August 13, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

From Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

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

Is it August or October?  It is really chilly today, especially with the wind and a light mist.  We didn’t get any rain this time around but that’s ok, the ground is still moist from last week.  Someone was telling me that there is a prediction that we will have snow in September- I sure hope not with the late spring we had. 

My garden is doing great this year though.  The sweet corn has been outstanding, I just froze 20 ears.  I am trying the new in the husk method.  We’ll see if it tastes better that corn that’s blanched and frozen.  It always has an off taste to me. The tomatoes are ripening well now.  We are really excited over the size of our musk melons- they are basketball size.

I have apples that are starting to turn red.  And I drove into Lapeer Monday and noticed several maples and some sumac starting to turn red.  That seems early, and we can’t blame it on drought stress this year.  The goldenrod is starting to bloom, and my jewelweed has finally burst into bloom to the delight of the hummingbirds.  I’m glad I didn’t pull it all out.  There is a patch outside my office window and I can see the hummers working over the tiny flowers.  The hibiscus are just starting to bloom as are the Jerusalem Artichokes.

Tomato diseases

Late blight on both tomatoes and potatoes has been found in several places in Michigan.  Late blight on potatoes was found in Macomb County this weekend.  Cool wet weather is very favorable for late blight.  Tomato diseases of all types are very common this year, I am having some problems with Septoria leaf spot but I am still harvesting nice tomatoes.  Most tomato diseases do not affect green fruit, and disorders of ripe fruit are usually caused by conditions other than disease, such as uneven watering, low soil calcium and other things.  Wilting, blackened leaves and rapid rotting of green fruit suggest late blight. 

I don’t know what to tell you about getting a diagnose on a home garden for late blight.  You can of course send a sample to MSU Plant Diagnostics but the sample has to be packaged just right and you of course will be charged. The home gardener is at a great disadvantage in getting prompt diagnoses now. You can try this, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

When late blight hits there is really nothing you can do in the home garden situation.  Even most commercial growers throw in the towel when a field is heavily affected.   Late blight will kill your plants very quickly, often in just a few days.  Most other fungal tomato diseases cause dying branches but new growth continues and while the plants are not as productive they can be helped by spraying fungicides to protect new growth.  Remove all dead and dying foliage and keep the plants watered if it gets dry.

At the farm market

It’s a great time to find a variety of tomatoes and peppers.  Summer squash and cucumbers are abundant, as is sweet corn and potatoes.  A few Michigan muskmelons are coming on the market.  There are even some early apples.  Peaches and blueberries are on the market. Some markets have plums available.  Michigan grapes and pears are not available yet.

A World Without Bees?

That’s the title of the cover article on Time Magazine this month.  It’s an interesting read if you get the chance.  However my world is certainly not without bees this year.  I have been stung twice, once last night on the cheek as I gathered sweet corn of all things.  It’s too close to the beebalm I guess.  My beebalm is very nice this season and the bees and hummingbirds are enjoying it.  I have two colors, red and wine- purple and both colors are loved by nectar seekers.

Our pasture turned meadow.

I have always had a thing about grassy areas not being used.  I used to see someone’s acre of lawn and think it was awful nothing was grazing there or no gardens were planted there.  I was having conflicted feelings after we sold the horses and our pasture reverted to meadow this year.  But now I realize I am providing bee and butterfly habitat galore.  Out behind the pond the old pasture is full of sweet white clover, spotted knapweed, chicory, and escaped crown vetch to name a few plants. 

It’s also full of bees.  My husband mows me a path all around the pond and I now have to stay on it or risk the wrath of hundreds of bees of every type.  The field literally buzzes.  I am surprised at how much bees like the spotted knapweed, it’s the purple tufted, wiry plant that’s such an aggressive spreader.  Obviously nature makes good use of “weeds”.  There’s lots of milkweed in the pasture too, and that’s where I saw  Monarch butterflies this week, a rare sighting this year.

I also saw a number of frogs and toads on my last walk through the old pasture, which eases my worry over the vanishing hoppers a bit.  Katydids, those triangular, green grasshopper-like bugs are also in abundance in the field, maybe that’s why there’s so many frogs.

Missing Monarchs

I have had several people ask me if I had seen any monarch butterflies this year and yes, I have actually seen a few.  But monarchs are going to be fewer in number this year than they have been in a long, long time.  Naturalists and other butterfly watchers say that only about 10% of the normal population of monarchs is making it to the northern edge of their range this year.  As summer ends you may see a few more but don’t expect a large population this year.

Monarchs are extremely interesting butterflies as each fall the monarchs that are in the northern US and southern Canada head south to a few small areas in Mexico.  There they cluster in mountainous forest areas and wait out the winter.  It’s actually quite cool there but it stays just above freezing. They need just the right amount of time at the proper cooler temperature in their winter resort to trigger a response to fly north.  Then in April they fly to Texas and Oklahoma to breed and begin the first generation of the new year, with the older adults dying off.

The second generation is hatched in the corn belt states and the monarchs spread out to northern states and Canada from there.  The third generation hatches in the far northern edges of the monarch reign and those butterflies will be the ones to return to Mexico.  Monarchs generally begin showing up in Ontario in mid-July but this year few have been seen by mid-August.  Fewer Monarchs have been seen in all of the northern states too.

There has been a steady decline in the Monarch population over the last decade due to habitat loss in Mexico and loss of milkweed in the US.  While adult Monarchs will sip nectar from many flowers they will only lay eggs on milkweed and the Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed.  Crop farming removes a lot of the land that used to grow milkweed and insecticides used on crops also kill Monarch caterpillars eating milkweed at field edges.

Factor in drought and wildfires that plagued the southern states late last summer removing a lot of milkweed and a slow, colder than normal spring across the mid-west and you have the loss of most of the first and second generation of butterflies this year.  Populations are slowly building as the Monarchs get further north and there is hope that the third generation will be a bit more substantial.

The best case scenario for Monarchs will be a long, mild fall with good rainfall to keep the milkweed growing here in the north and mild conditions and lots of nectar flowers for the long migration north.  Monarchs need to feed steadily and gain weight before they get to their winter area. You can help by allowing all milkweeds to grow and because monarchs need fuel to head south, by allowing late summer bloomers like goldenrod to continue blooming.  Leave fields and road edges un-mowed until after a hard frost.

Gardeners can help monarchs in the long range by planting milkweeds in the garden; there are many pretty ornamental species.  But not all milkweeds are equal, out of the 100 some species only about 25 are really monarch friendly.  Here are those species: Asclepias amplexicaulis, Asclepias arenaria, Asclepias asperula, Asclepias californica, Asclepias curassavica*, Asclepias cryptoceras, Asclepias engelmanniana, Asclepias eriocarpa, Asclepias erosa, Asclepias fascicularis, Asclepias glaucescens, Asclepias hirtella, Asclepias incarnate*, Asclepias latifolia, Asclepias linaria, Asclepias oenotheroides, Asclepias ovalifolia, Asclepias pumila, Asclepias purpurascens*, Asclepias quadrifolia, Asclepias speciosa*, Asclepias stenophylla, Asclepias subulata, Asclepias subverticillata,Asclepias sullivantii, Asclepias syriaca*, Asclepias tuberosa*, Asclepias variegate, Asclepias verticillata, Asclepias viridiflora, Asclepias vestita , Asclepias viridis.   Not all of these are winter hardy in the north and many are hard to find commercially.  The starred * varieties are either common here in the wild or available as garden plants.

Goldenrod is one of the best late summer bloomers for supplying food to adult butterflies so planting goldenrod or allowing it to grow in the yard is also beneficial. Other late blooming nectar plants are buddleia, any mints such as catnip and anise hyssop, asters, tickseed, Jerusalem Artichoke and native sunflowers, marigolds, Joe Pye weed, boneset, zinnias, tithonia.  Allow wild asters and clovers to bloom if you can.

Mushrooms and your health

If you like mushrooms and eat them frequently you may be protecting your health.  A study done by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has found that button mushrooms boost the human immune system. They found that white button mushrooms enhanced the maturity of immune system cells called "dendritic cells," that are found in bone marrow.  White button mushrooms are the most commonly eaten mushroom in the US. 

Another study done on button mushrooms found that button mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light  and turned into mushroom powder were as effective as commercial Vitamin D supplements in maintaining or raising the Vitamin D levels in blood.  Low levels of Vitamin D are common in the US now and can affect the body in numerous ways.  Many doctors now test adults to see that they get sufficient Vitamin D and recommend supplements.  Eating mushrooms is a good way to boost your Vitamin D level. 

Button mushroom extracts are also being used in clinical trials on breast cancer prevention because they are known to lower estrogen levels.  Other research is using a button mushroom extract to boost the immune system response in small cell lung cancer patients.

Mushrooms are low in calories, high in fiber and a good source of protein, Vitamin C, Folate, Iron, Zinc and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin D, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium. 

Just be sure that the mushrooms you eat are safe ones.  Don’t eat mushrooms from the “wild” unless you are absolutely sure they are safe species.  One mistake could kill you.

Catnip

Bee on catnip.

Want a bee and butterfly friendly plant that’s also a helpful herb?  Bees love catnip flowers and it can be used to attract bees and butterflies to any garden.  You may already have catnip growing around your home as it is a common weed in many areas.

Catnip is an easy herb to grow.  If you have trouble growing catnip you truly have a brown thumb.  Catnip grows just about anywhere, in any type of soil, in full sun and partial shade.  It grows in dry or wet areas.  For herbal use plant it in full sun and keep it on the dry side, to concentrate the medicinal oils.  Most people will buy plants if they can’t find a place to pull up a seedling.   Don’t fertilize it.  It doesn’t need it and the medicinal qualities may suffer.

The common catnip, Nepeta cataria is native to the Mediterranean area of Europe, but has spread throughout Europe and North America and many other places, where it grows freely as a weed.  The genus Nepeta has many species, some of which are called catmints and are grown as ornamental plants. The names are often used interchangeably but catnip and catmint are all members of the mint family.  The weedy medicinal type plant is generally referred to as catnip and ornamental varieties and other Nepeta species are called catmints. 

Like most mints, catnip, has a square stem.  The catnip stem is covered with fine hairs and grows woody near the base as it ages.  The leaves of common catnip are heart-shaped, gray green and have a scalloped edge.  They are covered with soft hairs and appear downy.    

The catnip flowers are small spikes of white flowers with tiny purple dots on the throat, and not very showy.  In good conditions catnip can grow to 5 foot high and 3 foot wide. The plant is tough and spreads rapidly by seed through the garden, popping up everywhere.  

Catnip is a perennial that dies down to the roots each winter and then returns quite vigorously in the spring.  It is hardy to at least zone 4 and probably further.

Using Catnip Medicinally

Long before true tea found its way to Europe people were brewing catnip tea.  It was used medicinally and just as a soothing warm drink.  It was often given to children to calm them and help them sleep.  Catnip tea is used to calm the digestive system and relieve gas pains and soothed the colic pains that were keeping crabby children awake.  It still makes a safe and soothing tea.

Catnip induces perspiration and is used as a fever remedy and as a headache remedy.   Warm bruised leaves are also used as a poultice on wounds and boils.  Catnip has also been used in strong concentrations to bring on menstruation. Catnip oil is being tested as a mosquito repellent.

The active chemical ingredient in catnip is nepetalactone.  The flower buds have the highest concentration of this chemical but leaves are also used to make tea.  Never bring catnip leaves and buds to a boil as this destroys the medicinal action. Instead gently steep it as one does green tea.  Fresh leaves and buds can be used for tea or you can use dried leaves.   About a half cup of bruised leaves and buds or a couple teaspoons of dried herb are used to a cup of water. 

Catnip tea is available in most stores now but it is easy to dry your own leaves.  Cut the tender top of the stems with young leaves and preferably some flower buds in the early morning after the dew has dried.  

Hang upside down in small bunches to dry in a warm dark place or use a dehydrator.  You can also enclose the cut stems in a brown paper bag and place it in your car in the sun for a few days.  Beware that drying catnip isn’t the most pleasant car deodorizer.  When catnip is crumbly dry store it in clean containers with tight lids.

Catnip is fairly safe as far as dosage is concerned.  You would have to drink large quantities before it became toxic and you would vomit long before that.   If you are taking prescription medications check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies.

Cats and Catnip

Not all cats are affected by catnip.  About 15% of cats lack a gene that makes them respond to catnip.  Cats must be sexually mature to be interested also.   The smell of catnip affects them like a hormone.  Some eat it, some roll on it, some go crazy and wild on it, and others are barely affected.  It does not hurt them but it can hurt your house if the cat goes on a drugged rampage.   

Some wild cat species are attracted to catnip and some are not.  Bobcats and cougars appear to be interested but tigers and possibly lions are not.  A catnip “trip” will last about 15 minutes and after that it will take a while before the cat will react again.  Cats may pass right by catnip plants in the garden but will go nuts for it when a plant is bruised or pulled. 

Have a cup of catnip tea or hot chocolate and keep warm.  (Can you believe I’m saying this in August?)

Kim

Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent