Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: May 25, 2021 Purple and Pollen

Hi Gardeners

I didn’t write my blog last week and this week’s will be short. It’s a busy time of the year for most gardeners and I have been slowed down by the heat and dry conditions we are having. I know some gardeners are getting plenty of rain but here in Michigan we are in what’s called a moderate drought by the weather service.

After a winter that was drier than normal, we’ve only had about a half inch of rain this month, which is normally a wet month. When I dig into my soil, which is sandy loam, it’s dry and powder like and that dryness extends at least 8 inches down. With temperatures warmer than normal and dry air plus many windy days it’s a struggle to keep things watered. I have to spend time watering before I can even get to planting and weeding.

All the new plants I have put in this spring require almost daily watering and so do the containers I have managed to get planted. Later in the summer this would be normal, but not in May and June. Plants already established are shorter this year and growing slowly. The grass is already browning in some areas. At least I am not having to mow as frequently as most springs.

I feel sorry for the farmers. The crops have been planted but nothings coming up. They need a couple inches of rain to get the crops up and growing. Ponds everywhere are drying up. The dust is rolling off the roads here and off the plowed fields in big clouds. All the plants get dust settled on them.

I am waiting to see if we get rain late today. A cold front is supposed to be coming in tonight. After temperatures near 90 today we are supposed to drop to highs in the 60’s on Thursday and Friday. Night temperatures are going to flirt with that frost line, but right now it looks like we will be spared.

We are now at least 2 weeks ahead in bloom times in the garden. The lilacs are in bloom and my yellow “graduation” rose (Harrison’s Yellow) is also blooming. It normally blooms about the second week in June- the one at my mom’s house is where all of my siblings and I had our pictures taken in front of when we graduated high school.

Yes, it's me in the dorky glasses, in front
of the yellow graduation rose, 1970

The little late tulip ‘Lilac Wonder’, is still in bloom, bearded iris, bleeding hearts, alliums, dames rocket, Spanish bluebells, honeysuckle, lilacs, wild geranium, chives, (lot’s of purple blooms), star of Bethlehem, sweet woodruff, valerian, wild viburnum and the snowball bush, violets are all in bloom here.

My little magnolia surprised me by putting out a fresh crop of flowers after the first flowers were badly damaged by frost. They are smaller than the first flowers but the little tree is loaded with them.

My vegetable garden is all planted, the tomatoes and pepper like the heat. I have put some plants from the house outside, the geraniums, canna’s, and some other pots of bulbs, but most of the houseplants are still inside. I have gotten a lot of annuals planted but there is still a flat of wax begonias that I need to get planted.

My biggest project now is getting the area where I plant my butterfly/cutting garden all cleaned of weeds – particularly Jerusalem artichoke that is trying to overtake the bed. I have all those seedlings I started under grow lights to get planted out there- they are getting too big for their tiny pots. After that is done, I can get to weeding the rest of the garden.

Pine Pollen season

If you are wondering what that yellow dust is all over your car and lawn furniture, it’s probably pine pollen. Most of the US is having a very high pollen count season. Those of you who had a mild winter followed by hot dry spring weather, like me, are seeing an unusually high amount of pollen settling out of the sky.

Pine pollen is obvious because its grains are so large and golden, but when the pines are pollinating several other trees, like oaks, birch and black walnut are also releasing pollen. Pine pollen actually causes few allergies because of the large size of the grains, but those other trees with not so obvious pollen grains can make you miserable if you are allergic to them.

Rain and humidity work to keep pollen out of the air but if it’s dry enough dust is flying, so is pollen. In my area we are at the peak of pine pollen season, your area may be ahead or behind us. Pine pollen season can least several weeks, and tree pollens in general 2-3 months in spring.

This year grass is beginning to pollinate a bit early because of the hot dry conditions in many places, so that will add to the misery. Many people are allergic to grass pollen. Gardeners may want to work outside in the evenings and just after rain events as those times will have less pollen in the air. When you come inside take a shower, wash your hair and put on clean clothes. If you are into neti pots you may want to flush your nostrils to get rid of pollen.

It’s no secret that allergy seasons are getting longer, and pollen counts higher due to climate change. 2021 is predicted to be a brutal year for pollen allergies by scientists. For people with seasonal allergies this is bad news. You may want to get tested by an allergy specialist to see exactly what you are allergic to, as this can help you avoid the allergen. You may also be able to get shots to help your body build up an immunity to that allergen.

What is not causing allergy symptoms is the white fluff from cottonwoods and dandelions floating in the air. These are seeds, not pollen and don’t cause allergies. But since they are visible in the air people sometimes mistake them for the cause of their allergy symptoms.

By the way pine pollen is used in several folk remedies. It’s believed to ease fatigue, and act as an anti-aging agent. But if you see some guy out there licking the yellow pollen off his car it’s because pine pollen is believed to boost testosterone and act as an aphrodisiac.

Lilacs

Lilacs were one of the first plants that early settlers brought to America. Nothing can top the lovely fragrance of lilacs as spring begins to slip into summer. Lilacs are so hardy and easy to grow that they often persist for hundreds of years after the person that planted them is gone, as many old, abandoned farmsteads can attest. While considered old fashioned by some, lilacs are one of the most planted landscape shrubs in North America.

Lilacs are originally from colder areas of Asia and Europe. They do well in zones 3-7. Some heat tolerant varieties have been developed for zone 8, but not all lilacs grow well in warm winter areas. Most lilacs grow as large shrubs. Some varieties of lilacs, however, grow as small trees, with a single trunk, and there are dwarf varieties on the market for those who have small yards.

The large bush lilacs make good privacy screens and hedges. Tree lilacs make excellent specimen trees as they have interesting bark and fall color as well as flowers. Dwarf and compact varieties of lilacs can be used in foundation plantings and in perennial beds.

Lilacs have dark green, heart shaped leaves. Lilac flowers range from pale lilac to deep wine- red, white, and light yellow. The flowers are born in large clusters in late spring. As they age the flowers may become lighter in color. Most lilacs have that wonderful lilac scent, but beware; some varieties have little or no fragrance. Lilacs bloom for only a short time, so to prolong the heavenly scent; you can plant several varieties that bloom at different times.

Growing Lilacs

Choose the site for your lilac carefully as they resent being transplanted. Although they root easily, they may not bloom for several years after being moved. Lilacs need full sun for the best bloom and disease resistance. They prefer light sandy soil that is slightly alkaline and well drained. They may not bloom well if the soil is too acidic and may fail to grow in heavy, wet soil.

Lilacs can get 15 feet high and wide, so make sure the spot where you plant them will be big enough for their adult size. If you are using lilacs as a hedge or screen, plant lilacs 6-10 foot apart.

Transplant lilacs in a cool period of the year; early spring before they leaf out is ideal. Keep them watered while they get established. Too much nitrogen will cause lilacs to have lots of leaves and few flowers, use a little 5-10-10 fertilizer in the early spring if the plant seems to need a boost.

Lilacs sometimes get powdery mildew, a fungal disease that makes the lilac leaves look like they were dusted with white powder. While it looks bad, it doesn’t affect the lilac plant too much. You can use a garden fungicide as a preventative spray once the weather starts getting warm.

Another problem of lilacs is lilac borer. If lilac stems seem to be wilting, check them for tiny holes. This usually affects older, woody stems. If you find holes, trim that stem off as close to the ground as you can and destroy it. Pruning the oldest, thickest stems out of lilacs helps prevent lilac borers from being attracted to your bush. You can also treat the lilac with a systemic insecticide to kill borers.

Pruning Lilacs

Lilacs bloom on old wood, the blooms form on stems that grew the year before. Too much pruning at the wrong time will leave you with no flowers. Prune lilacs immediately after they flower. If the bush is too large and overgrown, take out the largest and oldest stems first, the ones with woody bark.

Unless you need a drastic pruning to restore order, don’t remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. You can trim the tops back to a more manageable height, but you may not have many blooms the next year. Most shrub lilacs sucker from their root system, remove suckers that are spreading too far into other areas. They can be dug and transplanted to start new lilacs. All lilacs benefit from removing the dead blooms, so they don’t form seeds.

Some Varieties

There are hundreds of varieties of lilac. If you like the look of old-fashioned lilacs, choose common lilac, Syringa vulgaris. Some popular varieties include; ‘Lilac Sunday’- typical lilac color but many more flowers, ‘Charles Joly’- double flowers of dark purple-red, ‘Rochester’ - white, ‘President Lincoln’- blue, ‘Krasavitsa Mosky’- double flowers of pearl pink, ‘Primrose’- pale yellow, ‘James McFarlane’- a late blooming pink, and ‘Sensation’- a violet red with white edge.

Dwarf and compact varieties include ‘Miss Kim’-lilac color and late blooming, ‘Tinkerbelle’- deep pink, and ‘Red Pixie’- wine red.

Tree lilacs are often sold as “Chinese” or “Korean” tree lilacs. Most tree lilacs have creamy white flowers but ‘Syringa meyeri’ has red-purple blooms.

Blueberries prefer wild bees

A new study found that bigger berries and more abundant crops occur when blueberries are pollinated by wild bees, particularly bumble bees, rather than honeybees. Blueberry flowers need the vibrations of bumblebees and other wild bees for the best pollination. Honeybees don’t vibrate when they seek pollen and nectar.

Instead of introducing a beehive, planting a strip of wildflowers that bloom at the same time as blueberries close to the blueberry plants is helpful in ensuring the best pollination.

The study also found an electric toothbrush could also pollinate blueberries very efficiently for home gardeners, ensuring a large crop.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

May 25, 2021 Purple and Pollen

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