July 21, 2020 garden going golden

Hi Gardeners

We got two rain events since I last wrote. One was almost an inch, a very good rain and the other, early Monday morning was about a half inch. We may get more tonight.  Plants love a good rain.  You can just see them perk up and shoot up. I hope all of you got rain if you needed it.

Getting good rains gives me more time to catch up on weeding and other garden chores since all my time isn’t devoted to watering. I still have to wait until the sun is going down because of the heat but I’m getting a little done.  I have been going around with the loppers and pruning snips and trying to get rid of the seedling walnuts and box elders popping up everywhere.

There was also a forest of giant ragweed plants growing in the back yard by the bird feeders, where the mower can’t get to them. Some of them were up to the eaves of the house, easily 8 feet and had stems 2 inches in diameter.  But they cut easily, and I got them before they bloomed. Yeah, the jungle is getting away from me.

Last week I talked about battling trumpet vine.  This week it’s been grape vines. We have an electric wire that runs from the house to the barn.  I noticed it was sagging then noticed the grape I had planted on the old dog kennel fence had scaled the 8-foot fence and started sprawling out on the wire above it.

I hated doing it because there were many clusters of little grapes hanging from that vine on the wire, but I had to cut it down. That many ripe clusters of grapes might have brought that old wire down. There are still a great many grapes on the vine if the Japanese beetles don’t ruin them all this year.

There’s also a wild grape I’m trying to cut out of the young oak tree and the old scotch pine next to it. Wild grape vines are everywhere this year it seems.  I’m cutting them out of flower beds and off poles and fences.

In the garden this week it’s turning golden. The large black-eyed Susan’s are beginning to bloom, the golden glow is blooming, I have lots of various colors of yellow and orange daylilies in bloom, the yellow martagon lilies are blooming, yellow canna’s are in bloom and the darn yellow quill mum is beginning to bloom already.

My oxycontin orchid, Epipactis helleborine, that exotic little invasive that some people would scream at me to pull immediately, is in bloom. I like it and have no intention of getting rid of it.  It popped up here 3 years ago in the shade of the oak tree. It’s up to 2 flower stalks now of tiny pinkish orchid like flowers. It has minute amounts of a chemical similar to oxycodone that intoxicates pollinators, but doesn’t harm them. If it does start spreading, I’ll pull or mow it. 

 

Epipactis helleborine,

Crocosmia is starting to bloom and the larger salvias. The oriental lily Casa Blanca is starting bloom. The pineapple lilies (Eucomis) are blooming.  Lots of hosta are blooming now, some hosta blooms are quite pretty. I have been picking cucumbers and I will pick my first tomato in a day or two.  Just waiting for that first BLT sandwich.

It’s supposed to storm on and off this week, and into the weekend. Across much of the US there’s a chance for severe weather this week.  Pay attention to your local weather and stay safe.

Weeds from birdseed

Do you feed the birds? If you do chances are good the seed has brought some weeds into your landscape. Even if you just feed black oil sunflower as I do some weed seeds will be present. In my case the oilers seem to be contaminated with giant ragweed.  It grows up around the feeders every year.

Birdseed is allowed to have a certain percentage of weed seeds in it. They are accidental contaminates for the most part, although certain seeds used in bird food are weedy in their own right.  Niger (thistle) for example and buckwheat, milo and wheat can also look weedy in the garden.

You can clean up spilled seed if you have no critters to do it for you. But even so, some seeds will manage to germinate. It’s probably best to move feeders away from ornamental gardens into the lawn, where sprouting weeds will be mown down.

Using just black oil sunflower and thistle will also be helpful. There is less waste with these seeds. Cracked corn can’t germinate, although it can mold and smell. The cheaper the birdseed the more likely it is to have weed seeds and seeds birds don’t like that well, like milo.  Buy the best birdseed you can afford, and you’ll have fewer weeds.

Potato Growing Tips

Lots of new gardeners are growing potatoes this year.  They are a crop that can really produce a lot of food in a relatively small space, and the crop can be stored without much preparation.  However, there are some differences in growing potatoes and other garden crops.  Here’s some potato observations/tips.

Potatoes are a crop that likes lots of moisture and cooler temperatures.  The hot, dry summer many places are having this summer is hard on them.  If it’s dry in your area, you’ll have a better crop if you water the plants deeply at least once a week.

Growing potatoes in containers is just for those who have no other place to grow them or for a novelty exhibition. You’ll get a much better crop if they are grown in the ground.  Containers should be quite large, 5 gallons at least if you grow potatoes in them.

If you are growing potatoes to get the maximum food production use large tuber, commercial type varieties like russets and red Norlands.  Heritage varieties have wonderful tastes but often aren’t as productive.

Potatoes have flowers similar to tomatoes, but they are purple or white. You’ll get potato tubers even if the flowers aren’t pollinated but if they do get pollinated, they may develop small fruits that look like green tomatoes. This is normal but the fruits are poisonous and should never be eaten.  The fruits have seeds, and the seeds could be planted, but it’s much easier and faster to use small potatoes or pieces of potato tuber to start new plants.

Potato flowers

A few weeks after you see the plants flower you may dig down and find some small potatoes. If you carefully remove some you can eat these as new potatoes and let the rest mature into larger tubers.  Try not to damage the roots too much as you do this.

After blooming the potatoes will start to yellow and die back. This is normal and when most of the vines have died and dried up you can harvest your crop. You can however, harvest potato tubers anytime after they start growing.  The tubers will also hold in the ground a long time before they need to be harvested without harm.  Animals may find them however, voles and mice like potatoes.  They must be harvested before a freeze.

To learn more about growing potatoes you can read this article

https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/raisingyour-own-potatoes-i-used-to-grow.html

Japanese beetle traps

I talked a little about Japanese Beetles last week.  Many people are buying Japanese beetle traps hoping to protect their plants but there’s something you should think about when you buy those beetle traps. Unless you have a large piece of property and can put the traps far away from plants you want to protect, these traps can actually make your problem worse.

Far away means 100 feet or more. Most subdivision lots won’t give you that room. The beetle traps lure Japanese beetles from a wide area.  Not all of them will go in the trap, many will pause to eat on your garden. As the traps fill up, they still lure beetles but it’s easier for the beetles to get out of the traps and continue feeding. 

And after feeding those beetles will be mating and laying eggs on your lawn areas. The eggs hatch into tiny grubs, that will overwinter in the soil and begin feeding on grass roots in the spring, emerging as beetles later in the summer.

Plants that attract Japanese beetles

Japanese beetles will eat over 300 species of plants, but they are attracted to some plants more than others. Here’s a list of plants that Japanese beetles really like;

Apple, crabapple, Malus spp

Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis

Japanese beetle on yellow dahlia

Cardinal flower, Labelia cardinalis

Clematis, Clematis spp.

Clethra, Summer-sweet, Clethra spp.

Dahlia, Dahlia spp.,

Evening-primrose, Oenothera biennis

Gladiolus, Gladiolus spp.

Golden Glow, Rudbeckia lanciniata Hortensia

Grape, Vitis spp.

Hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos, 

Hollyhock, Alcea rosea,

Japanese maple, Acer palmatum

Mallow, Malva rotundiflora,

Morning-glory, Ipomoea purpurea

Red raspberry, Rubus idaeus

Rhubarb, Rheum rhabarbum

Rose, Rosa spp.

Sunflower, Helianthus annuus

Sweet corn, Zea mays

Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Zinnia, Zinnia spp.

Japanese beetles are also attracted to almost any yellow flowers and foliage. They prefer plants in sunny locations too.

Plants Japanese beetles don’t like very well.

Ageratum, Ageratum spp.

Begonia, Begonia spp.

Burning-bush, Euonymus spp.

California poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Columbine, Aquilegia spp.

Coral-bells, Heuchera sanguinea

Coreopsis, Coreopsis spp.

Dusty-miller, Centaurea cineraria,

Forsythia, Forsythia spp.

Foxglove, Digitalis spp.

Hosta, Hosta spp.

Impatiens, Impatiens spp.

Lantana, Lantana camara.

Larkspur, Delphinium spp.

Lilac, Syringa spp.

Lily-of-the-valley, Convallaria majalis

Lychnis coronaria

Pachysandra, Pachysandra spp.

Poppy, Papaver spp.

Moss-rose Portulaca grandiflora

Nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus

Redbud, Cercis spp

Sedum, Sedum spp.

Violet, pansy Viola spp.

In addition, Japanese beetles rarely feed on evergreens like pines, spruce, junipers and arborvitae.

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks are popular this year and I am glad to see an old favorite being used in gardens again. However, there are some things to keep in mind about hollyhocks.

Most hollyhocks are bi-annual. The first year they grow only vegetation, the second year they flower and then die. Many hollyhocks you buy in garden stores, especially if they are blooming, are not going to return next year.  There are some varieties that tend to be more perennial than others, coming back for several years but they are not long-lived perennials by any means.

The good news is that most hollyhocks will reseed if you let them and once you have hollyhocks blooming, you’ll probably have them for many years. If you collect hollyhock seeds plant them soon after collecting them, don’t wait for the next spring. New plants may start growing and you’ll have a good chance of them blooming next year. If you wait until spring to plant seeds the plants that come up probably won’t bloom that year.

A few new varieties of hollyhocks will bloom the first year from seed if you start them early inside. But be aware they probably won’t return the following year.

If you would like to know more about growing hollyhocks here’s an article I wrote about them.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/tall-and-stately-hollyhocks-have-graced.html

How to can green beans

If you have an abundance of green beans right now you can either freeze or can them.  You can also buy them at the farmer’s market to store for winter.  To can them safely you’ll need to use a pressure canner.

Choose young tender beans for canning, the baby bumps in them should still be small. Go through them before using, discard any with bug holes, or that look discolored or moldy.

Purple beans usually turn green when cooked but using some yellow pod beans mixed with the green beans makes for pretty jars.

Wash the beans well then remove strings if they have them, use your fingernails to pull the “string” off the pod. Newer varieties of beans are stringless.  Cut off both tips of the beans.  You can leave beans whole or break or snap them in half.  If you like French style green beans use scissors to cut the bean pod down its length or use a special “frenching” tool. In pint jars the beans probably should be in smaller pieces.

Wash pint canning jars in hot soapy water.  Rinse well and leave them in a pot of hot water. You need a pint jar for every pound of beans you intend to can.

Now place the beans in a large pot of water and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat.

Take your hot jars out of the hot water, drain, and place a ½ teaspoon of salt in the bottom of each jar.  You can leave out the salt or use less if you want.

Pack the hot beans loosely in the jars. There is some swelling during the canning process so don’t pack them tightly.  There should be 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jars.

Pour hot cooking water from the beans over the beans in the jar. The beans must be completely covered but leave the inch of headspace at the top.  You can boil extra water to use if you need to. 

Run a knife or bubble stick through the jars to remove bubbles. Wipe the jar rims.  Add lids to jars and tighten.  Place in pressure canner as your canner instructions direct.

For 0-2000 feet in altitude set dial gauges at 11 pounds, for 2001-4000 feet set at 12 pounds, 4001 to 6000, set at 13 pounds, above 6000 set at 14 pounds. For weight gauges use 10 pounds to 1,000 feet and 15 pounds above that.  Follow instructions for adjusting pressure on other pressure canners.

Process pint jars in a pressure canner for 20 minutes. Turn off heat.

Let pressure release, following your canner directions. Remove jars, wipe, and let cool. Check seals, label and store.

I used pint jars here because for a small family that’s the average size needed for a meal. Quart jars need 25 minutes processing time.  If you use other size jars you’ll need to look up canning times and pressures for them.

"Those who in July do wed,
Must labor for their daily bread. . .
Married in July with flowers ablaze,
Bitter-sweet memories in after days."
―New Zealand Proverb

Kim Willis

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

And So On….

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July 14, 2020 trumpet vine troubles

Hello Gardeners

Trumpet vine flowers

Trumpet vine is a pain in the butt. I know it’s a native and hummingbirds like it but think very, very carefully before you get it started in your garden. I didn’t start the trumpet vine growing here, it was here when we moved in. Last night I was out in the far reaches of the yard trying to untangle a big hydrangea bush from the trumpet vine bully.

It’s been too hot to do a lot of work in the sun, so I kind of ignored that plant way out there in the yard.  And then I noticed orange flowers mixed in with the white hydrangea flowers and knew I had to act. Its pretty in a way but I knew if I left the trumpet vine the hydrangea would suffer. 

There was so much trumpet vine in that hydrangea.  It had to move underground, across a mowed space about 30 feet wide to come up in the hydrangea. I began breaking and cutting it out – it breaks easily- and I had a huge pile of branches on the ground.  Then suddenly, as I got close to the center of the plant I ran into a problem. Birds nest. Yep a small bird of some type had a nest in there.  (Not a hummingbird though). 

I left the nest and the remaining trumpet vine for now. The nest looked unoccupied but in case it was soon to be a bird home I decided to wait a bit. Goldfinches are still nesting.  I’ll check in a week or two and see if its still unoccupied.

Want to know more about trumpet vines? Check out this page.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/trumpet-vine-campisradicans-grows.html

I don’t know how many of you got rain last week. We got less than a half inch although places around us got much more.  We have entered what meteorologists call “very dry” conditions but it sure looks like drought to me.  After a few days of cooler weather, it’s hot and humid again today and it’s supposed to stay that way for a long time.

Most of us in the US are going to sweltering until the end of July, at least, because of this big dome of high pressure over us.  It’s supposed to be a bit stormier this heat wave than the last. The plants would handle the heat much better if we got more rain.

Many of my hosta that are in sunnier locations are showing leaf scorch.  They are getting watered regularly, but the heat and sun are too much. I am noticing some trees and shrubs are starting to droop and it’s hard to get water to them. 

I mowed the lawn and pasture this weekend just because things like trumpet vine, bristly locust, black walnut, bamboo, and staghorn sumac don’t mind sending out runners to colonize the areas around them even in a drought.,

Even though I water, the zinnias, cosmos and other annuals I planted from seed are very short and are starting to flower with very small flowers. I have a mum beginning to flower- in July- it’s probably heat stress. All the orienpet lilies are beginning bloom, the martagon lilies and Asiatic lilies are blooming.  Daylilies are blooming. My new climbing rose hasn’t grown very much but it is flowering, quite a pretty red and yellow flower.

The lavender likes this weather. It’s blooming like crazy. The cannas and dahlias are finally starting to bloom. Woodland nicotiana, cleome, Joe Pye weed, English daisies and snapdragons are in bloom.

In the vegetable garden I harvested a small cucumber and a red pepper this week.  I’ll have tomatoes soon.

Weeds that spread disease to your plants

When it’s hot and plants are mature enough to compete well with weeds, gardeners sometimes give up on weeding.  Besides the fact that weeds shade garden plants and compete for water and nutrients, there is another reason to keep weeds out of the garden. Some weeds also bring disease and harmful insects into the garden.

Common lambsquarters, pigweed and nightshade all get some of the fungal diseases that tomatoes and potatoes get.  These are extremely common weeds in gardens.  They can serve as a source of infection for early and late blight and also septoria leaf spot.  Nightshade is a perennial and some fungal diseases may over winter in its living tissue.  Petunias, while not a weed, can also carry some tomato-potato diseases.  Don’t plant them near those crops.

Lambsquarters

Dandelions and wild carrots or Queen Anne’s Lace, growing near garden carrots may be a source of “aster yellows” a disease that infects garden carrots. They are spread to carrots by an insect called a leafhopper that feeds on both types of plants.

Many viral diseases are spread by aphids, leafhoppers and beetles feeding on infected weeds and then moving to related garden plants. Tobacco mosaic virus of tomatoes and peppers, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew are some diseases that can be spread by insects from weeds to garden plants. Pests like the tomato hornworm may begin feeding on nightshade and then move to tomatoes.

Here are some other weeds that are important to remove from your garden to help control disease and insects.  Prickly lettuce, sowthistles, Canadian goldenrod, ragweed, shepards purse, purslane, yellow rocket, dayflower, deadnettle, teasel, heal all, chickweed and bur cucumber.

Prickly lettuce

If you grow raspberries or blackberries in the garden all wild brambles should be removed for 100 feet around your plot.  They serve as a reservoir for rust and other diseases.

Neem oil- and how to use it in the garden

Neem oil is the newest wonder product of the plant world, although it’s been around gardens a long time. While Neem is a chemical product derived from a plant, it is a registered pesticide and should always be treated as such.  While it is considered organic and is less harmful than some other chemicals, there are still risks associated with the use of Neem, and it can have toxic effects, including death, to humans and animals if not handled in the right manner. Neem can also kill or damage plants if not applied properly.

Neem oil is derived primarily from the seeds of a tree native to India and Burma, (Azadirachta indica). Other parts of the plant are also used for various commercial uses. There are a number of different formulations and strengths of neem oil.  Azadirachtin is the chemical in neem oil responsible for its pesticidal effects.  However even neem oil purified to have little of that chemical retains some pesticidal advantage.

Neem oil works in two ways to kill insects, by smothering those it directly contacts and by altering hormonal activity in those that ingest it. When the oil gets on an insect it is non- selective- that is it kills both good and harmful insects. However, when the spray has dried on plant leaves only insects that eat the plant will be affected. It can take some time for insects ingesting neem to die.

Not all insects are equally affected by neem oil. It doesn’t seem to do much to Japanese beetles for example. Soft bodied insects like aphids are more easily killed by neem oil.

Neem is also used for some fungal diseases of plants. It does not cure plants of fungal disease, rather it limits the ability of the fungus to reproduce and spread. It can be used as a preventative for fungal disease because fungal spores landing on treated foliage do not reproduce well.

Neem oil won’t help plant problems caused by environmental factors, such as blossom end rot in tomatoes.  It is not a fertilizer and won’t correct nutritional deficiencies. Neem oil won’t kill mosquitoes, ticks or fleas unless it gets directly on them and it should never be applied to humans or pets to control these pests. Neem oil is moderately toxic to fish and other aquatic life and should never be put in natural water or ornamental ponds.

No pesticide, including neem oil should be used unless necessary. Try other non-chemical means of controlling pests first, such as hand picking or trapping insects.  Neem oil is not harmless, as many gardeners seem to think, and should be used carefully.  Plants often experience problems from the application of neem oil, especially if it is done more often or in stronger concentrations than recommended on the label.

Damage to plants from neem oil includes yellowed, dying foliage, areas that look scorched or bleached, death of new growth, wilting and distorted foliage and flowers.  Poor growth and stunting may occur with frequent use.

If you want to try neem oil in your garden always buy a product intended for garden use. (There are neem oil products for human cosmetic and medicinal uses.)  Then read and follow the label directions carefully. Usually if mixing is required only water is used.  DO NOT MIX NEEM OIL WITH OTHER PRODUCTS.  Do not add soap, vinegar, baking soda, or other things.  These things can interact with neem oil and make it more harmful to both you and your plants. There are many “homemade recipes” out there that raise the harmful effects of neem oil considerably.

Neem oil should be applied to plants in the early morning or evening when pollinators are not active.  It will kill pollinators and other beneficial insects if it contacts them. Don’t apply neem oil to flowers pollinated by insects. It should not be applied when the sun is high as neem oil often causes a photoreaction “burn” if applied in the sun. Don’t apply it when temperatures are above 95 degrees F or below freezing.

  

Do not apply neem to newly transplanted plants, or wilted plants. Doing so may kill or damage them. Some species of plants do not tolerate neem oil well and it shouldn’t be used on them.  Those plants include impatiens, carnations, hibiscus, and fuchsia as well as some other less common plants.

Always try a little neem oil pesticide on a small part of a new plant first, especially if it is a valuable one, and observe for 24 hours.  Even if you have used neem oil on a plant before different environmental conditions or different neem products can cause plant damage. Tender new growth on any plant is more likely to be burnt by neem oil.

Human and animal problems

When used as directed on the label neem oil has a low toxicity to humans, wildlife and pets. It can be used on food crops safely, but produce must be washed before it’s eaten. However, if it is mixed with other products the mixtures can be harmful. Birds and animals do not seem to have problems eating plant parts treated with neem. Fish are harmed by neem and it should be kept out of natural water bodies.

Some people have reported that cats are more sensitive to neem oil toxicity than other pets. They should not be sprayed with neem and probably shouldn’t ingest plants sprayed with it. However not much has been reported in science based articles on the subject.

Neem oil pesticide products must never be directly consumed by pets or children. Keep products out of their reach. Death can result from this and poison control should be called immediately. It can cause severe vomiting, convulsions, metabolic acidosis, kidney failure, encephalopathy and severe brain ischemia.  Yes, there are neem products like toothpaste and herbal preparations that people use in moderation, but neem pesticides are not safe to consume. 

Avoid getting the neem products on your skin-the pesticide can be absorbed through the skin. Many people have allergic reactions like rashes when neem oil gets on skin. Do not use neem oil for gardens on people or pets to control things like lice or fleas. There is a neem preparation for lice sold, but it can be a harsh treatment.

Neem oil is very irritating to the eyes.  It can cause problems if spray is inhaled also.  In herbal medicine neem is used as a contraceptive and to cause abortions (among many other things). It is known to cause reproductive problems in animals exposed to it. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, I would be very careful using neem products.

Neem oil can be helpful in the garden with low toxicity.  However, it is still a pesticide and should be used exactly as directed on the product label.  While it works well to control some insects and aids in controlling some plant diseases it does not solve every garden pest problem.

More reading

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841499/

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/neem-oil

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24415597_Apparent_adverse_reactions_to_neem_margosa_oil_in_cats

New Garden? How to decide what to plant

Do you have a new garden spot you want to develop or a garden area you want to renew?  Many people are hesitant to trust their own judgement when choosing what to plant or they don’t have any idea of what species of plants they can choose from.

Here’s how many new gardeners plan a garden. They show a picture to social media and ask what to put there. They are bombarded with suggestions reflecting with what each person likes and dislikes, often without regard to conditions at your garden or size of the plants you need. And it’s often apparent the people offering the suggestions really don’t know much about the plants they are suggesting.

Or the new gardener asks for plant donations and accepts everything anyone offers. They cruise stores for deals and marked down plants.  Free plants and deals are fine- if they are plants that will suit your growing conditions and stay within your garden boundaries. New gardeners should be very careful adding marked down, half dead plants to their new garden.  It’s a good way to get some insect pest or disease started.

The right way to plan your garden

Do your research first. Know what plants will grow in your planting zone and growing conditions. People always want to skip any research and just ask someone for help. But there is so much to learn that conversations with friends and people online just can’t substitute for a little research. I am going to give some tips here, but you still need to do some research and make some decisions.

It helps to decide on a look or theme you want for your garden, formal, low maintenance, cottage garden, all native, wetland, and so on. Look at other people’s gardens, public gardens, gardens in books and online.  Be aware that formal gardens, those with sheared hedges and topiary plants, generally need a lot more labor than less formal gardens.

Decide what you like. Don’t let people intimidate you into only native plants or a formal garden if that’s not your idea of a garden. Your garden should be what you like, not what others want.

To plan properly you must know your garden zone.  This is very important as you select perennial plants.  It determines what plants are likely to survive winter in your zone and thrive there. You can choose plants with a zone rating lower than yours or the same as yours but choosing plants with a higher zone rating will probably be a waste of time and money because they won’t survive in your area.

You can find that information here.

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

What kind of light conditions does your garden spot get? Remember that light conditions will change somewhat during the year as the suns position changes. Determine your average light conditions by observing the spot about this time of the year- late June-early July.  Full sun is considered to be about 8 hours of sun a day. Partial shade is 4-5 hours of sun a day. Light shade is filtered light through a small tree, or lattice. If the north side of a house doesn’t get any additional shade from trees or other buildings, it’s probably light shade. Full shade is no direct sun.

Check your soil type. Is it sandy, nice loam, or clay?  All kinds of soil can support a nice garden and there are plants that will grow in just about any soil type. What is the drainage in the spot? If water puddles there after a good rain and stays for more than an hour you probably have poor drainage or a wet spot. You’ll have to fix the problem or choose plants that tolerate wet roots.

For new gardeners it’s always a good idea to get a soil test done.  That will tell you the soil pH, (whether your soil is acidic or alkaline), and some basic information about soil fertility. Call your local county Extension office to find out how to submit a soil sample.

Next consider the time you have for gardening. Do you need low maintenance plants?  Then check to see if there are any laws or ordinances for your site that might affect what plants you can have.  In most places there won’t be, but some neighborhood associations and cities or villages do restrict what you can grow. They may require vegetable gardens be located in the rear of the house for example.

After you have done all this research, make a list of the plants you like that are suitable for your garden conditions and keep it handy.

First year

How a professional garden designer would work

A professional garden designer, or garden architect, would go about the project this way. They would come and thoroughly measure every aspect of the new garden site, including the length, depth, width, distance to trees, tree canopy space, location of buildings, decks, patios, drives and walks, location of wells, air conditioning units, meters, underground utilities and other obstacles. They would measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of windows that might be in the proposed garden space, and the distance between windows and doors in the space.   

A detailed, to scale drawing would then be made on graph paper showing all of these things. After a design is created using simple forms like circles, tall ovals, boxes and so on to indicate plant shapes, the designer would develop a list of plants that fit the site conditions and then would indicate the plant species on the design. The mature sizes of the plants would be used to decide what would fit where and their natural forms would be used to complete the design- a rounded form for a circle on the graph for example

People planning a new garden can do this themselves and it can be invaluable in planning. Bring out that list of plants you like that fit your conditions.  Make sure the mature height and width of those plants is included. Now get some graph paper. Graph paper has little squares evenly covering it and its available in most places paper is sold.

Assign a measurement such as 1 foot, to each square on the graph paper. Put in all the measurements you have taken- where the trees, windows, paths and other things are located on your “plan”.  Make sure you draw them in scale, if a path is six feet wide and each graph square equals 1 foot in the real garden, then you would block out 6 squares on your plan for the width of the path and as many squares long as the actual path runs.

You can then decide how many plants you can put in the space, allowing for paths and other things.  Use your prepared list of plants. Some people like to color in the square to coordinate with what the actual bloom color or foliage color of the plants might be.

You may want a separate drawing for every area you intend to plant in.  Make a master copy with the measurements and then you can make copies that you can mark up and move things around on.  Even a basic rudimentary drawing is better than no plan.

 

Bed after 3 years

Quick general suggestions

Before you start any digging, you need to know if there are any underground pipes or wires you might damage. You also need to see where overhead wires are and to know where your property lines are located.

Put taller species in back or the center of a bed that can be seen from all sides. A variation in plant height is more natural looking, with the shorter plants in front.

Don’t just choose plants for their flowers, how they will look when not flowering should be considered. Some things will die back after flowering and disappear. You’ll want something present in the garden all season and you may want winter interest too.

If you like flowers- some people prefer mainly foliage- try to choose plants that bloom at various times, spring, summer, and fall. Most perennials have one bloom period, they don’t bloom all season. You may want some of the few that do bloom for long periods like the landscape roses, to keep color in the garden all season. It’s also good to add some annual flowers each year to fill in when the perennials aren’t in bloom.  Annuals tend to bloom all season.

One big hint. Don’t choose plants at a nursery because the flower colors look good together unless you carefully look up the normal bloom time for the plants and the growing conditions they require.  Plants in nurseries often don’t bloom at the same time they would in your garden. Those plants may never bloom again at the same time and worse they may require different growing conditions, so they can’t be grown together.

Color schemes should suit you. Formal gardens tend to have one or two main colors with an accent color here and there. Informal gardens tend to blend many complementary colors.  Some people find a simple color scheme soothing and pleasing. While other people are more attracted to the riot of “anything goes” color schemes. Do what you like.

Foliage color should also be considered. Various shades of green and perhaps some variegated foliage are more pleasing to the eye than one shade of green.  Don’t overdo “accent” colors like golden or purple foliage plants. One or two is nice, a whole garden of golden or purple foliaged plants is generally not very appealing.

Choose a variety of shapes and textures of plants. Formal gardens will have less variety and informal gardens more. That does not mean that every plant should be different. Generally, plants look better in clusters of 3 or more but that’s not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes one larger plant can be a focal point, a weeping tree or Japanese Maple for instance.  And small areas may only be suitable for one plant of each kind instead of clusters.

If you are offered plants or see bargains refer to your plant list.  Don’t take just anything because it’s free or cheap.

You may have to plan your garden in stages, in fact that’s an excellent way to start. You learn over time to save up for a large, quality plant instead of settling for a cheap seedling from a little known company that you are going to have to replace 3 times or that will take 10 years to grow to blooming size.  Buy a few good plants instead of a lot of bargain bin half dead plants.  Next year add a few more quality plants. 

When you do have a budget to consider, buy the plants that will be focal points or the largest plants first. They can be growing in your garden, getting large and beautiful as you fill in around them.

New gardeners tend to jam too many plants of too many species into a garden. You probably cannot have every plant you’ve ever admired in the same garden bed, unless it’s very large.  And it’s tempting to plant too closely when plants are small. Plan for the mature size of the plants. The old saying first year they sleep, second they creep, third they leap is pretty accurate. Until they “leap” you can fill in with annual plants.

Gardening is a learning experience and you need to take the time to learn a little about it. Planning a garden is a lot of fun, or it should be. You won’t get your garden perfect the first time. It will need to be tinkered with and improved. Every gardener I know is planning changes for the next year. But starting with a plan and some knowledge will get you better results than just jamming a bunch of plants you know little about into an empty space. 

"Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

—Henry James

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

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

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