high or more and form a 2 foot clump if the conditions are good.

Sansevieria or snake plants have sprays of tiny white and powerfully fragrant flowers in the summer if they get enough light and proper watering.  The sprays of flowers are sometimes hidden in the plants center but you will know they are there by the sweet smell.

Sansevieria are said to be poisonous to pets,(and probably kids) but little documentation exists.  I would advise you not to let pets and children munch on them.

Sage

If you are growing culinary sage in your garden now is the time to harvest it.  The plants should have about 6 weeks before a hard freeze to harden off after pruning and if we are lucky you can still squeak in a good harvest without compromising plant health.  You’ll want some sage for that Thanksgiving turkey so don’t delay.  Sage is also great when used fresh; it has lighter, more lemony notes.

Sage in flower.
You can dry sage by harvesting fresh stems with leaves and hanging them in a warm, dark place, or in a dehydrator, microwave or oven.  Make sure the sage is completely dried, it may take longer than thin leaved herbs, before storing, or it may mold and taste musty.  Store completely dried leaves in a clean glass container in a cool place.  Sage leaves can also be frozen in water and will taste more like fresh sage when used than dried sage.

I throw sprigs of sage in a plastic freezer bag and pop them in the freezer without drying them.  I take a bit out when I need it and crumble it while it’s frozen.  It tastes more like fresh sage than dried when used like this.

Be careful that when purchasing sage you intend to use for cooking that you are not getting a purely ornamental variety, such as Pineapple sage or Honey Melon sage.  These are grown for their flowers and scented leaves but have little medicinal or cooking value.  Bergarten, Holt’s Mammoth, Extrakta and White Dalmation are all good culinary sages. 

Tri-color sage has variegated leaves of purple, pink and white.  Purple sage has purplish- green leaves. These two are hardy to zone 6.  There is a Gold sage whose leaves are solid gold and a Golden sage, whose leaves have gold edges.  The gold sages are not hardy in Michigan, but may be over wintered in a cool, sunny room.   The colored sages don’t have flavor as strong as the silver-green sages, but can be used in cooking. 

Like many herbs, sage is high in antioxidants, flavonoids and other beneficial compounds.  Research has shown that sage is indeed helpful to the brain, improving memory in some studies.  Its anti-bacterial properties have led to research using sage to improve the shelf life of cooking oils.  Sage tea is sometimes used to treat colds and bronchial infections and to lower fevers.   Sage tea is also used as a gargle for sore throat and to ease indigestion.

A sage tea that is cooled is used as a rinse for gray hair, darkening it while conditioning it.  Sage is also used to scent soap and perfumes.  Sage used to be a common ingredient in tooth powder, used to heal bleeding gums.  Sage is sometimes burned in religious ceremonies.

In zone 5, some winter protection for sage is advised, especially if the sage plant is in an exposed area.  You can mound soil around the base or use a large tomato cage around the plant and wrap it in burlap.  It is normal for sage to retain its leaves well into winter, if not through it, but the plants do get rather ratty looking before spring.  In the spring, trim off any winter killed branches and lightly fertilize.  After 4 or 5 years you will probably need to replace your sage plant, as it is considered a short lived perennial.

Salt and Sugar preservation of herbs

Lay sprigs of herbs or herb leaves in a non- metallic container that has an inch or so of non-iodized salt or kosher salt in it. Cover the leaves or sprigs in salt. You can repeat for several layers. Crush garlic cloves before placing them in salt and chopping herbs like parsley finely before placing in the salt gives a better flavor to the salt. If the salt clumps during drying, stir it and keep stirring every day until clumps no longer form.

You can remove the herbs when they are dried and discard the salt, or you can use the salt, which will have taken on some of the herb’s flavors. Leaving finely chopped herbs in the salt gives you seasoned salt. Try combining several herbs. You can use the seasoned salt as a meat rub or in other cooking.

Certain herbs that are used in sweet cooking or teas can be preserved in sugar. Lemon balm, mints, lavender, rose petals, etc. are some examples. Chopping the herbs first works better when preserving them in sugar.  Put an inch or so of sugar down, then herbs then a layer of sugar.  You can repeat for several layers.  Stir if clumps form until the sugar no longer clumps. Keep the container covered to avoid attracting insects.  It can also be stored in the refrigerator. 

Baking with the sugar will make most of the herb flavor disappear, and only a light flavor remain.  The sugar can be added to tea and cold drinks, or used to top desserts.  Adding a crushed or whole vanilla bean to some of the herbs in sugar makes a nice touch. Please note- cane sugar or beet sugar can be used but artificial sweeteners cannot be used to preserve herbs.

Seven-son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

We tend to think of flowering trees as spring bloomers but a rather uncommon small tree, Seven Son Flower, will bring fragrant white flowers to the garden in fall.  The flowers appear in clusters of seven, hence the name. After the flowers fade the old flower sepals turn a bright burgundy red and persist on the tree for additional color. 

The trees foliage is unremarkable; the leaves are oval with a sharp point, dark green and have 3 prominent veins running down them.  Fall color is yellow.  However the tree has pleasing winter form with light tan bark that peels in strips.
Fall in the Garden at Suncrest, Lapeer

Seven-son flower can be kept as a multi-stemmed bush or trained to a single trunk tree- which is often the most attractive form.  They get 15-20 feet in height and are quite fast growing.  If you need something hardier and less fussy than Japanese Maple for partly shaded locations, Seven-son flower may fit the bill.  It will thrive in full sun or partial shade and in many types of soil although it prefers moist but well drained loamy soil.  It should be kept well watered. It’s hardy through zone 5.

Seven-son flower is a relatively recent horticultural import from China and may not be as easy to find as other flowering trees.  There are few named cultivars.  However if you are the gardener that likes something different Seven-son flower may be a great plant to try.

Eat an apple and listen for the birds!

Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

September 17, 2013 Kim's Weekly Garden Newsletter



September 17, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter


These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

We had a light frost in some areas on Saturday night and again last night.  I hate having to cover everything but I know some things will continue to bloom, like the dahlias, if they are covered during light frosts.  The next few days don’t seem to be a problem for frost, although I will check on the forecast again this evening to see if the prediction has changed.  I gave up Monday and moved most of the true houseplants inside.  I had to pick all the acorns out of the pots so I don’t start trees. I’ll wait for a while on things like my rosemary and the geraniums because they can withstand cooler weather better than some of the tropicals.
The garden at Suncrest, a free public garden in Lapeer, Mi.

I hate having to water in this chilly weather it just doesn’t seem right and my poor arthritic hands tell me so.  I am holding off on most of the watering until tomorrow until I see how the weather shapes up for Wednesday night and Thursday, when we are supposed to get some good rain, especially Thursday night into Friday.   I hope so as we really need it.

I still have annuals and the shrub roses blooming as well as hibiscus and mums.  I know the autumn equinox is here because the Maximilian sunflower is getting ready to bloom. ( See below.)  It’s September 22.  Full moon, Harvest moon is tomorrow.  It’s hard to believe September is more than half over.

My tomatoes have really gone downhill- they succumbed to fungal diseases.  That’s ok because I am getting tired of them- yes- I no longer want them at every meal. We have plenty on the windowsill for a few days and lots in the freezer.  Our pumpkins are turning orange and I hope they will make it to Halloween.  I promised the granddaughters they could take them soon.  We have some huge pumpkins this year.

I am starting to clean up the veggie garden; cabbage is about the only crop left.  Our apples are almost ripe and then I will be very busy again.  There’s nothing better than apple pie and homemade apple butter.

I visited the Garden on Suncrest yesterday and it is looking pretty good despite looking a little dry.  There are some nice additions again this year; I liked the white boxes with the white metal art behind them.  If you haven’t seen the garden this year better hurry and take a look.

If you are ever interested in seeing pictures of some of the things I discuss in the newsletter take a look at my blog site, where I post part of this newsletter with pictures each week.  I don’t like to post pictures in the email addition because it makes the files too large for some people.  The blog is at http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/

The Maximilian sunflower

A long time ago I planted a wildflower mixture in a big bare area and even today I have legacies of that mixture left.  I’m actually fighting to remove some of them before they overwhelm what I now call my butterfly garden.  The Maximilian sunflower was one of those plants.  I do like the cheerful yellow flowers when little else is blooming and the birds like the seeds so I always leave some plants.  While I try to keep the Maximilian population down in my garden, I haven’t seen it spread to any other parts of my yard.  I have, however, seen some plants on the south side of Clifford in a swamp area.   

The Maximilian sunflower, (Helianthus maximilianii), is probably not native to Michigan, it is a wildflower of the north-central prairies that has been introduced into cultivation and then escaped and naturalized in our state. Its cheerful small sunflower blooms may be seen along roadside ditches and in sunny meadows in September and October.

Maximilian Sunflower
Maximilian sunflowers are perennial plants, slowly forming clusters of plants in a good environment. They are a favorite of birds, producing many tiny, tasty seeds, and their late season color makes them attractive in an informal garden setting. Maximilian sunflowers will cross with our common annual sunflower and experiments are being done to develop a perennial crop sunflower with larger seeds.

Maximilian sunflowers grow extremely tall when they have moisture and full sun, easily reaching 6-7 feet. They have a tendency to fall over when blooms begin unless propped by tall grasses or weeds around them. Unlike common sunflowers, the leaves of Maximilian sunflowers are long and grass-like, folding slightly in the middle and arching downward. They are dark green to gray green. The sturdy stems of the plant have small white hairs along them.

The blooms of Maximilian sunflower are clustered at the ends of the plant and resemble small sunflowers. Both the outer petals and center are bright yellow. It blooms for a long period, beginning in mid- September and continuing to a hard freeze. The flowers produce small seeds that look like the typical sunflower seed that are relished by birds. Birds are responsible for spreading the seeds to new locations. Animals will eagerly graze the plants also.

It is said that Native Americans of the plains ate both the seeds and roots of Maximilian sunflowers. If introduced to gardens for the birds or late season color the plants can be cut back to half their length in early July and the plants will be shorter and less likely to sprawl when blooming.

Citizen science you can participate in

Brown Marmorated Stink bug.  If you like contributing to the general knowledge of our planet, here are some projects you might be interested in.   The Brown Marmorated Stink bug is a pest that many of you may have experienced trying to hide in your home for the winter.  Besides that problem the BMS bug also feeds on small fruit, grapes, vegetables and ornamental plants, producing a lot of damage.  A group effort by researchers from USDA, the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, Virginia Tech, the Northeastern IPM Center, Oregon State University, North Carolina State University, Cornell University, the University of Delaware and Washington State University wants to find out how many BMS bugs are in the country and how they behave.

The group of researchers would like citizens to report how many BMS bugs they see gathered outside their homes and where they were found and when.   The researchers want to find out how landscape features affect BMS bug populations.   While the count is focusing on the middle Atlantic States, researchers are interested in hearing from all areas.  Volunteers willing to count their stink bugs can contact USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologists Tracy Leskey (tracy.leskey@ars.usda.gov), Doo-Hyung Lee or Torri Hancock at (304) 725-3451, at the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory in Kearneysville, West Virginia.

Red Emperor tulips. The timing of spring as it unfolds across North America is another citizen science project you can get involved in.  Simply plant red Emperor tulips this fall and report online when they bloom in the spring.  The tulips are available in many places, and they are a tulip that tends to return each year when in the right spot.  They are bright, shiny red with a yellow center and black stamens.  They are a shorter tulip and bloom very early.  You can blend them with early white or yellow tulips or blue grape hyacinth.

You report when your red Emperor tulips bloom by registering on the Journey North website. (It’s free.)  You can then see information on where other tulips are planted and when they begin blooming.  You can track the progress of spring across the country. This is an activity that a lot of classrooms participate in but anyone can participate, young or old, groups or single.  Here’s the web address http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

How soil microbes may affect your health

Science is discovering new clues to how the environment affects our health every day.  We have always known that having good soil makes gardening much easier but now there is some research that suggests that what type of soil is in the area where we spent our younger years may affect our future health.

There is an area of the country called the stroke belt, where people are more likely to have strokes than in other areas.  The Blue Ridge-Piedmont area which includes parts of South Carolina and several other states has the highest ratio of strokes to population in the US.  Even after race, income and other things are factored in scientists were still puzzled by the high rate of strokes and suspected an environmental cause. 

Medical University of South Carolina professor Daniel Lackland and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research leader Patrick Hunt, microbiologist Thomas Ducey, and soil scientist Jarrod Miller along with retired ARS soil scientist Warren Busscher formed a team to examine South Carolina medical records and also to analyze soil profiles.  They found that the areas where the most strokes occurred correlated with areas that had poorly drained, shallow, very acidic soils. Areas where the soil was well drained, deep and closer to neutral had a lower incidence of strokes, at least in South Carolina. 

Soils of different types contain different microbes.  Recent research has shown that human bodies contain millions of microbes of various types and that each human probably has a slightly different ratio and types of microbes.   We are just learning what microbes affect our health and in what way.  The research on the human “microbiome” is expanding rapidly.  The same types of microbes found in our bodies are also found in soil.

Researchers have also discovered that the type of microbes you have in your body may depend on where you spent the early years of your life.  People who were born in the stroke belt still had a higher risk of stroke than people born in other areas even when they had been away from the area for a long time.   

This research is new, and scientists are eager to expand into other areas of health correlating soil characteristics, including soil microbes to disease and immune problems.  We already have research that confirms that our rise in childhood allergies correlates with greater cleanliness and children having less exposure to the outdoors and good old dirt.  Kids may not be getting the microbes they need to prime the immune system.  You might want to feed your kids some dirt.

You can read more about the stroke research in the August, 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Making flies die

In the fall just before a good hard freeze the pesky fly populations reach their peak.  I think they are a little less than last year, but they are still bothersome.  Flies carry a lot of disease organisms on their tiny feet and everyone agrees maggots, fly babies, are just plain gross.  You can spray with insecticides but that has the potential to make you as ill as the flies, if not more so.  And sticky traps and those that collect flies in smelly solutions are also disgusting.  We spend a lot of time hitting flies with fly swatters this time of year, but it scares our dogs for some reason.

Scientists have announced however, that a new type of safe fly control may be on the way.  They have discovered a fly virus, salivary gland hypertrophy virus (SGHV ),that works to destroy the flies reproductive capability.  When the virus infects the fly it uses up all the protein the fly ingests, making the female fly unable to produce viable eggs and males refuse to mate. The flies develop huge salivary glands instead.  Infected flies also don’t eat as much and have a shorter life span.  The virus affects house flies, stable flies and something called the black dump fly.

The biggest problem scientists at the Agricultural Research Service’s Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) in Gainesville, Florida, are having is how to infect the flies with the virus.  In nature the infection rate is generally low.  Baits and sprays made with the virus only infest 20-30% of the flies that contact them.  However a sludgy mixture of flies that died from the virus in water, called a homogenate, will infect more than 50% of the flies that come in contact with it.

Researchers hope to be able to develop a fly control product from this SGHV homogenate soon.  It will be environmentally friendly and safe for use in homes and animal areas.  And studies using the virus may determine how insect reproduction can be targeted by manipulating how their bodies use protein.  Let’s hope they succeed soon.

Fall Webworm

The "tent" that fall webworms make is at the end of branches.
If you are noticing those huge webs of wiggling worms on the tips of branches on trees in your area, don’t be alarmed.  The fall webworm is a native seasonal pest that doesn’t significantly harm trees even though they look pretty ugly.  In Michigan we begin seeing the “tents” of fall webworm in late August.  Even after a hard freeze kills the worms inside, or they have become pupae, the nests may hang in the trees until winter winds dislodge them.

Fall webworms are often confused with their spring cousins, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar.  Fall webworms enclose leaves at the end of a branch with their white, web like tent.  They feed inside the tent and enlarge it when all the leaves inside are eaten.  Eastern tent caterpillars make their tents in the crotches of branches and they leave the tent to feed on leaves, returning to the tent for protection from weather.  Eastern tent caterpillars appear in late spring and early summer, fall webworms late in the summer.

The nests of fall webworms are usually on the outside branches of a tree, where the branch extends over an open sunny area such as a road or lawn.   This makes them very visible to concerned gardeners.   Each nest contains a colony of small caterpillars, busily feeding on tree leaves.  The caterpillars are either red headed or black headed.  Black headed webworms are greenish, with two rows of black bumps on the sides.  Red headed webworms are tan with orange or red bumps.  Both are covered in long white hairs.

The adult fall webworm is a small white moth, occasionally marked with a few black spots.  She lays her eggs on the underside of leaves, where they hatch and begin feeding.  The young feed for about 6 weeks then drop to the ground to pupate and over-winter.  Occasionally in Michigan’s southern counties there is enough warm weather in fall for the first generation to turn into moths and create a second generation.  Levels of the pest are higher in some years too, with heavier populations every 5-7 years.

Fall webworms prefer to feed on trees such as wild cherry, walnut, hickories and fruit trees but can feed on almost any tree.  They seldom feed on willows and cottonwoods.  When a tent or web is disturbed all the little caterpillars move in a peculiar synchronized jiggling movement.  This may be their attempt to make a predator think something much larger is lurking within.

Controlling fall webworm

Since trees are near the end of their active cycle the loss of leaves from Fall Webworms doesn’t harm them much.   If the nests offend you, you can use your garden hose to spray them out of the tree or use a stick to knock them down, and then smash the worms.  Worms won’t crawl back up the tree when knocked to the ground.   You can trim the tents out of the tree if doing so doesn’t harm the looks of the tree.  Valuable ornamental trees can be treated with systemic pesticides early in summer.  These go through the tree and kill the worms as they start to feed on leaves later in the year.

Pesticide sprays are not recommended as the collateral damage to the environment isn’t worth it, as trees are barely affected by the feeding of the Fall Webworm.   Most pesticides do not effectively penetrate the webs; they would have to be torn open.   Spraying foliage around the nests may kill the caterpillars when they enclose more leaves into the web.  And burning the tents with a blowtorch is far more dangerous to the tree and to you than the worms.

Fall webworms have several natural enemies in Michigan including yellow jackets and paper wasps.  If you tolerate these insects on your property then you may have fewer fall webworms.  Birds also like to eat the worms, especially if you tear the web for them.

It’s chili time, have a bowl.

Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Kim's Weekly Garden Newsletter September 10, 2013

September 10, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter



These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

Fall weather has its ups and downs that’s for sure.  From fans to furnace in one week is kind of hard to tolerate but there is nothing we can do about it.   What I really wish for is rain- it’s getting pretty dry around here, yesterday we just got traces of rain from time to time.  The garden is looking faded, dry and dusty.  Sunflowers, dahlias, cannas, marigolds, geraniums, petunias, salvia, hibiscus and mums are providing some color.  The cooler nights are coaxing the snapdragons and laurentia back into bloom too.  This is the time of year when you are grateful for those annuals, which are at their peak.

Heritage glad Bibi.
Be on the lookout for a frost advisory this weekend.  It looks like the temps just might go that  low. With a first, early frost just covering your tender plants will probably be fine.  Remember not to use plastic when covering plants, it conveys the cold right to the plant if it touches it and if the sun comes out before you remove the cover in the morning you can cook your plants.  Old sheets are great for frost protection.  Newspaper and row cover you purchase are other options.

Start thinking about bringing the houseplants in, as some plants are susceptible to cold nights even if it doesn’t frost.  I am leaving mine out for at least a week or two because it isn’t going to be much warmer in my house as we are having our furnace replaced and the old one isn’t working.   They are under the cedar trees and off the ground so they should be fine.

You may want to look over your tender perennials and see what you want to bring inside to save for next year.  You can leave them outside a bit longer if you cover them before a frost.  Geraniums are one of the best tender perennials to bring inside.  They will often bloom all winter in a sunny window.  Or they will survive in a dormant state in a cool, dimly lit place. 

Rex begonias and fibrous begonias can make great houseplants.  Tuberous begonias and the cane type begonias will go dormant for a while if brought inside in pots but they will re-bloom again next spring.  Hold them in a place just above freezing in the pots they were growing in after the foliage dies down.  Don’t water the pots.  In late February bring the pots out into a warm room, with good light and water them regularly and they’ll start growing again.

Other tender perennials to over winter are abutilons, lemon verbena, coleus, sweet potato vines, the “spikes” in pots (dracaena), fuchsia, polka dot plants, Chinese hibiscus, firecracker plant and other cuphea’s and rosemary.  There are many tropicals being sold now for summer containers and many of those will survive over winter if brought in and cared for properly.

Fragrant tulips

I love tulips in the spring and I just finished ordering some new ones for my garden.  Tulips don’t always return as well as daffodils and some minor bulbs but to me they are worth planting.  I like the fragrant varieties as they give double pleasure in the spring.  Many fragrant tulips are orange or orange-red blends but there are a few other colors.  There are some fragrant doubles and fragrant tulips come in early, mid and late season bloomers.

This is tulip Estella Rijnveld.
Here are some fragrant tulip varieties that I know of, there are others out there: Abigail, Abba, Aafke, Ad Rem, Angelique, Apricot Beauty, Ballerina,  Beauty Queen, Brown Sugar, Christmas Marvel,  Coleur Cardinal, Dillenburg, General de Wet, Keizerskroon, Little Beauty, Monsella, Moulin Rouge, Oranjezon, Orange Favorite,  Orange Beauty, Orca, Peach Melba, Peach Blossom, Prince of Austria, Princess Irene, Purissima, Rococo, Schoonoord, West Point.

Good places to find these tulips – and now is the time to buy them- are Old House Gardens, http://www.oldhousegardens.com/  McClure and Zimmerman, http://www.mzbulb.com/  and Van Bourgondien http://www.dutchbulbs.com/   Order soon to get the best variety.  You can plant tulips until the ground freezes but in zones 5-6 early October is a good time to plant them.  You need to order them soon to get them by then.

What’s in your forest?

A recent study of forests from North Dakota to Maine found that only 1/3 of the forested areas had no non-native species.  Even that amount seems high as invasive species seem to be everywhere.  The most often encountered non-native plants were multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle and garlic mustard.  In total there were 305 non-native plant species identified.

In the lower 48 States New Hampshire had the highest percentage of land with tree cover and surprisingly North Dakota had the lowest percentage of tree cover.  In urban areas there was more tree cover in Connecticut than any other state.  New Jersey has the highest percentage of paved areas.

And how have forests changed over the last 4 hundred years of European settlement?  A joint research study between Harvard and the Smithsonian found that while the species of trees in Eastern forests have remained basically the same, the percentages of different types of trees has changed dramatically.  There are 20% more maples of various species and far lower numbers of beech, oak and chestnuts than there were in pre-colonial times.  The amount of pine is the most variable, in some areas there is a higher percentage of pines than before colonization, in others it is less. 

In the Northeastern part of the country the amount of land covered in forest is now much similar to what it was before colonization.  In the 18th and 19th century most of the northeastern states had drastically reduced forest land due to farming but as farms were abandoned forests have returned.

Mulch your leaves for fewer weeds

Speaking of trees I hope you have a mulching blade on your mower.  We have known for many years that mulching tree leaves on the lawn and leaving them there decreases the need for nitrogen fertilizer and improves soil texture.  Now research done by MSU says that mulching your maple and oak leaves into the lawn will result in 53-80% less dandelions growing in the lawn when spring comes.  The research team used only leaves from trees not treated with pesticides to avoid herbicide residue affecting the results.

So don’t rake your leaves unless you want them for the compost pile or covering the garden.  They will do far more good if you mow them into tiny pieces and leave them on the lawn rather than sending them to the landfill or being burning them.  Mowed leaves blow around less and quickly disappear into the lawn.  Even a mower without a mulching blade will do a pretty good job cutting up leaves. 

Watch for a new moth

With the loss of most of the Monarch butterflies this year gardeners may be pleased to know that a new species of Hawk moth has been sighted in Michigan.   This moth, the Spurge Hawk Moth, is beneficial so if you see it be happy.  Hawk moths are the large bodied moths sometimes referred to as hummingbird moths.  Not all of them are beneficial; tomato hornworms are the caterpillar of two species of hawk moths. 

The Spurge Hawk moth is a lovely soft gray and brown and has white antennae and white lines on the wings as well as pink areas near the wing centers.  It is similar to the white lined sphinx moth.  It feeds on nectar from a number of flowers.  The caterpillars feed on leafy spurge, an invasive weed.  They are the size of tomato horn worms and do have a small red “horn.”  However they are black and white spotted with a distinct red line running down the center of their back.

The Spurge Hawk Moth is native to Europe and was released in some western states to control leafy spurge.   It has slowly spread to wherever spurge is growing. It can be seen hovering over flowers during the day and in the early evening.  So far it has been spotted in Western Michigan, but biologists think it may be more widespread in Michigan.

What’s at the farm markets

Sweet corn harvest in southern Michigan is almost over so if you want it, get it now.  Most other types of vegetables are available, including tomatoes for canning.   Summer apples are on the market and fall varieties will be there very soon.  The apple crop looks good, although in some places apples are smaller than normal.  Peaches are still available in some places.  Pears and plums are on the market.  Blueberry harvest in the south is pretty much over.  Some fall raspberries are on the market.  Table grapes are now starting to come to market.

Corn and soybeans feeling the drought

Although the crops looked great earlier in the year the recent dry spell in a good deal of Michigan is affecting the corn and soybean crop.  Some farmers are actually irrigating crops. I have seen it around my area.  The degree of yield that will be lost depends on many factors but it is expected that yields may be down 10-15%.  Much depends on when the crops got planted; the more mature the crop the less drought will affect it.   We had some wet fields early in the season that delayed planting and a cool start to the season, so some crops are late maturing.   Some areas got more rain than others and averaged overall the crop may still hit normal yields.

Everybody get outside and do a rain dance.
Honeyrock melon from our garden.
Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

September 3, 2013- Kim's Weekly Garden Newsletter




September 3, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

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These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

Hibiscus
I love the cooler weather although I am still going to have to do some more watering later.  Some of you may have gotten lots of rain over the weekend but our total was less than a half inch.  The weather service says our summer has been pretty much near normal in temperature and most of the state has been near normal in precipitation.   The upper half of the thumb- close to me, and part of the central, upper half of the Lower Peninsula has been down a little from average precipitation.

Remember me talking about Ember Days?  These are religious days that were “laid over” pagan calendar days.  They occur every three months, February, May, September and December this year.  There are 3 Ember days in each of these months.  In folklore the weather on an Ember Day will predict the weather for the next three months.  In May the Ember days were the 22nd, the 24th and the 25th.  The weather on the 22nd would predict the July weather, the weather on the 24th predicts August weather and the weather on May 25th predicts this month’s weather.  May 25th we had sunny, slightly cooler than average weather.  So September should be a sunny, cool month.  We’ll see. 

Our garden has been so great this year.  We picked a 6 pound honeyrock muskmelon this week and have a couple slightly smaller ones that will need picking soon. The melon was delicious, so sweet and juicy.  The weather must have been perfect for melons and pumpkins as we have never had so productive vine crops.

I have so many tomatoes I can’t keep up with processing them.  One, labeled Tigerella, is producing huge yellow beefsteak type tomatoes, lightly streaked with red.  They crack at the stem end a lot but are tasty.  However that does not fit the description of Tigerella in the heirloom catalogs.   Tigerella is supposed to be a 2 inch tomato, red with orange stripes.  So much for keeping the labels to know what I grew.

I have dug all the potatoes as of last night, I filled a 5 gallon tall bucket to overflowing, probably 30 pounds of potatoes.  I gave about 3 pounds of fingerlings to my daughter in law Sunday, dug about 10 pounds last week and since July we have eaten potatoes solely from the garden, easily another 15 pounds, so our 4 foot by 16 foot bed produced about 50 pounds of potatoes. 

I had mostly fingerlings, yellow and red potatoes in there, but planted a few russet potatoes that had sprouted from grocery store potatoes.  I was amazed last night that some of these russets were huge, the skin is very rough looking, but they must weigh close to a half pound each.  We will be trying some baked potatoes tonight now that the weather is cooler.

As for flowers the star of the garden now is the hibiscus.  They are very gaudy flowers but I love them.   The marigolds and sunflowers are at their peak and the snapdragons are starting to bloom again.  The tiny white field asters are beginning to bloom, the plants are invasive as heck but the frothy little flowers are pretty. 

September almanac

This month we have the Harvest moon, the full moon closest to the fall equinox.  Harvest moon can be either in September or October.  A Native American name for the September full moon is also corn moon.  The harvest moon will occur on the 19th and the fall equinox is the 22nd.  While meteorological fall begins September 1,  astronomical fall begins on the equinox.  The length of the day and night is exactly 12 hours each on that day then the days get 2-3 minutes shorter each day until the daylight reaches about 9 hours at the December solstice.

It is interesting that nature provides 13 full moons in one of our calendar years.  Native Americans in some tribes ended a year at 12 moons and began a new year; others ended a year at 13 moons.  Each tribe had slightly different names for a new moon, when Europeans came they took note of the moon names that most closely resembled activities they were familiar with at that time of the year.  The Native Americans in the Great Lakes region, the Chippewa and Ojibwa, would have called the September full moon   “manoominike-giizis”  or rice moon because they would have been harvesting wild rice.

We have already had one holiday in September, Labor Day.  Other special days in September are Grandparents Day September 8th, Patriots Day on the 11th and Native American day on the 27th.   Here are some weird “days” celebrated in September: 10th - TV Dinner Day, 18th –Rice Krispies Treat Day, 21st –World Gratitude Day, 28th – Drink Beer Day. It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, Chicken Month, and National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.  It’s also National Emergency Preparedness month and a good time to check your emergency supplies.

The September birthstone is the sapphire, the September flower is the aster.   With the world in a state of great unrest it’s important to note that WWII began, (1939) and ended in September,(1945).   Gunsmoke ( 1955) and Lassie ( 1954) debuted in September.   The US Constitution was signed in September ( 1787).  Chief Geronimo surrendered, Squeaky From tried to kill President Gerald Ford, President McKinley was shot and later died, Jimi Hendrix and James Dean died, and Gerald Ford was shot at again by Sara Moore.

Things to do in the garden in September

It’s a great time to plant grass seed, lay sod, and plant trees and shrubs. It’s a good time to plant most perennials.   It’s time to start planting bulbs for spring flowers; you can plant most of them until the ground freezes, but plant lilies as soon as you see them for sale or as they are shipped to you.  Dig your summer flowering bulbs after a frost has killed the tops, or after they have finished blooming and the tops are drying up.

Hold off on pruning roses, trees and shrubs until the plants are dormant.  Pruning in the early fall encourages soft new growth, which is often killed during the first cold snap and also diverts some of the plants energy which could go to strong root growth.  You can keep fertilizing annuals if you wish but don’t fertilize perennials and roses now.   Woody plants and the lawn can be fertilized to maximize good root growth.

You still have time to plant lettuces and kale for a fall crop.  Clean up the vegetable garden as plants finish producing or are killed by frost.  Dig potatoes if the vines are dead, if you leave them in the ground through a wet fall, they may rot or start re-growing.  Leave pumpkins on the vine as long as possible.  Remove the flowers of tomatoes, peppers and vine crops now as they don’t have time to produce more fruit and that will concentrate the plants energy on the green fruit left on the plant.

Once the veggie garden beds are cleaned up it’s a good time to add manure, compost and other soil amendments.  It’s also a good time to prepare new veggie and flower beds for next spring by loosening up the ground, then heaping on lots of organic matter.  You’ll be ready to plant in the spring.
Get rid of mature stick tight, thistle and burdock plants before the plants set seed and give you a bumper crop next year. Get a mulching blade on your mower if it doesn’t have one and mulch the falling leaves into the lawn rather than raking them, unless you want to rake them for the compost pile.

Buy straw for the strawberries and the doghouse.  Check out the garden stores for bargains on mulch, stone, soil and other bagged items they don’t want to carry through winter. You may want to have some row covers or old sheets handy for covering some plants through those first early frosts, so they can continue to bloom through Indian summer. 

Collect seeds of plants you want to try to grow again next year.  Some hybrid plants seed won’t produce plants that looked exactly like the parents but for many things like zinnias, marigolds, morning glories, cleome, sunflowers, nicotiana, salvia, snapdragons and so on it doesn’t really matter, you’ll still get some good plants from the seeds.   Other seeds you collect, like the seeds of perennials, can be a challenge to grow but fun too.  The seeds of hybrid vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and vine crops usually will not produce good crops for you next year, but if you have non-hybrid varieties that were not close enough to other varieties to cross pollinate, you can save seed for next year. 

It’s also time to dry herbs if you haven’t already and dry flowers and grasses for fall arrangements.  Your car can make a handy solar drying area if you park it in the sun.  Put the herbs or flowers in brown paper bags and leave them in the car for a week or so, with the windows rolled up.  It makes the car smell good too.

Goldenrod is not to blame for your allergies!

I just heard someone complaining that their allergies are so bad because there is a whole field of that “yellow stuff” across from them.  They are referring to Goldenrod, that beautiful fall flowering plant that feeds so many butterflies and bees late into fall when nothing else is available.   Goldenrod has heavy, sticky pollen that does not float in the air.  It’s carried by insects.  The culprit that causes fall hay fever is ragweed, whose inconspicuous flowers produce pollen that floats on the wind; it blooms at the same time as goldenrod.

Goldenrod and a morning glory.
Goldenrod,  (Solidago), makes a great garden plant.  There are over 80 species of goldenrod in the United States, many relatively unknown to gardeners, which may eventually become garden classics.  This is definitely a plant that deserves some space in Michigan gardens.

Cultivated varieties of goldenrod include ‘Crown of Rays’, tall and deep gold, ‘Goldrush’, a compact bright golden variety, ‘Fireworks’, very tall and arching golden sprays, ‘Laurin’, only a foot tall and perfect for containers and ‘Golden Fleece’ a groundcover style goldenrod.  Native species that are good for gardens include Solidago decumbens, which is native to the Rockies and good for alpine and rock gardens.  At only 6 inches tall, it has red stems and golden flowers. Solidago stricta, a native to the western states, has straight upright wands of golden flowers. 

Goldenrod’s arching golden sprays light up fall flowerbeds. Every butterfly garden should have goldenrod. Goldenrod is good in naturalized and wildflower gardens, but also looks good in mixed borders.  It is gorgeous combined with blue asters, Caryopteris, Russian Sage, or purple and blue Buddleia.  Goldenrod looks stunning in floral arrangements and is long lasting in a vase.  It also dries well.

How to grow goldenrod

Goldenrod is a perennial plant hardy from zone 4-9.   Most over winter as a basal rosette of foliage, from which tall spikes of leaves arise, eventually forming flower heads on the ends. Goldenrods range from 6” tall to about 4 feet.   The leaves of most goldenrods are green to gray-green, narrow and long. 

The tiny goldenrod flowers are shades of yellow from deep golden to pale yellow and occur in clusters at the end of stems.  They contain nectar and protein rich pollen that help butterflies and bees survive the winter.  Many other beneficial insects are often found on goldenrod in the fall, such as the praying mantis, which is looking for a last meal before winter.   A small white or yellow spider, called the goldenrod spider is a frequent resident.

Goldenrod produces seed but most gardeners will want to start with plants.  Specialty nurseries carry named, improved varieties of goldenrod species and wildflower nurseries have the more common species.  If you have goldenrod on your own property or permission to dig it on someone else’s property you can transplant plants into your own garden.  Choose the plants when they are in full bloom, since individual plants vary in how pretty they are.  If you keep them well watered after the transplant, they generally do quite well.

Goldenrod prefers full sun.  Most species are drought resistant once established.  They are generally not fussy about soil type, but don’t like wet areas.  Be aware that goldenrod reseeds freely and you will need to be alert to keep it from spreading throughout the garden.  Some species also spread through rhizomes.

The stems of goldenrod often have a swelling or gall on them.  There are actually three types of galls that form on goldenrod but the most familiar is the round swelling, which forms on Solidago altissema, or Tall Goldenrod stems.  Tall Goldenrod is common in the Midwest and Eastern United States.  These galls contain the larvae of the goldenrod gall fly, which over winters snug inside the tough walled sphere.  These larvae are an important food source for downy woodpeckers and chickadees in the winter.  They also make excellent fishing bait.

One almost unknown fact about goldenrod is that it is a native source of rubber.  Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod rubber and the tires of a Ford Model T given to him from Henry Ford were made of goldenrod rubber.   Edison gave all his promising experimental information to the US government, but they failed to ever develop the product, probably because a way to produce rubber from petroleum was developed. 

Do blame the ragweed for your allergies

Ragweed is a nondescript plant that often goes unnoticed but has the power to make people’s lives miserable.   It has two types of greenish, almost unnoticeable flowers on each plant, male and female, and the male flowers shed copious amounts of pollen into the air which drifts on the wind.   This pollen is a major cause of “hayfever” in late summer and fall.    Since ragweed blooms at the same time as goldenrod, poor goldenrod with its showy yellow flowers often gets the blame for allergic symptoms.   Goldenrod pollen is carried by insects and is not the cause of seasonal allergies.
Ragweed leaves and flowers.

If you could look at ragweed pollen under a microscope you would be able to see the cruel hooks and barbs each grain of pollen carries, which can get into human nasal passages and wreak havoc if they don’t find their way to the female flower of another ragweed plant.  Each large plant can release thousands of pollen grains.

Common Ragweed,  (Ambrosia artemsiifolia) can get to 5 foot high easily in a season from seed the size of dust and Giant Ragweed,(Ambrosia trifida), has been known to grow 10 foot high.  They prefer sun and will grow anywhere, often thickly. 

Young ragweed plants.
Ragweed is an annual plant that emerges when the soil starts to warm up in the spring.  Even seasoned gardeners sometimes mistake the early plants for marigold or tomato seedlings and let them grow.  Take a close look at the foliage.  It’s fern-like, and the back of the leaf looks lighter, it’s covered in fine hairs.  The younger leaves are arranged opposite to each other but further down the line the leaves will become alternately arranged.  If you are in doubt crush a leaf of the plant.  Both tomatoes and marigolds have a distinctive odor to their leaves when they are crushed.   Ragweed doesn’t. 

Ragweed stems are covered in fine hairs.  The roots are shallow and the plants are easily pulled, especially when young.  Ragweed is found in almost every state in the US now and causes misery everywhere it goes.   

If anyone is interested I have some young Muscovy ducks, very pretty and quiet, and some Bantam chickens for sale, (not so quiet) just write me for details. kimwillis151@gmail.com

Try to get out there and enjoy the weather

Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent