Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: June 2020

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

June 30, 2020 cherry time

Hi Gardeners

I just went for a walk to look at the gardens. I did some watering early this morning, but it looks like I’ll be doing more tonight. Everything looks so dry. Last year we had 5 and 4/10 inches of rain in June, this year just under 4 inches. So far, it’s not too bad but there is no rain in the forecast for the next week. At least the grass stops growing.

I was sitting on the deck last night and saw 5 deer walk down the road. Two paused by the end of the yard and looked like they were going to come on in, but I stood up and yelled and they left. They are going to the farm fields across the way, but this is the time last year, just when the Asiatic lilies started to bloom, when I had quite a bit of deer damage. So, it makes me nervous.

The hen I have left is doing a lot of damage though. She scratched up several petunia plants this morning and when I found them, they were very wilted. Yesterday she scratched up some blooming sedum. A couple days ago it was a section of impatiens border. She’s getting very close to being penned up.

The turkey may be helping, but he mostly tramples things, and she scratches them up. You can see the turkey in the picture. He’s 10 years old, hatched here in a flower bed. These birds are what is left of my old flocks. When I had more birds they were always confined to the back side of the barn for the growing season or penned up. But I thought the two of them wouldn’t be a problem. I may be wrong.

In the garden the daylilies are beginning to bloom, both the common ditch daylily and some of my cultivated varieties. The clematis are pretty right now. Some hosta are blooming. Both jasmines are still in bloom. Water hyacinth started blooming and the calla lilies. The catalpa trees are blooming.

Speaking of clematis, Springhill nursery sent me a replacement clematis (‘Beautiful Bride’). They had sent me a 3 in 1 buddleia instead of the clematis I ordered. After I complained that wasn’t a good substitute for clematis, they actually sent me what I ordered. That’s pretty good customer service.

My corn is knee high and looking good. If the wind doesn’t blow it over or the deer don’t eat it, I may have a good crop. I have green peppers just about ready to pick and tomatoes beginning to ripen. The lettuce is going to seed, however. I think there’s only been one year in the last 5 that I have had good lettuce at the same time as ripe tomatoes.

I learned something this week. I didn’t know common milkweed was fragrant. I read someone’s praise of it’s smell and I thought “what smell?” I went out to the clump I let grow by the deck and smelled it. It’s blooming now. And lo and behold it does have a faint but nice scent.

I don’t know why I let that clump grow there. I don’t think common milkweed is very attractive and we have a field with lots of it. I thought it might attract monarchs and I could take some easy pictures of them and maybe their caterpillars. But when monarchs come in the yard they seem to ignore that milkweed clump and head for other plants, like zinnias.

I’m trying to get some orange butterfly weed growing again, and a yellow one too. One year I had great big clumps of them. But they didn’t overwinter. Every attempt to get some more to grow in my cutting/butterfly garden has failed since then. The two I planted are hanging in there but aren’t very vigorous. Maybe they will improve. It’s strange how some plants can just defy all your attempts to grow them, even though you know conditions should be right for them.

Dish detergent and the garden- the bad news

I love Dawn dish detergent- for doing dishes. I do dishes the old fashioned way, by hand and Dawn is my favorite dish soap for cleaning them. But I don’t use Dawn dish detergent in my garden, I don’t use any brand of dish soap in the garden, unless it’s to clean tools. There is a good reason for that.

I just sigh when people eagerly advise others that for just about any garden problems, insects or disease, they can whip up some homemade concoction using Dawn dish detergent- or some other dish detergent. Don’t use “chemicals” they say – use this “safe” mix. It makes me shake my head when the same mash up of ingredients is suggested to kill weeds AND to spray plants for pests. Weeds are plants. Does it kill plants or not?

So, what about the avoidance of those nasty chemicals? You want an organic garden right? Here’s a list of chemicals in one variety of Dawn dish detergent. Each variety has slightly different chemical ingredients. This is Dawn gentle on hands pomegranate scent. By the way you need to go on line to get the full list of ingredients.

Water
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide
C9-11 PARETH-8
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Alcohol Denat.
Sodium Chloride
Fragrance
Sodium Hydroxide
PEI-14 PEG-24/PPG-16
Phenoxyethanol
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
PPG-26
Methylisothiazolinone
Red 33

The ingredients in the fragrance listed above;

1,3-Dioxolane-2-Acetic Acid, 2-Methyl-, Ethyl Ester
2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-Ol
2-T-Butylcyclohexyl Acetate
3a,4,5,6,7,7a-Hexahydro-4,7-Methano-1h-Indenyl Acetate
Butanoic Acid, 2-Methyl-, Ethyl Ester
Butanoic Acid, Ethyl Ester
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil
Dipropylene Glycol
Gamma-Undecalactone
Heptanoic Acid, 2-Propen-1-Yl Ester
Hexanoic Acid, Ethyl Ester
Hexyl Acetate
Linalool
Methylbenzyl Acetate

Let’s see, leaving out water that’s 27 chemical ingredients. (Other varieties have about the same amounts.) Now that doesn’t mean if Dawn is used as it’s supposed to be used- to wash dishes- that any of those chemicals are harmful. In fact, I am sure that the company- Procter and Gamble-made sure it’s safe. It may irritate your hands or cause you problems if you drink it but if you use it as the label directs it’s pretty safe.

But here’s the thing. That product was only tested for safety for it’s intended use. No one tested it to see if it was safe for plants, the microorganisms in soil, or what happens when you mix it with vinegar or Epsom salts or any of the other things added to homemade concoctions.

We know that when chemicals are combined, they often make a product much more harmful than when they are used separately. I could go through all those ingredients and see what happens when an acid like vinegar is added but I won’t. Because I know a few things already, with just a smattering of chemistry knowledge, that make me know Dawn isn’t good for plants.

I know that many of the ingredients are degreasers-they remove oils, waxes and fats from a surface. Plants have a waxy protective layer to protect their epidermal (skin) cells. Detergents remove this protective layer. This can make plants more susceptible to disease and insects.

I know some of the ingredients are what is called nitrosating agents. When these ingredients are combined with forms of nitrogen, they form nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are harmful to humans and other animals, about 90% of them are carcinogenic or have other harmful effects. In the garden we have many forms of nitrogen waiting to combine with the ingredients of Dawn, from simple nitrogen in fertilizer and the atmosphere to nitrates that plants produce.

We don’t know if eating plants coated with chemicals from dish detergent is harmful. We don’t know if handling plants sprayed with detergents or homemade concoctions is safe. We don’t know if the resulting chemical compounds would be so diluted that they would be harmless or if they accumulate over time. We don’t know if your skin absorbs the chemicals or if it’s bad for your lungs. That’s because the product isn’t intended to be used this way and no one has studied the effects.

The third thing I know about the ingredients of dish detergents is that many of them are antibiotic. They kill bacteria and other microorganisms. They don’t just kill bad bacteria, they kill all bacteria. Plants need many kinds of good bacteria, just as we do, to be healthy. Dishes don’t need bacteria of any kind.

And let’s not forget that these soap mixes only work if they contact insects before it dries. They kill good and bad insects and any spray that gets on the ground harms soil microorganisms. And they do not work on plant diseases.

You cannot claim you garden organically if you are using dish detergent in your garden. If you do want a safe for plants, organic method of controlling pests use an insecticidal soap made for plants. They have been tested, found safe if used as directed, and can be used for organic production. Here’s the ingredients of one brand- Safer brand - Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids 0.75%, Sulfur 0.4% plus some inert ingredients. See the difference?

If a large company like Procter and Gamble thought they could sell more dish detergent by advertising that it could help in the garden and they put that on the label, you could assume it was pretty safe. Do you wonder why they don’t?

Stop using dish detergents in the garden. You aren’t avoiding “chemicals” or stopping a big chemical company from making profits. You are supporting them. And you are using a product that can harm plants and the environment.

Squash Vine Borers

Watch out for squash vine borers as the moths are flying now, at least in the Midwest and upper south. They may have emerged in May or early June in the far south. A squash vine borer moth looks a lot like a wasp. It has an orange lower body with black spots. The moths lay eggs on vine crops which hatch into larvae (worms, caterpillars) that bore into the vine’s stems and cause them to wilt. Squash vine borers also attack pumpkins and to some extent melon vines, but rarely cucumbers. If your vine crops are wilting look at the vines near the base of the plant for a hole with some “sawdust” (called frass) possibly under it.

Squash borer adult moth
Photo credit canr msu.edu

Once the larvae are in the vines they may or may not kill the vine. But many gardeners will lose their whole squash crop in a bad year. The larvae that look like a plump white or tan worm, eat the inside of the stem, cutting off nutrients beyond their feeding point. In a hot dry summer, the vines suffer more because the damaged stems can’t supply enough water.

Garden pesticides that contain carbaryl, permethrin, bifenthrin or esfenvalerate and that list control of squash borers on the label can be used. Start using them in late June or when you see borers, whichever is first. Apply the pesticide on the stem base and along stems, especially anywhere the stem touches the ground. Follow label directions. Make a second application in 7-10 days. Once the larvae are in the stem it doesn’t help to apply pesticides.

Spinosad is another pesticide that can be used. It is similar to a bt product but formulated to last longer. It must be applied at night because it’s toxic to bees. Follow label directions. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the stem base may help but it doesn’t work if it gets wet and must be reapplied after each rain.

One suggested home organic control is to paint a bucket or bowl yellow including the interior and fill it with water to a few inches below the rim. The moths are attracted to yellow and many will drown in the bucket. Put buckets out at the end of June or when you see the adult borers. Kill any of the moths you see on the plants, they look like wasps but cannot sting you.

Squash borer larvae
Photo credit umn.edu

You can take a piece of wire and probe into the hole in vine and try to puncture the larvae inside. Or

make a tiny slit with a sharp knife lengthwise along the stem, find the worm and pull it out. Wrap a strip of cloth or paper around the damaged site. Find several places where the vine is touching the ground out beyond the hole and heap some good garden soil over the vine. Some vines will then put out new roots there and the vine will recover.

Next year when you plant your squash cover the young plants with a tunnel of lightweight row cloth, so the moths can’t get to the stems. It can be removed in mid-July in most areas. This should give the flowers plenty of time to be pollinated and make fruit for you. You can also hand pollinate under the tunnel. This only works if there were no squash or pumpkin plants in the same spot last year, since the moths emerge from the soil. If they were in the vines last year, they went into the soil to pupate.

Another strategy if you always have trouble with borers is to start the squash late, putting them in the garden in mid-July. This is usually best with summer squash that are eaten when immature rather than winter squash and pumpkins that need long growing seasons. Skipping the growing of any squash or pumpkins for a year can also help control the pest.

What ancient people smoked

New archeological research being done in Washington State found that Native Americans 1,400 years ago smoked Rhus glabra, or smooth sumac in their pipes along with a species of tobacco, N. quadrivalvis. Speculation is that the sumac was medicinal, or it just made the tobacco taste better.

A new method of analyzing residue from plants in ancient pipe bowls and cooking utensils can help researchers pinpoint exactly what plant species were being used. The pipe residue studies also found that after European contact Native Americans were smoking a tobacco species grown on the East coast N. rustica, indicating that there was trade between the tribes in the far west with those in the east.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

June 23, 2020 bugs and weeds

Hi Gardeners

Rose Carefree Celebration

I am sitting here feeling guilty because the birds and a chipmunk are outside my window staring at me. The feeder is empty again, even though I filled it yesterday. The birds are eating like crazy now. I have 3 sunflower feeders, 2 suet feeders, a jelly feeder, large bird nectar feeder and 3 hummingbird feeders. All are being emptied almost as soon as I fill them. It’s getting expensive. When I get up in a few minutes I’ll go out and fill them again.

The mulberry tree is just starting to ripen it’s fruit, which will help feed the birds. The strawberries are ripe around here, I just had some today. My own patch was abandoned this year. I am going to start from scratch again next year.

The Asiatic lilies are beginning to open. The first variety here is always a double one I am not particularly fond of called ‘Apricot Fudge’. Some things just don’t look better when they are doubled. Daylilies seem a bit slow to bloom this spring, lots of buds but even the common daylily isn’t in bloom yet. It looks like some of my martagon lilies were harmed by that late cold spell and won’t be blooming this year. I have buds on the oriental lilies too.

Every year is different in the garden. Some years certain plants are the stars of the garden, other years they just don’t perform as well. Some years things manage to synchronize bloom, so their colors complement each other. Other times one finishes before the other. Over the winter some plants get damaged or just disappear. And others pop up in unexpected places each spring.

In my garden this year the ostrich ferns are dominating some plants. I’ve had to cut some back so other things get a chance for sunlight. Some years they just get off to a really good start. They are beautiful but also a plant you might consider weedy, as they spread aggressively. And in late summer or when it gets dry, they yellow and start dying back and then they aren’t so attractive.

The newer clematis seem very slow in growth, although the more established ones are blooming. I lost some dahlias in the cold snap even though I moved them into the barn. The cannas, dahlias, elephant ears and taro are growing slowly this year and they should like the heat. You just never know what nature has in mind.

I bought and potted some of the tuberous begonias said to look like daffodils in April this year. They showed tiny buds on the surface after a few weeks. But here it is late June and they are just showing one or two small leaves each. I wonder if some of these bulb companies use a growth retardant on bulbs when they store them. I don’t know if I will get to see them bloom or not.

Last year I had some valerian pop up in my butterfly /cutting garden. I don’t know where it came from, I didn’t plant it. This year it has spread, and I have a huge clump in bloom easily 6 feet high. I see several younger plants in there too. I am eyeing it warily. I think it’s pretty right now, but I fear it will become a beast of a weed like the comfrey and lemon balm did.

Valerian

A lot of herbs are weedy things. People probably found uses for them just because they were so abundant. If you got them why not sell them to neighbors as a medicine? I so regret planting many of them when I was in my “herbal” stage. I have an aggressive strategy this year to get rid of the stinging nettles. And I’ll never run out of comfrey, lemon balm, catnip, anise hyssop, valerian and various forms of mint. Do be careful when you plant these things.

We got some rain last night, and it was needed. I hope all of you who needed rain got some too. Gardens love a good rain.

Water for the birds

One of the ways to attract birds to your yard is to feed them. Another way is to provide a source of water. Even when abundant natural water sources are available birds really appreciate a nearby source of drinking and bathing water. Ponds, large water features and natural water areas may not provide the shallow, protected places they like to bathe in and drink from. In hot and dry spells during summer you may see more species of birds at a bird bath than at a feeder. Birds splashing and playing in water are entertaining so make sure your bird bath is located somewhere where you can watch the fun.

Birds like shallow water and dripping or flowing water is a big draw. A small fountain with a shallow basin will be eagerly used. The simpler the design of the fountain the better. A fine spray, small stream or gentle drip is preferable to harder streams of water. A simple jug with a small hole in it suspended over a basin to catch the drips will be a bird favorite.

Birds will also use less elaborate set ups of simple saucer-like bird baths. Saucers with rough surfaces that keep tiny feet from slipping around are ideal. The depth of the basin should be no more than 4 inches at the deepest part. If it is deeper you can add a large flat stone in some part of the basin to make a shallow spot. This is easy to remove for cleaning. Keep the surface area of the basin modest in size- 12 - 18 inches is a good size.

Saucer type bird baths should be easy to dump and clean. To keep down mosquitoes and bird diseases they should be dumped and refilled every other day. A good scrubbing with a rough brush once a week is recommended. Disinfectants and cleaners are generally not needed. If the feeder looks exceptionally dirty just use a dish detergent, scrub, and rinse well.

Fountain bird baths where the water is re-circulated won’t become mosquito breeders but may become dirty and cause bird diseases. Remove floating debris like leaves and feathers daily and dump, clean and refill every week.

Locate your bird bath in an open area but with cover nearby. Wet birds are somewhat more vulnerable to predators and need a hiding place they can fly to quickly. Sunny or shady areas work equally well when it’s hot, sunny areas are better in cooler times of the year.

Elevate the bird bath from 1 to 3 feet off the ground. This makes them feel safer and you will be able to enjoy watching their bathing antics better. The bird bath should be in a spot that is quiet, without a lot of human or pet traffic near it. The shyer species won’t bathe if they feel predators, like cats, might be near.

Do not put bird baths directly under bird feeders. Seed hulls and droppings will quickly make a mess of the water. Place them at least a few feet away from feeders.

Birds appreciate a source of water in the winter too. There are heaters that can be added to birdbaths and birdbaths with heated bases that keep unfrozen water available. If you have a bird bath that won’t crack when it freezes you can simply provide warm water a few times a day.

Farm Markets in the age of CV19

In most states farm markets, both roadside stands and large community markets are open and running. The risk of getting CV19 from fruits and vegetables is probably low but there are some things to consider if you decide to visit the Farmers market or stop at a stand.

Avoid crowded markets. Go early or choose a weekday visit when there are fewer people. Wear a mask in community markets even though they may be outside. This is especially true if you are a person who likes to chat with vendors and other customers. Sellers should be wearing masks if the market is indoors. Maintain 6 feet between you and others in lines and at booths.

Don’t handle the produce. Try to pick booths where the seller wisely restricts people from pinching, prodding, shaking, smelling or even tasting food. He or she may have packaged the food or uses samples out front and brings out protected produce for purchases. Yes, you want the freshest produce but everyone handling produce is not a good health practice.

Wash your hands or use sanitizer before handling food if you must do so. Gloves don’t really help unless you put on fresh ones every time you move to a different booth. It would be nice if the seller put on food service gloves before handling his produce during a sale. And of course, you will wash all produce before you eat it.

Most people go to a Farmers Market to get fresh, locally grown produce. Be aware that some sellers at the market are not growing the food, rather they go to wholesale markets and buy produce to resell. Some markets don’t have rules to prevent this. A lot of this produce comes from Mexico and other places. If you want that type of food, you can find it cheaper at a supermarket.

A clue to see if the “farmer” is scamming you is to know what produce is ripe and ready for use in your area. If you see a vendor selling ripe tomatoes in June in a northern state, they most likely weren’t grown locally. (It’s possible they are being grown in a greenhouse but the seller should tell you this.) If you see oranges or pecans in northern markets they weren’t grown locally and probably the other produce at the stand wasn’t either.

Look around. If few sellers are offering ripe strawberries, it’s probably a sign strawberries aren’t ripe locally yet. Not every seller will grow strawberries but generally in a market of any size there will be more than one person selling a common local product. Ask another vendor if they sell strawberries at any point and listen to their answer.

You can’t tell what produce is organic from looking at it. Even if they are imperfect fruits and vegetables it doesn’t guarantee they were grown organically. And for goodness sake don’t pay more for imperfect produce on just the promise they are organic. One study found that so called organic produce at a local market has a 50-50 chance of not being grown organically.

You really have to trust the seller when it comes to produce being organic or grown locally. Talk to him or her. Ask what varieties of a fruit or vegetable are being offered. Ask where their farm is. If they are “cheating” on some aspects at their stand, such as offering ripe melons in May in Michigan, they are probably cheating in other ways. Sometimes other vendors will give you hints.

Many people love going to farm markets just for the ambiance and fun. There’s no reason not to go even in the pandemic if you use some care. But do practice being a wise and safe consumer.

Plant growth inhibited by plastics

Everyone knows plastic waste in the environment is a problem for wildlife. But now science has confirmed it’s also a problem for plants.

Plastic in the environment never goes away, it just degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. Some of these pieces can get to be the size of viruses. These tiny pieces get incorporated into soil, where they acquire an electric charge- either negative or positive- like other elements of soil.

Researchers found that plants can take up these tiny charged particles, especially negative charged ones, when they take up water and nutrients. The plants exposed to nanoparticles of plastic that were absorbed into them were less vigorous and smaller than plants that didn’t absorb plastic.

No one has studied this to my knowledge but maybe we should reconsider using plastic flowerpots, flats, cell packs, plastic mulch and lining beds with plastic. And what happens when people ingest fruits and vegetables that have nanoparticles of plastic in them? Just giving you something else to worry about. You can read more at the link below.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200622152542.htm

Gardens = work, bugs and weeds

I am inspired to write this today by so many people who want to garden but who don’t want to actually do gardening. People want flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables but don’t have any idea about what it takes to have those things. I want people to take up gardening, but I want them to understand what gardening is about. You rarely get anything good without some work and that holds with a garden too.

We are so used to having products and machines to eliminate labor that we expect that there be “labor saving” solutions for all things garden related. There are some remarkable inventions that have lightened the labor in gardening, but, if you want a garden, whether it’s a food garden or an ornamental garden, there is still a lot of labor involved. You’ll need to get your hands dirty- or pay someone to dirty theirs for you.

Bugs and weeds

There are many new gardeners this year so that may be why there is so much angst over bugs. But anyone who goes outside to garden should understand this- there will be bugs. That’s not an abnormal situation. Bugs are the normal situation.

(Creatures like spiders, rolly polys, (sowbugs), and snails and slugs are not insects but are generally regarded as such by gardeners. I’ll lump them together as garden pests.)

At least 75% of the insect species you see on your plants are perfectly harmless to the plants and may even be helpful. Another 20% of the insects you see are only mildly harmful to your plants, diminishing their looks but not substantially harming them. So that leaves about 5% of the insects you are seeing as extremely harmful to plants, possibly causing plant death or that could harm you.

Dragon flies are beneficial insects

You need to make decisions on what to tolerate and what to try and control with the 25% that could damage plants or harm you. Outside in the garden control of pests is what you aim for, not elimination. Your decisions should be based on science and logic and with concern for the total environment. You may be afraid of spiders but that is not reason to kill them. Spiders are beneficial.

Educate yourself on what the pests that are harmful to your plants look like and what damage they do. If you are growing roses, look up what pests affect them. If you are growing tomatoes look up what pests affect them. Then concentrate on controlling only pests.

Don’t assume because you saw an insect sitting on a damaged plant that it did the damage. Ants for example, rarely damage plants. Turn leaves over and look for harmful pests and check around the plants on the ground and under mulch. Diseases sometimes cause holes and other damage to plants that people assume a creature did.

On the other hand- don’t get caught up in this “but it turns into a butterfly” idea. ALL CATERPILLARS/WORMS ON YOUR PLANTS DO NOT TURN INTO HARMLESS, PRETTY BUTTERFLIES, as some people on social media would have you believe. Many pests have a larvae stage that looks like a caterpillar or worm. That critter can turn into a beetle, sawfly, or a moth or butterfly that isn’t exactly harmless.

It doesn’t make sense to plant cabbage so that cabbage worms can devour them and then turn into common white butterflies. Hornworms turn into lovely sphinx moths, but are you growing tomatoes for making sphinx moths or to eat? The adult form of some caterpillars can also eat your plants, continuing the damage until the plant dies, as in viburnum leaf beetles. Don’t feel guilty about controlling these pests.

This hornworm turns into a moth- but do you really want it to eat
your tomatoes?

Bees and wasps are beneficial but if you are allergic to bee stings you don’t want them near the house or places you work. There are many strategies you can use to control them without spraying chemicals but sometimes bees and wasps do need to be controlled.

Some pests, like mosquitoes, should always be controlled around your home. That’s because they carry diseases that can seriously harm or kill you. You don’t have to drench the yard in pesticides to control mosquitoes. There are biological pesticides and management strategies like dumping standing water that can manage the population. But mosquitoes should be controlled.

Managing pests

A good gardener always starts with the method of pest management that is the least harmful to the environment, beneficial creatures, and humans. You then work your way up to the level of pest control that will manage the problem to your standards, without a lot of collateral damage. What collateral damage is acceptable will depend on the situation and the gardener. It may also depend on the law. You can’t use dynamite to get rid of Japanese knotweed.

Hand picking pests, enclosing plants with netting, removing mulch, spraying with a stream of water and so on should be your first choice for insect pest control. After that, if satisfactory control isn’t achieved, you have choices to make. Sometimes commercial pesticides- those dreaded “chemicals” are actually the surest and safest ways to protect plants. Homemade mixes may not be safer, some are even dangerous, and most don’t work.

Spraying your entire yard with a pesticide that kills everything it contacts so you don’t have to see any sort of bug when you walk through it is stupid and actually pretty useless. Instead gardeners should try to target only a pest that seriously harms them or a plant they wish to protect and only in the smallest area necessary to achieve that goal.

And all those weeds…

There will always be weeds in the garden too. Weeds are just plants you don’t want. There is no magic way to have only the plants you want and none you don’t want in the garden. There is nothing you can spray or sprinkle that will control only weeds. Weeds are plants. There is no weed killer that knows which plants you want eliminated and only kills them.

You can’t spray poison ivy killer on poison ivy growing on a rose plant without killing the rose too, even if the label says it kills poison ivy. Most weed killers kill all plants. (And always read those labels and do exactly what they say – it’s the law).

The exception to the “kills all plants” rule is when lawns are sprayed with weed killers that kill broadleaf weeds like dandelions but doesn’t harm the grass. This confuses people. It’s too much to explain in this article but it involves classification of plants into dicots and monocots. There are some pesticides that target only dicots. Grass is a monocot. But most of your garden plants are dicots.

When the lawn care employee with no training or your spouse sprays the vegetable garden with lawn weed killer thinking they are helping you with the weeding, a disaster occurs. Most of your garden dies. Lawn weed spray will also kill nearby plants that any spray hits.

What about pre-emergent pesticides- products that keep seeds from germinating? First let me mention that cornmeal is not one of those. Corn gluten meal, an entirely different product, has only limited success on certain weeds. REPEAT: CORNMEAL WILL NOT KEEP SEEDS FROM GERMINATING AND IT DOESN’T KILL “WEEDS”.

Other products such as “preen” also have limited success. If a weed is perennial and has already rooted it won’t be harmed. Weeds often spread by root rhizomes and these products don’t work on them. It can’t be used in food gardens either.

A note here. Ditch the vinegar, salt and soap recipes for killing weeds. Use them only on paved areas, like weeds in cracks. They harm the soil and aren’t very effective at killing weeds, which leads you to add more and then more damage is done to the soil.

Purple loosestrife, weed or flower?

So, what do you do to get rid of weeds? Pull them, hoe them, smother them with mulch. You can target specific weeds with pesticides carefully applied. These all require labor. The preparation for your first garden will affect how much labor you will have to do, but you will need to do some weeding, even after years of gardening.

New gardeners should remember not to make more garden than they can care for, and since they don’t know yet what that is, to start small. As you gain experience, you can care for more garden, often in the same amount of time. Don’t let the weed problem get away from you, a little every day is often easier than a whole day of weeding.

Choose plants and a style of gardening that suits the level of gardening you expect to do. Low maintenance foliage plants or plants that need deadheading and pruning? Cottage garden or formal garden with topiaries?

Remember plants you once wanted often turn into “weeds”. The reason someone is giving you a bushel of common daylilies is because they spread like weeds. Research before you accept freebies or snap up garden store bargains.

Don’t be afraid to get rid of plants that spread too quickly or that you don’t like. Don’t let people guilt you into keeping some plant because; “you can eat it”. You can eat a lot of things but that doesn’t mean you will actually want to. If you aren’t fond of foraging bitter greens pull them and toss them on the compost pile. These “edible” weeds often spread aggressively and soon you will have a mess.

Unless you are growing food for survival, gardening should be something you want to do, not something you must do. Gardening is more than a one-time project, like a kitchen remodel, that will pay off for years. Think of gardening as an ongoing activity, a hobby you regularly invest time and effort into. If you don’t like being outside, if you can’t tolerate bugs and frogs, if you can’t stand dirt under your nails, gardening may not be the activity for you. You can always get fresh flowers and vegetables at the farmers market.

Viburnum Beetles

This is the time of year when viburnums may be showing damage from the larvae of viburnum beetles and the adult beetles themselves. Viburnum beetles are an invasive pest and they do serious damage to, or cause death of, many viburnum species. The beetles feed on viburnum foliage and may completely strip the trees of leaves.

This beetle is slowly spreading across the US and it may be new in your area. Gardeners should read up about the pest and learn to identify and control it. In addition, your state Extension office or USDA office may want you to report sightings.

Here are some good resources for learning about Viburnum beetles.

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb/larvae.html

https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-pests/viburnum-leaf-beetle

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/keep_your_eyes_open_for_the_viburnum_leaf_beetles?fbclid=IwAR28g_BIBgeIIo5awJp2Bjd7hdAFKGpaStYB5yOYQ4bUmh-EKPFWkpxVyiA

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

- Tecumseh-

Kim Willis

All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

And So On….

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020 ode to June and pass the hotdogs

Bristly Locust flowers

Perfect June weather is like a dream, a glimpse of heaven, balm for the mind and body. The last few days have been just that perfect and there are more perfect days ahead. The birds are singing, and baby animals are everywhere. And oh, the flowers. Perfect roses and nodding poppies, pillars of clematis and plump swags of wisteria. Mock orange and weigela, bellflowers and evening primrose, red geraniums and purple petunias. Sweet pink bristly locust and creamy ninebark dancing with bees.

This is the month to remember in August, and in February. The garden at the cusp of maturity but still fresh and unjaded. Skies deep blue, golden sunshine and gentle breezes, sweet smells and sounds, the taste of strawberries. Cottonwood fairies floating in the air. Thunderstorms briefly breaking quiet nights with rumbles and flashes, the smell of rain hitting the ground. June, I love June.

I can go out and weed in the morning or evening without being too hot and even sit basking in the sun. The must do work, the planting deadlines, the garden prep is mostly done. It’s now maintenance and little artistic projects for the most part, although with the must do chores done, I could tackle a bigger project. I can wander happily over the property with my camera capturing dragonflies on reeds and butterflies on flowers. Or catching the sun hitting that flower in the most perfect way.

Many times I just sit, mesmerized by June, day dreaming and thinking. Waiting for a new flower to bloom, an unusual bird to stop by, the deer staring at me to move first. Being still, trying to remember it all, savoring the moments of contentment. June, often compared to a blushing bride but more a flirting free spirit dancing barefoot. June makes you love it.

Ninebark flowers

Things about June you may not know

Did you know that no other month in the same year starts with the same day of the week as June? This year June started on Monday.

June in every year always ends on the same day of the week that March does. That is Tuesday this year.

In old English June was called Lioa pronounced lee–thuh, originally from the Latin word Lunius, meaning “of Luno”. The J sound/letter was adopted in English in the 1600’s. Luno/Juno was the wife of Jupiter, and the goddess of marriage and fertility.

Most women in the northern hemisphere are at their most fertile time in June. A baby is born in March from such a conception and would have optimal survival chances in most areas.

June used to be a popular name for girls. It was the 39^th most popular girls name in 1925. June Cleaver, remember her? It fell out of favor for a while but is once again a popular name for a baby girl.

June only has 10 days of “calendar summer” but September has 21.

June has the longest day of the year, June 20^th this year, which is known as summer solstice.

Happy Father’s Day, Sunday June 21, 2020 to all of you gardening fathers

Coffee in the garden

I don’t know why people continue to believe that the answer to most garden problems lies in their kitchen. Home remedies are extremely popular and clickbait garden sites continue to feature them regardless of whether they are effective or even safe. There is a popular myth circulating right now that I’m going to discuss: using coffee and coffee grounds in the garden.

Literally thousands of school science projects have been done where coffee was used to water plants with a control group of plants watered with plain water. In almost every case the student found that plants watered with coffee did not grow as well as plants that didn’t receive coffee. Most scientific research done on the effect of caffeine on plants supports the idea that caffeine inhibits the growth of plants and may inhibit or prevent seed germination.

Don’t take your cold coffee outside and pour it on your plants unless you have no other source of water. The chances are it will stunt the plants growth. Remember what your mother said coffee would do to you when you wanted to drink it as a teen? She was probably right.

What about using coffee grounds in the garden or compost pile? If the grounds aren’t more than 20% of the compost pile you are probably fine. Using the grounds in the garden directly around plants is probably not a good choice. Coffee grounds still contain caffeine, although not as much as cold coffee. Some people think coffee grounds make a good mulch, but in addition to the caffeine problem the grounds can mat down and prevent water and oxygen from getting into the soil.

Coffee grounds are not that acidic, and it takes a lot of anything acidic to raise soil pH, so using coffee grounds to raise soil pH is pretty useless. It would take inches and inches of grounds to raise the pH one point and the caffeine in those grounds may make plant growth impossible.

There is a small amount of nitrogen in coffee grounds when its first applied to soil. But other sources of nitrogen are better and safer for plants. Coffee grounds have also been found to kill earthworms, which gardeners don’t want to do. They may also alter normal soil microorganisms.

Coffee grounds do not deter ants or other pests either. There’s no reason to collect the coffee grounds from restaurants or your workplace as they are NOT that beneficial for the garden. Your household coffee grounds can safely go to the compost pile but pour the cold coffee down the drain.

More reading

https://www.discovery.com/science/Coffee-Grounds-in-Your-Garden

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1276408/?page=2

https://www.gardenmyths.com/coffee-grounds-in-garden/

Rose chafer beetles

It’s June and that means it’s time for the rose chafer beetle invasion. If you live on sandy soil your garden may be particularly hard hit. The name rose chafer is misleading. While they are very attracted to rose flowers, they’ll eat the leaves and flowers on many kinds of plants.

Rose chafer beetles are tan, sometimes with a greenish cast, with reddish orange legs and short antennae. They are about a ½ inch long when mature and are strong fliers. In June they emerge from the soil where they have been pupating and begin feeding on everything in sight. Plants are sometimes covered with the beetles.

Damage to plants is mainly cosmetic; the plants do recover when the beetles stop feeding and die, near the end of June. But the loss of flowers and the sight of leaves with only the veins remaining make many gardeners ready to fight. In June lots of chewed up leaves and flowers may mean a rose chafer invasion is taking place.

For those who grow grapes, rose chafers mean more than cosmetic damage. Grapes are generally blooming at the time the rose chafer emerges and the hungry beetles love to eat grape flowers and buds, which means the loss of the grape crop.

The life cycle of the rose chafer begins when adult beetles lay eggs in sandy soil in June. Tiny grubs soon hatch and burrow deeper into the soil. Unlike the European chafer beetle grub, the rose chafer grub does not damage turf grass roots. It grows all summer, and then goes deep into the soil to rest for winter. In the spring grubs move toward the surface, eat for a short time then turn into pupae for a couple of weeks, before emerging from the soil in June to start the cycle over.

Since female rose chafer beetles prefer to lay eggs in sandy soil, higher numbers of the beetles are found in gardens planted on sandy soil. But the beetles can fly quite a distance to feed.

To control rose chafers gardeners can hand pick the beetles, dropping them into a container of soapy water. Shaking a plant lightly will often dislodge dozens of the beetles. On sturdy plants a hand vacuum can be used with the dirt cup full of beetles emptied into soapy water.

Common garden insecticides will kill the beetles. But insecticides will need to be re-applied after each heavy rain and every 10-14 days. Systemic insecticides, like those found in rose care products, will work but the beetle has to take a bite of the plant before it is poisoned, so some damage continues to occur.

Rose Chafer beetles
credit Dabunski, Flixr

Whenever using a pesticide, read and follow the label directions for mixing and applying the product exactly. Make sure the plants you want to protect and the insects you want to kill are listed on the label. Different insects or different plants can have different application and mixing instructions.

Plants could be covered with row cover material while the beetles are heavy. It must be securely anchored to the ground, so beetles don’t crawl under it. Grapes though, need to have visits from pollinators to make fruit so a row cover won’t work. Pesticides may also kill some pollinators but are the best option for grapes if beetle numbers are high.

Some early studies by the USDA have found that spraying the kaolin clay based product called Surround® on grape vines helped repel rose chafer beetles. That product could also be sprayed on trees and shrubs being eaten by rose chafers but be aware that it gives sprayed plants a whitewashed appearance.

There is a lure scent that has been developed for rose chafers that can be used in Japanese beetle traps. If you use a product like this put it far away from the plants you want to protect. Otherwise it will draw more rose chafers to the area which may feed on plants before entering the trap.

One thing you do not want to do is to encourage your chickens or other birds to eat the beetles. Rose chafer beetles contain a toxin that can sicken or kill birds and small animals. That’s why they are so abundant and damaging; they are not eaten by other wild things.

The good news is that the invasion is short lived. By the end of June in most areas the adult rose chafer beetles are gone, leaving behind eggs for next year’s beetle crop.

Hawkweeds

There are two types of hawkweed, yellow, (Heiracium caespitosum) and orange, (Heiracium aurantiacum). They are considered separate species although there is really very little difference other than color. Hawkweeds are also referred to as Indian Paintbrushes, although that name is also given to other wildflowers. Hawkweed begins blooming about a month after dandelions, but is generally better tolerated for some reason as a turf weed. It is not uncommon to see large patches of hawkweed that people have mowed around rather than over.

Hawkweed is a perennial plant that is quite common in sunny fields, low maintenance lawns and along roadsides. It prefers dry, low fertility soils. It is usually found in patches because it spreads by rhizomes as well as seed. Strangely the two colors of hawkweed rarely exist in the same patch or even in the same general area.

Hawkweed forms a low basal cluster of leaves close to the ground. The leaves are long rounded ovals with hairy edges and a prominent lighter vein down the middle. The plant sends up slender flower stalks densely covered in dark hairs that are 12-24 inches high. There may be a few small leaves along the stalk. Yellow hawkweed tends to be slightly taller than the orange hawkweed.

The flowers are clustered in groups at the end of the flower stalks. The flower buds are covered with dark hairs before they open. Flowers resemble daisies without the disk area in the center and are about a 1/2 inch across. Each flower petal is divided at the tip into 5 parts. Insects do visit the flowers, which produce some nectar, but the plant can set fertile seed without pollination.

All parts of the plant leak a white sticky sap when broken. Animals avoid grazing on them, but the plant is not considered to be toxic.

Yellow Hawkweed

10 great hotdog makeovers

Its grilling time again, but meat is expensive this year. Hotdogs are always a favorite, especially for kids and they are relatively inexpensive. But if you get tired of the same old hotdogs here are some quick hotdog makeovers that will make wiener eating interesting again.

Pair hot dogs with baked beans and potato salad and you’ve created a great summer meal. Use some of the interesting makeovers below and make hotdogs a great meal for entertaining adult guests also.

Steam them in beer. Place a small amount of beer in a shallow pan, maybe an inch deep, add hotdogs and put them on low heat so the beer is barely simmering. Once they have plumped and cooked, they could be thrown on a grill to brown them. Keep watch over the pan so it doesn’t boil dry, add beer from the can you’re holding as necessary.

Simmer in pineapple juice. Once again use a shallow pan, add about an inch of unsweetened pineapple juice and let the hotdogs simmer in it. Add juice as needed. These are great served on Hawaiian style buns.

Better with bacon. Split hotdogs down the middle, don’t cut all the way through. Fill the inside of the hotdog split with finely chopped onion, a little pickle relish and mustard. Wrap each dog tightly with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. These can be grilled or baked in the oven.

Cheese and bacon dogs. Fry one slice of bacon for each hotdog until it’s browning but not crispy. Steam, boil or grill hotdogs until they are almost done - probably 5 minutes on a grill. Remove from heat. Split down the middle and sprinkle with finely shredded cheese- cheddar is good. Wrap hot dog in the bacon slice to hold dog together and secure with a toothpick. Return to grill or put under a broiler until the bacon is crispy and cheese melted.

Hotdog cover up. No buns will be needed here. Buy a can of refrigerated crescent rolls. Unroll the dough and separate each piece. Prepare hot dogs by splitting down the middle and filling with chopped onion, mustard and shredded cheese. Crescent rolls usually come in a triangle shaped piece. Lay a hotdog on the large end of the dough and roll the dough around the dog. Secure with toothpick if needed. These are best baked or grilled over low heat.

Kraut and dogs. Simmer hotdogs in a shallow pan of sauerkraut. Pile heated kraut over dog on bun and add mustard.

Bacon and mushroom dogs. Use about a 1/2 pound of bacon to a package of hot dogs. In a pan put the hot dogs and bacon. Cook until the bacon is crisp and hot dogs are plump and splitting. Remove dogs and bacon. Keep warm. Pour off all the grease except 2 tablespoons. Place sliced mushrooms in the pan with the bacon grease and a tablespoon of butter or if you must, margarine. Cook and stir mushrooms until soft and heated, just a few minutes. Crumble the cooked bacon into mushrooms. Place hot dogs on buns and sprinkle with cheddar cheese shreds. Add a spoonful of bacon and mushrooms.

Barbecue hotdogs. Barbecue sauce isn’t just for ribs and chicken. Lay dogs in a pan of your favorite sauce, cook slowly and turn two or three times. Sweet sauces go good with hot dogs.

Peppery hot dogs. In a shallow pan place about an inch of water. Add 1 cup of diced hot peppers, (serrano, chile, jalapeno), 1/2 cup diced onion and a teaspoon of salt. Prepare hotdogs by poking several holes in each with a toothpick. Simmer hotdogs slowly in the pepper water. Turn from time to time and add water if necessary. The longer they sit, the hotter they get. The best way to serve is with some roasted red or green sweet pepper and some nacho cheese poured over the bun.

Deep fried hot dog- Do you have a turkey fryer or better yet a small basket fryer? Fill with oil according to your manual and fry the dogs. Peanut oil gives them a great taste. Make sure to remove hot dogs from the fryer before they get hard. If you slice them down the middle except for about an inch at one end before you drop them in the fryer they will curl while frying and could be placed on a burger bun instead of a hotdog bun.

Using a good quality bun will make any hotdog taste better. Lightly toasting the buns, spread with a little butter, makes them even yummier.

Summer solstice

Saturday, June 20, is summer solstice, the longest day of the year, the beginning of summer. It used to be one of the most celebrated days of the year by humans, along with winter solstice, when the shortest day occurs, and the days begin lengthening again.

In the more northern countries, the celebrations are more marked, probably because the sun is so welcome and vital in these climates and because at summer solstice in the far north the sun never seems to set. But almost every culture away from the equator celebrated solstice.

Different cultures celebrate summer solstice in different ways. Solstice festivities almost always include fire, with bonfires a requisite of most celebrations. Oak wood is commonly used in solstice bonfires for luck and magic. People jump over the fires for luck and make talismans of the ashes. The ashes of solstice fires are spread on crops to bring a good harvest.

However, the astrological sign Cancer, a water sign, begins at the time of solstice so water also figures into many solstice festivities. In ancient cultures burning wheels were often rolled into water or bark boats filled with flowers and herbs were set on fire and floated down rivers.

Wreaths of flowers and herbs are included in many solstice celebrations. The wreaths are worn on the head and hung on doors and are said to bring good luck. Rue, fennel, roses, rosemary, foxglove, lemon verbena, calendula, mallow, elderberry, St. John's Wort, vervain and trefoil are plants associated with these wreaths and summer solstice. Often the flowers or wreaths were left outside to gather the dew on the night of the solstice. Washing your face with the dew collected on the night of the solstice was supposed to make you beautiful and delay aging.

Common traditions include a couple jumping over a bonfire to make it known they were committed to each other and other rituals of fertility and marriage. (Interestingly a woman’s fertility is also highest at this time.) Conception in June results in a baby born in March, which in earlier times was a good month to give birth. Food supplies would be more plentiful as the baby began to require more milk, the weather more moderate, and the wife would be recovered enough to help with spring planting. Even today June is the month most favored for marriage.

Native Americans of the plains tribes held the Sun Dance near the summer solstice. This was a time of dancing around bonfires, prayer, fasting and tests of strength, depending on the tribe. In some tribes, young men were put through grueling rituals to enter manhood at this time.

Midsummer’s eve is often confused with the summer solstice but is not the same. It generally occurs a few days later than the solstice, on June 23 or 24. It is supposed to mark the birth of John the Baptist, who is supposed to have been born six months before Jesus and is a product of Christianity adopting and adapting pagan celebrations. But there is a great mixture of fairy visits and other magic associated with Midsummers eve in folklore also. The point where the sun is farthest (yes farthest) from the earth, the aphelion, occurs on July 3 at 3 am.

This would be a good year to start your own summer solstice tradition to celebrate the beginning of summer. Think sunbathing, swimming and a great bonfire at night. These are lovely summer activities that can work with social distancing and still be fun.

There are moments, above all on June evenings, when the lakes that hold our moons are sucked into the earth, and nothing is left but wine and the touch of a hand.

-Charles Morgan