(Back)
I purchased a beautiful Christmas cactus so full of blooms and I need to learn how to take care of this plant.
We think of Christmas cactus as a heat loving plant, but actually your blooms will last much longer if your plant is in a well lit location, free of drafts from heat registers, fireplaces or other hot air. Hot air causes the flower buds to drop off before they have a chance to open. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. The plants will wilt under drought stress. You do not need to fertilize while the plant is blooming.
After bloom time you can prune the plant back which will cause it to branch out more. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with your fingers or cutting with a sharp knife. You could root these cuttings in moist vermiculite to propagate new plants.
Once summer comes you can move this plant outside, but keep it in a shady or semi-shady location. The leaves will burn in direct sunlight. Be sure to bring it in before any chance of frost.
The most asked question about Christmas cactus is how to get them to bloom again. This takes some effort. About October they need to have long uninterrupted dark periods, about 12 hours each night, in order to have blooms for the holidays. Place the plant in a closet from about eight each night to about eight each morning. Another successful way that takes less labor is to subject your plant to temperatures about 50-55 degrees from about November to Christmas. This plant takes some effort but is worth it for that beautiful color so welcomed during our long winter.
We bought a live Christmas tree and now what do we do? The ground seems frozen. Is it impossible to plant now?
We try to encourage those anticipating buying a live Christmas tree, to dig a planting hole in advance and cover the soil so that it doesn't freeze, but even if you haven't already dug your hole, you can still save that tree. We hope you have moved it from your warm house to your garage/shed where it can get used to the colder weather. Also you will need to make sure it is kept moist.
Do some research to see how big your tree will be at maturity, so that you can choose an appropriate planting site and eliminate problems that a big tree might cause later on. Once the weather warms up a bit, start digging. The soil may only be frozen for a few inches. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball, remove any strings or burlap, straighten out any roots that seem bound up, and place in the hole. Make sure that your depth is correct so that your soil line will be the same as it has been in the pot. Cover with soil and water well. Place mulch around the planting to help hold the moisture.
I am thinking of raising some rabbits in the garden area for many reasons, one being the fertilizer they produce. What do you think? Is their manure good for the garden?
Rabbit manure is a good source of nitrogen for your garden and breaks down quickly. Two rabbits will give you a good pile to spread on your garden in the fall. (Two rabbits could also give you many more little rabbits) The winter rains and snow will soak those nutrients into the soil while your garden plants are dormant. You could also add the droppings to your compost pile or put some in a bucket and fill with water and brew up some manure tea to pour on your plants.
Rabbits do need shelter and the proper food and water so research their needs before you begin. Be aware that rabbits running loose will eat many of your garden plants, so you need to contain them. Many gardeners build attractive hutches to use as part of their 'garden art' and some like to refer to their rabbits as the garden pet.
I grew some large beautiful potatoes this summer and now when I use them I see many of them have brown hollow portions in the center of the potato. What causes this? Is it a disease?
It is not a disease, but a physiological disorder caused by rapid tissue growth. It is more serious during wet, cool weather and some varieties may be more prone to it. Hollow heart tubers are edible. Simply cut out that portion.
I want to grow food for my family this year, and would also love to have some beautiful flowers, but I am a true amateur and would like some basic information. Can you give me some helpful tips in just a few paragraphs?
We love to help new gardeners and what better time to talk about it. We are usually setting down our New Year's Resolutions now and we can suggest these tips and call them your Garden Resolutions for the year.
I am making out my nursery order and want to purchase a plant I saw in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden last summer. It was located in the xeric portion and was rather tall and had pink flowers. It was so fragrant and sort of smelled like candy. Can you help?
We think you are describing Agastache Bubble Gum Mint. We planted several of them last spring and they really put on a show. Originally from the southwest, they are drought tolerant, hardy, smell like bubble gum, and the hummingbirds love them.
There are many varieties and colors of Agastache, so you have many choices. Even though the word mint is mentioned in their description, they do not spread like mint, and are more of a clumping shape. Plant some in your garden, and come see ours this summer.
My hubby and I are good cooks, but lousy gardeners. We want to grow some herbs for our cooking, but wonder if this will be too difficult for us. We both have black thumbs.
A. We think you have chosen one of the easiest of plant groups to grow. And what an addition fresh herbs make to accent our recipes.
Look around and see if you have a sunny location that gets about 5-6 hours a day of sun. Ideally this should be located close to the kitchen door so you can simply step out and snip what you need for a soup or salad. The soil should be enriched with compost, so that it is well drained. You will have to decide whether you want this to look very formal or more of a cottage garden.
Write out a list of what you use the most in your cooking. Do some research to determine which of your favorite herbs are perennials, and which are annuals. As you develop your garden plan, read the description of each perennial herb, consider how big they will be at maturity and provide enough space between plants. Seed your annuals so that they will not disturb the perennials when you pull them up in the fall.
Many perennials such as oregano, chives, garlic chives, thyme, and sage are long lived and do very well here. There are many mints available to you, such as lemon, chocolate, pineapple and apple, but all are very aggressive, and should be planted in containers. Basil is an annual and loves hot weather and is intolerant of the cold. Dill is also an annual but will re-seed itself each year.
Herb gardens are beautiful to look at and can be a focal part of your garden. Begin now by reading the nursery catalogs that are available to you, or go online and keyword "herbs" both for ordering seeds and learning more about growing and cooking. Good luck.
My yard is very drab this winter and I need suggestions to improve this. Can you help?
What a good time to work on this problem. By seeing the garden during the winter months, it allows you to map out a solution for spring. Look around and see just where your garden needs help. Think about the heights you are needing, and how dense you want your plantings. It is a matter of choice just what you want for winter but many rely on conifers to supply our need for 'green', because they keep their color all year. Many have beautiful cones too, and of course they come in all colors and sizes, so do your homework.
Many trees and shrubs have interesting bark and twigs that will add textural interest. You might also look into shrubs that have a berry, roses that have big rose hips, and ornamental grasses that keep their look all thru winter. Master Gardeners can help you with specific ideas and you can call us at 574-1600. Take a look through the books at the Yakima Regional Library or get online and keyword "winter interest in the garden". Good luck.
I grew potatoes for the first time this year and was so proud, but many have knobs on them and look a bit like Mickey Mouse. They taste ok but are sure hard to peel. What causes this?
Dr. Roy Vandenburg was the coordinator of our Master Gardeners for many years and was also our teacher. We can still remember him telling us how stupid potatoes are. Potatoes like to be kept moist and when we let them dry out and then give them water, they forget where they were growing and begin in another location. So the secret here is to keep them moist. You might try using a mulch around them to help keep moisture in. There are many choices but leaves and lawn clippings work well and are available and affordable too.
I have received some of my first garden catalogs and it all seems a little like a foreign language to me. What does it mean when it says terms like compact, bush, giant, unique or vigorous?
Garden catalogs do have a lot of information and some of it will be revealed in a key that you will find at the beginning of the catalog. Get familiar with the key so that you will know if it is an heirloom, hybrid, drought tolerant and resistant to certain diseases.
The words you mention are descriptive too and simply describe how the plant grows. Giant means just that. It is much bigger than others in that same plant group. Compact or bush tells us that this plant will be much smaller and would be ideal in a little garden area. Words like vigorous should be taken serious. It might mean that it will out compete the other plants in your garden and you may have to really watch it or it will take over. Another set of words that might make you cautious is self-sowing; this means that it is going to throw seeds out and you might have this plant for the rest of your life. That might be ok in some settings but might be too much in others.
Catalogs are unique in themselves. Many will sell small packages with a few seeds at lower prices so you can try many kinds, others will offer bulk seeds at reduced prices. Still others might feature just one kind of vegetable such as tomatoes. Those teach us just how many varieties of that one vegetable there is. Nearly all of them have a page or two of new varieties for the year. These have been tested and of course it is fun to try something new.
Garden catalogs make good reading on a cold January evening, and you will find just the ones that you prefer
Should I use potting soil rather than garden soil for starting seeds indoors?
Yes, use prepared, sterilized, sacked mixes of starting media available in garden and hardware stores. You can make your own soil-less planting media using peat, fine vermiculite, and Perlite or sand -- all sterile ingredients that won't transmit pathogens to your seedlings.
Since starting mixes contain few if any nutrients, you'll need to add fertilizer as soon as the first true leaves appear. Liquid fertilizers sold for houseplants and diluted to half strength work well.
Transplant seedlings into individual containers soon after they get their second set of true leaves, or as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle.
What to do in the garden in February…
During the cold month of February gardeners may appear calm and serene on the outside - but inside there is something rather primeval stirring. You can tell by the glint of gluttonous satisfaction in our eye when we pass the two foot high stack of garden catalogs on the kitchen counter. We betray ourselves by the stacks of little plastic nursery pots soaking in bleach water in the bathtub and by the peat pots already seeded and soaking up the rays under the grow lights. Spring is just around the corner - and we know it!
Here are a few chores to keep us busy and get us ready for spring -
* Make your garden plan for this year. Rotate crops to help preserve soil nutrients and to avoid potential disease problems. Your garden journal is a great help with this task. If you don't have a journal, start one this year.* Sharpen and oil your garden tools. Play with the new garden toys you received for Christmas.
* Organize the potting shed.
* Mist stored tubers such as dahlias, begonias and gladiolas. Discard any tubers or corms that are shriveled or moldy or that feel soft.
* If the weather's agreeable, divide perennials. Carefully lift the entire plant then divide into appropriate sized pieces. Replant new starts in other parts of the garden or share them with friends and family. Be sure and include the full name of the plant so the recipient knows what they're getting and can then determine the plant's needs and its size at maturity.
* Cut back any perennials that weren't cleaned up last fall. Remove the dead stalks before new growth begins, especially with ornamental grasses. When working in your garden, beware of stepping on emerging bulb foliage.
* If the weather warms up for a few minutes you will see flushes of weed seeds that have germinated. They look like a plush carpet of green emerging from the soil. Get rid of them now by running a gloved hand over the soil and roughing them up. There now, you just saved yourself an hour of weeding two months from now.
* Keep an eye out for any disease or fungus problems on your plants. Early identification will make treatment more effective.
* Rake up remaining leaves in the yard and add to your compost pile.
* Cut branches from spring-flowering shrubs to bring inside and force. Branches of pussy willow, forsythia, flowering quince and ornamental flowering trees all work well. Make a clean cut and place in water. In a few days, enjoy an early spring.
* If the weather cooperates, finish any winter pruning. When pruning fruit trees and grapes, cut flush with the swollen collar near the base of the branch rather than flush with the trunk. The cut will heal faster.
* Now is the time to build a cold frame. Frames are great for keeping young plants from freezing until they can survive in the garden unprotected. Old windows can work well for constructing cold frames.
* Treat your favorite gardener for Valentine's Day. Great gift ideas include: a new gardening book, a pair of new gardening gloves, a pretty pot, a subscription to a gardening magazine, a flowering house plant, or a gift certificate to a local nursery.
The leaves on my houseplants are droopy and leaves are dropping. They did so well all summer and fall. What am I doing wrong?
Winter can be very hard on houseplants. Ask yourself these questions for possible causes of your houseplant problem:
Am I watering too much? By the time winter sets in, many of our houseplants have become semi-dormant. During the winter they do not need nearly as much water as when they were actively growing.
Am I over-fertilizing? Because growth has virtually stopped, plants do not need fertilizing until they resume growing next spring.
Are my plants getting the right amount of light? Most houseplants do best with either reflected bright or subdued light rather than direct sunlight. Check the light level several times during the day to see if they are getting enough light. Placing your plants under fluorescent lights may be necessary if your plants are not receiving enough natural light.
Are my houseplants too cold or too warm? Drafts from doorways can be enough to shock them. Plants placed on windowsills could be the problem if some of the leaves are touching the cold windowpanes. Heat from nearby vents could also be the source of your problem.
Is the humidity of my home too low? Humidity in the typical home is too dry during the winter for the health of houseplants -- and for us. Furnace humidifiers are ideal. Even a small humidifier used for treating respiratory problems can be used to raise the humidity around plants grouped closely together. Setting our houseplants on saucers filled with gravel and water will raise the humidity, but be sure the bottom of the pot is not in direct contact with the water. Misting is another solution that is sometimes recommended. Unless you are vigilant and mist every few hours, misting your plants is not effective.
I always think that I will be able to remember the names of plants in my garden, but invariably I forget. I would like to make plant labels that last all season for my vegetables, and labels that last forever for my perennial gardens. Do you have any suggestions for cheap, indestructible plant labels?
Forever is a long time. Would you be satisfied with markers that last for a relatively long time? Here are a few ideas that you can experiment with.
Plastic - milk jugs can be cut into strips with a point on one end. Use a good quality permanent marker. If you push the plastic into the soil where it will be shaded it will last longer. There are also lots of commercial plastic markers that are relatively inexpensive.
Metal - thin copper flashing can be cut into tags with tin snips. Use a ball point pen to "engrave" plant names. Punch a hole in one end and wire to the tree, shrub, or plant. Leave the wire very loose so it will not constrict or "girdle" the plant as it grows. Keep an eye on tags from year to year and replace tag or wire tie as needed.
Galvanized metal or aluminum flashing can also be used. It is, however, harder to cut and write on. Try using a grease pencil or permanent marker. Metal plant markers are also available commercially.
Rocks - rock can be engraved if you have the time and know-how or paint the names on with acrylic paint, then coat with a clear exterior grade finish.
Wood - painted or carved, wood works in the garden and looks right at home.
Plant labels may not be the only solution to keeping a record of the plants in your garden. Many gardeners keep a "garden journal" in which they record information about plant names, dates planted, yields, soil amendments, weather, watering, etc. It could include a map of your garden to keep track of what is where. Starting a garden journal is a great way to begin the gardening season.
Are there some January or February blooming perennials that I can plant?
There is nothing like taking a late winter walk through your garden and finding blooms peaking out from the snow cover. An excellent perennial choice is the Lenten Rose or the Helleborus. It is a member of the Ranunculaceae family. This is a long-living plant that will bloom for many months in the winter and spring. There are several species that will grow nicely in our zones here in the Yakima Valley. Hellebores are evergreen. Their leaves are long-stalked and grow in substantial clumps. They do not like to be moved around and take time to reestablish themselves so pick carefully a long-term planting site. They like shade or partial shade, though there are some species that will grow well in sun. Planting one under a long branch of a large tree would be a good choice.
There are many varieties of Hellebores to choose from. Here are some selections that will work in our zones here: Corsican Hellebore (H. argutifolius, H lividus, H. corsicus). This is a native of Sardinia and Corsica. It is one of the largest Hellebores. It has large racemes (elongated flower clusters) of light green color while the plant is a light gray-green or blue-green in color. It grows to a height of 3-feet and will tolerate sun. It takes a neutral soil and will take less water than other species.
The Christmas Rose, H. niger, is a smaller plant growing 1-1/2 feet. It will bloom from December through April. It's leaflets are dark green and the flowers are white to greenish white and will later fade to a purplish hue. The leaflets have few large teeth. This variety needs plenty of water.
Lenten Rose, H. orientalis, is similar in growth habit to the H. niger. It is quite easy to transplant, blooms a little later (beginning in March) but you may be surprised to see it blooming earlier than that date. It is often confused with the H. niger but this variety has many small teeth on the leaflets. Its color varies from white, greenish white, purplish or rose. It is often splashed or spotted with deep purple. It too likes lots of water.
Warning: Once you discover this beautiful plant you will quickly succumb to the desire to have more! Fortunately there are many hybrids available now, mostly of the H. orientalis. They come in so many colors now that it may be hard to decide just which one to plant. Once they are planted and you discover them blooming in your yard you will be hooked.
There is a favorite early-blooming shrub that is also a pleasant, attractive addition to any garden. It is the Daphne mezereum, or February Daphne. A member of the Thymelaeaceae family, it is deciduous and grows in Zones 1-7. This shrub is of Eurasian origin. It has an upright growth habit with stiff branches and grows up to 4-feet in height and width. It can be planted in sun or partial shade and requires little water. Over-watering will kill this shrub. In late January or early February you will discover many clusters of red-purple flowers along its stem. These blooms will continue for a few months. Red fruit will follow the flowers.
Often you discover the Daphne blooming by smell first. You may be taking a winter walk and suddenly get a whiff of the most fragrant scent, your nose will lead you to the Daphne. They are effective in group plantings, although a single specimen in a companion plant setting is attractive. Planting other perennials or woody plants around the Daphne will help hide the legs of this shrub. There is also a white variety called "Album". There are two warnings to keep in mind: 1) all parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested, and 2) keep the pruning of this shrub to a minimum as it is susceptible to die-back.
I would like to add some black flowering plants to my garden. Are there some plants which have black flowers and grow in Zone 5?
Yes, there is something exciting about a black flower. Recall the intrigue and competition that occurred in Holland over the development of the black tulip.
One example which grows in Zone 5 is Fritillaria camschatcensis. This species is found in both Asia and North America and is easy to cultivate and hardy to USDA Zone 3. Fritillaria varies in height from eight to twenty-inches and requires partial shade and a leafy, moist soil which can never dry out totally. One to six exotic black blooms appear on each stem above its light green leaves. Fritillaria camschatchensis blooms in the late spring here in the Yakima Valley.
Fraser's Thimble Farms (www.thimblefarms.com) is an on-line source of this dramatic flower. This dramatic flower actually grows from a bulb which is generally planted in the fall, but if ordered early may be planted in the spring.
I long for a beautiful yard but have a bad allergy to pollen. Is there hope for me?
There is no way we can control what the neighbors grow, or that orchard down the road, but we can control what we grow in our own yards and we can try some practices that might help.
First off are you sure it is pollen? It could also be dust mites, animal dander or even an allergy to mold or fungal spores. Consult a doctor to be sure.
Keep the weeds at bay, by hoeing, mowing, spraying or by using a heavy mulch, and do this before they get a chance to bloom as many weeds have a lot of pollen.
Trim the grass, well maybe not you, but your spouse, because just mowing might trigger a reaction. And if lawn grass seems to be the worst cause, do not plant a lot of ornamental grasses in your yard. You might even think about replacing your lawn with a substitute ground cover.
Do not use a leaf blower when cleaning up in the fall, but choose a rake instead.
Some plants are considered non-allergenic plants. It doesn't mean that there is no pollen present, but it might be a sticky type of pollen that is distributed by insects instead of the wind.
For trees, consider Catalpa Speciosa (Western Catalpa), Cercis Occidentalis (Western Redbud), P. Subhirtella Pendula (Single Weeping Cherry), or Pyrus (Ornamental Pear).
Many shrubs and perennials would be suitable for your pollen allergies, including Alcea rosea, (Hollyhock), Chaenomeles, (Flowering Quince), Dianthus caryophyllus, (Carnation), Gladiolus, Hibiscus and Iris.
I am ready for a 'green'
project for the kids. What can we do in the house?
How about a trash garden? Never heard of one? Well, just think garbage, or maybe compost. Here is how it goes. Gather some rocks, marbles or those half marbles we use for craft projects, and put them in a shallow bowl. Add some water. Then prepare a stew and save some of the refuse for your trash garden. Cut about one inch from the tops of carrots, turnips, beets, and rutabagas. Nestle them down among the rocks so that the bottom of the vegetables sit on the bottom of the bowl. Place them in a sunny window and be sure to check the level of the water daily.
In just a few days you will have some beautiful green leaves growing from your veggies. Not using soil to grow these, allows the kids to witness not only the top leaves growing, but also the roots too.
This is a project that will entertain the kids, and teach them too, but it will not produce a crop. You will have to decide just how long you will keep your trash garden. Once you have tired of it, you may recycle it in your compost.
We are using this long winter to plan a beautiful patio and want to put in a tree. How do we choose what to plant that works in a small area?
That tree needs to be well behaved. You don't want roots to lift up that patio or invade other growing spaces, and you don't want it to be a litter bug. Do not plant aspens, or poplars which send up suckers everywhere. You want as few leaves as possible, unless you don't mind raking, and you might want to eliminate messy seedpods that will litter your patio.
Remember to research how tall it will get at maturity. Sycamores get huge as well as many conifers. Ideally it should have a canopy that you can walk under and wide enough for a group of four to sit under. It would be nice if it had several seasons interest.
When doing research, consider maples which do well here and are beautiful thru the growing season and especially colorful in the fall.
The extension office has a book available for sale called "Landscape Plants for the Inland Northwest",which gives you ideas for all of the above. It is written especially for this area and also includes ground covers, perennials, and shrubs too. It will define which plants are native and give a good description of all of their growing habits. Call 574-1600 for more information.
Stained Glass Garden Art Class
Imagine beautiful garden gates, colorful windows for your fence line, hanging baubles for your trees, and decorative 3D garden art, because all of this could be yours after learning a few basic techniques from the Yakima Area Arboretum's newest class!
On Saturday, March 8th from 10 am to 3 pm (30 minute break for lunch, not provided) and Saturday, March 15th from 10 am to noon, Arboretum board member Bonnie Hughes will show you how to turn scrap stained glass into garden art. This two day class will take you through the process of designing, creating, grouting, and polishing a mosaic water lily project. Examples of other projects will also be shown.
Class size limited to 10 people. Cost: Arboretum members $35, non-members $40 and includes all materials. Contact the Yakima Area Arboretum at 248-7337 to reserve your seat.
The Yakima Area Arboretum is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations, which relies upon gifts and contributions to maintain its current programs and services. All proceeds will benefit the Yakima Area Arboretum.
Last year I planted tarragon from seed so I would have it for cooking and for flavoring vinegar. I was disappointed because my plants didn't taste like tarragon. What should I do differently this year?
There are two types of tarragon. One is Russian tarragon and the other is French tarragon. Russian tarragon(Artemisia dranunculus dracunculoides) can be planted from seed, and is not the favored variety. French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) which is also called true tarragon, does not produce usable seeds; the plants must be started from divisions or cuttings. Buy rooted cuttings from your nursery specifically marked "French Tarragon" or "Culinary Tarragon". Check with local nurseries, or local herb growers that start tarragon from cutting
How do I keep my blue hydrangea from turning pink?
Hydrangeas are fascinating. Unlike most other plants, the color of their flowers can change dramatically. Color is determined primarily by cultivar and secondly by soil pH - acid soil for blue, alkaline for pink.
Hydrangeas often change color on their own when they are planted or transplanted. They are simply adjusting to their new environment. In that process, it is not unusual to see several different colors on one shrub the next year after planting.
To keep your blue blooms constant, an application of aluminum sulfate each spring and fall is necessary. Authorities recommend a solution of 1/4 ounce (1/2 Tablespoon) to 1/2 ounce (1 Tablespoon) aluminum sulfate per gallon of water. Plants should be at least two to three years old before such an application. Further, water plants well before applying and put the solution on cautiously. Too much can burn the roots.
As you work with your hydrangeas, remember: (1) White hydrangeas cannot be changed to pink or blue by the gardener. However, color may change through natural processes as the plant ages. (2) It is unusual that a gardener can influence the intensity of a color (how strong or pale the color is). The intensity develops for a number of reasons: the heredity of a particular hydrangea variety, weather conditions (hot or cold, humid or dry, sun or shade), health of the plant, etc.
As always, good soil preparation before planting is good practice. Modify your soil with two pounds of sulfur and peat moss and work towards achieving a pH between 4.5 and 5.5 to produce and/or maintain a blue hydrangea.
Conversely, to turn flowers pink to light red, the soil should be neutral to alkaline. Use ground limestone ONLY around the plant if the color is not pink. Pink colors occur between 6.5 and 7.5. At pH levels higher than 7.5, chlorotic leaves and poor growth result.
Several years ago you discussed how to grow a pineapple plant from the top of a fresh pineapple. Could you repeat that information?
It is relatively easy to grow a pineapple plant from a fresh pineapple purchased at the grocery store. Select a pineapple that has healthy, green leaves and slice off the top about an inch below leaf growth. Position the top on its side for a couple of days to allow the cut to dry. Then, set the top in an eight-inch pot filled with potting mix.
Keep the potting mix moist and place your pineapple plant in a warm spot. Keep your plant out of direct sunlight and fertilize it every 6 to 8 weeks with an acidic fertilizer used for rhododendrons.
By the time your plant is 3-months old, you may need to transplant it to a larger pot. When your pineapple plant is 9-months old, you may see new shoots coming up from the base. If this happens, you can cut off the parent plant. Or, you can separate them and start additional plants.
What to do in the March Garden
March is here at last! Bulbs are emerging, willows are showing the first haze of green, there is much chatter in bird land - and, for gardeners, the outdoors is calling.
So, out you go with your wheelbarrow and tool bucket, all gloved up for the opening garden season. After all the long dark evenings browsing avidly through stacks of seed catalogs, you are out there! With pent up cabin-fever energy and with vivid images in your mind of the bright flowers and luscious veggies you intend to grow, you are ready to take on all the tasks at once - so, where do you start? With coming back to earth, of course.
What is a gardener if not a dreamer with dirty hands and knees and a well mapped out plan of action? So, March is going to look something like this:
Raking - Yes, you did that in the fall, but lo and behold, there are more leaves that fell in late winter and blew into every nook and cranny. Rake up the leaves and while you are at it, pull back the mulch from your perennials to give the soil a chance to warm. .
Inspection - Check for winter damage on trees, shrubs and roses. Check is the key word here - you want to know what is going on, but it is important to wait until late spring when growth is well established before you take action. Then you will be able to safely prune out any damaged wood to the first viable bud.
Pruning - It is best to wait until forsythia is blooming to begin pruning your roses and fruit trees and grape vines. Note that hybrid tea and floribunda roses are pruned back to three or four main branches, while shrub roses just need a light trimming. Take a look at your shrubs; if they have become very dense and woody, they may need some of the old wood in the center pruned out to let light in.
Dormant oil spray your fruit trees - This is to smother the over-wintering eggs of fruit tree pests. Before you spray, you may want to lightly scrub the bark of your older trees with a soft wire brush to dislodge eggs that will be missed by the dormant oil spray because they are so deep and snug in the bark crevasses.
Vegetable beds - If you did not prepare them last fall, it is all right to dig your beds now, provided the soil is no longer wet. You can test for this by picking up a handful of soil and squeezing it. If it is squelchy and oozy, no digging -- if it is light and crumbly and just holds together when you squeeze, go ahead and dig. You can add a slow release fertilizer, aged manure or green manure at this time, but wait a few weeks before planting.
Early veggies - Peas can be planted when the soil temperature has reached 34-36F., however, germination takes much longer when the soil is still relatively cold. You can hasten the soil warming by covering your pea bed with black plastic mulch. Then when the soil is warmer you can sow your peas. Potatoes can be started when soil temperatures reach 39-41F, but again it is better to err a little on the warmer side.
Other veggies - By the third and fourth weeks of March it should be possible to direct seed carrots, beets and broccoli. Your warm season veggies are still snug in your greenhouse or on your windowsills in early March. You will be able to start hardening some of these off in cold frames by the end of the month. But the most warmth demanding of these (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.) will have to wait until April before the hardening off process can begin.
Lawn - rake out heavy thatch. Aerate lawn if necessary. Do not mow until new growth is established, then do not mow too closely.
Weeds - tackle them as they arise, with hoeing, pulling and, where appropriate, a light weed killer, such as glyphosate.
Enjoy the excitement of spring in the garden!
I love hummingbirds. Which flowers will draw them to my yard?
Rufous, calliope and black-chinned hummingbirds are the ones most often seen in this area. These high-speed acrobats visit here from July through September, and occasionally as late as October.
In general, they prefer brightly colored, odorless, trumpet-shaped or tubular flowers. Hummers eat half their body weight daily in nectar and the tiny insects that are drawn to it. It takes a lot of energy to be a hummingbird!
There are many plants suitable for this region, which are attractive to hummers. You might try Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) a spring bloomer which often flowers again in late summer. Hummingbird's mint or Mexican hyssop (Agastache sp.) blooms from June through September, has aromatic leaves and small tubular flowers in a variety of colors. Sweet hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is also a good choice.
Several species of Delphinium are popular with hummingbirds; these tall 3-6 foot plants typically flower in pastel shades. Coral bells (Heuchera sp.) bloom much of the summer, their 1-2 foot flower stalks rising above the low-growing foliage. Bee balm (Monarda didyma) which blooms midsummer to fall, is equally attractive to hummers, especially "Cambridge Scarlet" and "Marshall's Delight". Montbretia (Crocosmia crocosmiiflora) with its bright orange-red flowers on 3-foot stalks is a perennial favorite of hummingbirds and it will spread readily. Blanket flower (Gallardia grandiflora) is another good choice, with flowers in warm yellow and orange tones.
Hummingbirds love many of the Salvia species as well, along with the Honeysuckles (Lonicera sp.). Red and pink Monkey Flower (Mimulus cardinalis and M. lewisii) are other favorites and they grow to 2-3 feet tall. Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta) also attract hummers to their bright yellow and brown, nectar-rich flowers. A variety of Lupines (Lupinus sp.) will draw hummingbirds to your yard too.
Although one usually thinks of flower and shrubs, several trees will attract these bright, fast-moving birds as well. Try Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin), Madrone (Arbutus menzeisii), Flowering Crabapple (Malus sp.) or Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Enjoy the show!!
I bought a new garden sprayer to use this spring. Can you give me some pointers on how I can use it safely?
Your safety should be considered first. Always read the directions on the pesticide at least twice -- and follow them exactly. Do not assume that a stronger mix than given on the label is going to do a better job; in many cases the reverse will be true.
After completing your spraying, rinse your spray unit by following the directions on its container. Store both your spray unit and the pesticide container out of reach of all children and pets.
Use your spray unit only when there is no wind. Otherwise, the fine spray will drift and cause damage to other plants in yours and your neighbors' yards. Spray early in the morning or in the evening to avoid killing honeybees.
When spraying your lawn, look for information on the pesticide label that tells you how long to keep children and pets off the grass. Use the most benign spray possible. For example: a colony of aphids on a lupine can often be obliterated with only a blast of water. Several different strains of Bt are available that are effective on mosquitoes, Colorado potato beetles and the larvae of many caterpillars -- Bt is not harmful to humans.
I talked to a friend recently about planting roses this spring. I was thinking of buying potted plants, but she suggested that I should think about buying bare-root roses because they are cheaper and just as good. Is that correct?
Bare-root roses are ones that have been dug after the plants have become dormant. They are then stored in cold storage over winter. They are often the most economical way of purchasing roses and may prove to be just as good as potted roses.
One caution: If you purchase rose bushes from a retailer that doesn't specialize in plants,
be sure that they are still dormant, or are just beginning to come out of dormancy. Bare root roses that have been lying around a warehouse or store too long will have begun to deteriorate and are not worth considering.Those purchased from a reliable local nursery or mail-order nursery should be in good condition and will reward you with healthy bushes and plenty of blooms in future years. Of course, for instant gratification, healthy potted rose bushes can't be beat.
"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden."----Ruth Stout
And just who was Ruth Stout? Well she was a very good writer of garden books, a contributor to her local newspaper, and was fondly called The Mulch Queen
She was born in l884 and lived to be 96 years old. She would be very popular today. It would be said of her that she was a good 'green gardener' and a steward of the earth. These things are very popular now, but not so in her day. She had to convince the people in her generation of the validity of her gardening ideas. She was truly a woman before her time.
Ruth Stouts gardening methods can be described in one word - mulch. She used mulch in thick layers over her whole garden and continued to do this for years, until the soil beneath that mulch was full of earthy, fertile, loose, moisture-conserving humus. She did not till, plow or spade the garden - just pulled the mulch back and planted her seeds or plants. As they grew she pulled the mulch back up around them and of course added more.
There are many reasons why mulching is beneficial. We know that keeping a layer of mulch on the garden helps shade the soil and holds moisture in. This is a good practice in our valley with its dry summer weather. By mulching we avoid over tilling. Tilling the soil brings up thousands of weed seeds and once they see a tiny bit of sun they begin to germinate. Ruth Stout had very little problem with weeds, and when she did spot some coming up she just threw some mulch over them. Tilling also destroys the natural layers of beneficial bacteria and microbes that form in the soil. Mulching preserves and promotes these natural processes.
Stout advocated keeping at least eight inches of mulch on the garden at all times. That's a lot of mulch! What did she use? She recommended finding materials that were plentiful and inexpensive in the area in which you live. She used spoiled hay, straw, leaves, sawdust, spent garden waste and even kitchen garbage. As Master Gardeners we might recommend that the kitchen waste go into a
covered compost container to avoid rodents. We would also remind you that fresh sawdust can use a lot of nitrogen as it breaks down, making it unavailable to your plants. It might be best to compost it first, or add a handful of urea (nitrogen) to the area in which it is used.Ruth wrote many books that taught her no-till garden methods. One of them is called "How to Have a Green Thumb, Without an Aching Back". Most of her books are out of print, but are available at used book stores. To order a VHS or DVD video of Ruth Stout's Garden write to Gardenworks, P.O. Box 71, Issaquah, Wash, 98027, or go to www.gardenworks.cc
You will learn much from her writings and may decide to adopt many of her ideas....but perhaps not all of them. She was known to do a lot of her gardening in the nude.
I don't speak Latin and I don't know anyone who speaks Latin. Why on earth do we have to use Latin names for our plants? Can't we just call a spade a spade?
Well . . . what exactly is a spade? To some people, it's a shovel with a solid, flat blade. To others, it's a flat, wide-tined pitchfork; and to still others, it's the black, spear-shaped design found on a deck of cards.
The same problem occurs when trying to discuss different plants. For example, what plant comes to mind when someone mentions a bluebell? Depending on the person's background, bluebells can refer to (among others) bellflower (Campanula species), or grape hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), or Scilla (Scilla siberica). Two of these are perennials which grow from a bulb, one may be a herbaceous perennial or an annual, depending on the species. On one of these three, all parts of the plant are poisonous. Is it important to know exactly which plant is being discussed?
Using the Latin names for plants allows gardeners, regardless of location or native language, to be sure they are talking about the same exact plant, thereby avoiding any potential miscommunication.
Fresh Garden Peas - An Early Summer Treat
Fresh garden peas are not often seen in the produce section of supermarkets, and if they do appear - and you venture to try them - you will mostly find that they cook up like little floury bullets. This is because in transport their natural sugars have turned to starch. Frozen peas are better but they taste like, well, like frozen peas. However fresh peas rushed from vine to table are a revelation to the taste buds, a foretaste of all the sweet and green delights of the growing season.
Peas can be started very early, as soon as the soil begins to warm. It is good if well rotted manure has been worked into the garden bed the previous fall, but if it has not, just loosen the soil and sow the peas about 1 inch apart on either side of a trellis.
Peas, and all leguminous plants, have the ability to work with bacteria in the soil to metabolize and fix nitrogen in the soil - but for this they need the right kind of bacteria. If you have had leguminous plants growing where you plan to grow peas, all you will have to do is pop your peas into the ground because the good bacteria are already there. If not, you may want to dip your pea seeds into an inoculant before sowing to be sure that the necessary bacteria are where you need them. When the seedlings are two-to-four inches tall fertilize lightly with a complete fertilizer to give them a good start until the nitrogen fixing process is established.
There are three varieties of peas: garden or shelling peas, snow peas and sugar peas. In each category there are both bush and pole types. Bush or pole indicates the growing habit of the plant - is it tall and rampant or does it stay low and bushy? The pole peas will need good trellising, some as high as six feet, depending on the variety. The bush peas do not need a support - but, a word to the wise, even the bush types are going to be a lot easier to pick if you provide some kind of trellis. When you buy peas, check the seed packet for the growing habit and plan accordingly.
Garden peas should be picked when the pod has filled out, but is still tender and green. They, like sweet corn, are best if rushed to the table. Garden peas need very little cooking, five minutes at the most in boiling, lightly salted water. A sprig of fresh mint added to the water enhances the flavor and a dab of butter is an added treat.
Snow peas produce thin flat pods and are picked before the peas have started to fill the pods, for it is the pods themselves that you eat. It is important to pick them before the peas start to develop, while the pods are still tender. Snow peas are good in stir fry dishes. A favorite Chinese dish is beef with snow peas.
Sugar peas were introduced in 1978 and have been growing in popularity ever since. They have fat juicy pods that stay tender and crunchy even when the peas have filled the pod. Delicious raw as part of a veggie platter, they also lend themselves well to stir fried dishes. Here is a recipe to try - enjoy!
Garlic Shrimp with Sugar Snap Peas
10 large raw shrimp
6 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup white wine
1 cup of sugar peas, each one sliced in half diagonally
6 green onions, sliced diagonally in 1 inch segments
1 red pepper, cut into1 inch segments
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons of Canola oil
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
½ cup of chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteSauté the garlic and ginger in 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 minute, add the shrimp and sauté until pink, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the white wine and cook on high until the wine is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Stir the cornstarch into the chicken stock. Heat the remaining oil on high. Add the peas, red pepper, jalapeno and green onions. Stir-fry on high for one minute. Add the shrimp, the soy sauce and the chicken stock with the cornstarch. Bring to a boil and cook just until the cornstarch thickens. Serve immediately with rice. This will serve two.
Raptor Class Scheduled for March 22nd at Arboretum
Yakima, wa. - They fill our skies with grace and beauty and now they will fill the Yakima Area Arboretum's Jewett Interpretive Center with hoots, squawks and steely eyed stares.
The Yakima Valley Audubon Society and the Raptor House Rehabilitation Center are teaming up to teach a Raptor Class on birds of prey at the Yakima Area Arboretum on Saturday, March 22nd from 9am to 12 pm, with an optional field trip in the afternoon.
South-central Washington is rich in birds of prey, with 18 diurnal (daytime) species occurring regularly and several more as rare visitors. An astonishing 15 nocturnal species of owls are also present making this area among the top parts of North America for birds of prey. A slide program will introduce the various groups: accipiters, buteos, sea eagles, Aquila eagles, and falcons, followed by the major groups of owls. The class will also cover vultures even though these are now regarded as related more to storks.
Marsha Flam with the Raptor House Rehab Center will also share a few of her live birds of prey giving attendees a close-up study of these impressive birds.
After the indoor presentation, the Audubon Society will offer an optional "extension" to the class by taking interested parties on a walk through the Arboretum looking for wild birds of prey with the chance to study these with binoculars and spotting scopes. Bring a sack lunch if you are planning to attend the "extension." Instructors are Andy Stepniewski with the Yakima Valley Audubon Society and Marsh Flam with the Raptor House Rehabilitation Center.
Cost: $10 YAA & YVAS members, $15 non-members. 9AM - 12PM. Call the Yakima Area Arboretum at 248-7337 to reserve your seat.
When is the best time to relocate my tulips and daffodils?
It may sound like a good idea to move bulbs when you can actually see them and know what they are and what color they are, but it really is not the time to do so. What you can do now is take the time to mark and label your bulbs so you know where they are located and just what they are. One lady I know paints little rocks and places them in her gardens around the bulbs. However you want to mark your bulbs, this is a good way to ensure you are moving the ones you want to move and not accidentally slicing up the ones you want to save with a misplaced shovel plunge.
When bulbs have finished blooming, their leaves are looking fairly sad, and the foliage has yellowed and can be easily pulled off, you can dig them. Tulips are ready fairly soon after blooming. Daffodils and narcissus take somewhat longer. Be patient during this time, because those deteriorating leaves are feeding the bulb right now.
Dig the bulbs, carefully rinse off remaining dirt and cut off the remaining leaves. Place them in a single layer in a flat or a box to dry out. Remember to try and keep them with their labels if it matters to you. Dust the bulbs with a fungicide and then store them in a cool, dark, dry place until this fall when you can replant them.
When you get the bulbs out this fall, they should look really nice. They are ready to plant around the first of September, which is way ahead of when they will appear in our local stores. They will also have an established, thriving root system when they go into winter. If you do not have a place to store the bulbs until fall, you can still dig them and then replant them in their new location at the same time. Just follow the directions like you would for fall planting. Remember to re-label the bulbs in their new location so you don't damage them with your garden activities through the rest of the season.
Artificial Turf May Be the Solution to Your Lawn Problems
Have you been considering giving up some of your water-thirsty lawn but are reluctant to let go of that verdant green expanse? You might want to consider an artificial turf. Synthetic lawns are nothing new; just think of all the sport stadiums. However, there are more and more uses for these products than ever before. There are turfs for kennel runs, playgrounds, parks, parking strips, resorts, day care facilities. Do you like the look of lawn mixed with stepping stones? Here is a great way to get that look without the hassle of dragging the lawn mower out or without having to get down on your knees once a month and trim back the over-grown turf.
Often these artificial turfs are made of a combination of nylon monofilaments or plastic yarns. Some are woven, others knitted. They all have a similar installation process, which is quite similar to installing a paving stone patio. The bed is prepared by excavating out a few inches of soil, smoothing it out and laying down a gravel base. The turf is then laid out over the gravel. Environmentally they are very friendly. You won't need to water, fertilize, weed or mow these lawns once they are installed. Maintenance is a breeze. You can sweep, rake, vacuum or hose off when necessary. An internet search on 'synthetic lawns' will give you a wealth of information.
Mason Bees - Springtime Pollinators - I've heard about building a Mason bee nest. Is this a good thing to do in our area? If so, how do you build one?
Orchard Mason bees (Osmia lignaria) are a beneficial insect. Long before Europeans brought the honeybee to North America, these little native bees were doing their job pollinating flowers. It's a good thing to encourage their presence in the garden.
Mason bees resemble a small horse fly with four wings and are capable of only a mosquito-type sting-and then only if strongly provoked. They typically begin pollinating flowers much earlier in the year than honeybees, becoming active at the first hint of spring.
As soon as the bees emerge, mating and nesting begin. These bees cannot excavate a nesting hole, but rather lay eggs in existing holes, either natural or manmade. They nest side by side, much like miniature apartment dwellers. Females bring pollen and nectar to the hole, making 15-20 trips before laying one egg on top of the mound, then sealing the cell with a thin mud plug. The process is repeated until the hole is filled with egg chambers, ending with a thicker mud plug at the entrance. The pollen is food for the larva as it grows. Females lay one to two eggs per day, over a lifetime of four to six weeks. The eggs mature over the summer but the adult doesn't emerge until the next spring.
When the weather warms enough to rouse the bee closest to the outside of the hole, a male breaks through the mud seal and waits for a female to emerge. They mate and begin the process all over again. Female bees deliberately lay the more valuable female eggs at the back of each hole, where they are more protected. In the Mason bee world, males are more expendable.
Making a bee nesting house is pretty simple. Start with a piece of untreated 4x4 or 4x6 about 12 inches long. Using a 5/16" bit (brad point bits leave smooth edges), drill holes on 3/4" centers. Make the holes 3.5 to 5.5 inches deep, depending on the wood. Don't drill all the way through the wood. Deeper holes promote more female eggs. The top of the house can be flat, or angled for a little pitch. Use a picture hanger at the top, or staple a short piece of wire on the back to hang.
The bee house should be mounted 4-5 feet above the ground on a post, fence or under an eave, somewhat sheltered from rain and snow. The house can also be tilted slightly down, to protect it from rain. Having a source of mud nearby facilitates nest building. Ideally the house should face east or southeast to catch the early sun. Once you locate the house, avoid moving it while eggs are present.
Leaf cutter bees may use similar nesting holes. Their nests can be distinguished by the small leaf fragments used to seal the entrance. Mason bee entrance plugs will be rough and made of mud. Both of these bees are beneficial pollinators and non-aggressive, although the leaf cutter bee may notch a few of your garden leaves to collect material for nest building.
Just hearing the word sweetpotato makes us think of sitting on the front porch in late summer, eating pie with the neighbors while smelling the musky jasmine blooming in the yard…...wait a minute! We can't grow jasmine in our backyards! We can't grow sweetpotatoes here either ---can we?
It is difficult to grow sweet potatoes here as they require a long warm growing season. They are after all a tropical plant. For many gardeners, however, this is but a welcome challenge. We know that there are lots of season-extending tricks that we can use to ensure a good crop of sweet potatoes, even if our summers are short.
Sweetpotatoes are started from plants called "slips". It is preferable to purchase them rather than growing your own for two reasons. The first is that growing slips from sweetpotatoes purchased from the grocery store may introduce diseases into your garden that you don't want. The second is that commercial varieties (such as the kind sold in the produce section) probably need a longer growing season than we have here. Ordering slips from a certified source will ensure that they are disease-free. You will also be able to select early-maturing varieties.
If you did want to try growing your own slips, the process is simple. Stick toothpicks around the middle of a sweetpotato. Put the sweetpotato into a tall glass or jar (a wide-mouthed Mason jar works well for this) so that it rests on the toothpicks. Fill the jar with water. Put it on a windowsill where it will be warm and receive light and wait. Shoots will sprout and grow beautiful leaves as well as fibrous roots (if you let this continue to grow it actually makes a handsome "houseplant"). When it's time to plant, pull the slips apart, being careful to preserve as many roots as possible. Plant them immediately as described below.
Sweetpotatoes prefer loose, well-drained soil and do better in raised beds of medium-to-good fertility. Do not over-fertilize with compost. Too much compost causes a skin condition called "scurf". If nitrogen is needed use an alternate source such as cottonseed meal. Preferred soil pH is 5.8 to 6.2.
Cover the planting area with black (or other garden type) plastic to help warm the soil. When the soil has warmed to 60 degrees, cut X's in the plastic through which to plant the slips in rows about a foot apart with two-and-a-half or three feet between rows. An added measure might be to cover the newly planted slips with a plastic milk jug with the top removed and the bottom cut out. This creates a little greenhouse for each plant. Be sure to remove these when the weather warms or you might cook your plants.
Soil should be kept moist, but not soggy; placing a soaker hose underneath the plastic mulch works well. In late summer the roots will begin to enlarge. Begin to restrict water somewhat in late August as too much water will cause the roots to crack. Leave plants in the ground as long as possible so roots can reach usable size. Use spun row-covers late in the season to protect from light frosts. Dig the roots as soon as the tops are killed by frost. Decomposing tops can impart a bad taste to the roots if left for too long.
Some varieties to look for might be Vardaman, Bush Porto Rico, Centennial, Sumor, or Georgia Jet. All of these have been developed for the home gardener.
Sweet potatoes are susceptible to some problems like stem rot, scurf, various fungus diseases and insects. Good culture is the first defense against such problems. For additional information and problem solving consult with a knowledgeable nursery person or call the Master Gardening clinic at 575-1600.
Spring is bursting forth at the Yakima Arboretum
Bundle up, and enjoy a winter walk through the Yakima Area Arboretum. You will be surprised at what you'll find!
The first bulbs of the season are finally showing peaks of yellow and purple in our drab winter landscape. But give heart, this is not the only sight to see. We have many other surprises at the Arboretum for those who are game enough for a walk in the cold winter air.
The witch-hazels, just north of the Japanese Garden area, are aglow with spider-like blooms of fresh yellows or burnt orange. Just west of the Japanese Garden a grove of Trazel Filberts are draped with masses of flowing 5" catkins. Clusters of red twig dogwood (Cornus Stolonifera) with their bright red stems can also be found throughout the Arboretum but are most dramatic in large drifts by the river. There are many other plants to see at the Arboretum, so come visit soon!
Few of us can imagine gardening without the labor of digging. It seems, after all, that this is what you should do, what everyone always does and always has done to make a garden grow. The idea of not tilling the soil seems to go against some very deeply ingrained ideas of what horticulture is all about.
Maybe these ideas are linked to ancestral memories going back to the remote reaches of time when generations of peasant forebears tilled the soil by the sweat of their brows. All in all it is hard to imagine a crop that does not come from well-cultivated land and our aching backs (whether those aches come from manual or mechanical digging). A new school of thought, however, based on extensive and intensive studies of soils and soil structures, is now suggesting that there is a way to garden that does not involve tilling, that actually improves the soil and increases yields. This is the "no-till" method.
We tend to take soils for granted. They may seem indestructible to us, but they are in many ways quite delicate and extremely complex. Soil is composed of rock dust, humus, pores and a myriad of organisms and microorganisms whose interdependent lives create the environment in which plants can grow. When we come along with our rototillers, spades and garden forks stomping around in our gardening boots we disturb the natural balance of the soil. Tilling actually creates a compacted layer beneath the tilled area. The soil particles are all squished together creating an airless and impermeable layer that roots do not penetrate.
Studies of prairie lands have shown a natural mulching pattern, which protects and enhances the soil as each generation of prairie sod dies down and the next generation arises. Migrating herds add their manure and burrowing animals help to open the soil for aeration. The first settlers had abundant crops in their first years, but then the crops started to dwindle. Farmers were compacting these soils with their plows and depleting them of their nutrients.
No-till gardening, in many ways, imitates the natural cycle of prairie lands by applying heavy mulches. The mulch is pulled away from the rows for seed to be sown (or seedlings planted) and then pulled back as the new plants grow up. During the growing season the mulch shades the soil, discourages weeds and decreases evaporation. It also slowly decomposes, thereby adding nutrients to the soil and benefiting all the organisms and microorganisms that create a favorable environment for plant growth. Not tilling also prevents soil compaction; roots grow deeper and the balance of soil organisms is not disrupted. Gardening year after year in this way, with fresh mulch as needed and fertilizers (preferably organic) applied only as necessary, will improve your soil, and your crops should improve.
"What if my soil is already compacted?" you ask. There are two answers: double digging or raised beds.
Double digging is very hard work. You first remove the topsoil then you dig, aerate and amend the subsoil. Following this you replace and amend the topsoil. Then you can apply your mulch and proceed with no-till gardening. For complete instructions do a search on the Internet - keyword "double-digging",
Raised beds are a lot easier. This writer has created raised beds directly on sod by first digging a trench around the new bed area, putting several layers of wet newspaper directly on the sod in the bed, being sure to bring the newspaper right over the edges of the grass. Layers of compost, grass clippings, shredded leaves - whatever was at hand - were then added to about a foot depth. Being impatient, she planted potatoes right away (though ideally the bed should be prepared in the fall for a spring planting) and not only had a crop of delicious potatoes that season, but was amazed to find the following spring that not only had the mulch broken down but the newspaper and the underlying sod also.
There are several books that will give you more information on this kind of gardening, among them: "Lasagna Gardening" by Patricia Lanza, "Gardening without Work" by Ruth Stout and "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. A search on the Internet will also give you information on both double-digging and no-till gardening.
May you have many happy hours sitting in your garden, sipping lemonade and thinking of all the work your little friends in the soil are doing.
What to Do in the April Garden
April signals the start of the garden season in our Valley. This month take care of the chores listed below and you will have a more enjoyable and successful gardening season during the rest of the growing season.
Lawns
A lawnrake is a lawn's best friends this month, so give your lawn a thorough raking before the first mowing. Twigs, leaves and other debris have accumulated over winter even though you gave your lawn a final raking late last fall. You might be surprised what your lawn rake dredges up-small toys and all sorts of other little surprises.Don't fertilize your lawn until next month. Your grass roots used the fertilizer you put down late last fall to store the energy it needs this spring to put on lush, new growth.
Now that forsythia has bloomed, be sure to spread a pre-emergent to control the crabgrass seeds that are germinating, before your lilacs begin to bloom. If you tend to this now, those clumps of crabgrass won't spoil the looks of your lawn later on.
Trees and shrubs
Check your deciduous trees and shrubs for broken and dead limbs that need to be removed. If you have to climb way up a ladder to take care of problems, you will be far better off to hire a professional tree service to do the job for you. And your insurance company will appreciate not having to pay bills for setting broken bones.Take a hard look at deciduous trees you have planted in the last year or two. In addition to broken limbs and errant ones that rub against each other, look for co-dominant leaders. There should be just one leader that lords it over the top of your tree. If there are two leaders vying for leadership at the top, prune out the weaker of the two.
Eliminating co-dominant leaders not only preservers the natural form of the tree, it also helps prevent future problems. Co-dominant leaders have a very small angle between them, which often results in one or both being broken off during a strong windstorm when the tree reaches maturity.
Shrubs and trees that bloom during spring, such as lilacs, should not be pruned until flowering has been completed. But don't wait long because they set on buds for next year's bloom not long after this year's blooms fade.
Flowerbeds
Rake your flowerbeds to remove debris that has blown in during the winter. Then if your flowerbeds are mulched with bark, fluff it up to allow good air circulation to enter the soil. Add more mulch if you find the cover is getting a little thin.Weeds
Start your war on weeds now. There is a wide assortment of weeds called winter annuals that germinate in the fall and grow until freezing weather arrives, but they are alive and well and resume growing in later winter, depending on how cold those months are. Get rid of them now by pulling and hoeing.It doesn't do any good to hoe or pull perennial weedy grasses unless you remove the entire root. Quackgrass and dandelions are especially pernicious. While it's possible to dig out dandelion roots, it is nigh on impossible to remove all of the roots of quackgrass. Careful spraying with an herbicide like glyphosate is your best bet to get rid of this nasty grass. Follow the instructions exactly on the herbicide container, both for your safety and for the effectiveness of the herbicide.
Vegetable Gardens
Vegetable gardens need a thorough cleanup before you even think of planting. Remove any dead plants left over from last year and any other debris that has collected over the winter. Hoe and pull annual weeds and eliminate any quackgrass and other tough, perennial weeds by cautiously using an herbicide.If you use a rototiller, go over your garden no more than two passes. Otherwise, you could destroy the structure of the soil-the small aggregates of soil that leave spaces for air and water. Secondly, too much rototilling tends to create a hardpan that will not let water percolate through it. This can cause waterlogged soil that leads to root rot.
Getting your vegetable garden in good shape before you begin planting will result in a bountiful harvest later on.
Now is the time to begin planting and transplanting your cool weather crops, including lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
Crabgrass Control - In one of your columns you mentioned that pre-emergent for crabgrass control needs to be applied after forsythia begins to bloom but before lilacs bloom. Why is that?
There are a lot of folk forecasts-some work while others are just funny or absurd. No one takes seriously Punxsutawney Phil's ability to predict how much longer winter will last after Groundhog Day, but Phil does add a bit of humor in late winter when we need it most.
There is, however, good science to back up using a pre-emergent after forsythias begins to bloom but before lilacs bloom. By the time forsythia begins to bloom, it is also the time that the crabgrass seeds begin to germinate (sprout). But by the time lilacs begin to bloom the soil has reached a temperature where all of the crabgrass seeds that are going to germinate have already germinated.
If you have not already put down your crabgrass control by the time lilacs have finished blooming, using crabgrass control pre-emergent is too late. In that case, watch for the first sign that crabgrass is going to seed in your lawn during summer and cut your grass just short enough to remove the seed heads before they mature. However, this is not really a totally effective method of crabgrass control.
In flowerbeds, you can simply keep all grasses removed by hand pulling or hoeing as soon as they appear.
I was given a beautiful Easter lily this year. Can I expect it to live if I plant it in my garden?
Most of the potted Easter lilies in the United States are grown near the coast in northern California and in the adjoining area of southern Oregon. They would normally bloom during summer, but they are forced so they bloom during the Easter season.
Keep your plant well watered and in a place in your home that gets indirect sunlight. Wait until after the last frost and until the soil warms up to transplant your Easter lily into your garden. Most garden soil is fine for your lily if it drains well.
Next year and in following years your plant will bloom during July or August. After your plant dies back in the fall, it would be a good idea to cover it lightly with a loose mulch of straw or shredded leaves to protect it during our coldest winter weather.
I noticed that my spruce has a sticky substance on the needles and branches. What can I do to get rid of it.
It sounds like you may have spruce bud scale on your spruce tree. Bring a sample to the Master Gardener clinic located in the WSU Extension offices located on the west end of the second floor of the courthouse. (There will be a trained Master Gardener on duty from 9 to 12 a.m. and from 1-to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.) Your sample should be a small end of an infected branch that is at least 12 inches long. Bring it in a plastic bag with your name and phone number on it for identification.
The female spruce bud scale has a semi-globular shape and brown color that resembles the actual buds on the twigs. Treatment involves close observation of your tree to be aware when the juvenile crawlers appear. Sevin is the herbicide most often used to eradicate the crawlers. Sevin is toxic to bees, so it is important to apply the spray late in the evening after bees are no longer active. WSU Extension bulletin is #0826 is available for a nominal fee that will give you more information.
Two years ago I planted several four-packs of dusty miller. I noticed they were still alive and beginning to grow when I started to pull them out last spring. Isn't dusty miller an annual?
Annuals are plants that complete their growth cycle in one year and then die. But some plants, both flowers and vegetables, sold as annuals are actually perennials. So what gives? Dusty miller is actually a perennial and will survive all but our coldest winters. Petunias, on the other hand, are also perennials but they won't survive even the mildest winters in our area. Tomatoes and peppers are examples of vegetables that are actually perennials, but they are too tender to survive even a few days of sub-freezing weather in fall. In gardening, the term "annual" is often used for convenience to indicate a plant that will only live one year in our gardens.
"Art in nature" Have you listened to the beautiful music trees make lately? When did you last build a designer worm home?
Organizers of the Yakima Area Arboretum's 9th Annual Arbor Festival would like you to come enjoy all of these activities.
This year the Yakima Area Arboretum will be celebrating Arbor Day in a most beautiful way, during the 9th Annual Arbor Festival held on Saturday, April 12th from 10AM to 3PM. The theme for this year's event is "Art in Nature" and it will showcase the variety of ways art is influenced by nature, and how nature can become art.
Over 25 educational stations will be set up on the grounds of the Arboretum and each will feature hands-on activities and/or displays. Guests are invited to make their own paper garden hats and pressed flower bookmarks, plant a tree, and listen to the Roosevelt Marimba Band and nature stories. With stations hosted by Yakima Valley Regional Library, Allied Arts, Out on a Whim, Heritage University's Science Department, Washington Native Plant Society, and the Home Depot's Kid's Workshop.
New to the event this year will be KCTS9/KYVE's Nature Program. KCTS9 in Seattle wanted to give public broadcasting's Nature Program more exposure in eastern Washington. Their participation means not only fun activities, but the Arbor Fest's entry in their viewer guide (circulation of 120, 000)."We are excited to have the Nature program at the Arbor Fest this year," says Colleen Adams-Schuppe, co-executive director of the Yakima Area Arboretum. "Their participation means that our little event is gaining recognition throughout the state."
The Arboretum is a non-profit organization established in 1967 and is a "living museum" of over 2000 specimens of trees, and plant species on 46 acres of land managed as display gardens and natural areas.
Washington State celebrates Arbor Day on the second Wednesday in April. The Arboretum honors our state Arbor Day by hosting the Arbor Festival the following Saturday.
The Arbor Festival is a FREE family event that makes environmental education fun for everyone to learn. Over 1000 people are expected to attend and there will be free trees given away so you'll be able to enjoy the beauty of nature and honor Arbor Day in your own yard.
Can I transplant a potted hydrangea that was given to me, into my garden?
Florist hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla, are hardy to Zone 6, which is one zone warmer than most of us in the Yakima Valley live in. However, they will survive and even thrive if they are given protection during winter. This can be accomplished by mulching it with about four inches of mulch before frigid weather arrives late next fall. It would also help if you plant your hydrangea in a warmer place, such as near a southern wall of your home.
Wait until the threat of killing frost has past, sometime after the middle of May, before you transplant your hydrangea. Meanwhile, keep your plant indoors in a cool room where it will receive indirect sunlight, and keep it well watered.
This past winter I had a huge limb on my old maple tree almost break off. I called a tree service to remove it. They didn't paint over the cut after the limb was cut off. They said it wasn't necessary. Is that correct?
Your tree service was correct. It's true that a number of years ago it was common practice to have a wound dressing painted on when large limbs were removed from trees. The belief was that these cuts were an open invitation to insects and disease. Research has shown this is not true.
If the cut is made at the collar, the swollen area next to where the limb is attached, the "wound" will soon callus over, which will compartmentalize the dead area from the adjoining part of the tree. This will prevent the entry of disease and insects.
It has been scientifically proven that wound dressings made from asphalt, polyurethane, shellac or other materials are unnecessary and can even prove harmful. These dressings may even encourage just the opposite of what was intended by allowing disease to grow underneath the dressing.
When a tree-service worker advises the use of "wound dressings" it should send up a red flag to the homeowner. That's a clear signal that the worker is not up to date on the best way to handle these problems.
I know that Master Gardeners have had tomatoes and pepper plants at their plant sales in the past, but I looked for transplants of cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli last year and couldn't find any. Any chance you might have them this year?
Yes, there have had numerous requests for other vegetable transplants vegetable. There will be the three kinds of transplants you asked about, plus eggplant and Walla Walla sweet onions. There will also be 25 kinds of tomatoes (heirlooms and hybrids) and a variety of peppers.
For the small fruit enthusiasts there will be thornless blackberries, thornless boysenberries, ever-bearing raspberries and blueberry plants. Gardeners have also asked for more herbs, so this year you will find several kinds of basils, chives, parsley, marjoram, savory, rosemary, lavender and rosemary.
Hanging baskets bursting with bloom will be hanging all over the greenhouse, and you will also find many kinds of plants you will need for creating your own baskets: lotus vine, petunias, geraniums, licorice vine, wire vine asparagus fern among others.
Snapdragons, marigolds, poppies and petunias will be just a few of the many bedding plants at the sale this year. There will also be mums, Scabiosa, a variety of oriental lilies, sedums, and creeping phlox along with many other plants you will want for your flowerbeds. Ornamental grasses have been growing in popularity among gardeners, and there will be several varieties available.
After several years' absence, hundreds of miniature roses will once again be included in this year's sale. With thousands of plants, you will be sure to find many of the plants that you are looking for to use in your garden this year.
The sale will be held Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. It will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The greenhouse is located at 1522 S. 18th Avenue in Yakima. Perhaps the easiest way to find the sale is to go south on S.16th Avenue until you come to Midstate Monuments located at 1612 S. 16th. Then turn west until you come to S. l8th Avenue, from there you will see the greenhouses just a block north.
Several years ago I went to a great plant sale at the Gilbert House in Yakima. Do you know if they will have a plant sale this spring?
Yes, Yakima Valley Museum's Gilbert House will have their annual plant sale on May 2 and May 3 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. The Friends of Gilbert House hold the sale with the proceeds going to fund various projects at one of Yakima's finest Victorian homes. You will find a wide variety of gorgeous perennials and annuals, plus roses and more for sale on Gilbert House's beautiful grounds.
When and how often should I fertilize my lawn?
Your lawn will benefit from being fertilized four times a year. WSU recommends using a slow-release lawn fertilizer. The first application should be applied in May. Fertilizing before that time is unnecessary if your turf went into winter with a final fertilization in late October or early November.
Your second fertilizing should be done in June. Once hot weather arrives, your lawn's growth will slow down in response to the hot weather and it will not be able to use the fertilizer effectively. Wait until September after the weather has moderated to apply the third application.
Ideally, the fourth fertilization should be in November after we have had at least one hard frost. Even though the grass may no longer be actively growing and appear to be dormant, the roots will still be active and will store the fertilizer's nutrients in the roots to get next year's new growth off to a healthy start.
However, if you get your water from an irrigation company, you may have to do your last fertilizing just before the water is turned off around the middle of October. If you use well water, you have no problem. Using municipal water for your last fertilizing in November would be money well spent.
When should I divide my clumps of mums?
Garden mums left undivided for three or more years often become very crowded and the center of the clump begins to die. If your mums are showing this "donut" pattern, it is definitely time to divide them now before they begin to put out too much new growth. Some mum enthusiasts divide their mums yearly and they have beautiful clumps of flowers each fall.
If your mums are dead in the middle, dig out the entire clump. (Clumps are easy to dig because they are naturally shallow rooted.) Discard the dead, woody center. Then separate the remaining live parts of the clump into smaller divisions and replant them before the roots begin to dry out. Give away any divisions that you do not need or have space for.
When will Master Gardeners have their plant sale this year? Will it be at the same location?
The spring plant sale will be held this year for two full days: Friday, May 2 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Saturday, May 3 the hours will from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will be thousands and thousands of plants at this year's sale. The greenhouse will also be overflowing with gorgeous hanging baskets in bloom. The variety of vegetable transplants will be expanded this year to include Walla Walla sweet onions, cabbage, eggplant, cauliflower and broccoli in addition to 25 varieties of tomatoes (both heirloom and hybrids) and a number of kinds of peppers.
For the small fruit grower, blueberries, thornless blackberries, everbearing raspberries, and thornless boysenberries will be available. Starts of cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew will be on sale.
For the culinary herb gardener, there will be savory, marjoram, savory, parsley, lavender, rosemary and other herbs.
For gardeners who make their own hanging baskets, lotus vine, licorice vine, wire vine, asparagus fern, petunias and geraniums and other plants needed for baskets will be on hand.
Mums and ornamental grasses will be among the many perennials that will be included in this year's sale. Perhaps one of the most colorful plants at this year's sale will be the hundreds of miniature roses. There will be sure to be plants to please every gardener's interest at this year's gigantic sale.
Yes, this year's sale will be held at the same location as last year. Drive on S. 16th Avenue toward the airport until you come to Midstate Monuments located at 1612 S. 16th Avenue. Then drive west two blocks until you come to 18th Avenue. From there you will see the greenhouses.
The Yakima Arboretum is offering a class entitiled "FOUR SEASON GARDEN & THE VERSATILE CLEMATIS"
YAKIMA, WA: Imagine a home landscape that would be the envy of your neighborhood year round. That experience could be yours after taking the newest class offered at the Yakima Area Arboretum.
The Four Season Garden and Versatile Clematis is scheduled for Saturday, April 19th at the Yakima Area Arboretum and features two classes in one.
The Four Season Garden, taught by Linda Knutson (whose home was featured on the Arboretum's annual Garden Tour several years ago), will teach you how to create year- round interest in your home landscape using trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses.
The Versatile Clematis is taught by Ollie Weitz (whose yard will be featured on this year's Garden Tour) who is a self-professed clematis addict. Ollie's garden of less than 1000 square feet has close to four dozen varieties. He will discuss clematis cultivars, pruning, care and the many exciting ways to include them in your landscape.
Many of the plants discussed in this class will be available for purchase at the Arboretum's Spring Plant Sale on May 9th and 10th.
Class Time: 9:30am to Noon. Cost: $10 YAA members, $15 non-members.Call the Arboretum at 248-7337 to reserve your seat today.
Is slow-release lawn fertilizer better for my lawn than the fast-release ammonium sulfate that I have been using?
In the past WSU recommended using 21-0-0 for fertilizing lawns on our side of the mountains. This is actually ammonium sulfate, which is a source of nitrogen that our lawns need. But there is a problem with fast-fertilizers containing a nitrogen source, such as ammonium sulfate. Once ammonium sulfate is spread, it begins to release its nitrogen (in the form of nitrates) so quickly that grass roots cannot absorb it all before most of the nitrate begins leaching down below the root level where it is useless.
Even worse, ammonium sulfate may leach down into ground water and contaminate our drinking water. Also, it is often washed from the surface into storm sewers where it ends up in streams and lakes.
WSU now recommends using a complete fertilizer, such as 3-1-2 or 6-1-6. It should contain 2/3 of its nitrogen in a slow-release form. This allows a third of the nitrogen for immediate use and the rest to be released slowly over the next several months. Switching to slow release fertilizers will help solve the problem of nitrogen contamination of our lakes, streams and lakes. You will be helping to protect the environment at the same time you are doing your lawn a favor.
I grew beautiful sweet peas when I lived in Snohomish, but I haven't been successful growing them since I moved to Sunnyside. Do you have any tips that would help?
The Puget Sound area has ideal growing conditions for sweet peas because of its long, cool spring. The problem in the Yakima Valley is that our nice, cool spring weather often turns suddenly hot before sweet peas have had a chance to give us a full season of beautiful blooms.
But sweet peas can be grown here, although the season will be shorter than west of the Cascades. Start with seeds of sweet pea cultivars that are known to stand up to hot weather better than most varieties. The best choices include Old Spice, Mammoth Mix, Royal Family Mix and Old Fashioned Mix. Not all of these varieties are to be found on seed racks at local retailers, although Old Spice is almost always available. If you want to try some of the others, you may need to order them.
Unfortunately, it may be too late this year to grow sweet peas. It is a good idea to start your seeds indoors about eight weeks before transplanting them in the garden. You could try direct seeding in the garden in late March, but they may rot if the soil remains cold and damp.
My lilac bush is about 10 feet tall and it doesn't bloom as much as it used to. Should I remove it or is there a way I can get it to blooming heavily again?
Yes, if your bush is fairly healthy, you can renovate it so it will be both shorter and will bloom more profusely. However it will take at least three years before you will have it completely renovated. After your bush is through blooming this year, cut off the faded blooms. Then for the next three years, cut a third of the oldest (thickest) canes down to the ground. (Also remove any dead or damaged canes and prune out the spindly ones.)
Do not prune the canes to below root level because your lilac may be grafted. If it is, the new growth will come up from the grafted rootstock and will not be the same kind of lilac as what was originally planted.
An easier way to renovate a very old lilac is to cut it completely to the ground this fall. However, this means you will probably not have any blooms for at least three years from the new growth. Additionally, you may have so many small suckers coming up that they will be overcrowded. Then you will have a big job of thinning out many of the suckers to allow your lilac to grow strong, vigorous canes.
Is there really any need to deadhead flowers other than for looks?
Yes, in addition to making your flowerbed look more attractive, there are several other good reasons to cut off faded blooms. The main job of a flowering plant is to reproduce itself. If you do not deadhead, your flowerbed will often have an overabundance of new seedlings coming up next year. This is particularly true with many annuals. Then you will need to go out with a hoe or hand-pull to get rid of them. It's better to let a few flowers set seed, collect the seed and broadcast a few seeds in the areas where you want them to grow next year.
Another reason for deadheading annuals and some perennials is that many varieties will continue to set on new flowers after deadheading because they are desperately trying to reproduce themselves. And this means that you will continue to have flush after flush of new flowers coming on as you continue to deadhead.
Still another reason for deadheading, particularly perennials, is that producing seeds following blooming uses energy that could better be used to produce healthy and stronger plants. Deadheading faded flowers grown from bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, allows the plant to put its energy into producing healthier and stronger bulbs for the following year.
I have dandelions scattered across my lawn. Do I need to spray my whole lawn to keep other dandelions from popping up?
Lawn and weed herbicides used to rid lawns of dandelions are only effective against broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. Applied according to the instructions on the container, these herbicides will not kill or damage your grass, but they must be applied directly on the foliage of the dandelion (or other broadleaf weeds) to be effective. The plant then translocates the herbicide to its roots and destroys them.
For best results, wait to spray until several days after you have mowed. This will give the dandelion leaves time to grow large enough so that when they are sprayed, enough of the herbicides ingredients can be absorbed.
Time your spraying when no rain is expected. Otherwise, the spray will be washed off before it has been absorbed, and you will need to start over and spray again. Allow several days after spraying before you mow your lawn. This will allow time for the herbicide to translocate throughout the plant.
Spray dandelions late in the afternoon after honeybees are through working for the day. Our honeybees are already in enough trouble with diseases and the recent puzzling hive collapse without our adding to the problem. As of now, scientists have not yet found the cause of hive collapse. As homeowners we need to do as little as possible to add to the woes of honeybees.
If you have only a few dandelions scattered across your lawn, consider digging them out instead of using an herbicide. However, keep this in mind: If you do not remove the entire taproot, the dandelion will grow back. If you decide to get down and dirty and dig them out, first buy a dandelion digger. They are available wherever garden hand tools are sold. This long, pronged tool is invaluable in removing the dandelion's entire long taproot.
Now for the bad news. Even if you dispatch every dandelion in your yard, more will show up sooner or later. Seeds may float in with your irrigation water, or they will arrive on the wind using the tiny fluff of a parachute attached to each seed.
The very best insurance against dandelions threatening to take over your lawn is to grow a thick, lush lawn where dandelion seeds cannot easily reach the soil. Or if they do, they will be shaded out before they can become established.
I planted my first vegetable garden last year. I had a good harvest, but my neighbor said I planted my rows going the wrong way. Does it really matter in what direction I plant my rows?
Congratulations on the success of your first garden! It is usually advised to have rows going east and west so that each crop gets the most direct sunlight possible. Crops planted on the west side of taller crops may be shaded from getting enough direct sunlight early in the morning and the those on the east side may get less direct sunlight in the latter part of the afternoon.
That said, with the exception of tall crops such as corn and staked or caged tomatoes, the way you run your rows shouldn't cause a big problem. Or you can eliminate the shade problem by planting corn and other tall crops on the north end of the garden, with the rows going east to west.
One advantage of planting rows going east and west is that you might want some crops to be shaded in the hottest part of the afternoon. Lettuce, contrary to what is generally believed, can be grown during much of the summer if it is shaded during the hottest part of the day-and the soil is kept cool by watering frequently.
However, if your garden in on a slope, you will be better off running your rows perpendicular to the slope so that soil erosion won't become a problem if you use overhead watering or if there should be a heavy downpour.
Sat. May 3, 2008 9:00Am-12:00 noon in Post Office Park, Toppenish. There will be geraniums, and perennials from members gardens, as well as house plants. Call Judy at 865-2409 for more info.
Spring Plant Sale at the Yakima Area Arboretum
The Yakima Area's Arboretum's annual plant sale is this upcoming weekend. The sale will encourage gardeners to create all year interest in their garden. Arboretum staff and volunteers have selected perennials, shrubs and trees based on their appeal for more than one season. There will also be a wide selection of vines, vegetables, herbs, annuals, grasses and home-grown favorites. Along with the Arboretum, several garden clubs will be selling plants and garden items, including the Yakima County Master Gardeners, Homemaker's Garden Club, Nature Artists and the Women's Century garden club. The sale will be held at the Arboretum and runs 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday, May 9 and 9:00 am -3:00 pm on Saturday, May 10. All proceeds will benefit the Yakima Area Arboretum and the various garden clubs. Call 248-7337 for more information.
May is typically a very busy month in the garden. Although the valley was experiencing snow the end of March, weather can and most likely will, turn from warm to hot, several times during the transition month of May. Your "to do" list may initially seem overwhelming, but don't panic. The season is really just beginning.
" Replace cool season annuals with heat lovers (marigold, cosmos, sunflowers, verbena, zinnia, etc. However, you may want to resist putting out these heat lovers until the end of the month, when night time temperatures are higher.
" Mark bulb plantings that will need division.
" Plant trees and shrubs before the heat of summer.
" Thin your vegetable seedlings when they are approximately three inches tall. Be aggressive. Overcrowding only means disappointment at harvest.
" If you have a cherry tree in your yard, begin spraying the fruit early in the month to protect against Western cherry fruit fly. Continue your applications every week to 10 days until fruit is no longer on the tree. Check with your local county extension office for the recommended pesticide and follow package directions.
" Sow vegetables in successive intervals to prolong your harvest season.
" Plant a few "gladdie" corms every week from now until early July for continuous summer cuttings.
" Get your showy summer sprays of color started by planting bulbs of dahlia, lily, tuberous begonia, etc. These summer favorites provide a long season of bloom.
" As their blooms fade, remove the flowers from tulips and daffodils and give them a dose of fertilizer. Resist temptation and leave those leaves where they are. This will build up the bulbs and ensure more flowers next spring.
" Stake tall perennials before they reach ten inches in height. Begin to regularly pinch back fall blooming perennials such as chrysanthemums and asters. Pinching once a week until the middle of July will promote stocky growth.
" Deadhead (or lightly prune) spent lilac blossoms to increase flower production. Lilacs are heavy feeds and can benefit from a second application of fertilizer after flowering. Broadcast a balanced granular formula 10-10-10 and water in well. Fertilizer with excessive nitrogen can encourage foliage at the expense of flower production.
" Spread several inches of aged compost on vegetable and herb beds, if not done yet.
" Turn your compost pile.
" If you are transplanting seedlings, introduce them gradually to their new environment. This will harden them off. Set them outdoors for longer and longer periods for a week or so before planting. Choose sheltered, shady areas at first, and then work up to sunnier, windier location.
" Many weeds have already begun to flower. Nip (pull) weeds that are in bud now, or get ready for some extra workouts this summer, and up to seven years to come.
" Plan a landscape project. Lay it out on paper first. Resist the tendency to over plant. Be sure that you know the mature size of each plant in your landscape layout and allow for the plant's size at maturity.
" If you have not already started to log information on the specifics of your garden, start now. This will allow you to evaluate your gardening successes and your disappointments.
" Stay out of your garden when the vegetable plant leaves are wet. Walking through or working in a wet garden often spreads disease from one plant to another.
" Divide crowded perennials and share.
" Treat yourself to at least one great new plant before the best selection is gone.
The gardening season is upon us! Plant sales abound and the warmer weather is calling us outdoors. Are you finding it difficult to know where to start? Here are some ideas for your "what to do" list for this month.
1. Prune spring flowering shrubs when they finish blooming. The result will be a beautiful and bountiful amount of bloom next year. Also, cut out all of the deadwood; those branches that didn't bloom this spring.
2. Deadhead, or remove spring bulbs as they finish blooming, but leave the foliage intact until they turn yellow, and the foliage starts to dry up. This feeds the bulbs for next year's blooms.
3. Finish dividing the fall blooming perennials, if you have not done so, in order to have the new root growth established for the fall flowers to appear. Now is the time to plant dahlias, gladiolus, and other summer bulbs. Put stakes along side the bulbs as you plant them if they need support when they are fully mature. When planting gladiolus, multiple plantings a week or so apart will provide extended summer blooms. If you have shrubs or perennials to move, now is a good time to do so before the hot weather sets in.
4. If you haven't completed cleaning out your flower beds, now is the time. Remove weeds, leaves, and other debris from around your plants that are just beginning to grow and appear above ground. This will help keep the insects that may hide under the debris from feasting on your plants.
5. Continue preparing the ground for your vegetable garden. With more and more emphasis on going green, and suggestions to buy local, this is a good time to start your own garden in your own yard.
6. You don't have to have a large area in which to grow enough vegetables for you and your family. You can effectively help supplement your grocery buying by planting vegetable plants in your flower beds, or in containers. For instance, with two or three tomato plants, you will have plenty of produce to eat fresh, can, freeze, or give away to family and friends.
You can start your garden from seeds, or buy plants that have been grown in a nursery. Transplant them into your ground after the danger of frost has passed. If you choose starting from seeds, read the back of the seed packet for the length of time from planting to harvest.
Pick the type of plants you enjoy using in your cooking. There is a wide choice of salad greens for summer salads; herbs to use to enhance the flavor of your meals; strawberries, raspberries and blackberries (look for the thornless type of plants). Plant some zucchini, yes-zucchini, boiled, steamed, fried, mixed with other vegetables, in breads, cakes, cookies - a very versatile vegetable. They can be grated, sliced, stuffed, and frozen for future use AND given away to almost anyone and everyone you know.
7. Phlox and other mildew susceptible plants should be sprayed now with a good fungicide. Early prevention is the key to eliminating this problem. Also, if they are in a large clump, divide them so they have plenty of air circulation. It also helps if they are watered in a way that does not wet the leaves.
8. Control aphids when they appear by washing them off with a spray of water on a regular basis.
9. As the soil warms, mulch your garden beds to save moisture and to help prevent weeds.
10. Spray grapes with a fungicide to control mildew. Repeat application in about six weeks.
11. Let one seed stalk on your rhubarb plant go to flower. Others will wonder what that exotic flower is and you can tell them it is in the polygonacea family.
12. If your holly tree has not been setting berries because of the lack of a pollinator, try spraying "tomato set" on the blooms. Hollies need a male and female in the same vicinity to produce berries.
13. Repair or update your irrigation system. Be sure that all the emitters and sprinkler heads are functioning before it gets hot. A little effort now will pay big dividends when it gets hot and dry.
If you water with hoses and sprinklers, consider getting a "Y" fitting that will allow two hoses and sprinklers to be hooked up to the same faucet. Be sure you find one with a turn off valve on each side of the "Y". This will allow you to turn on one sprinkler at a time. A setup like this makes watering two areas much easier with less hose dragging.
Happy Gardening!
Asparagus - A Springtime Treat
For many in Eastern Washington, asparagus is what pops up every spring, growing wild in the rows of fruit trees or along irrigation canals. Some of the stalks are three-quarters of an inch or more in diameter, bursting with moisture and topped with tight, tender seed heads. The majority, however, are often just past perfect, slimmer, drier and with seed heads beginning to open. It's still all quite delicious, if not perfect
.
If you prefer to grow your own asparagus, experiment with special varieties, or even raise white asparagus, you can do it without too much fuss.
First, find a large, sunny spot in your garden. Because asparagus is a perennial and can survive up to 20 years, take enough time to plan long-term. It likes a rich, well-drained, soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8.If your native soil is clayey or otherwise difficult to spade as it dries, a raised bed with organic matter and composted manure added to the soil mix may be a better option than planting straight into the ground. Adding a commercial fertilizer (10-20-10) at recommended rates is also helpful at time of planting. Prepared soils should be 12 inches deep, with a diameter of approximately three feet for each plant to accommodate the root structure. It is best to prepare the bed in the fall and wait until early spring to plant after the additives have broken down, but spring preparation is acceptable. Soils in the Yakima Valley generally have a good pH level for asparagus and seldom need to be adjusted.
Rather than planting from seed, asparagus is planted as bare-root crowns, which can be purchased from a local nursery, or can be ordered over the Internet. Buy two-to three-year-old crowns that are fresh, and plant them as quickly as possible. Gardening area likely will determine how many to plant, but you will likely want to plant at least six crowns. Do not allow the crowns to sit uncovered, as they will dry out. If you must wait a few days, place crowns in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper to keep them viable.
Dig a hole approximately six inches deep and the width of the roots. If fertilizer has recently been added to your bed, mound untreated soil about an inch thick, in the hole. Remove the crown from the plastic bag and immediately place it on the mound and cover with two inches of untreated soil. Water before planting the next crown.
It should take a couple of weeks for the asparagus to poke through the soil. As it does, add two more inches of soil. Repeat the process until the soil is at ground level. Asparagus won't compete well with weeds or other plants, so mulch it heavily (about four inches) and remove any weeds that grow near the asparagus.
You won't harvest any asparagus for the first two years. (Really, the wait is worth it.) During the growing season, just keep the plants watered and fertilized with composted manure and/or nitrogen fertilizer. Cut back the stalks at the end of the first season to encourage more growth. During the third year, you can enjoy one of the most distinctive vegetables grown by gardeners.
Should you want to grow the white asparagus that is so preferred in Europe, in the third year, simply cover the first emerging stalks with a heavy wooden box that allows no light to penetrate. No sunlight, no chlorophyll, no green. Grow both, compare, and decide for yourself if it's a cosmetic difference or whether there's a subtle difference in taste.
Yakima, WA: Hard to believe, but when we offered this worm composting (vermicomposting) class last October, we were overwhelmed by the response and the class filled to capacity before the scheduled start time.
So, back by popular demand we will be offering the Worm Composting class again on Saturday, May 17th from 9:30 am to 1 pm. Designed for the beginner and intermediate student, the Arboretum's Worm Composting Class will discuss everything to get you started. The class will also touch briefly on yard waste composting.Cost for the class is $10 for Arboretum Members and $15 for non-members.
Fee includes materials. Call the Yakima Area Arboretum at (509) 248-7337 to register.
The Yakima Valley Bonsai Society will be hosting a class at the Yakima Valley Arboretum on Wednesday June 4th from 6:00-9:00 pm. Bonsai is the art of maintaining miniaturized trees in aesthetically pleasing shapes by growing them in containers. It is an art that has been practiced in different parts of the world for nearly 2000 years.
There are only fifteen spaces available so call and reserve your spot. Participants will learn everything they need to know to get started with this ancient hobby. Cost is $30.00 which includes all supplies and each participant will leave with their own bonsai tray. Call Colleen at 248-7337 for more information and registration.
Is it too late to start a vegetable garden? If not, would you please give suggestions as to the garden size and layout.
Considering the very cold April we just experienced, May is probably a much better month to be contemplating a vegetable garden.
First let's review the basics of vegetable gardening. We can then evolve into garden size and layout:
" Choose a sunny location. It is critical to choose a sunny spot for growing your vegetables. For best results, most fruiting vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day. Leafy greens, such as spinach or lettuce can do well with a bit less direct sun. In choosing your garden location, remember to allow for the long shadows that tall deciduous trees may cast.
" Allow your garden space to grow with your gardening skills and ambitions. It is better to start with a smaller space and see if it fits your needs. A 10 by 12 foot plot is sufficient for a garden sampler with a variety of greens, herbs, a few tomatoes and peppers, beans, parsley, etc., as well as edible flowers such as nasturtiums. Flowers add beauty and contrast to your garden and attract pollinating and beneficial insects to the garden space. By growing plants in succession and using 3-foot wide beds with 18-inch paths, your garden space should produce plenty of luscious vegetables for fresh and healthy eating plus extras for sharing.
" To design your garden, plot it on graph paper that has a grid of ¼-inch squares. With each square representing 1-foot in the garden, outline the beds and then fill in the plant names. If you have the option, for best sun exposure orient the garden so the beds run east to west, with the tallest plants on the north side. This will reduce the chance of one vegetable shading another.
" Measure and stake out each garden bed and begin your soil preparation. It is easier to address the soil's long-term nutrient needs before planting rather than after. Build your soil with compost and fertilizers.
" Tips and techniques that can make your veggie garden more productive include: (1) Succession planting, i.e., growing a warm-season crop such as beans in the same spot where you just harvested a cool-season crop such as spinach. (2) Interplanting is a great way to maximize your planting space. Plant quick-maturing crops such as lettuce around slow growers such as broccoli. The lettuce will be harvested by the time the broccoli needs the space. (3) When growing more than one of any type of vegetable - tomatoes, for instance -- plant several different varieties. This increases the chance of success, since some varieties will perform and taste better than others.
" Consider raised bed gardening as it may be the best way to grow vegetables with the least amount of work. The benefits of raised beds include (1) They warm up and dry out faster in the spring, allowing plants to get a jump start on the season. (2) You can grow more vegetables in less space and have less area devoted to paths. (3) They create attractive, well-organized planting areas. (4) They save on the amount of fertilizer and compost used because it is concentrated just on the planting beds.(5)It is less work, especially if you make permanent raised beds bordered with bricks or stone. You won't have to remake the beds each spring.(6) The plants will have healthy root systems as you will not be stepping on the planting bed, compacting the soil. (7) You can be more creative in design. (8) It is easy to fit "season extenders" such as row covers with wire hoops over 3 foot raised beds.
I want to give my garden a makeover. Can you give me some tips? I would prefer to "do it right" the first time.
The following is a basic check list to work with:
* Make a wish list. Write down the elements you want and need, from hardscape to plants. Prioritize your wishes against your budget.
* Evaluate the site. Inventory what is already there, including trees, shrubs, paving stones, etc. Determine what to save and what to remove.
* Find your style. Create an idea file. Browse landscape books and magazines for inspiration, saving pictures of landscapes, plant combinations, pavers that you enjoy. Visit nurseries, note plants that appeal to you and check out their individual characteristics and needs. The more knowledge you have, the better chance you will be happy with your garden makeover.
* Draw a rough plan. Nothing sophisticated here. Use grid paper and work to scale, ¼-inch to 1-foot works nicely. Note views that need screening, the direction of the prevailing wind, areas of intense sun, etc.
* Call in help if you think you need it. Recruiting the help of a landscape architect or garden designer for consultation can save you time and possible disappointment. Keep in mind that irrigation systems, lighting and major hardscape are often best left to professionals.
* Be resourceful. If your budget is tight, look for ways to cut cost. Do as much of the work yourself as possible. Recycle materials such as pavers left over from other projects. Buy smaller plants. They may take a little longer to fill in your garden space, but plants in 4-inch and 1-gallon containers are much less expensive than larger ones.
* Save mature trees if possible.
* Be flexible. As you move forward with your project, you will come across alternatives to your wish list items that may be an equally good, or better, fit for your needs. Typically, you will massage your plan many times during the project.
I would like to grow my own herbs to enjoy fresh and/or dried. Please list some basics regarding how to proceed and have a successful outcome.
According to a national gardening survey, more than 14 million households in the United States grow herbs in the garden, in containers, or on the window sill. The enjoyment they provide is multi-faceted. In addition to their obvious role in cooking, herbs are also attractive and add color to your garden. Their interesting textures and forms, rich or subtle fragrances can be an important part of your garden enjoyment. This, of course, does not discount the wonderful contribution herbs make to the meals you serve. Can you imagine tomato sauce without oregano? In addition you will find the skillful use of herbs can and will reduce the need to salt foods-a major health benefit.
Herb garden basics include the following:
* In general, herbs prefer a moderately rich soil. An overly rich soil (or excessive fertilizing) can lead to vigorous growth, which can detract from the essence of the herb. This is due to a reduction of the essential oil content. Many culinary herbs, such as thyme and oregano, are of Mediterranean heritage and are accustomed to growing in gravely soils. Make sure the soil in your herb garden has excellent drainage. If yours does not, consider growing your herbs either in raised beds or containers.
* Most herbs prefer full sun - at least six hours per day. Herbs that will tolerate light shade include chives, cilantro, dill and mint.
* Most herbs will do well with about 1 inch of water per week.
* Once established, most herb plants are remarkably resistant to insect and disease attack. The oils that give them aroma and flavor may contribute to their ability to repel pests. However, be aware, basil in particular is subject to Fusarium wilt. Further, aphids and leafhopper, two common pests, enjoy basil.
* Harvest herbs by cutting back a shoot to just above a leaf. This will provide both your day's harvest and encourage a nice, bushy growth on the remaining plant. In general, an herb's flavor is most pronounced when harvested just before the plant begins to flower and in the morning when the oils are most concentrated.
* Heavily harvested herb plants can look unattractive. Consider interplanting herb beds with annual flowers to camouflage trimmed plants.
* Herbs can provide important habitat for beneficial insects. Dill and fennel are two herbs beneficial insects particularly like.
* Perennial mints are typically very vigorous and can become invasive. Rather than planting them directly in the garden, grow the plants in containers, then, if you wish, sink the container into the garden. This will contain the roots and limit spreading.
We are all encouraged to think "green" and conduct our lives to reflect each day as Earth Day. As we recycle, add insulation, switch to energy-saving light bulbs, etc, we often overlook planting, protecting and facilitating a very important contributor to our earth's and our own well being - trees.
The city of Yakima should be applauded for including trees in the downtown landscape. Equally important is the planting of trees in new residential developments as well as replanting and maintaining tree canopy in our older established residential areas. 'Nature' should reside in our own yards and communities as it impacts our everyday lives in many unrecognized, but enriching, ways.
There are studies that reveal the legacy of trees includes not only benefiting the environment, but also helping us feel and behave better. Unfortunately, although "going green" is a popular movement, many American cities have lost more than a quarter of their tree canopies in the last thirty years. Seattle, for example, has only an 18 percent canopy cover. This is down from 40 percent just 35 years ago. According to "American Forests," a Washington DC non profit, this is about half of what is recommended for a city of its size. One study found the canopy of a single, leafy, 38-foot-tall tree intercepts and holds rainwater, efficiently reducing runoff by 290 gallons. Given the average rainfall in Seattle, or perhaps some of the cloud bursts of Yakima, it is easy to grasp the benefit of trees from this aspect alone.
Urban tree canopies and green spaces service our environment by removing pollutants from air and water, soak up carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and provide a softening, cooling shade for concrete/blacktop intense cityscapes. For example, it is estimated that a mature tree canopy in a city center can reduce air temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Paraphrasing a much used line by infomercials, "But wait, there's more!" In this case, there actually is. Kathleen Wolf, an environmental psychologist, advances that various studies conclude urban greenery makes us healthier and happier.
" Scientists subjected the case study volunteers to stressful mental exercises. During the tests, heart rate and blood pressure for the respective volunteers were measured. After the tests, part of the volunteer group was shown images of nature; the other was shown images of urban landscape without any green. Those volunteers who were shown nature shots had lower stress levels with their blood pressure and heart rate returning to normal faster.
" Environmental psychologists studied two sections of a public housing site in Chicago. One section had more trees, grass and plants than the other. The "green" housing area had fewer domestic disputes, lower levels of fear, less crime and better relationships between neighbors.
" How we view the world is also affected. A study asked individuals to estimate the walking distance in settings with lots of greenery and other settings with less. Walking distance was judged to be shorter in neighborhoods having more street trees and other plants, even though the distances were the same in both settings. In an aging and increasingly inactive society, this is an important finding. If you perceive distances to be shorter you are more likely to be motivated to walk. The importance in overcoming inertia and walking is difficult to overvalue, particularly in face of the mounting medical costs of inactivity and obesity among Americans.
While only a few examples are provided here, the attraction to and enjoyment of downtown/residential tree plantings is supported and authenticated by many other studies as well. The legacy of trees is truly multifaceted and extraordinarily important in our lives.
Cactus garden tour is unique opportunity
Yakima, WA: From now through the end of June, northwest cactus expert, Ron McKitrick, recognized nationally as owning one of the finest desert gardens in the world, will be offering free public tours of his garden.
Ron's garden, which began as a hobby 27 years ago, is known as the Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens and has been featured on the Arboretum's annual garden tour, in newspaper articles, and toured by members of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (a national organization) during their biennial convention in Seattle last year.
Through testing and research he has managed to obtain an amazing collection of cacti, all of which are artfully arranged into 20 display gardens and now through June are some of the best times to view cacti for their vivid blooms.
Tours will be offered between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm and are by reservation only. Call Ron at (509)248-1742 or email hillsidecacti@nwinfo.net to schedule a tour.
Yakima, WA: Get ready for a day of enchanting sights, sounds, and scents during the Arboretum's annual Garden Tour on Saturday, June 14th, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Six glorious gardens are featured on this year's Tour including the homes of:
* Ollie Weitz
* Cynthia & Metiner Kimel
* Leslie & Neil McClure
* John & Carol Barany
* Dave & Margie Van Cleve
* And, the Master Gardener Demonstration GardenGarden Tour explorers will discover gardens filled with colorful perennials, spectacular views, stunning water features, shade gardens, children's gardens, wildlife habitats, unusual plants, clematis gardens, and more.
Garden Tour tickets cost $20; with all proceeds benefiting the Yakima Area Arboretum (a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.)
So get ready to walk and explore some of our community's most glorious gardens. Tickets are available at the Yakima Area Arboretum, Loo-Wit Gardens, Cowiche Creek Nursery, & Russell's Nursery. Call the Yakima Area Arboretum at 248-7337 for more information.
What to Do in Your June Garden
June is the month when you can no longer fool yourself into thinking that the time to get going in the garden is still around the corner. Summer is upon us. It's time!
Suggestions for June garden activities include:
*Cultivation and mulching arguably should be placed high on your gardening priority list. Work soil deeply with a digging fork, but without turning it over. This helps maintain the microbe activity level in your soil. Add an inch or two of compost and top off with mulch. Keeping a good mulch layer in your garden helps retain moisture, slows weed growth and helps to keep the soil from compacting. As the mulch breaks down, it can be cultivated in as compost.
*Monitor watering. Plants prefer deep, early morning watering. This practice also helps reduce problems with powdery mildew and black spot.
*Fertilize annuals in containers, baskets and window boxes with a quarter-strength balanced fertilizer every seven to ten days. Always water plants before adding a liquid fertilizer.
*Fertilize bulbs with a 9-9-6 or similar slow-release fertilizer. Leave the foliage on the plant until it dies and dries up on its own, but mark the spots with small stakes so you will not disturb the bulbs as you garden later, after the foliage is gone.
*Stake tall perennials and continue to tie annual and perennial vines to supports.
*Thin seedlings and pinch back annuals for bushier growth. Thinning and prudent pinching is vital in the process of encouraging and ensuring the robust development of plants.
*Deadheading - Flowers bloom to produce seed. Therefore, one of the best ways to prolong blooming is by cutting and deadheading. Deadheading is the process of removing spent blossoms from your plants to stimulate new bloom and prevent fruiting. For flowering plants, this process keeps your garden looking fresh and colorful well into the fall. Make deadheading, pinching back and cleaning up a daily routine. It keeps you in touch with your garden allowing you to see problems early.
*Start a regular fertilizing program. Fertilizing is probably the single most neglected gardening practice. Fertilize regularly, using organic fertilizers if possible, as they help build the soil. Diligent fertilization with good compost and regular watering will reward you with a very happy and thriving garden.
*Make sure your watering system is in order. Check sprinkler coverage and inspect your sprinkler system for broken, malfunctioning or misaligned heads. If drip systems are clogging up too much (30% or greater) it may be time to replace them.
*The last part of May was wet and cool. Be sure to be proactive in setting up a program to combat mildew.
*With the warm weather of summer, monitor the moisture level of your compost pile and make sure it is sufficiently moist.
*Before the weather gets to hot, think about starting that garden project that's going to take some sweat and strain. Wouldn't you rather do it right now than later during the hottest part of summer?
It is said that the best fertilizer you can give your garden consists of your
footprints on the garden path. Happy gardening!
We moved from a place that had a high incidence of fire, and wonder what type of plants are safer to plant near our home?
It is wise to take precautions to protect your home and property. First of all, fire-resistant does not mean fireproof so be sure to keep all of your landscape plants healthy with appropriate watering and pruning.
Planting bushes that will grow very large close to your house could increase the risk of fire to your home. Plan and create a defensible space, an area between your home and landscape, a barrier to help slow the spread of fire toward your home.
Most deciduous trees and shrubs are fire-resistant. Plants that produce little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within the plant are also relatively fire-resistant.Plants that are highly flammable generally contain fine, dry or dead material within the plant such as twigs, needles, and leaves. Plants or trees that have leaves, twigs, and stems which contain volatile waxes, terpenes, oil, or leaves that are aromatic and have a strong odor when crushed can also be flammable. Plants with sap that is gummy, that are resinous, that have a strong order, or that have loose or papery bark also fall into this category.
Turf, which is well cared for, can be included in a fire resistant landscape, and serve as a fuel break. For further information, check out this website for Washington State University Extension: http://ext.wsu.edu/
I have heard about soil pH, what exactly is it, and is it important to know?
pH is the chemists' short hand method of expressing the amount of acidity or alkalinity in soil. We use the pH scale like a yardstick. A yardstick measures inches and feet. The pH scale measures the amounts of acidity or alkalinity. Different plants thrive better in soil that is conducive to their particular soil needs.
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. The 0 end of the scale is the acid end, and the 14 end of the scale is the alkaline end. Halfway between 0 and 14 is the neutral point where there is just as much acid as alkali. 7.0 is the neutral point.
A soil testing greater than 7.0 (like 8.5) will be an alkaline soil.
Greater than 7.0=alkaline soil.A soil testing less than 7.0 (like 6.0) will be an acid soil
Lower than 7.0=acid soil.Different areas of your property can vary, it is best to get an analysis of your soil before planting expensive plants, or in large areas or your property.
There are available test kits, and pH gauges to determine the pH of your soil, or contact the County Extension office for the nearest soil testing lab. In the Yakima Valley we tend to be more alkaline than acid, so if you plan to grow more acid loving plants like blueberries, the soil will need to be amended.
What type of plants can be planted to help keep deer from eating my landscape plants?
Deer damage is often seasonal. They will forage during early spring, when natural food sources are scarce, and again during late summer and fall when they need to fatten up for winter.
Words like generally, and usually are key words where deer are concerned. Plants that are highly fragrant, fuzzy, bitter or alkaloid are generally passed up for more desirable plants. Here are a few plants that deer usually find less appetizing than other plants.
Anise hyssop, also called Agastache, is a perennial herb, and has a licorice-scent foliage. The blooms are pink to peach to purple. Anise hyssop cultivars have a long bloom season from summer to fall. Hummingbirds and butterflies like them. They are tolerant of summer heat, humidity and drought. They may be planted in borders, or large containers. Plant in full sun.
Other herbs deer tend to pass up are: catmint, (nepeta spp.) chives, garlic, onions, (allium spp.)honey bush, (Melianthus major) lavender, (lavandula spp.) mint,(Mentha spp.) sage, (Salvia officinalis) and thyme (Thymus spp).
For a full list of plants that deer aren't fond of, visit the clinic at the WSU Master Gardeners office at 401 North 1st Street, in the old Health Department Building. The list includes trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, vines, bulbs, annuals and biennials,
I just bought a tree with burlap around the roots; do I need to remove the burlap?
Yes. The climate in the Yakima Valley is too dry to decompose burlap as rapidly as on the west side of the Cascades. After you have dug and prepared the planting hole, set the tree in the hole. Be sure to place it at the same planting depth it had been in the nursery, or slightly higher to allow for settling. Cut all the twine away from the tree trunk. If the twine is left in place, it can girdle the tree and eventually the tree will suffer damage and may die. Cut and peel the burlap away from the root ball. When you place the tree in the hole, make sure the roots are not going around in a circle, as they will continue to grow that way, and the tree eventually will die. Spread the roots so they will grow into a good root system for your tree. If there is any burlap left on the roots, make sure that it is not exposed above ground as it could wick water away from the roots.
After back-filling with native, unamended soil, be sure to water well. Water deeply once a week, or even more often during the hot summer. It takes at least two years to get a new tree established, so remember to keep it deeply watered next year as well.
I am getting ready to plant my containers again this year. I didn't have much success last year, what do I need to know to have better results with my container planting this year?
First, if you have been using garden soil in your containers, dig it out, or dump it out. It tends to get very hard in the small area of a container, because it will bake. The sides of the container usually get full sun and the soil compacts. Plants growing in containers need specially prepared soil to thrive. A potted plant will "use" the soil in the pot much more intensively than one growing freely in the garden ground. Plan a fertilizer routine, and follow the label on the back of the fertilizer you choose to use.
If you are only planting a few pots, you can opt for the commercial mix. If you are planting more, it may be less expensive to mix your own.
For a general potting mix, use 1 part garden soil, (not clay), 1 part washed builder's sand, perlite or pumice, 1 part peat moss, 1 quart steamed bone meal per 8 gallons of mixture and 1 pint of dolomite lime per 8 gallons of soil mix. This mixture can be used for most container plant including vegetables, bedding plants, geraniums, begonias, fuchsias, and ivies. When you transplant into the potting soil, make sure it is damp. Using totally dry potting soil may damage tender roots before the plant is watered.
What is a mulch? I have heard the word when people talk about their gardens, but no one gives an explanation.
Mulch is a layer of material, preferably organic, that is placed on the soil surface to conserve moisture, hold down weeds, and improve soil structure and fertility. It also protects plants during winter cold, reducing dangers of freezing. Mulch acts as an insulating blanket, keeping soil warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Mulch prevents hot drying sun and wind from drying out the soil so its moisture does not evaporate quickly.
There are a few things to consider when choosing mulch. First, how the material used will look in your beds. Even though it is doing something important for you, how it looks on the ground is important. Also important is how it will affect the plants it will surround. Small plants might not be able to get the proper amount of air and water if the mulch is too thick, or placed too closely to the plant.
Of course price enters into the plan. Depending on how much you need, whether it can be obtained easily and inexpensively will influence your decision.
The following materials may be used as mulch: grass clippings, leaves, leaf mold, hulls and shells, peat moss, sawdust, seaweed and kelp, wood chips, corn stalks, straw, corn cobs, pine needles, alfalfa hay, rotted pine wood, packing materials, weeds and native grasses, stones, wet newspaper, and black polyethylene plastic, to help curtail weeds.
I think I understand the function of applying mulch to my garden, i.e., slowing moisture loss, inhibiting the growth of weeds, long term improvement of my soil structure, etc. However, life has taught me that rarely is any thing all positive. Are there some downsides? Further, if I choose to mulch, how do I determine which mulch is right for me, how do I determine the amount to purchase and what is the best time to apply it?
There are many varieties of mulch, both organic and inorganic. Organic mulches are typically wood products such as bark, or from composted garden waste such as grass clippings, straw, leaves and spoiled hay. There are also "living mulches" such as clover and other ground cover grown between your plants. Finally, there are inorganic mulches which include rock or gravel, black plastic, or geotextiles (woven fabrics made from polyester or polypropylene), etc.
Organic mulches are generally preferred as they can and do improve the soil. On the debit side of the column, organic mulches may contain weed seed, they should be considered flammable and they may provide homes for rodents and insects. Most of these problems, however, can be mitigated. Rock, gravel and black plastic are the most commonly used of the inorganic. Many of the inorganic work well only on certain landscapes and because of their permanence may be difficult to remove if you decide to change your garden plans at a later date. Plastic is not recommended because it does not allow water penetration.
Sometimes organic and inorganic mulches are used together. As an example, bark mulch placed over landscape fabric or plastic. The fabric or plastic is laid on top of the soil and then covered with a layer of bark chips. This approach typically gets poor review from those that have used it and it can be a mess to remove. The barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting more difficult.
In choosing between the various options, some of the most important considerations are:
The wide variance in purpose, aesthetics, cost, etc., means there is no single mulch that is perfect for every individual and garden. You may choose to vary the types of mulch in your yard and garden, matching each to the specific area. For example, is the mulch going to be a feature in a front landscape or simply cover for your vegetable garden patch?
Application rates vary with the medium - bark mulch 2-4 inches, compost and leaf mulch 3-4 inches, grass clippings 2-3 inches.
To calculate the amount of bark or mulch to order for your garden, start with the following basic formula and extrapolate - to cover 1000 square feet of garden space with a 1" cover of mulch, you will need 83.33 cubic feet, or 3.1 cubic yards of material.
Add a side dressing of nitrogen fertilizer to your plants before applying the mulch as this will help offset potential nitrogen drain as the mulch breaks down. You may also wish to apply an additional side dressing of fertilizer from time to time.
Last year was my first attempt to compost. I love the concept, but my results were disappointing. I'm still waiting for the decomposition part of the equation to become active, so I must be missing something. Would you review the basics of successful and speedier composting?
Depending on the size of your compost pile, what you put in it and how you tend it can vary the process tremendously. Here are a few things you can do to speed the process along.
One final note, in years past, many experts recommended adding manure, which is nitrogen-rich, to your compost mix as a booster to the microbial activity. New strains of bacteria have caused concerns, however, and some people are backing away from this suggestion. Alfalfa meal and soybean meal are high-nitrogen alternatives and are available at many feed stores
I have been told that the shiny leafed plant that is along my fence line is poison ivy. I know little about Poison ivy, can you tell me some facts about this plant?
Poison Ivy typically can be found along fence lines. The seeds are left there by birds that rest on the fence.
POISON IVY - It is an attractive looking plant, and has three pointed leaflets with smooth or toothed edges, and typically grows as a climbing vine. Green leaves change to bright red in autumn
POISON OAK - Typically has three shiny leaflets. Leaflets are lobed and resemble leaves from an oak tree. I t is commonly found in the Western United States, and grows as a shrub.
POISON SUMAC - Has 7 to 13 leaflets on each stalk, it produces berries, has red veins, and grows as a shrub or small tree.
Isolated patches of poison ivy can be killed with a cover of black plastic. The plastic blocks the sunlight preventing covered plants from manufacturing the energy it needs to survive. If there is a lot of poison ivy, it will need to be sprayed. Contact the Master Gardeners Clinic at WSU Extension Office for more information on how to rid the plant from your property.When working around these plants, remember to wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt and gloves. Any contact with part of the plant can result in an irritating rash. Immediately after working in a poison area, wash clothes and skin thoroughly. Never burn the debris as the oils are strong enough to travel in smoke and cause severe allergic reactions.
I have been told that I can compost my kitchen scraps in a garbage can. Is this possible?
Yes, a garbage can, can be made into a compost bin. Punch holes in the bottom and the sides, as well as the lid. Place about four inches of fertile soil in the bottom of the can. Use all of your vegetable cuttings, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and fruit peels. Do not add animal fats, or meat scrap products which attract animals and can produce an offensive odor.
A good balance of high nitrogen materials (kitchen scraps) and high carbon materials (shredded newspaper, sawdust, wood chips, straw or dry leaves) will keep your garbage can compost cooking and prevent it from smelling bad. Chop up any large kitchen scraps.
Elevate the can slightly on several bricks or pieces of wood for better air circulation and to keep metal cans from rusting. Layer the materials in the can the same way as you would for a large compost heap in the garden.
If you want to add scraps daily just keep some dried leaves, chopped straw or shredded newspaper in a sack near the can and add a few handfuls each time you add scraps. You should also keep the compost moist. Material should be damp to the touch but should not drip when you squeeze a handful of it.
You can "turn" your compost by putting the can on its side and rolling it around a little. You will need to secure the lid somehow. Do this once a week or more. The more it is turned the faster your compost will be finished. It will probably take eight weeks or more to get finished compost. Larger particles can be screened out of the finished compost and returned to the pile and the finished product can be used as nutritious top dressing for your garden.
What can I propagate from cuttings taken now?
Softwood cuttings, or slips, can be taken from immature non-woody stems of perennials, and some shrubs. Commonly "slipped" plants include geraniums, begonias, coleus, lilac, roses, hydrangeas, ivy, and grapes.
Suitable growth for cuttings appear from mid-May through July, depending on the plant. Choose new growth with stems that are brittle and snap easily. These are sensitive to water loss, but will root readily. Take your slips from a healthy vigorous plant.
Cut stem sections three to five inches long, depending on the plant's size. Cut just below a leaf node. Remove leaves or flowers at the base of the cutting and dip it in a rooting hormone about one-quarter-inch deeper than you will plant the slip. Poke a hole in the planting medium (vermiculite, or sterilized potting soil) with a pencil, and insert the cutting deep enough to cover at least one node, so it will stand upright. Firm the medium around the slip and water to settle the soil.
Keep cuttings where the temperatures are 65 to 70 degrees and provide good light, but not direct sunlight. Keep the medium and the air moist with a light misting of water. Containers may be enclosed in a clear plastic bag to retain moisture and warmth. When substantial new growth appears, the cuttings may be transplanted.
Extension bulletin PNW 151, Propagating Herbaceous Plants from Cuttings is available for a nominal cost, from the Master Gardener Clinic which is now in the old Health Department Building at 104 North 1st Street, in downtown Yakima. It shows in detail how to take cuttings.
How can I tell if my plants are getting the right amount of what they need in order to produce to the fullest?
Your plant will tell you when it needs attention or a better diet. It will tell you on its leaves, fruit, stems, and roots. If the plant needs water, it starts to droop, or may turn different shades of green, yellow or red, or may die prematurely. Your soil may need to be amended, or additional elements may need to be added.
Plants need all types of minerals such as, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, boron, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Plants short in any of these nutrients may be stunted and show deficiency symptoms.
A garden that is rich in organic matter and has been fertilized with natural minerals, achieves balance, with the bonus of healthy plants.
Every year my peonies start out fine, but by summer there are notches along the edges of the leaves. What is causing this problem and how can I solve it?
The culprit is the root weevil, which can also disfigure the foliage of rhododendrons and several other kinds of plants. The notching in and of itself is not a problem, other than how it affects the looks of the foliage. The real danger is that they can damage and weaken the roots, sometimes causing the peony to die.
There are a couple of methods of control: You could go out at night with a flashlight and pick off the adult weevils and dispose of them. Another way is to drape a white sheet around the base of the peony at night and then shake the plant vigorously, causing the weevils to fall onto the sheet where they can be gathered and killed. As you might surmise, these means of control aren't very practical or highly effective.
A better way of dealing with root weevils is to use a pesticide, such as Orthene, to spray the foliage every three weeks from May to October. This will control most of the adults, but eggs may have been laid previous to application of the insecticide. It may take more than one year's diligent efforts to completely break the cycle of your root weevil problem.
My Douglas fir has fuzzy white dots on the needles. Is this something that I need to be concerned about?
The cooley spruce gall adelgid is a common pest among several kinds of spruce and on Douglas fir. On spruce they appear at the base of buds as wooly masses in the fall, winter and into spring. These are over-wintering females that produce eggs in the spring. They hatch and the young adlegids feed at the base of growing needles. This causes galls to form which soon surround them. At maturity, the gall producing forms will migrate to Douglas firs.
Galls are not produced on Douglas fir. The presence of the adelgid is noticeable only by the white tufts on the needles. However, during the development of new growth after bud break, upon close observation, the newly hatched adelgids appear as black spots.
The galls on spruce result ultimately in the death of the bud, reducing the desired symmetry of the tree. On Douglas fir, the adelgid's feeding results in spotting of the leaves, needle distortion and sometimes premature needle drop. Rarely are the trees defoliated.Control of this pest is usually not necessary on landscape Douglas fir. If control is deemed necessary, chemical control is the only practical method. A chemical called imidacloprid can be applied as a systemic control, meaning that you feed it to the tree and the tree feeds it to the pest. It doesn't hurt the tree but it kills the pest. Needless to say this should only be used on ornamentals. This is probably the best way to control spruce gall adelgid. Other spray insecticides must be timed to control the adelgid during the crawling stage. Consult an experienced nursery person for advice on specific products.
Arboretum News: Students Take Over Garden
Students from East Valley High School, under the guidance of local Master Gardeners and their instructor Brenda Struthers, have officially taken over the planning and maintaining of the Yakima Area Arboretum's Raised Bed Vegetable Garden.
Students will be growing vegetables using the Arboretum's required Integrated Pest Management (IPM) concepts such as floating row covers, crop rotations, mulching, and disease resistant plants.
The students will maintain the garden throughout the summer and donate any remaining crops to a local charity.
Until this year, the Raised Bed Garden was managed by local Master Gardener Diana Pieti and her family. Diana will be acting as an informal advisor and mentor to the students.
July is here and the harvesting has begun! Isn't it great when you can brag that your dinner salad has come from your garden. So many vegetables are ready right now including lettuce, little onions and beautiful radishes. As you harvest these things, get something else into the soil. Many veggies do well as a fall harvest including carrots, kohlrabi, and radishes. Don't forget some Chinese stir fry ingredients such as bok choy too and it is not too late to sow another crop of green beans. Make better use of your garden space to grow healthy food for your family and begin succession gardening for fall crops now.
Snip some herbs from your garden and use them in your cooking, or dry for use this winter. Simply snip a bouquet of your favorite, tie a rubber band around them and hang in a dry, dark area. Once you are sure they are completely dry, store them in a fruit jar in a dark cupboard to keep their color. You can also snip fresh herbs into an ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze and when you need just a little, thaw out a cube. The herbs keep their color well when preserved this way. For tonight's dinner, soften a cube of real butter, add two tablespoons each of chopped chives, parsley, and nasturtium blossoms. Blend together, spread on a loaf of French bread, and warm and serve. Yum! You can taste this recipe at the free class held at the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at the Ahtanum Youth Park on July 19th at 10:00 a.m. when we teach "All About Herbs".
Raise the level on your lawnmower during the hot weather that is ahead. By doing so, you make sure you do not cut down into the crown of the plant and leaving the lawn a little high helps cut down on watering. Do not use fertilizer on your lawn during hot weather, and irrigate during early morning hours to make better use of your water.
Keep flowers blooming by deadheading. This just means to walk around your garden with a cup of coffee in the morning and snip off all the spent blooms. This tells the plant to produce more blooms and keeps color going longer in your beds.
While you are on that morning walk, look closely for problems. Aphids are tiny critters but can do a lot of damage. If you spot them, turn the hose on them and wash them away. Check daily to see if they need to be 'showered' again.
Keep container plants watered, and this might take twice a day depending on how large they are. Remember that July is a hot month and this is a desert. Check on them daily, deadhead, water and use some mulch on the top of the soil to help hold moisture.
Take a walk through the public gardens, including the Yakima Area Arboretum and the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Enjoy the beautiful rose bed at the arboretum and plan some time to view ours which consists of a cottage, children's, xeric, woods walk, and wild bird area. These are wonderful places to get ideas so take a pad and pencil.
Pick a large bouquet and take it to the neighborhood nursing home. Cut during the morning hours when there is plenty of moisture in the plants, and quickly get the stems into water to make the bouquet last longer.
Previous Master Gardener columns have mentioned using soil testing as a tool towards enhancing my garden soil. How do I test my soil? What is a soil test going to tell me and how do I use the information the test provides?
It is difficult to have too much information about your garden soil, especially if you are having only mediocre results with your lawn, vegetable gardens, flowers, etc. A soil test can help you amend your soil with the necessary nutrients to better match the needs of your lawn/plants.
There are two ways to have your soil tested. One is to purchase a do-it-yourself home soil test kit. While garden outlets often feature one or more different soil test kits, the accuracy of the test results from the kits is generally felt to be suspect. To relieve your concerns regarding test result accuracy, perhaps an easier way is to engage with a private company providing soil testing service. One such company in the Yakima area is Cascade Analytical, 1008 W. Ahtanum Rd. Union Gap. Forms and containers for submitting soil samples are available through Cascade Analytical or through the WSU Yakima County Extension Office, which is now across the street from the Yakima County Courthouse in the old Health Department Building at 104 North 1st Street. The phone number for the Extension Office is 509 574-1600.
An accurate soil test is often essential to your garden success as it tells you whether you need to raise or lower the pH of your soil, as well as the information to correct any soil nutrient deficiencies, or perhaps, excesses. In short, it provides the soil nutrient basics to grow each element of your lawn/garden to fullest potential.
Here is why it is necessary that you know the soil pH, the nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in your soil;
* pH - Soil pH facilitates or inhibits a plant's ability to absorb nutrients. If the pH is too high or too low, nutrients in the soil "lock up" and are not available to the plant. The end result, not only does your fertilizer go to waste, your plants literally become nutrient starved.
* Nitrogen - Adequate nitrogen produces luxuriant growth of stalks, stems, leaves and grasses. Excessive nitrogen causes too rapid growth which can result in softness of plant tissue and general plant weakness. In addition, too much nitrogen can push the plant towards excessive vegetative growth which, in turn, can retard flower and seed formation. Plants suffering from nitrogen deficiency are more susceptible to disease, infection and injury.
* Phosphorus - Phosphorus gives plants a rapid start, stimulates root formation, hastens maturation, and aids blooming and seed formation. Phosphorus level that is considered too high can interfere with other essential elements. Zinc, for example, is usually the first element to have restricted uptake when soil "P" becomes high.
* Potash (Potassium) - Proper amounts of potash stimulate early root or tuber formation which is essential for all underground vegetables and tuberous flowers. Excessive potash reduces a plant's resistance to droughts and frost injury. It also delays plant maturity.
How you gather your soil samples for testing is a very important step in the process of gaining accurate and useful nutrient information.
* Gather the soil sample from two to three inches below the soil surface using a clean instrument such as a garden spade or even a stout spoon. If any soil residual remains on the sampling tool, wash, rinse and dry the tool between samplings. Since test results are sensitive to external factors, avoid contamination from external factors as well as touching the sample with your hands.
* Samples should be taken from various areas, especially when there is a change in elevation of the land or where there may be a variation in the soil (a sunny spot vs a cool damp area; an area beneath a tree vs an open composted garden area; etc.). If you are taking samples from a cultivated area, it is best to take samples from each corner and the center of the subject plot. Put the individual sample in a separate clean container and label each container so that you can identify the test result to that sample. A simple plastic sandwich bag can be used for a container.
After receiving your test results, you may elect to do your own research through garden information books or searching the web, in deciding how best to achieve the optimal nutrient balance and an acceptable pH level. Or, you may find it easier to consult with your local nursery and/or cooperative extension service. With a properly adjusted fertilizer program and with the soil adjusted to the correct pH level, your journey towards growing beautiful flowers, the juiciest, most nutritious vegetables, or a thick green lawn, should be much shorter, immensely easier and more satisfying.
We moved from a place that had a high incidence of fire, and wonder what type of plants are safer to plant near our home?
It is wise to take precautions to protect your home and property. First of all, fire-resistant does not mean fireproof so be sure to keep all of your landscape plants healthy with appropriate watering and pruning.
Planting bushes that will grow very large close to your house could increase the risk of fire to your home. Plan and create a defensible space, an area between your home and landscape, a barrier to help slow the spread of fire toward your home.
Most deciduous trees and shrubs are fire-resistant. Plants that produce little dead wood and tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within the plant are also relatively fire-resistant.
Plants that are highly flammable generally contain fine, dry or dead material within the plant such as twigs, needles, and leaves. Plants or trees that have leaves, twigs, and stems which contain volatile waxes, terpenes, oil, or leaves that are aromatic and have a strong odor when crushed can also be flammable. Plants with sap that is gummy, that are resinous, that have a strong order, or that have loose or papery bark also fall into this category.
Turf, which is well cared for, can be included in a fire resistant landscape, and serve as a fuel break. For further information, check out this website for Washington State University Extension: http://ext.wsu.edu/
I want to give my garden a makeover. Can you give me some tips? I would prefer to "do it right" the first time.
The following is a basic check list to work with:
* Make a wish list. Write down the elements you want and need, from hardscape to plants. Prioritize your wishes against your budget.
* Evaluate the site. Inventory what is already there, including trees, shrubs, paving stones, etc. Determine what to save and what to remove.
* Find your style. Create an idea file. Browse landscape books and magazines for inspiration, saving pictures of landscapes, plant combinations, pavers that you enjoy. Visit nurseries, note plants that appeal to you and check out their individual characteristics and needs. The more knowledge you have, the better chance you will be happy with your garden makeover.
* Draw a rough plan. Nothing sophisticated here. Use grid paper and work to scale, ¼-inch to 1-foot works nicely. Note views that need screening, the direction of the prevailing wind, areas of intense sun, etc.
* Call in help if you think you need it. Recruiting the help of a landscape architect or garden designer for consultation can save you time and possible disappointment. Keep in mind that irrigation systems, lighting and major hardscape are often best left to professionals.
* Be resourceful. If your budget is tight, look for ways to cut cost. Do as much of the work yourself as possible. Recycle materials such as pavers left over from other projects. Buy smaller plants. They may take a little longer to fill in your garden space, but plants in 4-inch and 1-gallon containers are much less expensive than larger ones.
* Save mature trees if possible.
* Be flexible. As you move forward with your project, you will come across alternatives to your wish list items that may be an equally good, or better, fit for your needs. Typically, you will massage your plan many times during the project.
We are all encouraged to think "green" and conduct our lives to reflect each day as Earth Day. As we recycle, add insulation, switch to energy-saving light bulbs, etc, we often overlook planting, protecting and facilitating a very important contributor to our earth's and our own well being - trees. The city of Yakima should be applauded for including trees in the downtown landscape. Equally important is the planting of trees in new residential developments as well as replanting and maintaining tree canopy in our older established residential areas. 'Nature' should reside in our own yards and communities as it impacts our everyday lives in many unrecognized, but enriching, ways.
There are studies that reveal the legacy of trees includes not only benefiting the environment, but also helping us feel and behave better. Unfortunately, although "going green" is a popular movement, many American cities have lost more than a quarter of their tree canopies in the last thirty years. Seattle, for example, has only an 18 percent canopy cover. This is down from 40 percent just 35 years ago. According to "American Forests," a Washington DC non profit, this is about half of what is recommended for a city of its size. One study found the canopy of a single, leafy, 38-foot-tall tree intercepts and holds rainwater, efficiently reducing runoff by 290 gallons. Given the average rainfall in Seattle, or perhaps some of the cloud bursts of Yakima, it is easy to grasp the benefit of trees from this aspect alone.
Urban tree canopies and green spaces service our environment by removing pollutants from air and water, soak up carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and provide a softening, cooling shade for concrete/blacktop intense cityscapes. For example, it is estimated that a mature tree canopy in a city center can reduce air temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Paraphrasing a much used line by infomercials, "But wait, there's more!" In this case, there actually is. Kathleen Wolf, an environmental psychologist, advances that various studies conclude urban greenery makes us healthier and happier.
* Scientists subjected the case study volunteers to stressful mental exercises. During the tests, heart rate and blood pressure for the respective volunteers were measured. After the tests, part of the volunteer group was shown images of nature; the other was shown images of urban landscape without any green. Those volunteers who were shown nature shots had lower stress levels with their blood pressure and heart rate returning to normal faster.
* Environmental psychologists studied two sections of a public housing site in Chicago. One section had more trees, grass and plants than the other. The "green" housing area had fewer domestic disputes, lower levels of fear, less crime and better relationships between neighbors.
* How we view the world is also affected. A study asked individuals to estimate the walking distance in settings with lots of greenery and other settings with less. Walking distance was judged to be shorter in neighborhoods having more street trees and other plants, even though the distances were the same in both settings. In an aging and increasingly inactive society, this is an important finding. If you perceive distances to be shorter you are more likely to be motivated to walk. The importance in overcoming inertia and walking is difficult to overvalue, particularly in face of the mounting medical costs of inactivity and obesity among Americans.
While only a few examples are provided here, the attraction to and enjoyment of downtown/residential tree plantings is supported and authenticated by many other studies as well. The legacy of trees is truly multifaceted and extraordinarily important in our lives.
I have heard about soil pH, what exactly is it, and is it important to know?
pH is the chemists' short hand method of expressing the amount of acidity or alkalinity in soil. We use the pH scale like a yardstick. A yardstick measures inches and feet. The pH scale measures the amounts of acidity or alkalinity. Different plants thrive better in soil that is conducive to their particular soil needs.
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. The 0 end of the scale is the acid end, and the 14 end of the scale is the alkaline end. Halfway between 0 and 14 is the neutral point where there is just as much acid as alkali. 7.0 is the neutral point.
A soil testing greater than 7.0 (like 8.5) will be an alkaline soil.
Greater than 7.0=alkaline soil.A soil testing less than 7.0 (like 6.0) will be an acid soil
Lower than 7.0=acid soil.Different areas of your property can vary, it is best to get an analysis of your soil before planting expensive plants, or in large areas or your property
There are available test kits, and pH gauges to determine the pH of your soil, or contact the County Extension office for the nearest soil testing lab. In the Yakima Valley we tend to be more alkaline than acid, so if you plan to grow more acid loving plants like blueberries, the soil will need to be amended.
I would like to grow my own herbs to enjoy fresh and/or dried. Please list some basics regarding how to proceed and have a successful outcome.
According to a national gardening survey, more than 14 million households in the United States grow herbs in the garden, in containers, or on the window sill. The enjoyment they provide is multi-faceted. In addition to their obvious role in cooking, herbs are also attractive and add color to your garden. Their interesting textures and forms, rich or subtle fragrances can be an important part of your garden enjoyment. This, of course, does not discount the wonderful contribution herbs make to the meals you serve. Can you imagine tomato sauce without oregano? In addition you will find the skillful use of herbs can and will reduce the need to salt foods-a major health benefit.
Herb garden basics include the following:
" In general, herbs prefer a moderately rich soil. An overly rich soil (or excessive fertilizing) can lead to vigorous grow th, which can detract from the essence of the herb. This is due to a reduction of the essential oil content. Many culinary herbs, such as thyme and oregano, are of Mediterranean heritage and are accustomed to growing in gravely soils. Make sure the soil in your herb garden has excellent drainage. If yours does not, consider growing your herbs either in raised beds or containers.
" Most herbs prefer full sun - at least six hours per day. Herbs that will tolerate light shade include chives, cilantro, dill and mint.
" Most herbs will do well with about 1 inch of water per week.
" Once established, most herb plants are remarkably resistant to insect and disease attack. The oils that give them aroma and flavor may contribute to their ability to repel pests. However, be aware, basil in20particular is subject to Fusarium wilt. Further, aphids and leafhopper, two common pests, enjoy basil.
" Harvest herbs by cutting back a shoot to just above a leaf. This will provide both your day's harvest and encourage a nice, bushy growth on the remaining plant. In general, an herb's flavor is most pronounced when harvested just before the plant begins to flower and in the morning when the oils are most concentrated.
" Heavily harvested herb plants can look unattractive. Consider interplanting herb beds with annual flowers to camouflage trimmed plants.
" Herbs can provide important habitat for beneficial insects. Dill and fennel are two herbs beneficial insects particularly like.
" Perennial mints are typically very vigorous and can become invasive. Rather than planting them directly in the garden, grow the plants in containers, then, if you wish, sink the container into the garden. This will contain the roots and limit spreading.
What type of plants can be planted to help keep deer from eating my landscape plants?
Deer damage is often seasonal. They will forage during early spring, when natural food sources are scarce, and again during late summer and fall when they need to fatten up for winter.
Words like generally, and usually are key words where deer are concerned. Plants that are highly fragrant, fuzzy, bitter or alkaloid are generally passed up for more desirable plants. Here are a few plants that deer usually find less appetizing than other plants.Anise hyssop, also called Agastache, is a perennial herb, and has a licorice-scent foliage. The blooms are pink to peach to purple. Anise hyssop cultivars have a long bloom season from summer to fall. Hummingbirds and butterflies like them. They are tolerant of summer heat, humidity and drought. They may be planted in borders, or large containers. Plant in full sun.
Other herbs deer tend to pass up are: catmint, (nepeta spp.) chives, garlic, onions, (allium spp.)honey bush, (Melianthus major) lavender, (lavandula spp.) mint,(Mentha spp.) sage, (Salvia officinalis) and thyme (Thymus spp).
For a full list of plants that deer aren't fond of, visit the clinic at the WSU Master Gardeners office, second floor at the county courthouse. The list includes trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, vines, bulbs, annuals and biennials,
My friend has three daylilies
in her garden and they are beautiful during the summer. She has offered to let
me have some starts. How do I go about planting and caring
for them?
There are literally hundreds of different types of daylilies in many different colors. Their name is well deserved as each flowers lasts for (you guessed it) a day. However, the show lasts for a long time in the summer as each clump can produce hundreds of flowers a season.
Daylilies are a good beginner plant because they will tolerate a variety of conditions and some mistakes. Having said that, here are some tips for dividing, growing and keeping your daylilies in tip-top condition.
Dividing - Daylilies like to be divided every three years or so. The best time to divide and/or plant daylilies in our climate is in the spring, although you can wait until after they bloom, and divide in late summer or early fall, as long as they have six weeks to establish roots before a freeze.
To divide an established clump, cut back the foliage to about six inches. Gently dig up the root ball by slicing down through the soil about a foot away from the plant all the way around. Then dig under and loosen the entire plant from the soil. Wash as much soil as possible away from the roots. You will see that it has natural divisions called leaf fans. Gently pull the leaf fans apart with each division having a minimum of 3 fans. Use a knife only if necessary.
Planting - Prepare the planting area by digging a hole larger than the roots, and down at least a foot to loosen the soil. Form a mound in the center of the hole. Set the plant in place with the roots spread on all sides of the mound. Plant daylilies so that the crown, where foliage and roots join, is not more than an inch deep. Half fill the hole with soil then water to insure good root to soil contact. Fill in hole, then water again. Plants will need vigilant watering until established. Your newly divided plants may or may not flower the first summer after division, so you may not want to divide all your plants in the same year.
Growing conditions - Daylilies prefer to be grown in full sun, but tolerate light shade. They like slightly acidic (6.2 to 6.8), well-drained soil with a high organic content. Daylilies shouldn't be planted close to trees or shrubs which compete for moisture and nutrients. They tolerate drought but perform best when they receive a deep watering of an inch of water or more each week. More frequent watering may be necessary in sandy soil. Deadheading will direct energy toward more blooms and away from seed production.Fertilizing - A spring and late summer application of compost, or a good complete fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen, such as 5-10-10 will make for happy healthy plants with lots of blooms.
All of this may sound very complicated, but be assured that if you plant your daylilies in a sunny spot, in reasonably fertile ground, and water them, they will do well.
I like to have a little
fresh mint for cooking, garnishes and for tea. Is there a way that I can grow
mint in my garden without having it take over?
Mint is very invasive. Once those rangy roots start traveling you will have mint forever (and ever and ever and ever……)
You can however, overcome this tendency to roam if you plant in tall, open-bottomed containers sunk into your garden beds. There are lots of different containers that would work as little mint "prisons". Just make sure the c ontainers are at least a foot or more tall and have solid walls. Terra cotta drain tiles are ideal. Sink them into the soil, leaving two inches above ground level. Fill with soil and plant your mint. Make sure they get adequate water. Watch to ensure that none of the little rascals escape over the wall. Just trim them back if they try. Be sure to dispose of any cuttings or roots in the garbage.
There are many different kinds of mint and this aggressive characteristic varies from variety to variety. Do a little research and find some that sound interesting to you. It is worth a little extra trouble to have this delightfully aromatic and tasty herb in your garden.
I was too busy and did
not get a garden in this spring. Are there any vegetables that can still be
planted and harvested this year?
Many gardeners plant in the middle of summer to keep the veggies coming right through the fall. Although it is too late to plant warm weather veggies and expect a harvest, there is still time to plant and harvest some fast growing, frost tolerant veggies and greens. Planting and caring for a fall crop takes extra planning and attention. Here are some things to consider.
What to plant - Many varieties of greens, including lettuce, mixed greens, spinach, Pac choi, chard, kale, various mustard greens and beets will mature quickly, some in as little as 25 days, and will tolerate light frosts with some protection. Most of these greens can also be picked when young, well before their maturity dates. Radishes will mature quickly and tolerate some frost. Kale will withstand very frosty temperatures and provide greens on into winter.
Brassica which include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, will happily mature in cool weather. Brussels sprouts are traditionally started in the middle of summer and grown on into winter, the cold weather making them sweet and delicious. Carrots, turnips and bunching onions started now might also grow to a small, but usable size before winter. Peas enjoy the cool weather of fall and will set and mature right through light frosts. Garlic is planted in the fall as a general rule, for harvest the next summer.
Vegetables that are frost sensitive but have a short "days-to-maturity" can be started in the middle of summer. Green beans, given water and good fertility, grow quickly and will mature in 60 to 70 days. Summer squash and cucumbers also have varieties that mature quickly, making them candidates for fall harvests. The first of August, however, is really too late to plant these frost-sensitive crops.
How, you might ask, can I be sure if=2 0something will or will not mature in time to harvest before a frost?
Timing - Fall gardeners have to have a little of the gambler in them. No matter how carefully you plan, an early frost can come along and spoil frost-sensitive crops before you've had a chance to harvest. A hard frost will kill even cold tolerant veggies such as lettuce and peas.
There are two things to remember when determining the proper planting time for fall crops. The first is that you must allow your vegetables a little extra time to mature because the cool weather and shorter days during the last few weeks of growth will slow down the maturing process. Add two weeks to the "days to maturity" on the seed packet.
The second thing to consider is how "tender" that particular vegetable is. For instance, basil is very tender; any frost at all will kill it. To be safe, time your plantings of frost-sensitive crops to mature two weeks before the first frost is expected. Conversely,20crops that will withstand some cold weather can be planted to mature after frost is expected. In other words, it is probably too late now to plant zucchini. But, of course if you're a gambler you might live on the dangerous side. Who's to say that we won't have a lovely frost-free fall? That's part of the fun right?
Frost Protection - There are ways to protect cold-sensitive plants during light frosts. Spun row cover is probably the most practical for protecting large, mature plants. Row cover will give a couple degrees of frost protection. Covering plants with a large sheet for the night will protect sturdy plants but may damage more delicate ones. Planting next to a structure that will release retained heat through the night will give some protection as well.
Germination - It is sometimes difficult to get seeds to germinate and grow well in the hot dry conditions of mid-summer. Try this trick. Dig six-inch-deep furrows in your moist, prepared bed. Place your seeds along the bottom of the furrow then cover the s eeds with moist seed-starting mix. For small seeds like lettuce, barely cover. Spray with a light mist of water until all is damp. Cover your furrows with a board or some heavy cardboard. Furrows should be deep enough that seedlings can emerge without touching cover. Check each day and when seedlings emerge, remove cover.
Fall vegetable gardening is not for the faint-of-heart, but it can be very productive.
I would like to make a path with stepping stones in my backyard. What kind of groundcover could I grow between the stones that could handle a little foot traffic?
Creeping groundcovers add a finished look by softening the edges of stones used for pathways and in rock gardens. Filling in between the steps with appropriate plants also prevents weeds from taking over.
Thyme is a wonderful herb with creeping varieties that work great on pathways. Creeping thyme (mother of thyme), Thymus serpyllum and woolly thyme, Thymus lanuginosus both like full sun but will tolerate some shade. Plant starts 6 to 12 inches apart; they will fill the space in about a year. Creeping thyme can be cultivated from seed, however, Woolly thyme is usually only available as plants.
One of the drawbacks of creeping thyme is that the flowers are very attractive to bees. This can become a problem if there are barefooted children (or adults) using the pathway. Woolly thyme might be a better option as it flowers infrequently and sparsely (this is why seeds are not readily available.) Thyme is fragrant and easily tolerates hot, dry conditions once established. Mature plants can be restrained by trimming and they can take light foot traffic.
For a less sunny location, try Scotch moss, Sagina subulata or Irish moss, Arenaria verna caespitosa. They are very similar; both like partial to full shade, fertile soil and regular watering. They can be planted 6-12 inches apart and will create soft mounds as they grow and fill in.
Other options might be dragon's blood sedum, Corsican mint (needs moist location), elfin thyme, creeping Jenny (also likes moist areas with some shade), creeping speedwell or blue star creeper.
I recently ate a stir-fry
dish at a restaurant that had pea tendrils in it. Do you have to grow a certain
variety of peas for the tendrils or will any garden pea do?
Yes and no. Yes, pea tendrils can be eaten either fresh in salads or cooked. No, you don't have to grow a special kind, any garden pea will do. HOWEVER, do not eat SWEET PEA tendrils. Please, do not confuse sweet peas, grown for their beautiful flowers (they are toxic if eaten), with garden peas, grown for food.
The variety most often cultivated for the tendrils are snow peas. Some varieties of peas produce many more tendrils than others. You might experiment and find your favorite. Peas can be planted in middle-to-late summer for a fall crop.
Regardless of the variety, take care to pick only the tips that have new tender leaves - usually about the last three or four inches. More mature parts of the plant are too tough and fibrous.
When cooking pea tendrils, less is more. Add them to the pan at the very end - just long enough to be warm but still crisp. Bon Appetite!
Is garlic hard to grow?
When should it be planted?
The best time to plant garlic is in the late fall. You can order garlic for planting from various seed companies or specialty farms. Try Hood River Garlic (www.hoodrivergarlic.com), Filagree Farm (www.filagreefarm.com), or Irish Eyes Garden Seeds (www.gardencityseeds.net).
Separate the cloves and plant in fertile soil, tip up in a hole three times as deep as the height of the clove.
The cloves will root and possibly put out some top growth before cold weather sets in. Garlic may also be planted in the early spring but the resulting cloves will be smaller than fall planted garlic.
What is the best way to
prepare my tuberou s begonias, gladiolas and dahlias for winter. Do they have
to be dug?
None of the perennials you have listed will typically survive the normal cold winters in Central Washington. They should be dug in the fall and stored indoors through the winter months. Although there are several approaches to bulb/tuber preparation and storage protocol, the following outline reflects suggestions from one of Central Washington's most experienced and successful gardeners.
In general: Wait until foliage is frosted down. Start by cutting back the foliage to a few inches above20ground. Allow the soil in your garden to dry somewhat so that it doesn't cling to the bulb/tuber when it is lifted from the soil. With a spade, carefully loosen the soil around each plant about 6- to 8-inches from the crown. Dig deep enough to get below the plant, taking care not to scrape, gouge or otherwise cause a wound. If you accidentally injure the bulb/tuber, dust the wound with sulfur and allow the bulb/tuber to dry out so a scab will form before putting it in winter storage.
Allow the bulbs/tubers to air-dry in a warm, dry location for a day or two before storing. Carefully brush off any soil that will easily fall away. Do not scrub vigorously or wash off any caked-on soil as this may cause damage.
Trim away any remaining foliage back to the bulb/tuber.Layer the bulbs/tubers in boxes using perlite as filler. Place a layer of perlite on the bottom of the box, then a layer of bulbs/tubers (these can be placed close together) a layer of perlite, a layer of bulbs/tubers, etc.
Place the box of in a cool (45°- 60° F), dark area . . . perhaps a basement or insulated garage. If the storage area is a garage, take care that the ambient temperature does not fall below 40° F.
Specific to tuberous begonias: In mid February or early March, you can remove your tuberous begonias from storage. Spread the tubers out in a warm, protected area and mist lightly every couple of days. This will rehy drate the tuber and a bud will start to form. Take special care not to injure or break off this bud.
You can sometimes encourage stubborn or lazy tubers that do not generate a bud, by placing them on a warming bench and giving additional misting. Carefully pot your budding tubers, using a compost rich planting mix and maintain indoors until soil temperature reaches 60° F and all danger of frost is past.Specific to dahlias and gladiolus: You may plant your dahlia tubers and your gladiolus directly in the garden following the original planting directions . . . again taking care that you have reached good soil temperature and the danger of frost is past. A good plan is to stagger the planting of your gladiolus. This will extend your enjoyment during the summer months.
I have heard there is
a raspberry that you can cut completely to the ground each year and still get
a crop the following year. Is this true?
There are two types of raspberries, those that bear on year-old canes and those that bear on the first-year canes. The former are the ones that ripen during July -- they are the ones that have traditionally been grown by most backyard gardeners. The problem is that you must remove the canes after they are finished bearing and then tie the new canes to a trellis so that they will produce berries the following year. The berries are delicious and many gardeners prefer them even though they are a lot of work -- training the canes on a trellis, digging out unwanted suckers, and after harvest cutting out the old canes.
Ever-bearing raspberries produce berries on first year canes. They will produce two crops a year, a light crop in ea rly summer and a second crop starting about the middle of August. However, you will eliminate most of the work if you fore go the early crop by cutting ALL canes to the ground after a heavy frost or in late winter. The new canes, which produce berries, will then give you one heavier crop from mid-August until heavy frost.
Cut all canes close to the ground either with hand pruners or with your lawn mower. Yes, that's correct -- with your lawn mower -- set several inches above the ground! The following spring you will have plenty of new raspberry canes coming up to replace last year's.
Another plus is that ever bearers do not need a trellis. Most people use a hedge system -- determine how wide you want your hedge, two feet is a good choice, and dig or rototill out any suckers beyond your desired hedge limits. Ever-bearing raspberries generally grow no taller than five feet, so trellising is not necessary. However , you may want to drive five-foot stakes in every eight feet and corral them in with heavy twine to keep any canes from flopping over.
For many years Heritage has been the standard for ever-bearing raspberries, but now Summit is most often recommended. Summit begins bearing a week or ten days before Heritage and the taste is said to be even better. Order plants in late winter for delivery in early spring. You will be rewarded with a crop in August and for many years to come. Raintree Nursery of Morton, Washington has several ever-bearing varieties including Summit in their catalog. You can request one by writing to Raintree Nursery at 391 Butts Road, Morton, WA 98356; or call them at 1-360-496-6400 or check out their website at http://www.raintreenursery.com. Most mail order nurseries that sell small fruit plants will have ever-bearing raspberries available.
My tomatoes are now producing.
I've been advised to start pinching off any new blooms from now on because they
won't mature before frost. Is that a good idea?
Yes, that is right. By the middle of August, any tomato blooms setting tiny tomatoes will not have time to develop fully mature fruits before frost. If that were the end of the story, you could just ignore that advice, but those tiny tomatoes will divert energy away from larger green tomatoes, keeping them from growing extra large and giving you bragging rights. An exception to this might be cherry tomatoes which don't get big so there's no real reason to curb their growth.
When and how should garlic
be planted?
The best time to plant garlic is in the late fall. Right now would be the time to order from various seed companies and specialty farms that sell garlic for planting. Try Hood River Garlic (www.hoodrivergarlic.com), Filagree Farms (www.filareefarm.com), or Irish Eyes Garden Seeds (www.gardencityseeds.net). Garlic may also be planted in the early spring but the resulting bulbs and cloves will be smaller than fall planted garlic.
The varietal choices are many and varied but fall loosely into two categories - soft neck and hard neck. Soft neck varieties tend to keep better and can be used to make garlic braids. Hard neck varieties generally need a chilling period to ensure vigorous sprouting. They do well in cold winter areas and some people think they have more flavor and pungency. Not all garlic performs well in every climate. Do some research and order varieties that will thrive in our area.
Prepare a well-amended bed with lots of humus to keep the soil light and friable. Garlic likes well-drained soil which will prevent most diseases.
To plant, separate and plant the largest cloves in fertile soil, tip up, two-to-three inches deep. (Use the smaller cloves in your favorite garlicky recipes as they will not produce well.) Do not separate cloves until you are ready to plant as they will begin to deteriorate and will not sprout well. The planted cloves will root before cold weather sets in and then will become dormant for the winter. A layer of mulch will protect plantings during the winter, and conserve water and suppress weeds in summer.
The trick to growing large bulbs of garlic below soil is to grow large garlic greens above soil. Garlic requires medium to high fertility and adequate water for strong spring and early summer growth. Fertilize in early spring and again in mid-spring with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Do not continue fertilizing into summer as excess fertilizer during bulb developmen t can make them prone to rot.
Plants will bulb out as the days lengthen and will continue maturing until mid-summer. When green tops start to dry out, begin restricting water. Tops will continue to dry out and will eventually fall over. This is a sign that the garlic is ready to dig. Carefully dig a bulb or two out of the ground and examine them to see if the cloves are visibly separated within the bulb. Immature garlic will not have developed cloves within the bulb and overly mature garlic will have "shattered", which means that the cloves are beginning to come away from the stem and separate from each other. Garlic is at its peak of maturity if the bulb is large and intact, with definite ribs all the way around, delineating the individual cloves.
Dig the bulbs carefully and shake off as much dirt as possible. Lay in a dry place, out of the sun for a week or more to dry and cure. Tops may be cut off after curing. The bulbs will be covered with several layers of dry skin which help to protect and preserve the cloves. One layer of this dry outer wrapper may be removed to "clean" the bulbs. Bruised garlic does not store well so treat the bulbs gently.
Store garlic in a loose mesh bag in a dry area that stays around fifty degrees for long-term storage. A cool dry basement with good ventilation works well. Cured soft-neck varieties with the tops left intact can be braided and hung for storage. Garlic kept in the kitchen at a room temperature of 70 degrees will keep reasonably well as long as it is kept dry. Set aside the largest, blemish-free bulbs for seed the next fall.
I have dead spots (grass
appears dry and brown in irregular patches) in my lawn and the grass pulls up
in clumps. What can be causing this?
Our office has fielded several calls about lawns with problems such as you describe. The culprits are often billbugs.
Billbugs are shiny black to dull gray weevils about 3/8 of an inch long with long distinctive snouts. These billbugs over-winter in grass lawns and become active as the soil temperatures reach the high sixties. In spring and early summer, adult weevils can be seen crawling over sidewalks and driveways. In the late spring, billbugs will begin to lay their eggs in the grass lawn. Newly hatched grubs tunnel and feed on grass stems.
As the grubs mature, they move down the stems to feed on the grass crowns and roots. An infested crown will become swollen, hollowed out and lined with a sawdust-like material. The grubs will also cut the grass roots off just below the ground. The damaged patches of grass can be easily lifted away from the soil to reveal white grubs with brown heads. These grubs can be nearly 1/4 inch long at maturity.
Billbug larvae are very hard to control since they spend most of their lives protected inside grass stems or under the sod layer. Often dead patches of grass around mid-July are the first symptoms of a billbug infestation that homeowners notice.
The adults are somewhat easier to control as they forage on grass blades, but unfortunately that damage is not very noticeable.
Several cultivars of lawn-type turf grass have demonstrated resistance to billbug feeding. The resistance appears to be associated with the presence of an endophytic fungus, which grows inside the plant and makes it unpalatable to a variety of surface-feeding insects
Chemicals used to control billbugs are available. Consult a knowledgeable nursery person for specific recommendations. You need to apply these pesticides in April or May before the adults lay eggs. Aerating the infested areas prior to chemical treatment should help the pesticide penetrate the sod. Be sure to read and follow the instructions on the pesticide label carefully before applying.
Something is eating big
holes in my cabbage leaves. What can I do about it?
The most likely cause of your problem can be tracked back to those white butterflies you might see flitting about your garden. Those 1-1/2 inch-wide butterflies are known as European Cabbage Butterflies and are quite common throughout the USA.
Of course, it is not the butterfly that is eating the holes in the cabbage, but its offspring. Those adult butterflies will lay eggs on your cabbage plants that hatch into these little green worm-like larvae that satisfy their voracious appetites on your cabbage. The larvae are called imported cabbage worms and they can be found feeding on broccoli and cauliflower as well as cabbage. There is another green "worm" called the cabbage looper that can feed on your cabbage leaves too.
The easiest means to protect your cabbage from these worms is to spray with insecticide that contains Bacillus thuringiensis. This insecticide is actually a bacterium that is harmless to people and animals, but quite deadly to both imported cabbage worms and cabbage loopers. You can apply this insecticide at weekly intervals once you observe either the larvae or the damage right up to the day of crop harvest. As always, we must recommend that you read the insecticide label carefully before you purchase or apply any pesticide product.
Is your garden green? Well, it probably is many shades of the color green with all that chlorophyll in those leaves. But how 'green' is it?
We have been hearing so much lately about 'going green' around the house with so many ideas that might help save our planet, but what about your garden?
Take a stroll around your yard and begin with the design of your space. Have you included trees that might provide cooling shade during hot summer days? Look at your watering zones. Are plants that require the same amount of water grouped together? Are they in the right location for the amount of sun and shade they need?
Have you considered xeric or dry gardening and have you included native plants or ornamental grasses that do so well here? Is your irrigation system a drip to save water? Do you put mulch around your plants to conserve water and hold down weeds?
Are you a composter who regularly puts both green and brown waste into bins to later put back into the soil? Begin now with grass clippings, spent flowers and vegetables. Learn more about composting by going to http://vegweb.com/composting/
In dealing with insects, do you always use a cultural method first before turning to chemicals, and if you do use chemicals, do you read the label and follow carefully? To learn about all methods that help with insect or disease problems, go to the WSU site called Hortsense at http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense/
How about recycling? Do you use materials you no long need, such as brick, old lumber, or broken pieces of concrete in the garden, or do you offer them to places like Master Gardeners, or our local Habitat for Humanity Restore instead of taking them to the landfill?
Do you have too much lawn that takes so much precise water? Consider taking some of it out and replacing with ground cover. You could create an area to grow some healthy, organic food for your family in that 'found' space.
Does your garden consider wildlife? Both birds and bats do a lot of insect control for you, so think of them when you plant and install shrubs that have seeds and cover. Put in a watering area for wildlife and put out some nesting boxes. Don't forget to plant some flowering perennials so that bees will be attracted too.
Grow20some of your own food and if that isn't possible, buy locally from growers or the farmer's markets. What fun they are and buying local gives you the freshest possible with little fossil fuel to get it to you.
Begin thinking green!
I have been canning fruit
this fall and now my kitchen is full of fruit flies. How can I get rid of them?
These little buggers can easily enter your home through doors that are opened ever so briefly. They often come in on the fruit that is being preserved. The best way to get rid of them is to make sure there is no fruit or fruit residues left after canning.
Without a food source to feed on fruit flies will not usually remain a problem for long. This is easier said than done, but begin by storing all fresh fruit in the fridge or in sealed plastic containers. Remember to keep the compost bucket under your sink well covered. Be sure to clean up everywhere in the kitchen where fruit residue remains, including the kitchen sink drainpipe.
If after going to all lengths to cut off their food supply, if they still persist, try trapping them by setting out an open container of vinegar, wine or beer to attract them, where they will tend to fall in and drown.
"There are only two
things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes"
-Guy Clark
Master Gardeners can't g uarantee you true love, but on Saturday, September 20 at 10 a.m. we can help answer your questions about growing mouthwatering homegrown tomatoes. And you will have the opportunity to taste-test a wide array of heirloom and modern hybrid tomatoes.
This event, free to the public, will be held at our demonstration garden, located just south of the Red Barn at Ahtanum Youth Park. In addition, there will be a free handout containing favorite tomato recipes of Master Gardener's members.
In the evening of the same day (September 20) there will an opportunity that you won't want to miss-Yakima Area Arboretum's annual fundraising event-Autumn Bounty. It will begin at 5 p.m. and last until 11 p.m. at the Jewett Interpretive Center on the arboretum grounds. There will be great food at a set-down dinner (included in the price of the ticket), featuring complimentary wine from four Rattlesnake Hills wineries. You will be entertained during the20meal and dancing later by the music of the popular local band, Blind Lemon Pie.
But that's not all-there will be both live and silent auctions during the evening featuring garden themed arts, plants, and an exclusive tour of private gardens in the Seattle area, which are seldom open to the public. And that is just a wee glimpse of the many, many items and events donated by individuals and businesses for the financial support of our arboretum. For more information and tickets to this gala event, call the arboretum at 248-7337.
September doesn't mark the end of the growing season in our gardens, as some people might think. There is a still lot of ongoing beauty throughout the month. And there's a lot of beauty yet to be revealed. Just think of all the wonderful mums and asters that will be burgeoning with blooms through September and into October! But there are a number of tasks (and pleasures) to attend to this month, a few of which are mentioned below.
* Many flowers, both annuals and perennials, may have begun to look a bit bedraggled, but with a little deadheading and other grooming, your flowerbeds will perk up and give you an encore of color.
* Enjoy lavish bouquets from your garden this month, and they will become pleasant memories that will help get you through the frozen months of winter. If you have sunflowers in autumn shades, bring in an armload and fashion an eye-popping arrangement. And don't forget that your mums and asters make equally great fall bouquets.
* Some roses, particularly Rugosas, will put on a winter show if you skip deadheading them this month and let their colorful hips develop. But this month isn't too early to prune out long canes that can be broken during fall and winter winds. Any broken or diseased canes can also be pruned, otherwise, leave major pruning of your roses for the middle of next March.
* September is a good time to put in a new lawn or replant areas of your lawn that need a makeover. Kentucky bluegrass, a cool season grass best suited for areas of the yard that receive plentiful direct sunlight, is available in many strains and blends. Don't settle on the cheapest seed you can find-it will likely contain a high percent of seeds of undesirable weedy grasses. Select fescue seed to reseed shady areas of your lawn.
* The last fertilizing of the lawn is often done this month. A light fertilizing is fine, but if possible, fertilize as late in the fall as you can. This is best done after frosts seem to have put your turf into dormancy. But the roots are still active and will store fertilizer nutrients needed for growth early spring. If you use well water, you have no problem watering in fertilizer as late as the first weeks of November. However, if your water is from an irrigation district, you will need to do your last lawn fertilization just before the water is turned off toward the middle of October.
* Wait until your potato vines have died back before you dig your potatoes. Allow your potatoes to dry (or cure) before storing them. Don't wash them. Washing can damage the skins so that they won't keep as long as they should. Instead, just brush off any excess soil.
COME AND VISIT THE MASTER GARDENERS AT THE STATE FAIR
Are you going to the Central Washington State Fair this year? WSU Master Gardener's will be there with various activities planned. There will be classes on roses, edible flowers, children's flower card projects, free garden seeds, good bugs vs. bad bugs talk and much more! Be sure and stop by and visit with the Master Gardener's while you are enjoying the fair. If you are interested in becoming a WSU Master Gardener be sure and request an application from one of our volunteers. Classes will be starting in January 2009. If you are not able to make it to the fair, then call the WSU Extension Office at (509) 574-1600 and request an application. See you at the Fair!
How do I go about entering
flowers and vegetables in the Washington State Fair this year?
This year's theme is "Celebrate What's Great!" And what better way can gardeners celebrate than to enter their spectacular flowers and scrumptious fruits and vegetables in this year's fair that runs from September 26 through October 5?
Ribbons and cash awards are given using the Danish system, which means lots of folks can win lots of blue and red ribbons because entries are judged against a set standards and not against all other entries.
Entries in the Valley Produce Department include both homegrown vegetables and fruits. Your entries can be made from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on Wednesday, September 24 or on Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Agriculture Building.
Flowers can be entered for the first half of the fair in the Washington Building, (located directly east next to the Ag building) on September 25 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Second entries can be made Wednesday, October 1 from 5:00 am to 9:00 am.
For more information, access www.fairfun.com, then click on "Competitive Exhibits" and then click onto "Exhibitor's Guidebook." Or call 248-7160 for information.
Is September too late
to plant perennials, shrubs and trees?
Temperatures moderate during September, making it an excellent time to plant. Set out trees and shrubs and plants during the first part of this month so that they have time to get their roots established before the ground freezes. Planting at this time of the year will give them a head start for next year.
An added bonus is that nurseries and other retail plant outlets often have sales that will save you money. But check perspective plants carefully. Some plants on sale may be those that have not sold during the year for various reasons. Ask the clerk to knock the plant out of the container so you can examine it to see if the roots are root bound or diseased before you decide whether or not to buy.
Follow the usual proper procedures needed in planting. Don't fertilize. Use mulch, such as bark chips, but keep it several inches away from the stems or trunk. Increase the depth of the mulch once the soil freezes in November. Until that time keep the soil around your new plants consistently moist.
Arboretum to Hold Worm Composting Class Yakima, WA
Time to fall in love with a worm, or more specifically the Eisenia Foetida, or Red Wiggler.
Eisenia Foetida is a composting machine, designed to do nothing more than break down organic matter, and turn it into an amazing garden soil. Composting with worms (or vermicomposting) such as Eisenia Foetida or Red Wigglers is becoming a mainstay of farmers, home gardeners, nurseries and anyone else who is concerned=0 Aabout crop and plant production.
The Yakima Area Arboretum will be featuring a class on this amazing little worm on Saturday, October 4th from 10 am to 1:00 pm. Designed for the beginner and intermediate student, the Arboretum's Worm Composting Class will discuss everything from getting started, to seasonal care, worm types, selecting a worm bin, and helping to troubleshoot problems with existing systems.
Cost for the class is $10 for Arboretum Members and $15 for non-members. Fee includes materials. Call the Yakima Area Arboretum at (509) 248-7337 to register.
Would you explain why
knowing the pH in my garden is important?
Gardeners should be interested in knowing what the pH of their soil is because it determines what plants you can grow successfully in your landscape. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Soil with a pH below seven is said to be acidic and soil above seven is said to be alkaline. Most of our vegetable plants and ornamentals grow best in soil that is a bit under seven, which is said to be neutral. That said, some plants such as rhododendrons and blueberries need an acidic soil with a pH reading of four to five-and-a-half. The alkalinity or acidity of soil allows or prevents the uptake of the various important nutrients in the soil. The soils of our county tend to be naturally on the alkaline side.
If you are interested in learning what your soil's pH is, the Master Gardeners clinic, located in the old county health department building that is located next to the county jail on 1st Street, can test your soil's pH. Keep in mind that your soil can vary quite a bit from one part of your yard to another. Call the clinic at 574-1600 to ask about bringing in samples of your soil for free testing.
What is meant by species
tulips?
Species as used in species tulips means they are either wild tulips or ones that have been improved through selection. Either way, they are considered wild tulips. Bulb specialty catalogs usually have an extensive collection of these beautiful little gems to choose from. If only a botanical name is given, you can assume that they are the same as those found in the wild. If another name follows the botanical name, (for example: Tulipa bakeri, Lilac Wonder), you can assume that this tulip has been improved by selection but not through hybridization. Other species bulbs and other kinds of species flowers are available.
Is September too late
to plant perennials, shrubs and trees?
Temperatures moderate during September, making it an excellent time to plant. Set out trees and shrubs and plants during the first part of this month so that they have time to get their roots established before the ground freezes. Planting at this time of the year will give them a head start for next year.
An added bonus is that nurseries and other retail plant outlets often have sales that will save you money. But check perspective plants carefully. Some plants on sale may be those that have not sold during the year for various reasons. Ask the clerk to knock the plant out of the container so you can examine it to see if the roots are root bound or diseased before you decide whether or not to buy.
Follow the usual proper procedures needed in planting. Don't fert ilize. Use mulch, such as bark chips, but keep it several inches away from the stems or trunk. Increase the depth of the mulch once the soil freezes in November. Until that time keep the soil around your new plants consistently moist.
What are those huge flowers
in various colors of pink that I see blooming every fall? They have no visible
leaves, but they look like giant crocuses.
What you describe are actually colchicums. They are often called Autumn crocus, but they are not members of the crocus clan. Colchicums send up leaves in the spring that resemble hosta leaves. In late spring the leaves turn brown and shrivel up. At that point, they can be assigned to the compost pile. But have no concern! Beautiful large flowers (but no leaves) suddenly appear in the fall, that do look much like giant crocuses. In addition to shades of=2 0pink, bulbs of colchicums are available that have white, mauve or purple blooms.
Colchicum bulbs are not commonly found in most garden centers, but a search should turn up at least one or two varieties. Bulb specialty catalogs, such as Brent and Becky's Bulbs and McClure & Zimmerman have many different varieties of this unique and beautiful flower. They do need to be planted early in the fall so that their feeder roots become well developed before the ground freezes.
What to do in the October Garden
It is 'digging time'. Time to dig those spuds you planted last spring, and this is a job for short people, so invite the kids and grandkids out to the vegetable patch. Lay the potatoes out on the garage floor for a few days and then store in a cool dark place. If any of the potatoes were cut or injured during the digging, use those first. Separate the tiny potatoes as you store and use them steamed and served with some herb butter.
Dig or pull your onions and let them lay in the field for a day to finish drying. They also can be stored in a cool, dry place.
Keep digging! It is time to dig the cannas and glads if they are blackened, and you can store them in a flat box in the basement. Geraniums can be brought in now to store for next year, but before you do, take some cuttings. Put the cuttings in a glass of water, keep out of direct sun and soon there will be roots ready for potting. Bring in that beautiful coleus you planted by the deck and take cuttings from it too, in the same way you did with the geraniums.
It's time to store those winter squash and pumpkins too. They are ready if the vines have died and the rind is hardened. You can test by trying to puncture them with your fingernail. Squash is high in vitamins A and C and beta carotene, which are all important in your diet. Make a note of the varieties you like and perhaps plan on putting in more varieties next year.
Think spring color! It is not too late to plant spring bulbs and you might even find them on sale at your favorite store. Tulips, daffodils, and crocuses add so much early color when there is little in bloom.
How about doing a little topography work? That is the art of mapping, and drawing your garden right now will help guide you next spring. Remember to rotate crops next spring. Avoid putting the 'same family' in the same area next year. While you are mapping, make some notes about changes you want to make. Also, write about all your successes too. This might be the beginning of a garden journal, which has so many benefits.
Fertilize the lawn with ammonium sulphate and you will be rewarded with a beautiful green surface for a family bocce game next spring.
Assign a rake to each member of the family and get raking all of that "garden gold". Take a rest from the raking and run over the piles of leaves with the lawn mower to begin the breaking down. Now spread all that beautiful mulch over your garden beds. This will insulate and keep the worms near the surface throughout the winter. When the work is done, 'pay' family members with an end-of-the-garden soup. Begin with a nice broth, and add=2 0all the leftover gleanings. This is a good way to use up those few potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. that you missed when you harvested. Sprinkle in some garden herbs too.
Take time to create a scarecrow with the kids, and plop him by the front door with some cornstalks, and pumpkins. Offer to do the same for that neighbor who is housebound. Don't have any pumpkins, or other fall decor? Visit our Yakima Farmer's Market on Sunday and load up.
Take time to embrace the beautiful colors of the Yakima Valley. Look at the trees and sumac along the rivers and creeks, and take in the beautiful maples growing by Yakima Regional Hospital. October is a beautiful time for gardening and enjoying nature.
I would like to grow orchids, and my thumb isn't green. Is it difficult?
It can be difficult but there are varieties that do well on a sunny windowsill and are pretty easy to grow. Most orchids are from the tropics, and in their natural surroundings, they attach themselves to the bark of trees and other surfaces.
To grow them in your home, you will be potting them up using mediums such as bark in place of potting soil. Orchids need light, do best in a south or east facing window, and need periodic re-potting.&nbs p;
We have an Orchid Society in Yakima and it is very interesting to take in one of their shows. They have an upcoming class and it will be at the Yakima Area Arboretum, on Saturday, Oct. 25th, at 10:00 a.m. Call 248-7337 to register.
I saw your nice display
at the fair about heirloom and hybrid tomatoes and now know I can save the seeds
from my Brandywine tomatoes. But how do I go about this? I have tried to just
pick them out of the centers but to no avail.
Choose a tomato that is thoroughly ripe, wash and cut in half across the middle (not the stem end). Then squeeze the seeds and juice into a glass bowl. Set the bowl out in direct sun and where you won't be bothered by fruit flies. In about three to five days you will notice a white mold forming on the top. Scrape off the mold with a spoon and be careful that you don't take seeds with it.
Fill the bowl with water and stir and the good seeds will sink to the bottom. Pour off the water and rinse several times. Then use a fine strainer to drain the seeds. Spread seeds out onto a plate and allow them to dry, which can take from one to five days. Do not put them into direct sun. When they are20completely dry, store in paper envelopes, or glass containers in a cool, dark area until next spring.
Remember that only heirloom seeds will produce offspring that are just like themselves. Hybrid seeds have been bred to bring about the best traits, and you will not be guaranteed of getting the same tomato that you had this year.
I want to create a wildflower
meadow on my property. When and how do I do this?
Fall is a good time to get a meadow going, but it can also be done in spring. If we look around at some of the annuals that re-seed themselves, it is done by the plants themselves at this time of year. Many of us have had bachelor buttons, larkspur and cosmos repeat year after y ear.
To create your meadow, prepare your soil by tilling or at least roughing it up a bit to have it better accept the seeds. Then be sure to read the packages of seeds you buy. You could pick and choose each individual flower that you want in your meadow, or you could buy a package of 'wildflower mix'.
On the back of that 'mix' package it will tell you the contents and whether you will be buying annuals, perennials, grasses or all of the above. The annuals will grow and flower for you the first year, but some of the perennials may take two years to produce a flower.
At the end of each season, you simply mow over the whole area which can spread the seeds for the following year. Meadows make a perfect home for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, and of course are pleasing to the eye.
I want to think ahead
and plan a more drought-tolerant garden. What perennials do well here?
How about checking out the huge list of ornamental grasses that grow so well here and have year round interest too. Right now they are at their best because they are in 'bloom'.....that is you will see a lot of feathery or seedy heads on them. We leave this look all through the winter to save some of the beauty of the garden and to also provide food for birds.
While you are taking your daily walk, check out what is growing in the neighbor' s yards, and they might even give you a start. The nurseries still have grasses and you can still plant if you act quickly.
Stop by the Jewitt Center at the Yakima Area Arbroetum and you will be walking right by beautiful grasses.....Karl Foerster Switchgrass, Festuca Elijah Blue, Giant Reed Grass and the variegated leaves of Miscanthus Stridus.
Another place to see how beautiful grasses are right now is the Yakima County Master Gardener's demonstration located at the Ahtanum Youth Park. We have a beautiful grouping as well as miscellaneous plants scattered through the entry, cottage garden and xeric areas.
All transplants will need watering to get them going, but then they are pretty drought tolerant and will still perform through hot days.
I am new to the area and
so fascinated by the commercial apple harvest that is going on right now. Please
tell me a little about varieties and should I plant some apple trees in my yard?
We produce some of the best apples in the world here, partly because of our weather. Apples need the cold in the winter and they like warm days and cool nights during the growing season.
Master Gardeners will discourage you from growing your own apples in your yard because they require several applications of a pesticide each year to keep coddling moth and apple maggot at bay. It is important that we must not be a host for these insects as they can be very destructive to the commercial orchards on which the economy of our area depends. So why not check the classified ads in the newspaper and purchase your fruit from a local fruit stand or farm.
We grow many varieties here, and even though there is a difference in taste, most can be eaten right out of hand and are delicious. But we also have many that cook well and can be used in your favorite apple dessert recipe. These include Granny Smith, Goldens, Jonagolds, Romes, Winesaps and if you can find the old Jonathons they are great too.
Even if you have a busy life, you can make some old fashioned apple butter and here is how you do it. Put 3 quarts of apples, sliced thin, in a crock pot, and cook overnight on high. Next morning, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, and 3 cups of sugar. Continue to cook on low all day. When you return from work this will be ready to serve on an easy waffle/sausage dinner. Store the remaining in the refrigerator to serve on the kid's toast for breakfast.
My neighbor offered some
beautiful rose hips for a fall bouquet, but I would like to know about eating
them. I think I have heard they are high in Vitamin C.
They are a good source of Vitamin C, and they are edible, providing they have not been sprayed with gardening chemicals. Rose hips are seed capsules formed in the fall from the area where the roses bloomed. Some roses have very small rose hips, but many are huge and turn a beautiful orange or red and can be used for autumn decor.
Our Native Americans gathered and dried them for winter food. But to just pop a few into your mouth isn't always so palatable. Some varieties taste better than others.
You will enjoy them better by making a tea out of them and sweetening it with some honey. A handful will make about a quart of tea. You can find recipes to make syrup, a rose hip soup and even wine at http://backwoodshome.com/articles2/butler95.html
Can I scatter seeds of
Love-In-a-Mist now?
You can, or you can wait until spring. If you had this plant growing this season, it has probably already 'thrown' out seeds for you. Its Latin name is Nigella, but it could be called the Plant-of-Many Names. Besides the above mentioned, it is also known as Jack-in-prison, devil-in-a-bush, fennel flower, and lady-in-the-bower. It is a long bloomer, comes in blue, white and pink flowers that are surrounded by a lacy leaf. The seed pods are attractive too and can be used in dried arrangements.
Every time I visited the
Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens this summer, there were several hummingbirds
enjoying some big clumps of flowers in the xeric section. They were pink and
smelled like some sort of fruit. Can you identify?
We think you are talking about Agastache, one of our favorites too.
And yes, indeed the hummingbirds love it as well as the bees.
This plant comes in many varieties and colors, but the ones you enjoyed are named Bubble Gum and smell delicious. This is a perennial so it comes back each year, and can be started from seed too. We love it because it blooms all summer. High Country Gardens nursery has a big selection and can be viewed at www.highcountrygardens.com. This plant needs little water and is ideal for our Yakima summers.
Sweet peppers are so sweet when they turn red, but mine are still green as gourds although they have gotten quite large. Is there anything I can do to get them to change color?
Next year try planting through holes cut in black plastic that has been used to cover your pepper patch. This will warm the soil up and get your peppers off to a fast start. Some gardeners have had success in placing Walls 'O Water around them to give them a warm growing environment even when the outside temperature is still too cold for them to grow. Even so, if there are too many peppers on a plant they will grow but will be slow to ripen. Leave only two or three at most on some of your plants, then they should ripen faster. This means you may have to keep all the tiny, new peppers picked off.
Or you might try this trick. Pick several large green peppers and put them in a paper bag with a ripe apple and store them in the dark where it is about 50 degrees. The apple will release ethylene gas that will cause your peppers to ripen and turn red or whatever color the variety should be when ripened.
I dug some of my carrots
recently and found many of them with wide splits down their sides. They were
unusable and a few have sent up flower stalks. What happened and how can I prevent
this problem?
Carrots, like other vegetables, need consistent moisture, neither too much nor too little. In the case of split carrots the problem is that carrot roots grow rapidly and demand soil that is consistently moist. Typically, if the soil has dried out, gardeners over-water to compensate for their negligence. But the carrots have probably already split.
Carrots are biennials; they bloom and set seed in their second year. But after being without enough water they stop growing. After water has been resumed they are tricked into thinking that winter has past and spring is at hand. So they send up seed stalks during their first year of growth.
Next year set a goal to monitor the soil moisture in your garden. And the best tool for monitoring is your index finger. When the soil begins to feel dry 1½ inches down, give your carrots a long, slow drink that is enough to moisten the soil to the depth of at least six inches. Assuming your soil has the nutrients carrots need, you should have a delectable harvest of sweet carrots next year.
What is meant by green
manure? Is it the same as animal manure that hasn't been composted?
Green manure, sometimes called a cover crop, has nothing to do with animal manure. But like real manure, it is beneficial to the soil.
Plants, such as buckwheat, oats, and many legumes, are planted either in=2 0the spring, summer or fall when no crop is planned for that part of the garden. As a cover crop, it is usually planted with the purpose of preventing erosion by broadcasting seeds thickly over prepared soil. As a green manure, usually legumes-such as field peas, vetch and crimson clover-are planted to add nutrients, primarily nitrogen, to the soil. They are also broadcast thickly to cover the selected growing site.
In either case-cover crops or green manures-are generally rototilled or spaded back into the soil just before they bloom and set seed. Sometimes they are merely cut and left to cover the ground over winter where microorganisms and earthworms will recycle the nutrients back into soil. Both are excellent processes to follow when there is spare soil that is not being replanted with an edible crop or in early fall when the gardening season is nearly finished.
Winter can be a very pleasant time indeed when all is safely gathered in and all the fall chores have been attended to. Here are some reminders for the month of November.
Be sure that your lawn and all of your permanent plantings get a good last watering. This will help your plants to be hydrated and healthy as they prepare for the cold and become dormant.
Vegetable beds - If you haven't done it already, now is the time to clean up your garden beds and get them prepared for the cold of winter. In your veggie beds, clear out all of the old plant debris, paying special attention to any that have developed suspicious spots of rot or obvious disease. Any such plant residue should be disposed of in the landfill or buried. All other garden waste can be composted. Chopping larger leaves and stems up with a weed whacker or a lawnmower will speed composting time.
Finished compost could be added to the beds at this time, and worked in using a digging fork to dig and aerate the soil without turning it over. Research has shown that the microbe activity in the soil is best maintained when soil layers are preserved. Add a thick layer of mulch on top of the bed and when spring comes you will be able to lift off the mulch and have a prepared, weed-free, fertile bed to plant in. Beds prepared and mulched in fall are a gift to yourself next spring.
Flower beds should also be cleaned out. Place mulch around perennials after the first hard freeze. This will help to moderate changes in the soil temperature over the winter, protecting your plants from the freeze/thaw affect that can heave the soil, subjecting plant roots to the elements.
Strawberry plants should be mulched after they go dormant. Do this before the outside temperatures drop below 20°F. Cover the plants completely with several inches of straw to protect the crowns from winter damage. When you uncover the plants next spring, leave the mulch between plants for moisture retention and cleaner berries.
Examine around fruit trees and plants for mice populations. Look for tunnels, holes or even nibbled fruit. If you find any, you will need traps, bait stations or a hungry cat.
Keep your garden chemicals dry over the winter -- store them in a clean, safe place that will help them keep their effectiveness. Liquids should not be allowed to freeze.
Broken limbs or branches may be pruned now for esthetic purposes, but leave the major pruning of your fruit plants until late winter or early spring.
You may still be able to collect some seeds from your favorite flowering plants. If so, store them in a cool dry place for next spring.
Spring bulbs can be planted now, as long as the ground is not frozen. There are many bulbs to choose from, just get some in the ground. Then, after the long winter you can start watching your garden for the first harbingers of spring -- like the crocus!
Vegetable crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale are sweeter after frost, so be sure and keep harvesting them as long as you are able to do so.
A thick layer of mulch will help extend the life of your root crops, like carrots, leeks and parsnips. These can then be dug as needed.
Our feathered friends are a special joy in November. Be sure and provide some food and water for them and they will give you hours of viewing pleasure in return.
Leave the chore of cutting ornamental grasses back until late winter or early spring which will provide extra habitat for birds as well as an extra food source in their seed heads. Their beautiful foliage adds considerable interest in the garden as well.
Indoor plants and plants you brought in from outside need to be inspected. Perhaps you missed something in your first inspection. Take quick action if you spot insects to protect all of your indoor plants.
Take time to simply enjoy the fall colors as they change daily around us!
I enjoy eating and using
nuts. What type of nut trees can we successfully grow in our area?
In our USDA zone 5 we can grow walnuts, filberts, chestnuts and almonds. Pecans are usually grown in the south. However, cold hardy varieties are available and could be experimented with in our area.
Walnuts (genus Juglans) include black walnuts, Persian or English walnuts, butternuts and heartnuts. Walnuts are a beautiful landscape tree. Large and stately they need adequate water during the growing season and plenty of space. Other plants do not grow well under walnut trees.
Walnuts are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. Of special concern is a new insect pest that poses a threat to walnut trees in our area. The walnut twig beetle is very small but it carries with it a serious disease called "thousand canker disease". Damage to the tree is characterized by rapid dieback in the top limbs. Upon closer inspection you might find very small entrance holes and dark staining as the fungus develops under the bark. It may be that Persian and English walnuts and butternuts and hearnuts have more resistance to this disease which seems to most seriously affect black walnuts. This disease is of great interest to the extension service. If you have walnut trees with these symptoms, please call the WSU Extension office at 509 574-1600. To learn about other diseases and pests particular to walnut trees visit http://pep.wsu.edu/Hortsense/Black walnuts, (Juglans nigra) produce a thick shelled rich flavored nut that retains flavor very well in cooking.
Persian or English walnuts differ from black walnuts in that they are somewhat lighter and milder tasting. Carpathian walnuts are a hardy English walnut that can withstand cold winters. Although English walnuts are self-fertile they can benefit from having a second variety nearby.
Butternut (Juglans cinera) is the hardiest tree in the walnut family. They are known for their rich buttery taste and attractive light wood. Plant a second tree for pollination.
Heartnut (Juglans sieboldiana) is a Japanese walnut with heart shaped nuts that is closely related to butternuts. Heartnut and butternut will readily pollinate each other.
Filberts (corylus species) grow in full sun in moderate climates but prefer partial shade in very sunny hot areas. They sucker profusely filling in bare spaces quickly. Tree hazels do not sucker.
Filazel is an early ripening filbert for Northern growers. It is a cross between the hardy Corylus cornuta, and the Corylus avellana (European filbert). The tree is early ripening, drought tolerant, and cold hardy.
The Contorted Filbert (corylus avelana contorta) is known as 'Harry Lauder's Walking Stick". The trunk, branches and leaves grow in twisted spirals making it an interesting conversation piece. Although it is cultivated as an ornamental plant, it may set a light nut crop if pollinated by another filbert.
Tree hazel (Corylus colurna) is very different from its bushy filbert cousin. Maturing at 75 feet with a 30-foot spread, it is a beautiful landscape tree as well as a very productive nut tree. Very winter hardy it thrives in areas that are too cold for filberts.
Chestnuts (Castanea) are large beautiful landscape trees that are very long-lived and productive. American chestnut trees which once covered the eastern United States have been all but obliterated by a fungal disease that was introduced when chestnut plants were imported from Asia early in the twentieth century.
Here in the northwest there is no known problem with blight, however, planting resistant varieties might be considered wise as chestnut trees can live for many hundreds of years. Hybrids are available that combine desirable qualities from the American (Castanea dentate) and European (Castanea sativa) chestnuts with the blight resistance of the Japanese (Castanea crenata) and the Chinese (Castanea mollissima) trees.Almond (Prunus amygdalus) trees are very ornamental. They have attractive foliage and lovely pink, fragrant flowers in early spring. Related to peaches the nut grows within a pit, inside of a peach-like fruit. Look for varieties adapted to our climate.
Grafted trees vs. seedlings - One thing to consider when purchasing nut trees is the question of grafted trees vs. seedling stock. Grafted trees are propagated (essentially cloned) from a proven tree that has exhibited desirable characteristics. A grafted tree will exactly reproduce the characteristics of that tree.
A seedling is grown from seed and will not be exactly like its parents genetically. Some desirable characteristics might be lost. Since it takes a number of years for a seedling to "prove" itself through production, it is, until then, an unknown quantity. For this reason it may be wise to plant grafted trees. On the other hand if you are an experimenter, who is to say your seedling will not be as good as, or maybe an improvement on, its parents? Grafted trees come into production several years earlier than seedlings.
When and how should garlic
be planted?
The best time to plant garlic is in the late fall. You might still be able to order garlic for planting if you act now. Try Hood River Garlic (www.hoodrivergarlic.com), Filagree Farms (www.filareefarm.com), or Irish Eyes Garden Seeds (www.gardencityseeds.net). Garlic may also be planted in the early spring but the resulting bulbs and cloves will be smaller than fall planted garlic.
The varietal choices are many and varied but fall loosely into two categories - soft neck and hard neck. Soft neck varieties tend to keep better and can be used to make garlic braids. Hard neck varieties generally need a chilling period to ensure vigorous sprouting.
They do well in cold winter areas and some people think they have more flavor and pungency. Not all garlic performs well in every climate. Do some research and order varieties that will thrive in our area.
Prepare a well-amended bed with lots of humus to keep the soil light and friable. Garlic likes well-drained soil which will prevent most diseases.
To plant, separate and plant the largest cloves in fertile soil, tip up, two-to-three inches deep. (Use the smaller cloves in your favorite garlicky recipes as they will not produce well.) Do not separate cloves until you are ready to plant as they will begin to deteriorate and will not sprout well. The planted cloves will root before cold weather sets in and then will become dormant for the winter. A layer of mulch will protect plantings during the winter, and conserve water and suppress weeds in summer.
The trick to growing large bulbs of garlic below soil is to grow large garlic greens above soil. Garlic requires medium to high fertility and adequate water for strong spring and early summer growth. Fertilize in early spring and again in mid-spring with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Do not continue fertilizing into summer as excess fertilizer during bulb development can make them prone to rot.
Plants will bulb out as the days lengthen and will continue maturing until mid-summer. When green tops start to dry out, begin restricting water. To determine if your garlic is ready to harvest, carefully dig a bulb or two out of the ground and examine them to see if the cloves are visibly separated within the bulb. Immature garlic will not have developed cloves within the bulb and overly mature garlic will have "shattered", which means that the cloves are beginning to come away from the stem and separate from each other. Garlic is at its peak of maturity if the bulb is large and intact, with definite ribs all the way around, delineating the individual cloves.
Dig the bulbs carefully and shake or wash off as much dirt as possible. Lay in a dry place, out of the sun for a week or more to dry and cure. Tops may be cut off after curing. The bulbs will be covered with several layers of dry skin which help to protect and preserve the cloves. One layer of this dry outer wrapper may be removed to "clean" the bulbs. Bruised garlic does not store well so treat the bulbs gently.
For long-term storage, put garlic in a loose mesh bag, in a dry area that stays around fifty degrees. A cool dry basement with good ventilation works well. Cured soft-neck varieties with the tops left intact can be braided and hung for storage. Although a lot depends on the storage characteristics of individual varieties, generally speaking, garlic kept in the kitchen at a room temperature of 70 degrees will keep for several months, as long as it is kept dry. Set aside the largest, blemish-free bulbs for replanting in the fall.
My tomatoes produced quite well towards
the end of summer but the fruit that set in late summer never got ripe and the
plants became large and unwieldy. Would it hurt to prune them back in late summer?
By the middle of August, any tomato blooms setting tiny tomatoes will not have time to develop fully mature fruits before frost and those tiny tomatoes will divert energy away from the more mature tomatoes. Pruning some of the excess growth is a good idea. An exception to this might be cherry tomatoes which don't get big so there's no real reason to curb their growth.
I have enjoyed the Master
Gardener's Spring Workshops; their Demonstration Gardens at the Ahtanum Youth
Park and their spring plant sales. What is in volved in becoming a Master Gardner
and where do I sign up?
First, thank you for your support of all our events. WSU Master Gardeners are individuals who volunteer all of their time to bringing these events and more activities to the Yakima Valley. Volunteers have taken over 60 hours of classes which begin in January.
The classes cover the gamut from horticulture; integrated pest management; soil composition; beneficial insects; irrigation; pruning; noxious weeds; lawn and turf; plant pathology and more. Individuals pay a small fee up front for the classes and the text book. They are asked to give-back 50 volunteer hours the first year. In return, a portion of the fee is refunded to that individual. In subsequent years there is no fee charged for the class.
Master Gardeners are encouraged to keep coming back and participate in the classes because there is always so much to learn. After the first year volunteers are asked to give back just 25 hours of volunteer time. There are many, many ways to pay those hours back. One important way is to spend some time in our diagnostic clinic which is located in the office of the WSU Extension at 104 N 1St Street, Suite 204 in Yakima.
If you are interested in becoming a WSU Master Gardener simply call the WSU Extension Office at (509) 574-1600 and request an application. Send the application back soon as classes will be starting in January 2009.
I did a lot of canning
this fall which attracted lots of fruit flies to the kitchen. Is there a good
way of controlling them?
First, get rid of any over-ripe fruit and vegetables, and then store all others in the fridge. If you have too much to store in the refrigerator, store it somewhere away from the house where it is cool and can be covered.
In addition to fresh fruit (particularly ripe and over-ripe), fruit flies are attracted to vinegar, wine and sweets, including jellies and jams and juice residues in cups and drains. A paper towel spread20on a counter with a little vinegar or wine on it can attract adult fruit flies where they can be swatted periodically with a fly swatter, or you can make a fruit fly trap.
To make a trap take a large plastic cup, put a few pieces of over-ripe fruit or a small amount of vinegar in the cup. Cover with cellophane and tape it on. With a pencil tip or skewer, punch small holes in the cellophane. Remove all other fruits that might distract the flies from the trap. The flies will begin to enter through the holes, but they won't be able to get out easily. Every couple of days throw the cup away, replacing it with a new trap until it is no longer needed.
If you leave the cup for a week it will turn into a science experiment because fr uit flies reproduce quickly. Within days you will see little fruit fly maggots crawling around inside the trap. Not very appetizing, but your kids might think it's cool.
Are
there certain kinds of chestnuts that are better to eat than others and how
does one roast them over an open fire?
All true chestnut trees produce edible chestnuts, however, be sure you don't try to eat a horse chestnut (some people call them conkers) which are not really chestnuts at all. Real chestnuts have a sharp point on one end. Horse chestnuts do not.
Chestnuts can be gathered (if you can find a chestnut tree) or bought. Choose for roasting ones that are a rich brown with no black spots or insect holes. Wash them thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, and being very careful not to wound yourself in the process, cut a fairly deep slit in the rounded side of the nut. This will prevent them from exploding as they cook. Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Wrap in a dishtowel and eat them while they're still fairly warm and easy to peel. Some people like a little salt.
If you want to roast them over an open fire, you will need a special roasting pan. A search on the Internet will find you lots of choices (look for a long-g-g handle).
What to do in the December garden…
Just when you thought you could kick back in your easy chair - well you might just want to do final chores around the yard.
While you might not be able to work the ground this time of year, you can 'work' the tools that do that job for you. Take time if you haven't already to clean up all your shovels, hoes, loppers, pruners, saws, etc. Make sure the soil is completely off the blades; give them some good swipes with some steel wool, then finish with a coating of mineral oil. The handles will appreciate the mineral oil as well.
Is there something you forgot to put mulch around? Get out there and put it down now.
Birds provide that outdoor entertainment that we enjoy from our toasty rooms inside - be sure to keep the feeders clean and full. Think about putting20down some cracked corn for the ground feeders like the stately quail. Keep an eye on a water source for the birds as well. If you have a heated bowl, great, but if not make sure their water doesn't freeze over.
If you are using a 'live' Christmas tree this year make sure it does not dry out. Also, take it outside as soon as possible after the holiday and put it in a sheltered spot - it will be much happier for your efforts.
If you still have leaves lying around, rake them up now and either add them to your compost pile, or bag them and save them for next spring to add to a new compost pile. If you know a gardener friend who loves to compost, offer the leaves to them.
Now is the perfect time to look at your landscape and see where you might want to make some changes. Are there holes you didn't notice in the frenzy of the growing season? Has something gotten way too large for the balance of the garden? Get a tablet and pencil to start making notes for what you would like to see different next year. The garden catalogs w ill be piling up in your mailbox now - use them to help you make decisions about what to add, change or remove in your landscape.
Don't be shy about asking for a new pair of gloves, a garden journal or garden gift certificate for Christmas - people like to be 'guided' in their gift giving.
Lastly, remember the Yakima Area Arboretum has the annual Luminaria walk December 12 and 13, 2008. This free family event features a mile long candle-lit walk through the Arboretum's wintry landscape and a 90 foot lighted Norwegian spruce Christmas Tree. You can lengthen or shorten your walk by using the intersecting paths. After the walk warm up with hot cider, live music, shopping, and children's activities in the Jewett Interpretive Center. Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00pm both nights. Cost: FREE
Will you please tell me what to do
with my amaryllis bulb after it has bloomed?
The amaryllis to which you are referring is the one which blooms around the holidays and is actually a member of the genus Hippeastrum. It is a native of the tropics and sub-tropics of the Americas, the Caribbean and Argentina. What this means for you is that your bulb does not normally have a dry season, so keep watering your plant. Leave the foliage on and do not allow it to dry up. When a leaf does wither, cut it off. The leaves will continue to perform until new leaves grow. The plants do not need a drying off period.
Do not disturb the roots. These plants do not lose roots and tops each year unless forced to do so unnaturally. This all may be contrary to what is printed on the box directions in which your gift amaryllis came. In any case, give this method a try.
Often, if a bulb is kept watered and undisturbed, a 'baby' will develop at its side. After a year or two's growth this little bulb will be sending up its own flower scape. Restrain yourself from transplanting these bulbs to a larger pot until there is absolutely no room for another 'baby' to develop.
Lastly, take the fertilizer recommendations on the box and mix at about half the ratio and apply twice a month. This should be sufficient to keep your bulb growing nicely.
Christmas Gift Ideas for the Master Gardener
HO, HO, HO Santa! The Yakima County WSU Master Gardeners have been compiling their wish lists for the coming year. Here are some ideas that any gardener would appreciate finding under the tree or in their Christmas stocking this Holiday: First and foremost is a subscription to MasterGardener Magazine. This is a locally published national magazine. Inside you will find well researched topics; beautiful photography; and the most current recommendations from WSU Extension. It is very affordable at only $20.00 a year. You can subscribe on-line at www.MasterGardenerOnline.com
Another magazine that is popular with gardeners would be Garden Gate Magazine. This little magazine is packed with colorful pictures; fun ideas and the latest in new plant picks. Subscribe on-line at http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/main/subscribe.php.
A fun book for any gardener would be a book by a well-known regional Master Gardener, Ciscoe Morris who has a very entertaining radio program out of Seattle on KIRO 7, "Gardening with Cisco." Look for his book, Ask Ciscoe: Oh, La, La! Your Gardening Questions Answered.
A wonderful new book on garden sheds is available now that would interest any gardener. It is Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways by another Washington resident, Debra Prinzing.
Most gardeners like whimsy in their gardeners; think about gifting some garden art. Most garden centers, the Yakima Area Arboretum, as well as other stores have various items of garden art, ranging from colorful wind chimes, chiseled stepping stones, garden signs, gazing balls, small statuary, bird houses, etc. Think color, like some bright blue hiding around the corner.Hands are the hard worker of the gardener. Don't forget about gloves because a gardener can never have too many. Consider a 'wardrobe' of gloves: The soft Fox gloves for transplanting, some nitrile gloves for plain ol' weed pulling, some sturdy leather with long cuffs for rose pruning and other rose work. Daily gardening gloves wear out or become gross, so we need new pairs every year. Buy the rubber coated cloth gloves by the three-pack and become your gardener friend's favorite gift-giver!
Tools are always a welcomed gift and the most popular is a quality pair of pruners. Another idea is a water meter to accurately water plants, both indoors and out. Consider a small indoor plant tool set with a little spade, rake, pruners and misting bottle in a nice tote. Some gardeners like an outdoor apron with pockets in which to put a favorite tool, gloves or cell phone. Trying to manage the garden hose each year can be tedious. Consider a hose holder like "Gecko's Toes." Cultivating the soil is an important task in the garden. A new handy took that can take the work out of the task is the "Dirt Ripper" which can cultivate hard soil up to 8 inches.
Lastly, some other considerations to make choices easier: a ticket to the February Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle or a gift certificate to a local nursery.
I have had it with my clay soil. What, if anything, can I do to improve my soil?
You are not alone in your frustration. We live in a valley that has a lot clay soils. Many folks lament the clay they must deal with in their yards. The good news is you don't really need to spend a lot of money to begin improving your soils. Working organic matter into your soil is the one great thing gardeners can do to improve their soil. The soils in the Yakima Valley are naturally deficient in organic matter, so it unlikely that you will add too much. However, to be safe, just work in 2 to 3 inches to begin with. As you continue over time working more organic material into your soil you will begin to see wonderful improvements.
Your compost pile is the perfect place to obtain all this organic material. Having a year-round compost pile will provide you with all the organic material you should need.