May 3, 2016,
Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis
Hi Gardeners
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| Tulip "Orca" |
I am so glad to see the sun today. We can have the windows open instead
of the furnace on. I sure hope May is
sunnier than April. We have had plenty
of rain for the flowers. It looks like tomorrow
will be another rainy day though- today is typical Tuesday transition day. We had a good frost last night and even
though it’s going to be quite warm this Mother’s Day weekend frost can still
happen in mid to southern Michigan all the way through May. Remember that when you are picking up those
hanging baskets and planters this week for Mother’s Day, which is quite early
this year.
My tulips are starting to bloom nicely, the Spanish bluebells, anemone,
daffodils and hyacinths are still in bloom.
My clove currant is blooming and it smells wonderful. I’m really excited because I have a bud on a
trillium in my shaded border. I planted
trilliums two years ago and they didn’t show above ground last spring, which I
understand isn’t unusual. This year 2 of
the 3 did come up. I also have native
ginger coming up.
I saw orioles at my jelly feeder Saturday. No hummingbirds yet but last year I saw them
for the first time on May 3, so maybe later today. The birds and frogs are singing like crazy.
I got down to our bit of woods yesterday and found that we lost a lot of
trees this winter- they came down in storms and have really smashed the old
pasture fence. Some were dead ash trees,
and they took others with them when they fell.
On the other hand the red pines and scotch pines which came up as
volunteers in the pasture are as tall as me now.
We are pretty much letting the pasture revert to whatever nature wants it
to be although we are mowing a path around the pond and an area up close to the
house. I look at all that good grass
growing and think about what it could feed- a cow or some goats and sheep or
horses, all things that grazed there in the past. I can’t help it; grass makes me think of good
uses for it. Then I think about
maintaining fences and all the other work animals like that require and decide
to let nature do its thing. Restoring
the back fence alone would take a lot of time and money.
I received a plant shipment this week from what I will call a bargain
garden catalog. I haven’t ordered from
this company (Burgess) for many years because I know you get what you pay for. There was something I wanted that I saw they
had a good price on so I took a chance and ordered a few things. I was hoping all the instant feedback on
social media would have improved this company’s offerings and shipping methods. It may have improved them somewhat but
improvement is still needed.
The plants arrived in a large green plastic bag instead of a box. Part of the condition of the plants inside was
undoubtedly due to handling at the post office but it’s hard to protect
something in a plastic bag. The bag was
stuffed into our large rural mailbox. Inside some of my purchases were in other
little plastic bags. A few small potted
things were in thin plastic protective containers- which all look liked like
they had been run over by the mail truck.
I sorted out the mess and potted up the bare root plants promptly. I had a hard time determining which end of
the little twig of a sassafras tree I bought was the root end. The pink canna I ordered was about the size
of a nickel and the piece felt soft so I have grave doubts it will grow. Definitely
not worth $5.50. The yellow flowered Christmas cactus was
actually a cutting- which really hadn’t rooted, but I think I can grow
that. The other things I ordered are probably
fine if on the small size. Once again
you get what you pay for. Shipping cost
$10- and instead of the bag they could have purchased a postal box that would
have held all those little plants for about the same price.
Speaking
of good prices on plants I hope all of you mid-Michigan readers will attend the
Lapeer Horticulture Society’s plant sale Saturday the 7th. It’s being held at Siciliano's, the little
Italian restaurant on the north edge of Lapeer right on M24 (1900 North Lapeer
Road). Time is 8 am to 4 pm. There will be hanging baskets and other
planters for Mother’s Day as well as perennial plants from member’s
gardens. Garden related items and books
will also be for sale. Stop in and find some great
deals.
May Almanac
May is a
wonderful month, almost as good as June. The full moon is May 21st and appropriately enough it’s called the
flower moon. Perigee is the 6th and apogee of the moon is on the 18th. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day in May are some
of the biggest sales days that greenhouses have and May is almost synonymous
with a trip to buy flowers. Other names
for May’s full moon are mother’s moon and milk moon- because new mothers and
their milk are everywhere. The month name of May is derived from the name of
the Greek goddess Maia, associated with fertility.
There are
two sets of notable days in May folklore. The first is Chilly Saints days,
named for the Saints Mameritus, Pancras, and Gervais. The days are the 11th, 12th, and 13th and it
is said that these days will be cold and frosty. (In 2015 these days were cool
and rainy and we had frost on the 14th .) The second set of folklore days is the Ember
days. May Ember days are the 22nd, 24th
and 25th. On the 22nd the weather
predicts the weather for June, the 24th predicts July weather and the 25th
predicts the August weather. Example: if
it’s cold and wet on the 22nd the month of June is supposed to be cold and
wet.
In 2015 May
22nd was sunny and cooler
than average in temperature. June 2015 was pretty average in sun and
temperature. May 24th 2015 was partly sunny, warm and humid. July 2015 was sunny and warm. May 25th was also partly sunny, hot and humid. August 2015 was cooler than average. So much for Ember Day predictions.
May is
planting month around here. Plant
something every day! According to the
Farmer’s Almanac the best days to plant above ground crops are May 19-21, below
ground crops May 29-30 but don’t let that stop you from getting things planted.
I plant when me, the soil and weather
are ready. May’s full moon is said to be
a great time to harvest any medicinal herbs that are growing for their maximum
potency.
May’s birth
flower is the Lily of the Valley. It
signifies sweetness and humility. ( But remember its poisonous) It also means a return to happiness and you
are supposed to give them to people you find complete happiness with. The birthstone is the emerald which is a
symbol of re-birth.
May Day,
May 1, has passed, Cinco de Mayo is May 5th, May 6th is
No Diet Day which is great. It’s also
National Teachers day so hug a teacher.
May 8th is World Red
Cross day and Iris day. Mother’s Day is
May 8th . The 16th is Love a Tree day. The 29th is Learn about Composting day. The 30th is that springboard to
summer day- Memorial Day and the 30th is also Water Your Flowers
Day. It’s good that Memorial Day is late
this year because it’s a date many people use to signify it’s safe to plant everything. But beware- frost can still happen, although
it isn’t likely.
May is
National Barb-b-Que month, National Salad Month, National Egg month, National
Hamburger month and National Date your Mate month. May is also Older Americans
month, Bike Month, National Skin Cancer Awareness month and Blood Pressure
Awareness month.
What
to plant in May
May is definitely
planting time in Michigan and other zone 5-6 areas but from week to week in the
month there will be a big difference in what can be planted. Early May is fine for peas, lettuce and other
greens, cabbage, beets, radishes, set onions, strawberries, grapes, blueberries
and raspberries, all hardy perennials,
trees and shrubs. Annuals such as
pansies, violas, calendula and diascia can be planted early. Phenological indicators are dandelions in
bloom, pink color on apple blossoms, color showing on lilacs or lilacs just
beginning to bloom, redbuds beginning to bloom.
Phenological
indicators are common landscape plants, native plants or insects that have
reached a certain stage which generally corresponds to soil warmth and the
number of days that have remained above 40 degrees. They are nature’s indicators of where we
stand in season progression and they are tuned to your microclimate as well as
the larger area. They can help us make
decisions on whether it’s warm enough to plant certain things or do other
garden chores. Make sure to use plants
that are as close to your garden areas as possible if you want to use
phenological indicators to time planting.
By mid-
month, and checking the weather to see if any freezes are in the forecast, you
can plant carrots, onions from plants, broccoli and cauliflower, and potatoes. If the soil seems warm you can plant an early
batch of sweet corn. Snapdragons and
zonal geraniums can go outside and you can plant all types of annual and
perennial flower seeds. You can still
plant all hardy perennials, trees and shrubs. Phenological indicators would be
lilacs blooming, apples in bloom, oak trees with small leaves.
By late May
most other garden crops like tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans and so on can be
planted. All kinds of annuals can be
planted. Perennials, trees and shrubs
can still be planted. Phenological indicators
are lilacs past full bloom, bearded iris and dames rocket in bloom. Keep an eye out for frost warnings though and
be prepared to cover plants or move them
inside if frost is predicted. We can
still get frost until the first week of June in some areas. If the weather seems warm and settled
houseplants and tropicals can be moved outside at the end of May.
Knowing
how not to get fooled at the Farmers Market
If you go
to the Farmers Market to get fresh local produce or organic produce, you often
pay a premium price for that produce. You
want to make sure you get what you pay for.
Unfortunately there are many people out there who buy their produce at
wholesalers- in Michigan the Eastern Market is a big source- and that produce
is the same produce sold in grocery stores, often at a cheaper price, and it
can come from thousands of miles away.
A few years
ago the story broke about a well- known Master Gardener who supposedly sold
heirloom organic tomatoes in several local markets that he said he grew on his
farm. Reporters visited the farm and
found fields barren and overgrown with weeds and empty greenhouses with plastic
flapping in the wind. They followed him secretly
to the Eastern market in the wee hours of the morning and taped him purchasing
tomatoes and other produce from several sources. The produce from his “organic” farmers
market booth was tested and it was discovered that most of the produce was not
grown organically.
Now this
produce was safe to eat but it wasn’t grown locally, wasn’t organic, and for the most part wasn’t even
heirloom varieties. He was a fraud and unfortunately
he’s not the only farmer at the various farmers markets who follows those
practices. It may not matter to you
where the produce you buy comes from or whether it’s organic, it may be the
experience of going to the farmers market that’s important to you. But many people do want to support local
growers and buy organic food. And when
some sellers cheat, it hurts the honest folks who are growing locally and
organically.
The best
way to know if you have found an honest, local grower is to know what fruits
and vegetables are in season in your area.
In Michigan, for example, it’s highly unlikely you will find locally
grown strawberries in early May, but maybe by late May in the southern part of
the state. There are no locally grown
tomatoes or peppers in May. If a seller
has those products in his or her booth they purchased them wholesale and they
were likely grown in another part of the country. They may acknowledge this if asked but tell
you that other produce such as salad greens was grown by them. That could be true but it’s hard to determine
just what the seller is telling the truth about when this happens.
If a grower
has a hoop house or greenhouse his produce may come to harvest a few weeks before the same crop grown in the
ground. You can find that out by asking
the seller if the produce was grown in a hoophouse or greenhouse. They could lie of course, but produce grown
this way is usually in small quantities and higher priced than produce bought
from wholesalers. The hoophouse or
greenhouse grower usually specializes in
one or two crops, and doesn’t sell things like oranges and bananas at his or
her stand.
What is likely to be
locally grown at the Farmers Market this week in May? Rhubarb, salad greens, kale, and asparagus could
be local in early May in mid- Michigan to the south. In
southern parts of the state green onions, radishes, leeks, and tiny beets may
also be available. Some stored over
winter potatoes might still be available.
Potatoes won’t be new, little ones, but rather older, looking a little
soft and starting to sprout.
Other ways
to tell if your farmer/ seller is local is to strike up a conversation, ask
where the produce is grown and to observe what others in the market are selling. Look around the market. If many vendors, small and large are selling
similar produce it’s probably in season locally. If a vendor is selling lots of out of season
produce, or produce that doesn’t grow in Michigan like oranges, chances are
good all of their produce is from wholesalers and not grown locally.
Ask the
seller the name of his farm and where it’s located. Ask when the crop was harvested and what
varieties of the crop are being offered. If the seller is rushing around helping other
customers you may get short answers but
most sellers like to talk about their farm if you are courteous and patient. Some growers may send kids or other hired help
to actually sell the produce and these people may not know as much as the
grower but they should be able to tell you where the crop was grown. However they could be coached as to how to
answer questions or be lied to by the seller so use your observation and gut
hunches too.
Buying at a
smaller Farmer’s Market instead of the huge ones located in big urban areas increases
your chances of getting locally grown produce and a lower price. Often the huge markets will have smaller
vendors too, and buying from them helps the small struggling growers get established
as well as increasing your odds of getting locally grown food.
It would be
great- and here’s a suggestion to sellers and market managers-if all sellers
posted the name of their farm and where it’s located at their booth. If they are selling obviously out of season,
non-local produce that produce should be labeled as to where it came from. And if they are certified organic or use
organic methods they should state that too.
But don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
Ask if the
crop was organically grown if that’s important to you. It’s difficult to judge whether produce is
organically grown, although organic produce may not look as perfect as non-organic. Many small growers don’t get organic
certification and hesitate to say they are organic but will tell you that they
don’t use pesticides. You basically
have to trust the seller on this.
In short
knowledge of what is in season in your area and asking the right questions can
help you determine if you are getting the locally grown produce you want. Locally grown produce usually tastes better
because it’s freshly harvested. And buying
locally does the economy and the environment a solid favor.
Growing
Lilies of the Valley- May’s birth flower
Lily of the
Valley, Convallaria majalis, is the
old fashioned, sweetly scented but deadly flower often romanticized in song and
prose. There are 3 species native to
cooler areas of Europe, Asia and the Appalachian Mountains of the United
States. Other names for the plant are
Mary’s Tears and Our Lady’s Tears although this plant cannot be the lilies of
the valley mentioned in the bible.
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| Lily of the Valley |
Lily of the
Valley has one or two upright, broad oval shaped leaves that rise from the base
of the plant on a sturdy stem. The
leaves are dark green, thick, and parallel veins run from top to bottom. The roots have small bulb like structures
that are called pips. The plant sends
out runners just below the ground that produce new plantlets, all a clone of
the original.
In late
spring stems of tiny, nodding white bells arise from the plants base. Each bell
has 6 slightly upturned scallops on the bottom edge. Bees are attracted to the flowers. The flowers are very fragrant and a stand of
Lily of the Valley can perfume the air for a considerable distance.
In earlier
times Lily of the Valley was grown for cut flowers and they still make long
lasting, wonderfully fragrant bouquets in small vases. Lily of the Valley is popular as a wedding
flower but quite expensive when out of season. (They can be produced in climate
controlled greenhouses.)
If there
are two different Lilies of the Valley close to each other and not just clones
of one plant the flowers will produce tiny red berries. Lily of the Valley is self-infertile- clones
cannot pollinate with each other and the original parent. That doesn’t stop them from completely
filling an area that they like and the plant can be considered invasive in some
spots.
Lily of the Valley Care
These
lovely and fragrant flowers are surprisingly sturdy and make a great
groundcover in shaded or semi-shaded areas.
They are hardy to zone 3 at least and like cold winters with hot
summers. Lily of the Valley likes shaded
or semi-shaded locations with sandy, loose, organic soil that is slightly
acidic, but they will grow in a wide variety of soil types. The plant dies to the ground after frost and
returns each spring from the roots.
Lily of the
Valley may be purchased as potted plants or as pips, which look like root
joints or tiny bulbs. Plant them as soon
as they arrive if they are not potted.
It can take 2 years before some plants or pips flower but some will
flower the first season. Fall is
considered the best time to plant Lily of the Valley. You will sometimes see seeds offered but
these tend to have a low germination and high failure rate. Plants and pips are the best way to start the
plant in your garden.
There are
light pink and double flowered varieties of Lily of the Valley and a variety
with variegated leaves. These are hard
to find and don’t seem to be as long lived as the common variety. Some people have found that after a while
these varieties seem to revert to plain white Lily of the Valley.
If summer
is dry and hot the Lily of the Valley may die back or look ragged and limp and
not be the prettiest groundcover.
Therefore the occasional watering during dry spells is recommended. A light application of slow release flower
fertilizer in early spring will make the flowers more abundant and larger. Lily of the Valley has few insect pests or
disease problems and deer and rabbits rarely bother them.
Some cautions
Be aware
that Lily of the Valley can spread rapidly through a flower bed and can be
difficult to totally remove once they get a start. They are best used as a ground cover in
shaded areas or kept in small patches restricted by mowing or pavement. They will naturalize in wooded areas.
Also be
aware that all parts of the Lily of the Valley are poisonous. Care should be used if they are planted
around children’s play areas or pet areas.
Pets should not be allowed to drink water from vases that Lily of the
Valley is displayed in. Berries should
be removed if any form because they can attract children. Don’t use the flowers as decorations on food.
The plant
affects the heart rate and may cause vomiting, blurred vision, dizziness and
collapse. It can cause death. If any parts of the plant are eaten it is
important to call poison control immediately and seek medical attention.
Other Uses of Lily of the Valley
Lily of the
Valley does have herbal uses but its use should only be practiced under the
care of a skilled, knowledgeable herbalist.
It is used as a diuretic and a heart regulator similar to digitalis.
Perfume is
made from the flowers of Lily of the valley.
The flowers are steeped in light oil such as almond oil or in alcohol
such as vodka. This should only be
applied externally.
An unusual
attribute of Lily of the Valley has recently been discovered. The sperm of mammals will swim rapidly toward
a component of Lily of the Valley. Sperm
can’t smell, as early research thought, rather the Lily of the Valley alters
the calcium content of the fluid around sperm and imitates progesterone’s
effect on sperm. It is being used in research
and fertility studies.
The sweet
smell of Lily of the Valley signifies spring to many people and the plant has
good uses as a ground cover for shade.
If care is taken with its invasive and poisonous qualities it can be an
excellent landscape perennial.
Myth
free Mole control
In order to
know something about mole control you need to know a little about mole biology.
We’ll get to controlling moles later in the article. Once you know more about moles you’ll see why
some popular control strategies frequently mentioned just can’t work and you’ll
avoid frustration when dealing with moles.
The mole is the source of many misconceptions and much folklore,
probably because of its underground habits which keep many people from
observing it. There are still gaps in
our knowledge of moles. But there is
enough science based information on mole biology and behavior to dispel many of
the myths that float around about moles and their control.
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| Eastern Mole. Credit en.wikimedia.org |
Identifying moles
The first
thing anyone trying to control moles should know is whether or not they
actually have moles. At least half of
the damage reported and attributed to moles is actually caused by another
animal. Moles may be present in the
landscape but not be responsible for the damage to plants that people think
they do. Sometimes moles aid other
critters by providing tunnels for them to use, but aren’t doing the actual
damage that people believe they do.
Moles are
rarely seen above ground. When people
see them they are usually dead or the person has dug them out of the
ground. Flooding may wash some moles out
of their tunnels, dogs, cats and wild animals dig them out, and when juvenile
moles are dispersing from their birth place they may travel on top of the
ground, usually at night. Sometimes
males may travel on the surface when looking for females in the early spring
mating season and females gather nesting materials above the ground before they
give birth in late spring. These
excursions to the surface are brief and seldom witnessed by people. Moles don’t pop up from holes to observe the
world nor do they scurry around the yard looking for food.
Voles,
gophers, shrews, and even muskrats are often mistaken for moles. There are two species of moles in the upper
Midwest, both found in Michigan. They
are the Eastern Mole ( Scalopus aquaticus) and the Star-nosed mole ( Condylura
cristata). If you are a reader from
another area of the country you may have other types of moles but most mole
species in North American are very similar and have similar habits. If you are examining an animal you think
might be a mole here’s what to look for.
Moles have
short, plush coats of light gray to dark brown. There are no visible ears, the
eyes are very small and hard to find.
Moles eyes are only able to distinguish light from dark. The nose is long and pointed and bare at the
tip. The Star-nosed mole has a
distinguishing feature of 22 fleshy tentacles around the nose that give the
mole its name. Moles have tiny, very
sharp teeth with no big flat incisors in the front like rodents. The moles front feet are broad and paddle
like, with webbed, thick toes. The soles
are generally visible. The hind legs and feet are small and less
developed. The moles tail is shorter
than the body. The Star-nosed mole has
a fat, lightly haired tail. The Eastern
mole has a thinner, bare tail. An adult
mole is about 4-6 inches long.
Voles have
brownish coarse hair. They look like a
stocky mouse with a short tail. Ears and
eyes are plainly visible. Gophers are
brown, have large front teeth, small front feet, visible eyes and ears, and a
short tail. They aren’t common in Michigan.
The Thirteen Lined ground squirrel is often referred to as a gopher in
Michigan but they are brown with stripes and look more like a chipmunk than a
mole. Shrews are small animals, rarely
more than 4 inches long, their coats are smoother than a gopher or vole but not
plush like a mole, their nose is pointed, eyes are small but visible, and the
tail is short. They are the animal most
likely to be confused with moles but the front feet are an important
identifier. Shrew’s feet look like the
feet of mice, not the paddles of a mole.
Muskrats have a plush dark coat but they are much larger than moles,
have prominent front incisors and a long, bare tail.
The
Star-nosed mole prefers to live where the water table is high, and next to
marshes and ponds. It is partly aquatic
and along with earthworms eats thing like water beetles, snails, small
crustaceans and even small fish. It is
sometimes seen swimming in shallow water.
The Eastern mole is an insectivore/ carnivore and prefers drier
locations. Contrary to popular belief
its diet is not primarily grubs but earthworms and a wide variety of other
critters that live in the ground. If you
have grubs in your soil a mole will gladly eat them, but grubs do not have to
be present for moles to be present.
Moles have been found with very small amounts of plant matter in their
stomachs but it’s not certain why, it could be accidental ingestion or an odd
habit of some moles. Their diet is at
least 98% animal based.
Moles dig
tunnels to look for food and to live in.
The home tunnels are usually straight, deeper in the soil and along a
natural or human boundary such as a line of shrubs or trees, or a foundation or
pavement. The home tunnels are used daily.
The mole retreats there to sleep or care for young. Nests of dried grasses and leaves can be
found in these tunnels.
Food
hunting tunnels can be deep or at the surface of the soil, where they bring the
attention and wrath of humans. On the
surface of the soil these tunnels appear as raised mounds that may zig and zag
through the garden or lawn. These are
dug to hunt for prey, which falls into the tunnel as the moles dig and is
gobbled up. Most hunting tunnels are
used only once, at least by the mole itself.
There are connecting tunnels between hunting tunnels and home tunnels
that may or may not be used more than once.
There are
also mounds of soil made in gardens and lawns where excess soil is pushed up
out of the tunnels. These are more
common with Star-nosed moles but Eastern moles also make them. The mole mounds do not have open holes, when
the mole is finished pushing up the soil it plugs the hole. When other animals take over mole tunnels
these holes may be re-opened and a visible opening is seen in the mound.
Moles don’t
hibernate and continue hunting all winter.
In winter the hunting tunnels are beneath the frost line. Moles are active at any time of the day or
night and since they need to eat their body weight in worms or other prey each
day to keep their bodies functioning they spend many hours burrowing and
looking for food.
Moles are
fiercely territorial and solitary animals except at breeding time. It is believed that Star-nosed moles may pair
up through winter but go solitary after breeding in the spring. There are never hundreds of moles in your
yard, or even dozens even though it may seem that way. At the most a suburban lot will have space
for 2 moles, except for a short time when babies are with the mother. An acre might support 6-10 moles.
But if you kill one mole another may quickly take over that territory,
which makes it seem like there are a lot of moles.
Moles are
not very prolific compared to other small mammals. There is one litter born every year of 2-6
young in mid to late spring, depending on weather. Most scientific studies where moles were
tracked by some means found that young moles have a 50% survival rate. Many are killed when they disperse from the
mother’s territory about 6 weeks after birth.
Dispersing juveniles often travel on the surface of the ground, probably
to avoid other adult moles, and are picked off by cats, snakes and birds of
prey.
The damage moles do and don’t do
Moles do
make a lawn look bad with mounds and tunnels.
It can be hard to mow, although most tunnels are soft and collapse
easily. The damage is most apparent in spring when moles feed close to the
surface and vegetation hasn’t grown enough to hide the raised tunnels and
mounds. The damage is mostly
cosmetic. Some grass roots may be killed
by the ground being raised or plants smothered by mounds of dirt, but most
plant life recovers. Moles do not
undermine pavement or foundations. If
you have that kind of damage you may have groundhogs or rats. Star-nosed moles may contribute to erosion of
banks by water edges with their tunnels.
As heating
and drying out of the topsoil takes place in summer the insects and worms moles
feed on move deeper into the soil and the moles follow them. There are no more raised tunnels and the
existing ones collapse. And moles
frequently move on to other yards after having hunted in one place for a while. Many people have moles and are unaware they
are beneath their feet.
Moles do
not eat the roots or bulbs of plants nor do they eat fruits or plant parts
above ground. Their teeth are not made
for eating roots and other tough vegetation.
Some roots may be damaged by tunneling but in general plants can repair
this damage. If you have bulbs and
things like potatoes being eaten you probably have voles, mice, rats, chipmunks
or ground squirrels. Sometimes these
critters follow mole tunnels but sometimes they make their own.
Controlling moles
Controlling
moles is not impossible once you learn the correct way to do it, even though it
may not be the easy job some folk
remedies promise. There are hundreds of
folk remedies for controlling moles and sometimes they seem to work. That’s because the moles moved on to better
hunting grounds or went deeper into the ground on their own, not because of the
folk remedy. When you learn about mole
biology and behavior it’s easy to understand why some remedies are useless.
Castor oil is often said to kill or repel
moles. Moles, like most creatures, do
not like the taste or smell of this very toxic product. At least one company makes a commercial mole
“remover” using castor oil. However a
study done by Michigan State University , which is often used as proof that
castor oil works to get rid of moles, was very small, criticized by peer review
for not being very well constructed or controlled and has never been replicated
by any other study. There is no reliable
scientific proof castor oil products repel or kill moles.
Even with a
popular dish detergent added the castor oil mix doesn’t penetrate the ground very far and worms and
other insects will move away from it if they can. The smell will shortly
disappear. Spraying it on the surface
won’t do anything; it would have to be applied in large quantities in a strong,
undiluted concentration and allowed to soak in. Folk remedy concoctions don’t
have the amount or concentration of castor oil to do anything. Moles will go deeper into the ground, and
then reappear when the product dissipates.
Just because
you took or were given castor oil as a child does not make it a safe product.
You were being given a sub-lethal dose of a poison. Castor oil can kill
non-target species and if you have pets
or kids these product could be picked up on feet or hands and make them very
sick. New granular castor oil products
should be avoided because of this. Moles
would not eat anything that smelled like castor oil, and they don’t eat anything
that doesn’t smell and feel like their normal prey.
The
planting of castor bean plants in
areas where there are moles could possibly deter them, if the whole area was
planted to castor beans, which are extremely poisonous. But that means no more lawn or garden
anyway. But a border of the plants
doesn’t work because moles can tunnel deeply under those plants without a
problem. The same thing is true of mole plant (Euphorbia latharis), you
would have to plant the whole area, not just a border, if it had any effect at
all, which there is no proof that it does.
What if you
treat the lawn for grubs? Grubs aren’t the only food that moles eat; in
fact the basic food for moles in most places is earthworms. Grub control usually doesn’t kill worms,
although it depends on what pesticide you use.
Grub control is expensive, and can harm beneficial insects, birds and
pets. If your lawn has no grubs it can
still have moles. Check for grubs before
you apply grub control products.
Treating lawns and gardens with broad spectrum pesticides that kill
everything is a really unsafe and environmentally destructive practice.
Putting gum into mole tunnels won’t work,
whether it’s chewed or not and regardless of brand or flavor. Moles won’t eat gum. They only eat worms and insects. They just tunnel right over it. And if gum
doesn’t kill you why would it kill a mole if it did eat it?
Moles also
won’t eat cornmeal, grits or anything
else with the idea that it will expand in their gut and kill them. They won’t eat mouse or rat poisons, even if put into their tunnels. These things are not attractive to moles.
What about poison gas? People have all sorts of stories about
hooking up car exhaust to tunnels and gas canisters are sold with elaborate
instructions. But these things don’t
work well because the mole tunnel systems are usually extensive and disperse
the gas, and soil also absorbs much of the gas.
Moles are adapted to surviving in high carbon dioxide/low oxygen
atmospheres underground. Flooding a
tunnel with water might work to kill babies in a home tunnel, but mole tunnels
are built to handle draining away water, soil absorbs a lot of water, and moles
can move away from water or even swim away without a problem.
Putting broken glass or razor blades in mole
tunnels won’t hurt them – at least it won’t kill them and is more likely to
hurt you or someone else who digs in that area in the future. Think about it- they would just cover these
materials or go around them. Used kitty
litter, various urine concoctions, essential oils, fabric softener sheets
all have the same failing. They don’t
last long and moles can simply avoid them.
Moles don’t even go back to most of their tunnels a second time.
Then there
are the windmills, and wine bottles and
such sunk into the soil that are supposed to vibrate and scare away moles. Moles are exposed to vibrations all the time
around humans. Cars, farm machinery,
people and animals walking by, loud music, vibrations abound. Moles detect large predators from vibrations
but they get used to constant vibrations and can differentiate harmful from
harmless vibrations . And ultrasonic devices do not work on any
pests, there’s no scientific research that has supported that, and ultrasound
wouldn’t penetrate the soil very far anyway.
What really works to get rid of
moles
So what
does work? There really aren’t any good
repellents, despite many claims based on anecdotes. If you want to get rid of moles you need to
kill them. A good cat or dog will kill
many moles, although they rarely eat them.
Dogs will do a lot of damage following a mole tunnel and digging it
up. Since moles mark the tunnels as they
move through them to deter other moles, a dog will often dig up a tunnel for a
long way because he smells the mole. Cats
usually wait to see movement just under the ground before they dig to get the
mole. If you tolerate snakes many will clear an area of moles in no time.
People can
be mole killers too. Sit in an area very
quietly where there is lots of mole activity and wait to see one moving under
the soil. Shoot it with a bb or pellet
gun or plunge a shovel or pitchfork into it.
Some people throw them up on the ground with a shovel and dispatch them.
Traps are
very effective once you learn how to set them and where. You need to practice and with practice you’ll
get good at placing and setting traps.
The trap must be specific for moles.
Follow the directions for setting the traps carefully. Traps must be placed in home tunnels, tunnels
that are re-used. You find these by
tramping down tunnels and seeing which are repaired in 24 hours. If they get repaired they are a good place to
set a trap.
New poison
baits are on the market that are shaped and scented as either worms or
grubs. Moles do eat these gel poisons
and they are fairly effective, although not as effective as traps. (Note: candy jelly worms do not work! It has
to smell like a worm and contain poison. ) Brand names include Tomcat Mole
Killer (Talpirid) and Bonide's Moletox Baited Gel, a water-based gel containing
warfarin. A few other poisons shaped and
scented like worms also exist. These
must be placed in active tunnels. The
products are expensive and they must be kept away from children and pets.
Moles are
by and large beneficial to the environment.
They control many pest insects by eating the larval stage in the
soil. They aerate and mix soil
layers. And they provide homes for other
beneficial creatures such as snakes and toads.
Some people
learn to tolerate the cosmetic damage caused by moles in early spring, knowing
that much of it will soon disappear.
There are booms and busts in mole populations, usually following the
booms and bust cycles of insects such cicadas, which have a larval stage in the
soil. Some years a mole population will
be higher than others. If you wish to
control moles though, follow a good research based method that really works
instead of wasting your time and money on folk based remedies that don’t work.
Please don’t pass on folk remedies that have no factual basis and ignore basic
science about mole behavior.
The
basics of organic vegetable gardening
If you grow
vegetables for your family because you want the best tasting, most nutritious
vegetables, chances are you also want vegetables free of pesticides. For the home gardener, organic gardening
practices are easy to follow.
There are
different definitions of organic. Some
people believe a garden is organic if no pesticides are used on the
garden. Others define organic more
strictly and also ban the use of chemical fertilizers and use only seeds and
plants that were grown organically. You
will be the person who makes the decisions for your garden.
Organic
vegetable gardeners face the same issues as far as site selection and laying
out a garden as other vegetable gardeners do.
Use an area that is sunny all day and has good drainage. Avoid low lying areas as cold air sinks there
and will keep the ground cold longer in the spring and may make frost more likely there than higher ground. A garden spot close to the house and where
you can get water to it easily is preferable.
If you are
starting a garden for the first time don’t
start with too big of an area.
You can expand the garden each year as you gain experience but a large
garden can be overwhelming at first. A
good size vegetable garden for a beginner is 30 x 50 feet or similar
dimensions. Don’t worry if you have less
space than that- gardens can be made in very small spaces with planning and
some vertical growing on trellis’s and other supports.
Stick with
the vegetables you know your family likes to eat, at least the first year, and
grow reasonable quantities for your family size. Easy vegetables to grow are leaf lettuce,
kale, spinach, tomatoes, peas and beans, radishes, onions from sets( small
bulbs), broccoli and cabbage. Peppers, carrots, cucumbers, squash, sweet
corn, potatoes, melons, cauliflower, and a few other things are a bit harder,
but a novice gardener shouldn’t be afraid to try them. For a family of four who isn’t going to can
the excess, 3-4 tomato plants will be plenty.
Leaf lettuce needs to be grown in several small batches a few weeks
apart, areas 2x 3 feet will do. A row
of beans or peas 20 feet long is good for most small families.
It starts with the soil
In organic
vegetable gardens the soil plays a key role.
A healthy garden requires healthy soil.
Healthy soil creates disease and insect resistant plants. It’s a good idea to have a soil test done a
few weeks before you start a new garden.
Contact your state Extension office to find out how to submit a soil
sample and how much it will cost. The
soil test will tell you what your soil pH is, whether it’s alkaline or acidic,
and what you need to do to correct it if it needs adjustment . Vegetable gardens do best in a soil pH of 6.5
to 7. The soil test will also tell you
if you need to add certain nutrients like nitrogen or phosphorus. Some soil tests will tell you the starting
amount of humus, organic matter, in the soil.
Any type of
soil can be improved by generous amounts of organic matter. It may take several years to develop good
organic soil, but you can work on it each year as your garden grows. Both clay and sandy soils can make excellent
gardens and are improved with organic matter.
Organic
matter includes things like aged manure, leaves, lawn clippings, compost,
straw, coarse wood chips and even shredded newspaper. You can start the vegetable garden in the
fall, by layering lots of organic matter on the garden site. You continue by adding more organic material
in the spring and mulching around the vegetable plants with organic material.
A foot of
organic material on the garden in the fall and several inches in the spring and
around plants in the summer is excellent.
As the organic matter is broken down add more. Organic matter that is in the process of
breaking down will use some nutrients, especially nitrogen. However, it will eventually add nutrients to
the soil.
You may
need to till or plow the soil the first year you start your garden. Good organic soil will not need tilling each
year however. You don’t even need to
till in organic matter, if layered on top the worms and other soil organisms
will do the job for you. Layers of
organic material will help keep weeds and grass from growing in the
garden. Each time you till you disturb
microorganisms working in the soil and they have to start all over again. You also decrease pore spaces which hold
oxygen and water for the plant roots. Too much tilling is bad for your
soil.
Arrange
your garden rows so that you don’t have to walk on the plant beds. Compaction of the soil makes the job of soil
micro-organisms breaking down the organic matter harder and plant roots will
also struggle through it. Mounded rows
or raised beds clearly define paths and allow you to concentrate your soil
amendments to growing areas.
Organic fertilizers
Organic
vegetable gardens may also need some added nutrients for good plant growth,
particularly nitrogen. Sources of
nutrients for organic vegetable gardens include manure, bone and blood meal,
fish and feather meal, alfalfa hay, cottonseed meal and seaweeds. Some of these things are easy to find locally
and some are not. There are now organic
bagged fertilizers on the market. While
they are easy to use they don’t add organic matter to the soil as natural
sources often do. You may need to
combine organic fertilizers and organic matter for best results.
Manure can
vary tremendously in its nutrient value depending on what kind of animal it
came from, what the animals were fed, and how long and where it was
stored. Manure may also bring weed
seeds to the garden. Fresh manure can
cause chemical burns to plants, and manure should be aged for at least 6 weeks
before applying to the garden during the gardening season.
Manure
mixed with bedding such as wood shavings is good organic matter for the soil
and contains some nutrients. But as the
bedding decomposes it may actually rob nitrogen from the plants. Use this material in the fall or very early
spring and not when plants are actively growing.
Avoid
adding manure to gardens in the last few weeks before harvesting crops to
prevent food borne illness. Some fresh
manure won’t burn plants but could add disease organisms like salmonella to
food crops. Never add human or dog and cat manure to the garden as it may be
the source of parasites and diseases.
Organic fertilizers can pollute water just as easily as conventional
fertilizers so keep them off paved surfaces and avoiding applying too much.
Bone, fish
and blood meal may actually attract some pests to the garden, such as raccoons.
There may be a smell associated with using organic fertilizers. If neighbors are close the use of manure may
have to be confined to seasons when windows are closed.
Organic pest and disease management
Organic
vegetable gardening practices lean heavily on prevention rather than curing
problems. Start by planting varieties of vegetables that are
disease resistant. Space your plants so
that there is good airflow around them.
Keep crops like tomatoes and cucumbers off the ground with trellis’s or
cages and mulch around your plants to conserve moisture and keep down weeds. Weeding will need to be done by hand or
shallow cultivation. The first year or
two you garden in a new spot there may be many weeds, but diligent weeding and
copious mulching will cut down the amount of weeds every year.
Make sure
that your vegetable garden doesn’t suffer from water stress. Most crops need an inch of water a week. If you are using deep mulch and the weather
has been hot and dry, get down under the mulch and check to see that water is
getting to the soil. Water at the base
of the plants or at least water plants early enough so that they will be dry by
nightfall. Don’t harvest or work with
your plants when they are wet. These
things help prevent fungal disease.
Insects may
have to be removed by hand. For large
bugs like bean beetles a small hand vacuum can be used. For aphids and tiny bugs a spray of soapy
water may be enough. Use the special
insecticidal garden soaps, not dish soap, which may contain harsh chemicals
that burn plants. There are also organic
pest controls sold in garden stores now.
Carefully read and follow the directions on them.
To avoid
insect and disease problems organic vegetable gardens should be thoroughly
cleaned up in the fall. All old plant
parts and fruit should be removed. If
possible rotate your vegetable crops so they are not growing in the same spot
each year.
To
till or not to till, that is the question
It’s the
season when many people are itching to get out the rototiller. The only time a rototiller is necessary in a
garden is the first time the area is used for a garden, especially if the soil
is compacted, or if you need to mix a lot of organic material into it to make
it usable. You can even skip the
rototiller the first time if you have the forethought to heavily mulch the ground
the season before you want to garden on it.
Good soil
is a living thing, full of thousands of tiny living creatures from bacteria to
worms. All of these creatures have
important roles in creating good soil.
They all have their own “comfort zones” in the soil, some at the top,
some at the middle and some deep in the soil where they perform at peak
efficiency. Every time you rototill the
soil you disturb these amazing critters, throwing them out of their best levels
of efficiency and even killing them.
Rototilling
also brings weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate. The seeds of some weeds can lay in the soil
for years until a rototiller or spade moves them close to the surface for light
and warmth to germinate. Weed problems
are often worse when you rototill every year.
Rototilling
destroys soil structure. Good soil is
actually small clumps of minerals, organic matter, and water bound together by
a bacterial “glue”. Tilling the soil so
that these clumps are broken apart makes your soil much less suitable for plant
growth. While you don’t want rocks or
huge clumps of soil in a garden bed, you also do not want soil the texture of
flour. To take the cooking analogy
further, your soil should look like coarsely crushed Oreo cookies, not
flour.
Finally
tilling tends to compact the soil just beyond the depth of the tiller
tines. If your tiller blades reach 8”
into the soil it’s probably compacted at 9”. This is especially bad in heavy
clay soils and may lead to poor drainage.
So how do
you get deep, rich, loose soil? You do
it by making dedicated beds and paths in your garden and never walking on the
beds. You can make these raised beds or
not as long as they are well defined.
You pull weeds or use a hoe to remove them, use mulch and you add lots
of organic matter each year. Each year
in the spring simply remove any sprouting weeds, add some well-rotted compost
to the beds and plant. It’s simple and
you don’t need a rototiller.
Buy mom- or yourself some plants for
Mother’s day.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Invitation
If you are a gardener
in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural
Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various
places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow
gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are
welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a
meeting for free. Contact
susanmklaffer@yahoo.com Phone
810-664-8912
Lapeer Area Horticulture Society,
Plant and Garden Sale, May
7, 2016- 8 am - 4 pm at Siciliano's, 1900 North Lapeer Road, Lapeer. A variety of plants and garden items from LHS
members will be for sale. Please stop
and shop.
6th Annual Plant & Flower Sale Fri, May 6, 9 am-5 pm, Culver's, 4963
Interpark Drive North, Lake Orion, Michigan.
Habitat for Humanity-
Oakland County sponsors and benefits from the sale at Culver's. Annuals, perennials, vegetables,
herbs, trees, hanging baskets & more. For more info call 248-338-1843, ext. 303.
Plant Sale Sat, May 7, 10am-2pm, Hidden Lake
Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Offering a wide
selection of plants, including annuals, perennials, hostas & companions,
herbs & more. For more info
contact; www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.
South Lyon Plant Exchange Sat, May 7, 9am-11am Witch's Hat
Museum Depot Pk. Area. 300 Dorothy St, South Lyon, MI
Come swap with other
gardeners. More info call 248-437-0154 Sponsored by the 4 Seasons Garden Club.
Project Grow Plant Sale Fri, May 6, through Sunday. Dawn Farm, 6633 Stony Creek in Ann Arbor.
By Project Grow at
Dawn Farm. Wide selection of heirloom tomatoes, basil, sweet & hot peppers.
Advance orders: www.ProjectGrowGardens.org.
44th Annual Spring Plant Sale Tue,
May 10, 10am-7pm, and 10am-2pm,
Wed. May 11, Cranbrook House and
Gardens, 380 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Herbs, tropicals,
perennials, native plants/wildflowers & more. For more information www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu.
Kitchen Favorites Herb Sale Sat, Sun., May 14,-15, 10am-4:30pm, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor.
Herbs, containers
& heirlooms. Herb study group on hand to answer questions. More
information- www.mbgna.umich.edu.
Harnessing Mother Nature’s
Workforce—Beneficial Insects Fri, May 20, 9:15 am, Meadow Brook Hall, 480 S Adams
Rd, Rochester, MI
Learn to recognize
& maximize Mother Nature’s natural pest control. Sponsored by MBGC at
Meadow Brook Hall. Cost $5. For more info call 248‑364‑6210, or MBHGCMembers@gmail.com.
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area. This link
has a lot of events listed on it.
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and
horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you
don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who
would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to
me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
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