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
Three inches
of snow last Tuesday, 80 degrees yesterday, highs in the 50’s the rest of the
week, this weather is popping around like the Easter Bunny. We had a quarter inch of rain last night and
we actually needed it. I expected deep
mud conditions this spring but so far that hasn’t materialized. In fact it’s pretty dry and if you are
burning any of those downed tree limbs from the winter be very careful.
My daffodils
are starting to bloom. They are shorter
than last year and the flowers are smaller.
I am not the only person to notice that, several gardeners are telling
me that their crocus flowers and now their daffodils are smaller this year. Its weather related and frankly I am just glad
to see them.
The pussy
willows by the pond are blooming, maples are blooming too. I have tiny green leaves on the barberries by
the barn. Lots of very healthy looking
catnip is coming up in the raised veggie beds.
I was pulling it and then went in the barn to feed the animals. The cats kept biting at my hands and at first
I was concerned, then I realized they smelled the catnip.
Around me on
the farms the calves are being born.
They are so cute when they are tiny and it’s amazing how small beef
calves are. I can hear kittens in our barn loft but the mamma hasn’t brought
them down yet. I am getting some baby
chicks next week- hope the weather warms up- and I even have a new great granddaughter-
baby season is definitely here.
I spoke
about chickens in the garden at the Lapeer Horticultural Society meeting last
night and it was great to see so many gardeners enjoying a night off from
cleaning their yards. Many were
talking about raking leaves. Here’s a
tip-rake the leaves into the lawn and don’t worry about bagging them or taking
them to the compost pile. Then run the
mower over the leaves and the pieces will dissolve quickly in the spring rains
and they will feed your lawn and improve your soil as they break down.
Get out and
sprinkle some slow release fertilizer on your flower beds. It will get them off to a great start. Remember to give those houseplants some
fertilizer now- especially flowering plants.
Things like overwintered geraniums also need fertilizing.
I intend to
pot up my cannas and dahlias this week to start them growing inside. And I am planting my lettuce and spinach
outside this week- cold or not its time.
Michigan forests
changing from climate change
As part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework,
a group of more than 30 people, scientists and forest managers, has produced a
report called "Michigan Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and
Synthesis." The report suggests
some changes to Michigan woodlands as the climate warms and the pattern of
rainfall also changes.
Tree species now common in northern areas such as balsam
fir, black spruce, white spruce, tamarack, jack pine, northern white-cedar, and
paper birch may give way to forests of basswood, black cherry, and white oak,
species that prefer warmer climates. Fires and insect pests will impact the forest
to a greater degree and low diversity in species will also have an Impact on
forest health.
The report predicts that the weather will become hotter,
with more periods of heavy precipitation interspersed with drought periods- dry
especially in the fall. In Michigan, we
have already had a 180-percent increase in rainstorms of 3 inches or more
between 1960 and 2011. Winters will be
wildly variable in temperature- which can be hard on plants (and people).
Pruning spring
flowering shrubs
While most aren’t blooming yet, spring flowering shrubs will
soon be blooming. You don’t want to
prune them before bloom or you will lose the flowers. Most shrubs begin the process of producing
new flower buds shortly after the current years blooms fade. But be ready to
prune soon after they stop flowering if you need to shape them or lower the
height. Pruning may also create more
vigorous blooming next year in some species.
 |
| Flowering Quince |
Some flowering shrubs may not need much pruning at all. Others need pruning to keep the flower show
at its best. Some shrubs simply get too
large for their location if they are never pruned and need to be kept within a
reasonable size. Spring flowering shrubs
include forsythia, lilacs, spirea, azaleas, rhododendrons, flowering quince,
some forms of dogwood and willow, Witch or winter hazel, Abelia, Oregon grape
holly, Daphne, Pierus, Kerria, Beauty Bush, heaths and heathers.
Some early flowering shrubs such as bush cherries, service
berries, hollies, and certain dogwoods that are prized for the colorful fruit
they produce should not be pruned if you want that color show. However you may need to take off some height
or width and sacrifice some fruit.
Make every pruning cut just above a node for the best
appearance and health of the plant. A
node is a joint on a stem where you see a leaf or bud. That’s the only place new growth can
occur. Plants vary in how far apart
these nodes are on a stem. If you make
your cut too far above a node you will have little dead stubs on the end of
branches for a long time. Cut on a slant
just above a node and the stems will quickly be hidden by new growth.
Begin your pruning within a month after bloom has ended.
Start by removing any dead branches, broken branches or branches that seriously
offend, such as those sticking into paths or blocking windows. Then step back and evaluate the shape of the
shrub. In most cases flowering shrubs
look best when allowed to have a natural form and are not trimmed into hedges
or balls. If the shrub has a naturally
arching form, such as spirea try to maintain that shape.
It’s best not to remove more than a third of the shrub when
pruning. Prune back the height to about
a foot below your desired height and cut back the width if needed. While pruning cut off any seed pods or dead
flower clusters. Unless you want to try
and grow some new shrubs from seed these seeds detract from the shrubs looks
and also divert energy into seed production that could go into new flower buds.
Abelia should have about 1/3 of its older stems removed to
the ground each year as well as shaping if needed. Service berry ( Amellanchier) doesn’t have to
be pruned but if it’s too large it can be heavily pruned back without much
effect. Flowering Quince can have all
the second year stems removed each spring after flowering to keep the plant
smaller. Dogwoods don’t have to be pruned but can be shaped or reduced in size
by careful pruning after flowering. Daphne
is usually just shaped a little.
Witch hazel is just
lightly pruned to reduce size and improve its shape if necessary.
Kerria needs 1/3 of the stems cut back to ground level each year after
flowering. Every third year Grape Holly should the oldest
woody stems removed to ground level.
Pieris should be trimmed and shaped lightly as needed.
Forsythia should have 1/3 of the oldest, thickest stems
removed each year. Thin out thickets of it and shorten if desired. If you have old, very large and thick stemmed
plants you can take the whole mess down to the ground and it will rejuvenate,
but it may not bloom well for a few years. Wait to trim forsythia kept as a hedge until
it has flowered.
Lilacs require some additional pruning care. In order to keep lilac borer under control
some older, woody barked stems need to be removed each year. This pruning is best done in winter when the
plants are dormant. Remove about a third
of the oldest woody stems each year if there are many. Space the stems you leave so that they don’t
touch. Keep lilac suckers which come up around the plant pruned out except for
one or two. You can prune for height and
width right after bloom. If lilacs are
seriously overgrown they can be thinned out and cut right to the ground. It will take several years before you will
get blooms again after this.
 |
| Lilacs. |
Rhododendrons and azaleas rarely need much pruning in
Michigan and other really cold areas.
You can reduce the size if needed, don’t take off too much of the plant
in any year if you want to have blooms the next year. If you do have old, very large plants they
can be cut back severely to a foot or so above ground but they will probably
not bloom for years afterward.
Shrubs that flower all season or in late summer and fall are
best pruned when dormant.
For the small amount of care that they take flowering shrubs
are great investments for your landscape.
If you visit one of Michigan’s many nurseries or garden shops you will
find a wide variety of flowering shrubs available for purchase. Why not add something new this spring?
Hummingbirds are
coming
Do you have your hummingbird feeder out yet? Its time, they are being reported as far
north as Traverse city –take a look at the map or go to http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html There
aren’t many flowers out yet for them to get nectar from so be kind and make
them some sugar water. I have a
hummingbird feeder I got last year that has a big wide mouth to make it easy to
fill. You push the bottom up before you
fill it so the fluid doesn’t run out, then twist the lid on tight to make a vacuum,
then pull the bottom down to let fluid fill the base.
A hummingbird is attracted to red but just a bit of red
around the feeder holes is plenty; you don’t need to color the water red. To make your own feeder fluid bring some
water to a boil, turn it off and add plain white sugar about 1 cup of sugar to
2 cups of water, stir to dissolve it and let it cool before filling the
feeders.
Ants and bees will use the feeders as much as
hummingbirds. I don’t begrudge the bees,
indeed I had my feeder on the ground last week to let the honey bees feed but
the ants can be a problem as they climb right into the tiny sipper holes and
drown in the fluid, clogging things up.
It amazes me that ants can find those feeders suspended way off the
ground and climb poles to reach them. Even
when I hung my feeders from the tree the ants managed to find them by climbing
down the tree limb and the wire that suspended the feeder.
 |
| Dots indicate sightings of hummingbirds this spring. See a larger updated map at link above. |
Some people grease the poles that suspend feeders. One
clever person I knew used a bundt cake pan filled with water around the base of
the pole, threading the pole through the center hole, and this kept most ants
out. Some however learned to tunnel
under the bottom of the pan to reach the open area in the center and then climb
the pole. Ants are clever things.
Plants make people
happy
Could the answer to curing the stress and depression so
often associated with inter-city life be simply to plant more trees and
grass? A new study suggests that it
would definitely help. Dr. Kristen
Malecki, assistant professor of population health sciences at the UW School of
Medicine and Public Health has analyzed the results of a health survey done on
Wisconsin residents. She compared satellite
data showing how much vegetation was in any census block of the survey with
data showing how many people in that block were depressed or had other mental
problems.
She found that the “greener ”an area was the less likely it
was to have a high percentage of unhappy, stressed and depressed people. Race, age, employment, income and other
factors were all taken into account and still the happiest, most mentally
stable people were in the greenest areas.
The study results were recently published in the International Journal
of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Many studies have found that children who spend some time outdoors
each day in a natural environment were able to concentrate better when solving
mental tasks and were less likely to be depressed. They coped better with the minor problems of
life. Maybe the issue of bullying that
everyone is so obsessed over now could be solved by making children take a hike
in the woods every day!
 |
| My sisters in the woods many years ago. |
I know that when I’m angry, when my mind is racing and I’m
upset I can get calmed down by simply going outside and weeding a garden bed or
finding a quiet place to bird watch. When I need to make a tough decision or think
on a pressing problem working in my garden always helps. Wouldn’t it be great if all schools had a
green spot to send kids who seemed depressed, who had anger issues or were just
too full of energy to sit still and concentrate? A nice secluded courtyard garden or even a greenhouse
could work because in this day and age we certainly wouldn’t want to send any
kids outside into the actual woods would we?
As a child I had plenty of opportunities to go off alone or
with friends into the woods and fields.
I always felt happy when roaming through the “wild”. I remember sitting in school in the spring
when they still opened windows when it was warm, smelling freshly cut grass and
listening to frogs and birds singing and wanting to be gone into the spring
woods and fields so bad it almost hurt.
Instead of giving kids snow days we should be giving them spring fever
days.
So be happy- get outside!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
Armillaria root rot in the Great
Lakes region
Armillaria root rot affects hundreds of plant species
throughout Michigan. Learn more about the biology, symptoms and control of this
devastating fungus.
Posted on April 17,
2014 by Erin Lizotte, and Jill O’Donnell, Michigan State University Extension
Armillaria root rot
occurs naturally in the majority of the United States and the Great Lakes
region and is caused by a number of fungi in the genus Armillaria. These
include A. ostoyae, A. mellea, A. gallica, A. calvescens and A. sinapina, all
of which have been documented in the Great Lakes region. Common names for these
fungi and their associated disease include honey stumper, honey agaric, oak
fungus, honey mushroom, shoestring root rot, mushroom root rot, resin glut, and
toadstool disease.
The host range of the fungi is vast with hundreds of vines,
shrubs, shade and forest trees, as well as horticultural crops affected. Some
of the Great Lakes plants and crops that are susceptible include maple, oak,
white pine, red pine, aspen, peach, cherry and potato.
Armillaria root rot eventually girdles and kills host
plants. The loss of agricultural crops is most notable on sites where forested
land has been cleared and the fungi are already present when the crop is
planted. Unfortunately, the Armillaria fungus can remain latent in the soil for
many years, making infested land unsuitable for agricultural production of
susceptible hosts for many years.
Biology
Armillaria root rot overwinters in the same fungal form
present during the growing season (rhizomorphs or mycelium) on diseased or
decaying plant materials and roots. Armillaria root rot may also overwinter as
basidiospores – the sexual spores of the fungi – produced by honey-colored
mushrooms that form at the base on infected plants in the fall. The principal
method of spread of the fungus is root-to-root through rhizomorphs, or
root-like structures, or direct root contact during which mycelium invades
healthy roots directly.
Rhizomorphs grow from infected plants or decaying material
to healthy trees in the surrounding area. Basidiospores typically colonize
decaying materials or compromised host tissue with the subsequent rhizomorphs
infecting healthy hosts. Armillaria root rot is capable of attacking healthy
hosts, but the greatest mortality occurs in stressed trees. In cultivated
settings, infected debris and basidiospores can be spread through cultivation.
Symptoms
Affected plants may exhibit reduced growth, small chlorotic
leaves, branch dieback and the slow or abrupt death of the plant. Symptomatic
plants may appear random spatially, but over time a pattern of circular
expansion often becomes evident. Symptomatic trees have decaying bark at the
soil line and on the roots.
Mycelial fan
Tart cherry trunk with bark removed, showing the white
fungal body of Armillaria root rot that girdled the tree. Photo credit: Erin
Lizotte, MSU Extension
The key diagnostic sign of Armillaria root rot is a white
mycelial mat, or spongy fungal sheet, between the bark and wood in the cambial
layer. The mycelial fans appear veined and may extend up the trunk of the tree
several feet. Rhizomorphs are another distinct sign of Armillaria root rot.
Rhizomorphs are brown-black “shoestring” structures, 0.01 inch in diameter with
an outer black mycelium and a white core. Rhizomorphs have the same growth
pattern as roots and may form under the bark or spread into the soil
surrounding the root zone of host plants.
Cross section of tart cherry trunk
Cross section of tart cherry trunk showing ring of white
mycelium in the cambial region, just below the bark. Photo credit: Erin
Lizotte, MSU Extension
If the cambium has been invaded, resin or gum is often
exuded into the soil surrounding the trunk and roots. At the base of dead or
dying trees, speckled mushrooms 3 inches tall with 6-inch diameter caps grow in
clusters. These mushrooms appear in the fall and have pronounced gills that
produce basidiospores.
Control
According to Michigan State University Extension, there is
no known control for Armillaria root rot. Control has been attempted via root
excavation, trenching and fumigation with little to no effect. Current areas of
treatment research include biological control and innate resistance screening
of host plants.
This article was published by Michigan State University
Extension.
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.
Master Gardeners if you belong to an association that
approves your hours please check with that association before assuming a class
or work day will count as credit.
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or
share? Post them here by emailing me at kimwillis151@gmail.com
New - If you are looking for poultry or
other birds and small animals there is a small animal swap meet at the Imlay City
Fairgrounds, on M53, Imlay City, Mi. this Saturday, April 26. It starts about 8 am and is over by about 1
pm. Free admission.
New - Tulip Time Festival Sat, May 3, 12am Through May 10- Holland, MI, United
States info- 616-396-4221
Take a road
trip to Holland Mi. for a delightful Dutch holiday, thousands of tulips,
fireworks, great food and more.
New - 9th Annual Plant Sale May 10 – 11, 2014- 10-4pm, Taylor Conservatory, 22314
Northline Road, Taylor, MI, United States - Silent auction Sun, 10am-2pm
This event
features unusual varieties of perennials, native & butterfly plants/vines
& more. For more information contact
www.taylorconservatory.org.
New- Spring Garden Show April 26, 2014 9:00 am – 5 pm - Ray Wiegand's Nursery 47747 Romeo
Plank Road, Macomb, 48044(586) 286-3655
All classes free!
Celebrate spring with us! Enjoy a great line-up of
informative seminars and creative workshops. Become inspired by the new trends
of the coming season and discover great ideas to bring to your home.
On Saturday, April 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., product
vendors will be here to answer all of your questions and showcase their
greatest gardening products.
Class line up
Caring for Perennials:
Dividing- 9:00 a.m. with Janet Macunovich
Are your perennial plants in too big of a clump or have lost
their vigor? They may need to be divided.
Join hands-on expert Janet in a lesson on splitting your perennials to
help them re-gain their vibrancy.
Soils: Working
from the Ground Up 10:30 a.m. with Lisa Grant from Dr. Earth
Lisa will share her knowledge on how to protect the health
and the life in your soil as well as to promote success in your own fruit,
vegetable and ornamental gardens
Presenting the NEW
American Lawn 12:00 p.m. with Barry Green of Jonathan Green
The New American Lawn is an approach to lawn care that
promotes growing genetically superior grass seed along with having biologically
healthy soil. This approach uses both traditional and organic fertilizers and
targets weed control to where and when it’s needed.
What’s NEW &
HOT for 2014 1:30 p.m. with Nancy Szerlag, Garden Writer
Nancy will fill you in on the latest and greatest plants and
products hitting the market in 2014. If
you’re the trendsetter of the neighborhood, this is the seminar for you!
Gardening for
Butterflies 3:00 p.m. with Tamara Menas from The Michigan Native Butterfly Farm
Butterflies add a touch of whimsy to the garden. Tamara can
help you choose the right plants to support them
GreenFest 2014 - Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 2014,
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak, Mi.
In observance of the global holiday celebrating life on our
planet, the Detroit Zoo hosts its annual GreenFest celebration on Saturday,
April 26 and Sunday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Zoo-wide celebration includes earth-friendly crafts, an endangered
species scavenger hunt, animal enrichment activities, zookeeper talks and exhibits
by local conservation groups. All GreenFest
activities are free with Zoo admission.
Each GreenFest guest who brings a wine cork, rinsed Capri
Sun pouch, empty chip bag or cell phone for recycling or who is carrying a
refillable water bottle will receive a reduced admission price of $8. Admission for Detroit Zoological Society
members is free.
For information on GreenFest at the Zoo contact Jennifer
Clarke at 248-541-5717 X 3725 or JClarke@dzs.org
14th Annual Lake
Orion Flower & Art Fair Friday May 9th, 11-8 and Saturday,
May 10th from 9-6 In downtown Lake Orion at the intersection of Flint and
Broadway Streets.
Stroll the streets and visit vendors selling all kinds of
garden products and plants and also beautiful art.
Habitat for Humanity
Plant Sale, Friday, May 9, 2014, 2:00 p.m. 8:30p.m and Saturday May 10,
2014, 8:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m - Oakland County Habitat for
Humanity Headquarters at 150 Osmun Street, Pontiac, MI.
There will be lots of interesting and colorful plants for
sale and you will be benefiting a good cause if you decide to buy some.
Seven Ponds Nature
Fest and Native plant sale, Saturday, May 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Seven
Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road Dryden, MI (810) 796-3200
Landscaping for Birds
-11:00 am
Do you love birds and want to attract more to your yard?
This program will be a great introduction into all the different elements
needed for birds to feel at home. You will not only create a sanctuary for the
birds, but also for yourself.
Native plants in an
Urban Landscape- 1:00 pm
Do you live in a town or village, and would you like to
start incorporating native plants into your landscape? Not sure where to begin?
This program is for you. Ruth Vrbensky of Oakland Wildflower Farms, will teach
you which plants will work and which ones won’t, which like sun or shade, which
like wet or dry, and how easy it is to garden with nature.
There will be other activities for all ages, take a walk to
look at frogs, learn about pond critters, do spring crafts and build
birdhouses. There is a wide variety of
native plants for sale and a bake sale too.
There may be fees for some activities.
It’s All About
Plants, May 3, 2014, 8 am – 4:15 pm.
Plant and Soil Science Building, 1066 Bogue Street, MSU, East Lansing,
MI
MSU Horticulture Gardens presnts this day long garden event
with four top garden speakers/experts, Art Cameron, Hardy Perennials and
Graceful Grasses, George Papadelis, New and Underused Annuals, Tim wood, The
Hunt for New and Improved Flowering Shrubs and Steve Keto, Growing Native
plants. Approved for 5 MG credits.
Your registration fee includes lunch and parking plus hand
outs. $79.00 until April 21, $89 after
April 21. Email www.hrt.msu.edu/sp-register or call Jennifer Sweet 1-517-355-5191 ext.
1339
MSU Horticulture
Gardens Public Plant Sale May 17th , 7 am-2 pm. MSU Horticulture Garden, East Lansing, MI.
Your chance to get some of the newest and oddest plants as
well as old favorites. This sale is very
popular, arrive early.
Peppers: Selecting,
Growing, & Cooking, April 24, 12am
6:30pm, At Telly's Troy.
Learn how to grow many of the varieties that are available
while enjoying recipes & samples. $5. www.tellys.com. Register:
248-689-8735.
Landscape Design
Fri, April 25,1-3 pm and Sat April 26, noon- 2pm, 2014, Auburn Oaks, 3820 W Auburn Rd, Rochester
Hills, MI,
Landscape designer Paula Smith helps you learn about
designing a garden. Call 248-852-2310
for fees and registration.
International Herb
Day Sat, April 26, 10am-3pm, At Hidden Lake Gardens 6214 W Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI,
Herb Day is an international celebration of herbs and herbal
products. This one-day event is aimed at educating and sharing ideas about the
many ways herbs bring joy and well-being into our daily lives. We celebrate
herbs’ use in food, beverages, medicine, beauty products, and crafts, along
with the art of growing and gardening with herbs. There will be cooking
demonstrations, gardening tips, educational seminars, activities, and a wide
array of plants and products for sale.
$5 per person
www.HiddenLakeGardens.msu.edu, 517-431-2060.
Sustainable Gardening
Practices Sat, April 26, 1-2 pm At Campbell's Greenhouse, 4077
East Burnside Road, North Branch, MI 48461,
Clay Johnson discusses maintaining healthy soil, crop
spacing/rotation, crop nutrition & companion plants for insect control. $5. Call
810-688-3587.
Hidden Lake Gardens
Plant Sale Sat, May 10,10am-2pm- 6214 W Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Lots of plants from natives to conifers for sale. www.HiddenLakeGardens.msu.edu
, 517-431-2060.
“Gardening and All
That Jazz!” Saturday, April 26, 2014,
7am to 4:15pm-Oakland Schools Conference Center, 2111 Pontiac Lake Rd.,
Waterford, MI.
Speakers include Allan Armitage "Buying the Right
Plants", Stephanie Cohen "Native Plants", David Perry, Garden
Photo Magic" and Stacy Hirvela "Shrubs, Making your Dream Garden
Reality". Sponsored by the Master
Gardener Society of Oakland Co. Jazz concerts at morning check in and lunch.
$70 before March 15, $80 after March 15. Pricing includes continental breakfast,
lunch, snacks, and program materials.
Register at. http://www.mgsoc.org/registration.htm
Direct conference
registration questions to: Registrar Phone: 248-770-0524 E-mail: registrarmgsoc@gmail.com
Day-long gardening classes including a catered lunch, Goodie
bag and door prizes Also includes Free admission to Yard & Garden
Expo. $50 registration/person ($60 after
March 1) For details on this seminar you
need to request a flyer from Marie at 989-859-1294
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.
Once again the
opinions in this newsletter are mine and I do not represent any organization or
business. I do not make any income from this newsletter. 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
No comments:
Post a Comment