February 15, 2002
Dear Readers:
There was nothing the least bit spring-like about the day I wrote this – windchills were near zero, and the ground was layered with snow, ice and snow again. If February is here, however, spring can’t be too awfully far behind, so it’s time for the spring edition of the MSU lawn and garden packet. Timely stories for March, April and May include early gardening, choosing a garden site, picking annuals for specific locations, hunting morel mushrooms and preventing oak wilt disease.
The Garden Corner is on hand, too, as usual, with its seasonal questions and answers.
The summer packet will soon be in production, so if you have a story topic to suggest or a question for The Garden Corner, send it along soon. Other suggestions and comments are welcome, also. It’s good to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Leslie Johnson
Extension Lawn and Garden Editor
ANR Communications
312 Agriculture Hall, MSU
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
517-432-1555
LKJ/bl
Attachments
AVOID PRUNING OAK TREES FROM APRIL TO JULY TO AVOID SPREADING OAK WILT DISEASE
CAN’T GET DOWN? RAISE THE GARDEN
COMPOST: GOOD FOR THE GARDEN, EASY TO MAKE
COOL-WEATHER CROPS THRIVE IN EARLY GARDEN
FOR HEALTHY SEEDLINGS, PREVENT DAMPING-OFF
MAY IS MOREL MONTH IN MICHIGAN
ORGANIC MATTER A VALUABLE SOIL COMPONENT
PROTECT WOODY PLANTS BEFORE PLANTING
SPRING A GOOD TIME TO PLANT TREES
THE RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT SPOT SPELLS SUCCESS
THE RIGHT PLANTS WILL THRIVE IN SAND
2/15/02
Contact: Leslie Johnson
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Whatever the weather today, spring is coming! And that’s enough to inspire a host of gardening questions. Extension specialists at Michigan State University answer timely queries on garden flowers, vegetable gardening, insect pests and lawn seeding.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or D. Fulbright
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-4506
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
AVOID PRUNING OAK TREES FROM APRIL TO JULY
TO AVOID SPREADING OAK WILT DISEASE
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- An epidemic is sweeping through oak trees in Michigan. It’s called oak wilt, and it’s caused by a fungus spread by insects and root-to-root contact.
Because the insects that carry the fungal spores are attracted to pruning wounds and other injured areas, plant pathologists at Michigan State University urge homeowners, utility company personnel, tree service companies and others to avoid pruning oak trees from April to July. Or better yet, hold off until winter.
"If pruning can’t be avoided -– for example, to clean up storm damage -– pruning wounds should be treated with commercial wound sealer within a day of pruning," advises Dennis Fulbright, MSU plant pathologist.
Protecting trees during construction and lawn care activities is also important, Fulbright adds. Bark injuries from lawn mowers, string trimmers and other lawn equipment can be sites for infection.
Some plant diseases are prevented by controlling the insects that spread the disease-causing organism, but this isn’t feasible with oak wilt. The insect that most commonly spreads the fungus is the common picnic beetle, that small, hard-backed, bullet-shaped, mostly black beetle that infests overripe fruit, damaged ears of sweet corn, and, as its name reflects, food served at picnics, graduation open houses and other outdoor eating events.
"A better approach is protecting trees from damage that would attract the sap-feeding beetles," Fulbright says.
Another preventive measure is removing branches or trees killed by oak wilt before April 1 so the spores from the fungus won’t be available to infect new trees. (For information on disposal of infected wood, see Extension bulletin E-2764, mentioned below.)
Both red and white oaks are susceptible to oak wilt, though the effects are more devastating in red oaks (those with pointed leaf lobes), Fulbright notes. Red oaks are quickly killed; white oaks (rounded leaf lobes) may die, but more often the infection is limited to a few branches. In both, the initial leaf symptoms -– wilting and color change -– usually appear in July, though dry weather may bring them on earlier.
Once a tree is infected, halting the spread of the disease to other trees is the top priority. Because it can spread from tree to tree by root grafting between red oaks, trenching to sever roots is recommended to protect healthy trees. This may require a communitywide effort, Fulbright notes, that will also include cutting down and removing dead trees and pruning infected branches from white oaks.
For more information on oak wilt -– including the symptoms, prevention, control and disposal of infected wood -- contact your local MSU Extension county office and ask for bulletin E-2764, "Oak Wilt in Michigan." The cost is 75 cents.
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
CAN’T GET DOWN? RAISE THE GARDEN
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- If you like to grow plants but getting down to ground level and up again is difficult or impossible, you don’t have to give up gardening -– you just need to raise the garden!
"One way is to make a conventional raised-bed area, with a rot-resistant wooden frame to hold soil," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "Another option is to garden in containers set on a table or other object to raise the garden to a comfortable height for tending it."
Boxes and sturdy tables can be made from rough-cut lumber and treated with copper naphthenate to protect them against rot. The deeper the box, the larger the plants it will accommodate. Wooden half-barrels are great for larger plants, such as tomatoes. Another option is to garden in bags of potting soil. Make some drainage holes in what will be the underside. Then place the bag on its table, make a slit in the top and install your transplant.
For a growing medium, McLellan recommends a commercial peat-vermiculite mix. It drains better than garden soil, she explains, and it isn’t laced with plant disease organisms and potential pests such as nematodes and soil insects.
When picking the location for your garden-in-boxes, keep in mind the needs of the plants you want to grow.
"Most vegetables and many flowers require full sun," she points out. "The growing medium in containers tends to dry out faster than garden soil, so this sort of garden should be checked daily -– maybe twice a day in hot, dry weather -– and watered as necessary. Regular fertilization with a water-soluble product will keep crops growing and producing well."
Placing the container garden where you have ready access to water makes watering and fertilizing easier, McLellan notes.
How tall the supporting table should be and how large the boxes ought to be will depend on you and your needs. Like conventional garden beds, containerized gardens should be no wider than you can comfortably reach across, unless you can get to them from both sides. Eight to 12 inches deep will accommodate a range of plants. The right height is the height at which it’s most comfortable for you for planting, weeding, harvesting and so on. That will hinge on whether you intend to sit or stand to tend it.
Container gardens should have fewer soil-related disease problems than conventional gardens, but they have no immunity to pests, McLellan points out. Regular monitoring and quick action when a problem occurs are your best protection against slugs, aphids, cabbage worms, cucumber beetles and other plant-damaging pests.
What should you plant? Crops such as lettuce, radishes, green onions and herbs are naturals for containers, as are tomato and pepper plants. Plant breeders have developed many compact vegetable varieties, some specifically for container culture, so your garden can include cucumbers, summer squash and winter squash, bush beans and even strawberries. If your interest is flowers, you can put together a garden in a box using a mixture of plants -– such as cascading varieties of geranium and petunia around the perimeter, more upright plants such as snapdragons and small ornamental grasses in the center, and dusty miller, for its silvery foliage -– or all one species. For a shady spot, consider pendulous tuberous begonias, coleus, impatiens and trailing ivy.
"Gardening in containers may mean starting earlier in the spring because you don’t have to wait for the garden to get dry enough to walk on and work the soil," McLellan notes. "If containers are movable, they can be protected against frost in spring and fall to extend the growing season. Drawbacks include the cost, time and effort involved in building the containers and the tables to put them on, and the need for more frequent watering. But for people who use wheelchairs and others who have trouble planting and tending a conventional garden, the opportunity to garden can outweigh the disadvantages."
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
COMPOST: GOOD FOR THE
GARDEN, EASY TO MAKE
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- It’s simple, inexpensive, low-tech and good for the garden, and it recycles yard waste and even kitchen scraps into a valuable garden additive. You guessed it – it’s a compost pile.
"Composting converts grass clippings, fallen leaves and other landscape leftovers into a nutritious soil amendment," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "It recycles plant nutrients, improves the soil’s structure, improves drainage in clay soil and increases the water-holding capacity of sandy soil. And there’s nothing difficult or complicated about making it."
To start a compost pile, choose an out-of-the-way spot where the pile won’t be an eyesore to you or your neighbors.
"A properly managed compost pile doesn’t smell and doesn’t lead to problems with rodents and other animals, but it isn’t beautiful," McLellan notes.
Though a compost pile can be a heap of clippings, leaves, potato peels and other plant materials simply piled on the ground, it will be easier to turn if it’s enclosed in some way. Ready-made bins are available. Enclosures can also be built of cement blocks, logs, treated boards or wire fencing.
The contents may include plant remains from the lawn and garden as well as the kitchen. Avoid adding meat scraps or grease, which may attract dogs and raccoons, and large amounts of garbage, which might appeal to rats, McLellan advises. Begin with a 6-inch layer of organic materials, then cover that with ½ to 1 inch of topsoil or a couple bushels of compost. To hasten the process, add 1 or 2 cups of a high-nitrogen fertilizer or a shovelful of aged livestock manure to each layer of raw materials.
"Adding nitrogen or manure is especially important if you’re composting sawdust, paper and woody plants, which are low in nitrogen," McLellan notes.
Nitrogen feeds the soil bacteria that do the work of decomposition, she explains. Increasing the amount of nitrogen available speeds up the process.
Thoroughly mix and moisten the layers, leaving the pile flat or slightly saucer-shaped so rain will percolate down through it rather than run off.
You can add new organic material, fertilizer, manure and topsoil whenever you have enough material to make a new layer. Stirring to blend the materials is not absolutely necessary, but it does make the pile work faster and the material decompose evenly so it’s all ready to use at once.
One way to make the stirring easier is to use two bins and move the material from one to the other.
How long it takes to produce finished compost is one of those "it depends" questions, McLellan says. The soil bacteria work faster in warm weather, so a pile started in the spring will produce finished compost quicker than one started in the fall. A pile that contains extra nitrogen and is stirred every few days will work faster than one that contains only soil and organic material and doesn’t get stirred. A pile made of two parts plant material and one part manure that’s watered thoroughly and stirred every three to four days can produce garden-ready compost in two weeks.
A pile that heats up that quickly may reach temperatures high enough to kill plant disease organisms, but McLellan advises against composting diseased plant material. If for some reason the organisms aren’t killed during the composting process, spreading the compost on the garden will reintroduce the diseases, she explains.
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
COOL-WEATHER CROPS
THRIVE IN EARLY GARDEN
EAST LANSING, Mich. -– Some traditions are soundly based in reality. Take the Memorial Day gardening marathon, for instance. It’s based on the climatic fact of life that tomatoes, peppers and other warm-weather crops planted much before Memorial Day in all but the southernmost Michigan counties stand a good chance of being killed by frost.
So gardeners hold off planting anything until the chance of frost is slim. In some northern areas, this is well into June. Then they plant everything, from lettuce to watermelon.
Gardening can start much before that magical frost-free date, however.
"The question is not only when to plant but what," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener coordinator at Michigan State University. "A number of vegetable and flower plants can be planted before the danger of frost is past. Some of them even prefer the cooler temperatures of early spring."
In the vegetable garden, you can plant lettuce, spinach, radishes, onions, carrots, beets, Swiss chard, peas and the cabbage family crops -- broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts -– early in the spring. Some, such as lettuce, radishes and other salad crops, can be planted every 10 days to two weeks for successive harvests well into the summer. Then they can be planted again for harvest in the fall.
Warm-weather crops need warm soil as well as freedom from frost, she notes. This is true of transplants and crops grown from seed such as sweet corn and snap beans.
"Tomato, pepper and eggplant plants set into cold soil simply won’t grow until the soil warms up," she points out. "Seeds of warm-weather crops such as snap beans may rot rather than germinate in cold soil."
Gardeners who want to rush the season by planting warm-weather crops before their time may warm the soil by covering it with plastic before planting tomatoes. Then they need to be ready to cover plants in case of low temperatures. Warming the soil will speed seed germination, also, McLellan notes, though people trying to get a jump on the growing season usually focus on tomatoes rather than snap beans or squash.
"What all this boils down to is that there’s no one right time to plant the garden," she sums up. "There is a best time for certain crops or families of plants, and that time depends on their need for warm soil and air temperatures. Gardeners can rush the season by warming the soil and using plant protectors to prevent frost damage, but this generally isn’t practical for more than a few plants. For a couple of tomato plants, when neighborhood bragging rights to the first ripe tomatoes are at stake, the effort and expense might be justified. But for the first snap beans? Probably not."
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or H. Doss
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3737
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Except for movie stunt people, who do it for a living, most people don’t start their day intending to fall. Falls happen, however, and nationwide, tens of thousands of injuries occur each year.
"In the workplace, slips and falls are the most common cause of work-related injuries," says Howard Doss, Extension safety leader at Michigan State University. "More fatal falls occur at home than on the job. Though we often think of falls as a hazard mostly to older people, anyone can be injured in a fall."
Falls are divided into two categories: same-level falls -- slipping on mud or ice, or tripping over a hidden obstacle, for instance; and different-level falls -– falling down steps, off a ladder or out of a tree, for example.
Different-level falls have potential for greater injury, obviously, because the person falls a greater distance. Both types can often be avoided by being alert to potential hazards and removing or altering them.
Same-level falls often involve slippery footing or footwear or hidden obstacles.
"Ice, mud, manure or anything that resembles ball bearings on a smooth, hard surface -– marbles, pea gravel or anything else than can roll with you when you step on it -– can put you on the ground in a heartbeat," Doss observes. "If you’re lucky, you can just get up, brush yourself off and go on about your business, with nothing more than a minor bruise or two, or maybe a strained muscle. An awkward fall, however, can result in sprains or broken bones, and a fall that involves a nearby object such as the corner of a countertop can be serious or even deadly."
If a person happens to be carrying something hot, sharp or breakable, it can cause injuries beyond those stemming from the fall itself.
Clutter, playful pets underfoot, mole tunnels in the lawn, downed tree branches hidden in leaves or snow, electrical cords and a host of other items can pose a tripping hazard.
To avoid same-level falls, remove ice or other materials that make a surface slippery and wear slip-resistant footwear. Check for things you might trip over and clear them from your path. If you’re carrying something that makes it difficult to see your feet, either scout your path beforehand, removing any hazards or obstacles, or find another way to move the item, such as sliding it on a piece of carpeting or putting wheels under it. This will probably be easier on your back, too, Doss notes.
Different-level falls often involve steps and ladders. Steps may be slippery with ice or mud, or you may misjudge where a known step or curb is. In strange territory, a change in level can occur in an unexpected place.
Falls related to ladders often occur because the placement of the ladder allows it to tip sideways or go over backwards. A ladder should be placed on a hard surface, Doss advises. On soft ground, or with one leg on a hard surface and the other on a soft one, tipping is a hazard.
The top end of the ladder needs a sturdy support, too, and the ladder needs to extend far enough past the support that it won’t slip off as you climb. Keep your body centered on the rungs, Doss advises -– falls often occur when the climber leans or stretches to one side.
The angle of the ladder is important in preventing it from tipping over backward, he notes. The base of the ladder should be about 1 foot away from the base for every 4 feet of height. For example, the bottom end of a 12-foot ladder should be about 3 feet away from the wall you are painting.
Working too high on a ladder is risky. A ladder with an adult perched on the top of it is obviously top-heavy, and if it starts to tip or you lose your balance, you can’t lean against or grab the ladder to avoid falling.
Trying to climb a ladder while carrying tools or other equipment is not recommended. It’s safer to get yourself safely up the ladder and then hoist what you need up on a rope or in a bag.
Anytime a job takes you up a ladder, sturdy, non-slip footwear is a must. Make sure that shoes and ladder rungs are clear of mud or wet leaves or anything else that might allow a foot to slip at a critical time, Doss advises.
Though ladders require special care, you don’t have to be on a ladder to fall. Uneven ground, steps, wet slopes and hidden objects can cause falls.
"Start avoiding falls by not setting traps for yourself by strewing tools, supplies and equipment in walkways," he suggests. "Storing tools and supplies in designated areas makes it safer to move around and makes things easier to find when you need them. Take the time to make sure your path is clear of obstacles, not only underfoot but at any height where bumping into them might throw you off balance or snag your hair or clothing. Sometimes the wisest choice is to find another route or save the job for a time when conditions, including available light, are better."
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
FOR HEALTHY SEEDLINGS,
PREVENT DAMPING-OFF
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Sterilized containers and a sterile growing medium are your best protection against damping-off, a fungal disease that can wipe out whole flats of homegrown seedlings in no time.
"Seedlings may grow well for a while, then suddenly wilt, fall over and die," relates Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "A close look at the stems will reveal they are shriveled and black or water-soaked at the soil line."
The same fungi may also cause seeds to rot and seedlings to die even before they emerge from the soil. Gardeners may blame poor seed germination for their failure to grow healthy plants.
The fungi that cause damping-off are commonly found in soil, so using sterilized containers and a sterile medium such as a commercial peat-vermiculite mix goes a long way to avoiding problems. Other measures include avoiding overcrowding, overwatering and overfertilizing. Slow germination, high humidity, warm temperatures and deep planting also favor the disease, so if you use warm temperatures and high humidity to encourage speedy germination, you should provide cooler, drier conditions as soon as possible after germination occurs.
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Trees cool us in summer, help block cold winter winds, act as noise filters, take carbon dioxide from the air and add oxygen, enhance property values and delight the eye in every season. Trees weakened by disease or storm damage, however, can endanger people, structures, vehicles and utility lines beneath them when limbs or whole trees fall.
Spring, before trees leaf out, is a good time to inspect landscape trees, suggests Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University, and check for potential hazards.
Check large, old trees, especially, for signs of internal rot, such as large open wounds, poorly healed branch stubs, open cracks, patches of dead bark, dead branches, dead tops, hollow trunks and remains of fruiting bodies of fungi, which can appear anywhere on the tree from roots to branches.
"All of these indicate weak areas that could result in limbs or whole trees breaking and falling," she explains. "Obviously, they are of more concern when they occur in a yard tree overhanging a house, garage or parking area than in a solitary tree out in a cornfield somewhere."
Even an apparently healthy tree can suffer damage in a severe storm. Removing large trees near the house or large branches hanging over it could save major, costly repairs.
Regular preventive maintenance can go a long way toward keeping trees healthy and strong, she notes. Pruning to eliminate sharp, V-shaped angles of attachment of limbs to trunk produces a sturdier tree less prone to damage from ice or heavy snow loads. Removing dead branches and repairing storm damage reduces the chance of falling limbs and helps the tree heal quicker.
A regular program of fertilizer and water during dry times keeps trees growing vigorously and helps them resist attack by insects and disease organisms, she adds.
"Some tree repairs can’t be made from the ground by the homeowner," McLellan points out. "If you have any doubt about your ability to drop a tree where you want it to fall or to prune major branches, or if the potentially hazardous tree is involved with utility lines, it’s best to call a professional tree service or your utility company. Trying to save money by doing it yourself may turn a potential problem into actual injury or damage with a much higher price tag."
When you’re adding trees to the landscape, include safety in your considerations of planting sites and tree species, she suggests.
"Plant shade trees where they’ll have enough room to reach their mature size without overhanging the house," she advises. "And avoid trees such as boxelder, weeping willow, birch, Siberian elm, silver maple and other quick-growing but brittle trees. They tend to be much more prone to storm damage than Norway maple, red maple, littleleaf linden, red oak, honeylocust and other recommended trees."
With good care, these trees will make good growth and soon be a valuable addition to your landscape without posing unnecessary hazards to people, property or structures.
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: Leslie Johnson
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
MAY IS MOREL MONTH IN MICHIGAN
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Maybe it’s the flavor of morel mushrooms sauteed in butter. Maybe it’s the fact that morels are available for such a short time each spring. Maybe it’s the chance to get outdoors and celebrate the end of winter.
Whatever it is that lures them, morel mushroom hunters will drive for miles to tramp through the woods, slither up and down the sides of ravines, brave blackberry tangles and poison ivy, and endure bug bites, sore feet and aching muscles in search of these spongy fungi.
Those who emerge from the woods with paper sacks and baskets bulging with morels are often vague about exactly where they found their edible treasure. With an "out there" sort of wave, they may mumble something about aspen or old elms or the remains of an old fire, but beyond that, you’re on your own.
Fortunately, morels are not as particular as some fungi about where they grow. You may find them anywhere from a suburban lawn to the sand dunes of the Lake Michigan shore, though most often they’re associated with forests or scattered trees, especially elm trees. They’re often found in old orchards and burned-over areas. Sometimes they turn up in landscape areas mulched with fresh fir bark.
Because emergence is related to moisture and temperature, they tend to appear first on south-facing slopes in southern Michigan. The season moves north from there at a rate of about 100 miles per week, if conditions are right: just enough rain, not too much; and warm -- not chilly, not hot –- temperatures.
Many people hunt morels who don’t harvest other edible mushrooms. The reason is that it’s difficult to mistake other types of mushrooms for morels. A true morel mushroom has a hollow, cone-shaped or cylindrical cap connected at the base to a hollow stalk. The cap is distinctly pitted, not wavy, wrinkled or folded, and it’s connected to the sides of the stalk, not just the top end. The color of the cap may be cream, tan, gray-brown or black, depending on the species. Most are 2 to 6 inches tall, though the state record is over 17 inches.
False morels have caps with longitudinal ridges or folds and wrinkles rather than irregular pits, and caps are attached to the stalks only at the top. Experts at Michigan State University urge mushroom hunters to slice every mushroom lengthwise before they cook and eat it, not only to make sure there are no multilegged surprises (or slugs) inside the hollow stem but also to verify the identification as a true morel.
More information on morels, morel hunting, and proper identification of true morels and other, potentially dangerous species that fruit at the same time is available in Extension bulletin E-2755, "May is Morel Month in Michigan," and E-2777, "Don’t Pick Poison!" They’re available at county MSU Extension offices and the MSU Bulletin Office, 10-B Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or D. Warncke
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 355-0210
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
ORGANIC MATTER A VALUABLE SOIL COMPONENT
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Conventional gardening wisdom dictates that the best soil for gardening is a good loam.
A good loam, explains Darryl Warncke, Michigan State University soils scientist, contains approximately equal amounts of sand (relatively large particles), clay (small) and silt (somewhere in between). A loamy soil drains better than clay but holds moisture and nutrients better than sand.
Some lucky gardeners actually have loamy soils; most have to make the best of the soil at hand, which is often clay -– sticky when wet, hard when dry, slow to drain -– or sand -– easy to work, quick to dry in the spring and even quicker to dry out in the summer.
Mineral matter -– sand, silt and clay -– water and air are the major components of soil. The other is organic matter. Though only 4 to 5 percent of a good loam is organic matter, it serves several important functions related to plant growth. And it’s the key to improving less than wonderful soil for gardening.
Organic matter increases the moisture-holding capacity of sandy soils by absorbing water that would otherwise simply drain through. It helps hold nutrients, too, so added fertilizer doesn’t leach. And as organic matter breaks down, it provides nutrients for plant growth.
In clay soils, organic matter improves the soil structure by binding the fine clay particles together into aggregates. This increases the pore space between and around particles, improves the infiltration of air and water, and makes the soil easier for plant roots to penetrate.
Gardeners with clay or sandy soils can improve them by tilling in large amounts of lawn clippings, shredded leaves, compost, aged manure, cover crops or organic mulches.
Leaves have a wide carbon:nitrogen ratio (greater than 50:1) compared with stable soil organic matter (12:1), Warncke notes. Microorganisms use nitrogen to decompose the leaves, so additional nitrogen from farm manure or fertilizer will be needed to prevent a temporary nitrogen deficiency.
Adding organic matter helps stimulate activity by soil microorganisms and enhances the soil as habitat for earthworms and invertebrates. Earthworms aerate the soil with their tunneling and enrich it with their castings. Microorganisms break fresh organic materials down into nutrients that plants can use and humus, the dark brown or black material that gives organic soils their dark color.
"Micro- and macroorganisms are part of a healthy soil system, and that’s the basis for good plant growth," Warncke points out. "Adding organic matter to any type of soil is probably the best single thing a gardener can do to significantly improve his or her soil."
Probably the worst thing a gardener with clay soil can do is walk or drive on it or try to till it or dig in it when it’s wet. This drives out the air and packs the soil particles even closer together. The result can be a soil that’s nearly impenetrable by roots and impermeable to water.
"Improving soil by adding organic matter is not a one-time proposition -– it may take literally years to convert clay or sandy soils into productive garden soil," Warncke says. "But the benefits are worth working and waiting for."
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
PROTECT WOODY PLANTS BEFORE PLANTING
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- However you make your plant buying decisions -- whether on the basis of careful research or on impulse at the garden center -- plants may arrive before you’ve had a chance to prepare the planting site.
"Maybe you’ve been looking for a particular plant and bought it when you ran into it, knowing that it won’t be there if you go back for it later," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "Or maybe your mail-order plants arrived before you expected. Or perhaps the demands of work or family are such that you just can’t go right out and plant."
If the plant is in a container, you can simply set it in a protected area and water as needed to keep the root ball moist but not saturated, McLellan suggests.
"Wind and sun will cause plants to dry out rapidly," she points out, "so place plants in a shaded area with protection against the wind."
Bare-root or balled-and-burlapped plants are more susceptible to drying than plants in containers and need to be checked daily and watered as needed to keep the roots moist. If they have to wait more than three or four days to be planted, McLellan recommends grouping them in a shaded, sheltered spot and covering the roots with compost or some other organic material. Keeping the mulch moist will prevent the roots from drying until you can plant.
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Once you’ve decided to start a vegetable garden, many other decisions await you. Probably the most important is where you’ll put it.
"A good garden site is critical to gardening success," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "What you want is a spot that provides the best possible conditions for good plant growth."
A good site provides:
** Loose, fertile, well drained soil. Poorly drained clay or dry sandy soil can be improved over time, but in the meantime, conditions are less than wonderful for plant growth. Poorly drained clay soil will translate into poor growth and increased potential for disease problems, especially root diseases. Sandy spots dry quickly in the spring so you can work them earlier, but in the heat of summer, they require a lot of water and careful fertilization to provide nutrients for plant growth without posing a hazard to groundwater.
** A full day’s sun. A few vegetables will get by in partial shade, but most need a full day’s sun for best growth. Avoid sites near buildings, trees, shrubs, fences or other objects or structures that will shade your crops. Plant tall crops on the north side of the garden so they won’t shade the others.
** Air drainage. Cold air runs downhill, so gardens in low spots are more likely to be hit by late spring and early fall frosts than gardens on high ground. Air circulation around crops may also be poor in low-lying areas. This means foliage dries more slowly after rain or irrigation and foliage diseases that require moisture or stagnant air to get established are more likely.
** Freedom from competition from other plants. Trees, shrubs and weeds all compete with garden crops for water and plant nutrients. If you’re tilling new ground, be sure to kill turfgrass and troublesome perennial weeds such as quackgrass first. If you simply turn the sod under, it will keep trying to make a comeback and you’ll be fighting it all season. A growing season spent eliminating perennial weed problems from your prospective garden site is time well spent.
** Water. A nearby water supply takes much of the work out of irrigation.
** Convenience. A rented garden spot at a distance may be better than not gardening at all, but getting there with everything you need to work it can be difficult. Vandalism and thievery are frequent problems in such gardens. They can occur in a backyard garden, also, of course, but having the garden a few steps outside your backdoor makes it easy to pull a few weeds or pick a fresh salad or check for pests whenever you have a few minutes. Easy access increases your enjoyment and makes tending the garden less of a chore.
One other consideration is garden size. Beginners, McLellan observes, often start with an overlarge garden and become discouraged when they can’t keep up with the planting, weeding and other upkeep chores.
"Better to have a small first garden and succeed with it," she suggests. "You can always go larger next year."
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ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
SPRING A GOOD TIME TO PLANT TREES
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- There are many good reasons for planting trees. They add value to your property. They can help reduce energy costs for heating and cooling by buffering cold winds in winter and providing cooling shade in summer. Mixed plantings of deciduous and evergreen trees can filter out unwanted noise and dust and other airborne pollutants. They can screen off undesirable views and create privacy in outdoor living space, and they provide shelter for birds and other wildlife.
And spring is a great time to plant.
"Choosing a tree for a specific planting site is, in a nutshell, a matter of matching various types of trees to the growing conditions in the planting site," says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "These include the space available for a tree to reach its mature size, soil drainage and the potential for the tree to get involved with underground or overhead utilities."
Once you have a list of potential candidates for your site, you can sort them by characteristics such as fall color, presence of flowers and fruits, freedom from serious pest problems, form (such as upright or spreading or weeping), interesting bark and all the other traits that contribute to how a tree looks in the landscape.
"Proper planting and some special care in the first two or three years after planting get the tree off to a good start," McLellan says.
Start by digging a large planting hole. In well drained soils, the hole should be as deep as the root ball and two to three times as wide, to provide a volume of loosened soil through which the roots can move easily and rapidly, she explains.
In clay soils with poor drainage, a shallow hole may be better. Set the tree in it and then fill in around it and build up a mound of topsoil over and around the roots. A deep hole in poorly drained clay will be slow to drain after a heavy rain; roots that stand in saturated soil for long periods may rot and the tree fail to survive.
Be sure to remove all wires, plastic cord, plastic burlap and other non-biodegradable materials from the root ball and main stem. These could restrict root growth or girdle the trunk as the tree grows.
When backfilling the planting hole, look for a change in bark color on the trunk to indicate the previous soil level and cover the root ball to that level. Fill in around the roots and firm the soil with your hands, then water to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets, add more soil and water again.
"Avoid using your feet to tamp around the tree base," McLellan advises. "This compacts the soil and may damage the roots."
In well drained soil, form a ridge of soil 2 to 4 inches high around the outside edge of the planting hole to create a reservoir for watering.
Support the tree, if necessary, to keep it from being wind whipped or blown over. Use one stake on the windward side, two stakes on opposite sides, or three stakes equally spaced around a large tree. Place stakes carefully to avoid injuring the roots. To protect the bark, use woven belt fabric or rope or wire passed through a section of old garden hose to connect the tree to the stakes. Leave stakes in place through the first growing season.
Mulching the root zone with 2 to 4 inches of leaf litter, shredded bark, aged wood chips or other organic material conserves soil moisture and protects newly planted trees from extremes of heat and cold. It also reduces competition from weeds and eliminates the need to mow next to the trunk. This helps prevent "lawn mower blight" and other injuries to the bark.
"Avoid using fresh sawdust or wood chips -- the decomposition of these materials will tie up the available nitrogen in the soil and make it unavailable for the tree," McLellan notes.
Water regularly during dry periods. Trees planted in sandy soils will need more frequent watering than trees in heavier soils. Trees in heavy clay soils can be overwatered and roots will suffer.
Fertilizing during the planting year is generally not recommended, McLellan notes. She suggests waiting until the next year, after the tree is well established, before fertilizing with granular or liquid products.
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
THE RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT
SPOT SPELLS SUCCESS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The variety in color, size and flower shape available in annual flowers is almost mind-boggling. Whether your planting spot is in full sun or full shade or something in between, hot and dry or moist and cool, fertile or not, there are annuals well suited to grow there.
The key is matching site conditions to the needs of the plant, says Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University.
"Plants that are adapted to hot, sunny conditions will be disappointing in a shaded, moist spot," she observes. "Likewise, plants that do best in poor soil may fail to thrive if you lavish them with fertilizer."
The main distinction among annuals is usually made on the basis of their preference for sunlight. The majority of flowering annuals are full-sun plants -- that is, they need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily to grow well and flower profusely. Favorite sun-loving annuals include geraniums, petunias, marigolds, zinnias, sweet peas, nasturtiums, four o’clocks, snapdragons, sunflowers and cosmos. Geraniums, petunias, alyssum and many others are available as transplants for instant color. Marigolds, zinnias, sweet peas, nasturtiums, four o’clocks, sunflowers and cosmos are among those that are often grown from seeds sown directly into the garden. Many of them -- especially marigolds -- are also available as transplants.
Among this group are border and edging plants such as alyssum and ageratum; tall plants such as cosmos, sunflowers and some marigolds; low-growing creeping plants such as moss rose (portulaca); plants for hanging baskets, including cascading petunias; and vining plants such as morning glory, scarlet runner bean and climbing sweet peas.
An area on the north side of a structure or hedge or a spot that’s lightly shaded part or most of the day is not a problem if you choose annuals that do well without full sun, McLellan suggests. These include the "big three" of shade gardening -- wax begonias, impatiens and coleus -- as well as fuchsia (great for hanging baskets), foxglove, primrose, periwinkle, forget-me-not, viola and pansy. Tuberous begonias, though technically not an annual flower, offer exotic-looking flowers in a range of jewellike colors. A bonus with forget-me-nots is that they frequently reseed themselves and come back again year after year.
Some annuals usually thought of as shade plants -- wax begonia and impatiens -- will also do well in full sun if they are mulched to keep their roots cool. Others, such as salvia and nicotiana, which are usually listed with sun-loving annuals, will grow nicely in an area that is shaded part of the day. The same is true of sweet alyssum, which tends to do well when it receives sun early in the day and shade in late afternoon.
"Quite often the limiting factor in shade-grown flowers is not light but water," McLellan notes. "Nearby trees or shrubs take up available water, leaving shallow-rooted annuals dry. Mulching helps, and applying an inch of water per week during dry weather will keep annuals growing and flowering."
Poor soil is no barrier to gardening with annuals if you choose amaranth, cockscomb, cornflower, cleome, coreopsis, cosmos, morning glory, sweet alyssum, four-o’clock, moss rose or nasturtium. These plants not only survive in poor soil but grow best there and seem to thrive on drought.
"Annuals as a group are so varied and have so much to offer that gardeners from beginner to expert can use them successfully anywhere from an apartment balcony to a formal garden," McLellan says. "Instant color from transplants, easy growing from seed, flowers all summer, cut flowers, flowers for drying, vines -- you name it, annuals have it. Want a red garden this year after last year’s blue and yellow? No problem with annuals. It's no wonder they remain popular year after year."
#lkj#
ANR Communications
Contact: L. Johnson or M. McLellan
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Telephone: 517-432-1555 or 353-3774
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
2/15/02
THE RIGHT PLANTS WILL THRIVE IN SAND
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- When the soil around your home or getaway place up north is less than ideal, you can fight it by planting trees and shrubs that aren’t well adapted to the site, or you can select plants that do well in the conditions your landscape provides.
In the first case, you may get lucky and, through trial and error, eventually come up with a mix of plants that survive and even thrive. The other way is the shortcut. It saves time, effort and money, and it gets your grounds looking good much quicker.
"In Michigan, homeowners more often have soil with too much clay to deal with," observes Mary McLellan, Extension Master Gardener program coordinator at Michigan State University. "Such soils are slow to dry in the spring, drain poorly and set up like concrete in dry weather."
Sand poses different problems. Water drains through it rapidly, so it’s quick to dry in the spring, but it doesn’t hold enough moisture for most plants in hot, dry weather. Sandy soil can be improved by adding large quantities of organic material year after year, but this is usually practical only for small areas, such as flower or vegetable gardens. For lawns and other large areas, it makes more sense to plant trees and shrubs that usually grow in sand or tolerate sandy conditions.
"One of these is Michigan’s state tree, the white pine (Pinus strobus)," McLellan points out. "If you have room for a tree that will eventually reach well over 100 feet in height, this is a great tree. It will tolerate partial shade or full sun, so small trees can be planted where other plants or structures will protect them against damaging winter winds."
Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is smaller, reaching 75 feet at maturity. This needled evergreen is compact and upright, so it’s better suited for smaller yards than the white pine. It does best in full sun. Avoid red cedar if there are hawthorn, crabapple or apple trees in your yard or nearby -- these plants share rust, a common disease that alternately affects the deciduous hosts and cedars.
Flowering crabapples tolerate sandy soils and offer a wide range of sizes (6 to 25 feet), shapes (upright to spreading to pendulous), and flower and fruit colors. Choose disease-resistant cultivars and plant in full sun. Avoid crabapples if there are cedar trees in your yard or nearby.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is an ancient species that’s survived virtually unchanged since the days of the dinosaurs. A slow grower, it eventually reaches a height of 75 feet and has fan-shaped leaves. Various cultivars range from umbrella-shaped to columnar. It has few if any disease or insect problems, and it tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including sand.
A number of common shrubs withstand the dry conditions that come with sandy soil, McLellan notes. Many of them -- such as Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergi), Siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens), flowering quince (Chaenomeles lagenaria), gray dogwood (Cornus ragemosa), common smoketree (Cotinus coggygria), common witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), privets (Ligustrum spp.), sumacs (Rhus spp.), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflorus) –- have flowers and interesting or colorful fruits.
Some ornamental vines also grow well in dry sites, McLellan notes. These include trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens), wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), Baltic English ivy (Hedera helix baltica), trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica halliana) and hardy grapes (Vitus spp.).
"Sandy soil and the dry conditions that accompany it need not be an obstacle to a well landscaped, attractive yard," McLellan sums up. "Choosing plants that are well adapted to dry conditions is the key."
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include other plants, she notes. But it’s good to remind yourself that extra site preparation and time spent watering and fertilizing might be the price you pay. Planting species and cultivars that need special care together and preparing the site by incorporating organic matter for a year or two before planting will reduce the effort needed to establish and maintain these plants.
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