September
15, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter
© Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
I am loving this weather. Today looks like it will be a nearly perfect
day and I need to get this newsletter written so I can get outside and enjoy
it. While we may narrowly have missed a
frost earlier this week I think we have a good span of days ahead of us when we
don’t have to worry.
 |
| Colchicum pops up in autumn. |
It’s the second busiest time
of year for me. It’s time to clean the
chicken coops, make apple butter, re-pot plants that are coming in soon and
starting moving plants back inside, collect seeds and dry flowers, clean up the
vegetable garden and do some flower bed renovations.
My fall colchicums surprised
me by popping up this week. They look
like giant crocus. I had put a potted
geranium on top of them without knowing and I saw one bloom peeking out from
under the pot. When I moved the pot it
took only a few days for the others to pop up.
I still have hardy hibiscus, sweet autumn clematis, sedum and roses in
bloom. The annuals are starting to look
tired but some are still going strong.
The Maximillian sunflowers
are also starting to bloom. They are
pretty and welcome for their late color but the stems of these things are
weird. The twist and curve and flop and never
stand up nice and straight. The butterflies
and bees like them and they are one of the last flowers to bloom but I am still
tempted to rip them out. I am
considering chopping that whole bed to the ground.
I am going to be changing my
long bed in the center of the yard over to mostly shrubs, and similar things
like peonies. It has been taken over by
garden phlox and they have choked out everything. If anyone wants some phlox plants let me know
and I’ll save some of the ones I’ll be digging out.
I have some watermelons that
are almost ripe, we are still harvesting carrots and cabbage, the popcorn is
drying down, the grapes are ripe and the apples almost there- I may pick some
in a day or two. But the tomatoes are really
fizzling out. I have some volunteer
plants that have green fruit and remarkably the plants seem pretty
healthy. If warm weather lingers we may
get ripe fruit from them. I planted 4
kinds of lettuce a few weeks ago but the germination rate was sporadic. I am hoping more may germinate as the weather
cools.
It’s time to order bulbs for spring planting
I just ordered my new spring flowering bulbs. I’m trying corydalis for the first time this
spring. And I was so pleased by the
Asiatic hybrid lily Olina Tango I planted last year – I posted pictures on this
blog- that I ordered two new varieties in the same series, Graffiti Tango and
Black Eye. I also ordered some new
species lilies, some new tulips, more hyacinths, snowdrops, and a few other
things. I even ordered two new hardy hibiscus, the companies know they are
blooming about the time you think of fall bulbs and I always think – wow- I
should have more of these. Now I will
have more.
 |
| Plant crocus bulbs now for spring flowers. |
Don’t wait too late to order those spring bulbs. The
selection gets picked over and you want to receive the bulbs at the correct
planting time. I have always found the selection to be much
better from a mail order source than at local nurseries. The more you buy the cheaper bulbs usually
get and bulbs do look best planted in groups or drifts. Yes its lots of work in the fall but it’s so
worth it in the spring!
I try to order something new to try each year. There are so many bulbs you can buy besides
the old favorites of crocus, tulips and daffodils. Some bulbs do well the spring after you plant
them but then tend to fade away in the succeeding years- tulips are known for
this- so make sure to replenish some of your favorites each year too. Heritage
bulbs let you keep growing things that could be lost if gardeners forgot them,
so try a few each year.
Check the blooming times of bulbs, usually listed as early,
mid spring- and late spring. Make sure
you have something blooming all through spring.
Keep early blooming bulbs close to the house and paths so you get to see
them. Also check the hardiness zones of
bulbs- there are some that won’t survive Michigan winters.
There are bulbs that you plant in the fall that bloom in the
summer too. Lilies are a good example, you can have lilies in bloom much of the
summer if you choose varieties carefully.
Lilies often do best when planted in the fall but some can be spring
planted also. You can even get bulbs
that bloom in the fall like saffron crocus and colchicums.
As you look at your flower beds this fall you may think
there is no room for bulbs, but remember in the spring when the bulbs bloom
most perennials are still quite small.
Lift the leaves of hosta and plant bulbs under them. After the bulbs bloom and die down in early
summer the emerging hosta leaves will cover the dying foliage. Ferns, daylilies and other plants can also
hide dying bulb foliage as they grow; you just have to squeeze the bulbs in
under them this fall.
Don’t hesitate to plant sun loving early flowering bulbs
under deciduous trees. By the time the
trees leaf out the bulbs will have bloomed and completed most of their growth
cycle.
When you plant those spring bulbs use a ruler or a bulb
planter with markings so you know you are planting them at the right
depth. Bulb packages usually tell you
how deep to plant the bulbs or any bulb catalog can give you the
information. Use a slow release general
purpose fertilizer mixed into the soil that you cover the bulbs with. Don’t use blood or bone meal in bulb
holes. These actually attract animals to
their smell, not repel them, and you will have critters digging up the
bulbs.
 |
| Tulip 'Sunlover'. |
Plant bulbs quite close together for the best spring
display. Plant them in groups or
randomly instead of rows, unless you are going for that formal look. Small bulbs like crocus can be almost
touching, larger tulips and hyacinths can be about 2 inches apart.
Cover the planted bulbs with a layer of chopped leaves or
straw to disguise it. If you are
trimming roses or other thorny plants you might spread the trimmings over your
bulb area. If you have digging animals
like the neighbors cats or squirrels, you can cover the bulb planting site with
netting or wire mesh. Remove it when the
soil freezes and before the snow, so you won’t forget it in spring and impede
the emerging bulb shoots. Bulbs planted
among large perennials in the fall may go unnoticed by the bulb eaters.
It’s National Indoor Plant week
(I went to the dentist yesterday and one
of the things I noticed about the office was that it had no plants, even though
it had a nice sunny window in the waiting area.
That’s just sad. If ever a spot
could use some comfort from green plants it’s a dentist office.)
The third week of September is National Indoor plant
week. As we get close to calendar fall
it’s time to start thinking about houseplants again. If you don’t have plants in your home this
year is the time to get some. Plants not
only clean your air of toxins and provide oxygen but they improve your mood and
mental health.
 |
| A spider plant thriving in a dark office. |
People asked to rank which room felt the most welcoming or
comfortable almost always chose a room with plants over the same room without
plants. A office or home without plants
just looks bare and harsh. Office
workers report feeling happier and in a better mood when plants are brought
into the office. Hospitals know that
people feel less pain and heal faster when they have plants in their rooms or
in areas they can visit.
Children love to have plants in a classroom and no one has
to take them home over the weekend.
Studies show that children overwhelmingly choose a room with plants over
a similar room without plants. A school
room without plants is like a teacher that never smiles.
If you smoke you need plants in your home. Plants remove the harmful particulates
floating in the air from cigarette smoke.
They will also remove particulates and harmful gases in the air from
fireplaces, plastics, wood glues, treated carpets, cooking with Teflon pans and
burning candles.
There are houseplants that will thrive under almost any
conditions and under almost anyone’s care.
A plant can be a tillisandria or air plant hanging from the curtain or cacti
or a gorgeous orchid or a fluffy Boston fern. There are plants that need only
the light from artificial sources like the florescent bulbs overhead. There are tiny plants that will fit under a
desk lamp. Some plants can survive low humidity or low temperatures. And there are plants that will grow exuberantly
in a sunny window. There is just no
excuse not to have plants inside your home.
It’s time to do your research and find a plant for your home
if you don’t have any. It’s time to learn
how to care for a houseplant. If you
choose the right plant for your home and lifestyle it’s care will be simple and
easy. Resolve to add just one houseplant
to your home and see if you don’t want another sometime soon.
Plants support all life on the planet. People cannot exist
without plants, although they would do just fine without us. We are finding out
that plants do more than we previously thought- they communicate with each
other, feel pain, plan ahead, allocate resources, protect themselves and have
sex. While we as animals cannot
understand all the things plants are capable of and we don’t understand their “intelligence”
there is no doubt that plants are fully functioning living creatures that have
allowed us to share this planet.
If for no other reason we should have plants in our homes to
remind us that it is they that control life on earth, not us.
Tender perennials you
can save for next year
There are many plants that Michigan gardeners grow in their
gardens and outdoor containers as annual plants that are really perennial
plants in warmer climates. Some of our most common bedding plants that we treat
as annuals fall into this category. If gardeners rescue these plants before a
frost they can become attractive houseplants for the winter.
 |
| Bring in this abutilon and it will bloom all winter |
Thrifty gardeners also know it’s economical to keep a few
tender perennials over the winter so you don’t have to buy them again in the
spring. Many of these tender perennials can be multiplied by cuttings to
produce a whole new selection to use outdoors next spring or to share with
friends. Some tender perennials that are over-wintered become large, attractive
plants that would be impossible to obtain with one summers growth.
What can be saved
Some examples of tender perennials include: coleus, geraniums,
diascia, fibrous rooted and cane type begonias, specialty and species petunias,
sweet potato vines, polka dot plants, “spikes” (dracaenas), banana plants,
lantana, lofos, aloes, agaves, Joseph’s coat (Alternathera ficoidea), fuchsia,
poinsettia, some cacti and succulents, eucalyptus, Chinese hibiscus, abutilon,
bougainvillea, mandevilla, gardenia, brugmansia, jasmine, palms, and any
tropical plant used outside in containers. These plants need temperatures that
stay above 55 degrees, bright light and moderate watering over winter.
If these plants are growing in the ground they should be dug
up and carefully potted. If they are crammed into a container that is pretty
full and lush it would be wise to separate the different plants and pot them
separately. Plants that are in containers with true annuals can be removed and
potted or the true annuals can be pulled out.
Michigan gardeners often grow some plants that aren’t quite
winter hardy in our zone but will survive with some winter protection. Some of
these plants go semi-dormant in winter, even when brought inside. They will
begin growing again in the spring however, as the days lengthen.
Plants to let rest and go dormant but still protected inside
include: rosemary, perennial reeds and grasses not hardy in your zone,
lavenders not hardy in your zone, salvia Black and Blue and other perennial
salvias, passionflowers, figs, olives, and any other marginally hardy
perennials – within 1 or 2 planting zones from yours. Even tender roses,
evergreens and deciduous trees can be wintered inside if you have the room. Bring these tender perennials into a cool, just
above freezing place with bright light and water lightly, just enough to keep
them from wilting. Trim back straggly ends and yellowed foliage.
Don’t forget that tender bulbs and tubers can also be saved
for another year. Colocasia- (elephants ears and taro), Eucomis- (pineapple
lilies), caladiums, calla lilies, rain lilies, lycoris, and tuberous begonias
can be left in their pots and brought inside to store. They will generally stay blooming for a month
or so but as the days shorten they should be encouraged to go dormant by
keeping them in a cool area and letting them dry out a bit. When the foliage yellows trim it off and then
store the pots in a cool, dim place.
Keep the pots barely moist over winter. In March bring the pots into a
warm, bright area and begin watering again.
Other tender bulbs like cannas, glads, dahlias, etc. can be
dug after a light frost kills the foliage and stored dry, with foliage cut off,
in peat moss, sand or vermiculites.
Other tips to
overwintering tender perennials
If you are in doubt as to what treatment to give a perennial use these
guidelines. Any plant that is hardy only
to zone 9 should be treated as a tropical and kept warm and well lit. Plants that are hardy to zones 6-8 will
probably benefit from a winter rest or dormancy, kept just above freezing and watered
less frequently. There are exceptions
and some plants kept in warmer conditions may grow and even bloom for you all
winter.
Check the plants and the pots carefully before moving them
inside so you don’t bring in small surprise guests like frogs and mice. Use a
good, lightweight potting soil if you need to re-pot tender perennials you are
bringing inside. It is a good idea to spray plants with an insecticide or use a
systemic insecticide on them the day before you bring them inside. Some insects
can become a big problem indoors if they hitch a ride inside. Do not fertilize
any over wintering perennials until March.
 |
| Geranium First Yellow can be over wintered. |
Instead of bringing whole plants inside you can sometimes
take cuttings of plants and over winter small plants you start from them. It is
better to start these plants outside in late summer, and then bring in the
small pots before frost. However, if frost threatens and it seems to be too
much work to bring a large plant inside, take a few cuttings and try your luck.
Don’t try to save too many tender perennials unless you have
a big greenhouse. Just save the most expensive, rarest or your personal
favorites. You can propagate cuttings from one or two plants for a new border
of impatiens rather than trying to save the whole border. All plants need room
and good light and the more you have, the more time you will spend caring for
them. So don’t feel guilty if you have
to leave a few plants outside to succumb to winter. Most plants can be replaced next spring from
your local nursery or favorite mail order garden shop.
Renovating the lawn in fall
Fall is an excellent time to plant grass seed or lay sod for
a new or improved lawn. With just a little attention to details you can have a
new lawn next spring when the snow melts.
Grass germinates and grows well in the cooler, wetter fall
weather. Grass needs about 6 weeks to grow before the ground freezes, but can
survive frost and light snow without a problem. In Michigan that means you can
plant grass seed or lay sod from early September to mid- October.
You may want to have a soil test done before you renovate a
lawn, especially if you have been having lots of problems. Contact your local County Extension office or
a large garden shop for information on how to take a sample and where to submit
it. The results can take a couple weeks
so allow plenty of time.
Prep work for a new lawn
If you want to totally renovate your lawn or you are
starting a new lawn you will need to do some basic prep work. If you are
working with subsoil left after new construction you’ll need to purchase some
topsoil. About 6 inches of topsoil would be ideal but don’t use less than 3
inches. Smooth the topsoil down evenly over your subsoil and try to avoid
making hollows or raised areas. Make sure any debris left from construction is
removed.
If the area you are going to seed or sod is hard packed
soil, till the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches, even if you intend to put down
topsoil. You can work topsoil, compost or peat into the existing soil but do
not mix sand into clay soil hoping to improve it. Instead you will create
cement.
If you are going to totally renovate a lawn and there is
existing vegetation in place you are going to need to remove it. The easiest
way is to do this is to use glyposphate (one brand name is Round-Up®) according
to label directions. Wait about a week and rake off the dead vegetation. Then
till the soil to about 8 inches deep, rake and smooth. If you used the
glyphosphate properly you should be able to seed within a week.
If you are against using chemicals you will have to remove
the old sod and weeds by hand. Slice
down with a sharp shovel about 4 inches then move the shovel sideways, cutting
plant roots and lifting off sections of vegetation like removing pieces of carpet. Shake as much soil as you can off the
sections you remove and throw them in a wheel barrow or cart to be removed to a
compost pile somewhere. You may have to dig deeper to get out some large weeds.
When you have bare soil till it about 8 inches deep, rake it
and smooth it. If you think your
previous lawn problems were because of poor soil you may want to work in
compost or add topsoil.
After your soil is bare and tilled by whatever method you
choose and you have improved the texture of the soil by adding compost or
topsoil if it was needed you need to add fertilizer. If you had a soil test follow the
recommendations for improving the soil that should be given you. If you didn’t
get a soil test work in some lawn fertilizer without any weed or grub control
product added to it. Follow the label directions for the amount but in general
it’s about 3 pounds for 1000 square feet.
Sometimes only parts of the lawn need repair. Remove any
weed patches with glyphosphate or your shovel. Fill holes and level high or low
spots then till the soil in the bare areas, you may have to till small areas by
hand. Work in fertilizer, rake and
smooth your planting areas.
Seeding a lawn
In Michigan the best grass seed to use is a variety of
Kentucky Bluegrass. If the area you intend to seed is shady a mixture of
various Fescue grass varieties would be better. Don’t use a seed mixture with a
high percentage of annual or perennial rye in it. This will green up fast and
is cheap, but the annual rye won’t be back next spring and the perennial rye
will look coarse and unattractive. Grass
seed is one of those things that usually are better the more it costs. Cheap mixtures rarely give good results.
Spread the seed evenly over the ground and don’t skimp. The
package will tell you how much square footage it will cover. Measure your lawn
and figure the square footage before shopping for seed so that you will know
the proper amount to buy. If you have a large area to seed you may want to use
a spreader.
Seed may be rolled with a roller to get it in contact with
the soil, or lightly covered with topsoil or mulch. In small renovation spots
you can lightly rake seed into the soil.
Laying Sod
Almost all sod sold in Michigan will be Kentucky Bluegrass
and sod works best on sunny lawns. In some cases you can do the prep work to
save money and then have professionals lay the sod. Some people may want to do
all the work to save money. Keep sod in the shade and moist while you are
waiting to lay it and try to lay it the same day you purchase it.
Carry sod rolls carefully to the new lawn site and unroll
them where they are to lay, with the green side up of course. Keep the edges of
the sod rolls together as closely as you can but do not overlap the edges. Sod
is generally rolled with a lawn roller after it’s laid to get it in contact
with the soil. You can cut sod with a sharp shovel or knife and fit pieces into
odd shaped areas.
Care of new lawns
If you experience a lot of heavy rain in the fall that could
wash seed away, you may want to apply a mulch of straw or other organic
material, especially on a slope. Sod does not require mulch.
After planting your grass seed you will need to water it if
fall doesn’t give you rain or snow. Until it is up and growing the soil surface
should remain moist. That could mean watering every day. After the grass is up
and growing it needs at least an inch of water a week. In sandy soil that
drains quickly, 2 inches of water may be better.
Sod will need watering daily if it is warm and dry. You can
cut back watering to an inch a week, in two or three applications, after the
first two weeks if the weather is cool.
If the lawn grows more than 3 inches before winter you can
cut it back to 3 inches, otherwise do not mow until spring. While it’s better
to mulch tree leaves into an established lawn, keep fall leaves off new lawns
by gentle raking so new seedlings won’t be smothered or sod dislodged by
mulching mowers.
University of Michigan studies milkweed and monarchs
Way up north, in Emmet County Michigan, the University of
Michigan has a biological research station. Emmet County was once the site of a
major milkweed growing operation that produced milkweed “fluff” to stuff life
jackets for WWII soldiers. At the U of M
research station researchers Mark Hunter and Leslie Decker are growing 4 kinds
of milkweed in 40 plastic boxes. In a separate area they are also hatching out
and caring for monarch butterflies.
 |
| Monarch and milkweed |
The researchers pump various levels of carbon dioxide into
the plastic boxes with the milkweed plants, trying to stimulate the environment
the plants may have as global warming continues. The researchers know that as the carbon
dioxide levels in the boxes rise the levels of defensive chemicals the plants
make to deter insect predation drops.
In nature Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed on milkweed almost
exclusively. Monarchs have evolved to use the chemical toxins in milkweed called
cardenolide toxins to keep predators from eating them and to kill
parasites that might infect them. Some milkweed plants produce more toxins than
others and it is known that female Monarch butterflies seek these out to lay
their eggs, if they themselves are infected with parasites. This helps protect
the next generation.
The researchers measured the toxins milkweed plants produced
under different levels of CO2. Then they
fed the milkweed to their hand reared Monarch babies and exposed them to a common
caterpillar parasite, Ophryocystis
elektroscirrha and recorded the results.
Milkweed plants exposed to carbon dioxide levels about double the
current CO2 in our atmosphere produced fewer plant toxins. And milkweed caterpillars eating those low
toxin plants were more likely to die from parasites than those caterpillars
eating milkweed with high toxin levels.
The toxins that plants produce to defend themselves are the
medicines we harvest to cure various human ailments. Researchers speculate that as the climate
changes plants may produce fewer defense chemicals and that could affect the potency
of plant based medicines. It may also be
a reason contributing to the decline of Monarchs since they may not be able to
harvest the toxins they need to defend themselves from predators.
Marijuana may help in organ transplants
Cannabis is surely one of the most helpful plants people can
grow (if the government allows them to grow them) and now researchers have
announced new findings about this miracle plant. Studies in animals found that THC, an active
ingredient of marijuana, helped prevent organ transplant rejection. The study was published in the September 2015
issue of The Journal of Leukocyte
Biology.
Researchers say the administration of THC delays or prevents
the rejection of transplanted tissues, even when the donor and recipient were
not close matches. Soon trials will
begin on human patients and researchers say that THC may also help in other
immune response related diseases.
More trees than we thought
Two years ago scientists thought that the global population
of trees was probably about 400 billion, about 67 trees for every human. But pushed to do a better, more comprehensive
study of the number of trees still on earth the scientists were surprised to
find that their estimates of the tree population were woefully low.
Based on combined studies of satellite, aerial and ground
counts of trees scientists now believe the tree population on earth stands at
about 3.04 trillion trees or about 422 trees per person. While that seems wonderful scientists have to
mention that tree cover has decreased to almost half of what it was before
modern humans evolved. ( Maybe they are wrong there too?)
The areas with the most trees were the tropics, 43 %, and
the northern sub-arctic boreal forests with 24%. The research study involved scientists from
15 countries and was led by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies. Study results were recently
published in the journal Nature.
It’s a beautiful day to get outside and hug a tree.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or
seeds you would like to swap or share?
Post them here by emailing me.
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch. Now open.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a link
to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor,
Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Exhibitors/demonstrators
wanted
Seven Ponds
Nature Center ( Dryden Mi.) Heritage Harvest Days, scheduled for September 19
and 20 is looking for additional artists and crafters who can demonstrate,
display, and sell their work, especially that related to nature. All exhibitors receive free admission to the
event, as well as free lunch on one day of the festival. Please contact the
center at 810-796-3200 if you would like to set up a booth or exhibit this
year.
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and
horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you
don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who
would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to
me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
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