GardenCheck

SOME LIKE IT HOT: SPICE UP YOUR GARDEN WITH PEPPERS

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:39:00 +0000

We didn’t have salsa when I was growing up. Now, it is not only commonplace on American dinner tables, it is the preferred condiment, surpassing ketchup as the number-one condiment used in the United States.
And the most important ingredients of salsa are peppers—more correctly, chiles—from the genus Capsicum. Not the tropical spice black pepper, chiles are the fruits of a common garden plant related to tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, petunias and tobacco. We can blame Christopher Columbus for the confusion; thinking he had landed in India, the directionally challenged sailor assumed he had found the red-powdered version of the piquant spice black pepper (Piper nigrans), a totally unrelated plant greatly valued in Europe at that time. Despite his mistake, the plants Columbus took back to Spain found immediate popularity.
Native to northern and western South America, chiles are known to have been cultivated at least 7,000 years ago from temperate South America to the southwestern United States. Following Columbus’ return, chile pepper cultivation spread quickly across southern Europe and into Asia. Chile pepper proliferation was so fast, in fact, that botanists who started to classify plants in the 18th century named one species Capsicum chinense, or the Chinese pepper, because it was thought to have originated there.
The name Capsicum is from the Greek "to bite," a term that aptly describes the pepper’s pungent flavor. The active ingredients are a group of chemicals called capsaicins, which react with the mucous membranes of many mammals to stimulate nerve endings. The reaction can translate into varying degrees of pungency, heat, or pain, depending upon the individual palate and tolerance level. Interestingly, birds are not affected by capsaicin and eat even the hottest wild chilies without discomfort. Luckily for the chile plant, though, its seeds survive the bird's digestive tract to be deposited far from the parent plant. Scientists believe chilies evolved the capsaicin defense to deter mammalian predators while allowing efficient seed dispersal by birds.
While there are some 25 different species of capsicums in the world, only four or five are cultivated. The vast majority of chile cultivars grown for the North American market come from one species, Capsicum annuum. This species includes such selections as bell or sweet, jalapeno, peperoncini, banana peppers, and compact types for ornamental potted or landscape use. Capsicum frutescens (of Tabasco sauce fame) and Capsicum chinense (habañero or Scotch bonnet) are the most common exceptions.
Most chiles are green when young, maturing into various shades of red or orange. More recent selections have sported mature fruits of white, pink, purple, and blends of these colors. All chile fruits are non-poisonous, even though they may not taste good or possess such intense heat as to make them inedible.
Peppers are relatively pest free, which makes them a favorite among many gardeners. These days, several hundred pepper types are in cultivation, bred for qualities of shape, size, flavor, pungency, disease resistance and improved yields. More types than ever before are available in garden packs at nurseries or from seed.
Some gardeners grow chiles in containers for all-year production —outside in summer and back inside during chilly months. One chile pepper plant can produce enough fruits to flavor enough homemade salsa to warm you all winter! All peppers will turn red when ripe, but flavor is not influenced by maturity. Pick the fruit, no matter the color, when it achieves the size you want. Take care when harvesting chiles. Use a sharp knife or pruners to avoid damaging the plant. Wear rubber gloves when working with the fruit and handling hot peppers, because the oils are hard to remove from the skin and can give you a nasty surprise if you touch somewhere sensitive!

THINGS TO DO IN JULY

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:39:00 +0000

· Keep newly planted trees and shrubs watered. Soak thoroughly once a week.
· To conserve water, use trickle irrigation or soaker hoses.
· Deadhead rhododendrons to increase flowering next year. Remove spent flower heads but don't damage newly expanding leaves.
· Take cuttings of trees and shrubs.
· Check white birches for the second brood of birch leaf miner.
· Remove faded blossoms of annuals and perennials.
· Divide bearded iris if flowers are decreasing in size and number.
· Pinch chrysanthemums for the last time in mid-July.
· Stake tall perennials.
· Cut back and fertilize delphinium and phlox to encourage a second show of bloom.
· Keep the garden weeded.
· Continue to cut, feed and spray or dust roses.
· Be sure that houseplants are kept away from the cold drafts caused by air-conditioning vents.
· Replant bush beans after first crop is harvested.
· Sidedress your gardens with 2 cups of 10-10-10 per 100 sq. ft.
· Harvest vegetables frequently to maintain production.
· Pumpkin and squash blossoms are both beautiful and edible. To prepare squash or pumpkin blossoms, pick them after they open. Check for insects and dirt by washing and draining; then dip the blossoms in batter and fry until golden.
· Increase mowing height of your lawn during the dry, hot summer. Dull or poorly adjusted mower blades that shred rather than cut grass can cause the brown or grayish cast over lawns.

THE GOOD GUYS

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Next time you are out enjoying your garden and come across a family of tiny insects, don’t immediately run off for a can of Raid. It just so happens that the insects you think are devouring your precious perennials could instead be protecting them.
The majority of insects you find crawling on your plants and flowers are actually helpful little bugs, feeding on the pests that your posies fear. If dogs are a man’s best friend, these helpful insects, called beneficials, are a gardener’s.
Beneficials, or “natural enemies,” are insects that prey on pests, which cause harm to a garden. Insects categorized as beneficials include, but are not limited to, ladybugs, wasps, ground beetles, and praying mantids. The mantids are dangerous, however, as they also will feed on their fellow beneficials as well as unwanted pests. The ideal, of course, is to have the beneficials outnumber the pests so your garden is properly protected.
There are two types of beneficials you might find in your garden. The first type is classified as a predator. Predators are the more helpful insects, as they feed on the general pest population. Predators are not exclusive to any one type of pest, and so are able to attack a widespread portion of the harmful insect populace. The second, and less effective type, is a parasite. Parasites are exclusive to only one type of pest, growing on the inside or outside of the insect and eventually killing it. Parasites are also less abundant than predators, further explaining why they are the less helpful beneficial.
In order for the beneficials to help you out, you must help them out. Distinguish which insects are the good guys and which are the bad guys in your garden. Pictures found in gardening books and on the Internet are an easy and useful source for comparison when attempting to determine what insects are living in your flowerbed.
It’s also important to recognize the signs that pests are present. An insect sucking the sap from a plant can cause curling of leaves and discoloration, while finding holes in flowers and leaves points to the presence of chewers or slugs. Know the types of plants you are finding victimized, and replace them with plants which are more resistant to pests. The smaller the number of pests inhabiting your garden, the better chance beneficials have to keep damage to a minimum.
Along with planting shrubbery that can withstand pests, sow seeds that will grow into sources of nectar and pollen for your tiny gardening assistants. Such plants will attract beneficials to your garden, and supply them with an alternative food source to provide sustenance when the garden is not teeming with pests. Think twice the next time you’re about to swing savagely at a wasp with your fly swatter—you may be terminating your best employee.

FROM AGAVE TO SEDUMS

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:37:00 +0000

SUCCULENTS DESERT THE DESERT FOR GREENER GROUNDS
The American gardener’s desire for tropical and tropical-looking plants has elevated succulent plants to a level of passion and for good reason. Even when not in bloom, succulents provide visual interest in the form of bold textures and colorful foliage. Many succulents are particularly well adapted to withstand climatic extremes, such as drought, heat, wind and frost. They are generally free from pests and diseases and are less prone to nutrient deficiencies than other plants. They are also tolerant of poor and shallow soils.
The term succulent does not refer to a plant family per se, but to a water-storing adaptation that is found in many different plant families. Succulents are adapted to withstand drought by storing water in specialized cells in their leaves, stems and/or roots. Most succulents will require a well-drained garden location and lots of sun.
Here a few popular types of succulents:
Agave or century plant is an incredibly diverse group of rosette-forming perennials. There are both tropical species and species that are cold-hardy into the single digits. For the most part, in Delaware agave are used as container plants outdoors on patios in the summer and indoors in a sunroom all winter. A soft-leaved and extremely architectural specie, Agave attenuata provides bold texture inside or out.
Sempervivum and Echeveria are known commonly as hens and chicks. Semperivivums, also referred to as houseleeks, are native to southern and central Europe. Generally frost-hardy, the plants tend to suffer in extremely hot and dry conditions. The leaves form low-growing, tightly rounded rosettes in varying shades and patterns of green, gray and red. The flowers, usually pink or purple, are held just above the foliage. These plants are monocarpic, which means that each rosette dies after it flowers, leaving behind a cluster of offsets.
With approximately 40 species and many cultivars of sempervivum, the most commonly grown and hybridized species are S. tectorum, which has gray-green leaves with red tips, and S. arachnoideum, which has tiny thread connecting the leaf tips to create an amazing cobweb effect. Sempervivum are appropriate for landscape use but are prone to rotting in hot, humid summers.
Echeveria are native to Central America so they are tolerant of high temperatures and drought but not frost-hardy. The rosettes of echeveria are generally much larger than those of sempervivum, and the range of leaf shapes and colors in much more diverse. Foliage colors include green, gray, blue, pink, orange and red, and many are edged in a contrasting color.
Some echeveria have leaves covered with soft downy hairs, but most have a powdery or waxy surface that lends a shimmering richness to the foliage. The bell-shaped flowers, in yellow, orange, red and pink, are borne in clusters on arching stems.
E. lilacina has powdery gray leaves with pointed tips, forming a tight, elegant-looking rosette. E. shaviana ahs blue-green glossy leaves with frilly edges. One of the most popular cultivars is ‘Perle von Nurnberg’, which has broad, pointy-tipped, gray-green leaves flushed with pink.
Euphorbia is a genus with more than 2,000 species (commonly called spurges), about half of which are succulents. Poinsettias and crown of thorns are two of the best known euphorbias. Characterized by tiny petal-less flowers enclosed by brightly colored, showy bracts, all euphorbias should be handled with caution because their milky sap (known as latex) is irritating to the skin and mucous membranes.
Some spurges, such as E. horrida and E. echinus, are leafless but have swollen spiny stems that resemble a cactus. Others, including E. obesa, form small rounded, ridged domes that might be mistaken for sea urchins. The crown of thorns, E. milii, has erect spiny stems with showy red bracts. New crown of thorn hybrid, Euphorbia x lomi, have much larger, longer-lasting bracts in a variety of colors.
All of the above spurges are generally grown as container plants, but many succulent spurges may be grown as landscape plants. E. myrinities has spirally arranged leaves and clusters of chartreuse flowers that bloom in early spring making it an excellent companion to the blue-flowered grape hyacinth bulb.
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbia (wood spurge) is an evergreen groundcover plant with shiny, deep green, leathery leaves that works well sun or shade. Yellow green disk-like bracts back tiny yellow flowers in late spring.
Euphorbia cyparissus ‘Fens Ruby’ has vivid ruby red new growth in spring but can be aggressive so it is not for a small garden. Euphorbis dulcis ‘Chameleon’ is a tremendous foliage plants with many thumbnail size, coppery purple leaves and loose clusters of burnt orange flowers in April and May. It is stunning with silver blue plants.
Euphorbias have suffered somewhat is Delaware with the combination of cold wet winters we’ve had lately, but our climate has never been consistent for long so conditions will certainly be favorable again for this genus.
Sedums or stonecrops are another fantastic group with all the foliage, flower qualities and textural interest you cold possibly ask for. Most sedums are groundcovers in the landscape and also work well in containers. Sedum acre is a great perennial ground cover with yellow flowers in early summer, and S. spurium and its hybrids provide brilliant purple to red-toned flowers.
Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’ is probably the most well-known sedum in this area but there are other cultivars in this genus to look for such as ‘Brilliant’ with bright lavender pink flowers; ‘Frosty Morn’ with silver and white variegated foliage; and ‘neon’ with deep rose, pink flowers borne in thick clusters. S. x ‘Matrona’ is a taller plant (2-3’) with strong, shiny red stems that bear pale pink flowers well into the fall. S. x ‘Vera Jamison’ has unique gray-mahogany foliage and S. cauticolium ‘Lidakense’ has blue to reddish-bronze foliage, making both excellent groundcovers. S. ternatum is an unusual sedum that does well in moist soils. —Susan Barton

Some material for this article was adapted from an article written by Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida, and published in Greenhouse Product News, December 2003.

PLANTS FOR A LIVABLE DELAWARE

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:35:00 +0000

Plants for a Livable Delaware is designed to identify and promote superior plants that thrive without becoming invasive. A Livable Delaware plant must:

Pose no potential threat as an invasive plant
Have no serious disease or insect problems
Be hardy to Delaware
Possess adaptable characteristics to landscape situations (i.e. drought resistant, tolerant of poor soils, etc.)

Norway maple (Acer platanoides) originated in Europe and Western Asia. It is a medium to large-sized (to 50’) shade tree with broad crown that casts a very dense shade. Norway maple can be distinguished from other similar maples by the milky white sap that oozes from leaf stalks when cut. It is one of the last trees to hold yellow leaves in the fall. Norway maples have been planted extensively because they tolerate tough landscape sites, especially in urban environments. Because they cast a dense shade, release chemicals that are toxic to other species and have a shallow competitive root system that results in very dry soil, few plants other than Norway maple seedlings grow below them. The result is homogenous stands of Norway maple, especially in urban parks, where prolifically produced seeds are carried from street tree planting by wind and stormwater runoff.

Alternative shade trees include:
Red maple (Acer rubrum) – 60’, dense rounded shade tree with excellent red fall color and tolerance to both wet and dry conditions (N)
European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’) – pyramidal to oval; 40-60’ tree with late, yellow fall color and tolerance of wet and dry conditions
Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) – 40-60’ with pyramidal to wide-spreading habit; leaves emerge reddish purple, change to bluish green in summer, and yellow in fall; may require water during drought periods
Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) – 60-75’ with a narrow oval crown that tolerates dry soil and urban conditions, short-lived fall color but great bold winter structure
Sweet gum ( Liquidambar styraciflua) – 60’ pyramidal tree; purple, orange and yellow fall color on the same tree and tolerance of urban conditions (gumballs can be messy) (N)
Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) – 30-50’ irregularly rounded tree with green glossy summer foliage and brilliant red foliage of the fall; tolerates wet, dry and urban conditions (N)
Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) – 50-60’ rounded tree with yellow-bronze fall color and excellent drought tolerance as well as tolerance to wet and urban conditions (N)
Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) – 30-45’ conical tree; leaves unfold red in spring with lustrous dark green summer color and yellow-brown fall color; tolerates wet, dry and urban conditions (N)

N = native to Delaware

THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:34:00 +0000

· Water the garden in early morning.
· Don't forget your houseplants that are summering outdoors, check to see if they need water.
· Do not apply pesticides when temperatures exceed 85 F.
· Keep your garden weeded—do not let weeds go to seed.
· Feed roses for the last time, continue to spray and prune.
· Order your spring flowering bulbs now.
· Pick off dead flowers on both annuals and perennials.
· Sow beds of perennials and biennials for blooms next spring.
· Dig, divide and replant peonies, bleeding heart and daylilies.
· To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees for the coming year, pick up and destroy all fallen fruit.
· Plant a fall vegetable garden.
· Freeze or dry fresh herbs for winter use.
· In late August, reseed or renovate lawns.
· Water newly seeded lawns every day.

RE-PURPOSE WOODEN PALLETS, RE-CYCLE GARDEN WASTES

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:33:00 +0000

While there are a number of commercial bins available for making compost, an easy and inexpensive alternative (how does free sound?) is constructing a bin out of wooden shipping pallets—a cost-effective option to buying a bin.
You will need five pallets. Hardware stores, warehouses, or garden centers often give them away for the asking. Make sure the pallets you choose have small gaps measuring no more than 1 inch between the slats. This size opening allows compost to slide out of the bin easily, and oxygen to get in, thus providing better aeration of the compost, preventing unpleasant odor and allowing material to decompose more quickly.
Place a pallet on the ground to serve as a base, then use the remaining four to build walls around the base. Placing the pallets so that they are wider rather than tall, connect pallets with wire or coat hangers at top and bottom. This creates a more horizontal space within the bin. Once assembled, remove wire from one side of one pallet, allowing it to swing open like a door for best access to the bin.
The only drawback to using wooden pallets to build a compost bin is that they must be replaced after a few years. While the walls can last from four to six years, the base pallet typically has to be changed out every two to three years. Replacement of the base is simple, however; just drop a new pallet on top of the old, which will continue to decompose and turn into compost.
Even if you don’t want to go to all the trouble of building your own compost bin, wooden pallets can still be used as a base for the compost pile. Placing a factory-made bin on top of a pallet eliminates the need for brush and twigs on the bottom, which take up valuable space. Placing pallets under an open compost pile is also beneficial, because the pallet provides more aeration than brush can offer.
Whether you are building a bin, or just trying to improve your current setup, pallets will increase the efficiency of any compost pile. —Alexander Pyles, writing intern

Adapted from a pamphlet distributed by the Maryland Department of Environmental Protection

THE WINGS OF SUMMER: A BRIEF FOR THE BUTTERFLY BUFF

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:32:00 +0000

This time of year my flower gardens, which are a profusion of blooms in hues of yellow, red, orange, gold and purple, are also abundant with assorted butterflies that flutter in and around the flowers in search of nectar and food.
Having become an avid observer of these flitting insects, I have learned to identify a number of adult butterflies and larvae. The most common ones visiting my gardens in Kent County, Delaware, include the Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, Monarch, Viceroy and the Cabbage White.
Following are descriptions of these butterflies as well as the plants they frequent for nectar or to lay eggs on to provide food for newly emerged larvae.
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) has a beautiful large 3¼- to 4¼-inch wing span. The upper surface of the wings is mostly black. A large orange spot that has a black spot in the center appears on the inner edge of the hindwing. The male Black Swallowtail has a yellow band near the wing’s edge. In contrast, the female has a row of yellow spots and the hindwing has an iridescent blue band. In the caterpillar stage, the Black Swallowtail is yellow and black. Host plants from which adults gather nectar are red clover, milkweed and thistle. The larvae devour the leaves on parsley, carrots, celery and dill.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is a bit larger with a 3 5/8- to 6½-inch wing span. Like a tiger, the male is yellow with dark stripes. Females take two forms: one is yellow, similar to the male; the other is black with shadows of darker stripes. On both female forms, the hindwing has many iridescent blue scales and an orange spot on the margin. The wild cherry tree and lilac tree are nectar plants for the adult Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. The caterpillar, or larvae stage, however, feeds on the leaves of sweetbay magnolia, tulip tree, birch, ash and willow tree.
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) has a wingspan of 2¾ to 5 inches. This black butterfly has iridescent blue or a bluish-green upper surface on its hindwing. The underside of the hindwing has a submarginal row of seven orange spots in the iridescent blue area. The adult Pipevine Swallowtail feeds on a variety of flowers, including bee balm, azalea, phlox, teasel, dame’s rocket, lantana, petunia, verbena and lupine. The larvae feed on pipevines (Aristolochia species).
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) has a wingspan of 3 3/8 to 4 7/8 inches. The male’s upperside is bright orange color with wide black borders and black veins and he sports a patch of scent scales on the hindwing. The adult female is an orangy-brown color with a wide black border with black veins that look blurred. The male and the female have white spots on the black borders and apex. Of particular interest is that the adult can be seen early in the morning basking dorsally with wings opened towards the rising, warming sun. The adults fed on red clover, lantana, thistles, milkweed and goldenrod. The caterpillars emerge and feed on milkweeds (common and swamp). These plants contain the poisonous cardiac glycosides, which after eaten, are stored in the adult and larvae’s body. This untasty emetic helps prevent the Monarch from being eaten by birds and other predators.
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) has a wingspan of 2½ to 3 3/8 inches. Similar to the color of the Monarch butterfly, the Viceroy’s upperside is orange and black. The difference is the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots on the black marginal band. Unlike the Monarch, the Viceroy is not toxic to birds. The adult Viceroy feeds on the honeydew left from aphids and decaying fungi. It also feeds on nectar from aster, goldenrod, Joe-Pye weed and Canada thistle flowers.
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), has a wingspan of 1 ¾ - 2 ¼ inches. The uppersides of the wings are white and the forewing has a black tip. The female has two marginal black spots and the male has only one. The undersides of the hindwing and forewing apex are a dull yellow-gray green color. The adults feed on plants in the mustard family, dandelion, red clover, aster and mints. The caterpillar feed on cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower leaves. —Maggie Moor-Orth

NESTING INSECTS THAT STING

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:31:00 +0000

Stinging insects with nests, such as yellow jackets, baldfaced hornets, European hornets and bumble bees, are the species with which people are most likely to come in conflict. Bees and wasps that don’t construct nests generally sting only when forced to by getting caught in hair or clothing or when people try to kill them. As for paper wasps, these insects do not defend their nests aggressively. People get stung when infringing on their territory and violating the nest.
Bumbles bees and yellow jackets often are ground-nesters. When people inadvertently step on the nest or mow over it, the battle begins. For the baldfaced hornet, the conflict typically occurs when they construct their football-shaped paper nest low to the ground instead of 30 feet up in the trees. Baldfaced hornet nests in shrubbery become a problem during pruning and yard maintenance. Even beneficial honey bees can create problems for people when they build their hives in wall voids, bird boxes or other low structures.
Avoiding the sting
For some people, bee or wasp stings are more than painful, they cause a life-threatening allergic reaction. Those individuals who are allergic need to take special precautions to discourage stinging insects from nesting around houses and yards:
Make sure buildings are tight so bees and wasps cannot nest in voids.
Select plants that do not attract bees and wasps. That doesn’t mean avoid planting flower plants. Several kinds of flowers do not attract bees because they don’t have enough pollen or nectar.
Control flowering weeds in the lawn that are attractive to bees such as clover and chickweed.
Yellowjackets foraging for food are attracted by food odors and sweetness. Avoid using these products in summer when stinging insects are present. It is when the insects investigate, people tend to get nervous. The natural reaction to drive them away increases your chance of being stung.
Since yellow jackets are scavengers, dispose of food products that attract them. Also stay away from eating or drinking sweet food products.
Avoid human activities close to low nests, and get a person who is not allergic to eliminate it. Wasp and hornet aerosols will shoot about 15 feet and can be sprayed at the nest entrance after dark when all of wasps and bees are in. It may take more then one treatment to eliminate them.
The bee or wasp that you see visiting your flower may not be a bee or wasp. Several insects copy the color pattern and habits of bees and wasps but they are really flies or moths. The most common are the syrphid flies (flower flies, hover flies). Black in color with yellow or orange markings, they have only 1 pair of wings, whereas wasps and bees have 2 pairs. Their larvae are beneficial because they eat dozens of aphids a day. They cannot sting humans.
—Derby Walker

Ramble through the Brambles: A Guide to Growing your own Raspberries and Blackberries

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:58:00 +0000

RAMBLE THROUGH THE BRAMBLES: A GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR OWN RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES

There is nothing better on a summer’s day than picking a ripe raspberry from your own plant and popping it, fruity and sweet, into your mouth. It isn’t difficult to grow brambles such as raspberries and blackberries. It simply takes the right variety and careful cultivation.
All brambles need well-drained, slightly acid soil (pH 5.6-6.5) that contains a lot of organic matter. To increase the organic matter in your soil, mix in well-rotted sawdust or peat moss, then mulch the plants. At the same time, add about 1/4 cup of 5-10-10 or 1/8 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer. Mulch not only supplies organic matter but helps control weeds and maintain adequate moisture for the plants.
When new growth starts, scatter another 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 around each bramble plant in a ring no closer than 10 inches to the plant. In subsequent years, apply 1/3 cup of 10-10-10 per plant in early March, plus 2/3 cup right after harvest. This fertilizer rate can be adjusted depending on how well your plants are growing.
Raspberry and blackberry plants will produce for five to eight years. Viruses are one of the major reasons plantings don't survive. So purchase virus-free plants and control sucking insects, such as aphids, stinkbugs and spider mites.

Black & Purple Raspberries - Cultural Practices and Varieties

Plant black and purple raspberries at the same depth they were growing at the nursery. Remove the tops after planting. Space plants 4 to 5 feet in the row with 5 feet between rows. When black raspberries reach a height of 18 to 24 inches, cut the tops off. Top purple raspberry plants at 30 to 36 inches. Then cut back the thin laterals (side shoots) to two buds and the thick laterals to six buds.
After a cane has borne fruit it dies and should be removed. Top the canes that grow in summer to replace the dead canes. In early spring or late winter remove all weak canes and shorten lateral shoots to 8 to 12 inches in length.
Good varieties of black raspberry include Dundee, Blackhawk, and Allegheny are black raspberry varieties. Clyde is a highly recommended purple variety.

Red Raspberries - Cultural Practices and Varieties

Set red and yellow raspberry plants 2 or 3 inches deeper than they were growing at the nursery. Plant in 6-foot rows with plants spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. Red raspberries spread by
underground suckers. Keep rows 12 to 18 inches wide, and remove all suckers that develop between rows.
Fruit grows on 2-year-old canes. After a cane has fruited,
remove it, except for everbearing varieties. In winter, remove all thin canes (less than 3/8 inch in diameter), then thin out remaining canes so that only one cane grows every 6 to 8
inches. Cut the tops back by 25 percent.
Everbearing varieties produce a small summer crop and a large fall crop. New canes that emerge in the spring will produce a large crop at the tip of the plant in the fall. The lower portion of the cane will produce a summer crop the
following year, so these canes must be saved until summer to harvest the second crop.
To make pruning easier and reduce disease problems, many people mow the everbearing plants down to the ground in the spring and harvest only the fall crop.
Good varieties of red raspberry are June-bearing Latham and Sentinel, and everbearing Heritage and Fall Red.
Harvest raspberries in the morning. Pick them when they are full-colored and slip off easily.

Blackberries - Cultural Practices & Varieties

There are two types of blackberries: erect and trailing (dew berries). When properly pruned, the erect varieties don't need to be trellised, but trailing varieties must be attached to a trellis. Construct a trellis of posts spaced 10 to 15 feet apart, with wires attached at 3 and 5 foot heights. Attach plants to these wires with soft string.
Set blackberry plants at the same depth as they were grown at the nursery. Space erect varieties 5 feet apart in a row and trailing types 6 feet apart. Allow 10 feet between rows for working and picking.
After planting erect varieties, cut them back to a height of 30 to 36 inches. Clip back the lateral shoots to a length of 18 to 20 inches. After the canes have borne fruit, they will never bear again. so remove them. Pull up suckers that
develop between the rows. Don't them cut out. Cutting off a sucker does not delay its regrowth. After removing the fruited canes at harvest time, thin the other plants so that
there is only one plant for every 10 inches in a row.
One of the most important advances in the blackberry industry is the development of thornless varieties, which need to be trellised. New shoots are tied to the wires with soft
string as they grow. Pruning is fairly simple since you keep only 4 to 8 canes per plant. Remove weak canes and suckers.
Good varieties include Erect (Darrow), thornless (Black Satin, Dirksen, Hull), Chester and Illini.
Often gardeners don't leave blackberries on the vine long enough to develop properly. As a result the berries are sour. Ripe fruits lose their shiny color and turn a dull black. As with raspberries, pick fruit in the morning for better quality. —Derby Walker

Pest Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Late March-Early April

Ants/Termites: often one of the earliest control decisions in the spring (see information in this issue on identification and control).
Spruce spider mites: on juniper, arborvitae or other evergreens, especially those in warm, sheltered sides.
Hemlock woolly adelgid: on older, mature stand of hemlock; look for white spots of cottony material. Females laying eggs.
White pine weevil: look for insects and their damage on terminals of pine.
Bugs, ants, flies, wasps: emerging from winter hibernation inside homes.
Clover mites: periodic swarms on surfaces/plants on warmer, sunny exposures; especially common at homes on edges of developments and in new plantings.
Leaf-footed bugs, boxelder bugs, and Asian lady beetles: emerging from winter hibernation; may be found inside homes, especially around windows. Carry individual bugs outside or sweep with vacuum and release outside.

TERMITES! A SIGN OF SPRING YOU'D RATHER NOT SEE
By Dewey Caron
Something no homeowner wants to see in spring is the flight of reproductives (swarmers) of the eastern subterranean termite. This insect is a serious pest that feeds on wood in homes, buildings, some types of mulch and wooden landscape structures. The best indication of an active infestation is the presence of winged males and females (swarmers).
It's easy to confuse termites and ants. Winged termites are dark-colored – almost black – with long, pale-colored wings. Both the front and back pairs of wings are nearly equal. Ants have unequal wings – front is larger than hind – and they also have elbowed antennae. If you find winged "swarmers" suddenly appearing in your home, look to see if they have four long, equal wings or unequal-sized wings, then note the antennae.
If you see termite swarmers emerging inside a building it usually means that structure is infested. Termites found outdoors, sometimes in large numbers on the snow or soil surface, could come from a number of locations but not necessarily your home.
If you find termite swarmers or you suspect an infestation, contact a pest control operator (PCO). The PCO will find the nest and recommend controls. Get several quotes for control. You are buying a home service, so compare prices.
Just because the swarmers disappear after a few days does not mean the termites are gone. Although you don't need to rush into a control decision, don't put it off for another season.

THE MARCH OF THE ANTS BEGINS IN SPRING
If you see one ant, you can bet there are lots you aren’t seeing. Social insects, ants seldom show up alone. When one ant finds food, it quickly informs others. So ant control must extend beyond where they are seen. Effective control may even include elimination of their nests or forcing ants to relocate their nest.
You can identify the ants inside the home by color, size, and odor. Following are ways how to identify and control the three most common spring ants:
· Citronella ants are yellowish and smell lemony: although they appear throughout the year, swarms are especially common in March/April. Because Citronella ants do not live or feed inside homes or other structures, they do not need to be controlled. They feed on the honeydew of aphids in the soil. Pick up these ants with a vacuum cleaner, then caulk areas they might use.
· Pharaoh ants are black, with prominent sculptured lines on the head. They nest in soil but readily enter homes to feed on a variety of foods. Control them inside with baits. Also, treat entry areas with a crack-and-crevice spray. Do not spray where you see them but rather where they enter the home. These ants typically will move out when their food or water is eliminated.
· Carpenter ants are large and black but yellow or red with black or smallish black ants are different species that exist in our area. They eat both soft-bodied insects and honeydew. They are associated with high-moisture items, such as wood in contact with damp soil, backed-up roof eaves or leaking pipes/air conditioners.
Carpenter ants inhibit a large variety of wood. They are welcome in tree stumps, dead limbs and in hollow tree bases, less welcomed in landscape timbers, in fire wood piles or wooden lawn structures and definitely unwelcome in structure insulation, attics, crawl spaces, hollow doors or in wooden decks or porches. Structures that have ornamental plants with populations of aphids and scale insects attract carpenter ants because these common plant sucking insects are food sources for the ants.
Carpenter ants are generally nocturnal feeders active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. They return to their nests after successfully locating food. They do not move more than 150 yards from the nest. One method of finding the nest is to bait the ants and then follow their route back to the nest. This works best during their nocturnal activity periods. Since a nest needs to include both sugar (carbohydrate) and protein, a good bait station should include both. Finely ground up insects (such as a cricket or fly) usually attracts protein foragers and honey or strawberry jam is a good, tasty carbohydrate.
Typically, we control carpenter ant infestations with baits. Forager ants are not very flexible in their behavior; thus, one of the real control challenges is to place the bait where they will encounter it. Foragers will forage only one food type. If they are foraging protein, such as visiting aphids on shrubbery adjacent to the house, they will ignore a sugar bait offering. Thus baiting works when lots of bait portions are offered, including both sugar and protein baits. Since carpenter ants can't chew their food, baits need to be the a portable size so they can be collected.

KEYING IN ON PEST CONTROL
Successful integrated pest management (IPM) in the landscape depends on applying control measures only when necessary and only when an insect pest, weed, or pathogen is most vulnerable.
Depending on weather conditions, stages of insect and plant development may vary by several weeks from one year to the next. When calendar dates are used to plan pest control application times, applications may be made when a pest is not susceptible. This wastes both money and time and results in more pesticides being used than necessary.
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension recommends using controls only after observing harmful pest development on the site. Making these observations for each pest can be time-consuming and difficult. To reduce the time and improve success rate, our system pairs plant phenology (PP), a study of the effects of climatic conditions on the development of plants, and growing degree-days (GDD), a measure of how much warm weather accumulates in a given season to forecast when pests and stages of pests vulnerable to control are likely to be present.
Use of such indicators assists caretakers of ornamental plants to correlate easily-observable plant events in landscapes with heat accumulations of GDD to predict activity for difficult-to-see stages of common pests. We will give these parameters in Garden Check this season to help you with scouting and pest management. - DC

THIS NEWS IS FOR THE BIRDS
Feelings vary about the "naturalness" of artfully feeding birds and other wildlife. Studies suggest that backyard bird feeders do not create a population of feeder-dependent birds, but rather reduce the time birds spend seeking food. A bird-feeder filler usually provides a better diet when sunflower is included in the seed mix. There are two drawbacks to backyard feeders: Some may increase diseases in birds, especially when bird droppings contaminate the food, and often feeders increase predation of birds by house cats.
Most homeowners think of bird feeders as the easiest way to attract more birds. The best, long-term method of drawing birds to your landscape is to provide attractive habitat. To survive and prosper in your yard, in addition to food, wintering birds need shelter, safe perching sites, and appropriate nesting locations. Consider variety and varying structure in the landscape and selection of plant materials attractive to birds.
Birds usually have a selection of backyard feeders and they visit more than one location no matter how convenient. Hopper-type feeders filled with a seed mix that includes sunflower seeds and cracked corn are the best type of feeders to attract a variety of visitors. So are seed-tube feeders that have an exterior cage to exclude squirrels and house sparrows. For feeders on poles use metal flanges or empty plastic soda containers to exclude squirrels or suspended from wire.
Place the feeder in a site safe from pouncing cats are unable to lie in wait and pounce on birds. You should also monitor feeder locations and change if bird-window collisions occur. - DC

Be on the Lookout

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:54:00 +0000

by Bob Mulrooney

Check for winter damage. Recently I received several samples of homeowners of winter injury on English holly and rhododendron. The leaf margins are brown and some leaves have dead tissue between the veins. These symptoms are typical of winter desiccation on broadleaf evergreens. Plants that are in sites exposed to wind and afternoon sun are the most likely to have symptoms.
The best course of action is to wait until new growth begins. If the damaged leaves are still unsightly, just remove them. Rhododendron, Mahonia, Evergreen magnolia, English holly and English holly hybrids are often the most affected. I have seen English boxwood foliage that is bronze to orange as a result of exposure to cold and winter sun. As the days warm up, the green color returns on a healthy plant. When boxwood foliage does not green up and the foliage remains orange to bronze, it can mean that the plants have been damaged by mites, diseases such as Nectria canker, or are in decline.

Drought damage. Homeowners will be seeing the effects of last years drought for some time to come. Dead branches may be a common sight this spring as a result of the drought. Many plants in the landscape will just not resume growth and will need to be replaced. Take a wait-and-see attitude, then prune out the dead wood or replace drought damaged trees and shrubs. It is hard to associate last year’s problems with damage that appears now, when moisture is abundant.

Diseases favored by drought. Many readers may be sick of my writing about Botryosphaeria canker year after year, but this fungus disease will be very common this year on drought-damaged trees and shrubs. It is favored by environmental conditions that weaken plants and reduce growth. This fungus is weakly pathogenic and infects only unhealthy plants in the landscape. It is very common and the fungus can survive on dead twigs or bark of otherwise healthy plants. When the plants are stressed the fungus can begin to infect healthy tissue and become pathogenic. The result is usually sunken dead areas on the bark of trunks or branches which we call cankers. The fungus kills the cambium, the living part of the branch or trunk, which results in girdled branches and dieback.
The only control is to keep plants vigorous, especially by watering during dry periods. Prune out dead branches and cankered areas now, when the plants are dry. Fungicides are not effective in preventing or controlling Botryosphaeria canker. Site plants well so that they have the conditions they need to flourish, which reduces stress. Look for Botryosphaeria canker this spring on azalea, rhododendron, redbud, flowering dogwood, red-twigged dogwood, crabapple, Corylopsis, just to name a few common hosts. In future issues, I will address other drought-related diseases when the time is appropriate.

IN PRAISE OF TURF

During the winter I read a very interesting article entitled ‘In Praise of Turf’ by Dr. Richard Hull of the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Hull has studied turfgrass nutrition and ecology for 30 years.
While we have written about turfgrass often in Garden Check, it has been mostly about management issues such as fertilizing, mowing, weeds, insects and disease control. Some of the most interesting information presented in the article were the benefits of turfgrass.
“Home grounds serve far more than an aesthetic function,” Dr. Hull writes. “This is where children play, residents relax, families gather, and parties are held. For these purposes, the lawn plays a central role. Lawns are open, unencumbered, non-threatening, and inviting. Few surfaces are safer for children to play with less chance of injury. A well maintained lawn provides a thick cushioned surface.”
These practical benefits of turf have been listed by others such as Dr. James Beard, another famous turfgrass scientist. Turf cools by transpiration without obstructing the free flow of air. Lawns capture water and promote infiltration, which prevents runoff and contributes to groundwater recharge. The ability of a lawn to prevent runoff greatly reduces water discharge into storm drains.
Turfgrasses build soil, just look at the Great Plains for an example. Grasslands comprised of perennial grasses have created some of the best soils on earth. Well-maintained lawns improve soil quality. Root production and death of roots provides organic matter, which improves soil structure and increases water and nutrient-holding capacity. This favors earthworms and diverse soil organisms. Lawns conserve soil. Few groundcovers can prevent soil erosion by water or wind like turf can.
Turf captures dust and other particulate matter, which improves air quality. Turf removes carbon dioxide and polluting gases.
And for all these benefits, what does turf cost? As you can imagine, it depends on what kind of a lawn you desire. Turf like you see on golf courses on TV takes a substantial amount of time and materials.
On the other hand, a functional lawn that most of us are happy with can be had for little effort or cost. Many factors influence this statement. But for now, presume that you have made the right turfgrass choice for your use, turf-type tall fescue, for example. That is what I have at home. It needs little fertilizer or water, no insecticides, and really no fungicides although I have been tempted to control an outbreak of brown patch once and awhile. Weeds do creep in occasionally and I will control those with spot sprays.
What is the secret? Two things: mow high and return the clippings to the lawn. Mow often enough to keep the 1/3 rule. Don’t remove any more than 1/3 the leaf area at one time. This practice returns clippings that rapidly decompose and recycle those nutrients so the lawn needs little fertilizer and does not look unsightly. A 2-to-3-inch cut allows plants to develop a large root system that can compete with weeds and better absorb water and nutrients. A high cut will shade the ground, which prevents many annual weed seeds from germinating especially crabgrass.
Many homeowners have ruined their lawns by removing clippings and mowing too short. Fertilizing should be done in the late fall and early spring, less fertilizer is needed if you return your clippings to the lawn. Overfertilizing predisposes turf to diseases and reduces turf life, especially under stresses like drought and heat.
As we begin the spring season, I now have a better appreciation for what turf provides my family at relatively little cost. I love my annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, but I don’t have to hate my lawn. Too much lawn can be a lot of work, but turf in a diverse landscape is a thing of beauty and function. - BM

Whatever the Weather, Be Water-Wise

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:53:00 +0000

by Maggie Moor-Orth

The first issue of Garden Check every year is exciting. Not only does it coincide with the arrival of spring, it is also around the time we hardcore gardeners contemplate the annual pre-planting questions: What kind of growing season will it be? Will it be hot, wet and dry? Will there be water restrictions? Will it be perfect for growing any and all varieties of plants?
And then there's how much we can count on "the signs?" You're familiar with local lore, right? Nature's various signs that "predict" weather conditions. These include such things as the color of a woolly bear's coat, the pattern in which geese fly or the thickness of the dog's hair.
I think I'll do more this year than "read" the signs. After losing several plants in last summer's drought, I have decided to add a few drought-resistant plants to my flower beds. Drought-resistant plants can survive dry periods without extra water. Succulents and cacti come to mind when drought-resistant plants are mentioned, but the possibilities are far more diverse. Look at the following list:
· Achilles (yarrow) Perennial. Yarrow comes in yellow, white and red-colored flowered varieties. Grown in full sun, it blooms all summer and is excellent as a cut flower, either fresh or dried. Butterflies love this plant.
· Aquilegia (Columbine) Perennial. This plant's delicate, uniquely shaped, and spur-like blossoms are among my favorites. The early-blooming flowers are yellow, pink, purple, red, white or blends of these colors. They grow to about three feet in a sunny location from June through August.
· Astilbe (Astilbe) Perennial. This plant likes to grow in moist soils in shade or semi-shade. White, red, bright pink, light pink or purple-colored feathery flowers bloom from June through August and grow to be about three feet tall.
· Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta daisy) Perennial. This summer-blooming plant thrives in full sun or partial shade and grows from one to four feet tall. The white flowers with yellow centers make a nice cutting flower. There are several cultivars of this plant.
· Dianthus (Sweet William) Perennial. This plant loves to grow in a sunny spot with well-drained sandy soil. There are many varieties to choose from for this plant that grows 6 to 18 inches tall. They are available in shades of pink, white, red, salmon or orange-colored flowers.
· Dicentra (Bleeding Heart) Perennial. This is another flowering plant that loves a partially shady growing environment. The plant, which reaches about two and one-half feet, displays arching white or pale pink flowers that are shaped like little hearts.
· Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) Perennial. This plant thrives in a sunny location and will grow to a height of 4 feet. To extend the production of the pink-rose or white daisy-like flowers, remove the spent blooms.
· Echinops (Globe Thistle) Perennial. This plant loves a sunny, dry site with poor soil. The round bluish-purple flowers reach 5 feet by mid- to late summer.
· Gaillardia pulchella (Blanket Flower) Perennial. Blanket flower, with its daisy-like blooms of yellow to deep red and maroon centers, loves full sun and dry soils. To keep these flowers blooming, remove the spent blooms. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
· Gaura lindheimeri (Gaura) Perennial. This plant which loves to grow in well-drained soil and in full sun will grow to a height of 4 feet. The white flowers which fade to pink will bloom all summer long. Spent flowers need to be removed from this one, too.
· Heuchera (Coral Bells) Perennial. This low-growing plant likes a sunny or lightly shaded location. Hummingbirds like the pink to red bell-like flowers.
· Monarda didyma (Bee Balm) Perennial. A plant that grows to 3 feet, bee balm thrives in full sun or in a lightly shaded site, and is loved by butterflies. Deadhead the purple or reddish-pink flowers for more blooms.
· Portulaca grandiflora (Moss Rose) Annual. This small (8 inches tall) plant bears white, pink, yellow, red, and purple-colored flowers. The blossoms, which open up in full sun and close at night, are excellent for the edge of a flower border.
· Solidago spp. (Goldenrod) Perennial. This yellow-flowered plant loves to grow in full sun. There are several varieties and they vary in height from 1 to 4 feet.
· Tagetes (Marigold) Annual. This plant is one of the easiest to grow. It loves a sunny spot and thrives in the heat of midsummer. It has yellow, orange or maroon-colored flowers.
· Zinnia (Zinnia) Annual. This plant also loves the full sun and comes in every color except blue. Different varieties range in height from 6 inches to 3 feet. One of the easiest plants to grow, it also is loved by butterflies.
Growing drought-resistant plants alone, however, does not solve the problem of plants surviving in drought conditions. Loose soil that is high in organic matter allows plant roots to expand and spread.
Water-wise gardeners use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers. A soaker hose directs the water to the plants' roots and reduces the amount lost to evaporation and runoff.
Use mulches to insulate the soil temperature during the summer and reduce the loss of soil moisture. Flowers need only 1 to 2 inches of mulch.
While you may be unable to predict the weather for the spring and summer ahead, you can still act on the drought-resistant plant strategy. It's not too late to order and/or select some of these plants for your garden.

Diagnose the Effects of Last Year's Drought

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Last year’s drought may have caused plant injury that is not yet evident. Manage your landscape following a drought by looking for symptoms of injury. Plants that were exposed to drought last summer may show some of the following drought-injury symptoms:

Leaf scorch: Leaf tissue away from the main veins browns and dies. Distinguish this injury from anthracnose because moisture-stress-induced necrosis rarely crosses over leaf veins on the inner section of the leaf area. Leaf scorch tends to be most severe in the upper branches of the tree or shrub in contrast to anthracnose, which is evident in the lower branches. Maples and dogwood readily show leaf scorch symptoms. Needle tip die-back is a common symptom of moisture stress in conifers.
· Interveinal necrosis: The leaf tissue surrounding major veins remains green but the tissues between the veins turn brown.
· Midsummer defoliation (leaf drop): This is commonly preceded by scorch and necrosis. Defoliation will begin at the top of the tree and move downward.
· Unabscised dead leaves remaining on the tree: Oaks and other deciduous trees may show complete browning of foliage and the foliage remains attached. If the leaf loss occurs too rapidly for the abscission layer to form, the tree will remain in full leaf but brown.
Extended drought stress can result in crown decline, twig die-back, and small branch die-back in the upper crown. Progressively larger branches can succumb or are vulnerable to breakout under strong wind conditions.
Suckering may occur on the trunk and upper branches of heavily stressed trees, cambium death and cankers may also occur, resulting in girdling and total death. Cankers may be the direct result of moisture stress or may occur with the development of disease that produce cankers while the tree is severely stressed and susceptible.
Another symptom of extended drought stress is heavy seed loads the year following the drought.
Often the symptoms of drought stress are delayed. Water deficiency may cause extensive root injury in the late summer and fall, but the current year's foliage may not reveal any symptoms. By the time most conifers express symptoms of stress, the plant may be in dangerously poor health. Look for symptoms and effects of drought in the spring after a severe year has occurred.
Prune out diseased or damaged branches. Be sure to sterilize pruning tools between cuts, when pruning diseased tissue. Do not respond with overfertilization.

We often have the misconception that fertilizer is “plant food” and will automatically give plants a boost. In fact, plants make their own food through photosynthesis. Too much nitrogen requires plants to use stored carbohydrates and promotes excess growth that may not be beneficial. Follow sound watering practices the year after a drought because drought in multiple years is especially harmful to established landscape plants.

Order the Trees, Hold the Salt

While our winter was rather mild, we did have several snows that required road salting. Salt damages trees through two pathways—via airborne salt spray and the soil. Salt spray that lands on a dormant twig can enter the tissue through a leaf scare and kill the dormant bud.
When salt in the soil dissolves, it separates into sodium and chloride ions. The ions act differently to damage the tree. In the early spring, the chloride ions can be taken up by the roots, enter the sap, concentrate in the shoots, and prevent buds from opening. Later, they can be transported to actively growing leaf margins, causing leaf scorch, curling, or death.
Sodium ions use the same “chemical route” as necessary tree nutrients. The sodium can “tie up the plant’s shuttle system and restrict uptake of magnesium and potassium, two chemicals that are essential for making chlorophyll.” Potassium deficiencies are common in plants suffering from salt injury.
Salt in the soil can create a physiological drought. Brine near underground tree roots can be a more concentrated solution than the sap in the roots. The roots, therefore, can’t take in water through osmosis. This “chemical drought” makes water unavailable to salt-stressed trees so they actually die of thirst.
Salt spray damage can occur in trees that are up to 50 feet from a fast-moving, salted highway. Salt spray will damage exposed branches more severely than branches covered by snow. Suspect soil salt damage in trees that are near salted streets and sidewalks.
Conifers damaged by salt spray, notably Eastern white pine, show the greatest damage in early spring. On branches facing the road starting from the tips, needles become yellow or brown, and perhaps drop off. Soil salt can cause the needles of conifers to take on a blue-green cast.
Deciduous trees affected by salt spray can develop tuft-like “witches’ brooms.” Bunches of lateral branches grow to compensate for a terminal bud that was killed by salt. Deciduous trees growing in salty soil might have flower buds that don’t open. Leaf scorch, whereby margins of the leaf turn prematurely brown, can arise in the spring or during hot, dry weather. Foliage can be sparse, stunted or yellow, and twigs can show die-back.

Ice removal options
People who maintain paved surfaces can choose from a range of products. If you choose low-cost but toxic products, you might have to factor in the replacement cost of plantings.
Rock salt, consisting of 98.5% sodium chloride. is the cheapest and most widely used of deicing agents so highway departments use it extensively. It does corrode bridges and cars and damages trees. Calcium chloride is an effective deicer that is eight times more expensive than rock salt. It tends to cake, making it difficult to spread. It reportedly doesn’t damage plants but still contains chloride, which could harm trees.
Potassium chloride is a naturally occurring material that is a fertilizer and food salt substitute. It also has the potential to harm plants.
Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is made from dolomitic limestone and acetic acid (the main acid of vinegar). It poses few problems to plants, but is expensive. It costs about 20 times more than rock salt.
Alternatives to salt, such as sand, gravel, cinders and ground peanut shells, have proven effective for small-scale applications. Following is a list of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive plants:

Trees that withstand salt injury:

Acer campestre – hedge maple
Acer pseudoplatanus – sycamore maple
Acer buergeranum – hedge maple
Crataegus spp. – hawthorn
Fraxinus pennsylvanica – green ash
Ginkgo biloba – gingko
Gleditsia tricanthos inermis - honeylocust
Koelreuteria paniculata – golden rain tree
Maclura pomifera – osage orange
Platanus x acerifolia – London planetree
Prunus sargentii – sargent cherry
Pyrus calleryana – callery pear (not ‘Bradford’)
Quercus robur – English oak
Quercus rubra – Northern red oak
Sophora japonica – scholar tree
Taxodium distichum – baldcypress

Trees that withstand salt spray injury:
Pinus nigra – Austrian pine
Pinus thunbergii – Japanese black pine
Pinus ponderosa – Ponderosa pine

Trees sensitive to soil salt injury:
Acer rubrum – red maple
Carpinus betulus – European hornbeam
Liriodendron tulipifera – tulip tree
Ostrya virginiana – hophornbeam
Pinus strobus – white pine
Quercus palustris – pin oak
Quercus bicolor – swamp white oak
Tilia americana – linden
Tilia cordata – little leaf linden

The preceding article was excerpted from “Long Island Gardening,” Jan/Feb 1999, a publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Things to do in March and April

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:49:00 +0000

In the fruit and vegetable garden:

· Cut back asparagus tops to prepare for this year’s asparagus crop. Lightly till in some organic matter and remove weeds from the soil surface. This works only if you till in mid to late March. By April, the asparagus is beginning to emerge and tilling would damage new stalks.

· Prune last year’s blackberry canes and tie new canes to supports.

· Test the soil for pH. Add lime, if the pH is low. Add a layer of organic matter (approximately 1-2 inches thick). Rototill the garden as deeply as possible. Do not till if the soil is wet because you may damage soil structure.

· Plant peas, cabbage, lettuce, onion, carrots and radishes in late March.

· Start seeds for warm-weather crops indoors under lights or in a sunny window. Use covers over flats to keep the humidity high while seeds are germinating.

In the perennial garden:

· Cut back the dead foliage from last year’s perennials.

· Cut back ornamental grass foliage to make way for newly emerging leaves.

· Dig and divide old perennials to rejuvenate and enhance flowering. To renovate an individual plant--dig up the roots; cut the root mass in half or quarters (depending on its size) with a sharp spade. Re-space the new pieces in the garden. If you don’t have room, share with friends by organizing a plant exchange. When you renovate an entire perennial bed, be sure to label root masses as you remove them. Remove all the plants and add organic matter, tilling deeply. Divide perennials with a sharp spade. Replace and re-space perennials in the same or a new arrangement. Complete renovation gives you the opportunity to rearrange perennials to improve height and flowering combinations. No one gets it right the first time and besides “variety is the spice of life!”

· Fertilize tulips after flowering.

· Cut daffodils to brighten the office or kitchen table.

· Bring in stems of forsythia and pussy willow to create great woody arrangements.

In the landscape:

· Spring is the time to move woody plants and shrubs before the leaves emerge. To dig up an existing plant, dig a trench around the root ball and undercut the ball with a sharp spade. Lift (rather than pry) the root mass out of the hole being sure to avoid damaging the root ball. If possible, dig the new hole prior to lifting the plant so you can lower the plant immediately into its new location. Firm soil around the roots and water thoroughly.

· Plant any new landscape plants in the spring to take advantage of natural rainfall. If you wait until May, you will be on the hook for more watering this summer.

· Spray dormant oil on deciduous trees with overwintering insect eggs. This way, you smother the eggs before crawlers emerge in the late spring and summer.

· Prune out suckers and water sprouts while they are easily visible before trees and shrubs leaf out.

· Prune roses by removing dead canes back to 3 inches, all other canes to 6 inches and remove debris.

· Prune needle evergreens when growth begins.

· Plant pansies to brighten up the end of the winter and welcome spring.

In the lawn:

· If you had a problem with crabgrass last summer, now is the time to apply a preemergent herbicide. If your grass is thick and you mow it to a height of 2 ½ to 3 inches, you may not need to use herbicide. The grass will shade the weed seeds and prevent them from germinating.

· Use a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer for spring green-up. Don’t apply more than ½ lb/1000 square feet. This application is not necessary, especially if you fertilized last fall.

· Sharpen the lawn mower blade and cut at the proper height. (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, red fescue - 2 1/2 to 3 inches; tall fescue – 3 inches)

Assess in Autumn, Success Next Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:55:00 +0000

November is great month in our area for preparing next year’s yard and garden. On the next crisp, sunny autumn day, forget the football game and make a tour of your landscape. Take along a pencil and pad to jot down ideas, plan changes, solve problems for next season , even sketch what you see in your garden’s future.
First look at the big picture. Maybe some areas would be more pleasing with the addition or reduction of plants. Step back for a long view assessment of the entryway into your house. Could it be more inviting or safer with a change in landscape plants and hardscape? Does the landscape have color, texture and year-round interest? Every season has something to offer so have a strategy for landscape design and plant choices. Perhaps some trees and shrubs have overgrown their space and need to be pruned or divided. Put any gardening chores on your list, and make up a schedule to tackle specific problems.
Second, investigate the details.
· Check for disease and cultural problems. Trees and shrubs stressed by damaged roots will develop fall color earlier than healthy plants.
· Keep a list of plants that could benefit from mulching, watering, pruning or removal
· Record autumn rainfall. Plants, especially evergreens, need to store water for winter. If nature doesn't provide at least one inch of precipitation every week, give the plant supplemental water until the ground freezes.
· Note which flowers and vegetables performed well and which are suffering from leaf disease. Keep a record of poor-quality plants, and replace them with disease-resistant verities next year.
· Pruning out diseased, dead or insect-infested branches reduces future problems, because unhealthy plant parts are more susceptible to these maladies.

This News is for the Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:54:00 +0000

Feelings vary about the "naturalness" of artfully feeding birds and other wildlife. Studies suggest that backyard bird feeders do not create a population of feeder-dependent birds, but rather reduce the time birds spend seeking food. Two drawbacks to backyard feeders are that some may increase diseases in birds, especially when bird droppings contaminate the food, and feeders often increase predation of birds by house cats.
Most homeowners think of bird feeders as the easiest way to attract more birds. The best, long-term method of drawing birds to your landscape is to provide attractive habitat. In addition to food, birds have other needs to survive and prosper in your yard. Birds need shelter, safe perching sites, and appropriate nesting locations. Gardener's have an edge when it comes to attracting birds. While everyone can put out bird feeders, a gardener can grow natural food that will be the first stop for birds every time. These include coreopsis, sunflowers and coneflowers. With the right plants, your yard will attract many birds. Also, consider variety and varying structure when planting your landscape.
Birds usually have a selection of backyard feeders and they visit more than one location no matter how convenient. Hopper-type feeders filled with a seed mix that includes sunflower seeds and cracked corn are the best type of feeders to attract a variety of visitors. Seed-tube feeders that have an exterior cage to exclude squirrels and house sparrows are inviting. For feeders on poles, use metal flanges or empty plastic soda containers to exclude squirrels, or suspend the feeder from wire.
Remember to place the feeder in sites safe from pouncing cats for security for the birds you are feeding. If you notice birds crashing into windows, move the feeder to protect the birds from injury. – Dewey Caron

Be on the Lookout: Insect Pests Around the House

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:52:00 +0000

Do you have a habit of storing dry food products in such a way that it’s an open invitation to insects? This isn’t just a fall problem; it can occur any time of year. The first sign may be noticing small moths flying from the kitchen toward the television at night. Another indication is when you find insects as you measure out flour, pasta, cereal or dried fruit. Sometime you find evidence of insects when you open the bird feed bag that has gone unused all summer.
Several different insects can the culprits, including drugstore beetle, confused flour beetle, saw-tooth grain, weevils, cigarette beetles or any grain moths. The infestation generally starts in products we seldom use. Even though insects may add extra protein to our meals, most people prefer not to eat!
Prevention is the key to control. Rotate your products—the first brought is the first used. Purchasing large quantities of dry food may save a few pennies when you buy, but if it takes months to use the product, those savings will be lost when you end up tossing the food.
If you find an infestation, go through all similar products on your shelves, even the unopened packages. Most people just toss the infested products, but some dried foods can be placed in an oven heated to 130 degrees F for 30 minutes or put in the freezer for four days to kill the insects, after which you can sieve the product of dead insects. The products that are clean need to be placed in air tight containers such as jars or plastic containers.
With everything out of cabinets, clean thoroughly, which involves vacuuming and washing with water and detergent. The goal of cleaning is to remove loose food particles in the cracks and crevices that could support the insects. This also removes insects and insect eggs. Put everything back, but don’t restock unless foods are stored in insect-proof containers. In three weeks recheck everything. If you find insects, clean and repeat the inspection in three more weeks. Why every three weeks? To catch insects that have hatched from unseen eggs and rid the cabinet of insects before they lay more eggs. Sometimes it takes two or three months to break up the infestation.
Don’t just check your food items. The infestation may be coming from dry dog and cat food, or bird seed. Other sources may be the natural decorations such as Indian corn, a child’s bean bag toy, or that bag of nuts you tossed in a drawer and forgot about.

SCRAP YOUR FABRIC FEEDERS
Carpet beetles—a double threat
Carpet beetles are not just a fabric pest; they also infest cereals, cake mixes, products containing grains, and even some dried foods such as peppers. Carpet beetles may be found at windows, seeking light to go outside for flower nectar.
It’s the carpet beetle larvae that damages home furnishings, fabrics, and clothing that contains wool, hair, fur, hides or feathers. Carpet beetles (order Coleoptera) are small insects, dark or mottled dark in color, and of the same shape as ladybird beetles. The adults fly and may appear in large numbers at windows. The adults do not feed on fabrics; they feed on flower pollen outside, but their presence should alert the homeowner to a potential infestation. Natural materials are infested more commonly than manufactured goods. Carpet beetles may be found in synthetic fibers such as nylon when it is contaminated with spilled food.
Don’t give clothes moths an opening
In Delaware the two most common fabric moth (order Lepidoptera) pests are the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. The adult moths look alike: they are yellowish to buff in color and have a small wing span, only 1/2 inch. Many other small moths have a similar appearance. The larvae are whitish with a dark hair capsule. They are small, only about 3/8 inch when fully grown. You can usually see a silken feeding tube or larval case in the material they feed upon.
Clothes moth larvae are most destructive to articles that are left undisturbed for a long time. The adult moths prefer darkness. They can fly and attempt to hide when exposed to light. The larvae stay on the fabrics they feed on and withdraw into silken tunnels/cases when disturbed. Colorless except for dark head capsules, the moth develops as rapidly as a month under favorable conditions to as much as a year.
Clothes moth larvae are usually found on the fiber they feed upon, thriving in out-of-the-way places, where they can go undetected for a long time. Clothes moths are nocturnal and avoid lighted areas. They run to hide when their infestation site is exposed.
Eggs and larvae of fabric-infesting moths and beetles may be carried into the home on articles containing wool or animal fibers. Secondhand clothing, home furnishings or wool scraps also may be infested when you bring them home. Carpet beetles may fly inside from a neighbor's home; clothes moths usually do not enter this way. Once inside, both clothes moths and carpet beetles are capable of moving from one location to another. They may crawl, walk, or fly. An active infestation in your home or apartment may spread to additional rooms and/or fabrics.
Sanitation is key to control
You can keep an infestation from developing by practicing good housekeeping and by applying protective treatments to items in storage. Once an infestation has begun, you must eliminate it. This almost always involves using an insecticide.
The best control is to avoid infestation in the first place. Examine the following hiding places:
· Woolens, especially if dirty, like woolen scrap, old socks, stored clothes not properly protected, even wool lining of slippers.
· Lint accumulations such as in floor cracks, behind baseboards, in closets, in ventilation ducts, in furniture or drawers. Some treated materials such as carpets may have a lint accumulation sufficient to support carpet beetles.
· Cereals or high protein foods (dog food, fish meal, fertilizer) or their debris where they accumulate in kitchen shelf cracks and crevices.
· Fur or feathers of stuffed items, unused hats or in stored material.
· Furniture or clothing in storage.
· Felt linings in pianos, lining of draperies, or other lined items.
· Animal products or items made with them.
· Closets, especially those containing stored clothing.
· Carpets or rugs, especially areas hard to reach with normal cleaning, beneath furniture, in corners, behind radiators, etc.
If you have an infestation, the most effective course is to search for and isolate the source of the insects rather than treat an entire room or structure. Begin by getting rid of the items that are infested, and then thoroughly clean the area. Clean up accumulated lint if the insects are in rugs, carpets or furniture. If the offending insects are in stored materials, you may have to discard infested materials or at least thoroughly clean them. Protect them from reinfestation before returning them to storage.
Once a hole is found in the fabric, the damage is done. To prevent this, use a vacuum regularly. Give close attention to:

· rugs and carpets
· drapes and upholstered furniture
· closets, particularly those storing clothing
· radiators, furnace vents, and surfaces behind hard to clean items
· corners, cracks, baseboards, moldings, and areas where lint may accumulate

If you suspect an infestation, vacuum and promptly dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag in a closed trash bag. Rotate rugs or furnishings periodically and clean beneath and around them as you do so. –Dewey Caron

Fanciful Faces for all your Fall Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:51:00 +0000

Could your yard and garden use a little cheering-up in the weeks before winter sets in? Then brighten your fall landscape with the colorful faces of a cool-weather favorite—pansies. Millions of pansy bedding plants are sold in the United States this time of year to fill in the empty spaces left in annual and perennial beds. When massed together in rich, moist soil, the pansy’s bright-patterned face sings a merry melody in the autumnal landscape, and is just the ticket for jazzing up window boxes and front porch containers with a trumpet of late-season color.
Pansies are among the few flowering plants that you can plant for autumn bloom and then look forward to their return the following spring. Two seasons from one plant—now that’s bloom for your buck! Pansies will flower this year until a severe frost arrives. Yet, if placed in a protected area, the hardier pansy varieties may even bloom throughout a mild Delaware winter.
A kissing cousin to the violet, the pansy has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. Modern varieties provide an infinite combinations of color, with and without the familiar “face” markings. The pansy harkens back to its diminutive, yet hardy, ancestor—the viola. Cultivated in Ancient Greece as a medicinal, the pansy has stayed in favor with gardeners throughout the centuries. Somewhere along the way, this flower became a symbol of remembrance. In fact, its name is thought to be derived from the French word pensee, meaning remembrance.
The origin of the modern-day pansy has its roots in 19th century England, when gardeners competed to breed new varieties for unusual colors and color combinations, as well as larger flower size. By 1850, North American gardeners welcomed this newly “created” flower, and it gained rapid acceptance across the United States. In fact, an American mail-order catalog from 1888 describes the pansy as the “most popular of all flowers grown from seed—our sales exceeding 100,000 seed packets a year."
In recent years, new pansy colors, a double petal variety and unusual bicolor designs have generated a resurgence of interest in the pansy. Available in almost every flower color imaginable from vivid yellows and blues to delicate colors of peach, pink and pastel mixes, pansy flowers vary in size from 2 ½ inches across to the ½ -inch blooms of the viola, a mini-pansy.
Easy to grow, pansies are industrious bloomers. In fact, the more you cut them the more they will bloom. Many pansies have a faint delicate fragrance, which is more noticeable in early morning and at dusk. The flowers, but not the leaves, are edible. In addition, the pansy’s flat bloom and heart-shaped leaves make it ideal for pressing for use in floral craft projects.
When buying pansies, choose plants that are stocky with dark green foliage, and with few blooms yet many buds. Pansies perform best in well-drained soil. Soggy soil throughout winter is likely to rot the plant. Also, pansies need at least six hours of sunlight. While they can be placed in shade, the plant will produce fewer blossoms there and plants, forced to stretch for sun, will be less compact.
Space pansies about 8 inches apart in a spot in the garden that gets afternoon shade. If planting in a container, place the plants closer—about 3 or 4 inches apart. Mulch well to inhibit weed growth and keep soil temperatures constant. If the weather is dry, thoroughly water the bed or container every week. Avoid wetting the foliage, however, because overhead watering can lead to leaf spot and mildew. The most common pests are slugs, which feed on plant leaves and stems at night.
Pansies are heavy feeders. A timed-released fertilizer will boost their performance for many months. Mix the fertilizer into the soil before setting out plants, or put a little into the hole when planting (always follow the label directions). Reapply fertilizer in late winter to boost growth and blooms. Remove faded blooms to stimulate flower production.
In spring, enjoy the pansy regeneration as soon as it begins to warm up, keeping in mind that pansies surrender in summer heat. In late May, remove the pansy plants before they become sparse, stringy and unattractive, and replace them with summer annuals. In fall, you can look forward to starting the pansy cycle all over again.

Tool Time

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:50:00 +0000

As the gardening season winds down, it’s time for other chores, including preparing your well-used garden hand tools that have served you throughout the spring and summer. These items include shovels, rakes, hoes, forks, pruning shears and clippers, trowels, hand forks, hoses and sprinklers.
To maintain your gardening tools or to determine which tools must be replaced, use the following:
· Drain your garden hoses twice before storing and then coil to hang on your storage area wall.

· Clean all dried soil and vegetation from sprinklers. Be sure to oil all pivot points and springs. In addition, to prevent rust, cover all bare metal parts with penetrating oil.

· Clean dried soil and vegetation from the metal parts of hoes, rakes, trowels, spades, shovels, etc., with a wire brush. Again, to prevent rust, spray or apply penetrating oil to metal parts and cutting points.

· Sharpen all tools with a cutting edge, and then apply penetrating oil to the blades.

· Wipe down all wooden parts of hand tools and apply warmed linseed oil (place open can in boiling water for a minute or two). Warming the oil will help it to soak into the wood more efficiently.

· Check for loose screws, nuts and bolts—tighten or replace as needed. Also check for broken or bent parts and replace or repair them.

· Rinse all pesticide-spraying equipment two or three times.

· Hang your equipment in the proper place after cleaning and oiling. This makes it much easier to locate next spring.

By taking the time to thoroughly check your gardening implements for needed repairs and proper storage for the winter season, you and your tools will be prepared next spring for a productive gardening season.

When temperatures start dropping, be sure to check for any chemicals that should not freeze. Move them to a safe storage place where temperatures do not fall below 40F. Frozen liquids can break jars and split plastic containers, spreading concentrated chemicals within reach of children or pets. —Maggie Moor-Orth

Treat Fall Mums as Annuals

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:48:00 +0000

It must be fall when we start to see yellow, bronze and maroon mounds in garden centers, grocery stores and anywhere that sells plants these days. Most of the mums are meant to be used as fall annuals in containers, on patios or planted as fall. While they are perennial and will overwinter in Delaware, they will never achieve the dense compact form that you see now.
Many references suggest planting garden mums in the ground and pruning them once a month until early July, at which time you allow the mum to grow freely and set flowers. This is just too much work for me, especially when mum growers do it for you and produce great new mums every fall at reasonable prices.
These fall mums are hybrids derived from hundreds of years of breeding wild species from China and Japan. Hardy mums are classified by their flower shape:
Cushions – double-flowered forms with compact growth, usually less than 10” tall.
Daisies - Single daisy-like flowers with yellow centers.
Decoratives - Taller forms with larger double or semi-double flowers.
Pompons - Free-flowering plants with small ball-shaped blooms, usually less than 18” tall.
Buttons - Pants with small double flowers (less than 1” across) usually less than 18” tall.

Some chrysanthemums (or Dendranthema, depending on whose nomenclature is most popular at the moment) make lovely garden perennials. My favorite is ‘Sheffield Pink’. Its salmon-colored daisy flowers begin opening in mid-fall and keep blooming for at least a month in my garden. Free-flowering and flowing, it creates a loose, open mound that I allow to cascade over a rock wall and flow over the edge of a large container I keep outdoors year-round. If you want to grow ‘Sheffield Pink’ as a denser plant, prune it once prior to July 4th.

Don't Throw in the Trowel Just Yet!

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:46:00 +0000

By the end of a long gardening season, many gardeners are ready to close up shop, opting to spend the cold months poring through gardening magazines and seed catalogs. But don’t throw in the trowel yet, says Susan Barton, Cooperative Extension specialist for horticulture at the University of Delaware. “Preparing your garden for its long winter’s nap now will really make a difference in the health and survival of your plants,” she says.
“First consider the annuals, tender perennials and tropical plants that will not overwinter outdoors,” Barton says. “Dig up tender plants and bring them indoors to enjoy throughout the winter. Annuals will complete there life cycle at some point during the winter and tender perennials (if given proper light and moisture) will survive to be planted outdoors again next year.”
According to Barton, it doesn’t take 32 degrees F to injure tender plants, so bring inside all tender plants and potted plants that have spent the summer outdoors before temperatures dip below 50 degrees F.
For trees, shrubs and hardy perennials that will spend the winter outdoors, the horticulture specialist suggests reducing watering during the early fall. “Less water causes plants to slow their growth rate, allowing them to harden up against harsh weather,” Barton says. “But once the cold comes for good, make sure there is an abundance of available water in the soil."
“Most of what we refer to as winter injury is the result of drying out of the foliage from winter winds, which remove moisture from the leaves,” she adds.

In addition, in Delaware warm spells occur throughout the winter. Barton says to provide extra water to plants when it warms up so they don’t dry out during the cold, dry spell that may follow. “Pay special attention to plants under eaves and other places,” she says. “These areas often do not get adequate moisture from rain or snow.”
Use mulch around the base of plants to conserve moisture. Mulch does not prevent the ground from freezing but it does moderate the rapid freezing and thawing that can heave tender plants out of the ground. Never pile mulch up onto the trunk or stem of trees or shrubs.
Protect tender shrubs by covering them (or tying them up with) a loose layer of evergreen boughs. The branches will protect plants from drying winds and reduce snow and wind breakage. Natural materials work much better than plastic, or even burlap, because they allow some airflow and prevent the air next to the plant from heating up during sunny days.
Plants that you keep outdoors in containers are less hardy than the same plant would be in the ground. The soil is a great temperature moderator and containers above the soil are subject to much colder temperatures. If possible, move containers to a protected location, like a garage, shed or cold frame to get them out of direct sunlight and harsh winds. If this is not possible, cover the soil with mulch and surround the planters with insulating materials, such as leaves or bales of hay. Water container plants during dry periods in the winter.
It doesn’t take much time to prepare your garden for the winter, and come spring, you will be glad you did. “Once done, you can relax.,” says Barton. “Put your feet up in front of the fire, longingly leaf though garden magazines and anticipate another new gardening season.”

Dormant Oils for Scale and Mites

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:45:00 +0000

Dormant oils can be used anytime during the dormant season, not just in spring. If you are headed south for the winter, you can apply dormant oils before you leave. An application of dormant oils controls scale and reduces mite and aphid problems by suffocating the eggs and present insects.
Don’t trust fall leaf-drop to indicate dormancy, however; wait until we have had a few good frosts before spraying. Fall leaf-drop can be caused by stress. If the tree is not dormant, it could leaf out again during a warm fall. Timing is critical. Typically, wait until late November to early December to apply dormant oil. The minimum temperature has to be 40 degrees F, and plants must be dry.
Coverage of the plant is critical to ensure that insects hiding in cracks and crevices are covered completely. Any insects not covered will escape treatment. The oil also must dry on the tree before rain or freezing temperatures. Read and follow the instructions on the label. Then, don’t forget to winterize your sprayer when you are done.
Orchard voles and mice
Fruit trees, especially apple trees, need bare ground around the base of the trunk to prevent damage caused by pine mice, meadow mice and voles. These voracious rodents feed on the roots, which stunts or kills the trees. Now is a good time to set mouse traps out. Bait the traps with oats, apple slices, or other natural food, and place them in the aboveground runs to catch these critters before the feed on trees. Often the underground runs of mice and voles are confused with mole runs, but unlike moles, these tiny pests also have above ground runs through the grass. These plant eaters will eat a variety of plants including bulbs, tubers and stems. —Derby Walker

Shedding Light on a Plant's Response to Darker Days

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:44:00 +0000

Warm, brighter days have given way to short, darker ones. You have brought your houseplants indoors from their summer respite, placing them in the best light to overwinter. Ever noticed how certain houseplants lean toward the window seeking sun?
As a child, I thought my grandmother’s houseplants were like her Tabby cat—they just like the warmth of the sun on a chilly day. It was not until I learned a plant’s three basic reactions to light—photosynthesis, phototropism, and photoperiodism—that I understood the phenomenon. With little for gardeners to do outside during the colder November days, maybe you have time for a refresher course—a brief “Understanding Your Plant’s Behavior 101.”
All life on earth depends on the process of photosynthesis—a fact we all learned in grade school. In high school we explored why—radiant energy from the sun is converted into chemical energy, which is stored in sugars glucose and fructose. Directly or indirectly, animals get food (and so energy) by ingesting plant materials that break down sugars and starches.
Phototropism is the plant's movement in response to light. As growth hormones are produced, stem cells on the side away from the light begin to multiply. The stem tilts putting its leaves closer to the light source in a position to intercept the most light.
The most interesting plant response to light is photoperiodism, which is the plant's reaction to the dark, a response controlled by the phytochrome pigment in the leaves. The pigment shifts between two forms based on whether it receives more red or far-red light. Photoperiodism controls several different plant reactions, including seed germination, stem elongation, dormancy, and blooming in day length-sensitive plants.
Some common ornamental plants are day length-sensitive, requiring specific light conditions to initiate bloom. Poinsettia and chrysanthemums are short-day plants. To set bloom, the night (or dark period) must be longer than 12 consecutive hours. Some plants are so sensitive that if the dark is interrupted by even a blink of light, the plants will not bloom. Conversely, long-day plants require more than 12 hours of light to bloom. A common long-day plant is the Easter Lily. The plants without this light-length requirement are called day-neutral. Asters, for example, have a combination requirement of long-day followed by short-day.
Some seeds are also light sensitive. Germination is controlled by the reaction in the phytochrome pigment. Many lettuce varieties must have light to germinate. Lettuce is packaged and distributed in foil packets to prevent sprouting before planting. Most weed seeds are in this category. Have you noticed how every time you till the soil more weeds shoot up? Weed seeds lie dormant in the soil for years waiting for you to stir up the soil so they get enough light to germinate.
Phytochrome also controls lengthening or elongation of stems. A good example is leggy plants in low light. The light reaction in phytochrome also guides the germinating seedling stem through the soil toward light.
The final photoperiod response is stimulation of dormancy. While several factors trigger dormancy, a major one is shorter day length. It is critical that we understand this mechanism when we move plants out of the area in which they evolved. For example, a sugar maple grown in the north but from southern seed will not become dormant early enough to escape winter cold injury. Therefore it is important to buy perennial plants from seed sources at similar latitudes to our own.
It’s interesting to ponder on these short, darker days as you daydream about next growing season that your plants are reacting to the light (or lack of it) even more than you do.

Adapted from an 2002 article written by Barbara Larson, Extension horticulture educator, Illinois

The Winter Garden—Exercise your White Thumb

noreply@blogger.com (Garden Check) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:43:00 +0000

Captivating combinations of plants placed in any container, from rustic stone and terracotta to elaborate urns carved with cupids and gargoyles, have graced decks and patios all summer. In recent years, container gardening has become evermore popular as each spring gardeners haunt garden centers looking for new and interesting tropicals and annuals to plant. The key is to bring together colors, textures, sizes, foliage shapes and bloom times for really dynamic pot compositions.
But container gardening doesn’t have to end with the first frost. The latest trend in container gardens is to extend their use into the winter months.
Fabulous containers are attractive even unplanted, but consider adding to their beauty with winter plantings. You can use live plants in winter containers. Dwarf Alberta spruce is hardy enough to survive in large above-ground containers, which can be decorated as a small Christmas tree at an entrance or on a deck.
I saw my favorite winter planting for the first time a few years ago in the courtyard of the Delaware Center for Horticulture. A large container was planted with a berry-laden Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly) and underplanted with variegated liriope. Woven throughout the liriope was a strand of tiny white lights. The effect was fabulous, especially at dusk, and I have used this combination at home for the holidays every year since.
It is a good idea to combine evergreen and deciduous plants in a winter container. Christmas fern is another good evergreen groundcover for a deciduous shrub. Or, cotoneaster may provide the deciduous component when used with an evergreen shrub.
Whatever you choose, select hardy plants that can survive in above-ground containers. Make sure your containers are large enough to provide enough buffering soil mass and with good drainage to prevent the container media from becoming waterlogged.
If you don’t want to worry about keeping plants alive in containers all winter, try using winter cuts to fill containers. Make your own cuts from your garden, or purchase woody cuts from a florist. Flowering woody cuts such as forsythia, pussy willow and cherry are usually used indoors unless it is near the normal bloom time for that plant. Fruiting cuts, such as bittersweet (the native kind, not oriental bittersweet), winterberry holly and crabapple can last outdoor for many months. Some cuts are used for their bark color such as red or yellow twigged dogwood, or for textural interest such as willow and birch branches. Stems with an interesting form can be painted to provide a color that fits the overall design scheme.
Consider making seasonal combinations that you change throughout the cold months. Red and yellow bittersweet fruit and pumpkin colored rose hips make for a great Thanksgiving container. For Christmas, use evergreens such as hemlock, yew or white pine combined with winterberry hollies and twigs of yellow dogwood. A late winter or early spring container might include forced pussy willow, curly willow and larch branches. Leave the curly willow in place and add a vine for a great summer container.
The winter is not the time to put your gardening creativity to bed. Start thinking about great winter combinations you can make this year. – Susan Barton

Adapted from an article—“Containers and Woodies in Winter – Oh my!”— by Phil Mueller, which appeared in American Nurseryman, August 15, 2004, p.24-26.