July 8, 2014 Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

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

Sambucus ( elderberry) Black Lace flower.

We got a lot of rain yesterday 1 ¾  inches but a guy from North Branch told me he had 2 ½ and a guy from Marlette said he had over 3 so this area really got soaked.  I have had another ¾ inch so far today.  Rain is good for most things but read the article under more information on how a big rain event can harm your tomatoes. 

Everything is looking a bit bedraggled today but at least this week the color show will be pretty good in the garden.  I have beebalm, hollyhocks, harebells, daylilies, clematis, asclepias and lots of other things blooming now.  The Black-eyed Susans are giving quite a show along the roadsides. 

The catalpa trees are blooming and I like their scent, but those things are really messy when the flowers fall.  I have tiny cucumbers in the garden and tomatoes that are starting to turn.  But I am already getting some fungal problems on the tomatoes and have been checking them often and removing any yellow, spotted leaves. 

Potato late blight has been found just over the Michigan border in Indiana. (Potatoes and tomatoes get the same late blight.)  Many Michigan counties including Lapeer, Oakland and Macomb counties are in the yellow risk zone now for late blight which means they should be sprayed with fungicides every 7 days.  Check your tomato and potato plants often.  If you do not want to spray with fungicides remove any diseased foliage daily and keep a good air flow around plants by careful weeding and possible pruning of lower tomato branches.

No downy mildew has been found in vining crops yet but other fungal diseases are starting to crop up.  Lots of people have been mentioning deformed looking fruit on cucumbers and zucchini but that is due to poor pollination and should correct itself in time. (Later fruits will look better.)

The sweet corn is beginning to tassel.  Snap beans and lima beans are ready to harvest in many places.  Japanese beetles are being seen on fruits and flowers.  Strawberry harvest is just about over.  You should begin thinking about renovating your June bearing strawberries soon.  I’ll talk about that next week.  If you want cherries get them now because the cherry crop wasn’t very big this year.  Raspberries are just beginning to ripen.

It’s a good time to look over your flower beds and see where things are looking a bit crowded or where they look thin.  Take pictures, it can help you make decisions this fall for thinning and transplanting or adding bulbs and perennials.  Iris clumps can now be divided and re-planted.  Dead head all the perennials that have finished blooming unless you want seeds for planting.  If spring bulb foliage is yellow it can be cut off now to make beds look nicer.

Remember to fertilize hanging baskets and containers with liquid fertilizer once a week to keep them blooming.  While they probably won’t need water today remember that mature plants in baskets and containers may need water twice a day in hot, windy conditions.  Don’t let plants wilt even if they seem to recover when watered. 

Daylily Canadian Border Patrol

And since we have had so much rain remember containers that get waterlogged can also cause the plants to wilt because the roots are rotting.  Make sure the water is draining off; you may have to raise some containers off the ground a bit to make drainage better.

More foods that are good for you

The latest nutrition research has decided that popcorn and almonds are good for you. You can eat the two together and that could be a really delicious snack but the research on the two foods was done separately.

Popcorn contains a high amount of polyphenols, those good antioxidants that most people associate with fruits and vegetables. Popcorn has 300 mg of polyphenols per serving compared to an average of 160 mg in a serving of fruit or vegetables.  Popcorn is also one of the few foods we can eat that is 100% unprocessed whole grain. 

Researchers at the University of Scranton suggest you air pop popcorn or pop it in some good oil (not soy or corn oil) at home to keep calories lower.  Even microwave popcorn however, is probably a better food for you than other snacks. If you don’t add a lot of butter popcorn is actually a low fat, low calorie food. 

Then add some almonds to your popcorn.  Researchers at the School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK found that almonds increased blood flow, decreased blood pressure, and boosted the levels of antioxidants in the blood in people that ate 50 mg a day of almonds. (That’s a small handful.)  Almonds also boost your fiber intake and provide you with healthy fats and vitamin E.  You can consume them raw or roasted or add them to other foods- like popcorn!  Now drizzle some caramel made with real butter and cream over that popcorn and almond mixture and wow!

Plants feel vibrations

Experiments in the past tried to link improved plant health with playing music to plants or talking to plants and had mixed results.  Now that scientists have improved instruments to measure vibrations from sound waves they have found that plants respond to some vibrations by boosting the production of defense chemicals circulating in their “bodies”.

The sound of caterpillars munching on leaves was recorded and played back to plants that insects had not yet fed on. The plants quickly responded by increasing chemicals that repel caterpillars.  Sound waves can travel quite a distance and researchers at the University of Missouri think that sound waves are an early warning signal to plants that an invasion is coming.

Plants can’t always fight off invaders totally with chemical defenses they produce but it certainly helps them survive.  If researchers can develop a vibration system to protect crops instead of using chemicals we may have a great organic solution to pest control.

Another reason to get rid of deer

Gardeners know how much damage deer can do to gardens but having deer around can also damage your health.  Deer are the primary host for black legged ticks, (Ixodes scapularis) and those ticks carry Lyme disease.  Infected ticks can bite humans and transmit Lyme disease which can have serious and long lasting effects on human health. 

A 13 year research study done in Connecticut and published in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that the number of deer in an area directly correlated with the number of human cases of Lyme disease. The research found that reducing deer populations to roughly 8 deer per square mile greatly reduces the tick population and decreases the human cases of Lyme disease by up to 80% (depending on how many deer and ticks there were before herd reduction).   

Eight deer per square mile is quite a low number compared to parts of Michigan that can have 50 deer per square mile. The average is 30 deer per square mile in Lower Michigan.  Blacklegged ticks now occur primarily on Michigan’s west coast, including the west side of the U.P., which is important to remember when vacationing, but they are spreading further east each year.  Deer (and some small mammals) also carry other tick species, many of which are on the east side of Michigan and these ticks carry several other diseases that can infect humans. For more details on ticks and tick carried diseases see this brochure at; http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/resize_307382_7.pdf

It is important to manage our deer populations to avoid these high populations of deer.  Attracting deer to your property may increase the chance of getting ticks, the ticks biting you and possibly a tick borne disease.

School of Ants

If you like citizen science maybe you will want to participate in this project.  Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of Florida have been asking citizens to help them identify what ant species exist in the US since 2011.  Citizens send ant samples collected at their homes to the researchers for identification.  This has helped entomologists find exotic species of ants that have invaded and see how other species of ants are spreading.

All of the samples submitted must be collected in the same way.  Researchers ask that Pecan Sandies (a cookie brand) be used to attract the ants. I am guessing this cookie might attract both sweet eating and protein eating ants.  You have to furnish the cookies, plastic baggies and postage but hey, it’s for a worthy cause- science.  To find out more about this project and more information on ants go to http://schoolofants.org/

The Beauty of Butterfly Bush

Buddleia and butterfly

For late summer color and fragrance, and a beautiful feeding station for butterflies and bees, nothing beats the Butterfly Bush.   Even smaller gardens can now enjoy this easy to care for plant, as dwarf varieties have been developed.  Hummingbirds and bees also appreciate the buddleias and they add color and structure to the garden as well.

Buddleia is also known by the common name of Summer Lilac.  Butterfly Bush is a much better name because it truly draws a circus of colorful butterfly species.  Some books may spell the Latin name of Butterfly Bush as Buddleja.

Most buddleias are native to China and Japan, although there are a few from other semi-tropical areas of the world, including the southern United States.  Most Butterfly Bushes on the market are selections of Buddleia davidii, but there are a few other species on the market. The plants form woody stems in warm climates but die to the ground in most of Michigan.   Butterfly bush is classified as a semi-shrub, or semi- woody, and most varieties get quite large and tall, 3 foot wide by 6 foot or higher, in one growing season.

The leaves of buddleia are long and narrow and range from deep green to silvery green.  There are some varieties with variegated leaves.  Smaller varieties have been developed that suit small spaces better. 

Buddleia has numerous plumes of tiny colorful flowers, which begin opening at the bottom and continue to open for several days until they reach the tip. The flowers are tube shaped with 4 or 5 petals.  Colors ranges from white to nearly black, many flowers have orange or yellow throats. Many varieties of buddleia are fragrant, but it is not an over-powering scent.  

Growing Buddleias

There are varieties of butterfly bush that are hardy in zone 5, but before purchasing check the zone hardiness, as some varieties may not be hardy in Michigan. Those in the far southern Michigan counties may be able to grow varieties rated to zone 6, particularly in protected areas.  Buddleia is usually purchased as a plant and starts blooming at a very young age.  It can be started easily from seed however, and will bloom the first year if started early in the year.

Buddleia is slow to get growing in the spring so mark the plant location and give it time.  Once it starts growing it grows very quickly and makes a large shrub in one season.  Make sure you allow plenty of room for the plant when it is at its largest in late summer. 

In zones 5 and 6, Butterfly Bush usually dies to the ground each year.    Since buddleia forms its blooms on this year’s wood, cutting the plants back to a foot above the ground each fall is a good idea.  This encourages the plant to put out more stems, and that means more blooms. The stubs will mark the spot so you won’t damage the roots before the plant begins growing in early summer. Buddleia alternifolia, or Fountain Butterfly Bush, is an exception to this.  It blooms on old wood and only winterkilled wood should be removed in late spring.  If Fountain Butterfly Bush needs pruning to shape or control growth, it should be done immediately after flowering.

When buddleia begins to grow in the spring, fertilize with a slow release fertilizer for flowers.  The Butterfly Bush needs full sun and well-drained soil.  It is somewhat drought tolerant, but appreciates some watering during lengthy dry spells.   Buddleia blooms over a long period from late summer to late fall or the first hard frost.  Be careful working around buddleia as it is often full of bees. 

When each truss of flowers has finished blooming cut it off.  This conserves the plants energy, keeps them blooming longer, and keeps the plants from spreading vigorously from seed.  In areas where it is happy, Buddleia can become invasive, with seedlings popping up everywhere.  Politically correct gardeners will take care that Butterfly bush doesn’t spread into natural areas, although the butterflies and bees might argue for its proliferation.

Some Varieties of Buddleia

Selections of the common Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii include ‘Black Knight’, a deep purple, ‘White Ball‘, ‘Pink Delight’, ‘Santana’, which has variegated foliage and red-purple flowers, ‘Silver Anniversary’ which has silver foliage and white flowers, ‘Ellen’s Blue’, which is true blue, ‘Attraction’, which is magenta red, and “Adonis Blue’ which is only around 3-4 foot tall.   There are dozens of other varieties.  Butterfly bushes with yellow colors such as ‘Honeycomb’ and ‘Sungold’, [ball-shaped flower clusters], are selections of Buddleia weyeriana.   ‘Nanho Blue’ about 4 foot tall and ‘Petite Purple’ only 2 foot tall, are selections of B. nanhoensis

Buddleia alternifolia, Fountain Butterfly Bush, is a shrub with weeping branches covered with tiny lavender flowers in late spring.   It blooms on old wood, and should not be pruned to the ground each fall.

What’s blooming in nature? Black- Eyed- Susan-   Rudbeckia hirta

This pretty native plant has been adapted to our gardens in a variety of forms.  Black- Eyed- Susan’s are a familiar sight in sunny fields and on roadsides throughout Michigan and most of the eastern half of the United States.  They are the state flower of Maryland.

Black eyed Susans.

The wild Black- Eyed- Susan’s have bright yellow petals surrounding a dark purplish- brown cone-like center.  What most people don’t realize is that each “petal” is a single “ray” flower, capable of producing a seed.  The cone is actually a compressed group of tiny purplish “disk” flowers, each of which also produce a single seed.  Each wild Black Eyed Susan composite bloom is about 2 inches across.  Plants bloom from late June until frost.

The Black- Eyed- Susan plant grows 1-3 feet tall depending on growing conditions.  The leaves are long and narrow and the edges of the leaves and the stems are covered with fine hairs.

The seeds of Back-Eyed- Susan’s are a favorite food of small birds like goldfinches and chickadees.  Garden varieties of Rudbeckia come in a number of colors and many have double flowers. The flowers may be much larger than wild Black - Eyed- Susan’s.  They may be sold under the name Gloriosa daisies or just Rudbeckia.

Get to the store and buy some cookies for the ants!

Kim Willis

 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

More Information

Don’t let blossom end rot ruin your vegetables

Blossom end rot can develop in tomatoes, but occasionally in peppers, eggplant and squash. Learn how to prevent this physiological problem from ruining your garden vegetables.

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Gretchen Voyle, Michigan State University Extension

Tomato growers of the land, rejoice! There is a way of preventing a tomato problem called blossom end rot. For many gardeners, those tomatoes that have flat, black or brown bottoms are so discouraging. What caused their tomato to only make half of a fruit? There are several explanations for what is described as a physiological problem – this means it was not insect- or disease-related.

Michigan State University Extension horticulture educators and Master

Blossom end rot.
Photo by D. Langstron Bugwood.org

Gardener hotline staff will begin receiving their first phone calls as those first tomatoes ripen at the end of July. The callers are suspecting that some foul tomato disease is afoot, but the answer is simpler. Blossom end rot has to do with water. Tomatoes producing fruit need regular, deep watering when there is no rain. Technically, blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency, but the real reason is that there is not enough available water in the plant to transport that calcium into the fruit. The water acts as the transporter. Most Michigan soils have abundant natural calcium. The calcium is there in the soil, just waiting for a ride, but the problem develops when watering plants is not deep enough.

Tomato leaves are soft in comparison to the fruit. As the sun shines on the leaves, moisture evaporates out of the leaves in a process called transpiration. Transpiration cools the leaves, but is also the “pump” to cause water to be pulled into the leaves. However, the tomato fruit is like patent leather shoes: it’s tough and shiny and very little transpiration takes place there. When there is not enough water, the tomato leaves successfully pull the moisture into them. Hot weather may make problems worse. The gardener is watering the same, but the demands have gone up.

Smart gardeners realize that a simple, inexpensive rain gauge is their best ally in the water wars. This records the amount of precipitation that has fallen. The goal would be for the garden to receive a minimum of 1 inch of water per week in 1 square inch of soil surface. A smart gardener keeps track of rainfall and supplies what is missing. In the case of tomatoes, it is critical for the production of those beautiful red orbs.

Other possible reasons for blossom end rot could be that the tomato plant makes a mistake with its first fruits as it adjusts to the big demands of making fruit and then it self-corrects. It can also happen when the plant has not developed a big enough root system to take in enough water. This is seen often with tomatoes planted in containers that are too small. For many of these containers, it has to do with the width, not the depth, of the pot. Roots grow horizontally and when they reach the sides of the container, they grow downwards and are crowded. For plants in containers, choose tomatoes that are labeled as “patio tomatoes.” They do not grow larger all season, but grow to a certain size and produce their fruit then. Choose containers for width in mind.

Another possibility is that the soil is deficient in nutrients and a big root system did not develop. That can be solved with a soil test. Visit MSUSoilTest.com for more information on soil testing and to purchase one.

Other garden vegetables such as peppers, eggplant and squash can also have blossom end rot, but it is not as likely. Not enough water will cause the fruit to suffer first. In your home garden, keep track of rainfall and check the moisture in the top 2 inches of soil. When the soil is dry, replace it. Water should be placed all the way around the plant. Keep in mind that a large tomato plant’s roots could be 1 to 3 feet away from the stem.

Nothing beats the sweet tanginess of those perfect red tomatoes from your garden. Don’t let blossom end rot ruin the party.

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

Genesee County Master Gardeners 2014 Bus Trip - Open to the Public!! Thursday, July 17, 2014-  Please Park in the U of M parking lot on the corner of Robert T. and Saginaw in Flint.  Entrance to parking lot is on Robert T. (we will be leaving no later 8 am exactly, no refunds)


The tour will be to Brenda’s Butterfly habitat and Barson’s greenhouse (in Westland) and Matthaei Botanical gardens and Nichols Arboretum (In Ann Arbor)



Cost $60.00
(includes Lunch, snacks, water and fees)

Make Check Payable to: MGAGCM
Send to: P.O. Box 34, Flushing, MI. 48433

Please register no later than Monday, June 30, 2014
Contact person: Sabrina VanDyke at 810-407-0808

Schedule

9:00 a.m. 
Arrive at Barson’s Greenhouse approximately 
Presentation at Barson’s Greenhouse
Explore Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat

12:00 p.m.
Leave Barson Greenhouse

12:30 p.m. 
Arrive at Matthaei Botanical gardens and Nichols Arboretum

Picnic Lunch/ Dinner 

5:30 p.m.
Depart for home

Send the below information with the check - Thanks!!
NAME (s) 
PHONE # (cell phone if possible)

Contact person: Sabrina VanDyke at 810-407-0808

Michigan Ag Expo 2014- July 22, 2014 - July 24, 2014 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Ag Expo is Michigan’s largest outdoor agricultural show. With more than 250 vendors, demonstrations, educational sessions, and ride and drive equipment available, there is something for everyone. Admission to the show is free!

Visit the Ag Expo 2014 website for more information. http://agexpo.msu.edu/

The 3rd Annual Michigan Honey Festival- Saturday, July 12, 2014 10am - 5pm at The Harvey Kern Pavilion in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Attend educational seminars and learn all you need to start beekeeping! Purchase all your beekeeping supplies from a variety of vendors.  Lots of Michigan honey for sale. Learn how to brew honey beer and mead and attend the many cooking with honey demonstrations.   There is a children’s craft area and a demonstration garden done by Master Gardeners.  Watch a bee beard demonstration.  There will be lots of interesting products to sample and buy made from honey or bee’s wax. 

This year’s festival is all indoors, so no weather worries.  Admission is $5 for adults, children 12 and under free.  More information ? http://www.michiganhoneyfestival.com/contact.html

Garden Day August 2, 2014, 8 am – 4:15 pm,  Michigan State University Department of Horticulture, East Lansing Mi.

MSU’s annual garden day is on Saturday this year.  The keynote speaker is Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants, Flower Confidential, and The Drunken Botanist and other books.  Ms Stewart is also the concluding speaker and you can also stay for a reception after the event where she will discuss the Drunken Botanist. You can choose from a number of excellent workshops/classes, 1 morning and 1 afternoon session. Classes include Herbal housekeeping, Best Herbaceous perennials, Creative Containers, Dividing Perennials, Herbs at Home, Pruning Basics, Gardening in the Shade, Unusual Trees and Shrubs, Creative Edge, and Going Native.

Cost of the event is $85 until July 22nd , $95 after.  Lunch and free parking included. Additional $39 for evening reception.  Go to hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2014  for class descriptions and to register.

The Lapeer area Horticulture Society is looking for new members.  There are no education or experience requirements to join; only a love of gardening is needed.  The Horticulture Society meets the third Monday of each month for socializing, networking and a brief educational presentation.  Everyone is invited to join.  Dues are only $15 a year.  For more information on joining or meeting locations contact Bev Kobylas at bkobylas@yahoo.com

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