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In This Issue
Weather It's The
Weather
What's Bugging
You
Questionmark and
Mysterian
Success Tip of
the Week
From the Garden
to the Kitchen
Plant to Ponder
Contact
Information
Up
Coming Events
Butterflies Out of Africa
Krohn Conservatory
Thru June 24
www.butterflyshow.com
College Hill Gardeners
Garden Tour / June 23
8 Gardens to Tour
681-1326
An Evening with Richard Louv / June 19
Crossroads Community Church / Madison Rd.
www.LNCIgc.org
"Leave No Child Inside"
Weather and Watering
June 12 / 6-7:30pmCivic Garden Center
221-0981 ext.18
Get Involved With
"GRANNY'S GARDEN SCHOOL"
-Flower pot recycling
-Pick a bouquet club
-Gardening school
-Granny's Sunday Supper
-Hands on Gardening Club
grannysgardenshool.com
Quick Links
$10,000 Landscape
Makeover
Newsletter
Archive
Success Tip Sheets
Landscape Design Kit
Gift Cards
Rita's Recipes
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Whether It's The Weather
Cooler
temperatures over the past few days have been wonderful!
And if by chance your yard was on the receiving end of the
very spotty rain showers, that was a good thing. We were
hammered on Sunday in our yard with rainfall, but 3 days
later, it's dry as a bone. It's dry out there folks.
Please make sure you're watering as best you can. Deep and
thorough each time you water. Don't be a tease! Your
plants are thirsty - join them for a drink.
[Did you hear about the man who ran through the screen
door? He strained himself.]
What's Bugging You?
Since
the detection of Emerald Ash Borer in Hamilton County, we're
getting a lot of emails and calls concerning treating ash
trees for protection against the EAB, timing, etc. Whether
or not to treat your ash trees is a decision that only the
homeowner can make. But when the trees are treated will get
varying results. Here is our statement on treating /
treatment timing for attempting to protect ash trees from
EAB:
To
date,
research has shown two pesticides which can provide Ash
trees "some" or "total protection" from the Emerald Ash
Borer for one full season. Merit and Safari / Pentra
Bark combo; Merit available from local garden stores
(ex. - Bayer's Tree and Shrub Insect Control) and applied to
the roots around the base of the tree, and Safari / Pentra
Bark combo applied to the lower trunk of the tree by a
licensed professional.
Merit,
assuming all conditions are correct, may take 30 plus days
to travel throughout the entire tree for protection, where
as Safari / Pentra Bark combo takes much less time. And,
protection may vary from 'some' to 'total', assuming all
conditions are correct for movement of the product, as well
as timing of the applications.
Timing is very important, as research shows these work best
against the smaller / younger EAB larvae. So, the best
application dates would be fall or spring (thru mid April),
to allow plenty of time for the pesticides to move through
the tree and be in place to protect against the smaller /
younger larvae.
EAB
adults begin to hatch, fly about, mate and lay eggs by mid
May (usually during the peak bloom of the Black Locust
tree), so it is important to have the pesticides in place to
go after the smaller / younger larvae. Adult hatching dates
are all dependent on Growing Degree Days, and may vary a bit
from year to year, but not by much! So, having Merit or
Safari / Pentra Bark combo in place by fall or the following
spring (mid April), would be the ultimate dates for EAB
protection.
EAB adults can hatch, mate and lay eggs May thru August,
with the peak of adult activity being at the beginning of
the hatch, again usually mid May. So the question that
comes up is, "Why can't I treat my trees after the adults
begin to hatch in mid May? If I miss the earlier ones,
won't I protect against the later hatching adults and their
smaller / younger larvae?"
Yes
you could, but the majority of egg lying happens earlier
rather than later. So again, realizing the pesticides work
best against the smaller / younger EAB larvae, the best
overall protection is achieved by applications in the fall
or by mid April. The later you wait, the more risk you take
that the adults have either already laid the eggs on the
tree, or that the larvae is too large / too old for the
chemicals to be effective. But it can be done later with a
more limited control.
One
exception may be if you are not in the immediate area of
detected EAB infestations. Realizing the adults may fly ¼ to
½ mile each year, a later treatment (late May thru mid June)
may be okay. But again, the best time to apply Merit (Imidacloprid)
or Safari / Pentra Bark combo is fall or by mid April.
Anytime after that 'could' reduce the amount of actual EAB
protection to the Ash tree - again depends on timing of the
adults hatching and location of the ash trees in relation to
already infested areas. Note: The above information and
opinions may vary among professionals in the industry, as we
are basing our opinions on current research and little known
"track records" for the EAB! And yes, pesticide
applications to help protect Ash trees from EAB are annual
treatments.
This
week, Buggy Joe Boggs is reporting galls galore showing up
on maple, ash, boxelder, hickory, beech and oak leaves,
Boxelder bugs reeking havoc in some landscapes and on the
sides of the house, biting flies are really biting,
hollyhocks being eaten by weevils and sawflies, potato leaf
hoppers are showing up now, as well as the adult corn borer,
powdery mildew and tip blight on Austrian pine, and a quick
reminder that bagworms have hatched and that anytime in June
is a good time to apply grub 'preventers' to the lawn.
-Catch
the Buggy Joe Boggs Report Saturdays at 8:42am on 55KRC
radio.
[Fine - This is a word used by Mrs. Boggs to end an argument
with Joe when she is right and Joe needs to be quiet.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"My
crabapple has had many suckers sprouting up thru the black
trash bags laid on the dirt and under the mulch. I removed
the bags and found a web of suckers and moldy stuff. What
would be my best plan of action? I'm a new gardener moved
her from the L.A. area." -Well, first of all, welcome to
Cincinnati! Now, for your situation, get rid of all the
plastic bags and get those out of your mind. Rake any mulch
away from the area and let it air out for a few days. Then,
take your pruners and cut all the suckers off at ground
level. Spray the 'pruned web of suckers' area with 'Sucker
Stopper', which by the way comes to us via Monterey Chemical
in California! That stops future suckers from coming up for
one entire season. Then remulch the area as needed. Every
spring, spray the new suckers that start to come up with
Sucker Stopper, and that's all you'll need to do.
"I hear
you and Rita always talking about the herb stevia as a
natural sugar substitute. How do you use it?" -Stevia is
a tender perennial for our area, so grow it as an annual, or
better yet, in a container and bring it inside for the
winter. It's really easy to grow, and is an amazing natural
sugar substitute. How do you use it? Here's Rita's
response - "There are many ways to use it: in drinks,
stovetop cooking, bread puddings, pies, etc. It's up to and
sometimes over 300 times sweeter that sugar, noncaloric, and
diabetic safe. There are cook books on stevia, and check
out this web site -
www.nunaturals.com.
Of course, Natorp's will sell the plants in the spring
season."
"Is
there really a "best time" to water?" -Well, yes there
is! Between 5am and 9am is the best time, but if your
schedule doesn't fit the best watering time, water when you
can. Do remember that watering during the heat of the day
can be wasteful due to evaporation loss, and many plants can
have their leaves scorched from the water / sun. Watering
in the evening can set up plants (especially lawns) for
possible disease problems. But again, if that's the only
time you can do it, do it. And right now, you need to be
doing it!
"If the
pH of my soil is 8, and I want to lower it, do I add lime or
sulfur?" -Lime raises the pH, while sulfur lowers the pH.
And it will take time for this to happen. Also consider
adding coffee grounds to the area, etc, to help lower the pH
naturally.
"My new
Knock Out roses are blooming like crazy! Thank you for the
recommendation. Now, just to be sure, I do not have to
pinch off the old flowers, right?" -That's correct! They
are self cleaning. But, if you have extra time on you
hands, feel free to help it out and pinch a few of the old
blooms off. But again, not required.
"I have
had problems in the past with various leaf blights on my
tomatoes. Any suggestions for this year?" -Start out
clean by using 'crop rotation' in the garden. And make sure
the tomato varieties you plant are resistant varieties.
Keep the tomatoes planted far enough apart to allow good
sunlight and air flow. Then, after the plants are beginning
to root and really grow, mulch around them with clean wheat
straw, or your choice of mulch. This will help reduce the
soil born diseases from splashing up on the plants. (Weed
mat / landscape fabric - these work as well) You can also
remove the bottom 12-14 inches of leaves (as the vines grow)
so there are no leaves for the diseases to splash on.
[12% of Texas road kills are armadillos. Bet you didn't
know that!]
Success Tip of the Week
MULCHING
- As we move into the summer months, this is the time where
mulching around your plants can really help in more ways
than one. Mulching helps to reduce weeds, it conserves
moisture - especially during the drier times of the summer,
helps to regulate the soil temperatures keeping those roots
cooler, adds organic matter back to the soil, helps to tie
the landscape beds together, and of course, if just looks
good! It truly is the icing on the cake, and really is good
for the plants. But, as we all know, just like the icing,
too much can be a bad thing.
Over
mulching restricts air and water flow, creates anaerobic
conditions, and can cause plants to root in the mulch rather
than the soil. And research has shown that mulch piled
against the trunks of trees causes false roots, trunk decay
and eventual death of the tree. So when you're mulching,
fluff up any existing mulch first. You may find you won't
need to add any mulch at all. Keep your mulch levels to a
minimum. I prefer 1-3 inches max. And never, ever, pile
mulch against the trunk of the trees. The mulch should
actually stop about 2-3 inches away from the trunk, giving a
donut appearance with the tree coming out of the center of
the "mulch donut".
By
the way, when re-mulching or fluffing up your existing
mulch, be sure to apply Preen to help stop those unwanted
weed seeds from growing. It sure can save your back and
keep those beds looking better all summer long.
LAWNS -
The summer season can be a very trying time for homeowner's
and their lawns. So, here are a few general tips to help
keep your lawn looking its best this summer.
1.) Keep
mowing on a regular basis. Never remove more than 1/3 of
the grass blades each time you mow.
2.) Mow
at a higher mowing height. Keep your mowing height at least
2 ½ to 3 inches. Longer grass blades mean less stress on
the turf, the crowns are shaded and protected from the heat
of the sun, grass roots should grow deeper, and your turf
will do much nicer during the summer than the lawns mowed
close and stressed.
3.)
Change your mowing pattern each time you mow. Mow east to
west one week, then north to south the next. Then take it
diagonally. Just like the golf course pros do! This
encourages your grass to grow upright, rather than laying
down (being mowed one direction all the time) and definitely
creates a happier lawn!
4.)
Throw those clippings back into the turf. Returning those
clippings is like one additional fertilizing each year.
Grass clippings are 75-85% water, decompose quickly, and do
not create thatch problems.
5.) Have
those mowers blades sharpened on a regular basis, which
means at least 3-4 times throughout the mowing season. Dull
blades shred rather than cut which will give your lawn a
yellowed look, and will make the grass more susceptible to
disease.
6.) Be
sure to clean out under the mower deck when you're finished
mowing. It's important to remove that grass build up,
especially if you have an under the deck exhaust. It also
helps the mower deck to operate properly. So keep under the
deck cleaned!
7.)
Last, but very important, if your lawn doesn't get enough
rainfall, water as needed. Remember the golden rule of 1
inch of rainfall every 10 days or so. If we don't get it
naturally, you have to supplement. And when you do
supplement, do it all at one time; a deep, thorough
watering. Deep watering creates a deeper rooted lawn, which
makes it much sturdier during possible drought situations,
as well as being a much healthier lawn. Please, don't be a
water tease. One thorough watering is much better for the
lawn and all plants, than frequent watering teases!
RAINFALL
- If it rained in your yard this week, or is raining right
now, will you know exactly how much total rain fell in your
yard? Well, you should! As a general rule of thumb, during
the growing season, the plants in your yard would like about
1 inch of rain fall every 10 days to 2 weeks. And if Mother
Nature doesn't come through, you need to!
So,
how will you know how much rain fall your yard had? Get a
rain gauge. Rain gauges come in all shapes and sizes and
designs, so which one you choose is up to you. The
important thing is to have that rain gauge positioned in
your yard, so that it's in an open and unobstructed area.
Try to position the gauge 15-20' away from single story
buildings, 30' from 2 story, in an open area, away from
trees and shrubs and anything else that may obstruct the
rain fall. Try placing your rain gauge on the top of a post
or on the top of a fence in an open area.
Read
you gauge either after each rain fall, or at the end of each
day, and chart for the week, month, and just for fun, see
where your yearly total comes in. Compare that to the local
weather center to see how much your yard varied from the
area's overall totals. Remember, 1 inch of rain fall
every 10 days or so during the growing season. If Mother
Nature doesn't come through, it's up to you to fill the
gaps. And now you'll know, after reading your rain gauge!
[Reading while sunbathing can make you well red.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
Yardboy,
sometimes I get a yen for a healthy muffin, sort of like you
buy at the trendy coffee and sandwich shops. Here's one
that's delicious and so moist, not to mention darn good. I
know the technique here is unusual, Yardboy, but trust me,
it works!
BLENDER
WHOLE ORANGE DATE MUFFINS
(Make up
to a day ahead. Keep wrapped at room temperature.)
1 juice
orange, about 8 oz, with peel, washed and dried
½ cup
orange juice
½ cup
chopped dates
1 egg
½ cup (1
stick) butter, cut up and softened
1-3/4
cup flour
¾ cup
sugar
1
teaspoon each: baking powder and soda
½
teaspoon salt
Preheat
oven to 400. Cut orange into 8 pieces and remove seeds.
Put orange pieces, juice and dates in blender. Puree. Add
egg and butter and blend. Set aside. In large bowl, mix
flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Pour orange
mixture over top and stir gently to combine. Pour into
sprayed muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full, and bake 15-20
minutes, until top springs back when pushed with finger.
Don't overbake. Makes 12 muffins, or about 18
mini-muffins. (If making mini-muffins, check after about 10
minutes).
Tips
from Rita's Herb Garden: LAVENDER! Lavender means "to wash"
and it is a great bath and aromatherapy herb. It can create
a peaceful state of mind. During the plagues in France,
glove makers used lavender to scent the leather. They were
reputedly one of the few who stayed healthy! Like rosemary,
lavender doesn't like wet feet but does love sun and good
drainage. Add lavender to honeys and sugars. Or mix with
cider vinegar and distilled water for a soothing skin
splash. Herbes de Provence always contain lavender.
-Rita
Nader Heikenfeld, CCP / Macy's Regional Culinary
Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV and Radio
Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College /
Community Press Papers / Part time Witchdoctor / Maker of
strange potions /
www.abouteating.com
[Confucius say, "Woman who eat cookies in in bed at night
will wake up feeling crumby."]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
Today
we're going to take a look at some old fashioned shrubs that
have suddenly become the Queens of the Garden, and
rightfully so. They're called - Hydrangeas! In today's
market, there are over 100 species of hydrangeas and within
those many subspecies and cultivars, all of which vary in
size, flowering times, colors and shapes of flowers,
hardiness, sun or shade -there's a hydrangea for just about
any spot in the landscape.
These
are just a few of the hundreds of selections:
Big
Daddy - blooms on old and new wood with unusually large
flower heads that will vary pink to blue.
Glowing
Embers - this hydrangea produces mid summer flowers that
glow from a rich crimson to a dark pink as the summer
progresses
Black
Stem - wonderful pastel flowers, but it's the black stems
that make this one a collector's hydrangea.
Limelight - very unique hydrangea as the flowers start as a
bright chartreuse color and change to colors of white, pink
and burgundy. Very easy to grow.
Annabelle - with her huge white globe shaped flowers, and a
definite consistent bloomer each year.
Oakleaf
- one of my favorites, oakleaf hydrangeas are available from
compact growers to 6-8 feet tall, all supporting oak like
leaves and these wonderful cone shaped flowers.
Endless
Summer and Blushing Bride - these profuse bloomers flower
all season long on old and new growth - pink or blue with
the Endless Summer / white fade to pink on the Blushing
Bride.
Climbing
Hydrangea - yes, there's even a climbing hydrangea! Lacy
cream colored flowers in mid to late June, but look at the
glossy heart shaped leaves, cinnamon colored stems and
exfoliating bark - that makes this one a great show year
round. Loves the shade, will grow in the sun, an excellent
vine for walls, trellises, or even on high limbed trees.
So many
hydrangeas with so little space to plant them all! But
Definitely the Queens of the Garden!
[Experience
is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a
mistake when you make it again.]
A Little
Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
As we
cruise towards the summer season, I would like to point out
2 very poisonous plants that you and the family need to
avoid - and there's a very good chance they're growing in
your own back yard! 1.) Poison Hemlock. Every year we're
seeing this plant more and more, not only in it's native
habitats like along fences, ditches and drain ways, and
along edges of woods, but coming up in your landscape beds
as well. Poison Hemlock grows anywhere from 2-8 feet tall,
has beautiful creamy colored flowers as well as wonderful
lacy foliage, similar to Queen Anne's Lace, but here's the
distinguishing feature that tells them apart. See those
purple areas on the stems? That tells you its Poison
Hemlock. Don't let its beauty fool you. This one is very
poisonous, and if ingested, can cause everything from
stomach ailments to death in both humans and animals.
Wearing gloves, you can hand pull and pitch it, or kill it
by spraying with Roundup. 2.) Here's the other poisonous
plant that probably lurking in your yard. Poison Ivy - and
it grows in many forms from low viners, to vining on other
plants and trees, to shrub forms that don't even look like
poison ivy. Remember the old adage - leaves of three, let
it be. Now you can get rid of poison ivy by spraying with
Roundup or by hand pulling, and either way, make sure your
skin is totally covered to protect against the poisonous
oils. 3.) Now here's one that is often mistaken for Poison
Ivy. It's Virginia creeper. And the easiest way to tell it
apart from Poison Ivy would be the leaves. They have leaves
of 5! Leaves of 3 let it be. Leaves of 5 - not an issue!
[Confucius say "He who stands on toilet seat is high on
pot. He who sniffs Coke, drowns."]
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