July 7, 2020 The Heat Is On

Hi Gardeners

The garden of M. Hodgson 

As I sit here it’s clouding up and I am hoping like heck for rain. Storms are popping up here and there around us, but it’s hit and miss. Radar is showing we are just at the edge of storms and it’s frustrating to see it so close.  Like many of you we have had very hot miserable weather here and it’s been dry, so any rain is welcome at this point. 

The grass is brown and crunchy now, but at least I don’t have to mow.  I have been watering every day, half of my gardens in the morning and half at night. One hose burst in the heat and I had to replace it. I know the water should be turned off at the house but it’s hard to get to, and I tend to forget to do it.

My plants are for the most part, hanging in there, but some things are starting to go despite watering. The ostrich ferns are browning, some hostas have scorched areas. The daylilies are just starting to bloom but I notice I have big buds on some of my mums already. That’s way too early! What will be left for fall bloom?

Asiatic lilies are shorter and the flowers smaller this year. The orienpet lilies are also getting ready to bloom and are shorter and smaller this year. By this time the martagon lilies have generally bloomed already, but this year I have yet to see any blooms and only small buds.

The rocket ligularia and joy pye weed are starting to bloom. I have a few nasturtiums in bloom, but my zinnias and cosmos are just sitting there, not growing much. The dahlia’s are way behind this year too.

My corn is more than knee high and so far, the deer haven’t gotten to it this year.  I’m hoping for some good eating.

I’m going to write about hot weather issues today, hoping that will make the hot weather disappear.

Plant Problems in hot weather

With a heat wave over much of the country, plants everywhere are experiencing some problems. If you understand what problems in the garden are being caused by hot weather, you may be less anxious about what is happening.

Every plant species has a temperature threshold that can trigger dormancy, death or delays in growth or fruiting. In general though, temperatures over 95 degrees F for several days in a row are stressful to most plants.

Some plants like pansies and calendula will stop blooming and go into dormancy when it gets too hot. Dianthus, snapdragons, diascia, delosperma, and sweet alyssum are other plants that don’t like heat.  Some plants like ostrich ferns, will turn brown and die back if it gets too hot, especially if it’s also dry. Perennial plants may also bloom early and then go dormant quickly. Some seeds won’t germinate at high temperatures.

Photosynthesis slows down or ceases in very hot weather.  Dry conditions make this even worse, because vast amounts of water are needed in the photosynthesis process. Without as much food being produced plant growth will stall and blooming could be delayed. On the other hand, heat will cause plants like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower to rapidly go to seed and make them unsuitable for eating.

Leaves turning yellow and dropping off the plant are common in high heat as are browned leaf tips and scorched looking areas.  All you can do is make sure plants have adequate water and perhaps some shade.  

Bees may die or stop working in very hot weather and this will affect plant pollination. Some plants like tomatoes and peppers like warm weather for growth, but warm weather at night can cause pollination failure.  No fruit will set until conditions improve. Partial pollination and imperfect pollination caused by heat can lead to deformed fruits and early fruit drop in tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash and other fruiting plants.

In fact, warmer than normal temperature at night is usually more harmful than hot weather in the daytime for plants. Just like people, being able to cool down at night reduces plant stress and allows normal life processes to continue. Temperatures above 75 degrees F at night can trigger problems in many plants.

For tomatoes blossom end rot may appear in hot weather. This is caused by fluctuations in watering, getting very dry then being watered heavily. It is not caused by lack of calcium. Very warm soil along with less water can inhibit the uptake of some nutrients and cause deficiency symptoms in plants.  Fertilizing at this time is not helpful.

Cucumbers, eggplant, and summer squash harvested in very hot weather may taste bitter. This is caused by plant stress. If you want potatoes to produce well in hot weather make sure they get plenty of water.

Some plant diseases are favored by either hot dry weather or hot humid weather, but many fungal diseases are less likely in dry weather. Some insects are less likely to be present in hot weather but some, like spider mites and aphids are more likely to build up large populations in hot weather. Plants stressed by heat are more vulnerable to insect and disease damage.

As the climate warms, we may see more of these long stretches of high heat. We may have to adjust what we grow and how we grow it. This summer is practice, I guess.

More reading

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180213120457.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Major-effects-of-high-temperature-on-plants_fig1_236638908

 

Diascia stops blooming when its too hot

Watch those pesticide sprays in hot weather

Every pesticide has a label that gives directions on it’s use. Some pesticides should not be used when the temperature exceeds a certain point.  If they are used, they may harm your plants. Read the label.  If the label is gone, look the pesticide up online, if you list the brand name, you can find a website and most of those have a way to look up labels for your product.

Many homemade sprays should not be used in hot weather either. Dish soap-based sprays are one of them.  Many oil-based concoctions are also harmful in high heat.  I would avoid homemade sprays, even of things like garlic and hot pepper, when temps exceed 90 degrees.

Watering Tips

When the weather is hot like it is over much of the country the landscape and our gardens suffer. Most people will need to water their gardens if they have been without substantial rain in a week. Some things like hanging baskets and containers may need to be watered even if you have had rain this week. Some of you have irrigation systems or soaker hoses installed, but many of us still do hand watering.

It’s an old wives’ tale that you cannot water when the sun is high. Water droplets will not burn plant leaves because they are a “prism”. The sun often comes out right after a rain when droplets are on plants. Nature wouldn’t “plan”(evolve) things this way. If you want to test this theory, simply water a plant in the noon sun and see what happens.

That being said, watering in the early morning or evening wastes less water due to evaporation.  More water gets into the soil.  It’s also easier on you. One exception is watering tomatoes and any plants that are prone to powdery mildew. They should be watered several hours before sundown, so the foliage dries before the sun sets. When foliage stays wet for a long period of time many fungal diseases have an easier time infecting the plants.

Water when you have the time to do it. When you see badly wilted plants it’s time to water, not wait until a perfect time. When it’s really hot, the cooling effect of watering can help plants survive.

Overhead or at the base?  Type of water?

Most plants won’t be harmed by overhead watering in hot, dry sunny weather.  As mentioned above it won’t cause leaf scorch and because plants will dry quickly it probably won’t help any fungal diseases. It’s always better to water at the plant base if you can, but if that’s impractical water the plants in any way you can manage.

In very humid, but dry, sunny weather watering at the base of plants is recommended if you can do it. Also, if you water in the late evening when plants might not dry off quickly watering at the base is preferable.

Rainwater is always preferred by plants but if they had rain, we wouldn’t be talking about watering them. If you store rainwater use it.  Well or city water being used outside shouldn’t be a problem for plants, even if it’s “hard” or “soft” water.  Cold water won’t harm them but do be careful if a hose is left on and sits out in the sun. That water can heat up to very high temperatures and if used on plants, could burn the leaves.  Let it run until it cools down before watering plants.

You can use “gray” water or pond or lake water in most cases, to water plants.  Dyes or bt for mosquito control in ponds won’t harm plants.  Stagnant, algae filled water won’t harm them either.  If a pond or lake was treated for weeds, however, don’t use that water on your garden.

You can use water from a swimming pool on plants if it hasn’t been chlorinated in several days.  Because it could contain bacteria, don’t use it on edible plants.

Gray water is water from laundry, sinks, tubs, anything but a toilet. It can be used on all but food plants. The soaps in this water generally aren’t harmful if used at plant bases. However, water with bleach or strong cleaners shouldn’t be used.  Because there can be bacteria in gray water it shouldn’t be used on food plants.

Baskets and containers

By this time of year most containers and hanging baskets are quite full and the plants mature. These baskets and containers will dry out very quickly, especially those in full sun. They may need to be watered twice a day, especially those in sunny spots.  Water carefully so the water gets to the potting medium. The foliage in full baskets or containers may shed water over the sides if watering from above.

If watering twice a day and the plants still wilt, check the soil.  If it’s dry you may need to deep soak the pot in a bucket or let a hose trickle on it until the pot is saturated. Taking a hanging basket down and putting it in the shade until it’s cooler may also help. Some containers or baskets without good drainage could be overwatered even in hot weather so check the soil before watering.

Plants in containers that sit on cement, asphalt or metal or that are against a reflective surface like a white house wall are prone to scorching from the heat. Leaves may brown on the edges and curl or the leaves could look bleached out. Elevate all containers off such surfaces by an inch or so. Small pieces of wood or rocks will work.  Don’t block drainage holes.

If you can’t move these plants away from the hot areas, you may want to provide some kind of light shade for them until the weather cools. Don’t restrict the airflow though, that will make things worse.  An umbrella could work, or some light cloth suspended on a frame over the plant might help.

Annuals

Most bedding annuals require watering to bloom well. Depending on your site conditions and plant species that could be every day or once a week.  Watch annual beds carefully. If there are signs of wilting, get them watered. Plants in sunny spots will need more watering.

Don’t let the annuals dry up and expect them to revive when it rains. Most won’t do that and if they do, it will take a while before they bloom again.  Some plants will wilt in the heat of the day and then perk up in the evening. When you see wilting in the day the plants probably do need water. They may be able to hold on for a day or two longer with this water conserving strategy but get to them soon.

Do I need to water perennials?

If temps are over 90 and it hasn’t rained at least a ½ inch in a week, I would consider watering some perennials.  Anything with buds or blooms should probably be watered.  Anything that is wilting should be watered.  Plant species that like moist soil should be watered.

You can wait to water perennials that have finished blooming, or that like dry conditions. However, if the temps and drought continue another week, I would consider watering most perennials except the most drought tolerant ones.  After 3 weeks without rain I would water even the drought tolerant plants.

If you need to water annuals in the same bed don’t worry about watering perennials with them.

Grass- lawn

Personally, I don’t water lawns.  I can tolerate brown crunchy grass.  I don’t care if grass doesn’t grow because I won’t have to mow, which gives me more time to water important plants. Grass can go dormant and then revive later in cooler wetter weather. If you must conserve water, or watering time then don’t water the grass.

But if you like a green lawn and don’t have an irrigation system you’ll need to give the lawn an inch of water once a week.  Watering once deeply is better than watering lightly every day. Put a rain gauge or a simple can out in the lawn so you can measure how much water you applied.

Trees and shrubs

In a long period of hot dry weather trees and shrubs also suffer. If the tree or shrub was planted this spring it needs at least weekly watering.  If it’s wilting water more often.

It’s a judgement call on established trees and shrubs as to whether you water or not. Sometimes it’s simply impractical to water and you’ll need to let nature alone.  If it’s been hot and dry for 2-3 weeks and you can intervene with watering, water at the base of a shrub or under a tree canopy by letting a hose trickle water there for at least an hour. 

There are devices that you fill with water and the water slowly leaks out to water trees and shrubs. You could use a 5 - gallon bucket with a few tiny holes to water them.

Now is not the time to plant or transplant

Across most of the country right now it’s hot and in many places it’s also very dry. Many people are still asking about planting things, however.  While emergencies may come up, now is not the time to plant new things in the garden or to dig up and transplant things.

Hot weather puts a lot of stress on plants and it’s not a good time for them to be trying to establish a new root system in this heat.  Even if you water everyday the stress may be too much for many plants. If you can’t water frequently and it isn’t raining a lot in your area, it’s definitely not time for planting.

Hold off on all planting, transplanting, dividing, repotting and so on until the weather is cooler. In late August and September, we usually have more favorable weather for those tasks. Plants also vary by species as to what the best time for planting and dividing is for them.  Some prefer spring planting.

Here’s an article that gives the best times for dividing and planting perennials.

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/dividing-perennialsin-spring-early.html

One exception to not dividing now is for bearded iris, which should be divided just after blooming- unless you have a re-blooming variety. If you haven’t done this already you could still do it. You can hold the divided sections for a better planting time if needed.  Here’s a page where you can learn about dividing iris.

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/bearded-iris.html

If there is an emergency reason for planting or transplanting now, try to do it in early morning or late evening. Make sure to keep the root systems moist when they are out of the ground. However, leaving them with roots submerged in a bucket of water for more than an hour or so is not recommended.  After planting, water the site well. Provide some shade for the new plant, even if it’s a sun lover, for a few days. You could put a beach umbrella over the plant, a lawn chair, paper tent or other item to provide shade.  Check the plant daily and water if the soil looks dry.

July almanac

The full moon in July this year was on the 5^th.  It’s called buck moon because the buck deer’s antlers begin to show this month. Its sometimes called the Hay moon too.  The moon perigee is the 25^{th .}  Moon apogee is the 12^th.

This month’s flower is the sunflower- very appropriate and the birthstone is the ruby. It’s National Blueberry, Eggplant, Lettuce, Mango, Melon, Nectarine and Garlic month as well as National Hotdog and Vanilla Ice Cream month.  Why isn’t it National Cherry month?  The second week of July is nude recreation week. That’s this week.  Have fun.

The Delta Aquariids meteor showers begin mid-month and peak on July 27-30^th.  These meteors continue into mid- August and overlap with the Perseids meteor shower. Best viewing will be around 2 am for most of the US. Look to the south. 

"Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short, but when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit, and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day."

-  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kim Willis

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And So On….

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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.

More reading

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200626114814.htm

Pitting and Preserving Cherries

Cherries are good tasting and full of healthy antioxidants.  They are said to relieve arthritic pain. When they are in season you’ll want to eat as many fresh cherries as you can. Cherry cobbler, cherry pie, cherry ice cream and even cherry sauce over your favorite meat are some uses for cherries other than eating them fresh.

Tart cherries are generally red but sweet cherries can be any color from yellow to almost black.  Make sure cherries are ripe when you pick or buy them because they won’t ripen after picking.  Don’t wash cherries until just before you are ready to eat them or use them in a recipe and store them in the refrigerator.

Pitting cherries 

Cherries have one teeny, tiny flaw in their design, the stone hard pit.  Bite down on one of them and you can break a tooth. You can eat them whole and spit out the pit but for cooking you’ll want to remove the pit, so no one gets a surprise.  It won’t hurt you to swallow one or two pits but eating a lot of pits could be a problem as each pit contains a small amount of cyanide.

If you use a lot of cherries you can purchase an inexpensive cherry pitter in the kitchen gadgets section of your local store.  An olive pitter also works fine on cherries. This makes the work a bit easier. If you are going to can or freeze a lot of cherries you can buy cherry pitters with hoppers that will pit many cherries quickly.

If you aren’t a gadget person and want to pit cherries by hand here’s the technique. Wash the cherries well. Pull the cherry stem off. Poke the tip of a potato peeler through the stem area, move it around the pit to loosen it and pop it out. Some people use a nut pick, or a good long fingernail. You can also use a stiff drinking straw to push the pit right through the cherry.  

Here’s another pitting tip. Stick cherries in the freezer about 30 minutes until they are half frozen before you attempt to pit them. The firm cherries are easier to pit. This tip is for using the cherries for freezing or cooking right after pitting And no matter how you pit cherries, remember that they can stain the hands and clothing.

Freezing cherries

You can only eat so many cherries while they are in season.  But you can eat cherries all winter long if you freeze them.  You can freeze both tart and sweet cherries but for cherry recipes most people prefer tart or pie cherries.

The very best way to freeze tart or sweet cherries is to use a sugar pack.  Cherries frozen in a sugar pack look better when used in recipes later. It’s a quick simple process that will give great results. For every 4 cups of washed, pitted cherries use 2 cups of white sugar. The cherries can be whole or halved. Place the cherries and sugar in a large bowl and toss gently.  Let stand 20 minutes. 

The sugar draws out the cherry juice and forms syrup.  If some of the sugar is still granular after 20 minutes don’t worry. Pack the cherries in freezer containers, date and label the bags and freeze. Tart cherries may need additional sugar when they are eventually used.

You can also freeze cherries without sugar for low calorie recipes. After washing and pitting the cherries cut them in half and lay them on cookie sheets. Place them in the freezer until frozen solid then combine them in freezer bags or containers.  

If you want frozen whole cherries, such as for garnishes, without a sugar pack, you’ll need to blanch the cherries before freezing. You need a pot of boiling water and a metal strainer you can dip into the pot, and a bowl of ice water the strainer will fit into.  Wash and pit the cherries. Place them in the strainer; dip the strainer in the boiling water, wait 30 seconds then dip in ice water for one minute.  Drain, arrange on cookie sheets and freeze.  Frozen whole cherries may not look as red or as nice as sugar packed frozen cherries after thawing

Making cherry pie filling

Here’s how to make some cherry pie filling or topping. The filling recipe is from my canning book, Knacks Canning, Pickling and Preserving and it makes about 6 quarts of filling.  What you don’t use up you can freeze or can. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to can cherries.

You’ll need a colander or strainer and a large pot or two plus containers or jars to can or freeze the extra filling.  Clear Jel is found in the canning section of stores.  If you don’t use red food color your cherry filling will be a yellow-red but will taste just fine.  To make it a pretty red use a few drops of food color.

Ingredients

6 quarts of pie/tart cherries

7 cups of sugar

1 ¾ cup Clear Jel

9 ½ cups water

2 teaspoons cherry or almond extract

½ cup lemon juice

Red food coloring (optional)

Wash, remove the stems and pit the cherries.

Fill your large pot with water and bring it to a boil.  Fill your colander with cherries and lower it into the boiling water.  Leave the colander 1 minute in the boiling water, then lift, drain cherries, put them in a bowl and repeat this until all the cherries gave been dipped in the water.  Keep them warm.

Next put your sugar, Clear Jel, water and extract in a saucepan and cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Keep stirring so it doesn’t scorch.  Add the lemon juice and cook for 1 more minute. If you want to add red food coloring to make the sauce prettier, blend it in now.

Pour the hot syrup over the cherries and fold them into the syrup. They mix with the syrup better if they are kept warm. You can use the filling immediately, can the filling or let it cool to room temperature and freeze it.

To can the filling pour it into clean hot quart jars to ½ inch from the rim.  Stir to remove bubbles, wipe the rims and add your lids.  Process in a water bath canner 35 minutes from 0-3000 feet altitude, 40 minutes 3001-6000 feet altitude, over 6,000 feet 45 minutes.

It is dry, hazy June weather. We are more of the earth, farther from heaven these days.     

-Henry David Thoreau

Kim Willis

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

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

Newsletter/blog information

If you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly blog if you email me. 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. Contact me at KimWillis151@gmail.com

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….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

Newsletter/blog information

If you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly blog if you email me. 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. Contact me at KimWillis151@gmail.com