Bugs, Insects and Spiders
Honeybees aren’t the only bees in the garden – 11-04-2024
There are three main ways to be a bee. Honeybees live social lives and share the work of raising young and gathering food to sustain their colonies. Queens lay eggs and workers divide all the labor. Even in winter, their hives remain busy, crowded places, literally buzzing with the activity of thousands of workers.
Bumble bees also live in colonies, but unlike honeybees, their social life comes to an end at the onset of winter. All bumble bees in a colony die in fall except the mated females. These future queens dig shallow burrows and spend the winter underground in a dormant state. In the spring, each new queen, or “foundress,” will establish her own nest, lay eggs, and nurture the first generation of daughters that will help her with foraging and caring for subsequent broods.
Fewer than one out of 10 bees are social. The other 90% are solitary bees, and as their name implies, they spend their entire lives on their own. They serve no queen and do all their work alone.
Males typically don’t live long after mating, but female solitary bees have an extensive to-do list. In the spring, they choose nesting sites, construct nurseries, gather nesting materials, lay eggs, and provision egg chambers with pollen. The one thing they don’t have to do is take care of their babies. Once their eggs are safely tucked in, the females’ work is done.
Solitary bees don’t make honey or combs of wax, but they are incredibly creative when it comes to building nests. Remarkably, over two-thirds of solitary bees nest underground. Mining bees and digger bees are good examples. These small insects that we typically see in flowers also dig burrows that can range from a few inches to several feet deep.
The rest of the solitary bees are cavity-nesters. They build their nests in hollow plant stems and holes they find in dead wood. Starting at the back of the hole, they add pollen and an egg, then seal them up together, repeating this process until the hole is filled. If you could open it up, the completed nest of a cavity-nesting bee would look like a colorful pollen parfait.
Cavity-nesting bees are particular about the materials they use to seal each brood chamber. Mason bees use mud, and resin bees use sap. Leafcutter bees are the best interior decorators; they line and seal their nests with a quilt of carefully cut pieces of green leaves or colorful flower petals.
Tips To Help Native Bees In Your Yard
Whether they are social, annually social or solitary, all bees pollinate flowers as they forage for food. Unfortunately, not all bees get the credit they deserve for the vital role they play in plant reproduction. Honeybees may be the most iconic pollinators but are actually not native and have spread across North America like dandelions. Despite threats from pesticides, diseases and parasites, thanks to their importance to the crops we depend on for food, there are more honeybees in the world today than at any time in history. To put it simply, honeybees are hogging the resources. It is the native bees that need our help.
The best way to help native bees is to provide them with places to live as well as food to eat. When flowers have faded, there are still things you can do to make your yard “bee-friendly”:
Leave the leaves that fall in flower beds to provide shelter and habitat for ground dwellers.
– Leave rodent holes, too. Bumblebees love to build nests in holes that come pre-lined with fur.
– Add logs, rock piles, and sandy areas to your garden to create nesting sites that will be ready for bees when they emerge in the spring.
– Allow some dawn-facing, bare patches of soil to remain undisturbed and uncovered. Tilling and covering the ground with landscape fabric or thick layers of mulch prevent ground-nesting bees from emerging.
– Save the stems on perennials that die back in the winter. Let flowers go to seed for birds and other insects, then old stems will be ready for cavity-nesters to move in when they emerge in spring. Vegetation will grow up and hide the dry stems, and a new generation of bees will emerge to pollinate its flowers.
Keep your yard chemical-free so bees have healthy nesting places to raise their young. Many herbicides and systemic insecticides can persist in soil or vegetation for months or even longer.
By Julie Banken
Rethinking earwigs in your garden – 7/15/2024
When I taught zoology to kids, we had one fundamental rule in our classroom: you can’t say “gross.” Instead, we had to use the word “fascinating” to describe something with a high yuck factor. For many, finding an earwig in fresh lettuce leaves provides an opportunity to put this into practice. The more you learn about earwigs, however, the less offensive they become.
Earwigs belong to the insect order Dermaptera. The naturalized European earwigs found in our area are reddish brown and tan and grow to a size of about half-an-inch long. Although they do have a pair of hind wings under their stubby forewings, earwigs rarely fly; instead, they spend their time walking on the ground or in tree canopies at night. During the daytime, they rest under leaves, in bark crevices and among damp debris.
Unfortunate misconceptions give earwigs a bad reputation. They must live with the label “pincher bugs,” thanks to the long forceps-like pincers called cerci at the ends of their abdomens. Cerci help earwigs catch prey and defend themselves, but they aren’t used to intentionally pinch people.
Earwigs also don’t crawl into your ears while you sleep. They are much more likely to be found in ears of corn. While it seems plausible that they could accidentally enter your ear if you spent the night on the ground in a damp orchard, earwigs are not dangerous to people at all. They don’t bite or sting, and they have no venom.
Finally, it is definitely a myth that earwigs will lay eggs in your brain. In actuality, they lay their eggs in small burrows a few inches below the surface of the ground. Clutches can have from 30 to 60 tiny white eggs. Most insects lay their eggs and move on, but earwigs do something amazing. Like a bird, a mother earwig will stay to watch over her brood, diligently cleaning them and even moving them to safer spots if necessary.
Female earwigs continue to nurture their offspring for several weeks after they hatch. Nymphs will venture out on their own to forage for food at night, but earwig mothers work to provide them with extra food and protect them from predators. When they have molted twice, juvenile earwigs move out and become independent.
Earwigs are not picky eaters. They are omnivores and will eat just about anything, which can work both for and against the home gardener. They thrive in dark and moist places where they scavenge for decaying organic matter, but they will also feed on live plants. Ragged holes in foliage give them away; they also chew on flower buds and fruit. They can eat their way into strawberries, cabbage heads and tree-ripe peaches. Damage can be noticeable when their populations are high.
As with any garden pest, it’s important to know your enemy. While earwigs do cause unwelcome damage by eating plants, they have an important redeeming quality: paradoxically, they also eat other garden pests. Earwigs will consume soft-bodied arthropods such as aphids, whiteflies, mites and caterpillars. They will also eat insect eggs and even the occasional snail, slug and worm.
In studies at the WSU Tree Fruit Research Station in Wenatchee, researchers discovered that earwigs suppressed populations of aphids, codling moths and scale insects in apple orchards, proving that earwigs should be considered valuable orchard allies. Last year, WSU even gave away thousands of earwigs to apple and pear growers so they could release them into their trees.
Earwigs deserve a better reputation. They are caring parents and underappreciated beneficial insects that play a helpful role in pest control. Where they are doing damage to garden plants, decrease their population by collecting them under damp corrugated cardboard placed on the ground during the night. If they are doing more harm than good in stone fruit trees, prevent them from moving through the canopy by attaching sticky bands to the trees’ trunks and branches.
By Julie Banken
Understanding the impact of bug zappers – 6/17/2024
There is probably no sound more unwelcome in summertime than the high-pitched whine of a mosquito. This is especially true when there is work to be done in the garden.
In the quest for a mosquito-free yard, it is tempting to turn to UV light traps, or “bug zappers,” for a solution. Unfortunately, research has overwhelmingly shown that while extremely good at killing insects, bug zappers are useless at controlling mosquitoes.
Bug zappers use UV light to indiscriminately attract insects to charged metal grids, where they are electrocuted with a zap. In one study conducted in the 1990s, six typical residential bug zappers were set up and monitored during a 10-week period.
Entomologists collected, counted and identified the dead insects and found dramatic results: of 13,789 insects killed, only 31 of them were mosquitoes or close relatives. Surprisingly, in spite of these findings, bug zappers are still around, and so are mosquitoes.
As many campers can verify, mosquitoes are quite happy in the dark and are indifferent to artificial lights, ultraviolet or otherwise. Instead, they are lured by the smell of sweat and the carbon dioxide exhaled by their hosts. Check your porch light on a warm night for proof. Many insects will be gathered there, but mosquitoes will only show up when you do.
Although mosquitoes are not attracted to a bug zapper’s light, other insects seem inexplicably drawn to it. Bug zappers take advantage of this. Most nocturnal and crepuscular insects naturally orient themselves so that the dim light of the night sky stays at their backs as they fly through the dark. In the presence of artificial light, they reflexively turn to keep their dorsal side towards the source as they try to figure out which way is up.
Technically, it is not quite right to say that light attracts insects. It is more accurate to say they are confused and ultimately trapped by it.
It’s worth asking why bug zappers are still in use if they don’t kill mosquitoes. This review from a satisfied customer may offer some insight: “I love this light. It kills tons of every kind of bug!” This sentiment undoubtedly resonates; to many, the popping sound of insects getting zapped at night is the satisfying sound of revenge. Thanks to the reputation mosquitoes give insects in general, it is easy to understand why many people feel the only good bug is a dead one.
While it may be hard to accept when a mosquito is buzzing near your ear, fewer than 2% of all insects are pests to people. It is not hyperbole to say that the rest are essential to life on Earth. Insects (including mosquitoes) are bird food, fish food, frog food, reptile food and mammal food, not to mention food for their fellow arthropods. They are decomposers, important predators and pollinators, and without them, the ecosystem would come undone.
Bug zappers are exacting a serious toll on the insect populations that sustain us. According to one estimate, 2 million are sold each year. The number of insects inadvertently lost to UV light traps tallies in the billions. Give insects a safe haven by having a bug zapper-free yard.
It’s important to note that artificial light of any kind disrupts the normal behavior of night-flying insects, hindering their ability to forage for food, mate and reproduce. Consider limiting outdoor lighting around your garden in the summertime, or switch over to lights that are motion-activated and will only be on when you need them. Even closing curtains can help give nocturnal insects a chance to navigate by starlight once more.
How To Prevent Mosquitoes- Mosquitoes need standing water to breed, and even tiny pools can sustain them. It is much easier to prevent their larvae from hatching than to get rid of them once the adults have emerged.
Even before you see mosquitoes in springtime, regularly empty any containers where water can collect, such as bird baths, dog dishes, flowerpots and empty buckets. Also, clear gutters so they drain and keep water from standing too long on top of pool covers.
By Julie Banken
Beneficial insect larvae provide natural pest control – 3/20/2024
Insects are the silent champions of the ecosystem. They pollinate flowering plants, decompose organic matter and sustain countless animals above them in the food chain. To label only a lucky few of them “beneficial” does the rest of them a disservice, but in the gardening world, “beneficial insects” are those that feed on garden pests.
Beneficial insects will soon be hard at work in gardens and yards, and it’s important to be able to recognize them. With insects, this gets a little complicated, as often when they are still larvae in their immature stages, they look nothing like the adults they will become.
Syrphid fly larvae, for example, don’t look remotely related to their parents. When they hatch out of their eggs, they are legless and blind. They can be green, gray or yellow in color, and they are voracious feeders. Just one of these small maggots can suck hundreds of aphids dry with its piercing mouthparts.
Adult syrphid flies, meanwhile, are easily mistaken for wasps or bees. They have yellow and black stripes on their abdomens and spend their time foraging for food around flowers. With a pair of gyroscope-like halteres instead of a second pair of wings, they are weirdly able to hover in one place. Syrphid adults don’t eat aphids at all, but feed on pollen, nectar and aphid honeydew with their sponge-like mouths.
Ladybugs, or lady beetles, are another beneficial insect well known to gardeners. When they are adults, these small beetles are easily recognized by their round shape and shiny, red elytra with black spots. As larvae, they are often overlooked.
Lady beetle larvae resemble a cross between a caterpillar and an alligator. Fresh out of their bright, orange eggs they look like tiny black commas on a page, but by the time they pupate they are usually about a half-inch in length. They are gray and black with orange and white markings; they hold their front legs in an aggressive stance, ready to pounce on and devour any prey they encounter.
Even if you don’t recognize the larvae of beneficial insects, it’s important to appreciate their valuable contributions to pest control. In general, predatory larvae are better at suppressing pest populations than adults for two reasons: first, their main job in life is to eat, and second, until they are adults, they don’t have wings. Without wings, they only travel as far as they can walk, crawl, or hop, so they generally stay in one place, feeding on pests until they pupate.
Unfortunately, because they eat so much and can’t fly, beneficial insects still in their larval stage are hit hard when chemicals are used to control insect pests. Even if they are not treated with a pesticide directly, they can still suffer its harmful effects, as they have no choice but to ingest contaminated prey. In addition, because they can’t fly, beneficial insect larvae are unable to escape to find food that won’t make them sick.
Larvae of all types can become collateral damage even when “selective” chemicals are applied to kill pests. For example, insect growth regulators are a type of insecticide that targets the hormones of developing insects. These chemicals are considered selective because they act on arthropods and not other animals. Not only do they keep adult insects from reproducing, growth regulators stop insect eggs from hatching and prevent juveniles from molting. Insect growth regulators act on all insects, whether they are pests or not.
Insecticidal soaps are another type of chemical often recommended for use in the garden. Labels on these insecticides proclaim they are effective at killing soft-bodied arthropods. Many garden pests — such as aphids, thrips, mealybugs and mites — are soft bodied, but the larvae of all other insects are soft-bodied, too. Soap dissolves the protective cuticle on their soft exoskeletons, and they die by drying out.
Adult insects lay eggs in places where they know their offspring will have enough food. That means attracting beneficial species to your garden requires allowing pest insects to live there, too. The best way to attract beneficial insects is to keep your yard free of chemicals. Let beneficial insects do the work for you and naturally keep prey populations low.
Foregoing chemical treatment and tolerating the presence of pest insects ultimately creates a healthy home for all the beneficial insects out there, not just the garden predators. If you find beneficial larvae in your garden, be sure to celebrate. These young insects are a sure sign of a healthy garden ecosystem.
By Julie Banken
Timing is everything when controlling invasive paper wasps – 4/23/2024
Timing is everything when controlling invasive paper wasps –
Vespid wasps don’t often make it onto anyone’s list of favorite insects. Like fighter jets on a mission, they fly with purpose, and their bold aposematic colors warn that getting too close could result in a painful sting. Although they provide helpful pollination and pest-control services, they are intimidating, even to this Master Gardener.
I considered my own prejudice while I watched a large yellow and black wasp land on the doorframe of our greenhouse. With long legs dangling in flight, a narrow waist and orange-tipped antennae, it wasn’t hard to identify it as a European paper wasp.
European paper wasps look a lot like their aggressive cousins, the yellowjackets. Yellowjackets are the wasps that will ride a ham sandwich into your mouth or fly into an open can of pop just before you take a drink. Normally they feed on insects and flower nectar, but when supplies run low, they scavenge for protein and sugar wherever they can find it. Because they tend to build their nests underground, they seem to appear from out of nowhere at a picnic. Their demand for food becomes acute in the fall, when colonies can number several thousand individuals.
Like an evil twin, yellowjackets cause a lot of grief and frustration, leaving paper wasps to take the blame. European paper wasps need protein and sugar, too, but they are not scavengers and are not interested in people food. They prey on a variety of soft-bodied insects, and gather sugar from flower nectar, pollinating as they go. Colonies usually have fewer than 100 individuals at season’s end, and as long as you don’t disturb their nests, they won’t bother people.
It would be easy to co-exist with European paper wasps if they didn’t build their papery, umbrella-shaped nests in very inconvenient places. Look for them on swing sets, fences, chicken coops, RVs and boats, inside birdhouses, under the barbecue lid and in shrubs that need trimming, such as arborvitae. They also like greenhouses. Last summer, there were so many in my yard that it was difficult to avoid disturbing them.
European paper wasps are a mixed blessing. Even though they pollinate flowers and provide gardeners with natural pest control, these invasive newcomers are so successful that they are outcompeting native species. It makes sense to discourage them from building nests, especially around the home.
When it comes to reducing insect populations, timing is everything. Remove wasp nests early when they are small and have only one queen to protect them. In the spring, queens work alone and must leave their nests to gather food and nest-making material. In another month when the first generation of workers matures, nests will not be left undefended. Colonies will grow quickly and removing them will be more difficult.
To remove paper wasp nests, spray them with a jet of water from a safe distance. Alternatively, wait until the queen is out foraging, then quickly slide nests into a plastic container that can be covered with a lid. Queens will start rebuilding, but if you continue to disrupt them, eventually they will give up and go elsewhere.
Yellowjacket traps will do nothing to deter European paper wasps. While treating their nests with powerful insecticides might be tempting, doing so can invite more problems. Chemicals may kill adults but not affect developing pupae, making them ultimately ineffective. They also will contaminate the area with long-lasting toxins. To top it off, birds and insects that prey on treated larvae or pupae will inadvertently be exposed. Better is to remove wasp nests to slow their reproduction, then let their predators go to work.
By Julie Banken
Bumble bees spend most of their lives underground – 11/20/2023
Last month, when my son and I were harvesting our potato crop, we were surprised to dig up a bright yellow bumble bee.
Bumble bees are known as creatures of the air, not animals that live in the soil next to earthworms. However, these native bees actually spend more time under the ground than above it. These “humble bees,” as they were once known, deserve recognition for the indispensable role they play in the garden ecosystem.
Bumble bee queens like the one in our potato bed spend the winter months hibernating alone in shallow burrows in the soil. After emerging in the spring, they establish their nests in empty cavities in the ground. Rodent burrows, rock piles, and vacant space at the bases of bunch grasses and sedges are their favorite spots.
Once a nest site is chosen, the queen gets busy. She flies from flower to flower for food, traveling up to a mile away from her home base, pollinating a wide variety of plants as she goes. She carries pollen and nectar back to her nest in the ground where she deposits it into tiny wax chambers appropriately called honey pots. The queen lays an egg on top of the food bundle in each honey pot, and, like a bird, will protect her eggs and even keep them warm until they mature into full-grown adults.
It takes about a month for the queen’s offspring to develop into working females. Once her daughters are able, they take over the tasks of the growing colony, allowing the queen to remain in the nest to lay eggs. The daughters care for the queen, build more honey pots, forage for food, store up provisions, and help care for the young. The more pollen and nectar they gather, the more daughters the queen can produce. By the end of the season, colonies have on average 50 to a few hundred bumble bees living and working in their underground home.
In the fall, male bees emerge along with new queens. The social life in the colony comes to an end as winter approaches. Every bee in the colony dies, in fact, except the young, newly mated queens. They dig new burrows in the soil and remain underground until spring, when the cycle starts all over again.
Honey bees get all the glory, but wild bees like the bumble bees are actually more efficient pollinators. They can fly in temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are able to pollinate the first flowers that bloom in the spring and the last flowers that bloom in the fall. They are also able to do something honey bees can’t do: they vibrate their wings until a flower gives up its pollen in what’s called “buzz pollination.” Tomato, potato, and blueberry plants require buzz pollination to create their fruit.
Bumble bees are not the only bee species to live underground. There are over 400 native ground nesting bees in Washington alone, including alkali bees, sweat bees, digger bees, mining bees and plasterer bees. Unfortunately, many of them are threatened or at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment.
Home gardeners can play an important role in protecting our native bees by providing them an inviting place to live and work.
Here are a few ways to make your landscape bee-friendly:
Avoid tilling the soil in the fall. Harvest your potatoes early!
Incorporate a wide assortment of flowering plants into your landscape so the bees will have food throughout the spring, summer and autumn. When deciding what plants to add to your yard, remember that native bees like native plants best. Visit the Pollinator Garden at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery in person or online for ideas.
Leave the leaves that fall in your garden and flower beds to provide cover for the insects living below.
Create nesting habitat for ground nesting bees by not using plastic or fabric weed barriers. Instead, apply layers of organic mulch to keep weeds at bay.
Above all, keep your yard free of toxic chemicals found in herbicides and pesticides. If the label says “systemic,” then the poison intended for pest insects will end up inside of plants’ pollen and nectar, and ultimately will be ingested by pollinators and fed to their young. Avoid the risk of inadvertently introducing harmful chemicals into your yard by purchasing plants from nurseries that do not use systemic pesticides.
By Julie Banken
Give a gift to your local pollinators this year – 12/18/2023
How do you decide which plants are best suited for your landscape? Wandering through the rows in a nursery in spring can enchant a gardener into choosing a plant for its beauty. Familiarity and price are also hard influences to ignore.
Adding a perennial to your yard is a commitment, however, so do some thorough vetting first.
There are many resources to help you narrow down the choices in a plant nursery. One of the most recognized is the “Sunset Plant Collection.” Sunset’s website divides the Western United States into comprehensive climate zones, taking into account temperature, wind, humidity, length of the growing season, and the amount and timing of precipitation. Their online map makes it easy to browse through a tailored selection of plants that are recommended for the climate where you live.
There is more to choosing a plant than knowing its climate zone, though. Even if it grows well where you live, it might not be a good idea to add it to your yard. The butterfly bush from the genus Buddleja offers a good example. Sunset describes the butterfly bush as a heat-loving, long-blooming shrub that needs minimal care and provides food for pollinator species from spring until the fall. According to their climate guide, the butterfly bush will grow well in Zones 2-24, or just about anywhere outside of the mountains.
Although native to central China, the butterfly bush unfortunately grows so well in other parts of the world that it is now on Washington state’s Noxious Weed List. Each flower cluster makes 40,000 seeds which disperse by both wind and water. Luckily, cold winters keep its seeds from germinating, but in areas where winters are mild, the butterfly bush is considered invasive and will crowd out native vegetation.
The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board publication “Garden Wise” recommends gardeners in our state choose non-invasive alternatives. Some varieties of butterfly bush have been bred to be sterile or have very low fertility to prevent weediness. These include ‘Asian Moon,’ ‘Miss Molly,’ ‘Miss Ruby,’ and varieties from the Flutterby series and the Lo and Behold series.
Note that just because a plant is for sale in a nursery, it is not automatically a good idea to bring it home. Whether it is bred to be sterile or not, the butterfly bush is an ecological dead end. Their showy flowers hog the attention of pollinators, leaving native plants unfertilized. Crucially, butterfly bushes do not support the complete life cycle of their namesake; no native caterpillar species feeds on their leaves. To plant a butterfly bush in your yard has been described as inviting the parents over for a feast while starving their children.
The very best plant for its place is the one that Mother Nature herself already selected. Unlike exotic plants, native species have evolved to thrive in the climate where they live, so they are less susceptible to environmental stressors. This makes them more resilient and therefore less work.
More importantly, native plants not only belong in the local ecosystem, they
enhance it. They provide essential habitat and food for native pollinator species. These organisms often depend solely upon their relationships with native plants for their survival and reproduction. Without native plants, native pollinators will disappear.
Add a native plant to your landscape and you will be giving a gift to the pollinators in your yard. By turning to nature for gardening advice, you will support and protect the diversity of life that is necessary for a healthy ecosystem.
By Julie Banken
Don’t fret those creepy companions in your garden – 7/28/2022
While we may be used to thinking of snakes and spiders as scary, creepy crawlers, many of them live year-round in our gardens as beneficial helpers. The more we understand the roles these creatures play in the success of our gardens, the less we fear them.
Most snakes in our area are garter snakes. They are non-poisonous, rather shy and usually avoid humans. Garter snakes eat many garden pests including slugs, squash bugs and cucumber beetles. Larger garter snakes will eat small rodents, which can also be garden pests and disease vectors around the home.
Although garter snakes are harmless to humans, they are easily scared and may bite or smear foul-smelling secretions on your hand if picked up, so it is always best to leave them be and let them quietly do their work. It can be a fun activity to identify snakes seen in the garden by their markings; you may find you have several different types of garter snakes.
Learning to tell the difference between them and the poisonous Western rattlesnake is also a good idea, as the Western rattlesnake is native to Washington state, and is common east of the cascades. For more information on living with wildlife, check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website, wdfw.gov.
Probably the creepiest of creepy crawlers are spiders, which are underappreciated by many of us. Spiders play an important role in the ecosystem of our gardens. There are generally three types of spiders in the garden, when categorized by their hunting behavior:
1. Web-building spiders (orb weavers, funnel weavers and sheetweb spiders) wait inside their webs for prey to get stuck in the sticky filaments;
2. fast and active wolf spiders and lynx spiders scurry around hunting for prey;
3. and wandering spiders (cobweb spiders, jumping spiders and crab spiders) ambush their prey by waiting, then pouncing on their dinner.
A garden in our area could have as many as 25 different species of spiders living among the plants, each specializing in hunting particular types of insects. Spiders eat many pests in the garden, including aphids, wasps, beetles, mosquitoes and flies.
Spiders are relentless hunters, crucial to a healthy garden. Keeping soil covered with mulch or grass clippings creates pleasing habitats for ground spiders; avoid frequent tilling of the soil to maintain their happy hunting grounds. Adopt a casual, less tidy approach in the garden by leaving spiders in their webs on the corner of the garden shed, or other areas where you don’t need to clear them away.
You can choose to maintain good spider habitat by leaving plant stalks and other plant debris up in winter, waiting until spring to clear them away. Avoiding pesticides in the garden is always helpful to maintain healthy populations of pest hunters including spiders; this is generally desirable when growing for the dinner table as well. For more information, download the free WSU publication Common Spiders of Washington at wwrld.us/3ortZTl.
While many gardeners think about beneficial insects such as pollinators when planning and tending the garden, the benefits of less appealing creatures that help in the garden — by keeping the “bad bugs” under control — are often overlooked.
Instead of relegating our love of creepy crawlers to plastic Halloween décor, we can try to remember the beneficial work these busy creatures do in our gardens every day and night of the year, and maybe these crawlers won’t be so creepy to us anymore.
By Viva Mertlich
An aphid’s enemy can be your gardening best friend – 6/24/2020
As spring wraps up and we move into the long gardening days of summer, many of the insects that view our gardens as wondrous buffets are making their appearance. Fortunately, so are insects who view them as sumptuous meals. This article will look at a common garden insect pest — aphids — and two beneficial insects that help keep them under control, lady beetles and syrphid flies.
Aphids feed on many types of plants, from ornamental plants and vegetables to bulbs and trees. These small (1/16’ to 1/8”) soft-bodied insects damage plants either by sucking nutrients and moisture from them or secreting a toxin that causes deformation.
Aphids can be green, yellow, rose-colored, black or look powdery or woolly. They are usually found feeding on the tips of new shoots and the underside of leaves, stems and branches.
Wilting and yellowing of the leaves, as well as deformed and stunted new growth, are signs that your plant is infested with aphids. You may also see their “honeydew,” a sticky substance that ants love to harvest and that is food for black sooty mold fungi that, although not lethal, is unattractive.
Enter the heroes of this story: lady beetles (commonly known as ladybugs) and syrphid flies and their larvae.
Most of us easily recognize lady beetles with their classic round bodies and reddish-orange hard wing coverings with black spots. But few of us are aware of their larvae.
Lady beetles lay their spindle-shaped yellowish eggs in clusters on or near infested plants, usually on the back side of leaves, on bark, or in plant litter. One female can lay up to 500 eggs that hatch in a week into alligator-shaped dark gray larvae with orange markings. Because hundreds of lady beetles can reproduce rapidly and one larva can eat hundreds of aphids as it develops, they are capable of controlling aphid infestations.
Less familiar are the syrphid or hover flies. Because they hover around flowers and have black and yellow abdominal bands, they are often misidentified as honeybees or wasps.
Syrphid flies are an aphid’s worst nightmare as they target aphids, laying their white-gray eggs in and around aphid colonies.
Resembling caterpillars in shape, they have a tapered legless opaque body and come in a number of colors and patterns, with most sporting a longitudinal yellow stripe on their backs.
Syrphid flies have three larval stages before metamorphosizing into pupa and finally, an adult.
One adult female can lay as many as 100 eggs during its lifetime. Syrphid fly larvae are efficient aphid predators, each one capable of consuming hundreds of aphids in a month. A sizeable population of syrphid flies in a garden can effectively control 70% to 100% of an aphid infestation.
When choosing plants for your garden, consider adding some that attract lady beetles and syrphid flies. Examples of flowers that attract ladybugs are a variety of herbs, marigolds, alyssum and yarrow. For syrphid flies, plant flowers such as alyssum, aster, daisies, herbs, marigolds, sunflowers and zinnias.
So, the next time you are working in or wandering through your garden, keep your eyes out for your insect friends — the lady beetle and syrphid fly and their larvae.
By Casey Leigh
Prevention is the Best Solution for Gnat Management – 7/14/2021
Have you ever noticed tiny gnats flying around your house plants and running around on the soil in your pots, looking a bit like mosquitoes but never buzzing or biting? You probably are looking at fungus gnats.
Fungus gnats are flies that eat fungi, dead organic matter and plant roots. They are common in outdoor soil, where they play a beneficial role in decomposing dead plant material. They rarely damage outdoor plants, since natural predators and seasonal changes keep their numbers fairly low. But fungus gnats in homes or greenhouses can develop large populations, causing root damage and spreading disease.
Fungus gnats develop in four stages: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Adult flies are short-lived and feed very little; their job is to reproduce. After mating, each female will lay 100 to 150 eggs on top of the soil, usually near a plant stem. Maggot-like larvae hatch from the eggs in about four days and begin to eat. They generally prefer fungi and dead organic matter, but they will also eat roots and tender stems. Severe indoor fungus gnat infestations can stunt plant growth, kill small seedlings and may transmit fungal diseases like Verticillium wilt.
Larvae feed for about two weeks, then form pupae near the soil surface. Adults emerge from the pupae in three to seven days. Warm weather speeds up development, and they can have multiple generations in a year. While development stops outdoors in winter weather, fungus gnats indoors can reproduce continuously.
To prevent fungus gnat infestation, use sterile potting medium for growing plants indoors. Avoid using garden soil or unsterilized compost. Bringing outdoor plants indoors for the winter can introduce fungus gnats, so put outdoor plants in isolation for a week or two before placing them near any house plants. Fungus gnats thrive in moist soil, so decrease the survival of eggs and larvae by allowing the top inch or two of growing medium to dry between waterings. Clean up damaged leaves or other plant parts and don’t allow them to decay on the soil surface.
If you think you have a fungus gnat infestation, there are a few tools to help with detection. Adults are attracted to yellow sticky traps. Place a few near your plants and watch for fungus gnats or other insects trapped on the sticky surface. You can trap larvae by taking advantage of their attraction to the cut sides of raw potato chunks. If you place a few chunks cut side down on the surface of your potting soil, larvae will show up in a few days. This technique not only detects an infestation but also can help draw larvae away from plant roots. Remove and dispose of any infested chunks, and replace them with new ones.
Sometimes a light infestation can be controlled using only sticky traps and potato chunks, but heavier infestations may require other measures. Predatory nematodes are an effective biological control for home use. They must be mail-ordered, since they are shipped alive. They can be stored for two to five months depending on conditions, but they don’t have an actual dormant stage and should be used as soon as possible. Another biological control is the bacterium Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), which kills certain species of flies, including mosquitoes and fungus gnats. Nematodes and Bti are both applied as soil drenches to kill fungus gnat larvae.
The best solution is always prevention. Good indoor sanitation and water management are the most important tools for avoiding problems with fungus gnats.
By Connie Mehmel
The enemy of my garden enemy -3/12/2019
There are many species of insects, and they all play a role in nature. We, as humanity, tend to put them in groups in relation to what they do to, or for, us.
Most of us encounter them as bothersome pests, invading our space as we try to carry on our lives, insect free. There are relatively few human pests or dangerous insects around us here in North Central Washington most of the year, most of which try to feed on you and your sandwich while you are picnicking in the forest.
Most insects are just trying to get along during their short lives, usually serving some useful purpose, such as pollination of flowering plants, decomposition of dead things (plant and animal) or at least serving as food for other animals or plants.
There are a very few of these insects that eat or parasitize plant pest insects that attack our food, forage or ornamentals. Since they help us by eating or otherwise killing insects that are living their lives counter to our own interests, we call them “beneficial insects.”
I have three rules that you may follow to help you to encourage the beneficial insect population in the region around your home:
Rule 1: Your friendly insects need something to eat. First come the pest insects, aphids on your Birch tree, for example. The aphids feed on the leaves and excrete “honeydew” all over your vintage Nash Rambler station wagon. A bother, for sure.
Rule 2: Beneficial insects develop more slowly than pests. First comes the food source, aphids again in this example. Then come the good guys. A few of the important members of this group of aphid predators include lacewings, ladybird beetles, several true bugs and several tiny wasps. Some of these good guys start off by eating the aphids, a sugary snack, but soon commence laying eggs in large numbers. These eggs hatch into larvae, many of which are like tiny alligators, which munch on aphids like there is no tomorrow. If they survive (and there is some fierce competition), they pupate, emerge as adults in a few days, then continue to feast on the aphids if any remain. There are also tiny parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside of the aphids, leaving only a dried empty aphid when its larva is finished. The true bugs pierce the aphids and suck their innards out like a kid slurping a milkshake. When the aphids are all gone, these good guys leave their current home by the tens of thousands to search for new neighborhood aphid populations.
Rule 3: These predators and parasites can’t do any of this if you kill them. Trees are usually too tall to spray, but years ago, we found one way to treat tall trees by placing a systemic insecticide in the soil around the tree. The tree picks up the systemic insecticide and transports it to the entire tree. This is very effective way to kill many sucking insects, and usually kicks in as the good guys are building up, killing almost the entire pest and beneficial population in a few days. If the tree flowers soon after treatment, bees and other pollinators may also be affected by collecting contaminated nectar.
Be patient, the trees in the forest rely on the natural enemies of aphids for control, and it works for them.
By Tim Smith
Good bug, bad bug – 3/29/2019
One of my favorite garden insect books is “Good Bug, Bad Bug.” Chock full of helpful information, the book reminds me that the adage, “the only good bug is a dead bug”, isn’t true.
Only 10 percent of all insect species cause problems in our gardens. And even they have a positive role in the environment as pollinators, food for birds and other wildlife, and soil decomposers. The rest either help us keep our gardens beautiful and healthy or are benign, creating no problems for us.
Learning the beneficial species and how to attract them, as well as the destructive ones and how to control them, takes some time and experience, but is doable for the home gardener.
One way to narrow down what insect is causing damage is to learn a bit about insect biology. The insect’s mouthpart determines how adults feed. If the leaves of your plant look like something has been feeding on them, your insect has jaws made for chewing. Some examples of chewing insects that are nuisances in home gardens are grasshoppers, some beetles and earwigs. A second type of insect has an elongated mouthpart that sucks liquid out of the leaf. Common sucking insect pests are aphids, mealy bugs, mites, whiteflies and stinkbugs.
Most insects go through metamorphosis, starting from eggs and developing through one to three stages before becoming adults.
Most of us are familiar with the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. The larval (caterpillar) stage does the most damage. Examples of larvae that cause problems in our gardens are cutworms, leafrollers, sod webworm and wireworms. Cutworms, the larva of a number of moth species, overwinter in the soil and woodpiles, causing most of their damage in the early spring. They feed primarily at night, emerging around dusk. As their name implies, they feed mostly at the base of young plants, effectively “cutting” off the stems. Leafrollers, another moth larva, are primarily tree fruit pests that earned their name from their way of rolling leaves together to live and feed from. Eggs are laid on branches or twigs, hatching in the spring, when they feed for 4-6 weeks.
The sod webworm is the larva of lawn moths. Feeding at night, they chew off the grass blades at the base. You can find them in the thatch layer, so keeping your lawn thatched reduces your chances of having a sod webworm problem. Evidence of their presence are irregular brown patches in your lawn. Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, attack root crops such as potatoes and dahlias. Living in the soil, they feed on seeds, underground stems and small roots. Unlike many other larvae, wireworms can take years to reach their adult stage. Crop rotation is an effective means of limiting wireworm damage.
Now let’s meet some of the insects we want to live in our gardens. Predatory beetles and true bugs, lacewings, predatory flies, parasitic wasps and parasitic flies eat many of our most common garden enemies, such as mites, aphids, leafhoppers, scale, whiteflies and mealybugs, among others. These insect friends can be helpful in both their larval and adult stages.
The best way to attract beneficial insects is including a diversity of local native plants in and around your garden and implementing integrated pest management practices that lower the use of synthetic pesticides.
One of your tasks as a home gardener, then, is to be a detective, looking for signs of which insects are out and about. Once you know that, you can make a plan to reduce the population of “bad bugs” and encourage the presence of “good bugs.”
By Casey Leigh
Where do our garden insects go in winter? – 11/19/2020
Do you ever wonder where all the insects that inhabit our gardens from the spring through the fall go once winter arrives? Insects have developed a number of overwintering strategies. Some fly south to warmer climes. Others have found ways to hibernate, while others go underground. Some lay eggs that will hatch once spring temperatures warm.
Knowing where and in what stage in their life cycle insects spend the winter is not only interesting, but also helpful for managing both beneficial and harmful types in your garden.
Like many humans, some species of butterflies, moths, dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers and true bugs migrate to escape the winter cold. A Texas entomologist, Mike Quinn, estimates that at least 71 species of insects migrate. The most well-known migrating insect is the Monarch butterfly.
Not all butterflies and moths are migratory, however. Some survive the winter “hibernating.” The pupae of most butterflies (chrysalises) or moths (cocoons) can be found attached to an above-ground object, such as a branch. Know which of these pollinators you want to inhabit your garden and learn what their pupae look like and where their pupae might be spending the winter so that you don’t accidentally destroy them.
Not all butterflies and moths are beneficial in our gardens and orchards. One example is the codling moth. After eating the core and seeds of the apple, larvae form silken cocoons under loose bark, in soil, or in debris around the base of a tree, where they stay until they emerge in spring. To reduce their population, find a picture of these cocoons and check for them, destroying any you find.
Bee species have developed differing hibernating strategies for surviving winter. With bumblebees, most of the colony dies before winter, leaving the queen to hibernate on her own in soil banks such as abandoned rodent holes. Honey bee workers and their queen hibernate in their hives or nests clustered tightly together for warmth. Adult solitary bees, such as mason and carpenter bees, have short lifespans so it is their eggs and larvae that overwinter. The female lays her eggs in a nest and then seals it with pollen and nectar for when the eggs hatch. Leave these nests alone if you see them and you will be rewarded with them pollinating your plants during the growing seasons.
In plant diagnosis clinic, we get calls from people who are unhappy with insects that have chosen their houses to hibernate. Box elder bugs, seed bugs, elm leaf beetles, the non-native invasive Asian lady beetle and one of our newer pests, the brown marmorated stink bug, are examples. You can vacuum them up when you find them.
Some insects overwinter in the soil underground, either as adults, larvae or eggs. Root weevil larvae overwinter in soil around roots, emerging as adults in the spring. Cultivating the soil in April or May before planting can eliminate overwintering larvae. Although not an insect, slugs are pests in our gardens. Adults and the eggs spend the winter in the topsoil or under garden debris, mulch, or boards on the ground. Controlling slugs is one reason that it’s important to remove dead plants in your garden.
As I have learned, insect winter survival strategies are diverse and knowing their habits helps me to better manage them in my garden.
By Casey Leigh
Good Bugs – 6/1/2016
Gardeners who bring bug problems to the clinic usually have only one question: How do I get rid of this pest? For many, all bugs are “bad”. While most are aware that ladybugs are good to have around, they don’t know of the many other beneficial insects that visit their gardens nor that 90% of insects are benign. Last month we reviewed six bugs that create problems for gardeners. This month we’ll look at how to encourage six species that are beneficial for our plants: damsel bug, ground beetle, lacewing, ladybug, praying mantis, and tachinid fly.
The damsel bugs are natural enemies of aphids and small caterpillars such as cutworms and tobacco budworms. They are light brown or tan, narrow-bodied insects with long legs and bulging eyes. They use their long snout to kill and eat their prey. They overwinter in leaf litter and grasses. To encourage their presence in your garden, plant low growing perennials and ground covers.
Beetles are some of my favorite insects. Ground beetles will devour, among other things, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, corn ear worms, cutworms, and slugs. They have a hard dark-colored shell and can grow up to 1 ½” long. They use their large mandibles to capture their prey. This mandible often worries gardeners who fear being pinched by them, but don’t let it stop you from encouraging their presence in your garden. Ground beetles feed at night, living under rocks, logs, and leaf litter during the day.
Lacewings are many peoples’ favorite insect for their delicate beauty: light green colored body, transparent wings, and golden eyes. Though only a ½ inch long, the larvae can eat up to 100 aphids per day! They also consume mealy bugs, spider mites, scale, and whiteflies, among other pests. The adults don’t feed on insects, but rather are pollen and nectar feeders. So to attract lacewings, grow plants such as coreopsis, cosmos, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, and yarrow.
Most children can identify ladybugs, also known as ladybirds or lady beetles. They are amazing insects. Over 450 species are found in North America. Like lacewings, their larvae are voracious feeders, with the ability to consume 40 aphids per hour! Ladybugs at all stages of its life cycle can be seen on the same plant harvesting aphids. Adult ladybugs are pollen and nectar feeders as well as insectivores, so grow plants such as cilantro, coreopsis, dandelion, dill, fennel, and yarrow to attract them to your garden.
I remember being fascinated by praying mantids when I was a child. What I didn’t know then is that they can turn their heads 180 degrees, using their large eyes to find their prey. Sneaky insects, they lay in wait for their meals of aphids, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, squash bugs and others to come to them. One disadvantage is they eat other beneficial insects in addition to the pests you want gone. They lay their eggs on plants stems and branches, so grow sturdy-stemmed plants in your garden.
Although most of us find flies to be pests, the tachinid fly is our garden’s friend. They can be confused with small houseflies, but rather than hanging about on your screen and in your kitchen, you will find them pollinating flowers and settled on leaves. As parasitic insects, adults lay their eggs or live larvae on other insect hosts such as Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, earwigs, and squash bugs. The larvae feed on the host insects. Tachinid flies particularly like herbs, adding to the value of your culinary herb garden!
For more detailed information on these and other beneficials, Good Bug, Bad Bug: Who’s Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically by Jessica Walliser is a good resource and the one I used to write this article.
By Casey Leigh
Hobo or House Spider? -10/1/2017
Of all the “bugs” brought into clinic, the ones that cause the most consternation are spiders. Although most of the insects we see can be hazardous to plants, they rarely bite humans or even work their way inside houses. Spiders’ reputations for causing painful bites, however, precede them. In reality, spiders as a whole are so beneficial that WSU extension does not recommend using pesticides on them.
One of the spiders found in our region that has been known to bite humans is the hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis. Although studies have not demonstrated that hobo venom causes necrotic skin lesions, hobo spiders still create fear in peoples’ minds. Because hobo spiders look similar to harmless house spiders, they are often confused with the house spider. Although you can’t positively identify a hobo spider without a microscope, with practice you can learn to identify house spiders that are NOT hobos.
First, hobo spiders are outdoor spiders and are unable to live inside permanently. So the odds are slim that the “look alike” house spider is a hobo. The time you are most likely to encounter a hobo spider in the home is in August and September when the males are wandering in search of females. Hobo spiders make funnel webs, but that is not diagnostic as many other species also make funnel webs. Both house and hobo spiders are brown, so color alone also won’t help. While most hobo spiders have a chevron pattern on the abdomen, it is the most common markings on non-hobo spiders.
Now, disable that spider you are concerned about and get out your hand lens. Look at the sternum, the area sur-rounded by the legs on the spider’s underside. If you see 3 or 4 pairs of light spots on the sides of the sternum, your spider is not a hobo. Remember the saying: “If you see spots, then a hobo it’s not.” Next, look whether your spider has two dark longitudinal stripes on the main part of its body, the cephalothorax. If it does, you don’t have a hobo. Now look at the legs. Are there dark rings around them? Are they shiny, without fine hairs? If so, it’s not a hobo as they have fine-haired, uniformly colored, non-shiny legs. On to the reproductive organs. The male’s reproductive structure is called a palp, which is a swelled area on the end of the front feelers. If the palp is long and pointy, it is not a hobo.
To delve more into reproductive differences that will allow you to positively identify a hobo, you need a micro-scope and more detailed knowledge of arachnid anatomy. But for most of the spiders you will find in your house, the above techniques should eliminate the hobo from contention. If you are in doubt and your spider is still alive, capture it and move it outside. No more problem!
*Information for this article came from “Myths about “Dangerous” Spiders, www. burkemuseum.org/spidermyth; “How to Identify (and misidentify) the hobo spider”, PLS 116, pep.wsu.edu; and “Hobo Spider”, Pest Note Publication 7488, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (May 2006, rev.), extension.wsu.edu.
By Casey Leigh.
Design
Make plans this winter to create a lush landscape with less water – 12/18/ 2024
September 2024 temperatures ranked as the warmest on record in Wenatchee, with average temps 5.5 degrees higher than normal. Precipitation was 13% of normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows Chelan County in a severe drought.
Climate prediction models expect this pattern of hotter, drier weather to continue. My response to our changing climate is to spend the winter planning to replace most of my lawn next spring.
There are ways to create a lush, beautiful landscape while conserving water, a finite resource. Xeriscaping is a style of landscaping that does just that – it reduces the need for irrigation. Now is a great time to consider what changes you can make in your landscape to conserve water. Keep in mind plant selection, design aspects, soil management and smart irrigation when practicing water-wise gardening.
Water-wise gardening depends on incorporating native and drought-tolerant plants adapted to our local environment. Native plants also don’t need a lot of soil amendments to be happy. Have a stroll through the Xeric Garden along the Riverfront Park section of the Apple Capital Loop Trail for some good ideas for plant selection.
When designing your landscape, consider grouping plants according to their water needs (hydrozoning). Another design consideration is using shade to decrease water needs. Create shade by using shade cloth or placing taller plants to shade smaller ones. Put your heat-loving, most drought-tolerant plants in the hottest areas of your landscape. Look at how natives exist in the wild for ideas on how to plant them in your landscape.
Improving your soil with organic material is a smart water-wise move. Adding 3-4 inches of compost and 2-3 inches of mulch will improve water infiltration of sandy or clay soil. Other amendments include aged manure or coconut coir (a sustainable alternative to peat moss). Is there soil compaction from new construction or high activity? Repair this to avoid water runoff.
Review your irrigation methods. While automatic irrigation systems make our lives easier, they are not set-it-and-forget-it. Are poorly placed sprinkler heads watering sidewalks or other hardscape features? Use drip irrigation for planting beds to direct water exactly where needed. Water deeply and as infrequently as your plants will tolerate. Water between midnight and 6 a.m. to avoid evaporation. Consider installing a “smart” irrigation controller that adjusts watering based on rainfall, soil moisture evaporation and plant needs. Prevent runoff by using a “cycle and soak” method. For example, run your irrigation system for three 5-minute intervals at one time, allowing the water time to soak into the soil.
Break up great expanses of lawn with planting beds. Use turf only for functional spaces rather than the main feature of your landscape. Allow the grass to grow a little higher during the summer months to decrease water evaporation. Consider turf alternatives – clover, creeping thyme, native seed mixes.
Becoming water-wise in our changing climate doesn’t mean you need to tackle a complete landscape overhaul. Start with one planting bed, or one corner, front or back yard. Or start with incorporating smart irrigation. Even if you have irrigation rights rather than city water, consider becoming more water-wise.
By Dana Cook
A Japanese-Style Garden Is A Calming Retreat For Both Young And Old – 1/13/2022
I love the style of a Japanese garden because of the sense of wonder and peacefulness I get from walking through it. Much of our lives are spent in a blur of motion, but a walk through a Japanese garden helps slow down both the body and mind.
Growing up, I was taught that you fill your landscape with lots of color and variety; open soil was a place that other plants should go. I never really thought about the landscape as a way to relax, but more of a source of tasks and jobs that needed to be completed.
My wife and I bought our first house and I decided I wanted something more than just a yard full of pretty flowers. A timely visit to the Washington State Bicentennial Pacific Bonsai Museum garden in Federal Way while on an FFA judging trip provided the desire to try something different.
One of the most difficult things when I designed my first Japanese garden was to limit my use of “positive space” which is filled with plants, and to incorporate “negative space” or areas without plants or features. This allows you to better frame a plant or feature for a better display.
A well-designed garden changes seasonally as things go in and out of bloom, as well as the changing seasons. A Japanese garden design is like a journey where you make discoveries as you go through it. The views are like windows that frame a space using screening plants and twists in the path that allow you to find subtle changes and features, and provide surprises and a sense of wonder.
The use of a more subdued color palette places more emphasis on varying shades of color and texture that are best appreciated by a slow stroll through the garden. Traditional plants include Japanese maples, grasses, pines, flowering cherry or plum and azaleas, but can often incorporate many of your existing established plants. The plant palette you select needs to work for your growing area and should reflect the environmental factors present and still fit the style you are trying for.
A Japanese garden design can transform narrow spaces into intimate gardens for viewing not only from the garden but the house as well. This is a great way to practice designing your first Japanese garden; it requires less time and uses less material while you get the textures and colors just right. I also like the feel and look of incorporating views from windows in the house into my design. It allows me to glance out a window and feel the tranquility of the garden without even having to actually be in the garden.
The Zen sand garden is one design style that I really enjoy. It is simple in nature but challenging to get right. It contains rock, sand, gravel and perhaps a small tree in its simplest form, and a border of stone or tile. The gravel represents water, and the rocks represent the connection between earth, such as a mountain or islands, and are used in odd numbers of three or five rocks. It can be designed to fit into the space you have to work with and it’s entire design is created to be meditative and calming. The lack of plants helps cut back on some of the maintenance, but it still requires attention to keep clean and orderly. The raking pattern in the gravel should enhance the sense of water and create a feeling of flow around the rocks or islands. Use materials that are local and available to create your oasis of calm.
Remember, in a good design, sometimes simpler is better and less is more. There are lots of resources on the internet to help you with your garden design journey. A trip to an existing Japanese Garden is always a great spot to gather inspiration for starting your own.
By Lloyd Thompson
Think Vertical When Putting Together This Year’s Garden Plan – 2/8/2022
Gardening and plant space can be difficult to find in an apartment, condominium or townhouse. The choice of what type of plants to grow and where to grow them becomes a bigger issue than in the typical suburban yard.
As I see more and more apartments in Wenatchee, I am amazed at the number of decks and terraces that have flowers or tomato plants growing on them.
With some creativity and imagination, there can be a lot of growing space available on a small patio or terrace. I have always grown potted flowers and plants, but after looking through Pinterest and a few searches on the internet, I’m pretty excited about trying some new things out this spring. One such idea is a vertical garden.
Heat and water are my two biggest concerns to address with a vertical garden. There’s no denying that a west-facing deck, patio or terrace can get pretty hot, so plant selection is a big decision; how to keep it watered is another major concern.
My wife and I recently started growing screening plants in large pots, with our most successful being sweet potato vines. They help us add a vertical screen to our patio that not only adds some seasonal shade but also additional privacy from the neighbors. Our vines climb a trellis that we set next to our large patio pots and we direct some of the vines to grow up rather than over the pot brim like before.
The options for vertical gardening have exploded the past few years as more types of soil bag and vertical pot arrangements have come onto the market.
Using soilless potting mixes that can hold more water for longer periods of time, and weigh less than mineral soils, help with those choices. Repurposed racks and frames can provide the support for hanging the soil bags for colorful displays. The use of drip irrigation emitters and tubing can provide the means to keep your designs moist enough.
One challenge for us has been containing extra water that flows through the pots and containers so it doesn’t make a mess. I recently bought a rubber winter boot tray — it has been quite handy this snowy winter — and plan on using it to help with catching dripping pots during the spring and summer months.
I searched for vertical gardens on Pinterest and found some great ideas we want to try out. There are a lot of ideas on growing herbs that take less space and are easier to manage and can even be moved indoors during the winter months to continue growing under an LED light source.
I also loved the ideas I found on repurposing old dressers and picture frames into vertical growing areas. I have used clay pots and steel rebar to make a stacked planter that looks like the pots are tipping over into the pot below it.
Right now, I am planning out a hanging design by using an old picture frame, some hardware cloth, moss, and using sedums and other succulents that will take the heat to make summer wall art for our deck.
After spending the last few weeks surrounded by mountains of snow, the thought of planting and nurturing a vertical garden is just the thing to help bust out of the winter doldrums!
By Lloyd Thompson
Designing a sensory garden is very much worth the effort – 9/18/23
Five senses … we all have them to varying degrees and use them every day without even thinking about it. After researching the elements of a sensory garden, however, I think I need to step up my landscaping game a bit.
A sensory garden is designed to stimulate and enhance the five senses as it is viewed and explored. I’ve spent years working on the visual appeal of my yard and garden but have only lightly touched on some of the other senses of taste, sound, smell and touch.
I love walking along a gravel garden path and smelling the fragrant scent of lilac or lavender while hearing the soft crunch from my steps on the gravel and the trickle of water from a nearby fountain.
The textures of the plants and hardscapes also add to the tapestry of a sensory garden, even if you don’t touch the plants. A fresh strawberry or blackberry as you walk through the garden tastes even better than one out of the refrigerator. Softly swaying grasses or moving water can also provide soft sounds to enjoy as well.
We spend so much time dealing with the visual side of landscaping that we miss the opportunity to enhance the garden’s other sensory displays.
Each garden can embrace the experience of the other senses with a bit of planning and thought. The five senses include sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. Think about ways they can be incorporated into your landscape and how they can enrich the experience for visitors.
Most of the time, I think of designs from the perspective of young children and try to include adventures that will appeal to them. One year, I found some glow-in-the-dark pebbles that I spread out on a pebble walkway. It provided a scavenger hunt for our grandchildren to search for as the evening grew darker and many excited reports of how many they had found. I’ve done the same thing with marbles and even had small baskets for collecting their marble loot.
Taste is another winner in the garden as people find a strawberry, blackberry or raspberry to munch while wandering a garden path.
Smell in our garden is an evolving process as we go from fragrant mock orange to lavender and honeysuckle as the season progresses. We are always looking to fill empty niches in the bloom sequence with a new fragrance. Growing a variety of herbs along a retaining wall fills the air with the subtle smell of rosemary, basil, and mint.
Sound is important and can include the songs of birds you attract to your landscape through food, water from water features, and the gentle sound of wind chimes. I like a mix of wind chimes that include metal, bamboo and glass designs. A bamboo deer clacker is great because it creates a distinct random sound that allows you to close your eyes and focus on the gentle sounds of your garden.
Touch includes not only the plants but also the hardscapes in a landscape. Who hasn’t run their fingers over a smooth rock or rough bark while exploring a garden?
Choosing the right plants with a variety of leaf textures is important. Just watch out for any prickly plants, such as Oregon Grape, which our grandchildren have found out is best to avoid touching.
There are so many things you can include in a sensory-designed garden to enhance the experience: a gazing ball, a green-bean tepee, or a vine-covered tunnel, as well as sequenced pollinator blooms to attract butterflies and bird feeders and bird baths for more wildlife opportunities.
I try to watch what catches a young child’s attention as they go through the garden and enhance the areas and things that catch their interest. If you can pry a young mind away from their electronic device and enjoy their adventure in nature, I think you have a winner.
By Lloyd Thompson
The right plant for the right place – 5/20/2024
My dad asked me for ground cover advice for a corner of his partial sunny, soggy clay Alabama yard. Knowing that it is tolerant of less-than-ideal soil conditions, I suggested periwinkle (Vinca minor). But first, I advised, we need to check if this trailing evergreen is suitable in Alabama. Consulting the local extension office, we learned that a similar plant, Vinca major, is invasive in this area. So, we looked at other options.
If gardening had one instructive motto, it would be “Right Plant, Right Place.” This simple saying sums up the art and science of gardening.
The fundamental concept of putting the right plant in the right place means choosing a plant that will thrive in its new home. You, as the property owner, get to choose the tenants that live in your green space.
New gardeners often make the mistake of choosing plants based solely on the aesthetics … “Oh! Look at this pretty, small mint plant,” newbies say. (Experienced gardeners are chuckling.)
On the list of factors to consider when choosing plants, aesthetics is not even in the Top 3. Sun, soil and space are the first considerations in deciding what plants to add to your new garden.
For example, understanding that your garden space allows for plants that need partial shade, well-draining soil and minimal watering will guide your plant choices. I say this because when you walk into that garden center or nursery, all the plant colors and textures will entice you to do things like plop a dogwood tree in your south-facing, full-sun, bone-dry yard. Don’t do it.
Of course, you can force plants to survive in less-than-ideal conditions by providing extra water, fertilizer or other labor-intensive tasks. But in the end, your plant will not be happy and frankly neither will you when instead of enjoying the bliss of your garden, you become a working slave to just to keep the darn thing alive.
A step-by-step approach to plant choice looks like this:
– Know the water availability for the garden space. You’ll enjoy lugging heavy watering cans for only so long.
– Know the soil type — sandy, clay, loam.
– Know the hours of sun/shade.
– Know the space you have available. Is it better suited for one big plant or a menagerie of small ones?
With that set of plant-selection guidelines, you can now go to plant nirvana and look at plants that will thrive in the conditions you have. Like puppies, baby plants are irresistible. But will you love it when it grows up? And will your adult plant still love its space when other plant neighbors have moved in?
And finally, consider the environmental impact of your plant choices. Native plants that do not require lots of water or fertilizer and play a role in the life cycle of our local insect friends are the best environmental choices. Like my dad and I did for his Alabama yard, check to ensure the plant is not invasive in our location.
Choosing plants is the most fun part of gardening. But do so with a methodical approach. If you are lucky enough to have a larger garden space, consider adding a few plants each year to allow the first ones to settle into their new home.
By Dana Cook
Questions to consider when deciding what to plant – 2/27/2024
“Well, it looked like a good place to put that plant …” When plants fail to thrive, some gardeners claim they must have a “brown thumb.” But that is not necessarily true.
Deciding what to plant and where to plant it in your yard needs a true understanding of your landscape and the characteristics of the plant you have selected.
Some questions to answer and some rules of thumb to consider:
What are the water requirements of the plant and how will they be delivered? Standing by the hose-end dooms the plant to failure because you do not have a means of knowing how much water you are applying. Too much water can be as deadly as too little water.
What are the light requirements for the plant? Full sun means 6-8 hours of direct sun on a place on the ground; it does not mean that it is daylight.
What are the full-grown dimensions of the plant? Do you know how wide and how tall the plant will be? You need to determine if you have enough square feet allotted to the mature plant. Constantly pruning a plant back is tiresome to you and adversely affects its health.
What is the plant’s cold zone designation? USDA has reconfigured the plant hardiness, the cold zones, in the U.S. Our area hovers in the 6-7 zone. The cold can be very slightly adjusted depending on the slope of your yard and the effective use of mulch to protect the plant’s root system. Even if it freezes to the ground, many plants with protected roots will re-sprout. Wishing you could still grow the plants you loved to grow on the West side of the Cascades is merely a fantasy.
Heat tolerance is more difficult to adjust since the plant’s physical makeup determines how much water it can deliver to leaves. Adding more water to the soil can lead to root rot. In addition, soil organisms are affected by heat. The American Horticultural Society has created zones based on the number of days over 86 degrees. Many plant labels now contain heat zone information. In North Central Washington, we range between zone 6 and zone 7. Zone 7 means 61-90 days over 86 degrees. NCW had 198 frost-free days last year, the highest number ever recorded locally.
What are the seasonable impacts of the plant. If it is deciduous, are the leaves going to fall on your deck or in your rock garden? What about the tree’s flowers, seeds or needles? Not something to look forward to, usually. If the plant is supposed to screen a view, what happens when the branches are all bare?
How does it rank for fire-wise safety. The placement in the yard needs to be considered if it is a plant likely to burn fast and hot. Those plants need to be at least 30 feet from the house.
How will the mature plant affect your view or your neighbor’s view?
How invasive is the plant? Is it going to reseed readily or spread by underground stems into areas where it has not been intended?
How will the plant thrive in the lawn? Usually, large shrubs and trees do not thrive when planted in the lawn because the lawn and the ornamental plant have different irrigation requirements. On the other hand, planting lawn under trees is not usually successful because the tree’s surface roots will claim the moisture.
Happy plant selection. Plan a fabulous garden this year.
By Bonnie Orr
Plan your home and landscape to save energy – 7/18/2023
What if I told you that you could save 25% on heating and cooling your house while doing nothing to, or in, the house? This isn’t anything new, requires no gadgets and can improve the curb appeal of your house while you save that 25%.
A well-designed energy saving landscape not only can add beauty to your home but also can reduce your heating and cooling costs. A well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce your energy bills. Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of the energy a typical household uses. While it works with older homes, it may be even better on new construction that incorporates the house’s design features to work with the landscaping.
In most of the United States, we have both a winter and summer season. The sun’s position changes with the seasons, and that change increases as you go north. The farther north you are, the lower the sun rises in the winter months.
For me, this means the sun’s rays strike the south side of our house longer in the winter than in the summer when it rises higher and is blocked by the eaves on our house. It can get warm enough on a sunny day to be too warm to sit in front of our glass slider, even when the temperature outside is near freezing. We have noticed this the most during January and early February, but by March the sun is rising higher and the sun strikes the windows for a shorter period each day.
Landscaping with deciduous trees and shrubs on southern exposures can make use of this by allowing the sunlight to reach the house by dropping their leaves in the fall. Evergreen trees would block the winter sun and you miss out on the extra heat and light reaching your house during the winter.
This thermal benefit can even be enhanced on new construction by careful planning and design. Wider eaves can shelter a home from hot summer sun while allowing it to reach the home during the winter because of the lower sun angle. Heat will “sink” into areas of your home, such as masonry walls, which allows the sun to warm up the thermal mass during the day and will continue to release the heat after the sun goes down.
The other side to this is that cold, winter winds are often from the northeast. While we are protected by the surrounding mountains from the worst of the winds, it can still be a substantial loss of heat from homes. This is where thoughtful use of evergreens can help break up the wind pattern and reduce the loss of heat by slowing the wind speed as it strikes the house.
Windbreaks are often designed with several rows of plants to maximize the efficiency at reducing the wind speed. Be careful while planning so you don’t plant flammable plants too close to the house. Washington Firewise USA practices to prevent wildfires can help to determine distances and what plants to use.
This is often reversed during the warmer months, when winds are from a more southwesterly direction. Hot, dry winds can cause a substantial loss of soil moisture and drying out of plants. Once-soft green leaves can become crunchy as the drying winds pull the plants’ moisture away. This is worse in some plants than others; some are better adapted to our area and have a leaf surface designed to withstand the loss of moisture. These plants are often ones selected for xeriscaping as a result.
Using these deciduous plants on the southern and westerly exposures will help ease the winds and can protect your plants from drying out. If properly designed and spaced, you can substantially reduce the cost of cooling your house by keeping hot winds and direct sun away. The evaporation of plant moisture and the reduced direct sunlight striking the house can reduce cooling costs 25% or more.
There’s not enough room to talk about everything that will help in planning a home and landscape to save energy. Many ideas were developed long ago and forgotten over time. Houses built prior to the use of widespread air conditioning incorporated covered porches and windows that drew cooler air in at night. The plants and trees were selected and planted for more than just the esthetics they brought to a design. Closing blinds or curtains during hot days or cold nights can make a big difference.
Careful, well thought-out homes and landscapes can make a substantial difference in the cost of heating and cooling, not to mention the enjoyment of a well-designed landscape. For detailed more information, check out the energy efficient landscaping at energy.gov/energysaver.
By Lloyd Thompson
Water magic in a garden – 6/20/2023
Water is an essential element when considering landscaping. However, I think it should also be considered an essential design element. The sound and visual dimension of water can be very powerful; it allows the designer to easily bring the focus to the desired aspects of the landscape.
The use of water can be as simple as a recirculating fountain or as complex as a pond with a waterfall. The limitations usually tend to be either space or cost. The variety and availability of pumps are greater and more affordable than ever before. You can find a colorful bowl or pot and use a small pump to quickly create a water feature anywhere, including for a deck or patio.
I’m writing this while listening to our water feature. We created it by turning a long, narrow flower bed located between a west-facing concrete wall and patio into a shallow reflection-type pond, with a basalt vessel type sink to allow the water to fill and overflow into the reflection pond. We dug it down about 20 inches, lined it with pond liner and then filled it with about 10 inches of pea gravel and then used a few inches of colorful “rainbow rock” from Montana for better visual appeal.
The reason we used nearly a foot of gravel was to provide a deeper water reservoir while not having to worry about the grandkids’ safety around a deeper pond. It also provides a natural way to filter the water using the extra surface provided by the rock for beneficial bacteria to live.
We were able to turn a difficult-to-grow area (due to heat and watering) into a safe, eye-and-ear appealing design feature. It has also become a favorite cooling off spot for the dogs and kids to play in on a hot summer day. My granddaughters and I also look for interesting rocks while on hikes or at the beach, which we then run through a rock tumbler. The ones that don’t make the grade for special use as gifts or collections get added to the pond and add memories as we point them out and retell the stories of where and when we found the rocks at family gatherings.
Dry stream beds are a great way of breaking the landscape up and it provides a sense of flow in the landscape.
Fountains can be anything from ornate to rustic; the options can fit any style and provide that soothing sound of flowing water. Wildlife can also make good use of the fountains for bathing and drinking, while adding another attraction.
Ponds can be more natural or more structured to fit a house or landscape style — the choice is yours.
Waterfalls are amazing, and while the idea of building a waterfall can be intimidating, it’s an easy way to incorporate the existing slope into an eye-catching design. The use of pond-liner material, gravel and stone requires careful planning but can result in an amazing space that is as soothing to the ears as it is to the eyes.
Combinations of any of these makes each design unique and special. I like the use of a dry stream bed while using a recirculating waterfall to create the visual appeal while negating many of the more problematic issues of building a wet stream bed, such as leaking or needing time-consuming cleaning.
I’m pretty sure that the sound of running water lowers a person’s blood pressure while elevating a sense of peacefulness. This is especially true if you add submersible lights to create a gentle uplight and an outdoor speaker with your favorite music for those warm summer evenings on the patio. This allows you to not only extend the evening, but it is also a great incentive to enjoy our great outdoors. You may not want to come inside until fall!
By Lloyd Thompson
Square foot gardening may be the right fit for your lifestyle – 5/24/2023
The first time I heard the term square foot gardening (SFG) was around the late 1980s. I was teaching horticulture for the first time, and a book I had purchased described something called SFG.
It was a different method than anything I had ever used in regard to gardening, employing small squares and grids rather than long rows. The idea included giving less open space for weeds to grow since plants filled the entire area. This also increased productivity since there was so little space not planted.
Having grown up helping with gardens watered by ditches and the space between the small ditches called rills, this was a totally different way of doing things.
The basic idea is to create raised beds about 3 or 4 feet wide and use grids to lay out the planting area in 1-foot squares. I have seen grids that use string, PVC pipe and wood strips. While many websites say a bed 6 inches deep is sufficient, I’d build or buy boxes that are 10 to 12 inches to allow enough soil for deeper-rooted plants. The location should be mostly in full sun.
There are various planting plans that offer a wide variety of choices on what to plant and how many plants for each grid. For newer gardeners, there are some advantages for the SFG system, since the beds are smaller and easier to maintain than a larger garden and are very productive for their size.
Like all raised beds, square foot gardens tend to dry out faster, so water can be an issue. And, the higher cost, like any raised bed, can be a factor. Weeding, while less intense and time consuming, needs to be done weekly and requires hand weeding rather than using a hoe.
The raised beds are available premade or you can do it yourself; material choices include wood, concrete stack block and vinyl. I would avoid using treated lumber for vegetables because of the chemicals used in the treatment process.
If you are just starting out, try just one small bed and experiment with vegetables and the time required. Another alternative is to use large pots to garden rather than a raised bed, which allows apartment dwellers a way to garden. Pots with vegetables also can be incorporated into landscapes to allow a harvest among the flowers and other plants.
If you are interested in learning more about square foot gardening, there are a lot of resources available on the internet that include planting plans. As with most things web-related, rely on well-known and trusted sources for the best information.
Square foot gardening is a good way for someone who is new to gardening to get some experience and enjoy success at growing their own vegetables. It isn’t a perfect system by any means, but its variability and small size makes it more manageable than more traditional gardens with long rows and space between each row.
It’s time to plan your easy-care landscape – 3/22/2023
We’ve had our fill of the cold and aren’t we all hankering for spring? It’s time to seriously plan landscapes with colorful, easy-care flowers, whether annuals or perennials.
It’s too early for planting some hot weather plants, but certainly not too early to be researching and planning your low maintenance flowers.
Climate change is a factor to consider. It’s important to identify plants that can take our warmer summers in stride.
Luckily, we have tough plants that are both hardy and heat resistant. Many have the bonus of being less thirsty, although most will bloom more profusely with regular watering.
A popular name for gloriosa daisies are black-eyed Susans, although their Latin name is Rudbeckia hirta. Their big, yellow/orange blooms are about 3 to 4 inches across, centered by impressive dark seed heads held high above those radiating petals. This short-lived perennial multiplies easily, so just dig out the older plants every few years and keep the newer, surrounding ones. There are very attractive reddish ones such as “Cherry Brandy,” “Cherokee Sunset” and “Cappuccino.” Shorter ones include 9- to 10-inch-high “Goldilocks” and “Toto.”
Related charmers include R. Ratibida (Mexican Hat) and Echinacea (coneflower) and our ever-popular annual sunflowers. My favorite sunflowers range from 4 to 6 feet high, and I save mature seeds the goldfinches can’t reach for next season’s crop.
Penstemons are another low-water but short-lived perennial. Native to our mountainous regions, their cup-shaped flowers are perfect for attracting hummingbirds and bees. Bloom colors include red, pink, white and purple.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about the glories of sedums; they are low maintenance, heat tolerant, and come in a multitude of interesting colors and shapes.
Once established, their thick, succulent leaves hold water so they can thrive on less irrigation. Low sedums are popular in the front of the flower bed or as ground covers. Varieties offer a range of leaf color and pattern that is amazing, from silvery purples to spring greens to golden yellows. Bloom colors include yellow, pink, white, orange and red.
The old standby sedum “Autumn Joy” sports pink flower clusters in summer that attract butterflies, and in fall slowly turns golden brown. Cut off those old flowerheads and stalks to enjoy new, green growth.
Sprinkle around some fine alyssum annual seeds that grow quickly to fill in and mix nicely in front of a perennial border of taller plants.
Annuals worth checking out in addition to sunflowers include marigolds and zinnias. These two popular annuals come in just about any height and color you can imagine -except blue.
These annuals need warm soil and heat, so hold off planting for a month or so.
Perennials listed above are more comfortable in spring temperatures.
Plenty of appealing, low maintenance flowers are a welcome addition to your upcoming landscape this year, and now that we’re just barely into spring, it’s time to get in gear.
By Mary Fran McClure
Now is a good time for revisualizing your landscape – 12/28/2022
As we wind down the year and prefer the warmth of indoors, this is a good time to contemplate garden projects that make life easier and improve the landscape.
A good start is evaluating plants that have outgrown their spaces or just don’t satisfy. Another consideration is what to do with those plants that have proven to be thugs. Eliminating some lawn is yet another possibility. Perhaps you’re ready to take on a larger project, such as redesigning your backyard, as Lloyd Thompson’s Nov. 16 garden column outlined.
I’ll share some landscape changes we have made that may provide ideas for spiffing up your own landscape.
A few years ago, deer were decimating the arborvitae bordering our long driveway. Our neighbor was about to pull them out as they are on his property. We appreciated the border and came up with a plan to set up a temporary winter electric fence. I wrote about our project in my November 2020 column. It has worked successfully, and we’re all happy with the results (except for the deer!).
Another example of thinking outside the box is making a slate path from our front porch around the corner to our garage. It is much handier than having to walk out to the driveway and around the yard to connect the front door and the garage. Credit my daughter with suggesting we remove the end porch railing, pour a concrete step and then construct a curving pathway connecting the two entrances. With surplus slate from another project, we utilized those supplies. From landscape design, we know curving a path invites the viewer to follow what the eye can’t see, yet another bonus of the design.
In our backyard, a low concrete block wall enclosing two sides of our landscape provides height and interest, certainly more interesting than a plain level yard. The downside was having to leap up the 3-foot wall or walking along it from a lower end, since we can attest that age lessens agility. We designed a plan to add built-in steps at the curve that connects the two sides. My husband Pat and friend Brad Timboe removed the blocks in that area, dug back into the ground and concreted in new steps that match the wall. In addition to the benefit of handy steps for getting to the higher level, aesthetically it enhances the look of the landscape.
Smaller projects can make a visual difference, such as digging up a clump of interesting bunny tails perennial grass (Lagurus ovatus). It isn’t that the grass is a problem—just planted in the wrong place and it grows too tall, blocking the view of birds visiting the low basalt bird bath in our backyard. Bunny tails is an appropriate name for a fun and interesting plant with personality and texture. It’s a keeper and just needs a better location. Some divisions of the plant will be available in our late April plant sale. This spring we’ll plant a smaller penstemon near the bird bath.
So many plants -whether trees, shrubs or perennials -are planted too close or too near buildings. They look fine early on, but then start causing problems. A solution is to plant those so-called permanent plants according to their needed mature space, then interplant annuals or short-term perennials that can be removed as the others gradually fill in.
Some thoughts and plans made this winter can be accomplished in our better weather of 2023, providing satisfying benefits for both your family and your landscape. Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year.
Mary Fran McClure
Flowers
Overlooked hellebore will brighten your – 3/22/2017
Flowers this spring will be doubly appreciated after this long, cold winter; even the often-overlooked hellebores. They’re sort of the odd-balls of late winter into spring — in quiet colors of soft green, white or purple — opposite the flashy oranges, reds and yellows of daffodils, tulips and more familiar signs announcing spring.
Their five petals (actually sepals) are saucer- or bell-shaped, usually nodding or drooping rather than facing upright. Most species grow 1- to 3-feet tall with dark green leaves. They’re long-lived and undemanding as long as they’re shaded.
The growth pattern of hellebores extends from fall through late spring and then go into dormancy, although they’re later in our climate than when grown west of the Cascades. Grow them where they can be seen during late winter/early spring’s bare landscape, then are hidden by summer-blooming plants later on.
Plant in a shady spot in well-drained, organic-rich soil. Hellebores do well beneath the shaded skirts of tall shrubs or tree canopies or by a north-facing wall. Doing best left undisturbed, leave them be unless you need to divide or transplant them.
Rhizomes of this clump-forming plant are best divided in early fall, as plants are emerging from dormancy. Take pruners, shovel or handsaw in hand to divide the woody base. Following transplanting, anticipate a couple of years before you see blooms. Be patient. A dose of light fertilizer once or twice a year encourages growth.
Hellebores may self sow. Young plants may or may not be similar to the parent plant, and will take a couple of years before you see blooms.
Beware that all parts of the plant are poisonous, although that’s a plus because deer and rodents won’t bother them.
Corsican hellebore (helleborus argutifolius) takes more sun and has green or whitish-green flowers. Christmas rose (H. niger) reaches only about a foot tall and has white flowers turning pinkish with age. It is the best for colder zones. Lenten rose (H. orientalis) blooms later and is easier to transplant. Bear’s foot hellebore (H. foetidus) sports purplish-red markings on leafstalks, stems and on edges of its green petals.
All are interesting and a bit unusual.
By Mary Fran McClure
Easy-going alliums are an easy choice – 10/29/2018
While you’re out planting daffodils and tulips this time of year, why not add some alliums? They’re easy care and attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators while discouraging deer, rodents and rabbits. Alliums are welcome bloomers after daffodils and tulips wind up their flamboyant spring presentations.
Alliums are also good as cut flowers or dried. They have a lot going for them. All they ask for is a sunny spot with good drainage.
Some 700 species offer a wide range of flowers, from 4- to 6-foot tall stalks topped with huge globe-shaped spheres of awe-inspiring flowers down to petite, more subtle ones less than a foot tall. Alliums have many umbels springing outward from the center like stars, while some are drooping.
Yes, these are flowering onions, a relative of our edible chives, garlic and onions. They can have a bit of oniony fragrance when leaves are crushed. These bulbous perennials have grassy, tubular leaves, sometimes hollow, and some strappy. Most are native to Europe, northern Asia and a few native to Washington state. Blooms range in color from white to yellow, pink, violet, red, blue and purple — something for everyone.
I grow two species in our landscape, one large and one small. A. christophii (Star of Persia) produces huge starry, metallic rose-lilac florets atop bare stalks some 2-feet high late spring. It’s an old species, dating back to the 1880s, and looks best when skirted with lower perennials covering its long stems, such as baby’s breath or hardy geraniums. There are many similar large globe-shaped alliums with white, blue, purple or reddish coloring. These dry beautifully and some like to spray dried heads with gold or silver for dramatic indoor decorations.
At the short end of the allium spectrum is A. moly ‘Jeannine’, a dainty nearly foot-high plant producing cheerful little yellow umbels late May into June. These smaller ones are nice in containers, window boxes and entry plantings. Plant several together for an effective grouping.
Nothing wrong with planting chives (A. schoenoprasum) or Oriental garlic (A. tuberosum) along a pathway, especially handy just outside the kitchen door. Their lush green clumps are attractive, as well as handy for culinary additions.
Alliums can multiply by reseeding, although I find them not a nuisance; just deadhead them before seeds mature or dig clumps and divide in late summer.
Alliums need good drainage, sunshine and can take low watering once they’re growing well in late spring. They’re an easy-going plant that can be pretty much neglected, that is until you see their showy late spring performance.
By Mary Fran McClure
Tips for dividing perennial plants this month – 8/1/2018
As the days shorten, plant growth slows toward dormancy; this is the time to divide perennial flowers.
Before you grab the spading fork, consider why you are digging into the root mass of a plant:
♦ You have friends who have been coveting the plant, and you are willing to share.
♦ You want to create more plants to fill in a portion of your landscape.
♦ The plant will bloom more profusely if it is not as crowded.
♦ The plant has become a thug and out-grown the space allotted for it.
♦ It is the wrong plant in the wrong place.
Dig the plants in the early morning or early evening after you have thoroughly wetted the soil the plant is growing in, and the soil in the spot to which you are moving some of the divisions. Dig close to the parent plant so you know that the roots you are lifting are from the plant you want to divide. Often the plant you want to divide, such as a daylily, has multiple crowns, which can be teased apart.
I like to use a spading fork to lift parts of the root and then use an old bread knife or a pruner to cut out the parts I want to sever. Cutting with blunt force from a shovel can damage both the parent plant and the divisions you are creating. Some plants such as Astilbe may have such a large root mass that an old saw is the best tool for creating root divisions.
Throw out any diseased parts. And if root weevils have been noshing on the leaves of a particular plant, wash all the soil from the roots of the plant before moving it to the new locations to prevent moving the insect pest to a new area of your landscape.
So, your friends want some plants. Give them a heads-up so they can prepare the site in their yard — otherwise many shared plants languish in a half-filled pot of soil or in a plastic bag, and that is not a happy way to start life as a transplanted flower.
Be sure your transplanted divisions that will fill-in your landscape actually have sufficient light and water to thrive. Most perennials require full sun. Assessing the environment will prevent you wasting your time moving plants to areas where they will not grow happily — instead, you could be spending your time reading a novel and drinking lemonade to create a special, successful scenario for yourself.
Many plants need to be thinned in order to bloom consistently. The classic is iris that need to be spaced so that each rhizome is exposed to a few hours of direct sunlight each day. Another classic perennial is strawberry; the “mother” plant grows vigorously for only two or three years, and then must be removed to make room for the divisions it has created in the space around it.
If the plant has become a thug and grown more vigorously than you imagined it would, do you really want to transplant divisions into other portions of your landscape?
If you can’t convince unsuspecting friends to take the divisions, be tough and throw the divisions in the green can. Put them in the compost after allowing them to dry thoroughly so they cannot sprout and overtake your compost pile. People have the hardest time throwing away plants even though they are not sentient beings! I am always suspicious when people offer extra plants because I fear an extra exuberant is lurking in that pile of offered offshoots.
The same considerations should be applied to the wrong plant in the wrong place. Do you actually have space for the plant to grow properly when you move the divisions? If so, move the divisions, grit your teeth, and pull out the entire parent plant. The wrong plant in the wrong place — be it the wrong size, texture, color or growth habit — will torment you for another season if you do not deal with it this August.
Some plants such as peonies will not take lightly to having the roots disturbed. Don’t be disappointed if the plant takes a year off to re-establish its roots before it blooms.
Have a wonderful time beginning your fall gardening season.
By Bonnie Orr
Encourage your perennial flowers to re-bloom – 6/19/2018
Looking around my yard, it is hard to believe that we are still in the month of June. It seems that nearly all of my plants are ahead of schedule. Many things that don’t typically bloom until much later in the summer are already showing their colors in full force.
This is the typical result of a warmer-than-expected spring with plenty of regular moisture. It has me wondering what my yard will look like in August. Will there be anything left to flower?
For this reason, I have been putting some time into thinking over the best way to encourage re-blooming. Will it be possible to get some of my perennials to bloom again? And what do I need to do to keep my annuals happy? Here are a few tips to keep the color in your garden coming all season long.
Blooming takes a lot of energy. What this means is that you will want to be sure that your flowering plants are well fed. This starts before the plants are even in the ground. It can be especially necessary in older garden plots or deck planters where the soil has been used over and over again. Eventually a majority of the easily accessible nutrients will have been used up, leaving very little behind for your most recent plantings.
Be sure to properly amend your garden beds and planters before adding this season’s plants. Consider adding a layer of compost to increase organic matter and water retention within your soil. Mix in a good, slow-release granular fertilizer. A variety of formulations are available at most garden supply stores.
If you are looking to increase performance in already established perennial beds, compost can be top-dressed to a depth of around 1 inch per year. Gently scratch the compost and granular fertilizer into the soil’s surface. Avoid deep-digging actions that would damage root systems. It is also important to keep flowering plants well-watered. Water-stressed plants stop flowering.
For most plants, regular pinching back and removal of the spent blooms will encourage re-blooming. By pinching plants back early, you encourage branching, which in turn encourages a higher number of blooms per plant. Pinching should be done using a pruner if stems are becoming tough and fibrous. This will eliminate any accidental ripping or pulling on the plant which can cause root damage. If plant stem growth is still tender, pinching can be done by hand without use of a tool.
Be sure to make your pinch just above one of the whorls of leaves that surround the plant’s stem. This whorl is where the plant will send up additional shoots. Most recommendations are to remove only the top 2 inches of a plant during pinching. However, some plants do best by encouraging pinching much closer to the base. Knowing where to pinch a plant to increase flowering is a trial-and-error learning experience. When in doubt, do a little research specific to the species you grow.
Harvest your flowers! You grow them to enjoy them, so cut them. Harvesting flowers to make bouquets by following the pinching rules listed above is one of the most fun ways to encourage re-blooming.
Allowing flowers to go to seed on the plant will encourage re-seeding (if that is your goal) but will discourage additional blooming. A plant is looking for the most efficient way to produce seed. Cutting flowers before they have made seed is frustrating to the plant and will force the plant to try again. Conveniently for you, this means you will have more flowers to cut later.
Have fun with your flowers, and happy gardening!
Beautiful, but hanging flower baskets require some work – 5/29/2018
You know it is officially summer when Leavenworth comes alive with its hanging flower baskets. People travel from far in wide to take in the scene — planters on every street post full of picture-perfect geraniums, sweet potato vines and lobelia trailing their gracious flowers in long tendrils that sway in the gentle mountain breezes.
The hanging baskets always look fresh and lovely and to the passing visitor seem as though they must be very easy to care for.
What the typical tourist doesn’t see are the city grounds crews making their way around town in the wee hours of the morning with their truck full of fertilizer and water.
They don’t notice the well-hidden drip emitters attached to every basket.
They aren’t aware of the employee who has to pluck the dead blooms and replace the baskets that aren’t doing well.
It’s a well-choreographed illusion of effortless beauty.
In reality, keeping planters alive and beautiful in our climate can be a bit of a challenge for the average homeowner.
People frequently ask me if there are any magic tips to keeping planters looking great. What I usually say is this: You need to want them to live. This is true for just about any plant but is especially pertinent for planters.
Potted plants are similar to having a pet. You need to keep an eye on them constantly. They depend on you for water, food and sometimes shelter. They don’t just ‘take care of themselves’. At least, this is the case for the traditional baskets that contain highly colorful water-thirsty annuals.
Although I do keep a copper boiler full of pansies and violas on my porch, I also keep numerous pots full of succulents and hardy perennials. Since I lead a very busy life and am gone from home a lot, I need to be sure that my planters really can ‘mostly’ take care of themselves.
Here are few things to consider that will help you find the best container plants to suit your lifestyle:
If this sounds like too much work, then forgo the annuals and invest in some hardy perennials and succulents. Succulents and most flowering natives or hardy perennials will do fine in large pots (3 gallons or more). They will still require water at least once a week but do not have the same fertilizer and deadheading requirements as annuals and look equally attractive on your patio or doorstep.
Have fun experimenting, and happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Plant bulbs now for spring beauty – 10/14/2020
Ah, to dream of spring and its wondrous display of blooming bulbs. Dainty purple crocuses sporting bright yellow centers, an impressive blanket of yellow daffodils or gloriously elegant tulips in numerous colors — they are all a proud announcement of spring.
We deserve some spring cheerfulness after this year of challenges; nothing can provide more color come spring than planting a few handfuls of bulbs this month. Leaf through any bulb catalog and you’ll be enchanted — and hooked!
It’s a wonder how that smooth little nodule you hold in your hand can transform into such beauty in a few short winter months. Time to plant them now. Tulips, daffodils and many hardy bulbs thrive in our climate.
If you later come across forgotten and somewhat shriveled ones tucked away, go ahead and plant them. Although they will have less vigor, for them, it’s better late than never.
Most bulbs need a sunny site and good drainage. They will provide their best performance with these amenities and a balanced fertilizer. Pass on adding bone meal, as additional phosphorus isn’t needed here. Read the label to determine how deep to plant, although a general guideline is about two times the bulb height. Feed with a high-nitrogen fertilizer at blooming time. After bloom, remove flower heads but not leaves, as they are needed for replenishing bulbs for next year’s repeat performance.
A grouping of one variety and color makes the most splash visually. Petite bloomers may be visually lost unless clustered together and located for close-up attention. Rock gardens are usually constructed with smaller plants in mind, so crocus and diminutive narcissus (daffodils) are ideal.
The true harbingers of spring are ground-hugging snow crocus. Suddenly their bright little blossoms appear, a couple of weeks ahead of the slightly larger Dutch hybrid crocus group.
Next come the early daffodils. Dainty ones like February Gold and Jetfire are perfect miniatures of the classic big guys. They’ll be followed by the larger trumpet ones, such as Orange Sunset and white Mt. Hood. The last daffodils to bloom are the fragrant and multi-stemmed Jonquils, such as canary-yellow Baby Moon and apricot-yellow Kedron.
Keep in mind daffodils point their heads toward the sun, so consider your viewing site and plant them north of that area. One clear advantage of daffodils is deer and gophers don’t eat them, while tulips are happy fodder for these pests.
Classic and stately tulips are a spring ritual, with their amazing colors. Earliest include the Kaufmannianas, which are small, low-growing gems, and the Emperors — Red Emperor is an heirloom iconic of spring. Then come species tulips and the giant Darwins. So many colors — a challenge to choose!
We haven’t even touched on the multitude of lesser known bulbs, such as dainty snowflakes (Leucojums) with their perfect, bell-shaped nodding flowers tipped with green dots, enticing trout lilies (Erthronium) native to our Northwest or Alliums, an easy-to-grow relative in the onion family that includes a huge range of clustered flowers, both large and small.
Just dreaming of all these beauties next spring makes these darker days exciting!
By Mary Fran McClure
Sedums For Low Maintenance, Color and Heat Tolerance – 7/21/2021
While not the divas of the landscape, sedums are the non-demanding, low maintenance workhorses we all appreciate — I’d say especially as we wilt under record-breaking heat. This succulent perennial takes on these hardships, as long as it has good drainage and doesn’t get overwatered. A bit of shade in our area is nice, but they’re definitely not for the shady garden.
Most but not all sedums are hardy in our region.
Sedums have water-retaining, thick, fleshy leaves, allowing them to thrive on infrequent watering and hot weather. Also know as stonecrop, the more ground-hugging ones are popular in rock gardens as they happily snuggle up to rocks and fill in those spaces by creeping, crawling and spreading out. Don’t overlook them as low edging plants in the front of flower beds.
For patios and balconies, they’re ideal because they don’t wilt if you forget to water them one day, as many of us have experienced with other, less-tough plants. Sedums look good in pots, dish gardens and interesting containers, often drooping over container edges.
An added plus is their wide range of color, both in their starry-looking blossoms and especially those fleshy leaves. Sedum leaf colors are of particular interest, as they provide color and shapes that are distinctive throughout the gardening season.
Favorite colors of mine include leaves of deep maroon, lime that’s nearly yellow, gray and various greens. Their blossoms are a bonus and can be yellow, pink, white, orange and red.
So it’s worth looking at various sedums that appeal to you and select plants that provide the colors and character that blend with your landscape.
They are easy to divide — just separate a rooted clump and replant each division.
Taller ones such as Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ are nice in a mixed border. Reaching nearly 2 feet high and wide, these hybrids are hardy and easy-care. ‘Autumn Joy’ offers pink flower clusters in summer that slowly changes to a rusty coloring in fall, making a nice contrast with blue and purple asters. They remain interesting through many months. Cut them back before new growth starts in early spring. Check out similar sedums sporting white edged leaves and various heights. S. ‘Vera Jameson’ is another popular somewhat tall one, with purplish leaves and rose-pink flowers.
Pollinators are attracted to the flattened flower clusters, especially on the taller sedums. I’ve photographed groups of bees busily working on a single flower cluster of my ‘Autumn Joy’. Butterflies like those easy landing pads also. And a bonus — they’re deer resistant!
Sedums are especially appreciated during the dog days of summer for their display of color, easy care and casual appearance.
By Mary Fran McClure
Tips for successfully growing annuals in containers – 4/26/2024
Gardening magazines are filled with pictures of lush containers lining a walkway or along the sides of a deck. Containers are lovely and a great gardening option for people who do not have gardening space or who have limited mobility.
In North Central Washington, containers are a great way to grow annuals. If you have storage space in a garage or in a heated shed and lots of muscle power, containers filled with perennials can persist for many years. Selecting lighter-weight containers will allow you to re-arrange pots more easily. Ceramic-coated clay containers are heavy and prone to frost break if left uncovered outside. Selecting containers with wheels will allow you to appropriately site containers.
Our region’s weather creates challenges for plants grown in containers. The wind can break stems. We have wind about every five days pretty much for the entire growing season. Gardening magazines often feature standard roses in containers. These are roses grown as miniature trees. They are not an option for NCW because of the wind. In addition, the pot must be moved to a warm spot for the winter to prevent the roots from freezing.
More serious is the heat. Have you put your hand on the side of the large container when the sun has been shining on it for several hours? Pots get hot and the heat stresses the roots. It is difficult to find the happy-medium for watering the plants: too much water rots the roots; too little water causes the plants to wilt.
Many people who grow tomatoes in containers grow tomatoes that suffer from blossom-end rot — that yucky-looking black bottom. Cherry tomatoes do not suffer as much, but standard tomato plants cannot get enough water from the roots. When you clean out the container at the end of the season, aren’t you amazed at the huge root mass the tomato plant grew?
Light is another limiting factor to container gardening. Plants that require full sun need at least six hours of direct sunlight on the container — not just light, but full sun — otherwise these plants will grow wimpy and straggling and be more likely to attract insect pests. On the other hand, there are many shade-loving plants to fill containers.
Daily observation of containers plants will allow the gardener to deal with insect pests such as aphids or petunia bud worms or scale before the entire plant has been weakened by the pests. It is easy to rub away those first few insects.
Do you have to refill your container each season with new soilless potting mix? Absolutely not. It is too much work! During the previous growing season, the potting mix could have lost some of its nutrients, but if you are fertilizing the annuals biweekly, there are plenty of nutrients remaining in the soil. Sometimes the soil gets compacted from the weight of the water falling on the surface of the soil. If so, just stir it around and fluff it up and plant for the new season.
Enjoy the beautiful flower garden created by the annuals growing in containers.
By Bonnie Orr
Fair warning about beautiful wisteria – 3/26/2020
Wisteria is one of those love/hate plants. An arbor graced with a blanket of lavender blooms viewed from below is a sight to behold in spring. But later it becomes not so much fun as suckers spring up, rampantly growing somewhat reminiscent of a jack-in-the beanstalk attitude.
Beware of this lovely vine, as it can eventually overwhelm its supports with crushing strength, mangling wood.
I know of an elegant, two-story country home more than 100 years old that had a fantastic display every spring of lavender wisteria hanging off the eaves of a wraparound porch. I also know those vines nearly tore away the porch posts as the wisteria climbed upward. The owners had to replace the entire porch, providing stronger supports for those hefty vines beyond the porch.
My own experience with this legume was in a lattice-topped courtyard that was gorgeous while the wisteria was blooming, but those enthusiastic vines destroyed the lattice.
Slow to grow until it becomes established, wisteria then takes off. It favors a full or mostly sunny area and doesn’t require a lot of water once established.
Cut wisteria in winter and again right after spring blooming to encourage flower production. Remove suckers and trim back long streamers to keep wisteria directed where you want it. After a dramatic flower show in spring, trim back the vine and it’ll put on another show in late summer, although not as dramatic. Pruning encourages new growth and flowering.
Give wisteria plenty of space because it will demand it, whether you plan for it or not. It’s not a vine easily contained. In fact, it can wedge itself between crevices, shingles — wherever a bit of crawling space is available. In addition to vining up an arbor, it can be trained as a multi-stemmed shrub or somewhat tree-like when limited to just one leader.
Wisteria needs early support, but then can become self-supporting as it grows. It also can be planted to sprawl down a bank as a ground cover, although blooms won’t be as evident and showy.
We see more Chinese (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese (W. floribunda) than the eastern native (W. frutescens). The Oriental ones are fragrant and bloom before leaves appear in spring. The American natives produce leaves followed by blossoms without fragrance. The latter are less aggressive than the Oriental ones and probably not as available in nurseries.
A beautiful, awe-inspiring vine while in bloom, wisteria is an enthusiastic one that calls for maintenance and good judgment. Keep this in mind as you select that cute little vine that appears so innocent in the nursery.
By Mary Fran McClure
Beginner’s Guide to Gardening – 3/12/2024
Do visions of salad greens dance in your head? Do you dream of the buzz and flutter of a pollinator garden? Does your fantasy garden have you seated on a white iron bench reading a favorite book surrounded by the lovelies of your cut flower garden?
Gardens come in all styles, shapes, and themes — balcony gardens, container gardens, raised beds and Japanese gardens. There are as many types as there are ideas!
The first step in creating any garden is assessing your space. The magic of gardening is that with a bit of ingenuity and creativity, you can garden anywhere. It truly is a work-with-what-you-have activity. And what you have determines what you can grow.
Sun and Shade
Begin your garden space assessment by determining how sunlight and shadow play around your property. Set an hourly timer from dawn until dusk to walk around your space. Take note of when the sunlight falls on an area and when the area is shaded. Take time-stamped photos or videos. For tech-savvy green thumbs, there are phone apps you can download that display the arc of sunlight and shadows for each season.
The sun’s arc changes with the seasons, so an area that may be shady now might have much more sun in summer. A sunny area may be full shade once a nearby tree sprouts leaves.
Pay specific attention to the cool morning sunlight versus the scorching afternoon sun. Where is the shady north? The south tends to be Sahara HOT. East has the lovely cool morning sun, and the west will catch hot afternoon sun.
Does your space have dry, full sun? Wet, full sun? Moist partial shade? Dry shade? Moist shade? Morning sun, afternoon shade? Morning shade, afternoon sun? Dappled shade? Full shade?
If your dream garden has sunflowers and tomatoes, look southeast of your space. For fresh herbs and greens, consider spaces with a bit more shade. Most veggies demand full sun, about eight hours per day.
Water, Water … Nowhere?
Wenatchee’s average rainfall of 9 inches per year will do little to sustain new plantings or even most mature plants. While sprinkling your green darlings with a watering may seem a delightful vision, about the third haul of a heavy pitcher in our July sun will have you pouring the water over your head.
Water accessibility may be the most critical factor in determining the success of your garden. Can you connect a hose to a water source? Will you need an irrigation system, or will you be able to water by hand? Can you collect rainwater? Embrace water conservation as a guiding principle in all your gardening decisions.
Also, consider water runoff on your property. Are there areas that are a soggy bog in the spring?
Protection from the Elements
Wind is a significant stressor on plants. Do you have areas of wind tunnels between buildings? Wind blowing against a solid wall or fence can create turbulence that will annoy your tender blooms. Containers can be particularly vulnerable to a drying wind. leaves. Not only do deciduous trees lose their leaves but so do conifers. Conifers shed the needles at the back of the branches nearest the trunk.
Let’s hope for lots of deciduous leaves this autumn. We missed the leaf drop last year because the weather was so warm until November. This caused the tree to hold on to its leaves.
Usually, a tree cuts off the water to the leaves, and the chlorophyll dies. This is why leaves ‘turn color.’ An abscission layer of cells cuts off the water and causes the leaf to eventually fall from the tree. Often the leaf drop is accelerated by wind or heavy rain or even snow.
A large maple tree can grow up to 300,000 leaves. What to do with the leaves? Most people sweep the leaves from the turf because heavy layers of wet leaves can smoother the grass crowns and kill them.
Leaves are not just a nuisance but also an asset in the garden.
Now, what to do with a million leaves.
If possible, grind up the larger leaves with the lawn mower or the chipper. They will break down more quickly and be less likely to be blown around by the wind.
Piling them up on the veggie garden about 8 inches deep will keep down spring weeds, feed the worms all winter and enrich the garden’s soil. You will be amazed at how few of the leaves are left when you go to plant your veggie garden.
Cover the ground-up leaves with a tarp to keep them dry so you have the brown material you need to mix with green material for next year’s compost pile.
Pile the leaves 8-10 inches deep to deliberately smother the turf to prepare to create a new flowerbed.
Use them as mulch in your existing flowerbeds to protect perennials’ crowns, enrich the soil and deter weeds. I am amazed how rich my sandy soil has become as a result of using leaf mulch each fall. The worms take the leaves down into the soil to provide water-hold capacity, and their castings or droppings provide nutrients for the roots of the plants.
Place leaves in large plastic bags — not to throw them in the trash, but to use as insulation for your compost pile. Placing the bags around the pile or compost bin will keep the pile from freezing, and it will continue to work, albeit slower, all winter long.
Make a big pile and have a treasure hunt or a children’s wonderful play day with cider and cookies.
These weeds established a foothold two summers ago when we had a week of intense heat that damaged the turf. The dead places in the lawn provided light to the dormant weed seeds.
In the succeeding two summers, these weeds have been having a field day and have overtaken many lawns. Correct timing for pre-emergent herbicides will help curb some of the weeds but be aware that there is a seed bank of thousands of seeds waiting for another opportunity to germinate.
It even might be time to reassess the amount of land you devote to turf. It is much easier to control weeds around shrubs and perennials when mulch is correctly applied. So, why not convert some of the lawn into new flowerbeds or areas of xeric shrubs? This is the time of year to undertake garden conversions.
The first step is to plan the perimeter by marking it off with a line of spray paint, so you create the area you have in mind. Take advantage of the cool weather because the lawn has essentially quit growing for the season, and the soil is dryer.
The easiest way to convert lawn to beds is to smother the turf plants. There are several easy ways to do this after you have determined the areas you want to change. These include:
After the final mowing, consider piling all the leaves and the grass clippings on the designated spot to the depth of 6 inches to 8 inches. If you mix the leaves and the grass clippings together, there is less likelihood the leaves will blow away. The advantage of using this system is that the worms and microorganisms will utilize the organic material over the winter and enrich the soil.
After mowing the lawn, lay down multiple layers of newspapers topped with a final layer of cardboard to secure the newspaper in place. Again, these organic layers will be broken down by the soil citizens.
Purchase wood chips and pile them at least 6 inches deep. Do not leave any open spaces between the chips where light can reach the grass plants. Remove the chips in the spring. Do not dig them into the soil.
The next methods are more labor intensive and do not enrich the soil. They merely kill the turf plants.
Cover the turf with smothering materials such as composite roofing to totally cover the spot.
Cover the turf with heavy gauge black plastic and pin it down with stakes. Do not use landscape fabric, which is permeable.
The disadvantage to the final two methods is that they can damage existing tree or shrub roots because they cut off the source of oxygen and moisture to those roots.
If you have made the commitment to have less turf, skimming up the lawn with a cutting tool such as a large flat-bladed spade or renting a mechanized sod-cutter will get rid of the plants. The bare soil should be covered with a mulch of chopped leaves to prevent weed seeds from germinating in the early spring.
Tilling up the turf could leave many grass roots to regrow, as well as the seeds from the nuisance weeds.
season.
In the spring, the new bed needs to be spaded up because most turf areas are fairly compacted. Organic materials can be incorporated when spading the bed.
By Bonnie Orr
Rudbeckia to cheer to your garden – 4/13/2016
Who can’t resist a cheerful, easy-care daisy that blooms summer into fall, with the added incentives of drought tolerance, disease and deer resistance?
Gloriosa daisies are just plain glorious. Actually, I should say rudbeckias are glorious, but that sentence isn’t as much fun. Gloriosas are part of the genus rudbeckia. This column highlights rudbeckias, easily recognized as part of the sunflower family and named after Swedish 17th-century botanist Olaf Rudbeck.
Predominant types have yellow or orange petals with distinctive, dark raised centers. Many new varieties have amazing shades of red, mahogany and multi-colors.
Most are native to various regions in the United States. They attract butterflies while in bloom and then dried seed heads are popular with seed-eating birds come fall. Some are short-lived perennials or biennials, and multiply easily while not being invasive.
Popular garden ones have been developed to extend bloom time and offer fantastic colors. Rudbeckia hirta ‘Black-eyed Susan’ (also called gloriosa daisy), sports big blooms about three inches across on stalks one to three feet high. This fast grower is a short-lived perennial, but blooms the first year from seed started early spring, so could easily be treated as an annual.
A couple of attractive reddish types are R. hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ displaying mahogany red petals with a black center and R. hirta ‘Cappuccino’, a beauty with maroon petals tipped with a dash of orange.
Lower-growing R. hirtas include 10-inch-high ‘Goldilocks’ and ‘Toto’ or take a look at those about 2-feet high, such as ‘Sonora’, ‘Cherokee Sunset’ and ‘Marmalade’.
When I lived in Centralia, a mass of perennial R. fulgida ‘Goldstrum’ made a huge display of color that dominated my perennial border over several months every year. These big yellow daisies with dark centers grew about 2-feet high, needing very little care.
There are new varieties of ‘Goldstrum’ that are shorter and ideal for front-of-the-border planting.
Although drought tolerant, they’ll perform best with regular irrigation. Rudbeckias are an excellent plant to brighten the landscape border. Divide longer-lived perennials every few years if they become crowded, to encourage more blooms.
Rudbeckias are related to echinacea (coneflowers), helianthus (sunflowers) and ratibida (Mexican hat) — all tough, low maintenance ornamentals with daisy-like flowers.
By Mary Fran McClure
Practical tips for growing lavender – 7/29/2015
Lavender is a popular plant in this region because it is not very thirsty.
Many types of lavender are not winter hardy for North Central Washington; they are truly Mediterranean and will not tolerate temperatures in the low teens nor will they suffer the high summer temperatures. Types such as “Spanish” should be grown as annuals. The tried-and-true lavenders for this area are Lavandula agustifolia’s dozen named varieties, such as “Hidcote” and “Munstead.”
Lavender is a pretty carefree plant. When the plants are mulched with pea gravel, they self-seed new plants. I like lavender because it buzzes with bumblebees and butterflies. I do not cut off the fall blooms so they will produce seed to feed the birds during the winter. The seeds fall, and the ground-feeders, such as towhees, juncos and finches, scratch up the seed.
Lavender’s roots rot when they get too wet — especially when they are planted as a border for a flowerbed next to a lawn. If your plant has not persisted more than a couple of years, excess water could be the cause of its death.
Generally, Lavender grows between 2.5-feet and 3-feet tall and equally as wide, which is why so many people like to create topiaried balls with the plant.
This type of pruning is fine in a formal garden, but in a xericscape landscape, a looser pruning might look more natural.
Poor pruning that has resulted in an unsightly plant is a main disappointment. If the plant is not pruned at all, it will grow 3 feet tall with all the growth at the top, few blooms and lots of shaggy, wood stems. When the plants have gone rogue and become woody, you have two choices:1) Pull out the plant and start a new one with a good intention to care for it more consistently. 2) If you belong to the “Lazarus” school of gardening, as I do, and know you can resurrect any plant, then you have taken on a three-year project.
Here’s how you resurrect a plant that has gotten leggy and woody: Cut one third of the woody stem about 6 inches from the ground in May. New growth may start on the woody stem. If it does not do so by June, kiss the plant goodbye. If you get new growth, it means the plant is going to fill in with new growth.
The second spring, you cut another woody one third, and the third spring, you cut out the final old wood. If you cut out more than one third of the woody plant at a time, the roots will not have enough leaves to create new growth and will collapse. Then you will have a woody, ugly, dead plant that will have to be pulled out anyway!
Cut the blossoms and dry them for use in your closets and to perfume any room.
There are dozens of craft projects to make with lavender, and lavender blossoms are added to baked goods, as well as savory and sweet seasonings.
Take care of your plants and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
By Bonnie Orr
Fruit
The Importance of Dormant Sprays for Backyard Fruit Trees – 18 February 2026
Fruit trees are dormant. So are all the diseases and insects that prey on the fruit trees. The trees and insects will come to life when both the hours of light and the ground temperature are appropriate. It is not too early to plan which organic or conventional sprays you will decide to apply to curb the pests.
There is nothing as disappointing as seeing red “pimples” on the apricots, misshapen or rot in the middle of a beautiful peach, or picking stunted plums. The very worst is finding a worm in a cherry or apple!
This damage can be eliminated by appropriately applying dormant and delayed dormant sprays that will control insect pests and diseases such as overwintering scales, aphids and mites. These oil-based sprays smother overwintering fungal spores, bacterial blights, insects, larvae and eggs. The insects cause leaf damage, such as leaf curl, and leave unsightly and misshapen fruit.
Groundhog Day indicates we are halfway through winter. Dormant sprays are applied to a bare tree before the buds show any activity. This is usually in late winter when the days are in the 40s and the nights are above freezing. The right day to spray will vary depending on where you live in North Central Washington.
Delayed dormant sprays are applied a few weeks later just as the buds begin to show the first green tissue when the daytime temperature is between 45 and 55 and no freezing at night. Dormant pruning should be completed before you apply spray material so it is easier to see what you need to spray and so you don’t waste the spray.
You can treat your trees with conventional or organic material. The WSU Master Gardeners have spray schedules with suggested spray materials. You can request a spray schedule by emailing askamastergardener@chelandouglasmg.org. Provide a phone number in the email so we can contact you and answer your questions.
Pre-bloom sprays control hatching insect pests such as aphids, stink bugs, scale, peach twig borer, pear psylla, various feeding caterpillars and diseases such as peach leaf curl, coryneum blight, brown rot and powdery mildew. Whew! That is quite a list, isn’t it? You can see why these spray applications are necessary.
If you were not aware of all the problems associated with growing back yard fruit, you may want to decide not to have back yard fruit trees. Yes, the shade is nice. No, the insects and diseases are not. Lovely fruit is delicious but not rotting, marred fruit!
Since this column is discussing protecting fruit trees from pests, I think I will remind readers of the other required sprays for cherries and apples. Apples and cherries and pears are major agricultural crops in this area. An untreated back yard tree can damage the fruit in a commercial orchard. People often say, “There are no orchards near me, so I don’t have to worry.” But insects can fly or be blown by the wind for miles. Responsible backyard fruit growers hang pheromone traps to monitor for codling moths and cherry fruit flies.
Often fruit trees have grown so large that they cannot be sprayed with a hose-end sprayer. In that case, commercial spraying is the option. The other option is to treat the tree with a chainsaw at the base. Really, isn’t 200 pounds of plums on a backyard tree a nuisance to deal with?
It is never too early in the year to think about gardening.
By Bonnie Orr 18 February 2026
How to Grow Strawberries – 5/1/2014
Strawberries bear best on 2 year old plants. With yearly division and replanting, your strawberry beds will remain highly productive. This type of planting requires some forethought and planning. Ideally, you have made space for one mature bed of strawberry plants (2 year old bed) and a second bed prepped out for spring transplanting of last year’s runners from the strawberries in your mature bed. The runners from last year can be clipped and separated from their parents and planted into this empty, spring bed. When creating a new strawberry bed, several factors are necessary for the success of the planting. The most important prep work is the thorough weeding and de-grassing of any new area that is being planted to berries. Strawberries are relatively resilient plants and can handle a minor amount of abuse and neglect but the one thing they cannot tolerate is competition with grass. Please take the time to remove all grass roots before planting your bed; you will be thankful for your attention to detail later on. If you are starting new beds and are removing sections of lawn to do so, the best approach is to dig out the section of lawn for planting a year in advance. The optimal time of year for killing grass is mid-summer. Step one is shutting off any irrigation to the site to be de-grassed. Once the irrigation has been turned off, the grass can be cut into strips and flipped over to bake in the sun using a flat bladed shovel. After several weeks, the grass should be brown and dry and the soil can be shook loose. The grass clods can then be moved to your yard waste bin. Weeding of this new bed should be done again in the spring before planting to remove any grass roots you may have missed the previous summer.
Since strawberries are heavy feeders, your bed should be properly fertilized before planting. In addition, fruit set cannot occur without regular and consistent irrigation. Simple irrigation can be created using ½ inch or 34 inch poly tubing with a dripper placed at each strawberry crown. Make it easy on yourself and hook the irrigation system up to a timer so that watering is predictable and regular. Happy Gardening!
By Eron Drew
Tips on Growing Blueberries – 5/1/2018
The plant clinic’s first berry questions of the season have been about blueberries– e.g., when to plant, whether to fertilize, types that grow well here, and light requirements. All are good questions, for which we had answers, plus a little extra advice!
Now is the time to set out the blueberries you bought at this year’s MG plant sale or acquired elsewhere. They do best planted in well-drained, porous, acidic soil in a sunny location, but will still produce berries if in partial shade. Blueberries should not be fertilized their first year. After that, fertilize once in the spring with a fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants. Add 4” of mulch around the plants (but not touching them) to protect the plants from our summer heat. The following advice is often the hardest to follow: Don’t let your plants set fruit for the first year so they can put their energy into healthy root development. To do this, pick the flowers when they appear. Failure to heed this advice will result in berries of lower quality and lesser quantity.
Many types of blueberries thrive in our area, e.g. ‘Berkeley’, ‘Blue crop’, ‘BlueRay’, ‘Elliot’, and ‘Jersey’. Select varieties that produce fruit early, mid-season and late season for treats all summer long. Be sure the plants fit into your landscape. Fortunately, blueberries come in many sizes: short, mid-sized, and tall.
Mature plants should be pruned in early spring to remove broken stems and to keep the plant’s structure open. As shallow-rooted plants, blueberries need the soil to be uniformly moist around the base. During our hot, dry summer months, they could need as much as 1-2” of water each week.
If taken care of, your blueberries will provide you a bounty of delicious fruit throughout the season and be-yond if you freeze them. If you feel the urge, bake some blueberry scones, or perhaps a pie, and drop them off at the plant clinic. I guarantee they won’t go to waste!
By Casey Leigh.
Budding Your Fruit Trees For Variety – 58/2/2017
Master Gardeners get many questions about backyard fruit trees. It turns out that many people don’t have room for the number of fruit trees they would like to grow. There’s a solution to this backyard fruit production problem. It is called budding, which is a type of grafting.
Fruit trees are beginning to go dormant in August. It may not seem evident from their green, lush growth, but their bark has begun doing what is called “slipping.” This highly resembles crepey skin on your arms if you are over 60.
This loose bark is easy to cut and slip in a wedge of wood to create a new variety on a branch. Here’s a step-by-step description of how it’s done:
1. Find a branch about as thick as your thumb. Cut off a leaf bud with the leaf attached. Make the cut a canoe shape.
2. Carefully cut off the leaf, making sure not to tear the bud. Keep it moist.
3. Select a lateral branch that you want to have a different variety growing on (recipient branch). Cut a 2-inch slash about 12 inches to 18 inches from the main stem or trunk. Cut so it barely penetrates the bark and the cambium layer is not cut.
4. At the top and bottom of the 2-inch slash, make perpendicular cuts so the bark easily peels back and doesn’t tear.
5. Slip your canoe-shaped bud into the slit of the recipient branch. Next, wrap the slit securely to cover all open bark. Be sure to leave the bud uncovered.
6. To create an airproof closure, seal the branch with grafting wax, paraffin or clear packing tape or wrap it with rubber grafting strips.
7. Tie a brightly colored ribbon at the terminal end of the recipient branch. This is essential so that in the spring an enthusiastic burst of pruning won’t result in cutting the darn thing off.
It is astounding how fabulously fast the new variety will create a new branch!
Tim Smith, our emeritus teacher and extension expert, has created pear trees, apple trees, Asian pears with up to six different varieties on each. This method is also effective for trees which need pollinizers. Rather than having two almond trees, I budded two branches of a pollinator donor on my almond tree.
By Bonnie Orr
Maximize your strawberry-growing efforts – – 5/24/2017
Nearly everyone loves to eat a good strawberry. When strawberries are in season, there is almost nothing as satisfying as walking out into the garden and harvesting a colander full of these sweet, fragrant and beautiful fruits. Most of the time, the berries don’t even make it back to the house before we have devoured them all.
Strawberries are fairly low maintenance after they have become established but they do need a little love now and again to really reach their true potential. If you are thinking of putting in a patch, here’s a little advice on how to do it well.
First, there are a number of varieties to choose from when installing a strawberry bed. My all-time favorite are the Shuksans.
Shuksan strawberries only fruit one time compared to some of the other “ever-bearing” varieties. However, they have a relatively long harvest window lasting approximately three weeks. Over the course of that time period, the first berries to ripen will be the largest of the bunch. Then, the berries tend to decrease in size but increase in flavor.
If you decide to grow Shuksan strawberries, do not neglect to pick the final set of micro-sized fruit since they have the most flavor of all. It’s like eating a strawberry Jelly-Belly jellybean … only much, much better. I have eaten these berries for years and am still amazed that the flavor can really be so intense. Truly, these are not your run-of-the-mill California-grown mega berries.
My second favorite strawberry to grow are the very petite alpine strawberries native to this region. Their flavor is equally amazing, although production is low compared to commercial cultivars. The alpine strawberries are fun to grow because they can tolerate a variety of soils and climates and don’t seem to mind a little abuse now and again. This is not the variety to grow if you intend to make a lot of jam, but it is certainly a fun addition as a ground cover within your landscape.
If well cared for, both of these varieties have a tendency to send out a lot of runners. As the caretaker of your garden, it is your job to keep them where you want them. The nice part about this job is that there are always plants to give away to friends and neighbors. Once a year (or at least every two years), it is a good idea to thin out the bed. The center of the strawberry plant tends to get woody as it gets older and production starts to decrease. Peak production for a strawberry plant is in its second year of growth. By about the third season, it is a good idea to remove all of the older, woody plants and replace them with the fresh new runners. Just snip off the runner from the mother plant, remove the mother and put the new runner in its place.
Strawberries can be heavy feeders. They like to be fertilized once a year. If you have access to a good-quality manure when setting up your bed, this is probably the best fertilizer you can give them. Otherwise, top dressing with a good-quality slow-release organic granular fertilizer right away in the spring is also a good choice.
To make sure the fruits stay clean, make sure to lay down a layer of quality alfalfa hay or straw around the plants in the early part of the spring after you have thinned out beds. This will act like a blanket and will keep the fruit off the ground. The hay will also break down and help amend the bed.
Have fun and happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Thoughts On Growing A Fig Tree – 12/22/2021
“ … Now, bring us some figgy pudding, and bring it out here!
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
I was thinking of figgy pudding … until I found out it is not made of figs.
Figgy pudding is a cake that is either baked or steamed. It is actually a form of a plum pudding, neither of which has figs nor plums but is primarily made from raisins. So much for vaulted tradition.
But, let’s talk about those figs.
Figs grow on a huge, spreading, shrubby trees that produce hundreds of pounds of fruit twice a year, if you live on the other side of the Cascade Mountains or in warmer areas of the world — or if you are the fig diva, which I am.
1n 2013, a longtime friend of mine gave me a houseplant fig tree that someone had unloaded on her. The plant had outgrown her “houseplant” status, and I just moved it outside to my garden with a spade and a prayer.
Late fall, I took pity and put mulch on its roots. I had done some reading, and found out that figs survive as far north as Ohio (We are north of that), and that one of the ways to ensure survival is a procedure called “careening.”
Careening is the same process Capt. Cook used in 1770 to tip his wooden ships over in dry dock to scrape off the barnacles. Essentially, you dig up half the roots, tip the tree over to the ground, cover the tree trunk and the exposed roots with soil, mulch well, pray for snow and hope for the best.
OMG. That is too much work for a woman who will not grow dahlias because I refuse to tie them up and de-bud them.
That first winter, the lowest temperature in my yard was 10 degrees. The plant froze to the ground, re-sprouted in the spring, and, low and behold, I harvested a handful of Kadota figs in early fall.
Vastly encouraged, the next winter, I wrapped the tree in Christmas lights and encircled it with landscape fabric. Does this sound easier than careening the tree? Anyway, about half of the stems survived the winter, and I harvested a few figs in July.
There are two fig crops each year when the tree is thriving. The breba crop grows on old wood and ripens by early summer; the fall crop grows on new wood and ripens in October. In 2014, we had a killing frost at the beginning of October so none of the fall crop ripened.
Now, here is the truth: No matter what you do, Mother Nature trumps all. If it is a cold winter, all the wood dies down and this plant is essentially a large shrub; you have no spring crop since the fruit is produced on new wood. If it gets too cool, too soon in the fall, the fall crop will not ripen. The fruit must ripen on the tree.
I was not to be deterred and each year have protected the tree with either lights or mulch. And the tree has thrived —although only the breba or the fall crop has ripened. Many years, more than half of the old wood has frozen.
With the mild winter and warm summer in 2021, for the first time I harvested vast numbers of both breba and fall figs, more than 300 for each crop. With the mild autumn, I harvested until the second week of November.
I have made jam, compotes, pickles, pies, gave away baskets of the fruit. Luckily, the robins and starlings discovered the fruit and snacked away the summer months.
My plant is 10-feet tall. I no longer give it winter protection because I don’t want one zillion figs.
Give it a go. It is a lovely plant with huge leaves. We all may be now feasting on “figgy pudding.”
By Bonnie Orr
Should You Plant Backyard Fruit Trees in Wenatchee – 4/22/2021
First, let me say as a gardener, there is a certain joy of growing and harvesting any crop from your garden, whether it’s that perfect tomato, cucumber, melon or a juicy apple.
Most of the things we grow require some planning, time and resources, be it seed, fertilizer or the perfect plant.
Some crops, however, require a much greater level of commitment in order to be grown successfully and responsibly. I love looking at the catalogs that show a fruit tree with buds that will eventually grow three or four different varieties of apples on the same tree. How cool is that?
As exciting as that seems, a backyard fruit tree is where the responsibility part comes into play. Apple and other tree fruits require a lot more time and effort than most crops. They take years of training, pruning, and a pretty big space in your garden before you get that first crop.
Since we are in a commercial fruit-growing area that depends on selling fruit on a worldwide market, homegrown fruit is required by Chapter 15.08 RCW and Chapter 15.09 RCW to be pest free. The state laws basically say “each owner of land containing any plant or plants shall perform, or cause to be performed, such acts as may be necessary to control and to prevent the spread of horticultural pests and diseases.”
Codling moth and cherry fruit flies are just a few of the pests from backyard trees that cause major problems for our local growers. Commercial growers can report unsprayed trees to local pesticide boards, who will follow up with inspections and possible fines.You don’t want to be the person who fails to maintain their fruit trees properly, potentially causing a commercial grower to spray more often (at their own expense) in order to make up for your negligence in maintaining your trees.
While the prospect of growing your own fruit is tempting and potentially rewarding, there are things to consider before you buy that apple, cherry or pear tree. I would suggest a little research into what it requires before you decide to plant that new tree. Requirements, besides making sure that tree is pest free, include training the tree to grow in a manageable and productive form that allows you to spray and harvest the fruit.
Organic backyard trees are certainly possible, but require an investment in both time and money to be successful. The pests are there by opportunity and favorable growing environments, and really don’t adhere to vacation schedules in regards to their control. The control methods will still require multiple sprays of approved organic sprays during the season and often labor-intensive alternatives, such as bagging the individual apples to keep away pests. The bags are put on a few weeks after bloom until a few weeks before harvest when they are removed so the fruit will color properly.
Non-organic backyard trees may be a little less labor intensive but will still require either hiring a commercial applicator to spray them or the investment of equipment and time for the homeowner to apply the required six or more applications to control the pests.
As a retired agriculture teacher who helped run the former Eastmont FFA orchard, I know the effort required to spray, prune and care for fruit trees and dealing with other peoples unsprayed backyard tree pests. I personally think I will visit a local fruit stand, farmers market or visit a grower who sells directly to the public. This still allows me to enjoy those wonderful fresh apples, cherries and other fruit at a much lower cost than trying to grow them on my own.
If you decide to grow your own fruit trees, remember to do so responsibly. The WSU Tree Fruit Research Center website has some great guides to help with a successful tree fruit experience. The link for growing backyard fruit is treefruit.wsu.edu/backyard-fruit-trees/.
By Lloyd Thompson
Raspberry Pruning Tips – February 2026
For me there’s nothing better than grazing on raspberries fresh off the vine, or more accurately, fresh off the
cane. How to prune and manage them, however, has been a bit of a mystery to me. After doing some
research, I’ve learned that it really depends on what type of raspberry you have.
There are two main types of raspberries: summer bearing and fall bearing. Knowing the type you have is key
to determining when and how to prune them. Consistent pruning each year will keep the plants from
becoming a tangled mass and will produce better fruits. Pruning and thinning improves air circulation and
allows more sunlight to reach new, emerging canes.
Summer-bearing red and yellow raspberries produce fruit in the early summer on two-year old canes, called
floricanes. This type of raspberry should be pruned twice a year, once after fruiting and again in the spring
(late March or early April). Canes that have fruited become dry and brown and will not produce again; soon
after harvest, you’ll want to cut these down to the ground. New canes, called primocanes, will grow from the
roots and will bear next year’s fruit. In the late winter or early spring before growth starts, remove any thin,
weak, dead or diseased canes to the ground and cut back any tall canes to about five feet.
Fall-bearing red and yellow raspberries (also called everbearing) can bear fruit twice. The heaviest fruiting will
be in the top third of first-year primocanes. After harvesting, cut off the fruit-bearing part of each cane. These
canes will produce some fruit in the lower portion of the cane the following summer. Once you’ve harvested
those older, second-year canes, they should be cut off at the base. In the meanwhile, the roots will have
produced new primocanes, which will fruit at the top of the cane in the fall. For simplicity, some gardeners
prefer to cut all canes to the ground in the winter and treat the plant as a single crop fall producer.
The previous paragraphs cover the more commonly sold raspberry varieties. My garden includes another
variety of raspberry — the black raspberry, which has a different growth pattern and requires pruning three
times a year: spring, summer and after fruiting.
Similar to summer-bearing red raspberries, black raspberry canes that have fruited should be cut out soon
after harvest. Black raspberries can grow very long primocanes in the summer, and they should be tipped
(removing the top 2 or 3 inches) when they reach 24 to 30 inches high to encourage lateral branches that will
bear next year’s fruit. In the spring before growth begins, prune back the lateral branches to about 8 or 10
inches.
Once you’ve finished pruning your raspberries in the spring before growth begins, give them a boost with a
balanced fertilizer (labeled 10-10-10) to encourage strong growth. Some gardeners choose to fertilize again
after harvesting to stimulate new cane growth. Stop fertilizing by summer; late-season growth will be too
tender to survive the winter.
All types of raspberries will benefit from a support system using posts and wires to keep them upright in windy
conditions. In addition, many types of raspberries produce “suckers” that can pop up outside the desired
growing area. Either remove them or transplant them back into the row when they appear to keep your berry
patch more manageable.
By Ann Briggs
The Attractive Rhubarb Plant Serves Double Duty in The Garden – 3/03/2021
Rhubarb is sort of an oddball many of us enjoy its edible stalks as a tart fruit, especially when combined with strawberries (as in a delicious pie!). Botanically it’s a vegetable even though eaten as a fruit. Sort of the reverse of tomatoes fruits that we eat as vegetables.
Beyond that, a big rhubarb plant provides an impressive landscape show with its large, crinkly triangular leaves but be aware, those leaves are poisonous.
Time to plant this herbaceous perennial, or if you already have one or more in your landscape, time to fertilize this vigorous plant. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer, such as 16-8-8. Fertilize three times a year; now, when growth starts and again after harvest.
A single plant can easily spread four feet or more, so allow ample space for its beautiful leaves. Best planted in well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of added organic matter, it thrives in sun or light shade and regular watering.
Whether red stalks or green, (depending on variety) they both taste the same.
Wait a year before taking a small harvest of stalks from a young plant. Stalks are generally harvested about from May into July; never remove all the stalks.
It’s best to harvest by gripping a stalk down near the base and twisting to one side, so it snaps off at the base. If you must cut, do it right down at the base of the plant to avoid rot.
Cut the leaves off your bundle of stalks and they may be stored in a refrigerator up to a couple of weeks. We cut them, cook, add sugar and freeze in handy containers.
As stems become thinner and shorter in late summer, stop harvesting and allow the plant to rejuvenate and store energy for the coming year.
Rhubarb can be very productive for perhaps eight years, then it’s time to divide the plant. Just slice down through the rhizomes and replant a healthy segment.
In fall, remove stalks and debris as they die down. Then cover with a light mulch as they get their needed winter chill.
Rhubarb serves double duty attractive landscape plant as well as producing delicious fruit, providing you enjoy its tangy flavor.
By Mary Fran McClure
Home-grown strawberries are a delicious, rewarding treat – 3/17/2022
I’m pretty sure that homegrown strawberries are at the top of many people’s list of favorite berries. They are an easy-to-grow perennial, so they don’t have to be planted every year, and can produce up to a quart of berries per plant. Raising your own homegrown berries allows you to choose if and what pesticides to use.
Your first decision in raising strawberries is deciding what type or types of strawberries to grow. There are three different types: June bearing, everbearing and day neutral. Each has some advantages and disadvantages.
June bearing strawberries are probably the most common, and tend to be the largest type of strawberry. This variety only produces one crop over a week or two in June. This allows enough berries at one time to be used for jam, frozen berries and lots of eating. Everbearing strawberries produce a larger earlier crop in June and a smaller later crop, with some berries in between the two crops. This variety tends to be smaller than the June bearing varieties. Day-neutral strawberries produce somewhat smaller berries throughout the season and are now starting to be grown by commercial growers in Washington and Oregon.
After you decide on what type or types of strawberries you want to grow, there is still the decision of what variety to plant. While strawberries aren’t difficult to grow, they can be a bit “persnickety” on what they like; as a result, lots of regional varieties have been developed over time that will perform better in certain areas.
Washington State University Extension recommends the following varieties for Eastern Washington:
– June bearing: Hood, Benton, Rainier and Shuksan
– Everbearing: Quinault, Ogallala and Fort Laramie
– Day neutral: Tristan, Albion, Seascape, Rainier and Selva
Make sure to select certified virus-free plants for a better yield, and resist the urge to get plant starts from family or friends, as they can be infected. You can purchase dormant, bare root stock and plant in late March to April, or use container grown plants, which can be planted in May. Strawberries can produce for four or five years with proper care. You can plant strawberries in a variety of ways, including containers. I like growing mine in a raised bed for better drainage, not to mention the fact that a raised bed gives me a place to sit while I pick them.
A loamy sandy soil with good organic matter works the best, but any well-drained soil will do. Mulching with 2 to 3 inches of straw can help with weeds, and a heavier winter mulch can protect the strawberry plant crown during the winter. Just remember to remove the winter mulch as soon as it starts to warm up in the spring and before the plants start to grow. Strawberries need careful watering before and during harvest, as well as in August when new buds are formed. Make sure they don’t get waterlogged. Drip irrigation works better than overhead watering which may lead to fruit rot.
Here’s a good source for more strawberry-growing information: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-1307-growing-strawberries-your-home-garden.
Now that the snow has mostly receded, time to start thinking about a wonderful summer garden bounty, which hopefully will include lots of fresh, delicious strawberries!
By Lloyd Thompson
Tips For Pruning Your Backyard Fruit Trees – 2/10/2025
One of the great advantages of becoming a WSU Master Gardener is access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. For this week’s topic on pruning backyard fruit trees, I sought the advice of Anita Poortinga, a veteran Master Gardener and certified arborist.
As Anita explained, “fruit tree pruning is done mainly for fruit production rather than for beauty, as you would for an ornamental tree. However, done correctly, fruit tree pruning can achieve both.”
Pruning is done to direct growth, maintain tree health and manage fruit-bearing potential. According to Anita, a common mistake made by home gardeners is not pruning at all.
“When you don’t prune your fruit trees, the interior becomes crowded and there is no air flow. That can lead to smaller fruit and lower production,” she said. “Trees can also become too large for their space, with fruit only growing in the upper branches.”
For example, if left unchecked, a peach tree can grow to 25 feet, making fruit hard to access. Commercial growers keep their trees between 7 to 10 feet tall.
Generally, the best time to prune is while trees are dormant, from late winter to early spring (January to March), before the new growth starts. Avoid pruning when temperatures drop to near zero to reduce the risk of tissue damage. Plants become brittle in extreme cold and branches may snap or split unintentionally. If you wait too long and pruning is done after growth has started, it may decrease fruit production.
How much you prune depends on the type and age of the tree, but you should never remove more than one-third of the tree’s mass. Become familiar with where the fruit attaches on your variety of tree so you don’t unintentionally prune away your future fruit.
For peaches and nectarines, flower buds are produced at each node (the point on the shoot where the leaf is attached) on one-year old wood. The terminal bud (at the end of the shoot) is always vegetative.
In apples, cherries, apricots and plums, the flower buds are produced laterally and terminally on one-year-old shoots. On older wood (at least two years old), fruit is produced on long-lived spurs, which are short, compact shoots.
Here are some basic rules of pruning to keep in mind.
– Start by removing any dead, damaged or diseased wood. Remove suckers and water sprouts. Remove crossing branches and inward- or downward-growing shoots.<br>
– Remove low branches. Any branch within about 4 feet of the ground will probably be too shaded to produce fruit and will just invite deer and other animals to come nibble.<br>
– Keep pruners sharp and clean. Sharp pruners will result in cleaner cuts that heal more easily. By disinfecting your pruners, you’ll reduce the risk of spreading disease from one plant to another.<br>
– When cutting a branch back to the main trunk, be sure to leave the branch collar (the raised tissue at the base of a branch where it attaches to the trunk). It has specialized cells that seal the pruning wound.
More detailed information about pruning various types of fruit trees is available online for free. “Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard” can be downloaded from the WSU Extension website: bit.ly/wsupubfruitpruning.
By Ann Briggs
Peaches and nectarines are good backyard tree choices – 10/22/2018
In a recent column, I went on a rant about apricots. I braced myself for a public outcry, led by the Apricot Protection League, but, not a peep came my way. This has encouraged me to move forward into my new topic – tree fruit you won’t regret growing: peaches and nectarines.
Few gardening experiences can match the pleasure of the taste sensation of that first summertime bite into a tree-ripened nectarine. The peachy, sweet-tart flavor comes with juice that forces you to bend forward to avoid making a mess of yourself. This all comes with peaches being the easiest tree to grow, with a short wait until first fruit. It’s typically a three-, four-year wait at the most.
The trees are more compact than other fruit trees. Usually, you can keep them about 12-feet tall and 16-feet across at maturity. Many people take advantage of this low-maintenance crop by sticking a peach tree in their backyard. Then they move, leaving the tree for you to use. We get a lot of peach problems brought into the master gardener clinics, so what follows are a few basic tips about their management.
First, they are short lived trees. Fifteen or 20 years is old for a peach. Replant when most of the green growth is out on the end of old, corky wood.
They need a higher level of mineral nutrition than other fruit trees. Too little, and they don’t produce the new wood that produces next year’s flowers and fruit; too much, and your fruit will be lower quality.
They need to be pruned severely every winter, or else. The fruit is produced on the shoots that grew the prior summer, so leave too much wood on the tree and you will get too much fruit set. This will cost you a lot of time thinning little green fruit. Thinning fruit early, starting at bloom time, is very necessary. Too much fruit on the tree will reduce the growth and cost you crop quality. Thin fruit to about 5-6 inches apart; they will be much better if not crowded on the bearing wood.
There are fewer pest problems with peaches than most fruit trees, and most can be controlled with organically acceptable sprays. Two fungus diseases and two insects are key pests we see most in Master Gardener clinics. The two fungus diseases – peach leaf curl and Coryneum twig blight (shot hole) – require control treatments in the fall.
I won’t tell you what to spray to control these because I’m not allowed to do that in this sort of column, but I will tell you the timing, which is now!
Peach leaf curl has become much more common in the past few years. Our dry climate prevents infection most years, but untimely rain on March 13 and 22, triggered it in 2018. This timing was critical because the leaf curl spores that live on the tree surface were washed by the rain into the opening buds on the peaches. Without the rain, no infection. Once the spores are washed into the buds, they infect the new, developing leaves. This infection turns into the thick, twisted, discolored leaves you see after bloom.
If you spray in the fall, you can greatly reduce this disease. Or, you can also spray in early to mid-March, but most people are not thinking about spraying then. The same sprays will help control the Coryneum twig blight. Come into the office at 400 Washington St. in Wenatchee to pick up a spray guide to learn what you need to spray and when you need to spray it.
By Tim Smith
You best think twice before planting that apricot tree – 8/28/2018
The first house my family purchased had a mature apricot tree growing in the backyard. It was loaded with fruit, and harvest was terrific.
The fruit was an old, heritage variety, both delicious and aromatic. We ate them fresh for a week or two and canned numerous quarts for later. (Helpful home canning hint: mushy canned apricots did not go well for our family.) It was six years later that we used our last quart of canned ‘cots. I know they can be dried, as they do in Turkey along miles of paved roads.
We have since moved from that first home to the Wenatchee area, but I did not plant an apricot in my present backyard … for a reason. We found that you just can’t give them away.
Sure, you can ask, and people will be enthusiastic, but what they want is a dozen or maybe a small boxful. They don’t want as much as you need to give away. I finally resorted to leaving full boxes on a porch, ringing the doorbell and running away.
Who needs all those apricots ready all at once? What sounded like a good idea in March when you purchased that fruit tree may not be practical in August. You like apricots, but do you like more than 300 pounds of them? That’s what a mature backyard tree will produce each year.
In order to grow fruit in the back yard, you need to love the process, not just the produce. The harvest is the end of a yearlong effort, and it’s a lot of work. Everything needs to be done on time, every time, or you risk serious tree damage and poor fruit quality.
What a good grower will do: Let’s start with winter, when each tree needs thoughtful pruning and training. Figure on about two hours of effort plus $35 in equipment cost.
Then come the spring sprays – very important. Including the time you take finding out what to spray and when to spray it, and the cost of the sprayer and spray material, it adds up to five hours and another $50 in expense. Then there’s about three hours of work to thin the flower and small, green fruit.
Depending on the type of fruit, there are at least two and as many as four summer pest-control applications. Let’s be optimistic and say six total hours and $20 for sprays. Then comes harvest and the orchard ladder you need to make picking safer, plus the picking bucket. Those add up to two hours of harvesting plus $150 for the ladder and picking bag purchases. Then, finally, there’s a fall spray required on most stone fruit, which takes about two hours and $20 in spray material cost.
If you spread the value of the ladder, pruning, picking and sprayer equipment over 10 years, and pay yourself $15 per hour for your hard work, that totals 20 hours labor or $300, and $24 per year for equipment plus $90 in spray materials, organic or conventional. This totals about $414 per year to produce your apricots, or roughly $1.38/pound for your “free” fruit.
Now, wouldn’t you rather loaf out at the lake or hike in the woods than produce fruit? Most people would. The commercial growers keep the roadside stands and farmers markets full all summer and fall, and you can pick up the seasonal fruit on the way home from your summer fun.
On the other hand, maybe you are a person who enjoys taking on a challenge. If you have personal reasons for producing your own fruit, go for it. We have information at the Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardeners that can help you with that problem.
By Tim Smith
Why blossom time for our tree fruit is probably the best anywhere in the world – – 5/23/2018
There are few places on earth that have a desert climate with scant summer precipitation, but also have a large river running smack through the middle. The Nile River and Egypt come to mind.
This geographical rarity is even less common if you are looking for areas that have moderate summer temperatures and real winters. So, Egypt is out.
Only tiny specks of the earth’s total surface, including central Washington, meet these special conditions. Those temperate desert-with-river areas also include parts of southern Chile and some regions in north central Turkey that look very similar to central Washington. These rare regions are special for many reasons, including that they are an easy climate to live in, but also that they are exceptional areas to grow temperate-climate tree fruits.
To be near perfect, these fruit production areas must have moderately cold winters.
Cold weather is necessary because it triggers dormancy in fruit trees, but severely low temperatures can kill a fruit tree or damage the flower buds before they open. The Christmas/New Year season of 1968-69 set the record for low temperatures in Washington (/25F in Wenatchee, and a reported -40 to -50F in other areas of eastern Washington.) This almost killed the tree fruit industry in some areas of the state, such as the Winthrop region, because few fruit trees can tolerate -40F. Fruit flower buds were not killed directly by these low temperatures, but many fruit tree trunks died. Growers saved many by “arch grafting” live tree branches over the damaged parts of trunks, and a few of these repaired trees remain alive to this day.
Winter must be cold enough to send a clear signal to the tree that it remain dormant, at rest. Full dormancy and their deepest degree of cold tolerance is usually acquired by Christmas, and warmer temperatures any time after that will accumulate and signal the tree that is should slowly break dormancy, becoming less hardy as the warm days add up.
Some other tree fruit production areas with warmer winters have trouble getting their fruit trees fully dormant. This leads to scattered blossoms opening for two or three weeks, instead of the optimum few days. This drawn-out bloom period leads to uneven fruit maturity. Also, without proper winter chilling, different varieties of the same tree fruit may bloom weeks apart in the spring, complicating pollination and fruit set. Areas that have this issue include tree fruit production areas of north central Mexico, Chile, California and South Africa.
All of this leads to advantages for central Washington, with a tree fruit blossom time that is probably the best anywhere in the world. The first to bloom are apricots, with showy mid-pink flower color. A few days later, the plums produce a blizzard of small white flowers. Then the pink peach and wildly pink nectarines come out, followed by the fluffy pink-white cherries and the light greenish-white pears, and finally, the apple blossoms that put on a show with pink highlights on white.
Timing for all this display occurs late March to mid-May, depending upon the warmth of the year’s spring weather and the orchard’s elevation. The date of apple full bloom in Wenatchee has varied wildly (April 9 to May 16) over the 86 years of monitoring at the WSU Tree Fruit Research Center in Wenatchee.
Unfortunately, the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival timing rarely lines up well with the April 27 long-term average full bloom date in Wenatchee. However, it was a close match this year. It was nice to have apple blossoms around for this year’s festival. The “little green fruit” festival just wouldn’t sound right.
By Tim Smith
Neglected Fruit Trees Are Everybody’s Problem – 11-15/2017
Enjoying a couple of fruit trees in your backyard seems sensible – just walk out and pick your own fresh fruit. In addition to watering, thinning branches and picking, many folks don’t realize it’s a big responsibility to keep pests from invading your tree fruit.
Results of neglecting that part: pick an apple and you find apple maggots (larvae of a fruit fly) have invaded your fruit well ahead of you. With cherries, the main culprit is cherry fruit fly.
These pests aren’t just repulsive as you take a bite, they’re a menace to orchards and residents nearby.
Whom do you call if this describes you or a neighbor? The answer is the Chelan-Douglas Horticultural Pest and Disease Board, providing you live in either of these counties. The board’s phone number is 667-6827 and its office is at 412 Washington St., Wenatchee.
Will Carpenter, director of the board says, “I definitely recommend calling us any time you know of a problem. Don’t wait until next spring to report it.”
Another alternative is to email him at will.carpenter@co.chelan.wa.us.
The board’s busiest time is spring for cherries and late spring-early summer for apples. Pears have thicker skins so are less of a problem but still can harbor pests.
The longer neglected trees are left untended, the more pests are multiplying and invading neighbors’ trees as well as nearby orchards.
“One apple tree can produce a ridiculous amount of codling moths. I have seen seven worms (codling moth larvae) in just a single apple,” the Carpenter says.
He describes an East Wenatchee orchard infestation and said it was obvious the direction of invasion. Going house to house within a half mile of that area, they discovered seven residences with pest problem trees. He explains an infestation in an orchard points exactly in what direction the pests are coming from, although prevailing winds can also bring in pests.
Allowing pests to invade our area means crippling our agriculture industry and local economy. Overseas buyers simply won’t buy such fruit.
When a report is called in, Carpenter or his assistant Jim Walters goes out and inspects the site to determine if pests are on the property. One or two seasonal employees are hired during their busiest time.
“Everyone has their own issues, and we talk with them and try to solve the problem in a way that works for everyone,” explains Carpenter.
They offer WSU Extension spray schedules for those who choose to keep and manage their trees to prevent pests.
Another option is allowing the board to cut down the tree and apply an herbicide to the stump so it doesn’t resprout, all free of charge. They can’t afford to do this for a number of trees on one property though.
Sometimes in an old orchard, the owner limits sprays to save money or just isn’t paying attention as pests become a problem.
They are following 270 cases right now, and most take a year of monitoring, but two years is not unusual. The board has the authority to prosecute those who refuse to work out a solution to their pest problem. Reporting an irresponsible neighbor can be made anonymously.
“Pests and diseases are not just limited to edible fruit varieties of trees, but include a lot of ornamental trees and shrubs as well,” says Carpenter. “Vegetation ranging from crab apples, ornamental apples/cherries/pears, to even some smaller shrubs make it into our case list frequently. I have personally documented codling moth eating through several pea-sized fruit on an ornamental apple tree. They will burrow in one side and out the other side of the fruit, then on to the next piece in the small cluster.”
Carpenter has an associate of technical science degree in natural resources from Wenatchee Valley College and was hired in 2013. He grew up in Wenatchee and Okanogan. His grandparents owned an orchard in the Okanogan area, so he’s in tune with our large fruit industry and how important it is to our economy.
Mary Fran McClure
Fire Blight is an ongoing threat to apple, pear trees – 7-7/2018
We probably shouldn’t complain about central Washington’s weather, because it tends to be better than many places. In fact, the local weather makes it possible to grow almost any deciduous tree fruit without many disease problems common in other tree fruit production areas. The low occurrence of rain especially helps us avoid tree fruit disease problems that thrive in wet climates.
Unfortunately, that is less true these past few years. You may have read in articles in The Wenatchee World about something called “Fire Blight” that Wenatchee Valley pear growers are burning much later into the growing season than usual.
What is “Fire Blight,” and why are those growers burning it?
Fire Blight is a disease caused by a specific bacteria attacking an apple or pear tree through its flowers. It is native to North America, causing a minor disease of Hawthorn trees. It found the apples and pears planted by the European settlers to be quite susceptible.
The Fire Blight bacteria moved across the USA to the Pacific Northwest in 1948, where it settled in, mostly in pears. What kept the disease under control for years was the weather, and that Red Delicious is quite resistant to the disease. This gave Wenatchee-area growers an advantage over eastern growers due to the cool, dry conditions, especially while apples and pears are blooming.
In order for this disease to do its job, the bacteria must be transported from last year’s infected wood to open flowers by insects. Daily temperatures must be abnormally warm for a few days. By then, the colony of bacteria may have developed to a number numerous enough to infect the flower if the flower is wetted by rain or dew. This must occur in order – bacteria on flower first, proper abnormally warm temperatures, then wetting.
Once the bacteria gain entrance to the flower, they move into the wood and kill a portion of the younger wood and leaves, leaving them brown and appearing burned, hence the name.
This exact infection process is not very common in central Washington, but it has been for the past three years, and the disease is causing grave damage in many pear and apple orchards.
It rained on April 28 this year, when apples and pears were blooming across central Washington. There was a plentiful population of the blight bacteria carried over from last year, and temperatures had been abnormally warm, mid- 80s for the past three days – near perfect conditions for the bacterial development.
Then rain occurred across the entire state, washing the bacteria into the flowers, causing infections that started appearing about two weeks later. Most growers recognized the extreme infection weather conditions, but some were not able to treat their entire orchard in time to prevent infection. Some growers were able to apply controls in a timely manner, and report good results.
The orchard owners are burning the blight cuttings because the only treatment for infected trees entails cutting the infected part off the tree and removing the cutting out of the orchard. Part of the sanitation process includes the burning of the bacteria-infested wood, to reduce the number of bacteria in the orchard environment.
Further new infections are possible this year through “rat-tail blossoms” and wounds on the tree caused by hail or high winds with rain. Sanitation efforts will continue until next spring.
Ornamental flowering pears, crab apples, and shrubs such as Pyracantha and Cotoneaster are also susceptible. Numerous fire blight samples have been brought in the Master Gardener plant clinic for identification this year.
By Tim Smith
Fun Things to Try
Drying flowers -6/29/2020
The height of summer is near, and it is the time to think about fall and winter decorations from the garden. Take a walk around your garden to determine what flowers you would like to enjoy all year around.
Gather flowers on a dry day or after the irrigation water has evaporated so that the interior of the flower is not wet and subject to mold. Select plants with compact, small flowers. Large flowers don’t dry attractively because they flop. White flowers fade to cream; pink flowers deepen to magenta. Yellow and blue flowers tend to hold their hues.
Most flowers are cut with long stems and hung upside down. Have you wondered why they hang upside down? It is so the flower head does not flop before it is totally dry. False Goat’s Beard (Astilbe sp.) is an example of a flower that needs to dry upside down. A winter bouquet’s colors remain more vibrant if the flowers are dried in a darkened area and if they are displayed out of direct sunlight.
Some flowers have soft stems, and those flowers dry more effectively if a thin piece of wire is pushed up the freshly cut stem. In this way, the flower stem is sturdy enough to be added to a bouquet of dried flowers. The wire can also be used to extend short stems.
Drying flowers in vases of water helps to preserve the colors of yellow yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Mophead or Lacecap Hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.). Cut the flowers with long stems, remove the leaves and put them in a vase filled with 4 inches of water. The flowers will dry gradually as they absorb the water. Another technique, especially good with leaf sprays such as vine maple in the fall, is to add glycerin to the water. The glycerin keeps the leaves supple and attached to the stem.
Don’t forget to harvest seed pods to add to an arrangement. Nigella (Nigella damascene) is particularly wonderful as is Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata), which is ready to pick right now. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) seed pods retain their ”minty” fragrance. The amaranths such as Love-Lies-Bleeding make dramatic accents in dried arrangements.
Really fine additions to a winter display are leaves. Leaves, especially large ones such as peony, dry best by being flattened or pressed between layers of newspaper with a weight placed on top. Leaves are easier to arrange if a thin wire has been inserted into the stems. Consider Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantine) or Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris). Grasses with seed head that do not shatter, such as Great Quaking Grass (Briza maxima), grow graceful seed heads that turn bronze in the fall. Bunny Tails (Lagurus ovatus) create compact fluffy seed heads.
Some flowers dry naturally on the plant. Now is time to harvest lavender while it is still in bloom because the bracts are uniformly purple. When you deadhead the perennials, think about the form and color of the dead flower stem. Many flowers such as Yarrow complement an arrangement.
There are a number of more complicated means of drying flowers. On YouTube you can find instructions for drying individual flowers in the microwave. Follow the directions carefully to avoid fires. Silica gel is a desiccant used to dry individual flowers as well. The flowers must be free of moisture and take up to a month to dry.
Probably the easiest way to have preserved flowers for the winter is to grow “straw” flowers, that is, flowers that have large, colorful bracts. Some examples that thrive in this area are Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena sp.) and Everlasting (Xeranthemum sp. or Acroclinium sp.).
Bonnie Orr
Plant Names Tell a Backstory – 1/22/2021
How did plants get their names? What does the botanical, the scientific name, mean?
The story that first caught my fancy is the naming of one of my favorite plants, the fragrant Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus.
In 1066, William the Conqueror took the throne in England. He was from Holland and brought over his entire extended family and best friends to whom he gave vast tracts of land. The problem was that the stone in the south of England was pale yellow, and the familiar Dutch stone was gray. So these new lords wanted to build their castles in a familiar color. They floated over the English Channel hundreds and hundreds of shiploads of gray stone as building material. Lo and behold, the stones had soil on them—and the soil contained various plant seeds. In that way the Dianthus was introduced to England and named for the new king, William.
As an aside, the second part of the name, barbatus, makes sure that you will not be purchasing any of another 20 types of Dianthus. Barbatus means beard, and the petals of the Sweet William are shredded on the edges, resembling a beard.
The pilgrims set sail from their homes in Holland where they had taken refuge after being exiled from England. They packed the Mayflower with what they thought they needed, including medicinal plants; that’s how Taraxacum officinale, Dandelion, was brought to America. The species name, officinale, indicates that it was a medicinal plant. And indeed it was. It was one of the first green plants to grow in the spring, and the settlers were desperate for the vitamins in green plants to restore their health after a winter of existing on dried meat and root vegetables.
Plants are often named after people who first described them or collected them in a new territory. David Douglas, 1799-1834, was a British plant collector. The common name for Pseudotsuga menziesii is Douglas fir, a common tree in our area. Douglas actually came through our region on his plant collecting. He collected the seeds of the Black Hawthone, Crataegus douglasii, hence the species name of this plant. The Douglas fir’s species name honors another British naturalists, Archibald Menzies, who first collected the fir’s seeds.
Lewis and Clark, the early explorers of the West, collected more than 260 plants new to science on their journey at the turn of the 19th century. They pressed the plants, collected seed when possible, and managed to get most of the plants back with them. They lost many other plants when canoes overturned and soaked beyond salvage other dried plants. That must have been a heartbreak.
A number of plants have genus or species names of Lewisia or Clarkia. The state flowers of Montana and Idaho are Lewisia rediviva, Bitterroot and Philadelphus Lewsii, Mock Orange, named for Meriwether Lewis. William Clark is remembered with the lovely spring flower Farewell-to-spring, Clarkia amoena and the really charming Ragged Robin, Clarkia pulchella.
Plants are named for places, Festuca idahoensis; colors, Ribes sanguineum, Sambucus nigra; leaf shape, Artemisia tridentate. The plant’s growth habit is also described. Our favorite plant to hate, puncture vine is called Tribulus terrestris because it hugs the earth.
Learning how plants are named is a fascinating hobby. It might be something new for you to do during these quiet days of little activity.
By Bonnie Orr
Dehydrate to Preserve Fruits and Veggies – 8/30/2017
Thanks, Summertime; I am so glad you could come and visit once again. Because of you and your partner, sunshine, there is an abundance of all things good and growing. I know that I personally have an ever-increasing stockpile of produce that needs to get dealt with NOW.
Of course, some items are best used fresh from the garden. Zucchini is a prime example. I know there are people out there who take the time and effort to preserve this garden super star. For me, I prefer to enjoy it while it is in season and forgo any preservation techniques. It just isn’t the same eating a pickled, frozen or dried zucchini.
And since the alternatives to fresh aren’t nearly as good as the original, I let this one go on my long list of items to preserve. However, there are a lot of fruits, veggies and even flowers that are well worth the effort of saving. And for this reason, it’s a good idea to start working through the list so that winter is that much more flavorful.
At the moment I am focusing on things that fit easily into my dehydrator. Since I don’t have much time for canning at the moment, the dehydrator has been working non-stop. It takes up very little space and because it has a programmable timer, I can fill it to the brim and then walk away for the day knowing that when I return, everything will be ready to be packed into clean jars.
If you lead a busy life, dehydrating is definitely one preservation technique that will fit in with your schedule. Here’s a short list of some of my favorite items to dry:
Fruit: After traveling a bit this summer, I am reminded how lucky we are to live in a valley filled to the brim with fruit. If you want to experience the best stone fruit on the planet, there’s no better place to be. Since grocery store fruit can be downright depressing in the winter, I like to put aside as much as I can when the season is at its peak. Nectarines are one of my all-time favorites for preserving. I don’t bother with the hot water bath but head straight for my dehydrator. A dehydrated nectarine is one of the most satisfying snacks ever. They are great for school lunches and backpacking trips into the mountains. Other fruit that dries well are apples, pears and thinly sliced strawberries and melons. Avoid excessively over-ripe fruit since it can become a sticky, sloppy mess requiring a lot of scrubbing and soaking of your dehydrator trays later on.
Herbs and Flowers: I am about to start harvesting my medicinal flowers and herbs for the season. Some great ones to dry include calendula, elderberry, parsley, tarragon, dill, mint, thyme, sage and rosemary. Chamomile and Celeriac greens also do well in the dehydrator.
Vegetables: At this very moment my dehydrator is overflowing with peppers. We like to grow a variety called Jimmy Nardello, which is an Italian roasting pepper. It has relatively thin skin, making it a good choice for dehydrating and later crushing into flakes. The flavor is sweet and spicy. Kale is another great choice for the dehydrator. Crumbled, it makes a great topping for soups and baked potatoes.
Wherever your culinary creativity takes you, enjoy the journey. Eat well and happy gardening.
By Eron Drew
Use Prunings to Make Bentwood Plant Supports – 2/7/2018
While you’re bundled up and outdoors pruning those dormant shrubs and trees, consider recycling some of those whips and branches, transforming them into plant supports and decorative additions to your landscape.
A friend makes interesting plant supports — even a covered bench from castoff wood. Lewis County Master Gardener Sharon Tipping says, “I like making limb structures because they are from my own material (cheap), and they fit in with our more casual landscape.”
She and husband Jack live near Onalaska and teach log cabin building, hands-on classes that brings folks from all over. Obviously, they built their own home as well as several outbuildings.
As for her smaller bentwood projects, she explains, “They are good as a temporary, moveable plant support. I make fence sections that I can move around where needed.”
If something gets floppy, Tipping just supports it with a fence section, which can be tied to rebar or stakes in the ground.
She recommends saving two types of wood; larger branches for the main structure and bendable ones for curves and such.
Think of all those prunings cut from apples, pears and cherries. Water sprouts or long whips are very bendable, as are smaller cedar branches. For the structural part, fruitwood, vine maple, filbert, redwood and ash are best. Willow, poplar and alder don’t last as long.
“Willow is on the ‘poor keeper’ list because it rots soon when in the weather, but that’s our Western Washington weather, not yours,” she says. “It bends nicely and makes beautiful things, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from using it in your area.”
Keeping wood off the ground, using bricks or rebar posts will lessen rotting.
Attach your completed panel to rebar or hefty stakes in the ground with tie wire or use lag screws for wood.
Deck screws work best for attaching the structural pieces (they have coarse threads and a weather-resistant, non-staining coating). Common nails pull out, although are OK for small bentwood structures. Except for delicate bentwood structures, pre-drill holes to prevent splitting, she advises. Tie all intersections of the panel with tie wire to strengthen it.
Her construction sequence includes: 1) gather limbs; 2) make a design, taking into account your chosen wood’s character; 3) build the outer frame, making sure it’s squared 90 degrees as best you can. Try larger, then smaller branches, experimenting as you go; 4) screw down branches to the main frame more than 1 inch in diameter and wire together all intersections; 5) lastly, mount on a support structure, whether rebar or wood.
If you’re serious about such projects, Tipping recommends the book “Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates and Fences,” by Jim Long. You just might have fun doing your bit recycling some of those branches, as well as adding interest to your landscape.
By Mary Fran McClure
Gardening Practices
When is it OK to rake in the spring? – February 2026
Piet Oudolf is a Dutch landscape designer who is famous for creating gardens that mimic nature. Oudolf selects plants for the way they look throughout their entire life cycle, not for their appearance during the few weeks when they are in flower. His plants change with the seasons, coming to life when the snow melts, growing fuller and taller throughout the summer, then they bloom, go to seed and die back. Not only does he intentionally leave plants to wither, his philosophy is this: a plant is only worth growing if it looks good when it is dead.
I like to think that Piet Oudolf would appreciate my yard, at least a little bit. In this weirdly-warm, snow-free winter, it is every shade of brown. Remnants of last year’s coneflowers have turned dark, picked clean of seeds by birds and wind. Sunflower stems still reach for the sky. Leathery oak and papery sweet gum leaves line the driveway and carpet the beds.
I must admit that with no snow on the ground, I feel the call to put on my gloves and “clean things up” in my yard, especially when there is not much else to do outdoors. It is important to resist; a natural-looking yard is not a sign of neglect. Dead plants, whether they look good or not, are vitally important to the garden ecosystem.
Dry stems may hold the chrysalis of a butterfly or a new generation of native bees. Ground beetles, spiders and other garden predators may be waiting out the winter beneath layers of fallen leaves. Last year’s vegetation creates precious habitat, providing shelter, insulation and food to countless beneficial creatures that call the garden home. Removing old foliage too early destroys their shelter, leaving those that aren’t inadvertently tossed into the yard waste bin with a slim chance of survival.
Max Ferlauto, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, recently showed how important leaf litter is to overwintering insects and spiders. Over two seasons from April to July, he compared the number of arthropods that emerged from plots of raked versus unraked yards. His results were surprising: where leaves were not removed, he found that up to 18,000 individuals emerged from just one square meter of yard! They included moths, butterflies, spiders, beetles, parasitic wasps, flies and other small arthropods. Removing leaves, on the other hand, significantly reduced their overall diversity and numbers, cutting some of their populations by more than half.
Given the importance of leaf litter to the ecosystem, is it ever OK to rake in the spring? Ferlauto expected to see a date at which emergence peaked, but instead found that there was no time when insects and spiders stopped emerging. He also noted that even after they emerged, they returned to the leaf litter to reproduce. In short, this study showed that wildlife depends on leaf litter all year, not just in winter.
Leaving the leaves year-round isn’t always possible, so a good rule of thumb is to clean up yard debris strategically. Wait to rake until daytime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. This gives most overwintering insects time to complete their life cycles. Clear lawns and pathways early but try not to disturb flower beds until late spring. In general, rake where you must, and save leaves where you can.
Timing is trickier with plants like yarrow asters, and penstemons that die back to the ground each year. Removing the old stems of these herbaceous perennials can be difficult if new shoots have already grown into them.
To avoid damage, cut last year’s stems back once new growth is clearly visible. Take care not to cut everything to the ground, however. Leave hollow stems standing at different heights to provide nesting sites for stem-nesting bees. Save the cut stems somewhere in your yard until mid-May, when you are sure the insects have moved out.
Make a compromise with Mother Nature. If one square meter can support 18,000 insects and spiders, leaving just a small area of your yard untidied can make a big difference to wildlife. Remember that beauty is more than skin deep, even for gardens. Winter is a vital phase, and dead plants can make especially beautiful landscaping when you know they support all kinds of life.
By Julie Banken
Keep Your Drip Irrigation in Tip-Top Shape – 6/1/2025
As we head into peak watering season, it’s time to make sure our drip irrigation systems are working well and, as importantly, they are providing the water where and, in the amount needed. First, let’s describe drip irrigation and discuss why it might be a good solution for your yard.
Drip irrigation includes drip emitters, whether individually installed or in tubing with built-in drippers, that release water very slowly, typically at a rate of 1 gallon per hour. Drip also includes small sprinklers and sprayers that water larger areas than
emitters. The term “micro irrigation” includes both.
Micro irrigation is very efficient in the use of water as only the desired area receives water in the correct amount. The materials are economical and easy to install and maintain for a small area and a limited number of discrete plants. The system can be connected to an outdoor faucet and use a simple, relatively inexpensive timer for automatic watering.
Drippers or drip tubing should be used for larger plants or shrubs such as hydrangea and barberry. These larger shrubs should have a circle of drip tubearranged at the drip line. Smaller shrubs can use individual emitters, but there must be at least two per plant to get adequate coverage of the root area. It is a good idea with a new planting to anticipate future growth of the plant by installing extra tubing so drippers can be moved as the plant grows. Sprinklers and sprayers are available to water various-shaped areas such as full, half and quarter circle. They should be installed with extra tubing to allow relocation to adjust the watering area.
For vegetable gardens, drip tube arranged along the rows or looped around larger plants like tomatoes works well. Use drip tube with drippers spaced 6 inches apart. Sprayers can be used for more dense plantings such as spinach or lettuce and for starting new seedings.
Annual maintenance will ensure your system is working properly and plants are receiving adequate water. Make sure the drippers and drip tube are in the desired position, usually at the drip line or slightly inside for drippers. Increase dripper numbers or drip tube length as the plant grows. If more than three drippers are needed, it is best to convert to drip tube. Clear intruding mulch or invading ground-cover plants. The drippers or drip tube can be covered by bark, but you should pull back the bark to verify all are working. Verify sprinklers and sprayers are not obstructed by intervening plants. Clean sprayers and sprinklers with a small wire; green flower-arranging wire works well for this. Monitor them throughout the season for obstruction, as often as weekly. Finally, operate the system and check all drippers, drip tube and sprinklers and sprayers for operation. It is not unusual to need to replace the 1/4-inch drip tube after 5 years.
WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS030E Drip Irrigation for the Yard and Garden provides further information about drip irrigation.
By Mike Hammer
Garden Soil Testing: An Important First Step – 4/1/2015
Soil tests offer up some valuable information that often explains patterns you may already be seeing within your garden. Have you ever planted beets in one location and watched them flourish and then planted them in a new location where they languish and refuse to size up? Beets are very sensitive to soil chemistry. Often a small Boron deficiency can be the difference between a successful crop and a near failure. Although through observation you can pose plausible guesses as to the problem (after reading a myriad of articles on the subject,) it is much wiser to throw down a little bit of money and have a professional soil analysis done. This is especially true if you intend to garden in the same place for an extended period of time.
Several forms of soil tests are available. Some are more intensive and offer up a broader zone of information on trace mineral content including Boron, Zinc and Arsenic. Some are more specific to the most common deficiencies such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Percentage Organic Matter and Soluble Salt content. The soil test will tell you the amounts (often in parts per million) present in your garden soil. It will also clearly lay out if more of a specific nutrient should be added for optimal plant growth and will give a recommendation on how much remediation is needed to reach optimization. The broader of the tests is more expensive, but should be done at least once to understand the basic soil chemistry of your gardening soil.
Contact the WSU Chelan/Douglas Master Gardener Diagnosis Clinic for recommendations on where to have your soil test performed. There are several options. By Eron Drew.
Put the fun back into your garden – 5/3/2017
No matter how beautiful your garden is, there seems to be one eye-snagging location that isn’t up to snuff. It could be the perpetually dry section of the lawn or the place where the petunias collapse in a coating of aphids or where the weeds overwhelm the cosmos without giving them a fighting chance.
We all have garden areas that challenge us. It can be hard to keep in mind that gardening is a relaxing, fun hobby that gives us pleasure when we fuss about the imperfections. You know the adage, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.” So rather than struggling, try something dramatically different.
Growing lawn grass under trees sometimes works when the grass is a fine fescue that tolerates shade, but it goes dormant in mid-summer during the heat. If you continue to overwater it, you have a good chance of killing your tree. Besides, the surface roots of any tree will outcompete lawn.
Substitute this frustration with flowers. Purchase large bags of potting soil. Cut three lashes in the bottom of the bag. Place the bag under the tree and cut as many X’s as you need to plant shading loving flowers such as impatiens or hostas. Water the potting soil well. Then place the selected plants in the X’s. Disguise the bag with mulch and enjoy a colorful display under the tree all summer long.
It is not effective to use herbicides on annual weeds. The time to use herbicides is as a pre-emergent early in the spring.
Since that time has already passed, the best way to deal with annual weeds, most of which have shallow roots, is to scrape them off rather than digging them out. Apply three to four inches of mulch to prevent additional weed seeds from growing; most weed seeds need light to promote germination. Weeds get out of control because the first dozen interlopers were allowed to flourish. Eliminating huge swaths becomes a gardening frustration.
And speaking of weeds, be sure to cut or pull all the listed noxious weeds that have shown up on the edges of your property or under the mail box or by the driveway. Get them out before they bloom and produce thousands of seeds.
Sometimes the most difficult part of your garden is landscape you inherited when you bought your property. At new homesites, landscapers overplant trees and shrubs so the garden looks “full.” Often these plants continue to grow cheek on jowl, becoming less attractive and less healthy.
Cutting out two overgrown plants in a cluster of three will create a happier garden space and will eliminate the worry of caring for plants that are beginning to fail. If there are shrubs that you think are ugly or a tree in such a wrong place that you are constantly whacking away at it, you have permission to ease your sorrows by eliminating the plant. Take it out.
Plants are not sentient beings, and there are no prohibitions against plant killing. If a foundation planting of an arborvitae is your difficult plant because it is a fire hazard, needs persistent pruning, smells terrible, is messy and is just plain ugly, take it out. Stir up the soil and plant some tall annual flowers such as zinnias or marigolds or sunflowers and apply mulch until you have seen just the right perennial you want to place in that spot.
The other difficult landscaping problem is perennial flowers that have turned into thugs or shrubs that have run amuck.
Many people plant fast-growing perennials such as Vinca minor or Michaelmas daisy because they spread fast and cover bare grown effectively without much effort. When you have reached the point of wanting to use that piece of sunny land for a specimen plant or to grow blueberries, dig out the thugs.
To reclaim this misused land, you must be diligent all summer and pull out any new sprouts or shoots. Herbicide is not an immediate answer to fight many landscape thugs. Pulling sprouts a few minutes after work once a week will do the job and preserve the area for your newly planted, personally-selected flowers or fruit.
See, you can return the “fun” to gardening!
By Bonnie Orr
Are you Firewise? – 5/17/2017
We live in a wildland-fire-prone area, there’s no doubting that. I’ve only been around the valley for a little more than four years, and witnessed some devastating wildfires.
Wildland fires can start by any ignition source, and typically come without warning. We invest a lot of time and money into our houses, and being “Firewise” will help keep you and your home safe. There are some simple, easy ways to keep your home protected from a wildland fire.
Being “Firewise” does not mean your home is fireproof, but it reduces the risk of loss from a wildland fire.
All vegetation is potential fuel for a fire. All plants will burn if the conditions are right. There are, however, plants that are FIREPRONE and those that are FIRE-RESISTANT.
A well-designed landscape around a home is a key step in reducing the risk of loss from a wildland fire. Maintaining that landscape is an essential step to providing defensible space for your home and firefighters when a wildland fire occurs.
The Home Ignition Zone begins with at least 30 feet of defensible space immediately around the home and extends out as far as 100 feet to 200 feet depending on the characteristics of the adjacent land. An easy way to manage the Home Ignition Zone is to break it into three separate landscaping areas. Let’s call these Landscape Zones.
Landscape Zone 1 is closest to your home. The area is 10 feet out from your home (5 feet if constructed with one-hour flame resistant siding). Nothing flammable should be planted or placed in this zone. Within this zone, low-flammable plants can be planted if they are maintained properly. That would include ground covers, vines, sod grasses, bulbs, annuals and perennial herbaceous plants.
Use only inorganic mulch in this area. Do not use organic mulches in this area. Red cinder rock is a mulch to consider in this area. Sometimes known as “lava rock,” it is a porous igneous rock that is flame resistant. Clean up any dead materials or vegetation from your deck, patio, and around your house. Keep firewood and propane out of this zone. Water regularly or consider a xeric landscape if you have limited water available or want to use less water.
Landscape Zone 2 is the area 10 feet to 30 feet from your home. Maintain a well-kept lawn or other suitable landscape in this area and avoid evergreens that can ignite easily and burn quickly. Use raised beds, rock gardens, stone walkways and patios to create visual interest while providing fuel breaks. In this zone, use ground covers, vines, sod grasses, bulbs, annual and perennial herbaceous plants, broadleaf evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and small and medium deciduous trees. Trees planted here should have a clearance from the house of at least 30 feet at the tree’s mature size.
Landscape Zone 3 is the outer zone, 30 feet to 100 feet from your home. In this area, the idea is to reduce the amount of fuels. If this area ignites, you want it to be a low-intensity burn and to reduce the likelihood of sparks and other materials being able to travel closer to your home. To manage this area, thin out vegetation, prune trees 6 feet to 10 feet high from the ground, and rake up any dead materials such as leaves or pine needles. Trees should have a minimum of 10 feet to 15 feet of space between tree crowns to prevent the spread of fire. Desired plants in this area are ground covers, vines, sod grasses, annual and perennial herbaceous plants, broadleaf evergreen and deciduous shrubs, conifers, and deciduous trees and grasses. Arborvitae, a popular perimeter privacy conifer, is a member of the juniper family and consists of 80 percent to 90 percent dead material behind its green facade. It is highly flammable and is not recommended.
Maintenance is essential to maintain a Firewise landscape. Plants listed as fire resistant but allowed to grow unchecked and poorly maintained can become a fire hazard. Proper maintenance of landscaping is crucial and cannot be ignored.
As for your home, consider using fire-resistant materials. Roofing materials come with a fire-resistant rating. Composition shingles and metal, clay and cement tiles provide the best fire protection. For exterior walls, consider using cement, plaster, stucco or masonry as fire-resistant materials. Although vinyl can be difficult to ignite, it can easily melt or fall away during a fire. Utilize double pane or tempered glass for windows, doors and even skylights. As for eaves, fascias, soffits and vents, enclose or cover them with at least 1/8-inch metal screen. Research shows that 1/8 inch is small enough to block embers and sparks so it does not ignite your attic space.
Anything attached to your home is considered part of your house. Fences can be separated from the house with a masonry or metal gate, and constructed out of noncombustible or flame-resistant materials.
Hopefully our wildfire season will not be as bad as the past couple of years, but becoming Firewise will provide a level of comfort just in case a fire races towards your home. There are some great videos and information at firewise.org to help you become Firewise and I encourage you to go check it out.
By Ken Muir
Solving the mystery of the ground beneath you– 4/7/2017
We are blessed to live in a very geologically diverse area. The Cascade Mountain range provides our valley with unique minerals and soils.
It is important to know what type of soil or even geology you have because it will help dictate what your plants are benefiting from. Also, it is good to know the chemistry of your property’s soil. This will help you apply the right kind and the right amount of fertilizer to help your plants thrive.
The geology in our valley has evolved thanks to multitude of factors. Since the creation of the earth, the tectonics, volcanism and glaciation in our area have given us a pretty unique landscape. The majority of the geology consists of basalt, gneiss and a mixture of mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks with some sedentary rocks as well. This, combined with glacial till and the Missoula floods, helped create the landscape we are working with today.
In the Wenatchee area, the majority is clay, loamy soil mixed in with alluvium and cobbles from the Missoula floods. In East Wenatchee, the majority is opposite. It mainly consists of sandy soils.
There are variations throughout the valley and it is dependent on the geology and historical changes that scoured the landscape. While this might not be the exact characteristics of your backyard, it is good to know what your soil is characterized as.
Soil testing is highly recommended if you haven’t done so already. The more you know about what your soil is consisted of, the better you can understand how your plants are doing. However, it can be a little overwhelming because there are a variety of things you can test for.
The simplest and easiest method is to grab a soil test kit from your local gardening store. They are fairly cheap and usually come in a variety. They all should test for pH (acidity), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K). There are labs that you can send your soil samples into and they can provide more detailed analysis of your soil, but it does come at a larger expense.
The proper way to test your soil is to gather more than one soil sample or do more than one soil test. Doing only one test will only give you the results from that specific location, so if you wanted to get a comprehensive test of your whole garden, take random and scattered samples from all over.
It is not enough to just test your soil but you also need to understand the results. pH is how acidic or alkaline your soil is from a scale of 0 to 14. The higher the number, the more alkaline; the lower the number means it is acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral.
Plants have evolved to adapt and prefer certain types of soil pH. The best example is hydrangeas. The color of their flowers can easily indicate the acidity of your soil. The more alkaline the soil causes the flowers to turn pink; blue flowers means the soil is more acidic. This is why some people are disappointed when they purchased a specific blue-flowered hydrangea and it produces a white or pinkish flower.
There are soil acidifiers to increase the soil acidity and products like garden lime to reduce the acidity to achieve a healthy soil pH. If your pH goes too high or too low, then it can be detrimental to your plant and kill it. Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are all key to plant growth, but at just the right amount.
Each compound is responsible for different aspects. Nitrogen is commonly found in the atmosphere, but in order for plants to uptake it, nitrogen has to come in the form of either ammonium (NH4+-N) or nitrate (NO3-N). Organically, you can find these sources of nitrogen from manure and other organic wastes. It can also be found in some legume varieties that produce rhizobia, which are nitrogen-fixing nodules found on peas and soybeans roots.
Phosphorous is also naturally found from animal manure and in the soil. However, high amounts can leach into the groundwater or can runoff into nearby streams and lakes. There are also restrictions on phosphorus fertilizers for lawns due to phosphorous going into fresh waters and contributing to algal blooms and other issues. The amount of phosphate the soil is able to absorb and retain is also dependent on the pH of the soil.
Potassium (K) has a key role in the plant’s photosynthesis. It helps regulate how the plant breathes as well as how it creates proteins and starches. Potassium deficiencies can lead to stunted growth and yellowing of leaves (but yellowing of leaves could fit a multitude of symptoms).
Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are all found in variety of potency in fertilizers. After your soil test, make sure to treat with the correct amount.
Didn’t think your soil was that important? Well, think again!
Before you start digging and planting, think twice about what you are about to put your plant in, so you can have some insurance on a healthy and long-living plant. WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardeners can help answer your soil composition questions.
By Ken Muir
Winterizing garden tools and equipment – 11/25/2024
While raking those last leaves for composting, many gardeners are hankering for other adventures such as skiing or enjoying pursuits in the warmth of indoors. Before moving on, take time to winterize gardening items and you’ll be ahead of the curve next year.
Not my favorite activity, but this one is too important to overlook. Next year will be less frustrating if we tackle these winterizing jobs now.
First in line is cleaning and sharpening tools. Tops on my list are pruners and loppers; they’re used often and get gummed up and dull quickly. A clean cutting blade is a pleasure. There are sharpening kits available, some more complicated and exacting, and one very simple one. The latter is just a small tool with a sharpening stone at one end. The trick is keeping the angle constant as you sharpen. Clean the blade first, then be sure to use a drop or two of oil as you sharpen.
Save yourself some frustration by cleaning and painting the wood handles of your hori hori knife, weeders and other tools. I use a sample can of bright orange paint, so the tools are easily spotted while working in the yard. Otherwise, those dull wood colors of well-used tools are easily camouflaged beneath leafy undergrowth.
Shovels should also be cleaned; if they have slightly rough wooden handles, lightly sand and then rub with boiled linseed oil.
Gas should be emptied from lawn mowers and other gas equipment, either by running them until they stop or pouring out the remaining and disposing of it properly.
Not exactly tools, but irrigation filters need attention also. The frustrating job of cleaning those little micro-sprinkler filters has suddenly become a snap. I found that by using my late husband’s dental pic, it takes no time to clean those little filters. It’s much better than going to the extent (and expense) of buying new ones every time they need cleaning or using a brush for a time-consuming cleaning.
On the subject of irrigation, I’ll share a quick fix on marking the direction of micro-sprinklers, although winter isn’t the right time to do this. Keep this in mind for next year as you get ready to restart your irrigation system. Using a Q-tip, take that handy little can of orange paint and walk around to each sprinkler that has a directional aim; dab a bit of paint on top of the sprinkler head centering the direction of watering. It’s greatly satisfying being able to avoid having to turn on sprinklers to see if they’re pointed in the correct direction and then getting wet while correcting them.
As for potted plants and containers, they’re vulnerable in freezing weather. I move my pottery containers into the garage; some still contain tropical plants such as canna rhizomes and mirabellas. In my Oct. 31 column, I shared how I save these plants year after year.
My antique wooden gypsy cart gets moved into storage and out of the elements. Several years ago, I replaced its decaying wooden base, added a good drainage hole, then painted fiberglass on the entire inner shell to protect that old brittle wood. With soil and plants added, no fiberglass shows.
Accomplish these projects and come indoors to enjoy a warm beverage and perhaps thumb through garden catalogs as you dream of a new and productive 2025 gardening year.
By Mary Fran McClure
Beginner Gardener: Basic garden care tips that make a difference – 7/1/2024
Gardening is one big science project. Your hypothesis is your garden plan — you envision a thriving plot of green lushness. You’ve prepped your soil and added your plants or seeds. You try to control the variables of sun, water and nutrients. Then, monitor and modify based on your results at least every two weeks. Monitor and modify, rinse and repeat.
Your plant babies will continue to need tender, loving care as they mature into functioning adults. They need the proper amount of water, nutrition, and protection from schoolyard bullies. Let’s look at the basics of garden care activities.
Water: Almost anything we plant in our garden needs supplemental water. Know what your plants need. Some do not like wet feet; others need constant moisture. Keep your soil moist but not waterlogged. Water in the morning to minimize rot and evaporation. Newly planted botanical beauties will need more water. As they get established, they generally require less.
The weather influences how much water your plants will need. They’ll need more in hot, dry and windy (sound familiar?) conditions. Water where the roots are. Rather than following a strict schedule, let the soil and weather dictate how much water is needed. Use a moisture gauge to determine the moisture near the roots of your plants.
Nutrition: Of the 17 essential nutrients, plants get three — oxygen, carbon and hydrogen — from air and water. The remaining 14 nutrients they get from the soil need to be supplemented by commercial fertilizer, compost or organic material. The primary nutrients a plant needs are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. In the garden world, we describe these as “N-P-K.” These initials are used on commercial fertilizers to describe the percent of each nutrient by weight.
Of the primary nutrients, nitrogen is the most deficient in our soils and the most important nutrient for plant growth. Use the results of a soil test to guide your fertilization efforts. Overapplication of fertilizer leads to it polluting our rivers and lakes. It is also detrimental to our plants. To learn more about fertilizers, download and read WSU’s “A Home Gardener’s Guide to Soils and Fertilizers (Home Garden Series)” found at bit.ly/wsusoilsfert.
Protection: While Mother Nature is a doting mom, sometimes she needs a little help protecting her flora from overzealous fauna. She takes care of the occasional solo bug thug. When a gang of bullies (infestation) arrives, She may need a helping hand.
Every bug plays a role in a balanced ecosystem. Beneficial bugs are required to pollinate our flowers and veggies and keep the bullies in check. When the gang of bully bugs appears, you might be tempted to grab a bottle of widespread murder agent with a name ending in “-cide.” Sadly, this practice often wipes out the beneficials with the bullies, leaving your garden hopelessly bugless.
Learn the difference between bullies and beneficials. Embrace the occasional bully. Welcome a chomped leaf or bud, knowing that your plant is playing a vital role in the natural order of things. If a gang of bullies appears, look for alternatives to widespread bug genocide. Besides chemicals, there are other methods of bully management. A stream of water can send aphids soaring off your plants. Incorporate plants that attract the beneficials that munch on the bullies. Don’t buy ladybugs to control aphids. The “ladies” will fly away when they awake from hibernation, just as they are genetically programmed to do!
If you must apply a pesticide, choose the most environmentally friendly option that will be safe for bees. Follow the package instructions carefully. Pesticide use can lead to pest resurgence. This happens when the beneficials who once lunched on the bullies have decided to dine elsewhere because there are too few bullies left for a feast. However, there may be just enough bullies left to begat more bullies. And infestation begins anew.
Another problem with broad-spectrum insecticides is secondary pest explosions. What happens here is that the murder agent kills off the primary bullies and the beneficials. And then an opportunistic new gang of bullies from another part of town moves in.
By Dana Cook
Beginner Gardener: Tools that you will put to good use – 6/12/2024
Like many new hobbies, gardening requires a few tools to get started. A trip to the garden center of any big box store can be overwhelming with the bewildering assortment of garden implements. A Google search provides hundreds of options just for weeding — Grampa’s Weeder, CobraHead Weeder. There is even a weeder just for cracks! And what the heck is a Hori Hori?
Before taking out a loan for your new horticultural hobby, know that you only need a few things to start. Cheap tools will not perform well and may require replacing, so don’t skimp on quality tools. Here are the basics:
Gloves: A durable pair of gloves should be your first purchase. While gardening is typically a safe activity, your hands require protection from thorns, blisters, chemicals and infections. Gloves come in a variety of materials. My favorites are those with leather or other durable material on the palm and fingers and breathable material on the back of the hands.
Shovel: Used for moving soil, aerating it and mixing in compost. A good garden shovel should have a strong shaft with a reinforced collar attaching the blade to the handle. Pay attention to how the blade is attached to the handle. This is the point where weak shovels will often break.
Hand Trowel: An indispensable tool for digging small holes for planting. Look for one with a comfortable handle and sturdy blade.
Hand Pruner: Spend your extra money on this tool essential for trimming and shaping plants, harvesting fruits and vegetables and deadheading. Most gardeners will agree that pruners are one of the most important and most used tools. Bypass pruners offer the most flexibility of all the variations.
Watering Can/Water Hose: If you do not have an irrigation system, you must haul water to your cultivated cuties. Consider the size, capacity and spout type when choosing a watering can. Free-flow spouts target individual plants, while a rose (sprinkler-type) spout offers a gentler, rain-shower-like flow. The “rose” can often be removed to create a free-flow spout. If your garden space is within distance of a garden hose, choose one that doesn’t kink and is easy to store.
If you still have some money to spend after getting these basics, here are a few other useful items:
Garden Kneeler or Pad: Your knees will be grateful to have something soft to rest on while you kneel to weed or lovingly tend to your flora.
Gardening Apron or Tool Belt: How often have I left my pruners outside in a garden bed? Mistakenly dumped them into the ‘Green Bin?’ Found them in other mysterious places? I’ve lost count. A gardening apron, tool belt, or even a 5-gallon bucket to keep your tools corralled is priceless, considering how much more efficient you can be with time otherwise spent hunting down your tools.
Wheelbarrow: I can’t set out to do even one garden task without my wheelbarrow – its uses are countless.
Hori Hori knife: Not to leave you hanging, a Hori Hori knife is a favorite among Master Gardeners. Hori is the Japanese word for “to dig.” With its serrated edge, the Hori Hori knife makes a great versatile tool for weeding, cutting through roots and trimming woody stems.
When choosing garden tools, pay attention to how they feel in your hand. Make hand motions that mimic using the tool to get a feel for it. How will it feel after hours of use?
Remember to maintain your tools. Keeping them well-oiled and sharp makes a difference in how they perform and in the health of your plant by making sharp, clean cuts. The Master Gardeners typically offer a tool sharpening service at the beginning and end of the season at our Third Saturday events at the Community Education Garden.
By Dana Cook
Your compost pile doesn’t have to go dormant this winter – 10//2023
Composting is an essential, environmentally important process that all homeowners could practice. It is a means to lessen the need for larger and more costly wastewater treatment plants that process the vast amount of organic material flushed down the garbage disposal.
By composting, we have an opportunity to build richer soil that is easier to work and holds water more effectively. Who wouldn’t want a garden with beautiful, hand-made soil?
Many people who compost during the summer allow their compost piles to go dormant because there is no longer a huge source of green material such as grass clippings and garden debris. The compost pile you started last spring can continue to work beyond summer.
The compost pile becomes dormant because of the lack of water, lack of new material and decrease of temperature. The micro-organisms, invertebrates (bugs and insects) and worms die when they are too cold, too dry and too hungry.
The downside of a dormant compost pile is that you have to start from scratch in the spring to rebuild the populations of beneficial insects and bugs, worms and micro-organisms.
Composting experts at Washington State University recommend that a compost pile be in direct soil contact so the microorganisms and invertebrates can enter the material and convert it to compost.
I have found that if I dig a depression 12-18 inches into the ground on the 3-foot-by-3-foot area the compost pile will sit upon, the compost pile more likely will overwinter. This is because the depression below ground level, with the composting materials stacked above, provides a warm refuge for worms and other actively working organisms. When the weather gets really cold, they will move into this lower, warmer, below-ground level.
I have dug down into this refuge and found big writhing knots of worms and lots of larva and pill bugs in the unfrozen refuge. In addition, different bacteria that thrive in cooler temperatures begin working on the materials.
It is also important to prevent the compost pile from freezing during the winter if you want to continue the composting process. In November, as the air and ground temperatures fall, I surround my compost pile with a barrier of straw bales or large plastic bags filled with leaves. An outer layer of wood chips also can provide insulation. It is amazingly effective.
When it gets really, really cold, and if there is snow, I use the snow from my driveway and heap it on top of the compost pile and all along the sides of it. (You never knew how important compost pile placement was did you?)
The insulation and additional snow protection have prevented my compost pile from freezing. I continue to add new material, mostly kitchen scraps, every day or so. Wood ashes are not a good addition to the compost pile because they clump and lower the pH of the pile. Too much water will drown your “wee beasties” because evaporation has slowed.
During the less friendly winter weather, I gather the kitchen scraps in a 5-gallon bucket in the garage. You need a place that is not too warm so the scraps rot, and not too cold so the material freezes. I add these stored materials to the pile when I have shoveled a path to the compost pile.
With our winters becoming less severe, this might be the season for you to overwinter your compost pile. You can ask a WSU Chelan Douglas Master Gardener for information about establishing an effective compost pile.
By Bonnie Orr
Ditch the tiller to try a different approach to gardening – 5/3/2023
I am going to suggest an alternative to till gardening based on the science of soil. Using a garden tiller may seem like easy work, but in the long run it causes much more work.
The soil is made up of individual particles of sand, clay and silt organized to incorporate air and water. It is not an inert mass, but a substance of living matter. Garden soil contains organic materials — large invertebrates like worms, centipedes, sow bugs, beetles — and thousands of micro-organisms that include mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria.
All these organisms create healthy soil. They break down organic matter so the plant’s roots can absorb the nutrients. The worms create tunnels that guide water below the surface and places for roots to easily move through the soil.
The living matter in the soil works together to make beneficial micro clumps that include pores, or open spaces, between the clumps. Healthy soil is 50% clumps, 25% water and 25% air.
When garden soil is pulverized by a tiller, all the soil structure disappears and there are no more soil clumps, no paths for water, no paths for roots and no place for air exchange, and many of the invertebrates are left dead. Often the soil becomes compacted when it is watered. All the remaining organisms must start rebuilding the soil structure from scratch.
Tilled soil often becomes compacted and hydrophobic, which means the water sits on the surface an inch or so rather than running down into the soil. This, in turn, creates a hard crust on the surface of the soil.
And need I mention that tilling brings weed seeds to the surface so they can germinate?
Along with not tilling, consider another change in the garden regimen: Don’t pull up the plants in the fall when they have been killed by the frost. Instead, cut them to the ground to get rid of any diseased leaves or pests, but leave the roots in the ground to add organic material to the soil and preserve the structure of the soil. Top the garden with a layer of leaf and grass clipping mulch to feed the worms and their friends over the winter. The soil will be ready in the spring for the gardener to open up little holes and place in plant starts or seeds. You can use a broadfork or spading fork to gently loosen the soil and make room for the plants.
If this sounds too great a departure for your gardening practice, go halfway by not tilling the garden paths. This allows some of the healthy soil structure to remain undisturbed.
If you have a vegetable garden that is a half-acre or so, maybe a tiller is appropriate, but for the typical backyard vegetable garden, tilling causes great damage to the soil.
Also, if you are establishing a brand new garden space, tilling is a great way to get the garden established and to incorporate organic material into the soil.
By Bonnie Orr
Coconut fiber is a renewable alternative to peat moss – 12/14/2022
I have used peat moss as my primary go-to potting soil base in most soil mixes for years, as well as a major soil amendment for improving the mineral soil matter in landscapes. It works amazingly well because it is lightweight, holds soil moisture extremely well and is readily available.
As climate change discussions “heated up” (no pun intended), I started thinking more about things I need to address. Peat moss is a specific type of peat, formed in areas with a high concentration of sphagnum moss. Peat moss is peat, but not all peat is peat moss.
One issue is that while peat moss is a naturally occurring product, it’s not sustainable to use at the current rate of consumption. It takes up to 1,000 years for peat moss bogs to form and mature and we are using it at a much faster rate than what it can be produced.
The other issue is once it’s harvested and used, it begins to release the carbon that was locked up in the cold, wet bogs as it breaks down over time. We are also changing a sensitive environment by removing the peat moss and its water-holding capacity from its natural ecosystem.
I must admit, the first time I saw coconut coir I was pretty sure it was a ridiculous idea. Why would I use it instead of sticking with peat moss? Coconut coir is a fiber that forms the husk around the inside portion of a coconut. With a pH around 6 it works well for most plants.
I am by nature usually open to change, and after using some coconut coir fiber-lined hanging baskets I started to appreciate how well plants did in them. The liners held lots of water, helping the soil temperature stay cooler. Of course, I was still using a peat moss-based soilless mix in the liners, so I had a ways to go before I got out of the peat moss habit.
The nice thing is coconut fiber can be ground similar to peat moss, chipped for use as a mulch or as a long fiber for basket liners. It holds moisture well and is more green-friendly since it’s a secondary food byproduct, and it lasts longer before breaking down than peat moss.
Coconut fiber can hold moisture, improve soil structure, help with aeration and drainage, and has become readily available in many garden centers. It was actually used extensively in the 19th century before peat moss was first widely used.
There are other alternatives to peat moss, such as compost, manure, wood chips, sawdust, leaf mold, pine needles and bark mulch. Most have a narrower band of use than coconut fiber and peat moss due to some restraints related to pH, fertilizer and moisture. That leaves coconut coir fiber a greener choice and a better alternative to using peat moss.
By Lloyd Thompson
Ideas for putting fallen leaves to good use – 10/23/2023
The autumn days are noticeably cooler and have fewer hours of light. These are the signals to trees to prepare for dormancy, so they get ready to shed their leaves. Not only do deciduous trees lose their leaves but so do conifers. Conifers shed the needles at the back of the branches nearest the trunk.
Let’s hope for lots of deciduous leaves this autumn. We missed the leaf drop last year because the weather was so warm until November. This caused the tree to hold on to its leaves.
Usually, a tree cuts off the water to the leaves, and the chlorophyll dies. This is why leaves ‘turn color.’ An abscission layer of cells cuts off the water and causes the leaf to eventually fall from the tree. Often the leaf drop is accelerated by wind or heavy rain or even snow.
A large maple tree can grow up to 300,000 leaves. What to do with the leaves? Most people sweep the leaves from the turf because heavy layers of wet leaves can smoother the grass crowns and kill them.
Leaves are not just a nuisance but also an asset in the garden.
Now, what to do with a million leaves
If possible, grind up the larger leaves with the lawn mower or the chipper. They will break down more quickly and be less likely to be blown around by the wind.
Piling them up on the veggie garden about 8 inches deep will keep down spring weeds, feed the worms all winter and enrich the garden’s soil. You will be amazed at how few of the leaves are left when you go to plant your veggie garden.
Cover the ground-up leaves with a tarp to keep them dry so you have the brown material you need to mix with green material for next year’s compost pile.
Pile the leaves 8-10 inches deep to deliberately smother the turf to prepare to create a new flowerbed.
Use them as mulch in your existing flowerbeds to protect perennials’ crowns, enrich the soil and deter weeds. I am amazed how rich my sandy soil has become as a result of using leaf mulch each fall. The worms take the leaves down into the soil to provide water-hold capacity, and their castings or droppings provide nutrients for the roots of the plants.
Place leaves in large plastic bags — not to throw them in the trash, but to use as insulation for your compost pile. Placing the bags around the pile or compost bin will keep the pile from freezing, and it will continue to work, albeit slower, all winter long.
Make a big pile and have a treasure hunt or a children’s wonderful play day with cider and cookies.
Leaves are a gift the tree provides us.
By Bonnie Orr
It’s time to plan next year’s garden – 9/28/2022
Yes, everything is still growing, and the garden is producing bountiful crops. All our work has paid off. But it is not good form to be patting yourself on the back. It is time to assess the landscape. Have you been taking pictures or videos all season to document what is working in the landscape and what may need a bit more attention?
First, consider failing plants. If you have a shrub or plant that is not thriving, the Chelan Douglas Master Gardeners can assist you in determining why. Send close up photos of the entire plant to chelanmastergardeners@gmail.com to help chart your course.
Then assess the wrong plant in the wrong place. My wild tiger lilies have thrived beyond my fondest dreams. They are spectacular, but they are also a menace since the pollen, which is indelible, has ruined many of my clothes when I have walked too close to the blooming plants. So I have been scouting places to replant them far from the walkways.
Some plants take too much time and energy. It is easy to resolve not to plant flowering plants such as Gaillardia, blanket flower, because they have to be deadheaded the entire season to look tidy. I know this is “dahlia country” but when you plant those gnarly tubers you have committed yourself to a regimen that highly resembles taking on a new puppy — and then the tubers have to be stored for winter.
Not all plants earn their keep. I think that an ideal landscape plant has four seasons of interest: blooms, beautiful leaves, radiant fall color and interesting shape, seed pods or bark to glow in winter. Lots of those choice plants are available and might be a replacement for the old workhorse, Burning Bush, Euonymus, that only shines for a few weeks in the fall.
Dry places in the lawn? The first step is to figure out if it is a defect in the spray patterns from the sprinkler. Put out empty tuna cans to measure the distributed water in several places, then adjust the sprinklers. If it is not the irrigation, it is time to check the soil to determine if is compacted so the water does not percolate into the soil. If the soil is too sandy without enough organic material, water passes too rapidly through the soil. If there is more than 1 ½ inches of thatch, the water may not be getting to the grass roots. It is possible to thatch in the fall. If the dry spots are under a tree, abandon the lawn there and this fall plant a ground cover whose roots will not compete with the tree roots. Tree roots will trump grass roots nearly every time.
Finally, consider removing the plants that have outgrown their allotted space and all season long must be whacked back to keep some semblance of order in the garden. This is a consideration in the vegetable garden, as well. I have found that growing melons, cucumbers and gourds on a trellis allows me to curtail their exuberant growth, to trim them back and to check for insect infestations.
Enjoy the fall and anticipate a new growing season.
By Bonnie Orr
Plan For The Worst When Making Garden Plans – 2/13/2018
It’s that time of year when many gardeners start to dream about how they want to tackle some much-anticipated landscaping projects.
Over the next few months, our mild winter will give way to a pleasant spring and (likely) hot summer. And although those displays of lush hostas and heavily blooming begonias look attractive now, it is hard to deny that we simply do not live in a climate that is well-suited to those types of mass border plantings. It can be a hard pill to swallow, especially if you have relocated here from a part of the country that has the moisture to maintain such verdant landscapes.
So what does one do when they are interested in maintaining a full and lush looking landscape in an arid and semi-inhospitable climate?
Certainly one solution is to forgo any sense of reason and water your garden until your water bill reaches the triple-digit mark.
A better solution would be to form a relationship with plants better suited to our climate. Fortunately, there are some great plants in the succulent family that are both attractive and easy to care for. Succulents live in partial to full sun and require good drainage but can thrive in relatively marginal soils. A small amount of water once a week is all these beauties need to survive.
Each year, I have tested out a number of different succulents at my own house. Some have proven hardy and some have not. Some thrive and some merely survive. The ones that thrive continue to look good with very little care.
So how do you know which will be the best for your own home? First, consider realistically the harshness of the climate within your yard. Is the space you intend to plant in full or partial sun? What is the coldest day you have experienced where there is not an insulating blanket of snow on the ground? Is the spot you intend to plant coarse and rocky or is there a skim of top soil? How is the drainage? What about foot traffic? Sit down and answer these questions honestly and your chances of success in planting succulents the first time around will be dramatically increased.
Our yard is considerably colder than most. We live in a constriction within a valley that causes us to receive more snow, wind and cold air drainage than a majority of places within Chelan County. For this reason, when I purchase succulents I look for ones that are hardy to zone 3.
Most years, our yard behaves more like a zone 4 or 5. Therefore, I know that if I select plants that are hardy beyond this threshold that they will be able to take whatever weather comes their way. I also know that when I plant my succulents in planters I will be able to leave them out during the winter months without worrying about mass die-off. Several of my planters have made it through the last three winters successfully without a need to re-plant. Each spring they pop back to life as soon as the sun warms the pots.
Some of my favorite succulents are very easy to come by. Matrona sedum is a tall purple cousin to the traditional ‘Autumn Joy’. These tend to reach 12” inches in height and bloom at the end of summer after most other flowers have come and gone. Lime Zinger stonecrop is another amazingly beautiful variety.
And don’t forget about the furry version of Hens and Chicks. These look great as table-top centerpieces. Have fun designing with sedum and happy gardening.
Eron Drew
Ease Your Body Into The Gardening Season – 2/20/2018
It has been an “open winter” in the Wenatchee Valley. The cherry tree branches are glowing pink, and the willows are bursting out orange. It seems that spring is truly on its way.
Many people are itching to get out to the garden to begin, if not gardening, at least preparations such as clean ups.
This time of year is the chiropractor’s favorite time of year because enthusiastic gardeners muscle into garden tasks on a radiant winter day — and their bodies are not prepared for it.
There are also people who dislike gardening because they seem to hurt themselves in the garden and get laid up for weeks with torn ligaments, sore muscles, tennis elbow, stiff knees. These gardeners have allowed the joy of gardening to be marred by physical discomfort.
Powering through garden chores is pointless. There is no bubble bath or hot tub that can soak this abuse away.
Because gardening is a choice, a hobby and a pleasant pastime, why beat yourself up? Even if you exercise regularly, gardening calls for different muscle use and different movements. You wouldn’t climb off the couch and run to the top of Saddle Rock would you? Neither should you jump off the couch and garden for six hours.
It is fine to do the exercises inside in a gym, but more pleasant, I think, to combine these with other activities, especially out-of-doors. If you can do yoga, that is the most systematic means of stretching your muscles. Stretching is really important for your body’s preparation for gardening.
If you are taking Rover for a stroll, pick up the pace to begin the process of stretching the thigh and calf muscles, which you will use in the garden to tote tools and lift loads.
Find stairs to climb to warm up your knees. Even walking carefully up and down a slope or a sidewalk going up a hill will help you gain strength in your knees. Go dancing and start swimming. Dancers and swimmer’s legs and knees are fit!
So many gardeners hurt their wrists while using their pruners and loppers. Practice grasping exercises such as a squeezing a ball, or knit or peel lots of potatoes. Hands and wrists get tired and achy if they have not been used before entering the garden. Swing a racket or hit a few golf balls to warm up the elbows.
Start with short sessions and listen to your body to be sure not to overdo the preparation exercises. Then, think about your body’s movements when you finally get out into the garden.
Kneel or squat as you weed, and don’t bend; this protects your lower back. Move your body rather than overreaching and pulling muscles in your back. Pull or push wheelbarrows or carts with your strong legs not your back. Using garden carts with a large wheel ratio helps you to maintain a healthy body. If you make many small trips to the compost pile with all your trimmings, you are less likely to hurt yourself because you avoid bending to lift huge piles of debris at the end of the day when your muscles are already beginning to tire.
Remember, there is more to gardening prep than just toning your body. Tune up your tools so they make your work easier rather than harder. Sharpen your tools with a file or a whetstone. Sharpened spades go into the soil much more easily.
Always keep in mind that gardening is not a competitive sport, and your garden does not have to be buffed and prepared for the season during one or even two or three weekends of work. Don’t lose the joy of gardening by gardening mindlessly.
By Bonnie Orr
Now is a good time to test your garden soil – 3/24/2022
As you ready your garden beds for flowers and vegetables, it’s important to know some things about your soil. Soil supports and nourishes your plants, so you want to know if it has the nutrients your plants will need to get off to a good start.
Soil is dynamic. Nutrients are continually added by the weathering of rocks, minerals and organic matter, and the actions of living organisms such as bacteria, fungi and microbes. Nutrients are continually removed by leaching and the action of microbes that convert plant-available nitrate to nitrogen gas. You also remove nutrients by harvesting your vegetables and flowers.
Before you start spring planting, you might want to check your soil fertility with a soil test.
If you have had your garden soil tested in the last three years, you probably don’t need another one. You should seriously consider a soil test if you are establishing a new garden, if you have added amendments and don’t know your current fertility level, if you have noticed a decline in productivity, or if it has been more than three years since your last soil test.
Home soil tests are available for prices between $15 and $30. You can get good results from them if you follow the instructions carefully, though laboratory tests are more accurate. If you are using a lab, contact them ahead of time for any special instructions.
To get a useful soil test, you need to collect soil from the rooting area, about 6 to 8 inches deep. Remove any roots, mulch or debris from the samples. Collect soil from at least five different areas in your garden. One way to do this is to sample in a “W” pattern, with a sample at each point. Put your five samples in a clean container and mix them thoroughly. Be sure each collection point is representative of your garden. If different areas have different textures, colors or fertilization histories, they will need separate tests.
A basic soil test will provide pH and levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are the major plant nutrients. Laboratory tests may also provide levels of secondary nutrients, micronutrients, or other tests upon request. Most laboratories will also include fertilizer recommendations.
For best results, base your fertilization program on a soil test. Fertilize several days before planting, incorporate well, don’t overfertilize, and enjoy your garden!
By Connie Mehmel
Improving Your Soil Can Make A Difference In Your Garden – 1/10/2018
Thriving plants need healthy soil, just as healthy people need a balanced diet. Except for sunshine and oxygen, plants get all their nutrients from the soil.
Soil is living, and if we’re good stewards and understand its needs, we continue to improve it. The first step is to determine your soil type — sandy, clay or a mix of the first two.
Friable soil (crumbly stuff with a mix of sand, clay and organics) provides spaces between particles so that organic matter, water and air are available to plant roots. Too much sand and you find your garden dries out quickly; too much clay and your soil is the last to dry out come spring. The latter contains more nutrients but its heavy density is tough on plants.
In the Wenatchee area, numerous ice age floods 13,000 to 15,000 years ago shaped our region, depositing pockets of sand and gravel in the inner curve of the Columbia River (East Wenatchee), while dropping off a pretty good soil mix on the outer elevated curve on the Wenatchee side. These are generalizations, as floods aren’t discriminating.
Whatever type of soil you’re dealing with can be improved with organic amendments. Healthy soil enables plants to better adapt to drought, mineral deficiencies, diseases and pests. Tiny soil organisms called mycorrhizal fungi are part of this organic good stuff that promotes healthy plants.
Compost is a winner for incorporating organics, although with a few hesitations. Too much use of fertilizers and pesticides can be detrimental to mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial organisms, whether directly applied to your garden or from compost.
A pet peeve of mine is the rampant use of lawn weed and feed. Most lawns don’t need the herbicide portion, just a little fertilizer. While it doesn’t kill grass, it can remain in grass clippings for a short time—and grass clippings are a valuable ingredient of compost. Some herbicides and pesticides take several months to break down, so compost that is recycled fairly quickly could still contain lingering traces of these chemicals.
We each have our own ideas about using herbicides and pesticides. My take on them is to use them only when needed, not indiscriminately. For lawn weeds, every once in a while I walk around carrying a handy gallon sprayer of 2,4-D weed killer, spot-spraying dandelions and other broad-leafed weeds.
Don’t forget that mulch protects soil. Bark and mulches that decompose add organics as they settle in, improving friability.
As 2018 unfolds, focusing on ways to improve our soil is a long-term, worthwhile goal.
By Mary Fran McClure
Now Is The Perfect Time To Assess Our Stewardship Efforts – 1/24/2018
We live in an amazing community that supports a wide variety of activities, from recreational opportunities to transforming social concerns. We give money to our churches and organizations such as the Community Foundation of North Central Washington that fund projects that we believe in because they enhance our community.
Most people enjoy being stewards of endeavors that make us all healthier and happier.
One means of stewardship is undertaking sustainable garden practices. The protection of our natural resources is vital to us and to future generations. The improvement of air quality, water quality and soil health will sustain our environment.
January is the perfect time to assess our sustainable practices that enhance the environment rather than wearing it down or damaging it in such a way that it cannot be reclaimed or, at best, reclaimed at great cost.
As both a WSU Master Gardener and Master Composter, I am an advocate for practices that improve soil health. Backyard composting creates the materials that restore minerals and trace elements and some nutrients to the soil. Composted materials added to the garden or other places in the yard improve the ecology of the soil; they break up clay soils and add water-holding capacity to sandy soils.
And this is important because healthier soil creates an environment that fosters the growth of important micro-organisms. That, in turn, provides sustenance and homes for many invertebrates that continue to enrich the soil and make a home for healthy roots. Healthy plants are not as susceptible to insect damage, thus healthy plants don’t require the use of pesticides that kill not only a target insect but destroy an entire ecology of beneficial insects, bugs and spiders.
Healthier soil built with sustainable practices means that water conservation is possible all year around. In addition, less fertilizer will be wasted because the lighter applications of product will effectively reach the roots where it is utilized by the plant. This means that excess salts from heavy fertilizer applications and excess watering do not contaminate the groundwater nor affect our streams and rivers and the life that thrives in the water.
Sometimes, all the effects of sustainable gardening are not readily visible. Huge, expensive water treatment plants constantly need to be enlarged because more and more effluent is being washed down our sewers.
One of the effluents that must be processed by the water treatment plants is the organic material flushed down the garbage disposal. This non-sustainable loss of organic materials can be reversed when homeowners compost organic — that is plant — material either in a compost bin or by trenching the material into the garden. Daily, coffee grounds, tea bags, lettuce leaves, water from steaming vegetables is poured down to the sewer rather than being incorporated into the soil.
Considering how to sustain and conserve soil health will allow all of us to be good stewards in our community.
By Bonnie Orr
We Need To Protect Our Natural Surroundings – 2/1/2018
We live in a dynamic and unique ecosystem. Being on the east side of the Cascade Mountains creates a broad spectrum of environments. The geological history of our area— glaciers and the Missoula Floods — have carved the landscape we know today.
A watershed, also known as a drainage basin, is the area of land where all the water from precipitation collects in the same place, such as a river or a lake. The definition of stewardship is to supervise or take care of something. So combining the two terms, we can define a watershed stewardship as persons and actions that protect and improve the quality of a watershed.
The easiest step to being a good watershed steward is removing trash. We’ve all been encouraged to “Leave No Trace” or “Pack it in, pack it out”. This means to stay on the trail, leave it as you found it, take out all trash you brought in or see, and pack out human waste or dig a hole 6 inches to 8 inches deep and 200 feet from any water or campsite.
When we think of watershed stewardship, we immediately think of protecting a river or stream. The “Leave No Trace” concept expands the protection to fragile vegetation and riparian areas. The riparian area is the vegetated area that outlines a stream or lake. Since this area is fairly wet for most of the year, any disturbance can be harmful or even catastrophic to the riverine system.
Another consideration to be good stewards to the river, is to be mindful about any contaminants that can leech into the river. Contaminants have a cumulative effect as the water travels downstream and can easily alter the water chemistry of nearby rivers and lakes. Since we have sensitive and endangered species living in our local watersheds, it’s especially important to keep soaps away from water sources. We should also know of the proper amounts of fertilizer, pesticide/herbicide, oils, even ice/snow melt (liquid or salt) that can be applied. Phosphorous, for example, is commonly found in soaps and fertilizer and can cause large blooms of algae. Some types of algae are toxic to humans.
A watershed stewardship isn’t confined to the river and streams. It also includes caring for the forests, sage brush and all other landscapes. Proper management and understanding the proper ecosystem dynamics of these upland areas will help you become good stewards.
More recently, wildfires has become a hot topic. As a good steward, be mindful of these areas. Depending on the severity of the fires, it can be hard on the watershed to rebound and find equilibrium. It takes time for nature to heal from wildfires, and we can try to expedite this by doing some volunteer plantings of native trees and plants on burned grounds. This is to not only help establish new growth, but also to help stabilize soils made unstable due to the lack of plant roots.
Watershed stewardship is crucial to the vitality of the landscape we live in. We should be true caretakers of the beauty that surrounds us. If we don’t, then future generations cannot cherish what nature has taken centuries to create.
If you need help getting involved, look to your local land trust, conservation district, or environmental non-government organizations (NGOs) to see if there are any opportunities in the near future. Some examples in our region, are Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, Cascadia Conservation District, Washington Native Plant Society, Audubon and Wenatchee River Institute. I challenge everyone to be or become outstanding stewards to our land and to where we live.
By Ken Muir
A Home Gardener’s Introduction To Growing Degree Days – 11/29/2017
Most gardeners have put their gardens to bed, composted the debris and mulched with leaves. And believe it or not, many gardeners are already thinking about next year’s garden, wondering how to improve production, how to deal with insect pests and how to have a more carefree garden experience.
For hundreds of years, gardeners have tried different approaches to increase their yields or develop new plants. Many of their efforts have centered on how to plant for best germination and increased yields, and how to beat insect pests that decimate crops.
Farmers’ Almanacs were popular in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries because they contained weather predictions and advice on when to plant. These may have been interesting reading in front of the wood stove, but generally as our country was settled from east to west, the gardeners encountered increasingly varied growing conditions that the almanac may or may not have touched on.
In many parts of the country, planting by the phase of the moon was continued into the mid-20th century. Root crops were planted by the dark of the moon and tall, vigorous plants by the light of the moon, etc.
Fortunately for home gardeners and farmers, in 1914 the federal government established the agricultural extension service at state land-grant colleges. Researchers and professors spent their careers figuring out how to grow crops more effectively. The research resulted in better crops, crops designed for particular areas, better land practices, and water and soil conservation.
Research that I have found enticing has been underway for about 30 years. It is called Growing Degree Days. GDD is a method of predicting life cycles of plants and plant pests. Our most familiar example is the prediction of when the apple blossoms will be in full bloom. Based on air temperature the tree’s blossoms develop at faster or slower rates, evolving from tight buds, to looser buds, to opening buds, to a percentage of open flowers and then to a tree filled with full blooming blossoms.
Growing Degree Day information can be applied to most fruit and vegetable crops. This information is valuable to gardeners, farmers and orchardists because it can guide their water, pollinator and pesticide applications.
Even more importantly, GDD information helps to predict when insect pests will hatch, create larvae and begin attacking specific plants. The information can indicate when a second or third generation of the pest will emerge, so effective treatments can be scheduled. The research has shown that root weevils become active at 600 GDDs. This is the pest the home gardener loathes because it causes unsightly crescent-shaped holes in lilac, peony and other leaves.
There is another aspect of Growing Degree Days that monitors soil temperature. Various vegetables and other plants’ seeds germinate when the soil is a particular temperature. The most familiar example for many gardeners in this area is the advice from the WSU Master Gardeners to apply pre-emergent herbicide to control crab grass when the Forsythia is in bloom. The forsythia blooms when the soil temperature is 50 degrees.
WSU’s agricultural weather website is a fascinating site for home gardeners because it provides information about GDDs for dozens of local areas. Anyone can access the site at AgWeatherNet. To view GDD, click on Crop Models in the left-hand column. You must become a registered user by creating a logon user name and password to access the Growing Degree Day models. It is free of charge and encouraged for all user to access data and utilize all the tools available for use within this website.
After exploring the local information, other sites such as the National Plant Network or MyPest Page – IPM Pest and Plant Disease Models and Forecasting can provide more information about cultivating a successful garden.
Bonnie Orr
Choose The Right Kind of De-Icer This Winter – 11/8/2017
I hate to say it, but winter is coming. Or is it already here? Either way, with colder, wet weather, we’re bound to get some slippery icy conditions on our walkways and driveways. And we’re always tempted to find the quickest solution: either shovel off as much as you can or find ways to melt the ice.
I’m guilty of throwing down de-icers and salt during harsh times, but have you considered the consequences from the chemicals? I will break the chemical compositions down so that you can make a right decision when you buy and use de-icer.
The whole idea of de-icing is based on chemistry. If we remember our grade-school chemistry, the addition of salt to water in an ice cube tray disrupts and slows the water molecules from becoming a solid, which in turn lowers the freezing point.
The typical salt we think of is sodium chloride, or table salt. Sodium chloride is readily accessible and the chemical structure allows it to come in different sizes from table salt to rock salt. Sodium chloride, though, is detrimental to plants, and it is marginal in terms of lowering the freezing point of water.
There are other chemical de-icing salts we commonly use for ice that are superior to sodium chloride. There are calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate. All are designed to lower the freezing point to zero degrees F or even lower.
The best option for plants and pets is calcium magnesium acetate. It is derived from limestone and acetic acid, which have been proven to be non-corrosive and have little impact to plants. Since it’s a fairly new de-icer, it can be a little expensive but it will save you in plants and repair time in the long run. In all cases, use de-icers sparingly around plants and pets. Too high of concentrations will increase toxicity in the soil.
Plants in the winter are mainly dependent on root growth, so if the soil toxicity is high it will damage and potentially kill the plant. The other way de-icing salts can damage plants is by direct contact with the leaves or needles through the use of liquid de-icers.
For pets, make sure to read the label and see if it’s pet friendly. Some de-icing salts can destroy your furry friend’s paws, so a pet-safe de-icer helps them out during the winter time.
Also, remember to consider run-off areas. Salting uphill or upslope can potentially cause damage as ice melts and drains downhill. Also, excess runoff of any chemicals are capable of harming the groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes where other organisms and creatures live.
So when the weather turns icy this winter, keep in mind what type of salt you put down. It’ll keep your plants and pets happy as well as keep you safe walking around your house.
By Ken Muir
Survival Instincts Are Kicking In For Plants, Trees – 10/25/2017
Dang, the air is getting chilly and I’m not ready. My body is still acclimatized to summer and although I know that I will eventually adjust, at the moment I feel the need to wear lots of layers and sit next to a warm fire.
At our farm, we are in the midst of harvesting fall carrots. Sown in the middle of summer, these carrots are also adjusting to the changing of the seasons. Since they will not be able to make viable seeds this season, the carrots have started to focus their energy on staying alive through the winter so that they can try again when warmer weather and sunshine return. It’s this raw determination to survive that gives fall carrots their distinct and special sweetness.
Physiologically, the carrots’ cells are preparing to overwinter by increasing their sugar content as a form of natural anti-freeze. The carrot knows that survival through a hard, cold winter will not be possible without making this expensive choice. It converts some of its starch stockpiles into sugar. This sugar mixes with the water within the plant’s cells and keeps the cells from freezing and bursting during cold weather. It’s a similar concept to throwing salt onto icy roads to lower the freezing point (the temperature where water turns to ice) or adding anti-freeze to RV lines to keep them from breaking.
Throughout the natural world of the Northern hemisphere, perennials everywhere are adjusting their internal chemistry to prepare for the season of enduring.
When you are a plant, winter is not for thriving but for surviving. Leaves have been changing color for weeks now and are starting to fall to the ground. The process that makes this happen involves the growth of specialized corky cells at the junction of the leaf base and the stem. These cells form an abscission layer which blocks the flow of materials from the roots (such as carbohydrates and minerals) to the leaf.
For deciduous plants, this process is tied to the length of the night rather than the overall temperature. Although temperature affects the vibrancy of the colors we see, it is the number of daylight or nighttime hours that signals leafy plants to begin the process of shutting down for the winter. Leaves will not form again until after the tree has experienced a prolonged period of cold temperatures.
Even if there are relatively brief periods of warming during the winter, the tree will continue to stay dormant until a specific number of cold temperature days have passed. This process is known as vernalization and is the evolutionary adaptation that has allowed deciduous plants to protect themselves from budding out too early and risking the threat of freezing their first tender leaves or missing the window for pollination by flying insects.
As climate changes, plants in specific regions will also need to adapt their strategies of survival. Evolution continues to happen all around us as the plant world adjusts to both warmer and colder than usual temperatures throughout all of the seasons. Land races (plant varieties or species that are endemic to a specific region) will prove valuable to home gardeners and professional farmers alike since they will hold the key to finding new genetic combinations that are well-suited to a variety of temperature and moisture regimes.
As a home gardener, becoming a seed saver and experimental plant breeder will begin to give you insight into just how variable and magnificent plant communities really are. Watch your plants as they adjust to the changing of the seasons and notice if any seem to thrive a little more than others.
Have fun and happy gardening.
By Eron Drew
Changing irrigation practices as the calendar turns – 9/13/2017
Fall is around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about how you are watering your yard and garden. Overwatering your lawn or garden can have negative impacts to your plants, soil and the groundwater below.
This time of year, plants and trees start to transition into dormancy. As nights get cooler and the daylight becomes shorter, the transpiration process starts to change. What do I mean by this? During the summer, plants are utilizing the most water and carbon dioxide through a complex process called photosynthesis that allows plants grow by converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugar. Plants and trees use this sugar to grow.
When the temperature cools and daylight shortens, the growth process stalls. This allows the plant to transition into dormancy and the plant will begin to focus more on the roots. In turn, this reduces the amount of water the plant decides to uptake.
To put this in perspective, take a look at the river flows during this time of the year. Whether it’s current or historic flows, you can notice a slight increase in flow even though there hasn’t been any precipitation. This is the natural transition in transpiration, where the groundwater is not being taken up by trees and plants, allowing more water to flow into rivers. There are plenty of other variables that can contribute to river flows, but it is a strange phenomenon when there hasn’t been any direct precipitation.
For your lawn or garden, reducing watering allows plants to transition into dormancy. This is especially true for fruit trees, flowering trees and shrubs, and even grass. It allows the plants to focus on an established root system and prepare for the upcoming winter. If you’re worried about reducing water, just remember that you have cooler temperatures and the fall precipitation to help you out. Changing your water patterns can also ease your plants when your irrigation gets shut off for the season.
We’ll continue with some talks about fall gardening preparations and tips. As always, if you have any questions about diseases or pests, contact our Plant Clinic at 667-6540 and they will be able to help you out.
By Ken Muir
Tips for fall fertilizing your lawn and garden – 9/27/2017
Fall is a season of wrapping up loose ends in the garden. Hopefully you achieved what you wanted from the summer, but if not, there is always next year.
During the next couple of weeks, take the time to inventory your successes and failures. Think about your wish list for next year but also don’t forget to finish out the season strong by taking care of a few last details before the rain starts to fall (and then refuses to stop!). One of the last of the chores you can do for your lawn and garden is to consider a fall fertilization. Since the temperature is cooling down and we are starting to get a bit of moisture again, now is a great time to address this topic.
Here are a few tips on fall fertilization that will help you get next season off to a great start. Keep in mind that timing is everything. This is a task that you want to complete several weeks in advance of freezing temperatures since once the ground is frozen, there is little chance for the fertilizer to become active and available for your plants. Fertilization should also take place after active growth has started to slow. If you are still mowing your lawn regularly, it is too early to fertilize. If fertilizer is applied as plant growth slows it must contain at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen to prevent it leaching from sandy soils. Find that sweet spot between the end of lawn-mowing season and the beginning of snow and ice season for the highest likelihood of success.
Fertilizer for Lawns: Lawns take a beating in the summertime. Between the hot sun, heavy foot traffic and general lack of a deep penetrating rain, lawns need a little extra time to refresh themselves during these cooler months of the year. In order to help your lawn recover, it can be a good idea to apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer in late September/early October. Recommended application is approximately 1 pound per 1,000 square feet. If snow mold is a problem in your lawn, it is recommended to eliminate the addition of potassium from your fall fertilizing. Recent research has linked snow-mold growth with a late-fall application of potassium-rich fertilizers. Although potassium can be beneficial to increasing the cold tolerance of warm season turf grass, ultimately it can lead to greater problems with grass die-off due to snow-mold growth. A soil test should be done to determine what nutrients your soil needs.
Fertilizers for Flowers and Vegetable Gardens: If you are done growing veggies for the summer, one of the best ways to fertilize and retain soil texture is to plant a cold-tolerant cover crop. There are only a few short weeks left for getting a cover crop planted and established. Some of the best mixes for this region include rye grass, vetch, fava, and winter pea mixes. Cover crops can be sown until approximately the second week of October … at the latest. Any later than that and the seed will not have enough time to reach a size large enough to really do much good for the garden. Cover crops can be allowed to overwinter “as is” and are turned under in mid-spring. The above mix of seed is filled with plants that fix nitrogen in addition to adding green matter to the soil. It is, certainly, my favorite method of fertilizing.
If cover cropping isn’t possible, applying a small dose of slow-release granular fertilizer high in nitrogen and low in phosphorus is also recommended for flowers and veggies. Followed up with a good-quality mulch of chopped alfalfa hay (hopefully weed free!) and you have set the foundation for a strong start to next season’s garden.
A note of caution: later-season fertilizing with quick-release nitrogen can stimulate growth that will have no time to harden-off before winter and cause plant damage.
Enjoy the cooler temperatures and, as always, happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Make October count as a gardening month – 10/4/2017
The light is golden, the evenings are cool, the colors are radiant. It must be autumn, so the garden is winding down.
Yes, it is time to plan for next year’s garden. “Already?” you ask. Absolutely. Fall planning creates enjoyable spring gardening.
Next year’s garden will contain all the features that created joy for you this season. It will not continue to nourish the aggravators, and it will include space for innovation. Sound doable? Indeed, make October count as a gardening month.
Have you taken pictures this season of your garden delights? Those pictures will warm your heart and give you hope in the dark days of late January during the long days and nights filled with inversion-layer gray.
Snapping photos is the first project this October if you have not been keeping a record of your garden.
If you have been keeping a record of your garden, then you can review those pictures to see what needs to be done to make your late April garden more uniformly colorful or decide what to add in late June to fill in the blank spots. And, oh yes, I hope you have recorded those brown or weedy bits of your lawn (although most people photo-shop those out of their memory) that caused you so much grief.
This record of your gardening year will be the basis for the plan you design for October. What can you divide or move to create the contiguous color spots you have in your mind’s eye but have not quite materialized? What can you do about the unresponsive patches of lawn? Perhaps eliminate those trouble spots of grass and replace them with a more compliant ground cover or a flourish of annuals?
So that is working on the good parts of the garden. Now, what about the heartaches? In my gardening experience, there are two types of aggravators: Weeds and over-enthusiastic thugs, which usually include perennial flowers or ornamental grass.
The annual weeds — you already know this deep inside and intended to deal with this early in the summer — need to be eradicated before they go to seed. So that will be a New Year’s resolution in January … again.
For those perennial weeds, such as horsetail or morning glory, an October application of herbicide will help set them back, if it is then followed by an herbicide application in the spring when they first again appear. If you are diligent and apply herbicide to these ravagers in September 2018, you may have succeeded in knocking them back to manageable bits of annoyance rather than major aggravations.
Some perennials are just meant to thrive. But you don’t want them in the garden unless you are trying to populate an acre that would otherwise be filled with Russian thistle or knapweed. In a modest garden, these thugs out-compete their more modest, and often more attractive, companions. I will rue the day when I asked for a particularly colorful Michaelmas daisy, and the generous gardener said, “Don’t bother to thank me for these.” I should have known.
If you have a thug, October is time to grub it out. Take out all of it, even if you think you might like it a little bit. Don’t worry, you will have missed a few pieces that will color you garden next year. Be bold about grubbing out plants that irritate you or that spoil your intend garden plan. Mercy-killing is appropriate for non-sentient beings.
Is this Bonnie Orr’s column? What am I going to stress next? You guessed it, my favorite topic — soil. October is the time to integrate your compost into your flower beds and your veggie garden. Remember only 10 percent by volume. Your garden will thank you.
If you are creating an entirely new bed from sodded grass, be sure to use your compost in this area first. Some people dig out the turf. Others, who want to ride the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, merely spread a 1-inch thick layer of newspaper covered with 4 inches of chopped leaves and grass over the newly intended bed. Then, in the spring, the now-composted grass and leaves are raked off, the paper put into the proper compost pile. Turn the dead turf with its organic material and mix in the new compost, and the new bed is ready to plant at the end of April.
By Bonnie Orr
Water Efficiency Will Pay Off In Those Not-So-Rainy Years – 6/28/2017
I am finding it a little amusing that on the day when I have finally sat down to write about water efficiency, it’s raining.
This spring has been remarkably wet and cool. It’s easy to forget that just a few short years ago, anyone involved in agriculture was wondering if there would be enough water to make it through the summer. During those few seasons, the maple trees near my home were already showing signs of water stress, catastrophic fires were only a few short days away from starting, and the creek in my yard had practically run dry.
This year is shaping up to be much, much different. The creek is flowing at a record pace, the vegetation is so lush I could almost swear I was back in the Midwest, and fire season has yet to really take hold.
So why talk about water efficiency when this summer is obviously shaping up to be a season of abundance rather than one of drought? In all honesty, this is the best time to start thinking ahead toward the future when we will likely experience drought again.
Have you given much thought to how you use water in your yard or landscape? According to a study by the state Department of Health, the short answer to this question is “yes.” Daily water consumption per individual has been dropping. In 2005, water usage per person was recorded at 207 gallons per day. This number was reduced to 131 gallons per day by 2010. Part of this drop in was attributed to efficient use of water in the home landscape.
Certainly, not everyone is taking steps to increase their irrigation efficiency, which means there’s still room for our community to continue to improve.
How a person chooses to water their yard and the type of system that is installed can have a dramatic impact on our overall water footprint as a society. This can be especially important during those lean years when water is in high demand but short supply.
For those of you who have not thought much about how you water your outdoor spaces, here are a few ideas on how you can reduce your personal demand on this precious and often limited resource.
1. Only water when necessary. Watch your plants for signs of water stress and figure out the best watering routine for your landscape. There are many plants that tend to go limp in the afternoon sun. This is OK and doesn’t necessarily mean that these plants require more water. Signs of actual drought-related water stress can include yellowing leaves, crunchy leaf margins and leaf dropping.
2. Water deeply. A deep watering once a week after established is better than a few short waterings every day. Most high water-use lawns require an inch of water a week. By watering deeply, the roots are able to move down into the soil and are better equipped to deal with hot, dry days.
3. Plant the right lawn. Pacific Northwest grass blends are available now that require less water and can summer survive dormancy.
4. Group plants together by their needs. Put all your high water-usage plants in the same bed with their own irrigation system. Plant xeriscape beds in areas that have lean soil and are hard to water.
5. Install a timer on your irrigation system. This will keep you from both overwatering and underwatering.
6. Fix your leaks. Inspect your irrigation system every season for leaks and fix them.
As always, good luck and happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Mulch Serves Many Purposes During Winter – 11/9/2019
Most readers know that I consider applying mulch one of the most important garden tasks — it protects plants and enriches the soil. One of the aspects that I have not written about is how mulch helps preserve and protect beneficial insects.
All bugs and spiders and various creepy crawlies and wee beasties are going to be referred to in this article as “arthropods.” Arthropod means “jointed segments” which all of our insects, spiders, worms and many of our other soil dwelling organisms have. We know that 95% of arthropods are beneficials that provide support for healthy garden flowers and vegetables. We are probably most familiar with those insects that pollinate plants such as bees, butterflies, moths and even some flies and beetles.
There are also a host of “beneficial” insects that can attack the egg, larval, pupa and adult stages. In the spring and early summer, the “bad bugs” seem to get a head start munching garden plants. The beneficials eventually catch up and start doing their job.
One of the reason for the slow start for beneficials is that our gardening practice destroys the good guys overwintering environments.
When we totally denude the garden of all spent vegetation, exposing only bare ground (sure, it looks nice with the new snow on it), we destroy the protection that the dead leaves and stalks provide. Insects overwinter in the top few inches of the soil, and bare soil freezes more readily. Those brown seed pods, dead flower stalks and rolled up leaves harbor many insect eggs, larva and adult insects. The plant parts lying on the ground are protected from truly hard freezes since the moist soil gives off some residual heat. In addition, the snow covering the plant debris also provides a warmer environment for the insects.
There is a plus side besides just providing insectary sanctuaries. If you wait until spring to remove the garden debris, the work is about two-thirds easier because the leaves and stalks and stems, break down during the winter. So there is less material to compost or add to the green can. Even better, the decaying organic material is incorporated into the soil during late winter.
When the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees, insects begin moving about. Worms work all winter and move closer to the surface when the soil warms. The worms break down the organic material lying on the soil and carry it into the top few inches of the garden.
This year’s colorful leaves have finally fallen. I am always torn about what to do with this treasure. Do I grind them with the lawn mower and store them to use as brown material for the summer’s compost pile, or do I use them as insulating mulch on the flowerbeds and around the veggies in my winter garden. I just don’t have enough leaves!
The flower beds every year get about 8 inches of leaves. In the spring, I can see the places where the worms have incorporated the organic material into the top few inches of the garden bed. This means that the soil will retain water more effectively, and more air can get down to the plants’ roots.
Since our last few winters have been much milder than in the past, I have found that 10 inches of leaf and grass clipping mulch is effective at protecting the roots of tender perennials such as Black and Blue Salvia ( Salvia guaranitica).
I use 10 inches of leaves to mulch the carrots and beets that I harvest all winter. This amount of mulch prevents the soil from freezing and ruining the vegetables. I mark the rows with tall poles and add piles of snow if we get enough. Then those wonderful January evenings, going out into the snow and the garden to harvest frost sweet vegetable. When I dig down through the mulch, the sweet summer soil scent makes me yearn for May.
By Bonnie Orr
February Is a Good Time To Clean Up Your Gardening Act – 2/4/2019
December and January have been warmer than usual winters, and there certainly hasn’t been very much snow. So we are probably itching to get out into the garden and do something.
Generally, late winter is the time to prune many shrubs, trees and brambles. It is only mid-winter. Last Saturday was the Cross Day, the halfway point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Deep cold can occur in February, so plants that have been pruned early may suffer winter kill on the ends of the branches. It is better to wait until the last week of February before yielding the loppers and saws.
So, what can you do now to cure the gardening itch? I find this is a perfect time to clean my pruning tools with soapy water. That is all that is needed to remove most dried sap. Then a thorough drying, and I apply light oil, or silicon to the moving parts so the tool is doing the work and not my arms and shoulders. Oiling wood handles makes them less likely to split into slivers.
Do any of you have hand pruners with dark-colored handles — those are the ones I am always misplacing in the flowerbed. February is when I paint those handles fire-engine red or hazard orange. It makes life so much easier.
As long as I am in a cleaning mood, mid-February is a great time to clean the rest of my hand tools, and clean and sharpen the edges of my shovels and spades.
Now you are itching to be out in the garden, so go out and make a plan.
Making a plan is what prevents us from getting overwhelmed by a gardening task. Do you know anyone who has gone out on an early spring Saturday, worked from dawn to dusk, got everything done and could not walk, bend over or use their elbows for a week after the extreme garden activity? By making a plan, you can divide up all the tasks and spread them out over a number of gardening sessions.
In the late winter and early spring, I like working in the sunshine rather than in the shade, so I prune the raspberries and blackberries in the morning, and when that part of the garden is no longer brightly lit, I clean my tools, put them away for the day and make myself a cup of cocoa. Then a few days later in the afternoon, in the sunshine in another part of my garden, I deadhead the seedpods from the ocean spray and the elderberry shrubs. Life is good in small doses.
When it is time to prune, remember that all of your spring flowering shrubs have already created their bloom buds. The Forsythia, lilac, rhododendron, azalea, Spiraea, quince, mock orange, Viburnum, Hydrangea and other spring shrubs do not get re-shaped or cut back until June when their blooms are finished
One last thought about February tasks: It is the time to apply dormant or delayed dormant sprays on your fruit trees to eliminate insect pests that damage fruit. Call the WSU Master Gardeners at 667-6540 to receive written instructions about what to spray on your trees and when to spray it.
By Bonnie Orr
Some Cautions On The Use Of Composted Manure – 7/7/2020
Compost made with livestock manure is an excellent soil amendment for vegetable gardens. Compost improves soil structure, provides nutrients and helps optimize soil pH. However, gardeners should be aware that cow and horse manure sometimes contains residues that can damage certain plants.
I recently visited the garden of a friend who had noticed discoloration and deformity on tomato and pepper plants after mulching with composted manure she had obtained from a nearby farm. The damage appears to be caused by residual herbicide.
The herbicides of concern are aminopyralid, clopyralid and picloram. These chemicals are used to control broadleaf weeds, including some toxic plants. They are sold under various trade names for use in pastures, commercial turf, residential lawns, grain crops, certain fruits and vegetables, and along roadsides.
Horses and cattle can safely graze treated pastures and feed on treated hay. The chemicals are not digested by the animals, but are excreted in urine and manure. The herbicides eventually break down through exposure to sunlight, soil microbes, heat and moisture, but the timing is variable. Field reports on herbicide breakdown range from 30 days to several years, with the slowest breakdown occurring in piles of manure and compost.
Plants vary in their sensitivity to these herbicides. Lettuce, peas, tomatoes and peppers (among others) are very sensitive, developing cupped leaves, deformed stems, and little or no fruit production. Squashes and mints are more tolerant. Corn, cole crops and tree fruits are not affected.
Before using composted manure, try to find out what herbicides were used on hay or pasture the animals have been grazing. If you are unsure, it’s a good idea to do your own test.
Testing is straightforward. Take several random samples from your compost pile and mix them thoroughly. Prepare three or more small pots with a 1:1 mix of compost and potting soil. Prepare the same number of small pots with just potting soil. Put a separate saucer under each pot, and do not let water flow from one pot to the other. Plant three pea or bean seeds in each pot, water carefully, and let them grow until they have three leaves, about 14 to 21 days.
If they all grow normally, you can probably use your compost with no problem. If the plants in the compost mix are abnormal, you may have a problem with herbicide residue. Washington State University Puyallup has a compost website that gives a complete description of how to do this bioassay at home, and I recommend it as a reference if you want to run a test.
If you think that your manure or compost contains herbicide residue, you can still use it on plants that are not affected. If you have already applied the compost and seen damage to sensitive plants, try tilling the soil and planting a less sensitive crop for a year or two. Then do a pot bioassay before planting any sensitive crop again.
Compost is a valuable soil amendment, but like all other gardening tools it requires your attention.
By Connie Mehmel
Leaves aren’t litter; don’t treat them like trash – 10/21/2024
For years, I dutifully raked the leaves that fell in my yard, and, after stuffing my compost bin with as many as I could, carried the rest up to the road. Until yard debris collection was an option, Waste Management took my leaves by the black plastic bagful and hauled them away to the landfill with the week’s garbage.
Last year, however, this fall ritual got interrupted. Instead of putting them in the green yard waste bin, load by load, I put all my leaves into a wheelbarrow and carted them to an empty corner of my garden so I could deal with them later. The pile grew until I had to push the wheelbarrow up a small mountain of leaves to dump it, and by the end of autumn, the pile stood at least 3 feet high at its peak.
Maybe it was because the leaves fell so late. Instead of chipping away at my leaf pile by filling up the green bins every other week, I left the leaves there. “Leave the leaves” is the new conventional wisdom, and that’s just what I did. When winter came, I forgot all about them.
Mother Nature is the ultimate recycler. No one rakes up the leaves in a forest, yet every year they seem to disappear. That is exactly what happened to my giant leaf pile. By springtime it had predictably deflated, but by the end of the summer, only a few inches of crushed, dry leaves remained. Below that lay dark, crumbly compost and some very happy worms.
I’m not sure how much I would have to pay for this compost at a hardware store, but the lesson I learned was surely more valuable. I knew that leaves would decompose; what I didn’t realize was that they could be broken down into beautiful compost so quickly. With a little irrigation, it took less than a year for that giant pile of leaves to be completely transformed.
A study by Rutgers University showed that leaves contain on average about 1% nitrogen, .4% potassium, .4% phosphorus, and 1.6% calcium, along with a long list of micronutrients, such as iron and boron. While compost in general is not a substitute for fertilizer, it provides many benefits that fertilizer can’t.
Leaf compost is almost 50% carbon, making it an important source of organic matter. Adding organic matter to your soil simultaneously increases drainage and retains moisture, improving its texture. Better yet, as microorganisms and small invertebrates feed on it and break it down, they slowly release the leaves’ nutrients and minerals, making them continuously available to plants.
It’s time to rethink the way we describe leaves in the fall. Calling them “yard waste” sends the wrong message. Leaves are not litter and shouldn’t be treated like trash. They are a natural, renewable, (and free!) resource that shouldn’t go to waste. They are my trees’ way of replenishing the soil they grow in, a last gift before winter.
Rather than sending them away to decompose elsewhere, reuse your leaves at home. If devoting space for one big leaf pile isn’t possible in your yard, spread them directly over garden and flower beds. Keep them moist so they don’t blow away. Not only will a thick layer of leaves return nutrients to your soil next summer, they will also provide winter insulation for your plants’ roots and prevent weeds from growing in the spring.
Unfortunately, lawns don’t do well if they are covered for too long under a thick blanket of wet leaves, so protect turf from getting smothered. To minimize raking, WSU Extension’s Calendar of Garden Tasks recommends running over dry leaves with your lawn mower and leaving the small pieces to break down.
While shredding leaves with a lawn mower will speed the decomposition process, consider the benefits of raking them up and leaving them whole. Many insects and other garden arthropods that may be living among them will appreciate not getting chopped up, and whole leaves will provide them with needed shelter and protection when winter comes.
By Julie Banken
Think Composting Isn’t For You? It’s Time To Re-Think – 5/13/2021
What are you doing with your lawn clippings? Are they going in the Green Can or making a moldering pile? What happens to your leftover vegetable scraps from fixing dinner?
It might be the time to set up a compost pile.
Some basic facts:
1. Compost does not smell bad. When it is working correctly, it smells like a walk in a conifer forest.
2. Compost is not unsightly nor does it need to be hidden away behind a shed.
3. A steaming pile of lawn clippings all slimy and moldy is not compost, nor is a pile of pruning and odds and ends of old sticks.
4. Compost is not an exact science and difficult to do.
5. Compost is not a fertilizer that will make your garden grow faster.
6. Compost takes at least six months to complete the process of breaking down the organic materials.
The most effective compost piles have to be in contact with the soil so the micro-organisms and red wiggler worms can activate the composting process. There is no need to buy worms or starter organisms.
The size of the pile is critical. A cubic yard is about right; 3-feet-by-3-feet-by-3-feet is large enough to create the heat to break down organic materials and small enough that all materials can be incorporated with minimum turning.
In North Central Washington, the compost pile has to be watered during the summer. Its texture should be about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If it is too wet, you will drown your worms and other beneficial insects. If it is too dry, the microorganisms cannot utilize the organic material.
You do not need a container. Instead, consider these options:
– A pile on the ground works.
– You can build a cement block fence around it to hold it in place. (The micro-organisms will “eat” a wooden fence.)
– Hog wire does not work in NCW because the pile dries out.
– A commercial, black plastic bin is dandy and costs about $100.
– A tumbler is the poorest choice in NCW. The high summer temperatures dry out and “cook” the organisms that create the compost. It is difficult to have enough material at one time to fill the tumbler so it can work effectively.
In the fall, you can save leaves for next year’s compost pile.
This year, purchase straw. This dry material, usually brown, allows air to circulate. Composting is an aerobic process, and that is why air has to be available to all the organisms that are working to break down garden and kitchen waste.
Add no animal waste, no meat scraps, no fats — these materials break down by rotting, which is an anaerobic process, and can also attract vermin to your pile. Don’t add thorny things or weed seeds.
When the compost is black and crumbly and has no smell or bugs and no recognizable plant parts, it is ready to incorporate into the soil. Add no more than 10% by volume of compost to your soil. Compost increases the water-holding capacity of the soil. It also provides “loft” — air spaces for roots to move more easily through the soil. You can overdo a good thing by adding too much compost.
WSU Master Gardeners can give you more information.
By Bonnie Orr
Decrease Water Use In The Landscape, Even On The Hottest Days – 12/15/2021
If you were in Wenatchee this past summer, I am sure you are aware of the double water whammy; it consisted of super hot temperatures and wind, lots of wind.
Many people responded by using more water than they normally would, trying to keep their plants and lawns green. The extra water may not be doing much good, depending on your soil type and watering practices. Sandy soils don’t hold much water and the extra will just flow through the soil profile once it’s saturated. If you have a clay soil, that extra water may not be draining fast enough and can cause other issues to deal with.
There are some things, however, that can help keep your landscape looking good:
– The use of mulch cover helps shade the soil and reduces the drying effect of both sun and wind. It also keeps the soil temperature cooler and can help reduce a plant’s water requirement needs.
– Make sure your irrigation system has a uniform overlap that allows all areas to receive an equal amount of water. More sprinklers can actually save water because it allows a more uniform water application and keeps you from adding extra time to get the “dry spots” (which occurs from having sprinklers spaced too far apart when it’s hot or windy). Make sure sprinklers are watering the intended area without hitting sidewalks or driveways to help save water.
– The type of sprinkler can make a big difference on water usage; sprinklers that cause misting will result in more water evaporation and wind disruption, while drip or lower volume sprinklers will direct the water more toward the plants roots and not up into the air to evaporate.
– New plantings require more water while becoming established. If possible, plant in the fall when plants are less stressed from the summer heat and require less water as roots become established. I “renovate” grass areas by thatching and reseeding in early fall. This also works well for establishing new lawns and allows roots to continue to grow even after it starts to cool down. The big advantage is warmer soil temperatures for seed germination in the fall.
– Keep plants with similar water requirements grouped together. This prevents more water-needy plants from causing the overwatering of more drought-tolerant plants. Visit the Riverfront Xeriscape Garden north of Pybus Public Market along the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail to see low-water use plants that work well in our area. You can see plants and their growth habits and you can learn more about them on the Chelan County PUD demonstration garden website. The garden was designed and planted by WSU Chelan-Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners volunteers, who also maintain the area. Chelan County PUD co-sponsors the garden.
– Reducing the amount of lawn can also help save water since it takes lots of water for grass to stay nice and green. Careful selection of grass varieties can also help; some varieties take considerably less water than others. Kentucky bluegrass — a favorite lawn choice for its nice green color and softer feel for bare feet — uses more water. Fescue grasses use less water and can be easier to manage. Most lawn grass seed mixes contain several types of different grass types.
– You can save even more water and convert some of that green lawn to a less water-needy planting. Use natives or other plants that sink deeper roots and use less water to start with or even incorporate a bark or gravel ground cover.
Hopefully, Mother Nature will ease up a bit on the heat domes, atmospheric rivers and other nuisances in the years to come. If that is not the case, you now have several options to keep your lawn and plants looking good during our Wenatchee Valley summers.
By Lloyd Thompson
Beat the weeds by turning some of your lawn into flowerbed – 10123/2023
Many gardeners in North Central Washington have been talking about turf problems and how their lawns are weedier than ever before. The weed culprits seem to be spotted spurge, crab grass, Oxalis and Purslane.
These weeds established a foothold two summers ago when we had a week of intense heat that damaged the turf. The dead places in the lawn provided light to the dormant weed seeds.
In the succeeding two summers, these weeds have been having a field day and have overtaken many lawns. Correct timing for pre-emergent herbicides will help curb some of the weeds but be aware that there is a seed bank of thousands of seeds waiting for another opportunity to germinate.
It even might be time to reassess the amount of land you devote to turf. It is much easier to control weeds around shrubs and perennials when mulch is correctly applied. So, why not convert some of the lawn into new flowerbeds or areas of xeric shrubs? This is the time of year to undertake garden conversions.
The first step is to plan the perimeter by marking it off with a line of spray paint, so you create the area you have in mind. Take advantage of the cool weather because the lawn has essentially quit growing for the season, and the soil is dryer.
The easiest way to convert lawn to beds is to smother the turf plants. There are several easy ways to do this after you have determined the areas you want to change. These include:
After the final mowing, consider piling all the leaves and the grass clippings on the designated spot to the depth of 6 inches to 8 inches. If you mix the leaves and the grass clippings together, there is less likelihood the leaves will blow away. The advantage of using this system is that the worms and microorganisms will utilize the organic material over the winter and enrich the soil.
After mowing the lawn, lay down multiple layers of newspapers topped with a final layer of cardboard to secure the newspaper in place. Again, these organic layers will be broken down by the soil citizens.
Purchase wood chips and pile them at least 6 inches deep. Do not leave any open spaces between the chips where light can reach the grass plants. Remove the chips in the spring. Do not dig them into the soil.
The next methods are more labor intensive and do not enrich the soil. They merely kill the turf plants.
Cover the turf with smothering materials such as composite roofing to totally cover the spot.
Cover the turf with heavy gauge black plastic and pin it down with stakes. Do not use landscape fabric, which is permeable.
The disadvantage to the final two methods is that they can damage existing tree or shrub roots because they cut off the source of oxygen and moisture to those roots.
If you have made the commitment to have less turf, skimming up the lawn with a cutting tool such as a large flat-bladed spade or renting a mechanized sod-cutter will get rid of the plants. The bare soil should be covered with a mulch of chopped leaves to prevent weed seeds from germinating in the early spring.
Tilling up the turf could leave many grass roots to regrow, as well as the seeds from the nuisance weeds.
In the spring, the new bed needs to be spaded up because most turf areas are fairly compacted. Organic materials can be incorporated when spading the bed.
Have fun.
By Bonnie Orr
Questions to consider when deciding what to plant – 2/27/2024
“Well, it looked like a good place to put that plant …” When plants fail to thrive, some gardeners claim they must have a “brown thumb.” But that is not necessarily true.
Deciding what to plant and where to plant it in your yard needs a true understanding of your landscape and the characteristics of the plant you have selected.
Some questions to answer and some rules of thumb to consider:
What are the water requirements of the plant and how will they be delivered? Standing by the hose-end dooms the plant to failure because you do not have a means of knowing how much water you are applying. Too much water can be as deadly as too little water.
What are the light requirements for the plant? Full sun means 6-8 hours of direct sun on a place on the ground; it does not mean that it is daylight.
What are the full-grown dimensions of the plant? Do you know how wide and how tall the plant will be? You need to determine if you have enough square feet allotted to the mature plant. Constantly pruning a plant back is tiresome to you and adversely affects its health.
What is the plant’s cold zone designation? USDA has reconfigured the plant hardiness, the cold zones, in the U.S. Our area hovers in the 6-7 zone. The cold can be very slightly adjusted depending on the slope of your yard and the effective use of mulch to protect the plant’s root system. Even if it freezes to the ground, many plants with protected roots will re-sprout. Wishing you could still grow the plants you loved to grow on the West side of the Cascades is merely a fantasy.
Heat tolerance is more difficult to adjust since the plant’s physical makeup determines how much water it can deliver to leaves. Adding more water to the soil can lead to root rot. In addition, soil organisms are affected by heat. The American Horticultural Society has created zones based on the number of days over 86 degrees. Many plant labels now contain heat zone information. In North Central Washington, we range between zone 6 and zone 7. Zone 7 means 61-90 days over 86 degrees. NCW had 198 frost-free days last year, the highest number ever recorded locally.
What are the seasonable impacts of the plant. If it is deciduous, are the leaves going to fall on your deck or in your rock garden? What about the tree’s flowers, seeds or needles? Not something to look forward to, usually. If the plant is supposed to screen a view, what happens when the branches are all bare?
How does it rank for fire-wise safety. The placement in the yard needs to be considered if it is a plant likely to burn fast and hot. Those plants need to be at least 30 feet from the house.
How will the mature plant affect your view or your neighbor’s view?
How invasive is the plant? Is it going to reseed readily or spread by underground stems into areas where it has not been intended?
How will the plant thrive in the lawn? Usually, large shrubs and trees do not thrive when planted in the lawn because the lawn and the ornamental plant have different irrigation requirements. On the other hand, planting lawn under trees is not usually successful because the tree’s surface roots will claim the moisture.
Happy plant selection. Plan a fabulous garden this year.
By Bonnie Orr
Beginner Gardener: The dirt on soil – 04/15/2024
Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) said, “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.” It took about another 300 years for the study of soil to become a true science.
Today we know that soil is a complex, living, dynamic ecosystem of diversity created from the minerals of weathered rock, decaying remains of once-living things (organic matter), water and air. And it is the single most important factor in determining the success of your gardening efforts.
Not only does soil physically support your plant, but it influences the water and nutrients your plant babies need to thrive.
Soil Science Simplified
Ideal soil composition is 45% mineral, 25% air, 25% water and 5% organic matter. Good garden soil is like dark, soft crumbly cake.
Soil texture: Soil contains a combination of three basic mineral particles. From largest to smallest, these are sand, silt and clay. The combination of these particles determines its texture. Soils in our area range from sandy on the east side of the river to siltier on the west side. However, you may have different variations even within your own yard.
The easiest way to learn your soil’s texture is to grab a handful and roll it into a ball. Does it feel gritty and crumble apart? That is sandy soil. Does it roll-up slippery and sticky, and easily rolls into a sausage shape like Play Dough? Yep, that is clay soil. Does it roll up into a smooth ball, but crumbles when you try to roll into a sausage shape? Goldilocks would find your loamy soil “just right.”
Your soil’s texture determines its ability to hold water and nutrients. Sand does not hold water, quickly washing away nutrients. Clay, or “claggy”as the Brits say, soil can easily become waterlogged but holds nutrients well. Silty soil is the sweet spot of water and nutrient retention but can become dusty and blow away.
Soil Structure: The minerals of soil cluster combine with organic matter to form clumps. The space between these clumps allows water and air to move throughout the soil. Ideal soil structure is sponge-like, allowing water but draining the excess.
Organic Matter: The soil food web is perhaps the most important and easily destroyed component of your soil. A whole community of critters lives within your soil. A billion microorganisms may live in one-quarter teaspoon of topsoil. These are bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates that breakdown decaying plant and animal remains to create organic matter. This organic matter provides the all-you-can-eat buffet to your plants. Without this earthy ensemble, your dynamic ecosystem of life-giving soil is just dead dirt.
Best Soil-Health Practices
1. Get a soil test. A soil test can tell you the composition of your soil, its nutrients and pH.
2. Increase organic matter by adding compost. For more info on composting, check out the WSU Chelan-Douglas Master Gardener website bit.ly/cdmgcomposting.
3. Protect your soil’s structure by avoiding tilling.
4. Add mulch to help keep moisture, add nutrients and suppress weeds.
5. Avoid using any chemical with a name ending in -cide; fungicides, herbicides and pesticides impact your soil’s food web.
By Dana Cook
Thriving through change: Strategies for gardening in a changing climate – 10/21/2024
“Gardening in a Changing Climate” was the theme of this year’s Master Gardener Advanced Education Conference that took place in late September. While the message we often hear about climate change is usually doom and gloom, the speakers at this year’s conference provided a balanced view and some hope for our adapting to these changes.
Our planet has been 2 degrees warmer since 1900, and climate models predict another 2-4 degrees of warming by 2050.
Although July this summer was the hottest month on record, temperature is only part of the story. Changes in water availability will have the most significant impact.
Here in Eastern Washington, experts predict our current climate will intensify with the potential for extreme weather. We’ve already seen evidence of this with record-breaking temps during the heat dome of summer 2021 and the record snow fall in April 2022 that impacted the cherry crop.
The impact of climate change on our garden is a good news-bad news story. Let’s take a closer look at how the predicted hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters may impact our gardening activities and what, if anything, we can do about it.
Warmer winter temps may lead to a longer growing season as the gap widens between our first and last frost dates. According to the nonprofit group Climate Central, our region has seen a 20% increase in the number of days plant growth can happen (known as growing degree days). This may allow us to try new plant varieties, start our gardens earlier and continue to harvest later. That’s assuming our gardens can survive the hotter, drier summers, which can cause leaf wilting, fruit damage and reduced growth.
Warmer days may also increase the rate of plant growth. While this may seem beneficial, quality is sacrificed for quantity when vegetables grow so quickly that they do not have time to accumulate sugars and nutrients.
Many plants, such as lilacs, need a certain number of hours of cool temperatures to trigger flowering, a process known as vernalization. Warmer temps, especially warmer nights, may require a different tactic such as changing planting times or artificial vernalization techniques such as storing bulbs in the fridge.
The most critical climate change factor for North Central Washington gardeners is the potential for decreased snowpack. Winter precipitation is expected to be more rain than snow. Sound familiar? More rain leads to early peak-season water flow and late-season drought.
Weeds are well prepared for climate change as they adapt quickly and can stay dormant in the seed bank, awaiting the ideal environment. We may see new types of weeds in our area. Same with pests and diseases — the type and intensity may change. For instance, we may see an increase in the spread of powdery mildew.
Some strategies to control the impact of some of these changes involve the good practice of the principle of “right plant, right place” and adding at the “right time” to take advantage of when water is most available. Utilize compost, mulching and cover crops to retain soil moisture and improve its quality. Take advantage of native plants and others that may be more drought tolerant.
Despite these changes, much of the natural world will adapt. Some of our traditional gardening advice may change as we see new challenges and opportunities. By planning for and observing the impact of climate change, we can be in a better position to adopt nature’s versatility.
By Dana Cook
Herbs
Bring summer to your dinner table when winter comes – 9/21/2022
Most culinary herbs grow in the heat of summer, or year-round in climates far from North Central Washington. With our long, hot, sunny days in the Wenatchee Valley, you can grow herbs in your garden in summer, but what about winter?
Why not try an indoor herb garden? There are many indoor herb garden kits available to purchase, or you might enjoy making your own.
Popular herbs that can be grown indoors include basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, cilantro and rosemary. Plant them in a commercial potting medium rather than garden soil. Though your soil may produce good results in your garden, it tends to contain weed seeds, insects and pathogens that should not be brought indoors. Most garden soil becomes crusty and does not drain well under indoor conditions.
Place your herbs in a south-facing window that receives at least six hours of sun daily. If you don’t have a sunny window, a fluorescent or LED grow light can do the work of sunshine during our short winter days. For best results, keep plants in a warm place away from drafts.
You need good drainage to keep your potting medium aerated and avoid root rot. A deep tray filled with small rocks under the herb pots allows you to see water draining, while keeping pots and roots, above any standing water.
Drying fresh summer herbs for use in winter months is another way to supply your kitchen. Choose a calm, dry morning to harvest, and pick them just after the dew has dried. You can use a dehydrator, following the instructions on your appliance. For air drying, remove the foliage at the base of each stem and bundle in groups of six to 12 stems with thin rubber bands. Rubber bands contract and hold as the plant material dries and shrinks. Hang in a cool place, away from sun and wind.
If you want to freeze herbs, make sure to freeze each cutting separately on waxed paper trays before bundling together for storage. A useful publication on growing and preserving herbs can be found on line at the Purdue University Cooperative Extension website, extension.purdue.edu.
Herbs are a wonderful way to make your dishes more interesting and they are a healthy addition to your diet. Although fresh vs. dried herbs change flavor and intensity, both are a welcome addition to any dinner table. They are full of nutrients, antioxidants and scrumptious flavor that can help limit the need for salt. They are simple to grow at home with little space, and also simple to preserve after summer days are past.
By Viva Mertlich
Dried herbs, spices within easy reach – 1/4/2017
Now that we are snuggled up and warm inside our winter cocoon, our kitchen has become a hive of creativity. Long nights mean more time for cooking and gathering together around the evening meal.
We have a drawer in our kitchen devoted to nothing except spices and herbs. It is probably the most important drawer in our whole house. Each jar holds a unique flavor and aroma — the secret to keeping dinner interesting.
As winter wears on, I watch our little stash of dried herbs slowly diminish until nothing remains except the thin film of powder along the bottom of the jar and the hint of a scent that reminds you of the former inhabitant. As the containers begin to empty, I start to make a mental list of the herbs I want to grow once springtime arrives again.
The key to drying herbs successfully is to own a nice dehydrator. Certainly, it is possible to dry herbs without a dehydrator but the process tends to take longer and the results are less consistent. A good dehydrator comes with a programmable thermostat and a timer with an automatic shut-off feature.
For most herbs, 11 hours at 95 F is adequate for proper drying as long as the trays are not overloaded, allowing for good air movement. After drying, herbs can be stored in glass jars until ready for use. I like to keep mine in our cool back pantry, out of direct sunlight. If cared for properly, the flavor is preserved and remains pungent.
One of the most versatile of the herbs that can be grown and dried is basil. If you like to cook, it is worth your time to begin experimenting with growing different varieties other than the standard Genovese basil. One of my favorites to dry is Thai basil. The color is a little darker, the leaves are more petite and the flavor is more pungent than its Italian cousin. Alternatively, lemon basil makes a great accompaniment to fish dishes and sauces.
Leaves should be stripped from the stems before drying. This will save space in your dehydrator. It is also much easier to strip green leaves off of basil stems than dried leaves later on.
Oregano is another standard herb that can be grown in our region and is suitable for drying. Without dried oregano, pizza sauce just tastes a little flat. In winter, it is an excellent herb for creating delicious Italian soups. Oregano is easy to grow in our climate and can spread rapidly if left unchecked. It can make a nice ground cover and offers up a profusion of flowers that act as a nectar source for beneficial insects. For drying purposes, the leaves should be harvested before flowering occurs since this is when essential oils are at their peak.
Rosemary is a necessary herb if you like to make focaccia bread. Several varieties do well outside in zone 6 climates and higher. We are right on the cusp of this range in our region. For those of us who live in the Upper Valley, Rosemary can be grown in pots and brought indoors during the winter. Rosemary is susceptible to root rot in wet soils, similar to lavender. It should not be overwatered and should be allowed to dry down from time to time. When grown indoors, it can be susceptible to whitefly. If whitefly becomes a problem, the plant should be disposed of or it can be treated using strips of Encarsia Formosa, a beneficial insect.
Some other favorites for drying include celeriac leaves (celery flavor), thyme, mint and stinging nettle.
By saving up the flavors of summer, winter cooking can turn from dull into the extraordinary. Happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Growing cilantro in Eastern Washington – 8/12/2024
Gardeners are inherently patient people, but it’s easy to run out of patience with cilantro. Every spring, I optimistically plant cilantro seeds, imagining the salsa I will make in the heat of the summer. It is now August; the tomatoes are red, and the jalapeños are ripe, but my leafy green cilantro flowered and went to seed a long time ago.
It’s time to stop blaming myself for another failed cilantro crop. It turns out that while tomatoes and cilantro go together beautifully in a salsa, nature didn’t intend for them to be harvested at the same time, at least not in Eastern Washington.
There are significant differences between these two plants.
Tomatoes like it warm. They are happiest when their roots are at least 65 degrees F. Below that temperature, root development is slow and plants have a hard time taking up nutrients. In optimal conditions, tomatoes start producing fruit two to three months after planting, and will continue to bear throughout the season until they are killed by the first frost.
Cilantro, in contrast, is a cool-weather plant. It grows quickly, and its first leaves can be ready to harvest after just three to four weeks. Seedlings are surprisingly hardy and can survive temperatures that drop below freezing, but cilantro seeds won’t even germinate when the soil is too warm. Cilantro thrives in cool temperatures and shuts down in heat.
Unfortunately, this means that cilantro is not the kind of plant that you can sow in the spring and enjoy for the rest of the season. Unlike tomatoes, cilantro does not last through the summer. Long days and temperatures consistently above 70 degrees signal to hormones that time is up. At the hint of summer, they stop focusing on growing stems and leaves and shift operations to reproduction.
When cilantro forms a tough center stalk with fern-like leaves, it is about to make flowers that will ultimately develop into seeds. This process is aptly called “bolting,” as it happens very quickly, and often when you aren’t ready. Like a horse out of a gate, it is impossible to stop cilantro from bolting once it starts.
As the plant channels nutrients out of its leaves and into its growing flowers, cilantro leaves begin to fade and change color. They also change flavor. When cilantro starts to bolt, bitter aldehydes begin to build up, probably as means of protection from herbivores. Leaves that once tasted citrusy and bright (at least to most) will take on the flavor of soap.
By the time you notice the thickened flower stem in a bolting cilantro plant, leaves will have already changed their taste. Cutting the center stalk will slow the seed-making process, but cannot prevent it. Left unchecked, lush cilantro plants will become tall and wispy, and will be sparsely covered with thin, lacy leaves and umbels of tiny white flowers.
The good thing is that even if it no longer tastes good in salsa, cilantro still has a role to play in the garden. Its flowers provide food for pollinators, and look beautiful, too, as they fill in the negative space between other plants. Ultimately cilantro has a second life. Its flowers develop into small round seeds that, when they are dry, are better known as the flavorful and versatile spice called coriander.
Helpful tips for growing cilantro
While not as easy as raising tomatoes, growing cilantro throughout the summer is not impossible. Stay patient, and extend your harvest by trying these strategies:
– Choose slow-bolting seed varieties such as Calypso.
– Plant seeds directly into the garden, since transplanting plants with tap roots can cause stress that may trigger bolting.
– Sow a few seeds every week instead of planting all your seeds at once.
– Plant cilantro in the coolest part of your garden and where it will grow in the shade of bigger plants.
– Keep plants moist; to a plant, dry roots imply hot weather is coming.
– Plan ahead to “over-summer” cilantro by raising it in pots that can be moved indoors out of the heat.
– Start a fall crop outside in mid to late August when temperatures begin to cool and days shorten. Cilantro planted in late summer can still make it into a salsa with the last of the season’s tomatoes and jalapeños.
By Julie Banken
Helpful tips for planting a summer herb garden – 4/25/2023
There is almost nothing as wonderful as the aroma and flavor of fresh herbs on your plate. It is easy to start and grow a summer herb garden, and it is one of the most rewarding edible gardens you can grow.
Herbs do well in containers or in the ground, but they all need lots of sunlight to thrive. Just like a vegetable garden, you should plan for your herb garden to get a minimum of six hours of direct sun per day, and make sure you have healthy soil with good drainage. There are some herbs, such as cilantro, parsley and mint, that will tolerate or be more successful in part shade.
As a rule of thumb, herbs should be planted after the last frost in spring. Although some herbs — rosemary, parsley, sage, cilantro and mint — are hardier and can be planted earlier, most new plants will get off to a better start if planted when conditions are mild and conducive to growth.
Cilantro is a short-lived plant and can do well when planted earlier in spring, or even later in fall, if there is enough time before freezing weather to get a crop. Once cilantro bolts — sends out flowers and goes to seed — the leaves turn bitter, and a new crop begins; the dried seeds are called coriander. Cilantro bolts after eight to 10 weeks in the garden and when the roots of the plant get above 75 degrees. Salsa lovers may want to plan several staggered plantings of cilantro during summer.
Basil, like cilantro, is a leafy herb often used in copious quantities, such as for making fresh Italian pesto. Successive plantings for several weeks can give you a long and delicious season of this herb as well. Basil needs full sun to thrive.
Rosemary or mint may grow quite large and last well into early winter, when all the other fresh herbs are long gone from your yard. Be careful planting any type of mint; it is a very invasive plant and can be difficult to contain or eradicate. Many gardeners choose to grow mint in containers for that reason.
Most herbs are minimal maintenance in the garden and require low water, once established. When planning garden placement, do not forget that afternoon shade for your cilantro, parsley and mint will keep the plants from overheating and drying out during the sweltering summer months. Herbs can be sown early indoors from seed (follow directions on seed packets) in a south-facing window or with grow lights, or easily purchased in spring as small plants from garden centers around the valley. Be sure to check out the annual Master Gardener plant sale at Pybus Public Market on April 29.
Due to the relative ease of growing them, satisfyingly rapid growth of most herbs, and the flavor and healthy qualities they can add to your culinary delights, it may be worth growing an herb garden this summer.
Herbs are beautiful plants that can also add interest to your garden, and many are disliked by deer and friendly to pollinators (if you forget about them and allow them to flower). Feel free to mix your herbs into other areas of your garden or grow them in their own dedicated area; just make sure to be especially safe and thoughtful about any chemical treatments in or near an edible garden. Follow label directions for any chemicals used in your landscape.
More detailed information on many favorite herbs, and ideal growing conditions of each can be found on the WSU Extension King County Master Gardener website, bit.ly/tipsheet8.
By Viva Mertlich
Tarragon is an elegant garden herb – 3/29/2023
If you haven’t yet discovered tarragon, a gastronomic adventure awaits you. Its aromatic leaves have a pungent licorice or anise flavor that is a complement to fish, meat, vegetables or salads. It is often used in sauces and vinegars.
If you want to introduce this herb to your garden, be aware that three different plants bear the common name of “tarragon.” These are French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa), Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus dracunculoides) and Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida). Before you plant, you should learn the differences.
French tarragon is native to temperate zones in Europe and Asia. It was cultivated in English gardens as early as the 16th century, and was brought to America by British colonists. It is a hardy, perennial shrub that is spread by rhizomes. It rarely flowers and any flowers produced are usually sterile, so French tarragon is almost always propagated from cuttings or root division.
If your neighbor has an established French tarragon plant with good culinary qualities, maybe you can get permission to take a few 6-inch tips in late spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each cutting, set them in a seed-starting medium and keep them well watered until they have rooted. It’s a good idea to transfer them to pots with growing medium until the roots are well developed. Then you can plant them out in the garden.
Russian tarragon (sometimes called wild tarragon) is the same species as French tarragon, but a different variety. The leaves may or may not possess the licorice aroma and flavor of the French variety. Russian tarragon has a history of use as a medicinal herb, but is considered vastly inferior as a spice. Unlike French tarragon, it does produce flowers and seeds, so if you see tarragon seeds for sale in a catalog, they are almost certainly Russian tarragon.
Mexican tarragon is in the genus Tagetes, or marigolds. It has many names, including Mexican mint, Mexican marigold and pericón. It is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is a perennial herb valued for its aromatic leaves, which are used in the same way as French tarragon. The plant also has lovely little yellow flowers that attract bees and other pollinators. Grown as an annual in our climate, it thrives in full sun and is drought tolerant once established. I discovered this charming herb last year, and it has become one of my favorites.
By Connie Mehmel
Houseplants
Best Bets for Houseplants – 12/1/2016
– Bonnie Orr has compiled a list of houseplants in various categories that can help us make the best choices for our homes. Let’s start with flowering plants: Hoya, Lipstick, Christmas/Easter cactus, Peace lily, Begonia, Gardenia, Cyclamen, Hibiscus, African Violet, Citrus species, and Jasmine.
Next are the two lists I need most. First, easy plants: Sansevieria, Spider plant, Palm, Devil Ivy, Philodendron, Christmas/Easter cactus, Dieffenbachia, Shamrock, Wandering Jew, Peace lily, Aluminum Plant, Asparagus Fern, Grape Ivy, Swedish Ivy , Sedums, Cast Iron Plant, Begonia, Aralia, Prayer plant, Rubber tree, Velvet plant, Croton, Ti plant, Piggyback plant, Peperomia, Snakeskin, and Chinese evergreen. Note that some of these easy plants are also in the flowering plant list! Second, difficult plants: Ferns, Polka Dot , Fig, Norfolk Island Pine, Gardenia, Cyclamen, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Kalanchoe, African Violet, Mandevilla, Coleus, Caladium, and Copper Leaf. I like this category – messy plants: Ferns, Lipstick plant, Begonia, African Violet, Rosary Vine and Mother of Thousands. Fortunately this is a short list!
Finally, we have low-light plants: Chinese Evergreen, Aspidistra, Baby tears, Dracaena, Elephant ears, Iron Cross Begonia, Ivy, Maidenhair fern, Palms, Peace lily, Peperomia, Philodendron, Polka Dot plants, Devil’s Ivy, Rabbit-foot Fern, Sansevieria, and Ti plant. Enjoy your indoor plants!
By Casey Leigh
How to Care for Your Christmas Cactus – 12/1/2015
Although not as common, questions about houseplants are brought to the Diagnosis Clinic. For this month’s article, we decided to give information about a houseplant that often appears in stores in the late fall: the Christmas cactus, a popular houseplant brought from Rio de Janeiro in 1840. Dozens of species exist, and they bloom at different times. A short description of the plant will help a home gardener grow this plant successfully. In Brazil, the cactus grows as an epiphyte—that is, it grows on the branches of trees solely for physical support, taking its nutritional needs from the air and rain. The plant produces profuse elaborate blooms based on the change in the number of hours of light. Because we are at the 47th parallel, we have a dramatic change in the number of hours of daylight. This makes for perfect timing for this plant to bloom for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Christmas cactus suffers when the temperature is less than 55 degrees. In late May, I take this potted houseplant outside to a place with bright, indirect light on the northeast side of my house. Remember, this plant’s ancestors lived on the shady branches of trees in Brazil. Water and feed it regularly with a low nitrogen fertilizer. In September I bring it back into the house. If you purchase one from a store at this time of year, be sure to have the clerk wrap it securely in several plastic bags and hurry home with it. Or, propagate it yourself, as it is easy to do so. If you see a plant you like, ask your friend for two or three joints of the petiole. Let it dry for a day or so, then place it in seed starting planting soil. Water the soil well. Cover the pot with plastic wrap and place the pot in bright indirect light. Do not water it again until the plant shows signs of new growth. NOTE: You have made a commitment. The plants can grow for generations. I know people who have inherited them.
The traditional Thanksgiving cactus has little horns on the petiole (leaf). The Christmas cactus has smaller petioles that are smooth and rounded. The plant has been hybridized to produce huge, complex flowers. The color spectrum ranges from pale orange to vibrant pink to shocking red.
• How to get the plant to bloom. Stop watering the plant in September. As the light lessens, the plant will put out flower buds. Watch for them carefully; water the plant well when they first appear.
• Then water once a month. If you water too frequently, the flowers and the buds will fall off (Does this sound familiar?) It does not need very much water. Over watering is the main cause of this plant’s death.
• A 65-70 degree room is best for the plant.
• When the plant’s flowers have faded, water and fertilize lightly. Then continue to water once a month until it is time to take it outside again.
During these short days, the cheery blooms of these cacti are a welcome color. Enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
By Bonnie Orr
Low-light Houseplant Care – 12/1/2017
We have entered our low-light phase of the year—that means lots more time to curl up in front of the fire to read a good book. We will enjoy that—but our houseplants will not be as contented.
This week my portable houseplants returned from summer camp. Well not really, they just spent the summer in the fresh air on the north side of my house. They grew in natural light, and their leaves were regularly washed with the sprinkler. The venerable houseplants—mostly over 30 years old—are too big to move outside, but I moved them to a brighter window for the summer.
All the houseplants were fertilized once a month. The best time to fertilize is when they are growing rapidly in great conditions. The plants can utilize the fertilizer, and there is not accumulation of excess salts. More importantly, when the plant is growing in good conditions, the plant’s growth is vigorous and healthy. In low light conditions, growth forced by fertilizer is usually wimpy and succulent—just what the sucking insects ordered!
If your plants did not summer outside, a sane fertilizing schedule follows the seasons. For the spring equinox, provide fertilizer at ¼ strength (the water will barely be blue). For the summer solstice, fertilize at ½ strength, and for the autumnal equinox, fertilize at ¼ strength. Do not fertilize at the winter solstice since the inside light is barely strong enough to support plant growth. Of course, if you use grow light, you can fertilize at ½ strength for all the seasons.
This is the time of year to prune back unruly houseplants to get them ready to be admired by holiday guests. Get rid of dead leaves or long stringy growth. Then give you plants a shower—either in the bathroom or by placing plastic on the floor and gently squirting the tips of the leaves of large plants. We live in a windy, and often smoky, area, and you will be surprised how much dust is washed off the leaves of the plants. The plants need clean leaves for two rea-sons. First, light is essential for photosynthesis. A dirty surface reduces the amount of light that reaches the leaves. More importantly, dust is a hiding place for insects, especially red spider mites that love hiding the in the dust that provides anchors for their minute webs.
This is also the season for tough love. If one of your plants has been languishing for several seasons and has never regained its vigor, toss the plant out. I know this is hard. Twenty years ago I planted a coffee bean and have been nourishing my coffee tree, but it has become a magnet for scale insects which can rapidly infect every nearby plant. So I kissed it goodbye at the compost bin. It was difficult, but if I can do it, you can do it. One of my Christmas cactus has been limping along for the past year. The compost worms are enjoying that plant as well.
If you bathe your houseplants, fertilize moderately and eliminate the weakened plants that will become susceptible to insect infestations. Now you should have more time to sit back and read!
By Bonnie Orr
Show your indoor plants some love this winter – 12/21/2016
Just when you thought you were done with gardening, there are those precious indoor plants that need your attention.
Indoor plants give a nice characteristic and ambience from their greenery. They also provide healthier air by filtering the air in your home.
There are a variety of indoor plants and their maintenance can vary, but for the most part I’m going to try to cover anything from your Christmas tree to a cactus.
As a rule of thumb for any plants, they all need water, light, nutrients and the right climate to survive. Those rules still apply with indoor plants.
The appropriate amount of water needed is based on the plant type. As with any potted plant, the proper amount of water and consistency is key for longevity. You do not want to stress the plant with periods of flooding and drought. The easiest way to test this is by placing a finger in the pot and seeing how moist the pot is. Also make sure the water you pour is room temperature and your plant is in a well-draining pot.
Water alone isn’t enough. Make sure to give your plant some fertilizer throughout the year.
Light and climate are also important. Plants need sunlight to induce photosynthesis, which is a process to create food for plants. Ideally, place your indoor plant in a location where it can reach sunlight. If sunlight isn’t an option, there are a variety of alternative lamps that provide equivalent sunlight for plants to go through photosynthesis.
Provide at least six hours to eight hours of indirect sunlight for your plant, and a few more hours for flowering plants. As for climate, keep plants at room temperature (65 F to 75 F). Most indoor plants are acclimated to the warm temperature so it’s key to have it in that temperature range.
Pests and disease can occur indoors. Monitor your plants and check for any changes in growth, diseases or infestations. Remove any foliage and dust from plant. Dead foliage can attribute to disease and attract unwanted pests. Dust can prohibit sunlight and the ability to breathe. To clean your plant, wipe them off with a moist, soft cloth and use an insecticidal soap. This will help prevent any transfer of eggs or tiny insects.
There are plenty of benefits from indoor plants. Just keep these few things in mind and you can have a thriving plant throughout the year, even if you don’t have a green thumb. I hope everyone stays warm.
Happy holidays and see you in the new year!
By Ken Muir
Overwintering tropical plants is economical and rewarding – 10/30/2024
Salvaging expensive plants always gets my vote. Many tropical plants can be saved year-to-year by overwintering in an enclosed garage or area that doesn’t freeze.
Yes, those lovely tropical mandevillas and cannas you see lining garden store shelves during spring and summer can be saved. An added plus is how much larger these plants will develop with year-to-year growth rather than starting from scratch every year.
On the other hand, I don’t try to save my sweet potato vines because buying little starts next spring is economical, and they grow quickly.
These steps are how I save my mandevilla vine and cannas.
Popular mandevillas sold locally generally have either red or white trumpet-shaped flowers. They bloom all summer and well into fall, definitely making them an attractive vining plant that deserves attention. Native to Central and South America, this woody-stemmed climber does well on a pergola or trellis to show off its blooming profusion all summer and into fall.
It prefers warm temperatures but not hot; it’s best located with morning sun and afternoon shade. My vine faces east with at least six hours of morning sun and then afternoon protection next to the garage. This also provides some wind protection.
Plant in quality, well-drained potting mix for long-term care. Use a large container but one that can be moved. I have left my healthy mandevilla in the same mix and it seems happy with doses of light fertilizer during the growing season. Water whenever the soil begins to feel somewhat dry.
I’ve saved my three- or four-year-old mandevilla by simply moving it into the garage for overwintering in late October, before heavy frosts.
The other tropical plants I overwinter are cannas that I grow in large pottery containers. After a light frost, I move them, pot and all, directly into the garage. I cut off foliage and allow the rhizomes to just hunker down for the winter. A light watering not more than once a month seems to keep them healthy. Less water is better than too much, which can cause mold and decay. Too much water and too frequently is the most likely culprit for damaging the rhizomes.
The real trick in overwintering these tropical plants is not overwatering while they’re essentially in a state of no growth.
You can either dig and divide rhizomes when you’re moving them into storage or wait until early spring when a few new sprouts begin appearing. I carefully separate those rhizomes, saving the new healthy ones and repotting them in containers. They prefer warm soil, so if planting outside, put them in a protected, sunny location and wait until the soil warms. Cannas like conditions similar to tomatoes; they’re laggards when put out in cool weather and need warm temperatures to thrive.
Once we have warm weather, cannas provide interesting leaf patterns as well as spikes of colorful blossoms all summer.
Is this the year for you to try overwintering your tropical beauties?
By Mary Fran McClure
Tips for growing the orchid houseplant – 11/9/2016
Some people are simply gifted when it comes to the care of indoor plants. I am not one of these people.
To compensate, I like to blame my lack of skill with houseplants on my house versus my shortcomings as a gardener. I speculate on what might be happening in my home environment that leads to the inevitable demise of nearly every indoor plant I have ever grown. Maybe there isn’t enough light. Maybe there’s too much light. Maybe there is a draft. Maybe there isn’t enough air movement. Maybe it’s too dusty. Maybe … maybe … maybe.
And because I seem to have a black thumb when it comes to house plants, I have always avoided things that seem finicky and/or expensive, like orchids. Over the years, I have heard horror stories about how hard orchids can be to care for and so they ended up inevitably at the bottom of my list of plants that should be put under my personal supervision … as much as I really, really wanted one!
Well, over the last couple of years, I have received a number of very stunning orchids as gifts. And a crazy thing has happened … I haven’t killed them! In fact, recently one of my oldest orchids re/bloomed for the first time ever. With the appearance of the first new buds I suddenly became filled with a growing sense of hope. Perhaps orchids are really the type of houseplant I should have been caring for all along!
So here’s a little information on caring for orchids that maybe you will find useful especially if you share the same talent I have for killing indoor plants.
♦ First off, orchids like bright indirect light. Turns out that the windows at the front of my house receive direct morning light that eases into indirect bright light as the day progresses. This seems to be the optimal growing conditions for my little green friends. My front windows face almost due east; direct light into my house only lasts about an hour before the movement of the sun and the bottom of the roof block the most intense rays.
♦ Secondly, I fairly regularly forget to water my orchids for up to two weeks at a time. It seems that orchids don’t really mind being forgotten about and prefer to be watered about once or twice in a two week period. They detest standing water since they behave more like an air plant and they prefer to have dry feet but high humidity.
♦ Orchids like air circulation. My orchids are all directly inside my front door. The air movement from the door opening and shutting is a good thing in this situation. Orchids like the draft.
♦ Orchids like a little humidity. Since every couple of weeks I give them a gentle bath with a shower head to wash the dust off their leaves, this helps to keep the humidity high around the plants in between their regular watering.
♦ Finally, orchids love temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Our house has its thermostat set to 68 degrees, which is the most comfortable setting for our family. That falls right in the heart of an orchid’s preferred growing range as well.
So, basically all of the characteristics about my house that make it hard to grow other indoor plants are really the optimal conditions for one of my very favorite flowers. Accidents can turn into the best surprises. Hopefully you will find your perfect indoor plant companion too! Happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Think indoors for tropical fruit – 12/7/2016
I am definitely in a tropical mood lately. Short, gray days make a person crave warm trade winds and sunny skies.
And although our climate here in Washington does not lend itself to growing exotic fruits like rombutans or starfruit (someday, when I become a billionaire, I am building a house-sized greenhouse!), it is possible to force a few other equatorial treasures to grow indoors, with a little assistance.
Probably the most common and easy to grow tropical fruits are the miniature versions of lemons and limes. Both the Meyer lemon and Kaffir lime can be grown as larger houseplants. Both can reach a height of approximately 3 feet and will be limited by the size of the pot they grow in.
As with most houseplants, always choose a container that is slightly larger than the root ball. Make sure the soil does not become waterlogged since citrus are susceptible to disease and root rot when overwatered. Add stones to the bottom of the pot before adding the soil mix for guaranteed drainage and increased air flow. There are special soil blends created just for growing citrus that have a pH between 6 and 7. These mixtures tend to have a higher loam content and are the preferred growing medium for indoor citrus.
Lemons and limes prefer to be kept in a temperature ranging between 55 F and 85 F with an ideal temperature of 65 F. They like to have airflow around them provided that the air is moist and not dry. Sometimes, in drier climates, it is recommended to use an additional humidifier near the plants to retain air moisture.
These little gems also require at least 8 hours of sunlight but prefer 12 hours whenever possible for good fruit set. Adding a supplemental grow light is recommended, especially in the winter time.
Whenever possible, choose a near-permanent location for your citrus since they do not enjoy being moved once they start to become settled. After the following criteria have been established, citrus are relatively easy to care for and maintain.
The Meyer lemon will produce blooms over the course of a month or two every spring. The fragrance from the small white blossoms is intoxicating and uplifting … like a tropical perfume. As if this weren’t enough of a reason to grow these small bushes, they also tend to produce up to 10 or so dainty, sweet-smelling lemons each year … or fewer if the plants aren’t particularly robust. It takes a long time for the fruit to ripen, so be patient. Once ripe, the flavor is really incomparable to any lemon you have ever purchased from the grocery store.
Kaffir limes are similar to growing Meyer lemons except that in addition to the incredible fragrance you receive from the blossoms and fruits, the leaves are also used as an excellent (necessary) addition to most authentic Thai and Indonesian recipes. It is incredibly satisfying to pick the leaves off of your own tree for use in some delicious home-made tom kha.
Meyer lemons and Kaffir limes can have issues with scale, spider mites, mealy bugs and aphids. All of these problems can be avoided by purchasing healthy stock from a reputable nursery and by being an attentive and watchful gardener. If you notice a problem, deal with it immediately.
With care and patience, citrus can be an attractive and tasty addition to your indoor growing spaces. It’s the little slice of the tropics we can enjoy year-round even here in Washington. As always, happy gardening!
By Eron Drew
Gifting a plant for Christmas? Give it some thought, first – 12/20/2022
Given that December is the darkest time of the year with a little more than eight hours of sunlight, who cannot appreciate the delight of flowering plants? It is satisfying to give and to receive plants this month, but sometimes cut flowers are a wise choice.
Not all plants are equally welcome because they can cause problems.
First, leafy, flowering plants were grown in a greenhouse or in a part of the world that has many more hours of sunlight. It is difficult to mimic that quality of light in your home, so the gift plant’s leaves fade to yellow and began to fall off. Don’t do this to your friends; it will make them feel insecure about nurturing houseplants such as miniature roses or cyclamen.
A second problem with gift plants is that they may harbor pests such as scales, aphids, whitefly or red spider mite. These little critters most likely will infest your other houseplants, and winter will be long and tedious as you attempt to control the insect pests on all of your plants. Most houseplants are tropical plants that thrive in humidity. Our climate is dry, and our heated houses are even dryer, with about 28% humidity. Gift plants often develop brown edges on their leaves because of the dry air.
Orchids are a temptation, but really they should be treated as cut flowers that last for three months and then tossed out. Anemic, straggly orchids are decidedly unattractive.
The safest plant gifts are the old standbys such as bulbs, poinsettias or Christmas cactus. These plants are generally healthy but need to be observed regularly.
Bulbs, such as amaryllis, are dormant when they are gifted, and the recipient has the pleasure of watching the daily growth that culminates in fabulous lily flowers. If the leaves start to yellow, look for pests and be prepared to toss the entire plant, the pot and the soil in the trash.
Poinsettias are fine for a few weeks. If they get chilled or overwatered, they drop the red bracts and green leaves, at which point, they, too, should be tossed out. There is nothing worse looking than a skeletonized poinsettia.
Schlumbergera, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus, are nearly foolproof. The Thanksgiving plant has little “horns” on the edges of the petiole, and the Christmas cactus has smooth leaves or petioles. They do not get insect pests and the greatest problem is overwatering, which causes the flower buds to fall off or the entire plant rots from the base. Many times, these plants bloom more than once a year and they can live long enough to be passed down as heirlooms.
Whatever plants you choose to give as a gift, remember that these all are tropical or subtropical plants. Have the store clerk wrap the entire plant in a large bag. Make sure your car is warm and drive as close to the store doors as possible to retrieve the plant. Twenty seconds of cold air (less than 50 degrees) will kill or maim your gift.
Well, when all things are considered, perhaps a quality garden tool is an ideal gift for a gardener friend!
By Bonnie Orr
Tips for forcing bulbs in pots to achieve that spring “wow” factor – 9/14/2022
One of my favorite times of the year is spring, when everything is coming out of its winter doldrums. Spring bulbs are always one of the early signs that I look forward to; these include snowdrops, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips. The sudden emergence after the snow melts and the vibrant bright colors always put a smile on my face.
The only problem is that it sometimes seems to take forever for that snow to melt and the temperatures to warm enough to start those bulbs on the path to blooming. If you are as impatient as me, there is a way to get an early peek at spring even before the snow melts.
Spring bulbs require a vernalization period before they can start to bloom, basically an extended cold treatment that makes sure bulbs don’t start to grow early before winter is over. The bulbs require temperatures around 35 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 weeks. After that, warming temperatures will cause the bulbs to start sprouting and will bloom in about four weeks.
This process can be created artificially, which is called forcing, where you plant bulbs in a pot and then force them to bloom early. Who wouldn’t like a small pot of tulips or daffodils sitting on their counter or desk during the winter months?
There’s several steps that are required for forcing spring bulbs to be successful.
The first step is getting the bulbs; they are usually available to purchase starting in late August until early fall. Then you have to decide on when to plant the bulbs and start the vernalization process or simply start the vernalization process and plant the bulbs later.
I like to do the latter because I can place a bag of bulbs in the refrigerator and it takes a lot less room than planting the bulbs in a pot and then trying to find space to start the cooling process. I am usually really busy in September and it’s often too warm to place the bulbs outside yet. So leaving the bulbs in the back of the refrigerator until cool weather arrives is easier for me.
The bulbs need to continue the vernalization process (cold treatment) around 15 weeks total. Part of that can be in the refrigerator; the rest of the 15 weeks will be in a pot.
Using the refrigerator method is handy, but a more gradual cooling over an extended period may give better results. This is possible if you have an extra refrigerator that you can dedicate just to the bulbs, slowly lowering the temperature to 35 degrees Fahrenheit over several weeks. I wait until it cools down outside and then I take the bulbs out of the refrigerator and plant them in pots. I prefer using clay pots and clay saucers versus plastic because the additional weight keeps the pots from tipping over as easy. You can select from a wide range of sizes and types of pots that can be decorated.
I use a general potting mix with a little builder’s sand and perlite to help with drainage. Then I place the pots outside in a place so they are easy to get to when I want to start warming them up to bloom. Remember to water them enough to keep moist but not wet. Think about the possibility of snow when making your site selection, it is hard to dig them up when covered in snow and frozen to the ground.
About four weeks before you want to have the pots blooming, move them to a warmer space. Since these are spring bulbs, a temperature range of 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit usually works best. A cooler space in the garage or basement can work as a growing location. Most home thermostats are set to the upper 60s to 70s and bulbs grown at these temperatures tend to be leggier and the blooms not as robust.
I usually try to stagger out when I start taking the pots of bulbs out of the cold treatment so I can have blooming pots over a longer period of time. After they bloom, forced bulbs can be planted in the ground but they usually don’t do well after the stress and can be just disposed of instead.
So if you want an early flash of color and a sign of spring, go grab some spring bulbs and try forcing them to bloom early this year.
By Lloyd Thompson
Getting the most from your Christmas amaryllis – 12/18/2020
Amaryllis is a much-beloved Christmas flower. The common Christmas amaryllis is in the genus Hippeastrum, which has over 70 species and 600-plus hybrids and cultivars. It is native to eastern Brazil and to the central Andes along the Peru/Bolivia border, but is widely cultivated for its large, showy blooms.
Amaryllis bulbs start appearing in stores and catalogs in October, and are popular gifts. These bulbs are sold ready for forcing. Once potted, placed in the sun and watered, growth will start fairly quickly. The tall flower stalk will usually bloom in five to seven weeks.
Amaryllis can also be purchased already potted, further reducing the care needed to produce a bloom. Amaryllis bulbs are often discarded after the blooms are finished. This is too bad, since a bulb given proper care can produce flowers for at least 20 years. They are expensive, too, up to $30 for a high-quality bulb.
Here is what you can do to keep your amaryllis blooming for years. Once the flowers fade, cut off the stalk. Be prepared for a mess; the stalk is hollow and leaks quite a bit of moisture when it is cut. Place the plant in a sunny location. Keep it watered, but do not saturate the soil. Feed it with a half-strength, water-soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks. During this period, the plant will produce long, lance-shaped leaves. Photosynthate from these leaves will nourish the bulb.
By August, the leaves generally begin to fade. Stop watering the plant, and trim off the leaves as they dry. Once the bulb is thoroughly dry, remove it from the pot. You will find an abundant root mass. Shake off the soil and trim the roots to an inch or two in length. Put the bulb in a paper bag, label the bag with the variety name and the date it was put to bed, and store it in a cool dry place for two to three months. Six to eight weeks before you want the amaryllis to bloom, repot it. Place it in bright light, and water it sparingly until it begins to grow.
Amaryllis will often produce daughter bulbs, which should be removed before putting the mother bulb to bed. You can plant the daughter bulbs, but you will need to be patient with them. It takes three to five years for one of these small bulbs to reach mature size.
I purchased a Magnum amaryllis in 1980 and kept it until 2001, putting it to bed every year and waking it up for holiday blooming. Some years I started early and had a Thanksgiving bloom; some years I started late and had a Valentine’s Day bloom. Sadly, I moved in 2002 and lost track of my bulb. A year had passed by the time I found it, and the bulb had died. I expect it would have lasted many more years if it had not been neglected. For a while I mourned its loss, but I now have a new one that has been producing beautiful blooms since 2013.
In recent years, some producers have been selling waxed amaryllis bulbs. These are as care-free as a plant can be, and will bloom without soil or water; however, they are truly disposable. These bulbs have been soaked in water until they are fully hydrated, then the root plate cut off and the bulb covered with decorative wax. If you receive one of these, do not try to save it. Just enjoy the bloom while it lasts.
By Connie Mehmel
Tips on giving plants as a holiday gift – 12/03/2019
Anthuriums and poinsettias have begun appearing front and center at store entrances. With the holiday season now in full swing, these quintessential holiday plants bring to mind the question: do plants make good gifts? The answer is a definite “maybe.”
On the plus side, they are a way to share your love of plants and to give a potentially long-lasting present that can add beauty and warmth to a home. I say “potentially” because a plant that will do well in my house or garden may not thrive in yours. Plus, while most everyone appreciates the beauty of a plant’s greenery and flowers, not everyone wants the responsibility of caring for one.
Once you have decided that a gift plant would be appreciated, what should you consider when choosing just the right plant?
While flowers are beautiful, some people are allergic to them. Consider a non-flowering plant such as a succulent. Are there young children or pets in the household? If so, be aware that some plants have parts that are poisonous so be sure your gift plant is non-toxic. Research the colors of the plant’s blooms and find one that matches your giftee’s color preferences.
Consider whether to give a houseplant or an outdoor plant. Remember that if you choose a plant that will be go in someone’s garden, it will have to be able to survive indoors until the ground is ready for planting in the spring.
A friend without any houseplants can be a hint that one won’t be appreciated. On the other hand, a person with limited outdoor space for plants may welcome a houseplant, particularly one that would do well inside and perhaps outside on a patio or deck. If your friend has a beautifully landscaped yard, find out what plant would complement those currently in the garden.
Think about the how much time and effort the plant needs to maintain its beauty and whether your giftee has the desire and time to take care of it. At the weekly diagnosis clinic — 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays during winter at the Chelan County Extension office, 400 Washington St. — Master Gardeners are sometimes asked to identify a plant someone has been given as a gift and how to take care of it. Consider adding as part of the gift the common and scientific names of the plant and care instructions. If the plant has specific environmental conditions necessary for it to flourish, be sure the person’s house can meet them. For example, a plant that needs direct sunlight wouldn’t be appropriate for a person with a heavily curtained or otherwise dark house.
Don’t forget the plant’s size. One that will grow to 6 feet or taller probably won’t work in most people’s homes. How easy is it to keep the plant at its current size? How often will it need to be transplanted? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you find the right plant.
With all the above in mind, you will find that a myriad of plants is out there to choose from.
So how do you decide? Herbs make a nice gift for a friend who likes to cook. Some people love heavily scented flowers. Think about a plant whose leaves themselves have beautiful color and/or markings. Is the person just beginning to learn about plants and how to care for them? Many plants are perfect for beginners. If you still want to gift a plant but can’t make up your mind, drive to your neighborhood nursery or check out one of the many plant catalogs and buy a gift certificate.
By Casey Leigh
The Christmas poinsettia is queen of potted plants – 12/30/2020
Did you purchase a poinsettia to decorate for the holidays or receive one as a gift? If so, you are in good company. The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the No. 1 flowering potted plant sold in the United States, even though its usual sales period only lasts for the six weeks before Christmas.
This beautiful plant is native to tropical forests of southern Mexico and Central America, where it grows in the wild as a bush or a small tree. It was brought to the United States in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico and an avid amateur botanist.
What most people call poinsettia “flowers” are really bracts, or modified leaves. The actual flowers, called cyathia, are small yellow structures at the center of the bracts. The plant drops its leaves and bracts soon after the flowers shed their pollen. If you want to keep the colorful bracts and leaves on the plant as long as possible, you need to delay maturation of the flowers. With care, poinsettia bracts can be maintained until Valentine’s Day.
To keep poinsettias flowering, provide them with six to eight hours of indirect light per day. They should not be exposed to drafts or sudden changes in temperature. Daytime temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees F and nighttime temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees are ideal. Do not expose them to temperatures below 50 or above 70 degrees or it will shorten the blooming period. Water them when the soil is dry but do not saturate them. They are very sensitive to overwatering and easily succumb to root rot. Apply a water-soluble fertilizer once a week until the leaves begin to fall off, then reduce watering. The bracts will be the last leaves to fall.
Many people discard their poinsettias at the end of the holiday season. The plants are relatively inexpensive, and they are fussy about growing conditions. But if you have an interest in this unique tropical perennial, you can coax them into bloom in future years.
Once the bracts begin to fall, cut the plant back to about 6 inches high and place it in a cool, dark place for six to eight weeks. Keep it fairly dry, but don’t let it wither. In April, repot it in fresh potting soil, apply a water-soluble fertilizer and place it in a warm, sunny spot to encourage new growth. Water it when the soil surface becomes dry.
Once all danger of frost is past, you can take your poinsettia outside and grow it in partial shade. Poinsettias are attractive to whiteflies and other insects, which should be controlled promptly. Remove any weak shoots and pinch back long shoots to keep the plant bushy.
After the autumn equinox in late September, prepare your poinsettia for flowering. The plant will need full sun during the day, and at least 14 hours of total darkness at night. You can place it in a closet or cover it with a box for the night. A better solution is to put it in a room that isn’t used at night. Unscrew the light bulbs or tape over the switch to avoid accidentally turning on a light. Any stray light can delay or prevent flowering, including a porch light or headlights from a vehicle that shine through a window.
If all goes well, the bracts will begin to color by the end of November, and you can once again display your beautiful poinsettia for the holidays. And even if it fails to bloom, it still makes a lovely foliage plant through the summer.
By Connie Mehmel
Houseplants Appreciate Special Summer Care – 7/05/2021
With all the beautiful flowers and the developing vegetables, berries and fruit in the garden, it is easy to forget our old dependables — our houseplants.
Houseplants sometimes seem to fade into the woodwork. They provide a green essence all year long; we especially appreciate them during the gray winter days. Summer care will ensure that they decorate our homes for years to come.
We live in a very windy place, and most of us dust our furniture every week, but how often do we dust our plants? Now is a good time to go one step further and give the plants a bath. I put my portable ones in a lukewarm shower and let them drip dry. I spread a drop cloth around the big, venerable ones, and wash them thoroughly with warm water. Soap is not necessary.
Plants need their leaves washed to help them photosynthesize in the weaker light in our homes. And clean leaves will not provide a nesting site for pests such as red spider mite or scale insects.
Many houseplants die from overwatering. Those annoying little black gnats on the plant’s soil are a sign you are watering too much. A soil probe that measures water content is an inexpensive purchase that may save your plant’s life. Rather than watering on a set schedule, watering when the soil is dry protects the roots from rotting.
If you have a northwest exposure in your garden, many houseplants appreciate the greater light intensity outside during the summer. Water carefully if there are no drainage holes in the plant’s pot. In the fall, when you bring the plant into the house, stir a little systemic pesticide into the pot’s soil to make sure you have not brought in overwintering pests. Taking plants outside and putting them in the edge of your automatic sprinkler system is a means of maintaining houseplants when you go on vacation.
If you leave for more than 10 days, the houseplants will survive inside provided that the temperature in the house stays cool to prevent excess evaporation. I drench the plant’s soil then tent the soil with kitchen plastic wrap to slow the evaporation from the soil.
Fertilize plants during the summer and early fall. Plants produce whippy growth attractive to sucking pests during winter’s meager light, so between October and April plants do not need to be fertilized.
Remember, if you select a new houseplant from a garden center or other store, place the plant in quarantine for at least two weeks. You do not want to infect your original houseplants with whitefly or scale insects. Keeping the new plant in a separate room is a way to monitor the health of the newcomer.
I hope your houseplants give you as much pleasure as mine do.
By Bonnie Orr
Lawns
Fall Lawn Thatching – 9/1/2017
While most people think of spring as the time to thatch a lawn, fall thatching is equally effective and has the advantage of reducing the spread of weeds with the upcoming winter cold. Thatch removal should not be done in late spring or during the summer.
What is thatch and why is it a problem? Thatch consists of both living and dead stems, roots, rhizomes and leaf sheafs. It is a normal process of lawn development and if not excessive, is beneficial. Healthy thatch is less than ¾ of an inch thick, protecting against soil compaction and the effects of excessive hot and dry weather on grass. Once thatch becomes too thick, it prevents the grass from being able to effectively take up water and nutrients needed for healthy growth and development. A weakened lawn makes it more susceptible to developing weeds and to insect damage. During the hottest part of summer, lawns with too much thatch develop dry spots.
If the thatch is less than two inches thick, it can be removed with a power rake or vertical mower, thereby saving you from having to replace your lawn. WSU has some helpful publications on the process of de-thatching if you choose to do so yourself rather than employing a professional landscaper. By Casey Leigh
How to Care for Your Lawn – 6/1/2014
I love lawns, green lawns; make that a beautiful expanse of a uniform emerald carpet. I like them manicured along the edges for a nice crisp look along a sidewalk and driveway. One problem—the Wenatchee Valley is not located in Ireland, where emerald green grass seems to grow without effort. So the question for each homeowner is: Do you want to make the effort for such a lawn? Or would you rather have a lawn that is a little more on the wild side? It really can be a matter of personal preference. It is possible to have either with a little planning and consistent applications of gardening principles.
All plants need three things to thrive—water, nutrients, and sunshine. All these things need to be in the right amounts for optimum plant health. So how do we get it right for lawn grasses in our area?
Watering
I received my first hint on watering in north-central Washington when I took the boy scouts camping in the early 1990’s at Sun Lakes State Park. The grass we camped on there looked great but I didn’t know when they would water with all the tents and camping equipment that I saw in the park. I asked the ranger when they watered and his reply surprised me, “Tuesdays.” That’s right, a place in the desert with summertime high temperatures near 100°. They water once per week deeply and the grass roots can get water all week long as they grow downward.
I went right home and changed my sprinklers from the 10 minutes every day setting I inherited when we bought our house. I set out empty tuna cans around my lawn and timed how long it took to fill them up. That is how much water a healthy lawn needs in a week. I set my timers for the new, longer watering cycle and changed to once/week. This will de-pend upon your soil texture. Some soils won’t absorb the water all at once and it may need to be applied in more than one cycle of your sprinklers. If water is running off your lawn it is watering something other than your lawn. I had to start this in the spring so it’s not too late to start this year.
Improper watering is a major cause of unsightly or damaged lawns. Light, frequent sprinklings encourage shallow rooting of turf grasses. Shallow rooted turf cannot withstand sudden changes in temperature or soil moisture. Overwatering can cause soggy conditions and may (1) leach plant nutrients, especially nitrogen; (2) encourage weeds such as speed-well, buttercup, and annual bluegrass; and (3) cause oxygen starvation of the grass roots.
Nutrients –
Our soils in north-central Washington are typically adequate in levels for phosphorus and potassium and we usually only need to add nitrogen. Nitrogen is the first number of the three numbers found on every bag of fertilizer. Our turf grasses here need nutrients most in the spring and late summer/fall when they are most actively growing. Nitrogen pro-motes strong vigorous growth of grasses. Use a fertilizer with at least 30% slow release nitrogen, slow release fertilizer since it feeds the grass over time rather than all at once. (You’d rather eat every day than down your whole month’s calorie supply in one sitting, right?) Read fertilizer label thoroughly and apply at the rate recommended on the label.
Weeds –
Weeds don’t cause an unhealthy lawn. An unhealthy lawn causes weeds. Most common causes of unhealthy lawns—under or overwatering, mowing too short, not feeding. We mentioned watering earlier.
I learned some time ago that raising the mowing height promotes a much healthier lawn. The taller grass shades the soil and prevents many weeds from being able to grow. It keeps the soil cooler and that reduces evaporation and the need to water as often. It also keeps more of the green part of the plant that uses the sunshine (abundant in our area) to make food for the plant. It may surprise you that more than 90% of the weight of the grass plant is in the crown and roots. More leaf area means more root growth possible and healthier plants. I also use a mulching mower and leave the grass clippings on the lawn. As they break down they slowly release nutrients into the soil, helping to feed the lawn and keep it healthy. It can reduce fertilizer use by ¼, so you save money as well!
Applying these principles remarkably reduced the weeds in my lawn and now a little spot weeding is all that is needed. If you don’t mind a more varied lawn texture, there are some great seed mixes for lower maintenance lawns that are well adapted to our climate.
If you want more info on healthy lawn practices and options, please contact the Master Gardeners.
By Rob Merrill
Lawn Care & Maintenance – 6/1/2021
The Clinic receives a myriad of lawn questions from spring through fall. In anticipation of that, I re-read WSU’s excellent “Home Lawns” publication (EB0482E). Here are some highlights.
First, what are the best turf grasses for our area? Kentucky Bluegrass works well here either as a monostand or in a mixture with other grasses. Four types of fescues are also appropriate, usually in mixes: red, Chewings, hard, and turf-type tall.
Proper fertilization is key to a healthy lawn. A properly fertilized lawn cuts down on both disease and weeds. Nitrogen fertilizer is the most common need in eastern Washington. A soil test done every 3 years is the best way to find out what your lawn needs. WSU recommends that Washington lawns get 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year, divided into four equal applications throughout the season. Fertilizers are labeled either quick release or slow release. Soil type, turf grass species, use and maintenance level are factors to consider when choosing which to use, or a combination of the two.
Keeping the blades on your lawn mower sharp and mowing at the correct height for the type of turf grass in your lawn are critical factors in lawn maintenance. Mowing your grass too close to the ground will stress your lawn, making it more susceptible to disease and insect damage. Check the recommended mowing height for the type turf you have.
A common lawn myth is that leaving the grass clippings on the lawn after mowing will cause thatch to accumulate. To the contrary, lawn clippings are good for the lawn by returning nutrients, as long as the amount of clippings isn’t excessive. For aesthetic purposes, WSU recommends mowing the lawn twice a week or more if you don’t re-move the clippings.
Two common lawn maintenance practices are thatching and aeration. Thatch is a layer of old roots and stems that accumulate between the zone of green vegetation and the lawn surface. When it becomes too thick, the lawn thins out. Special machines are available to remove thatch. For best results, thatch in late winter or early spring once the ground is no longer frozen, or in late August. It may be necessary to over-seed if your lawn has become too thin. Aeration is used when your lawn soil has become compacted. When done properly it allows for better water and air penetration. As with thatching, special tools are used for aeration.
By far the mistake we observe most often in clinic is improper watering. On average, turf needs about 1 1/2 inches of water per week or enough to moisten the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches. To measure this, we suggest the tuna can method, which lets you know how much time it takes for a measured volume of water to penetrate your lawn to 4-6 inches. Start by setting out several tuna cans in the spray pattern, then run your sprinkler until the cans have an average of one inch of water. Note the start and stop time. After 24 hours, measure how deep the root zone is moistened. If you run your sprinkler for 30 minutes and the sample you dig is only moistened three inches, then you need to water longer. Or if your soil is very sandy and the soil is moistened beyond the root zone, adjust your watering to less time and more often.
Following the above should result in a beautiful, healthy lawn. By Casey Leigh
Preemergence Herbicides– 3/1/2022
Ahh! March. A month to curl up by a warm fire, sip your favorite warming beverage, and look at seed catalogues as you dream about spring when you will be able to get out into the garden in person. But wait! As you dream about your garden of the future, do you also have nightmares about weeds? Give a weed in inch and they will take a yard. Weeds! Those pesky plants defy our efforts to wipe them out. What’s a gardener to do?
One answer is the use of preemergence herbicides. Preemergence herbicides prevent germinated weed seedlings from becoming established either by inhibiting the growth of the root, the shoot, or both. Preemergence herbicides do not kill the weed seeds themselves. They stay in the soil for a while and prevent the weed seedlings from becoming established. The use of preemergent herbicides may provide a foundation for season-long weed management, along with tilling and other good gardening practices.
The use of preemergence herbicides requires careful thought and planning. Dr. Rebecca Grubbs-Bowling, assistant professor and turfgrass specialist at Texas A & M University, says that timing is the secret. The soil temperature should be in the 50–55-degree range. Exactly when your soil is the right temperature will depend on your local climate, and what the weather is like this season (Bowling, Rebecca (tamu.edu) “Timing is Critical”). Dr. Grubbs-Bowling has published a helpful article entitled “A Homeowner’s Guide to Herbicide Selection for Warm-Season Turfgrass Lawns” that is available through Texas A&M Extension (https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/HerbicideSelection_proof44-1.pdf). Soil moisture will also impact the success of a preemergent. Most preemergent herbicides must receive rainfall or irrigation to work well. In addition, understanding the life cycle of the target weed is a must in order to control the weed that is the bane of your existence. Careful selection of a preemergence product that is specific for the weeds you wish to eradicate is necessary. Preemergent herbicides used to kill weeds in lawns will be different than those used to control weeds in other parts of your garden. Preemergent herbicides that control grasses and a few broad-leaf weeds may injure many ornamental plants. Caution is needed when dealing with all herbicides!
Read the label of the preemergent herbicides carefully and follow the directions exactly. Most preemergence herbicides will last between 8 – 12 weeks. Reapplication may be necessary. Again, timing is the secret. It does no good to reapply a preemergence herbicide after the weed seed has already germinated and gained a ‘root-hold.’ There are many reputable publications focused on specific weeds and recommended methods of control in addition to pre-emergents. As always, be sure the information you turn to comes from reliable sources such as the extension services of schools of agriculture like Washington State, Oregon State, or Idaho State Universities. These extension services offer helpful publications on the control of specific weeds.
With spring only a few short weeks away, we will soon be in weed-tackling mode. Uses of preemergent herbicides can help lessen the burden of weeding later in the growing season. By Pat Beeman
Snow Mold– 2/1/2019
I first heard of snow mold when I was a kid and people with allergies were naming it as the cause for their symptoms. My most recent experience with it was at Rocky Reach Park in the late winter of 2017. It wasn’t widespread and seemed to occur where the snow was the deepest or took the longest to melt away from the lawn. We didn’t apply any treatment other than using the back-pack leaf blowers to “fluff” up the turf and expose the new shoots to the sun and air.
If we finally get a good covering of snow this year, we may get questions in the Plant Clinic about snow mold. Here is an overview that should help with correctly identifying and recommending preventive measures for it.
What is snow mold and what causes it?
Snow mold is a fungus. The two most com-mon are either pink snow mold (Microdocium nivale) or gray snow mold (Typhula incarnata, T. ishikariensis and T. idahoensis). They both like the cool, moist conditions found under deep snow. It is most prevalent when lawns have been fertilized late in the fall or where thatch is present and where snow is present for extended periods.
It presents itself as circular patches on turf grass. These can be irregular and can merge to cover quite large areas. The turf will be matted and when wet you may see the dense whiteish to pink threads (mycelium) for pink snow mold or blueish gray to almost black mycelium for gray snow mold. The following website has good photos of snow mold: https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2010/3-31/snowmold.html
How do you treat snow mold?
The affected areas should be raked to expose the new growth to light and air. It should be noted that this disease rarely kills the grass.
How do you prevent snow mold?
To control these fungi, certain management practices can be followed in the fall that will normally be adequate. Mow as long into the fall as the grass is still growing and keep leaves and grass clippings raked off the turf. Don’t apply too much nitrogen fertilizer late in the fall. Good surface drainage and controlling thatch is also helpful.
Although there are fungicides that can be applied preventively in the fall, WSU does not recommend doing so on home lawns because turf usually recovers once the weather changes. By Venessa Martyn
Why Your Lawn Doesn’t Look so Good – 9/1/2018
It is mid-summer, and our lawns are not looking as good as they did in June. There are many reasons for this. First of all, we have had many days in the 90’s. It is another “cooler” summer because we have not experienced many temperatures in the 100’s; however, it has been really windy all spring and summer, and the relative humidity has hovered around 20 percent. The wind and the low humidity, more than the temperature, influence the evaporation rate. With the conditions we have experienced, some days the evaporation rate has been as high as ½ an inch. So, most likely, there are some dry spots in your lawn. What are the reasons besides Mother Nature?
The most likely reason is uneven water distribution from the sprinklers. It is not too late to put out the string of tuna cans to monitor exactly how much water in a variety of locations is being laid down each time you run your system. You can then adjust your sprinklers. Dry spots could be the result of shrubs or perennials growing in the spray line of a nozzle, so run the system and look for problem areas.
The next reason for a wan lawn is mowing practice. If you mow your lawn at less than 3 inches in height, the crowns of the grass plants can be burned by the hot summer sun. This causes brown patches in your lawn as well.
The most common cause of a weak summer lawn is the underlying soil. The effectiveness of watering and fertilizing your lawn depends on the soil it is growing in. In sandy soils, the water goes straight down and does not spread out to water adjacent areas of roots. So sandy soils can require water more frequently. Clay soils, on the other hand, allow the water to move sideways; however, clay soils may not readily release sufficient water from its reserves for use by the roots due to clay’s natural physical tendency to hold water.
So what other lawn issues have diagnosis clinicians talked about with clients this summer? The classic is crabgrass, which was not controlled with a pre-emergent applied at the correct time in the spring. But, hey, it is at least green! Creeping bent grass is harder to deal with. This invader that grows in tight circles and overwhelms the Kentucky blue-grass is nearly impossible to control unless you are willing to dig out each clump by hand. Interestingly, golfers seems to have more of this in their lawns because bent grass is used on golf courses, and the seeds are picked up in golfer’s shoes and equipment.
Sod web worms, doing their damage unseen at night, eat the roots of grass plants. This creates patches of dead turf that easily pull out of the soil. Sod web worms are larvae of the lawn moth. Hortsense suggests two types of non-chemical management. The presence of birds, ants, spiders, and predacious ground beetles, natural enemies of sod web worms, helps keep them in check. Also, keep your lawn thatched as sod webworms are attracted to thick thatch. Hortsense lists a few pesticides legal in Washington that can be applied at the larval stage to reduce populations.
Of course, the long days and the heat have caused the fescue grasses to go dormant and create some browning. The good news is that the fescue will regrow in September just as the Kentucky bluegrass is beginning to go dormant. September is the best time to put in a new seeded lawn. The soil will be warm enough for long enough for the grass roots to become established. And with the cooler September daytime temperatures, it will be easier to keep the germinating grass seeds moist enough to sprout. September is also time to rejuvenate your lawn by either thatching or aerating the turf.
By Bonnie Orr.
Weeds
A Closer Look at Weeds – 5/1/2021
“Yee-oow!” I hear a yell of pain from outside my kitchen and pause my dishwashing, “Is everything OK?”
Our nephew Michael, a solid 13-year-old visiting from Oregon, holds out his hand to me. “Look what I stepped on!”, his eyes wide in disbelief. I glance down, half expecting to see a bee missing its stinger. Instead, I see a rather good-sized pointy thorn familiar to anyone who lives in eastern Washington. “Oh, sweetie, that’s a goat head, it’s a weed we get around here.” Michael looks at me appalled by my obvious lack of concern. “What?! This is a weed?!” At that moment I realize Michael has never been a victim of the infamous puncture vine.
Most anyone who has lived, or visited, eastern Washington has at least one memory of stepping on a bur from the puncture vine or goat head as they are commonly known. My husband, not so fondly, tells of the time he went over his mountain bike handlebars straight into an area covered with “goat heads.” Luckily, he landed on his hands instead of his face. Lucky? Not so lucky? My brother-in-law, also from Oregon, says the bur “hurts way more than it should.” I too, remember stepping on a bur that had lodged itself in the carpet and managed to dislodge itself into my foot in the middle of January. No season is safe from those little buggers!
As spring begins in the beautiful Wenatchee valley it is time once again to prepare for the nemesis of all gardeners, weeds. A weed is generally defined as any undesirable plant that competes with what we want to grow in a particular area. One year my Grandma decided her abundant Hollyhocks were a weed and wanted every one of them gone. She felt the tulips were suffering and preferred those to the Hollyhocks. Weeds pull nutrients from what we want to grow and quite frankly sometimes appear to grow in Superman mode. Or is that only in my garden? Oxalis, Prostrate or Spotted Spurge, Crabgrass, ugh Crabgrass, are but a few plants considered weeds in our area, as well as Purslane and that disreputable Puncture Vine.
Weeds are really kind of amazing. Pause for a moment the next time you lean down to pull one out of your garden. Notice how many are in the space where you are working. How fast they seem to grow, one day you walk by and tell that unwanted plant, I will get you tomorrow my pretty! The next day you find the plant brought in reinforcements. Weeds produce an abundance of seeds and have a hasty reproductive cycle. They are adaptive and ambitious in their growth. Weeds also like to grow in disturbed soil, or soil that is doing poorly, or soil that is healthy, or soil that has not been disturbed, basically any soil that can or can-not grow anything will surely grow a weed.
Oxalis, or creeping woodsorrel, is a weed that I struggle with in my strawberry garden. It is a low growing, spreading plant with shamrock-like leaves, similar in appearance to clover. The leaf color varies from green to reddish-purple. Oxalis is a broad-leaf perennial.
It is widely adaptable and commonly grows in landscape areas, yards, containers, orchards, flower beds, ground covers, fields, generally anywhere you do not want to see it. Oxalis also grows year-round in some areas and produces a cluster of yellow flowers. A tiny and cute blossom until you realize that when the seed pods from this plant mature, they rupture, think explode when dry, and can expel seeds up to 10 feet away. Since the seeds are rough, they pretty much stick to anything which provides easy transportation to say, your strawberry garden? Did I happen to mention their expansive root system? Or that they should be considered toxic because of the oxalates? Your best bet for getting rid of Oxalis is good old-fashioned pulling, rototilling, and hoeing. Something we gardeners are all to used to doing. In addition to hand controls, try to catch this weed before it flowers and sets seeds. With an exploding seed pod, you will want to stay ahead of Oxalis spreading.
I never considered how many weeds were toxic until I sat down to write this article. I have a gravel driveway and battle spotted spurge every year. The first time I saw spotted spurge it reminded me of the puncture vine. Spotted spurge grows close to the ground forming a dense mat, much denser than the puncture vine though. It grows from a central tap-root and a single plant can span up to three feet across, trust me I have seen this, and it is not pretty.
Broken stems of spotted spurge produce a milky, poisonous sap that is an eye and skin irritant, toxic to some animals, and highly toxic to sheep. Hortsense describes it as having “hairy stems and hairy, dark green leaves with a purple spot on each leaf.” This summer annual likes full sun and of course, “produces seed quickly and prolifically.” Each plant can produce thousands of seeds and wouldn’t you know it, like to adhere to most surfaces. Your control methods for spurge are to remove the plant as soon as you see it. Gloves are recommended as the sap is a skin irritant and it is also sticky making it hard to wash off.
I do not know about you, but I also like to wear gloves when I am pulling the crabgrass out of my vegetable garden. Crabgrass germinates in spring and grows quickly throughout the summer. Right around the same time as your garden, landscape plants and manicured lawn begin to ramp up. It is an annual grass with “flat leaf blades which are relatively broad, long and sometimes hairy” but can also be smooth. Crabgrass “is prostrate and may form mats.” I am not sure how crabgrass looks on your property, but it thrives on mine and left to its own devices grows a thick mat. With our gravel driveway, fruit trees, yearly pumpkin patch, and lawn it seems like we have every desirable attribute for weed growth. While it may seem tempting to mow over the crabgrass in your lawn, it is not recommended. Even if you mow it short, say a ¼ to ½ of an inch, it can still produce seed. Those seeds can also remain viable waiting for the right moment to creep up through the soil when you least expect it, most usually for me under my zucchinis.
Last year my Mum and I were weeding my zucchini garden when we came across purslane. It is an annual broadleaf with “fleshy red stemmed succulent with green leaves.” Purslane looks like a little jade plant with yellow flowers. It feels slightly rubbery and to me, always feels slightly cooler to touch. Purslane has blunt leaves and can also form a mat. Purslane produces tiny seeds, but stems can re-root when broken, much to the chagrin to those of us who garden. If you plan on pulling purslane, be sure to grab all those broken fragments laying around and watch out as those stems “are brittle and break easy.” Purslane is edible and has uses as a vegetable, but high oxalates can be toxic. When Mum and I were pulling purslane out of my garden she told me that my grandparents used to prepare it as a tea. It also has uses in salads and is said to be comparable to spinach. Due to the oxalates care should be taken when ingesting. Purslane also grows in healthy soil as well as dry, it is also drought tolerant so once again a “weed” that is highly adaptable.
Another weed that can grow in dry areas is the puncture vine commonly known as a goathead. It is an annual broadleaf that grows from a taproot. The trailing stems can grow up to six feet and “are green to reddish color.” The puncture vine has small yellow flowers, and the spiny burs are separated into sections. Leaves of the puncture vine also grow opposite to one another on the stem. The spiny burs are sharp and can puncture skin as well as bike tires and even vehicle tires.
The burs are shaped so that one sharp point is always facing up. Therefore, it can always impale itself into everything from your feet to your car and because of this the puncture vine is able to travel distances. The leaves are toxic to animals, especially sheep and it can spread quickly. The puncture vine dies at the onset of winter, but the seeds start new plants come spring. It can start flowering within weeks of germination and flowers can bloom from late April until October. Due to its difficulty to control along with its destructiveness the puncture vine is listed as Class B noxious weed. The B classification means it is a non-native species and infestations are a high priority. Hand pulling is recommended and contained hoeing can be done in spring. Care should be taken if the seeds have already fallen to prevent continued infestation. Be sure to wear gloves and check your clothes as well as your shoes to prevent those goatheads from impaling and spreading.
I know for me, even despite the challenges from various weeds I love my gardens. Weeds are like a side note for me, yes, I get them, but did you see how good my garden looks? Plus, there is something invigorating in knowing what plants I am battling for garden space and on our property. Oxalis in the strawberries, spotted spurge up the front of the driveway, crabgrass and purslane near the zucchini, and puncture vine behind the garage. I am so much more knowledgeable than when I planted my first tomatoes. While I do not relish the idea of possibly finding a new variety of plant attempting a hostile takeover in one of my gardens, part of me feels like, bring it on! I got this! Admittedly I do not say it too loud as I would not want the seeds of weeds to hear me.
“In every gardener there is a child who believes in The Seed Fairy. ” — Robert Breault
by Lucia Eilers
Best Practices for Fighting Weeds – 8/1/2014
Weeds are diligent and determined, thus seed production is amazing. An annual bluegrass plant can produce viable seed within 24 hours of pollination. Have you ever cut a Salsify, those giant “dandelions puffs”? If you do not discard the plant, its severed head filled with merely flower buds, will skip the flower stage and immediately produce a large seed puff.
Area residents are asking master gardeners questions about eradication of rogue violets, mare’s tail, purslane, black medic, oxalis, and puncture vine. Have I mentioned your special nemesis yet?
In the spring, annual weed seeds germinate to grow madly to produce seed before they dry out in August.
Biennials started as a little cluster of leaves last summer, and this year an extended bloom stalk has grown. (Think of knapweeds and mullein.)
Perennials are those plants that have evolved massive root systems often with thick rhizomes deeply underground. You can kill the vegetation, and it will grow back almost before your very eyes. (Think of field bindweed/wild morning glory and horsetail.) These weeds are in your garden now; their seed producing capacity is awe-inspiring. Not only do the plants produce hundreds of thousands of seeds, the seed can remain dormant in the soil for years, and every time you distribute the soil by digging it, you expose more seeds to the light. Moreover, tricky plants such as violets can produce seeds underground without the benefit of flowers. In addition, oxalis and violets spread by underground stems.
Anyway, herbicides are not very effective on plants with narrow, hairy or waxy leaves. Annuals can be mown before they bloom — it is probably too late for that this year as well. If you cut or mow weeds and let the flowers lie on the ground, the decapitated plant can still produce seed that will haunt you for years to come.
For biennials you can just cut off the flowering stalk because the rest of the plant will die by fall anyway. This is best; if you pull the plant, you will disturb the soil, and any latent seeds will germinate to form a leaf roseate, which will set seed next year.
Don’t let the perennials bloom. And treat the plant with herbicide in the spring and fall. It is too hot now to apply herbicides. The Master Gardeners can tell you which products are most effective to use on any perennial weed.
What do you do with those weedy, seedy plants once you have cut them or pulled them? DO NOT compost them. DO NOT just leave them on the ground. Gather all the cut materials—seeds, flowers and stalks, and put them in a large plastic bag that can be sealed. Put the bag in the trash.
Or after you have filled the bag with the weedy material, add two cups of water, seal the bag and place it in a very hot and sunny spot. With the summer’s heat, the seed material will boil and be rotted in the bag. After a couple of weeks of heat treatment, this slurry can be added safely to your compost pile. There should be no recognizable plant parts in the smelly slurry.
A final word. After you have eradicated the weeds, apply at least a 3-inch layer of mulch over the bare soil to prevent new seeds from germinating and to slow down next year’s crop.
by Bonnie Orr
How to Control Puncture Vine – 6/1/2015
Puncture vine, also called goat head, is a painful weed because of its hard, spiny seeds. The plant’s botanical name is Tribulusterrestris; tribulus means “to tear” in Latin. The seed can tear open people’s feet and cause annoying punctures in bicycle tires and inflated balls. Have you ever stepped on one that got walked onto the carpet of your house because the seed hitched a ride on the bottom of a running shoe? The seeds can damage animals’ mouths, feet, eyes and digestive systems. This plant originated in the Mediterranean and was distributed across the Western U.S. by livestock, shipped hay, and the wheels of railroad cars. Having been seen in Washington since 1923, it is high time we got rid of this noxious weed in NCW.
The plant is an annual. The seeds sprout in sandy, dry soil beginning in May and form a flat rosette of leaves from which long branches grow. These branches produce yellow flowers that each produce a seedpod that contains up to 4 seeds. A single plant can produce hundreds and thousands of seeds. The record producer grew in California with 576,000 seedpods — and if each pod had 4 seeds that means that the one plant could produce over a million seeds! Ouch!
If everyone would pull these plants, which are just now blooming and setting seed, we could begin the process of knocking back this weed. It is important to pick up any seeds lying on the ground as well because the seeds can sprout for up to nine years in the ground.
Most of the plants grow on dry soil along roads and trails—anywhere the soil is disturbed by people or dogs walking along. The seeds need light to germinate, and the scuffing of the soil is one of the ways the seeds are brought to light. One means of slowing the spread of puncture vine is to stay on trails and paths.
It is easy to pull the plants up. You roll all the branches together to the center of the plant and then give the entire plant a twist. The entire root should come up with the plant. If using a claw hammer, wrap the claw in the center of the plant, twist, and the plant will pop out of the soil. It is not overly important to get the entire root since this plant is an annual and the root will die without its leaves. Be sure to gather up any little seeds that you knocked off as you gathered the plant. Some people use paint rollers; others find that carpet samples help pick up the seed.
1. Wear gloves and carry a heavy plastic bag that will not break and inadvertently distribute the seeds.
2. Look for the plants around your neighborhood. Great locations are under mail boxes on postal driving routes because the seeds get caught in vehicle tires. Look in alleys as well because the garbage truck’s tires also spread the seeds. Check the sides of parking lots.
3. Go out on the Apple Capital Loop Trail, especially on the eastside, and gather as much as you can.
Walk along roads that have gravel edges and pull up the plants.
Dig any rosettes, — little plants — that you see. Puncture vine seeds germinate every time it rains during the summer. So inspect your cleaned target areas all summer long for new plants.
by Bonnie Orr
How to ID and Fight Thistles and Knapweeds – 7/1/2016
This time of year weeds often take front and center as we struggle to keep them from overtaking our garden beds and lawns. However, not all weeds are the same in terms of their threat to our gardens, pastures, cultivated fields, and native ecosystems. Interestingly, almost half of our noxious weeds are “escapees” from gardens!
In this article we will focus on two sets of weeds that are on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board’s noxious weed list: the knapweeds and thistles.
Two species of thistle are commonly found in the Wenatchee Valley: bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). As Class C weeds, they are widespread throughout Washington. Bull thistle is the larger of the two, growing from 3 to 7 feet tall. It is a biennial with only one upright branched stem. It spreads through seeds. Canada thistle is a perennial that grows up to 5 feet tall and has slender grooved stems that branch only at the top. The leaves of both plants are alternate, but the bull thistle leaf is coarsely lobed, while the Canada thistle leaf is lance shaped. Bull thistle flowerheads are larger than the Canada thistle’s, 1.5-2” in diameter vs. ½ to ¾”. Both have purple flowers, but the Canada thistle’s can also be pink and occasionally white. Bull thistle blooms July through September. Canada thistle has a longer flowering season – June through October.
Bull thistle can be controlled by rototilling or hoeing/hand-pulling. Because Canada thistle is a perennial with an extensive root system, cultivation is not recommended. Instead, you can cover the infested area with an inorganic mulch, then cover the mulch with a thin layer of soil or organic mulch. Glyphosate can be used for both species as a spot treatment only. See Hortsense for other chemical management options.
Knapweeds are another noxious weed common in our area. Most are Class B weeds, meaning they are widespread in some parts of the state. The Bighead, however, is Class A, a relative newcomer that hasn’t yet gained a firm foothold in our region. Landowners have a legal responsibility to eradicate Class A weeds from their property.
Of the knapweeds on the noxious weed list, five are perennials: Bighead, Black, Meadow, Russian, and Brown. Diffuse and Yellow Starthistle knapweeds are annuals, while the Spotted knapweed is a biennial. Each has a taproot, ranging from woody to fleshy, except Russian knapweed which has a horizontal root system. Leaves of the Bighead, Black, Meadow, and Brown knapweeds have lance-shaped leaves. The lower leaves of the Diffuse are divided with narrow and elliptical upper leaves; Russian knapweed lower leaves are long and lobed with smaller toothed upper leaves. Young Spotted knapweed leaves are deeply lobed, turning to elliptical with age. Yellow Starthistle lower leaves are deeply lobed as well, with smaller, pointed upper leaves. Most of these knapweed species have rose, pink, or purple flowers. The Bighead and Yellow Starthistle have yellow flowers. Diffuse and Spotted can have white flowers.
Telling knapweeds apart can be difficult, but management is similar for all of them. According to the Noxious Weed Board, finding and controlling the knapweeds early is key to preventing an infestation. The most effective control is done through a combination of mechanical, chemical, cultural, and biological controls. Cultivation through rototilling or hoeing/hand pulling will reduce the population. As with the thistles, use glyphosate products as spot treatment only. Consult Hortsense for other chemical options.
(The Noxious Weed Board’s website is an excellent resource and the one I used for writing this article. Some of their educational materials are available on the table outside the conference room at the WSU Extension office on Washington Street. I also used information from Hortsense.)
by Casey Leigh
Virginia Creeper: Plants Gone Wild – 8/1/2022
In a recent clinic meeting, we discussed a somewhat desperate e-mail from a client who was seeking advice about removing a large, unidentified plant in her yard that had given her a rash. Her photos revealed a lush (and yes, expansive) hop plant. This led us to a bigger question: what are some plants that serve a good purpose but can quickly grow out of control?
Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) are an excellent first example. Though our client had an unfortunate experience with them, they can be used medicinally, ornamentally, as a supplement in livestock feed, and even as a preservative, according to OSU Extension. And, of course, hops are probably best known for the role they play in brewing beer. However, they can be difficult to control given that they are rhizomatous. Left to themselves, the bines (stems) usually grow up to 15 to 20 feet (sometimes higher), not to mention their ability to spread out along the ground.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a member of the grape family, is another example of a plant that can become “too much of a good thing.” According to Susan Mahr with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia Creeper can cover trellises and chain link fences, help with erosion control, and provide food with its berries for songbirds and other wildlife during the winter. However, much like a hop plant, it can quickly become a problem in a garden. It grows with extraordinary speed (up to 20 feet in a year!), and Mahr warns that it can stifle other plants, particularly in a small garden. Additionally, the berries it produces are moderately toxic to many mammals (including humans) due to their dense concentration of oxalic acid.
It’s also worth mentioning that there is a False Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus vitacea), which is on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board’s monitor list. Its leaves look very similar to Parthenocissus quinquefolia, so you’ll have to look closely to tell the two plants apart. For example, True Virginia Creeper leaves are a more muted green color; additionally, there are hairs on the underside of the leaves and on the veins. False Virginia Creeper leaves, by contrast, have no hair and are a vibrant green. However, the most helpful things to look at are the plants’ tendrils. True Virginia Creeper has tendrils that terminate in small, sticky discs, which allow the plant to latch onto things. While False Virginia Creeper also has tendrils, they divide into fewer branches than a True Virginia Creeper’s and they don’t have any discs.
By Jacqueline Sykes
Weeds in May – 5/1/2017
One of the most common questions in the clinic in May is how to get rid of weeds. People want to know what to spray — what is an easy way to get rid of weeds? Many people are sure that the weeds are coming in the irrigation water.
The real question should have been,“ How can I prevent weeds from over-running my garden, flowerbed, etc.?”
Prevent weeds such as purslane, oxalis and spotted spurge by rubbing them out with a hoe when they first appear and before they go to seed. These weeds mostly occur on road verges and on the edges of flowerbeds and lawns — that is until they truly get established. There is a pre-emergent designed for this evil trio, but it is not registered for use in Washington State.
In late July we will start getting questions about crabgrass because people have missed the window to apply pre-emergents. It has been hard to judge this year because of the cool soil and late spring. On April 6th my Forsythia sprang into bloom about two weeks later than normal and nearly four weeks later than last year. We suggest watching for Forsythia bloom because that indicates the soil is 50 degrees. Dandelions bloom at 55 degrees — and that is when crabgrass seed germinates as well.
Needless to say, noxious weeds must be eliminated before they flower.
Weed seed arrives during our windy springs and during the late summer winds. It loves to land on deep compost or nestle between rock mulch sitting on wind-blown soil collected weed barrier fabric. If an irrigation system, especially drip or mister systems, has effective filters, weed seeds cannot arrive via irrigation water. I have never found weed seeds in my filter. I once washed out the filter at the end of June, dried the residue, and did not find even fine seeds.
We suggest that gardeners weed well in early spring.
The solution to weeds is mulch, mulch, mulch. Weed seeds need light to germinate. I weed my flowerbeds once in early spring, mulch, and never weed again all season.
In the clinic we try to convince people of the power of 3-4 inches of mulch that will pretty much ease their problems with weeds. Of course, many people come to us when the oxalis has totally covered a flower bed and violets have filled up the lawn. Then we ask them to live with it because many weeds once they are established are next to impossible to eliminate without totally tearing out the landscape.
By Bonnie Orr
Effective strategies for dealing with weeds – 5/1/2017
Perennial weeds can be a stubborn challenge for gardeners. These weeds come back year after year, seemingly with more resilience, turning our peaceful gardening hobby into all-out war. This past winter’s lack of snowfall and warmer temps reinforced the army of perennial weeds such as field bindweed (wild morning glory) and horsetail.
Knowing what you are up against can better prepare you for the battle. Perennial weeds spread by seed and persist by large root systems. They store energy in their underground structures, allowing them to regenerate even after being cut back or pulled. This is why effective weed control requires a combination of strategies and diligence!
Prevention
As with any health problem, prevention is the best method. Here are several methods:
Mulching: Applying a thick layer of organic mulch in your planting beds can suppress weeds by blocking light. Mulch also improves soil structure, which helps your desirable plants outcompete weeds.
Planting ground covers: Bare soil is a welcome mat for weeds. Ground cover plants, such as clover or creeping thyme, form a dense mat that can crowd out weeds.
Proper soil preparation: Ensure your soil is fertile and well-draining to support your desirable plants. Consider no-till gardening to minimize soil disturbance, which brings weed seeds to the surface.
Physical Removal and Suppression
Once weeds are established, mechanical control is necessary.
Hand weeding: Some may consider this labor intensive, although hand weeding can be a meditative garden activity. Whenever I have a life problem that needs sorting, I grab my weeding tool and get to work. Hand weeding is most effective if done early in the season when weeds are small.
Solarization: Something to consider for next summer, solarization involves covering the soil with clear plastic for 4-8 weeks during the hottest part of the summer. This process heats the soil to a temperature that kills many weed seeds and roots.
Mowing or cutting back: Regularly cutting back weeds prevents them from flowering and setting seed.
Chemical Control
If you are losing the weed war, it may be time to consider using herbicides. Use a selective herbicide that is targeted for the weed you are battling. Non-selective herbicides will kill all vegetation and need to be applied directly to the leaves of the weed. Most importantly, follow the instructions listed on the package.
Some resources to help you make herbicide decisions are Pesticide Information Center Online (PICOL) at https://picol.cahnrs.wsu.edu/, and Hortsense, a WSU platform that contains fact sheets to help home gardeners with many plant problems. Find it at https://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/.
Finally, take advantage of the WSU Master Gardeners plant clinic, which is available year-round. You can email questions to askamastergardener@chelandouglasmg.org.
Long-term Management
Patience and persistence are your most effective weapons in the weed war. Regular monitoring with a combination of prevention, physical and chemical methods provide the best results.
Also, keep in mind that some plants considered “weeds,” such as dandelions and clover, are beneficial to your garden by being a food source for pollinators or having deep taproots that help break up compacted soil. Certain weeds, in moderation, can coexist in a balanced ecosystem without causing significant harm.
By Dana Cook
Why we need to eliminate the Tree of Heaven – 6/02/2024
The United States has had all types of migrants since the first European settlements. Dandelions and angle worms were introduced, as well as many invasive and noxious weeds and insect pests.
In the 21st century, the world is truly a global economy, so our migrants have changed to insect pests hidden in shipments of goods from other parts of the world for which we have not yet developed sure means of controlling them.
In the last 20 years, gardeners in North Central Washington have seen the eruption of the spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly that damages ripening fruit, and the brown marmorated stinkbug that eats nearly anything organic and has become a scourge on the East Coast, and the Asian hornet or northern giant hornet.
Now there is a new pest that we hope we can control in the West before its population explodes. The new pest, the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is actually spread by using another inadvertent plant pest, the Tree of Heaven, as a host.
The Washington Invasive Species Council wants to have these unwanted and unloved trees eliminated from the landscape because that is the most effective means of preventing the spread of the spotted lantern fly, which like the tree comes from China.
The spotted lanternfly uses the Tree of Heaven as a host. The lanternfly sucks the sap from stems and new growth of ornamental trees such as maple, oak, pine and willow and fruit trees, including apples and grapes. It lays its eggs on the smooth bark of the Tree of Heaven. It is a remarkable-looking insect that is brightly colored, but we do not want to see it in Chelan and Douglas counties.
Did you ever read the book or see the classic movie, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn?” The tree featured in the book is Ailanthus altissima, a tree brought to the U.S. from China for its “beauty.” Nothing was known about how aggressively this plant spreads.
The tree is casually known as a “trash tree.” People seldom plant it in their yards. It grows in uncultivated places, in disturbed land, near abandoned buildings, and in cracks in sidewalks. One tree in a neighborhood can produce enough seeds and suckers to populate several square blocks.
So what is a short-term management of this pest? Before the trees bloom and send off up to 350,000 seeds per tree, cut down the trees that live on the north and east side of your property since trees in other areas of your yard provide your shade. It is best to kill the tree with herbicide before you cut the tree down or the tree will send up lots and lots of suckers up to 50 feet from the tree.
If you cannot cut them down or arrange to have them cut down, kill them with herbicide. There are a number of techniques. You can spray the leaves or the basal bark. You can hack the stems and squirt herbicide in the cut. July is the time to treat the tree with systemic herbicide.
Generally, it takes two years to totally eliminate the tree. After you have killed the tree and have selected not to cut it down, there are several options. First, it can become a snag tree for cavity nesting birds. Or if it not too close to your house, you can plant rapidly growing vining plants to climb up the dead branches. Wisteria, native clematis and climbing roses, will bloom colorfully. Even ivy, kept in control, can create a sense of green on the dead branches of the Ailanthus.
If you would like assistance with managing your Tree of Heaven, contact the Chelan County Noxious Weed Control Board or The Douglas County Weed Management Task Force. These organizations can offer site-specific recommendations for a tailored management plan that best fits the location and extent of the problem. Email the WSU Chelan-Douglas Master Gardeners (chelanmastergardeners@gmail.com) for additional information and lists of herbicides to control this pest tree.
By Bonnie Orr
Common bad guys – 3/15/2023
These three weeds are common bad guys:
Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) can produce 240,000 seeds per plant and the seeds can stay viable for up to 40 years. It mostly grows at the edges of the lawn, in sidewalk cracks, next to a driveway. One way to contain it is to alter your watering patterns so bare soil is not watered. Seeds can continue to ripen after the plants have been pulled. Any part of the plant can resprout. The seeds sprout when the soil temperature is near 70 degrees and the air temperature 70-80 degrees. Three inches of mulch will prevent the seeds from germinating. Pre-emergent chemicals are effective if applied before the seeds sprout.
Spotted spurge/prostrate spurge (Euphorbia maculata) seeds germinate when the soil temperature is 60 degrees and the air temperature 75-85 degrees. It can regerminate throughout the summer in weak areas of turf.
Oxalis or woodsorrel ( Oxalis stricta) germinates when the soil is about 50. When ripe, the seeds can be cast up to 16 feet away from the parent plant. Oxalis is a perennial and grows from underground stems or roots. This plant is controlled with specific, broad-leaf herbicides.
By Bonnie Orr
Tips for limiting the weeds that pop up in your lawn – 3/15/2023
For the last eight years, we have experienced an increasing number of days higher than 86 degrees. Do you remember the “heat dome?” That period of 100-plus weather lasted nearly a week in June 2021. Vast swaths of turf burned out. And because the grass leaves were dead, the soil was exposed to light. The various weed seeds hidden in the top few inches of soil germinated. Some people noticed splotches of weeds growing in their turf by late summer 2021.
A frequent question fielded by WSU Master Gardeners in 2022 was, “Where did these weeds come from and what can I do?” Most people did not realize how serious the infestations of spotted spurge, prostrate spurge, oxalis and purslane had become.
These weeds flourish in weak, drought-stressed areas of turf.
The tardy identification of the problem most likely will cause the infestations in 2023 to be much more severe since last summer’s plants created a new seed bank. Each of the devilish weeds described in the accompanying sidebar story can produce hundreds to thousands of seeds per plant.
March is the time to apply pre-emergent products, which will stop many of the seeds from germinating. They must be applied before the seeds start to grow. Usually, the soil is 50 degrees. For example, dandelions sprout when the soil is 50 degrees and bloom when the soil is 55 degrees.
So, what to do?
Most importantly, create a healthy lawn with minimum amounts of thatch. Water regularly and deeply, and apply fertilizer in spring and early summer. A healthy lawn will out-compete broad-leaf weeds.
The weed seeds most likely did NOT arrive in the irrigation water. The seeds are spread by wind. Or worse, the weed seed might be introduced by your lawn care service that has picked up the seed in the mower’s wheels or other equipment.
Be prepared to walk your lawn, specifically the edges, to monitor the first appearance of the weeds.
Consider pulling by hand those first offenders rather than spraying them. Have a bag with you as you survey your property so that you can remove the weed and put it in the trash.
Weed seeds can continue to develop even after the plant is pulled. Never leave piles of wilting weeds in a pile to pick up later. Have you watched a dandelion plant go to seed almost before your very eyes? If you hoe out weeds on the edges of the lawn or along the street, make sure to trash all the bits you have scraped up.
If you choose to apply chemicals, there are a number of pre-emergent chemicals sold at garden centers. Be sure to read the label to determine if your target plant is listed as controlled by a particular product. Post-emergent chemicals can be applied to lawns to kill broad-leaf weeds.
The WSU Master Gardeners can help you identify the weeds and offer suggestions of chemicals that can be applied to control them.
Consider a different attitude about your lawn. How often do you use your lawn, say, to play croquet? Is the only time you are on your lawn is when you are mowing it? Have you considered the ecological and financial cost of a monoculture turf lawn? If the lawn is green, keeps the dust down and is copacetic, why not tolerate some green broadleaf plants in your lawn?
Because of the increased number of hot days, we need to garden differently.
By Bonnie Orr
April showers bring May flowers; June heat produces weed flowers – 6/06/2023
You intended to scrape out those little weeds when they first appeared at the end of May. Now these flowering weeds are setting seeds. Often, they thrive in areas of low soil fertility and irregular water.
Weeds are diligent and determined. An annual bluegrass plant can produce viable seed within 24 hours of pollination. Have you ever cut a salsify, those giant “dandelion puffs?” If you do not discard the plant, its severed head filled with merely flower buds, will skip the flower stage and immediately produce a large seed puff.
Currently, area residents are asking Master Gardeners questions about eradication of rogue violets, mare’s tail, black medick, oxalis (yellow shamrock), Russian thistle, purslane and puncture vine — did I mention your special nemesis?
In the spring, annual weed seeds germinate and then grow madly to produce seed before they dry out in August.
Biennial weeds started as a little cluster of leaves near the ground last summer, and this year an extended bloom stalk has grown. Think of knapweeds and mullein. Parsley is a biennial, as well.
Perennials are those plants that have evolved massive root systems often with thick rhizomes deeply underground. You can kill the vegetation, and it will grow back almost before your very eyes. Think of field bindweed/wild morning glory, whitetop and horsetail.
These weeds are in your garden now; their seed-producing capacity is awe-inspiring. Not only do the plants produce hundreds of thousands of seeds, but the seed can also remain dormant in the soil for years, and every time you distribute the soil by digging it, you expose more seeds to the light. Moreover, tricky plants, such as violets and oxalis can produce seeds underground without the benefit of flowers in addition to spreading by underground stems.
So, let’s deal with these weeds. The annuals could have been treated with a pre-emergent last spring, but it is too late now. It is really a waste of chemical product to spray them with herbicide since they have wimpy root systems and can be easily pulled or scraped from the ground. Anyway, herbicides are not very effective on plants with narrow, hairy or waxy leaves. Annuals also can be mown before they bloom. If you cut or mow weeds and let the flowers/seed heads lie on the ground, the decapitated plant can still produce seed that will haunt you for years to come.
For biennials, you can just cut off the flowering stalk because the rest of the plant will die by fall anyway. This is best, because if you pull the plant, you will disturb the soil, and any latent seeds will germinate to form a leaf roseate, which will set seed next year.
Don’t let the perennials bloom. And treat the plant with herbicide in the spring and fall. It is too hot now to apply herbicides. The Master Gardeners recommend products which are most effective to use on any perennial weed.
What do you do with those weedy, seedy plants once you have cut them or pulled them? Do not compost them. Do not leave them on the ground.
Gather all the cut materials — seeds, flowers and stalks — and put them in a large plastic bag that can be sealed. Put the bag in the trash. Or after you have filled the bag with the weedy material, add two cups of water, seal the bag and place it in a very hot and sunny spot. With the summer’s heat, the seed material will boil and be rotted in the bag. After a couple of weeks of heat treatment, this slurry can be added safely to your compost pile. There should be no recognizable plant parts in the smelly slurry.
The final word: After you have eradicated the weeds, apply at least a 3-inch layer of mulch over the bare soil to prevent new seeds from germinating and to slow down germination of next year’s crop.
By Bonnie Orr
Getting it right: pre-emergent herbicides and fertilizer – 4-01/2024
It is time to apply pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergents are products that are spread on the lawn to prevent germinating seeds from growing. In lawns, crabgrass is one of the primary targets.
The timing of the application is essential. In our area, pre-emergent is applied when the forsythia blooms or when the redbud tree is just beginning to bloom. These are indicators that the soil is 50 degrees at 2 inches depth. Forty-five days later, another application can be applied at half-strength if your lawn is spotty and not very vigorous. Lawn weed seeds grow best where the turf is thin and sunlight can reach the soil. Healthy turf is the best way to get rid of crabgrass.
Pre-emergents for spotted spurge and purslane are applied later because those seeds germinate when the soil is about 65. WSU AgWeathernet (weather.wsu.edu) will tell you the soil temperature in your area. You can set up a free account.
Why do you need a fertilizer? Have you ever had a soil fertility test done on your soil? How do you know what amendments you need to add? Often people bring their soil test results for Master Gardeners to advise and interpret. And many times, the soil has an excess of either N, P or K — Nitrogen, Phosphorus or Potassium. N, P and K are the most common macronutrients in a bag of either lawn or garden fertilizer. Our native soils in Eastern Washington contain sufficient phosphorous. Excess amounts of phosphorous or nitrogen can cause as many growing problems as low levels of fertility in addition to contaminating the ground water and the rivers. You are wasting money buying and spreading product that the soil does not need. It would be a good idea to get a soil test done before this year’s gardening season starts.
Do you use organic or conventional fertilizer? The bottom line is that the plant does not know the difference. Organic nitrogen or synthetic nitrogen is going to provide the same benefits to the plant. Nitrogen is Nitrogen — the same with other supplements. A gardener makes the choice based on how he or she wants to deal with the soil and with the fertilizer residues in the soil.
Using fertilizers seems to be problematic. The adage “more is better” is truthfully detrimental to your plants and to your soil. Read the directions on the package. These directions are not merely suggestions; directions are based on the company’s research before marketing their product.
Many people mistakenly believe that compost is fertilizer. Compost has very low fertility — usually less than 3%. Compost’s function is to help the soil retain water, create more loft in heavy soils and provide insulation from high or low heat. Worms and other organisms break down the compost during the growing season. Research varies on the volume of compost to add to the soil. The percentage varies from 5% to 15%. It is such a little amount that it does not make much of a visual difference in the soil. Too much compost will hinder plants’ growth.
Organic supplements such as rabbit, llama, chicken or cow manure must be totally rotted down before being added to the garden for two reasons. The first reason is the amount of salts in the manure that can accumulate in the soil. The second reason is that some manures are very high in nitrogen and will negatively affect the growth of your garden. The two most common problems are huge, lush plants and no blooms or fruit production and blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers.
By Bonnie Orr
Hoary Cress is a devilish weed with bad intentions – 6/15/2022
Hoary Cress, also called White Top, Cardaria draba, is another pernicious weed from Europe that probably came in animal feed. It has been found in Washington state since the early 1900s.
The plant is 2 feet tall and the roots can be up to 10 feet deep.
It is common on waste land and disturbed soil — such as adjacent to building sites or fill-soil from an area there.
The plant grows rampantly. It can out-compete nearly everything not only because of its prolific seeds and determined roots but also because the plant produces a chemical that prevents other plants from growing near it. This is not a weed you want in your neighborhood.
Hoary Cress is a perennial — and that is the rub. It is very difficult to eradicate because of its fast-spreading, thick, rhizome roots. The roots can spread from 2 feet to 5 feet per year.
This devilish weed can spread by seed as well. Each plant produces from 1,200 seeds to 5,000 seeds that can lie in the soil for up to three years before sprouting. Seeds are ripe and blown about by midsummer. Seeds can be transported also by hiking boots, car tires, animal fur, and contaminated hay and crop seed.
So how do you prevent your landscape being overrun with Hoary Cress?
Cutting off the plant or attempting to pull it is not effective. The roots reacts to the plant being mowed by putting up additional shoots.
If you attempt to dig it out and leave even a slip of a root, the plant feels it has permission to take off again.
The truth is you must control this plant when you first see the young roseate that sprout in the early spring. It is one of the first plants that appears when the soil begins to warm.
Herbicides are the control. They are applied to the roseate and before the plant blooms. Email the Douglas County Weed Task Force at dwhaley@wsu.edu. or the Chelan County Weed Board at noxious.weeds@co.chelan.wa.us for information for chemical controls. You can visit the Chelan County Weed Board website at wwrld.us/noxweeds.
I know from experience that it may take two to four years to totally get rid of the infestation on your property.
I ordered some top soil, and the next year white top appeared in my flower bed. I cut it off the first year. The second year there was more, so I began the process of digging it. It took another year of digging for me to totally eradicate it. I also worked to out-compete it by planting many perennial grasses and spreading flowering perennials so that there was no light getting to the soil. I succeeded in eradicating it because I attacked it early in the infestation.
By Bonnie Orr
Attack weeds this fall to reduce next year’s impact – 08/31/2022
It is nearly Labor Day, which means it’s time for the county fairs and time to organize our fall garden tasks.
We think about planting trees and shrubs in the fall and harvesting our garden’s bounty. One of the tasks we often do not think about in the fall is weeding because we are just so tired of dealing with weeds and wish they would go away.
Three to four inches of mulch makes an effective germination barrier for annual weeds.
Different strategies are needed to beat back perennial weeds. Fall is an optimum time to kill perennial weeds rather than just pulling them out to keep them under control. The reason that fall is the time to deal with these weeds is that the plants are still growing vigorously. They have large root systems, often with storage roots to sustain plants through winter.
It is nearly impossible to dig out these root systems. I have tried and succeeded with morning glory, but it was hours of work and took three years! Most of us have better things to do with our time. Herbicides and patience to the rescue!
An herbicide is drawn down into the storage roots and weakens the perennial weed and eventually kills it.
So this is the perfect time to use an herbicide of your choice. First, read the instructions on the package and make sure it is labeled to kill your target plant. Then decide on the delivery of the herbicide to be sure you do not damage desirable plants. The WSU Master Gardeners can help you make decisions about herbicide, or you can visit the website PICOL: Pesticide Information Center OnLine, picol.cahnrs.wsu.edu/. It is a label database that helps you target a weed and select an herbicide that kills it. WSU Hortsense will also recommend weed control.
After you have applied the pesticide, check in a week to 10 days to see if another application is needed to knock back the growth. If the weeds have been persistent for several years, it may take more than one season to eliminate the plant. That means that herbicide is applied in the fall, the next spring and the succeeding fall before you notice a major diminishment of the plant.
The most pernicious garden weeds are horsetail (Equisetum arvense), field bindweed or wild morning glory (Convolvulus arvensis), quack grass and dandelions. All of these weeds respond to herbicide applications. But the product must be very carefully applied to prevent damaging desirable plants. Be conscious of heat over 80 degrees that can cause the product to volatilize — that is, turn into a gas — and affect nearby plants. Also, even a breath of breeze can move the product to nearby plants.
Other Washington state-listed noxious weeds on uncultivated and disturbed lands — such as Canada thistle, Dalmatian toadflax and Kochia — should be cut back to eliminate their seed heads (which need to go in the trash). Then treat the remaining stems and leaves with herbicide.
You can continue to treat perennial weeds until a frost kills the tops or until the ground temperature is 50 F, at which point most plants stop growing.
A word about annuals: Don’t forget to deal with real “baddies” such as Russian thistle and the knapweeds before they distribute their seeds. These are annuals or biennials, and you can begin to control them by cutting the weed to the ground and stuffing the stems and seeds into the trash. Then in the spring, grubbing out the new plants in the roseate stage will eliminate the weed’s new generation.
Look forward to a more weed-free life next year.
By Bonnie Orr
Yellow nutsedge is one of the world’s worst weeds – 10/08/2019
Of all the weeds we find in yards and gardens, the worst are those that are on the state’s noxious weed list.
Canada thistle was the first plant that Washington targeted as a weed that needed to be eradicated or at least controlled — this was in 1881. Fast forward to the late 1960s when a more comprehensive law was passed, dividing noxious weeds into three classes: A, B and C.
Class A weeds are those recently introduced, so the goal is to eradicate them before they become established.
Class B weeds are widespread in only some parts of the state. The two goals for Class B weeds are to prevent them getting into new areas and to keep them from getting out of control in infested areas.
Class C weeds are those that are often widespread and are of special interest to the agriculture industry.
For some Class B and C weeds, landowners have a legal obligation to control them on their property by keeping them from reproducing. The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board has created a list of Class A, B and C weeds that you can find on their website (nwcb.wa.gov).
This article highlights a Class B noxious weed that has been reported in the Wenatchee area that clinicians at the Master Gardener Plant Diagnosis Clinic have recently been asked to identify: Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus).
This creeping perennial is highly aggressive and resembles a grass. You can tell it from grass by its triangular stems. It grows from 6 inches to 30 inches tall with yellowish-brown flower spikelets at the end of thin stems. A single plant can produce over 90,000 seeds!
Fortunately, seeds are not their primary means of reproducing. However, they also spread through an extensive underground network of creeping roots and small underground nutlets. These nutlets are so persistent that they can stay dormant for several years before developing into new plants. The tubers themselves have been known to grow inside potato tubers. Once established, yellow nutsedge is extremely difficult to eradicate.
As of now, the Chelan County Noxious Weed Control Board requires landowners to control yellow nutsedge. So what should you do? Familiarize yourself with what yellow nutsedge looks like and make it a point to keep any eye out for it in your landscape. As soon as you see one, dig it out, being sure to get the whole root and any nutlets.
Yellow nutsedge prefers moist soil and does not like shade. Overwatering can create conditions favorable to its growth, so be sure you are watering appropriately. Provide competition by maintaining healthy, high-density plantings and turf. Chemical controls are limited.
For more information on herbicides, contact the Master Gardener Plant Diagnosis Clinic.
Fast forward from 1881 to present day. Have we successfully controlled Canada thistle? Unfortunately, no. It is on both the state and Chelan County’s noxious weeds lists and, as with yellow nutsedge, property owners in Chelan County are required to control it.
By Casey Leigh
Weed control is fairly easy this time of year – 05/28/2019
It’s weed season again. Weeds not only are unsightly in your garden, driveway or pastureland, but when they proliferate, they destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland and native plant habitat.
An annual weed sets seed and dies and grows the next season from seed — common examples being cheatgrass or goathead.
A perennial weed persists from year to year and re-grows from the same roots — think of white top.
A biennial weed grows from seed the first year and then the second year blooms, produces seed and dies.
Now is when the roseate — the group of leaves at the base of the plant close to the ground — can easily be pulled out or killed. It is important to control the weeds at the early stage before they bloom and set seeds.
Weeds grow so successfully because each plant can produce hundreds or even thousands of seeds. The seeds are spread by the wind, hidden in dog fur, stuck to the bottom of your walking shoes, in the wheels of your off-road vehicle, the tires of your bicycle. It is easy to create new weed infestations in previously clean areas because we help to distribute weeds seeds.
Everyone has heard of the efforts to stop the spread of some of the 400 types of knapweed. One of the most difficult knapweeds to control is diffuse knapweed. This plant is especially insidious. In 1907, it was accidentally introduced mixed into alfalfa seed in Eastern Washington. This plant can grow as a perennial or biennial depending on the soil type and the moisture available. It can be difficult to control — except at this time of year when all the plants have a roseate of leaves that can easily be removed.
Diffuse knapweed, Centaurea diffusa, easily invades roadsides, disturbed land or recently plowed land. A serious concern for our area is that it easily establishes itself in recently burned areas. It thrives in open land with very little water and eliminates competition from other weeds by producing a plant toxin that prevents other weeds from germinating.
This pest is one of the shorter knapweeds, growing only to 2 feet tall, and it can be very bushy. The white or pale pink flowers produce a seed capsule that is “spiny” and rough to the touch. The roseate leaves are a complete stem of finely cut parts. Each plant can produce 12,000 seeds, and the plant is only spread by seed, not plant parts.
Diffuse knapweed is listed as a class B Noxious by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, and homeowners are required by law to control this plant on their property.
By Bonnie Orr
An explainer on Washington’s noxious weed laws – 01/10/2020
Every gardener knows the challenge of trying to keep weeds from overtaking their lawn and garden. While all weeds are obnoxious, not all are noxious, or at least not legally so.
State law defines a noxious weed as a “plant that when established is highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices.” A noxious weed can be either terrestrial or aquatic.
To control the spread of these weeds, the Legislature created a state Noxious Weed Control Board and authorized counties to establish their own weed boards. Chelan County has a weed board, but Douglas County does not. Instead, it has a Weed Management Task Force.
The state board has created a statewide noxious weed list that you can find on their website, nwcb.wa.gov. Noxious weeds are divided into three classes: A, B and C.
Class A weeds are newly introduced species into Washington and therefore are relatively rare. The goal is to completely eradicate them. Because landowners have a legal obligation to eradicate Class A weeds on their property, it is important to learn what those weeds are and be able to identify them.
Because Class B weeds are widespread in only certain parts of the state; the goal with them is to prevent their spread into new areas and to control them in established areas. Check out the Chelan County Noxious Weed Board’s website at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/noxious-weed to find out what Class B weeds landowners have a duty to control. The law defines control as preventing “the dispersal of all propagating parts capable of forming a new plant, including seeds.” In other words, don’t let it reproduce.
Class C weeds are spread throughout the state or have an impact on agriculture. Although the state weed board doesn’t require owners to control these weeds, county weed boards might if they believe the weeds threaten agriculture or natural resources. Therefore, it’s important to check the Chelan County Weed Board’s website to see if any weeds on your property are on their list.
Another list created under the state Noxious Weed Law is the plant quarantine list. Maintained by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), this list contains plants that can’t be transported, bought, sold or offered for sale in the state.
In addition, it is illegal to sell, offer for sale or distribute seed packets, flower seed blends or wildflower mixes of these plants. Check the WSDA website at agr.wa.gov to view their list. The state weed control board has posted on its website pictures of quarantined weeds with information that can help you identify whether the weed in your yard or garden is on the list. This is particularly helpful when you don’t know the name of the weed.
If you fail to meet your legal obligation to eradicate or control listed noxious weeds on your property after you have been notified to do so, the county weed board can enter your property or hire someone to control them and bill you or they may issue a monetary penalty of up to $1,000. The bill for controlling the weeds constitutes a lien on your property. Failure to pay the penalty is a misdemeanor.
If you have any concerns about plants on your property that may be on the state or county’s noxious weed list or quarantine list, contact your county weed board. The people there are knowledgeable and, because part of their responsibility is to educate the public about noxious weeds, they are often able to visit your property to help you identify noxious weeds and make suggestions for eradicating or controlling them.
By Casey Leigh
Flowering rush is a plant we want dead in the water – 1/15/2020
I am betting flowering rush is a weed you have never seen. And hopefully, you never will see it. The only way to stop the spread of noxious and harmful weed is to be able to identify it and to change our outdoor habits.
As many other noxious weeds, flowering rush, Butomus umbellatus, was introduced on the East Coast as an ornamental for people’s private ponds. With attractive pink flowers, who wouldn’t want this growing in their pond? The problem with introduced plants is that their natural controls are missing in the new environment — and people are usually unaware of the growth habits and misbehavior of a lovely new garden plant!
Rushes are distributed worldwide on the banks and in the shallow water of flowing streams and rivers — remember the biblical story of Moses being hidden in a basket in the bulrushes on the banks of the Nile? The reason that rushes occur so widely is that they evolved several ways to distribute their seed and to expand their territories.
The flowering rush produces seeds that float on the surface of the water and can be carried by the wind. The flower stalks also produce little bulblets that break free and float away to form more plants. More insidiously, the plant is anchored in the soft muddy shallow water with long, tough rhizomes (specialized roots that store food for the plant). In addition, more bad news, the rhizomes produce little bulbs that break free when the roots are disturbed and float along the bottom of the water until they lodge in a place where they can root themselves.
So why are we concerned about this plant invading our waterways? The flowering rush can compete with native wetland and shoreline plants, and it can crowd out native species. Worse, the rush provides hiding places for Northern Pike, a fish that lies in wait and ambushes salmon and other fish species.
According to the Washington Noxious Weed Board, Public and private landowners are required by state law to eradicate this plant when it occurs on their property. Flowering-rush is a Class A Noxious Weed in Washington due to its limited distribution in the state and the potential for significant impact to state resources.
The plants have a cylindrical stalk, up to 5 feet tall, ending in a flat-topped flower cluster with individual flower stalks originating from a common point of 20 to 50 light pink flowers. Flowers have three sepals, three petals, nine stamens and pink pistils.
It has a rhizome — a thick root — that produces thin, upright leaves that may be twisted in growth and reach 3 feet or more in length. They can be emergent, submersed or floating. Leaf bases are triangular in cross-section.
It is the bulblets that break free when the rhizomes are disturbed that allow the plant to infest areas downriver.
About a dozen of these plants have been found in the Orondo boat launch area and Turtle Rock, which is downstream of the Orondo infestation. They were removed in four successive years at a cost of nearly $8,500. Divers have been hired to remove the plants and use a suction hose to ensure that they have captured all the bulblets. Then a type of bottom barrier was secured to prevent any new germination of rhizome pieces. Boat surveys coordinated by WSU Extension, the state departments of agriculture and ecology, and the Chelan County Noxious Weed Board have been conducted annually to search for new infestations.
By Bonnie Orr
Beware the Dalmatian toadflax – 4/18/2018
It has such an appealing appearance — radiant yellow flowers on a long stalk and a long bloom period. It looks like a three-foot-tall snapdragon on steroids, BUT, do not be sucked in. For under the ground are the most pernicious, aggressive tap and horizontal, perennial creeping roots you have ever tried to dig out.
Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica ) is listed by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board as a weed that needs to be mandatorily controlled. It has run over pasture land and might be harmful to livestock.
This invader came from the Balkans, probably in animal feed or in treasured garden seed brought to new homes by immigrants.
I have seen it growing in the Balkans. There, it is well behaved and mixed in with other native plants. Unfortunately, it has claimed a boothold here in open lands with no real competition except from grasses struggling in over-grazed soil. And its natural predators are not native here.
It was first seen in Washington state in the mid-1920s.
The reason that this plant’s spread must be controlled is that it damages rangeland and pastures. The plant out-competes native grasses.
A single plant can produce 500,000 seeds; its roots can be 6 feet deep and up to 10 feet wide. This growth habit influences the means of eradicating the plant.
Mowing a field with Dalmatian toadflax can actually do more harm than good. Mowing can be a temporary control measure to prevent seed production, but will have to be repeated as new stems begin to flower, and it will not kill the plants.
Mowing machinery can actually spread the plant to other fields because seeds can stick to various parts of a tractor.
The plant can be killed with selected herbicides applied at the correct time of year, in the correct weather conditions.
As always, if you select to deal with this weed with an herbicide listed to control this weed, be sure to follow application directions precisely.
The Chelan County Noxious Weed Board (509-667-6669) and the Douglas County Weed Task Force (509-745-8531) can provide information on what types of herbicide to apply.
One of the most effective means of controlling this weed is the release of toadflax stem weevils. The adult insects eat the leaves and flowers and the larvae kill the stems by eating out the center. The weevils are approved for use on toadflax because this insect eats only toadflax and will not attack other plants.
By Bonnie Orr
Controlling the spread of the noxious Scotch thistle is a priority – 6/03/2020
Scotch thistle. Do you have visions of the “Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond,” or the enticements of peat-infused liquor, or is the name a dirty trick that the English are blaming their northern neighbors for a scurrilous invasive weed? Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the actual thistle, Cirsium vulgare, that is used as the emblem of Scotland.
Onopordum acanthium most likely came from the droughty Mediterranean areas. The mature plant is covered with stiff white hairs and is sometimes called cotton thistle.
Because it does have a lovely purple “flower,” the plant was brought to America as an ornamental — what is it about bringing pests into the U.S.? It has escaped and thrives in disturbed soil on range lands, near streams, in shrub steppe and on roadsides. Especially near creeks and streams, huge thickets of the plant restrict people or livestock from approaching the banks of the water.
The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board has a web page, wwrld.us/scotchthistle, that contains details about Scotch thistle, including images.
Douglas County has made the control of this weed one of its priorities this year according to Ryan Lefler, natural resources specialist for the Foster Creek Conservation District. It is a Class B weed in Washington, which means that it will most likely not be totally eradicated, but its spread needs to be controlled. It is best controlled when you take advantage of its growth habits.
The thistle is usually a biennial, a plant that produces seed the second year of its growth and then dies. The first year, the plant grows flat to the ground and establishes a huge root system and then the second year grows to 10 feet tall and puts on the thistle “flower.” It can produce 8,400 seeds to 20,000 seeds per plant that can remain viable in the soil for up to 20 years. The plant only reproduces by seed. The seeds need light to germinate so that is why the plant is often seen on disturbed soils.
The rosettes can be as big as 1 feet across. They easily can be dug up at the rosette stage. Or, the time to control this plant with herbicides is when it is in the rosette stage. Because the leaves and stems of the mature plants are covered with dense white hairs, herbicide treatment is not very effective.
There are at least five types of thistle growing wild in Washington, including a native species. Be sure to identify this plant correctly before attempting to eradicate it. Other thistle can be annuals or perennials and must be dealt with in different manners.
By Bonnie Orr
Herbicide Resistance Is Changing How We Suppress Weeds – 4/16/2021
You have heard that some antibiotics have lost their efficiency because of overuse and misuse, and medical conditions that once were cured with these antibiotics no longer are. The pharmaceutical companies are scrambling to develop new antibiotics to be approved for use.
Agriculturalists and home gardeners are facing a very similar problem. Because of misuse and overuse of herbicides, weeds are developing resistance to a wide variety of products. You may feel this topic does not concern you, but if you use herbicides, it may indeed concern you. There have been no new classes of herbicides developed and approved for use in 30 years.
Herbicide resistance is the inherited characteristic of an individual plant to survive an herbicide application that would normally kill it. As homeowners, we can easily create these genetically different plants by overusing herbicides. Years of application of the same product creates the environment for herbicide resistance.
What plants in our area have developed herbicide resistance? Some of the best-known ones are kochia, Russian thistle, prickly lettuce, common ragweed, horseweed, Italian ryegrass and some grasses such as cheatgrass.
Herbicide resistance is also created with the misuse of the product. I have heard people say, “If a little is good, more is better.” The directions on the container of product indicate exactly how much product to use. More product does not kill more rapidly nor more thoroughly. In addition, herbicides do not work effectively on perennial plants with large root systems such as whitetop.
Applying product at sites not listed on the product’s label is a misuse of the product. For example, if gravel driveways are not listed, you should not be spraying your driveway each week with herbicide. Spraying the product on plants not listed on the label and hoping for the best is a misuse of the product.
Herbicides are only one tool in the toolbox of weed suppression. Weeds grow where there is not competition. Weed seeds need sunlight to germinate and to grow. Bare ground can be covered with a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch that is renewed halfway through the growing season.
Plants can be placed so they grow so close together that light does not reach the ground for weed-seed germination.
Digging perennial weeds and scraping out young annual weeds is effective before a large outbreak occurs. It is particularly important to scrape out annual weeds before they go to seed. Besides vigilance and muscle power, 20% or 30% vinegar can be applied to large outbreaks of annual weeds.
Why should the homeowner be concerned about herbicide resistance that develops from the misuse of herbicide? Weed seeds travel on tires, trailers, with birds and with the wind. Seeds can easily arrive in that field of wheat or up on the plateau. Grass seeds can overwhelm the edges of the roads.
Be conscientious.
By Bonnie Orr
Wildlife
Tips for Attracting Birds to Your Yard – 6/09/2021
In North Central Washington, more than >300 species of birds have been seen in various habits: riparian, sage/steppe, mountain, agriculture, urban backyards. I can’t promise that you will attract all these birds to your backyard, but you can create an environment that lures dozens of types of birds.
The three most important considerations are water, food and a safe environment.
In our dry climate, water will attract birds, especially running or dripping water. Birdbaths need to be shallow, about 2 inches, or have rocks in the bottom of a larger birdbath for the little birds to stand on to drink and bathe. Birdbath water gets dirty fast because of fecal material and algae. Birds tend to defecate in the water as they finish their bath. They do this to lighten the load; the wet feathers are extra weight and can endanger the bird’s ability to get airborne. Clean the water every day.
The birdbath also needs to be near a large shrub or hanging branches of a tree. Birds need a place to shake off the extra bath water and also a place to flee if a predator swoops into the area. I especially like to grow a plant with large leaves that grows at least 4 feet to 5 feet off the ground, such as a tree peony, a climbing rose or a hydrangea. After my irrigation water finishes its cycle, often little black capped chickadees, ruby crowned kinglets or hummingbirds will take a “sponge” bath by rolling on the wet leaves.
Normally, birdfeeders are used in late fall after a heavy frost, during the winter and in the very early spring. The rest of the year, your garden can provide the feast for the birds. Gentle or no use of pesticides allows for a bird buffet. Remember, 95% of insects are beneficials; most insects cause only cosmetic damage and do not kill plants. The Master Gardeners can share with you lots of ways to eliminate unwanted insect pests without resorting to pesticides.
Your arachnophobia does not give you a free pass to kill spiders. Spiders are generally beneficials and provide a juicy protein picker-upper for a parent bird-feeding famished chick! I wipe off excess aphids, but their sweet, juicy bodies are relished by everything from hummingbirds to song sparrows.
Besides insects, growing plants that provide fruit and seeds throughout the season create nearly all the food birds need. Plants with berries — such as currant, sumac, elderberry or mountain ash — provide sugars and proteins. Birds will eat some of your raspberries and strawberries, but I feel that is payment for the insects they are prying out from under the leaves. Seeds and nuts provide fats and proteins.
I grow Zinnas — lots of Zinnas. At least 10 species of birds lap up any insects on the flowers. Pollinators love these plants, and hummingbirds drink the meager amounts of nectar. But the best part is that I leave the seed heads for Zinnas, Cosmos, Sunflowers and Coneflowers uncut in late summer. All winter long, goldfinches, chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches and juncos balance carefully on the seed head to extract the large, black seeds.
A safe environment means that Fluffy must be an indoor cat, and you must resolve to clean the cat box. It does not make sense to create a bird environment and then set up a lethal feline trap.
During the winter, you will see small hawks pick up birds from your feeders; that can be lessened if you put your feeders in protected areas such as branches of a tree or near a bushy shrub such as Oceanspray or Cotoneaster rather than having the feeder out in the open. Feeding birds on the ground is unsanitary and makes the birds an open target for hawks and cats.
Enjoy creating a “birdy” habitat.
By Bonnie Orr
Tips for dealing with garden marauders of all forms – 6/12/2018
– Gardeners are the most optimist people in the world. They know the seeds they pat into the soil will fulfill their dreams of fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit. It will just take a bit of time, sunshine, water and nurturing.
Unfortunately, dreams sometimes fade to nightmares when marauders skulk among the beans or under the zucchini leaves. Garden marauders are sometimes mammals — squirrels, chipmunks, gophers or deer; feathery marauders are all types of birds; insect marauders arrive as adults or larvae and ready to nibble.
What to do, what to do in order to savor the fruits of your labor?
In the fruit and vegetable garden, barriers are the way to keep out mammals. Sometimes this can be a fence around the sides and top of your garden. In Europe, fruit cages are very popular because they keep out birds and small mammals.
Since most small fruit is produced on shrubs that are not moved or rotated, cages work well. It means that you may have to redesign and transplant your small fruit into an area that can be fenced with half-inch hardware “cloth,” which is a small-gauge wire mesh. The cage is more humane than netting and is more permanent. Netting kills birds that become trapped in the fibers. The reason the bird wants to be in your garden could be more than looking for a sweet snack to feed its young. Often birds are effective cleaners of insect larva and eggs that would otherwise damage your fruit.
If you have trapped birds in netting before the fruit is ripe, it would be a sign that you need to be more diligent at watching for insect pests. Research done on fruit damaged bird by birds concluded that most of the stomach contents of the bird is filled with protein-rich insects and that the fruit is a bit of dessert.
The annoying aspect is that birds snack on many piece of fruit rather than filling up on just one juicy orb. I feel that my fruit production is plentiful enough for me and for my feathered friends because they do a super job keeping insect pests at bay.
There are two types of mammal marauders: miners and munchers.
The miners are the diggers such as gophers, squirrels or chipmunks. These furry rascals dig in the soil to snack on roots or to bury some treasure for later retrieval. Mostly, the miners cause damage by uprooting plants and exposing their roots to the drying air.
The munchers are squirrels, chipmunks and deer. These guys eat the crops when they first germinate or wait until there is a foot of succulent leaves to chomp. The best way to keep these marauders out is not necessarily a fence. The fence has to be 18 inches into the ground and 7-feet tall to keep out the deer and the digger.
To keep deer away from the garden, install six feet of pig wire spread on the ground surrounding the vegetable garden. You can mow over this, and it is tidy. The deer will not cross it since they are afraid of getting their feet caught in the mesh.
Floating row cloth secured to the ground with long staples works to keep our squirrels and chipmunks. A hoop house covered with floating row cloth is even better. Keeping the enclosure tightly closed is what makes this system work. It also keep birds and flying insects out. The disadvantage is that it must be un-staked to harvest the crops or to inspect for insect damage. Fifty-foot rolls are available at garden centers or online.
Insects are also marauders. The best defense against this pest is vigilance. Most insect pest populations start small and then multiply rapidly. If you are consistent with daily observation of your garden, you can stop the pests when they first appear. It is easy to rub the eggs from the bottom of leaves or to smoosh the first few adults such as squash bugs or aphids.
May all your gardening dreams come true.
By Bonnie Orr
Wildlife garden pests require constant vigilance – 8/25/2020
– Although often not as common as insect pests, wildlife find their way into our gardens to feast on our ornamental plants, turf and vegetables. This column looks at some of those critters — rabbits, moles, voles, pocket gophers and deer — and what can be done to discourage them from sharing your garden space.
Rabbits look cute hopping around in our backyards, reminding us of childhood stories of Peter Cottontail and the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately, often they view our gardens as their own personal restaurants, feeding on grass, clover, flowers, garden vegetables and small fruits. How can you tell they have been feasting in your garden? When they clip off flowers, they leave a clean, angled cut.
Look also for gnaw marks on woody plant stems, berry canes, fallen twigs and branches. They keep grass and similar lawn matter cropped to about an inch or two above the ground.
To control rabbits, plant rabbit-resistant plants and erect fencing, either in a particular area or around individual plants. Tree guards of hardware cloth, burlap, or aluminum foil can be wrapped around young fruit trees to prevent damage. Reducing rabbit shelter areas, such as brambles, brush piles and low overhanging limbs, helps keep rabbits from hanging out in our yard or garden.
Because moles, voles and pocket gophers all dig and live underground and are rarely seen, the best way to tell if they have invaded your space is to know their above-ground signs. Moles leave conical mounds from their tunnel excavations, while voles leave what look like runways through the grass, as well as open, shallow tunnels. Voles have been known to use the tunnel systems of moles. Pocket gophers mounds are fan-shaped with a soil plug at one end of the mound.
Plant parts are not a significant part of a mole’s diet so their damage is more aesthetic. Voles, on the other hand, find grasses and forbs to be delicious. In addition, they cause “invisible” damage over the winter as they feed on underground bulbs and roots. Much like voles, pocket gophers eat parts of plants they find during their underground digging. They also eat vegetation growing around their tunnel entrances and have been seen pulling entire plants into their tunnels.
Controlling populations of these underground critters can be frustrating. Suffice it to say, controlling populations rather than eradication is a more realistic goal. For advice on what to do and what not to do, check out the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) “Living With Wildlife” series available at wdfw.wa.gov.
Last but not least are deer. They particularly love the new shoots and leaves of plants such as roses, small berries, fruit trees, and a variety of flowers and shrubs. Unlike rabbits that leave clean edges when they feed, deer damage is ragged, looking like they chewed on the stems. Adding deer-resistant plants such as blueberries, dahlias, rhododendrons and azaleas to your garden can help offset other plant losses.
If you have the room, construct a deer fence at least 7 feet high around your garden. For single young trees, place a fence around the trunk at a sufficient height and diameter to prevent the deer from being able to browse. WDFW has detailed information on its website about other deterrents such as deer repellents and what they call “scare tactics”.
As with other pests, constant vigilance is necessary so you can tackle problems caused by your unwanted mammal visitors before they get out of hand.
By Casey Leigh
Birds could use a little help this winter – 12/10/2019
– Observing birds’ behavior is particularly satisfying when the birds are at close range. Consequently, hundreds of people in this region provide water and food for them, as do about 65 million other Americans.
Birds need to fly into protective cover to avoid predators such as sharp-shinned or Coopers hawks or your neighbor’s cats. Grow evergreens as well as dense brushy shrubs such as cotoneaster or oceanspray to provide refuge and cover from the cold. I also make a large brush pile from my fall prunings and place it near the feeder. We have watched juncos, goldfinches and white-crowned sparrows drop into the pile to avoid a predator. One day last winter, the sharp-shinned hawk stood on top of the pile and stamped his feet to try to frighten the birds out of their sanctuary.
Providing water is the most effective way to attract birds to your winter garden. I use a little electric water-heating element in my metal birdbath; others use a heated dog dish placed on a pedestal and filled with a few small rocks so the water is not more than two inches deep. Birds only drink a teaspoon or so at a time, but they do need water. On warmer days, birds will bathe. They need to bathe to maintain their feathers ability to insulate. Please change the water at least once a week so bacteria don’t grow in the birds’ drinking water.
During the summer, I grow various small-seeded sunflowers that the migrating birds eat. By leaving seed pods on various other flowering plants, birds will forage until the snow gets really deep.
Here are some good flower seeds for birds in our area: Cosmos, Bachelor Buttons, Gayfeather, Allium, Zinnas and daisies. The expensive nyjer/ thistle seed is actually the seed from a composite family flower that is related to Echinaceas or Coneflower. If you prune the early summer perennials when they have finished blooming in July, they will put out another, lighter bloom in early fall. The birds will land on the seed heads and actually kick light snow away from the seeds that have fallen to the ground. My garden includes grasses such as millet, sea oats and wheat.
Berries on shrubs and trees also attract birds because the fruit provides sugar and the seeds provide protein. I grow Hawthorn, Mountain Ash, Viburnum, Oregon Grape, Elderberry and Dogwood for the fruit they produce. I always leave a portion of the black and red currants, grapes, fall raspberries and rose hips. These will be eaten when the snow is deep.
This is all good gardening advice, but what if you want to feed birds this winter?
- Provide ice-free water.
- Buy seeds appropriate to the birds of this area. In winter, we do not usually have large-beaked birds so avoid buying seed mixtures that include milo — the hard, round red seed that piles up under your feeder. We are lucky to have a Birds Unlimited store in Wenatchee that sells seed mix designed for our region.
- Don’t put out bread or cookies or table scraps. These just attract vermin such as raccoons, rats and mice and encourage cats and dogs to eat at your bird feeder.
- To prevent a hundred sunflowers from germinating in the spring, buy chopped and seed sunflower parts. Black oil sunflower seeds are twice as high in fat and protein as striped sunflower seeds.
- To prevent millet and other bird seed from growing in the spring, heat the seed in the oven at 225 degrees for 30 minutes — stirring it once or twice. Heating the seed prevents germination but does not lessen the food value of the seed.
- Suet feeders in the Wenatchee area are not visited as often as they are in outlying areas such as Leavenworth. Red shafted flickers and other woodpeckers are the most common birds that eat suet. Never use bacon grease or other meat fats.
- Discard moldy seed.
- Make a bird feeder by mixing peanut butter, cornmeal, raisins, apple chunks nuts, meal worms, sunflower and other bird seed, and smear the mixture between the bracts of a pinecone and hang this from a tree.
If you are really keen and want to see more birds, the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts in our area are held in December.
By Bonnie Orr
Minimize Or Eliminate The Threat From Garden Pests – 12/27/2017
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Your garden is beautiful, and you are ready to harvest the tomatoes. You greet the sunny day humming to yourself … until you look outside. Your garden has been devastated; the tomato plants are flattened, the fruit is either missing or stomped and half eaten. Who could do this to you? The answer isn’t who, but instead what — pests.
Many pests can damage your garden, and once they find your garden they can dine all year long. What to do? What to do?
Regularly, the WSU Master Gardeners hear the wails of defeated gardeners. The most common concern is stopping deer browsing. Many of us live in that interface area where urban development overlaps or borders undeveloped grassland or forest. Naturally, deer are going to be pests.
During a winter with heavy snow, the deer will enter neighborhoods to snack on arborvitae hedges and any succulent low-lying branches. When the Demonstration Garden was established on Western Avenue in Wenatchee, winter deer damage was extensive. The WSU Master Gardeners have since developed a specialized deer-resistant garden, not deer proof. Know that all plants will be nibbled if the deer is starving. But deer do not like to press their lips to plants that have fuzzy or waxy leaves such as gray yarrow or bearded iris. They also would prefer not to eat plants with irritating sap such as milkweed, Hellebores or Euphorbias.
Planting a garden with plants undesirable to deer is the best solution, and there are many lists available that include hundreds of these plants.
It is better to plant wisely than to spray repellants or install motion detector sprinklers, and it’s also less expensive than 7-foot fencing. The most effective fencing is the 7-foot black plastic fence that deer cannot see clearly and fear jumping over. Chicken wire fencing can be laid on the ground for 10 feet out from an area you want to protect. The deer are shied away because they fear their feet will get caught in the wire; they cannot jump more than 10 feet laterally.
So maybe you will reduce the deer predation but what about the other animal pests?
Cats seem to make people see red because these charming fur balls dig in the flower and vegetable bed to hide their excrement. The most effective way to keep cats from your garden is not repellants such as orange peel or egg shells. Planting your garden so there is no bare ground for the feline to scratch in is the most effective method. Plant your flowers cheek-to-jowl so there is not enough room for a feline derriere. Put down 3 inches of mulch that remains moist such as grass clippings until your plants grow large enough to touch one another. I have used this method even to grow catnip in my flowerbeds. Usually, cats will roll all over the plant and break it, but when they cannot get close enough, they don’t try to roll in it.
Except in interface areas, we have few problems on our side of the mountains with gophers or moles. Trapping these pests seems to be the best way to deal with them.
Rats, mice, voles and raccoons are marauders looking for food sources. If they are raiding your compost, it could be that you are not turning your compost often enough for it to work hot and fast. Or you are not mixing enough brown material with the kitchen vegetable scraps.
Brush piles are great hiding places for these pests, who sleep during the day and feast at night. Wild cat and coyote urine are sold as deterrents but only work in areas where you don’t wash the scent away with irrigation. I found that dog hair was really effective in keeping raccoons out of my grapes. Since my home is dog-less, I went to a pet grooming shop to get their piles of shorn dog fur.
Eliminating these pests requires neighborhood cooperation. If you clear your property of hiding places and keep debris and food waste from your garden, and your neighbors are not as considerate, you will still get wandering rodents. This winter might be a great time for a get-together with neighbors to build a plan.
The bottom line for dealing with these animal pests is man’s best friend: dog. Dogs leave a scent that frightens rodents and cats. They are effective in barking away the deer.
Portable deer fencing can help protect your garden this winter – 11/11/2020
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Colder weather brings deer down to lower elevations with an eye for any good forage in our landscapes. A row of arborvitae borders our driveway, separating it from our neighbor, who owns the trees.
A few years back he was ready to jerk them out because the deer kept chomping on them, especially the little ones out on the vulnerable end. They just couldn’t regrow in time for the next winter’s deer onslaught. I’m not a fan of arborvitae, but they were planted and provide a nice privacy border between properties.
My husband Pat and I figured out an easy, temporary electric fence used only in winter when needed and then put away come spring. This is about the fourth year for our fencing project and both we and our neighbor are pleased with its success.
The fence borders each side of the arborvitae and around the end, protecting the whole row.
This method could protect roses and other deer-vulnerable plants also. Deer are habitual, so once they realize they best avoid an area, they are less likely to venture back, fence or no fence.
We bought square concrete blocks and steel fence posts, attached them by mixing concrete and anchoring one upright post into each block. That provides adequate weight for holding up the fence, even with a dump of snow on the lines.
We estimate a post is needed about every 10 to 12 feet, perhaps closer in curved areas.
The first year, we bought a small, solar panel fence charger, available at farm supply stores that sell electric fencing supplies. It worked adequately, but not as well as we wanted, with our roughly 300 feet of fencing multiplied by three conductive tapes at various heights. A solar panel should work well in a smaller area, though.
The following year Pat added an electrical outlet plus an on-off switch on our adjoining wooden fence. These past two or three years have been even better at keeping the deer at bay and not even nibbling those plants when snow lowers the fencing tapes.
We built the electric fencing with three lines of woven tape that conducts electricity. They were vertically placed about 12 inches to 18 inches apart, along with insulating clips that hold them on the posts. It’s simple, and where you purchase your supplies should have knowledgeable folks to guide you. Warning signs are offered along with the electric fencing supplies, so they can be hung incrementally along the fence line.
Snow can laden down the fence and make it sag, and monitoring after a snowfall is easy. You’ll want to flip the switch to off before you gently remove the snow!
At the end of deer threats, we roll up the woven tape and store it. Each block with a fence post is moved out of sight until next fall.
If you happen to touch the fence while it’s powered up, it’s not dangerous but really, really gets your attention. Same thing happens with the deer; they learn quickly to head to other plants.
By Mary Fran McClure
