Tuesday, June 5, 2018

June 5, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Tuberous begonia

Hi Gardeners
I have a new gardening friend.  A northern mockingbird has taken up residence in our yard and seems to follow me around as I work in various places in the yard.  His repertoire of songs is amazing, first he sounds like the oriole, then the wren, then the blue jay, then the robin and so on.  He’s very loud and cheerful.  I guess he’s probably announcing this is his territory, but it seems like he’s trying to impress me with his singing.
Our weather is back to cool, it’s only 62 this morning.  That’s fine with me but we really need a good soaking rain.  We get little brief showers and drizzly days but the amount of rain we’ve had in the last two weeks is less than a ½ inch. I guess some of you are wishing you could send some of your rain my way- since many places are flooding.  If you can you’re welcome to send it.
My corn is up and off to a good start, and I have a tomato starting to ripen. Tiny peppers are on the pepper plants. I have been picking lettuce.  I have quite a few volunteer potatoes coming up in the bed where I planted strawberries this spring.  I didn’t plant any potatoes this year, so I guess I’ll leave them, although that’s supposed to be a big garden no no.  There are no commercial potato fields near me, so I won’t be spreading any diseases if the spuds have them.
My blackberry canes took a big hit from the hard winter.  I have been cutting out dead canes and it’s a mess.  They are coming back from the roots though.  My akebia, (chocolate vine), started out looking ok this spring but the new leaves are withering which leads me to suspect damage somewhere near the bottom of the vines.  We’ll see what time does there.
In the garden most of my roses are beginning to bloom.  Bearded and Siberian iris are blooming, the ‘Miss Kim’ Korean lilac, the first daylilies, columbine and Jacobs ladder are in bloom.  Mock orange, ninebark, weigela, spirea, the snowball viburnum and bristly locust are blooming.  My smokebush has buds, this will be it’s first year to bloom.
Where my cutting garden/butterfly garden was last year I had a lot of volunteer seedlings come up.  One that surprised me was the “pumpkins on a stick”.  They came up thickly and are already blooming. Love in a mist also seeded itself freely.  Woodland nicotiana is coming up.  I saved tithonia, 4 o’ clock, marigolds, cosmos and zinnia seeds and grew some seedlings that I transplanted into the bed. I have a new 4’ o’clock- ‘fairy trumpets’ that I grew from seed to add to the bed and I added Maltese cross and garden heliotrope seedlings.  It should be a colorful bed.

June almanac
June is a wonderful month in the northern hemisphere, the month when strawberries ripen, and roses begin to bloom.  Indeed, this month’s full moon, (June 28th), is called the Full Strawberry moon in North America and Full Rose moon in European countries.  I think this year the strawberries will ripen a bit earlier than the full moon. 

The moon perigee is June 14th this year. Perigee is the closest the moon gets to earth, apogee the farthest it gets each month (June 2nd  this month). Because the moon cycle is shorter than our calendar cycle they occur on different dates of the month each year.  

Summer solstice is June 21, 2018 at 6:07 a.m. EDT. At the time of the solstice the sun is at its highest point and the point farthest north that it gets in the northern hemisphere.  Solstice comes from Latin, roughly meaning sun stands still.  At the solstice the sun seems to pause for a few days, and then slowly reverses its direction, moving back toward the south and lower in the sky.  Sadly, it’s the longest day of the year and the nights get longer after the solstice. 

In ancient times this event, the solstice, was always celebrated.  It’s still a good day to have a campfire, gaze at stars and wonder at the immensity of the universe and our place in it.

June’s birth flower is, of course, the rose.  There are actually 3 birthstones for June (thanks to greedy jewelers), the pearl, the moonstone and the alexandrite. The month of June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage, family and childbirth.   To marry in June was said to make a couple fertile and blessed with prosperity.

June is National Rose, Dairy, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetables month.  It’s adopt a cat month. It’s also Gay Pride month and Fight the Filthy Fly month. 

June 4th is Old Maids Day (don’t they deserve their own day?) and the 5th is World Environment day. Flag Day is June 14th and Father’s Day is June 17th this year.  The 17th is also Eat your Vegetables day.  The 26th is Forgiveness Day, boy do we need a lot of that.

Help-I have weeds in my flower bed

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something you could spray on your flower and vegetable beds that killed all the weeds but left the garden plants healthy and that was perfectly safe?  Unfortunately, there is no such product, despite all the cheerful social media memes claiming such a product exists and you can mix it up in your kitchen.

Everybody’s garden gets weeds at some point or another.  Some weed problems are worse than others, but weeds are a part of gardening.  And when the weeds are mixed among your desirable plants they can be very difficult to deal with.  Everybody seems to be looking for that magic solution but there’s only one good one, and that’s weeding by hand or hoe.

Going around the internet is a photo of a sprayer with a formula for a supposedly safe weed killer using vinegar, Epsom salt and dish soap.  The photo suggests you use it instead of “Round Up”.  Whether the original poster way back when suggested it could be sprayed over the garden and selectively kill only the weeds is unknown but some current posters seem to have put forth that claim.  The formula is bad, and the claims are false.

Vinegar and salt will burn weed foliage and make them look like they died, but the weeds are seldom killed and come back from the roots. These products are not good for the soil organisms either and there’s no good way you can keep them from getting on the soil.  “Round Up” at least, is taken into the plants system and is much more efficient than the vinegar-salt mix in actually killing plants.  However, neither of these products should normally need to be used in a flower or vegetable garden.

You can’t spray either product on a flower or vegetable bed and have it kill only weeds.  Both are harmful to all plants.  To keep them from harming desirable plants you either have to use a rag or sponge and wipe the weeds or spray each weed with a small hand sprayer and hope the spray doesn’t drift.  In the time it takes to do that you could easily have pulled or dug that weed with no cost and no harm to other plants.

After you have pulled or dug weeds add 3-4 inches of mulch to the area.  It won’t stop all weeds, but it will help.  There’s really no good reason to use either a commercial weed killer or some equally hazardous home brew in the average garden.

Gardening takes some hard work.  Weeding is part of gardening.  Think of weeding as therapy.  You can do some serious thinking while weeding and take out some frustrations yanking out weeds. And it’s also good exercise. If you can’t bend or kneel, sit down to weed, either on the ground or a stool. You could also use a tool, like a hoe or long handled cobra head weeder to get the job done. Even an hour of weeding every evening will accomplish a lot. 



The overwhelming weed problem

There are times when a long-neglected garden will need a drastic overhaul and hand weeding, while it might eventually work, would take far too long or be too complicated to be a good solution.  I’m talking about a garden that has practically merged with the wilderness.  There are also times when something like poison ivy needs to be removed.

The solution in this case is often to start over with a total renewal.  Yes, it’s a lot of work but you can break it down into manageable sections and do one at a time.  In this process you will take out any plants you want to save, except large trees and shrubs.  Gently wash the soil off the roots of saved plants to remove weed seeds and tiny weed root pieces.  Plant the saved plants in pots for the time being.  Keep the pots watered and in the proper light conditions for that type of plant until they go back in the ground.

After the desirable plants have been removed you can do one of these things- till or dig up the entire area removing all pieces of weeds seen. You can apply a deep mulch over the area after mowing it closely and wait about six months to replant. Or spray a vegetation killer like ‘Round Up’ (active ingredient glyphosate) on the area according to label directions.  When using a vegetation killer read the label carefully to see how long you have to wait before planting back in the area. Glyphosate has a quick turn around time as it dissipates quickly from soil.

What not to do is use the vinegar-salt remedy or other home remedies as they are either harmful to soil or don’t work.  Salt lingers in soil – Epsom salt is not table salt as many point out, but it’s still harmful in large amounts and can bind up other soil nutrients plants need.  I’ve always wondered how people can believe Epsom salts is like fertilizer and boosts plant growth and then they turn around and say/believe it kills weeds.  Which is it?

Vinegar- acetic acid- is ounce for ounce, more toxic than glyphosate, both to animals and soil microorganisms and is rated the same as glyphosate by the EPA. Vinegar is not harmless because you got it from the kitchen. This home remedy is not cheaper, if you do the math correctly, either.

Also, experts no longer recommend sheet smothering- that is using plastic or layers of cardboard or other things to kill vegetation.  These keep soil-air interaction too low and affect the soil biome.  This method also doesn’t kill many deep-rooted weeds and it takes a long time.

Once the weeds have been removed from the bed and you have waited any suggested time on a pesticide label, you can plant the saved plants back into the bed and add mulch.  If large trees and shrubs are in the bed mulch should not touch the trunks of the plants. If you simply tilled or dug the weeds out, then you can replant right away.
 
Sometimes the easiest solution is not the best solution.  For home gardeners the best solution is generally going to be hand pulling or digging weeds, rather than spraying them with any solution.  If it seems like an overwhelming task, try the sectional method.  Divide the problem area into sections you can manage in the time you have each day.  Once you accomplish a nice weeded, mulched and edged section it will inspire you to start the next one.  As you gain experience you’ll get each section done faster and soon you’ll have a beautiful garden.

Brown marmorated stink bug

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys is an invader from Asia and probably arrived about 1996 on the East Coast in shipped items. As the numbers of brown marmorated stink bugs increased and the bug began its spread across the US, it was found that the bug was an economic threat to farmers as well as a nuisance to home gardeners and homeowners. It’s now found in at least 36 states, mostly along the east and west coast and in the Midwest.
Adult brown marmorated stink bug
Minnesota State 

The brown marmorated stink bug feeds on over 300 species of plants, both on foliage and fruit. Anything with fruit or seed pods is a favorite. Taller trees are preferred in spring, where the bugs climb up into sunlit areas.  The brown marmorated stink bug can invade home gardens and damage ornamental plants as well as vegetables and fruits.  Some of our native stink bugs also feed on plants but since they have natural controls, rarely become a serious problem.  Commercial fruit farmers and growers of some vegetable crops like tomatoes, sweet corn and peppers have suffered a lot of damage and crop losses in some states from this stink bug in both its larval and adult forms.

Brown marmorated stinkbugs have piercing, sucking mouth parts to suck plant juices. When stink bugs feed on fruit and vegetables they leave scarring and the damage may change the texture of the fruit, making it spongy or mushy.  They may leave shrunken areas or brown “cat face” spots. On foliage the feeding causes black, unsightly spots but rarely causes more than cosmetic damage to the plant.  On some plants however, the wounds may leave the plants susceptible to disease.

In the fall these stink bugs also invade homes to hibernate. They can form large masses on the outside of homes in the fall and when they get inside may crawl all over ceilings and walls much to the dismay of home owners. They do not bite people or pets, and do not normally eat human food. They do not breed inside the home. They are not a health threat although some people could have an allergic reaction to them.  They have the characteristic disagreeable smell of our native stink bugs when crushed.

How to recognize the brown marmorated stink bug

The brown marmorated stink bug is mottled shades of brown, about the size of a dime and shaped like a shield.  Adults have wings which leave a narrow edge around the body with alternating yellow-white and dark triangular markings showing.  The antenna and legs of the bug have alternating bands of white. There may be gold and green flecks in the “shoulder” area, which have rounded edges.

The nymphs or young brown marmorated stink bugs are yellowish and marked with blotches of red and black.  They are wingless.  Their antenna is banded like the adults.  Eggs of the brown marmorated stink bug are oval and greenish white and are generally laid in clusters on the backs of leaves.
Both the nymphs and adult brown marmorated stink bugs give off a very unpleasant smell when they are crushed or even disturbed.  Female stink bugs lay eggs all summer and some of the early hatched stink bugs may begin laying eggs of their own before summer ends.

Some native insects are easily confused with brown marmorated stink bug. Native brown stink bugs (Euschistus spp.) are commonly mistaken for brown marmorated stink bugs. Native stink bugs are a bit smaller and have more pointed “shoulders”. The bands on the antenna are yellow and not very obvious.  Other species that people suspect are marmorated stink bug are: the western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)- seed bugs usually have flag like appendages on their legs, the squash bug (Anasa tristis), and the box elder bug (Boisea trivittata) – it has red markings. Some people have mistaken the wingless nymph stage for ticks.

Brown marmorated stinkbug nymph
Wikimedia

Controlling stink bugs

Like most alien invaders the brown marmorated stink bug doesn’t have natural controls here and it is also difficult to control with common pesticides.  Farmers have found many common pesticides don’t control them.

If you want to control the stink bugs outside on ornamentals or food crops the best thing would be to look for a pesticide that is safe for your crop and that says it controls stink bugs.  The label always lists what crops and insects a pesticide can be used on.  Then use that pesticide the way the label recommends. You can also handpick the brown marmorated stinkbugs off plants and drown them in soapy water.  Try to pick off and destroy egg clusters on the backs of leaves also.

Kaolin clay products (Surround) work well to protect apples from stinkbugs.  A trap has been developed for the brown marmorated stink bug, but they are not always very effective.

A tiny parasitic wasp is being released in some areas to try and control the brown marmorated stink Bug.  It may be the answer to controlling the pest but don’t hold your breath.

In the home pesticides are not recommended, vacuum them up and promptly empty the bag into a container of soapy water or seal the contents in plastic bags and dispose of them.  Warning- this can make the vacuum bag stink.  Keep holes and cracks sealed up so they can’t enter your home.

Some areas would like sightings of brown marmorated stink bugs reported.  Contact your local county Extension office or state Agricultural office if you suspect you have the brown marmorated stink bugs and ask if there is a need for reporting.  These places may also help you positively identify the pest and recommend pesticides.

Baptisia australis, False indigo

Baptisia is a great plant for the garden if you are a native plant lover and even if being native is not a prerequisite for plants in your garden it’s a great plant for larger sunny borders.  Baptisa is also called false indigo, rattleweed, and rattle bush.  The dried seed pods make a rattling noise which some believe sounds like a rattle snake.

Baptisia australis is native to the Eastern half of the US and grows in rich sunny bottomlands or woodland edges. (I have never seen it growing in the wild personally.) It is drought tolerant and deer resistant. While B. australis is the most common species there are a few other native species; Baptisia alba var. macrophylla, Baptisia alba var. alba, Baptisia albescens, all white flowered, and Baptisia bracteate, Baptisia sphaerocarpa which are yellow flowered as well as a few other rare oddballs.  While you won’t often find these species for sale they have been hybridized with B. australis to form several different colored cultivars on the market.

Baptisia
Baptisia is used for vertical interest in the garden and has attractive color and a bush like shape.  The seed pods are excellent for winter interest or dried arrangements.  It is a large plant when mature so make sure to give it plenty of space at the back of beds.  It generally doesn’t need staking but in windy areas and in less than full sun it’s possible for plants to need some support.
False Indigo is attractive to bees and butterflies and is the larval host plant for the orange and clouded sulphurs, the eastern tailed blue, the hoary blue, and the wild indigo duskywing butterflies.

Baptisia has rounded clover like leaves with 3 leaflets.  Most Baptisia have a blue- green foliage color.  It’s a multi-stemmed plant that can grow upright to about 4 feet and the clumps can be 4 feet wide too.  A broken stem exudes a blue sap. The plants die to the ground each winter and come back from the roots.  Baptisia has a deep root system, a kind of tap root and rhizomes mix.   The roots are woody and blackish, with rough projections on them.

The flowers of Baptisia remind me of large pea flowers and are carried in spikes at the top of the stems.  Bloom time is late spring-early summer. B. australis flowers are in the blue-purple range, with some variation among plants.  Other species and cultivars have white, cream, yellow or maroon flowers.

Baptisia flowers turn into interesting seed pods, a puffy deep brown to black rounded pod, about 3 inches long with a point on one end.  The pods are filled with brown seeds which “rattle” around in the pod.

Growing Baptisia
Gardeners should start with a small plant; spring planting is best.  Baptisia can be started from seed, but it isn’t always easy, and seed started plants can take 3 or more years to bloom.  Larger plants don’t transplant well due to the type of root system.  Baptisia can be divided, but this is also tricky.  If a division is wanted do it in very early spring as growth begins.  Keep the divided plants well-watered until they are well established. 

Seeds collected as soon as the pods ripen will often germinate as soon as planted. You can plant them where you want them to grow in the fall.  However, all the new seedlings may not survive winter.  Stored seeds should be chilled, below 32 degrees for a month or more. They then need to be soaked in hot water or nicked to begin germination.  Start seeds about 2 months before your last frost.

Cuttings from Baptisia will root fairly easily if taken in early spring.  However, growers report that cutting grown plants seem to winter kill more easily than seed grown plants. Most nurseries grow the plants from seed.

In general, Baptisia should be left alone after planting. It resents transplanting and is not the type of plant a gardener can move around every year and still expect good growth and flowering.  Choose your planting site carefully.  If the plant gets too large you can prune some stems out.

Baptisia prefers a full sun location. It is hardy in planting zones 4-9. After establishment it can survive dry weather well and rarely requires supplemental water.  Baptisia prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH and will bloom poorly in acidic locations.  (Acidic soil can be altered with lime if needed.) It needs a well-drained site; sandy loam is ideal. Baptisia rarely needs fertilization.

Animals tend to leave Baptisia alone, it’s toxic to livestock.  There is a parasitic weevil that feeds on Baptisia seeds which is sometimes a minor problem, but few other pests bother the plants.



In early spring (or fall if you don’t want winter interest) cut the dead stems off.  If you don’t want seed pods the pods can be trimmed off after flowers fade and the bush shaped into a rounded form if desired. This helps keep the plant neat and upright. Some self-seeding may occur but few gardeners report problems with self-seeding.

Varieties/cultivars of Baptisia include: Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee’ (maroon and yellow flowers), Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'Baptisia sphaerocarpa 'Screamin' Yellow', 'Carolina Moonlight', (light yellow) and Twilight PrairiebluesTM .

Toxicity and medicinal uses

Baptisia is considered to be moderately toxic. It reportedly has a very bitter taste that makes consumption of much of it unlikely.  It causes extreme diarrhea and vomiting and general weakness when consumed. The shoots look like asparagus in the spring and that has caused at least two reported human poisoning cases.  I would not let pets or children consume the plants or seeds.

Native Americans used the plant for toothache, as an eyewash, and to cause vomiting. It was believed to stimulate infants.  A tea of dried roots is generally made for medicinal use. Some modern research is being done with Baptisia as an immune system stimulant and as a cancer treatment.

Baptisia was used by native Americans and early settlers as a blue dye, hence the English name of False Indigo.  It produces a pale blue dye.  False Indigo was once exported from the early US states to England for making dye. From what I can gather it is the black seed pods that are used to make the dye.  The dye is not as stable or bright as true Indigo.

Baptisia, of False Indigo, whatever you call it, is an interesting garden plant if you have room for it.  It’s long lived and easy to grow.  It satisfies the native plant collectors as well as gardeners who just like nice plants.  If you get the chance, try some in your garden.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberries are showing up at the farm markets and stores.  Here’s a simple cheesecake recipe that makes a good graduation party or potluck dessert.  Or you can just make it for dessert tonight at home.  It’s simple to make and delightful to eat.

Ingredients

1 graham cracker pie crust
12 oz. of strawberry flavored (or plain) cream cheese
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of sliced fresh strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Beat together sugar, eggs, cream cheese and vanilla.
Pour mix into pie shell.
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, until center of filling is firm.
Cool to room temperature and add sliced strawberries to the top.
Store cheesecake in refrigerator until served and after serving.


Sigh- the year is half over- how time flies

Kim Willis
And So On….

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