The Boys Or Girls of Summer

Posted by Hugh on August 3rd, 2012

Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Black-eyed Susan

Gardeners are looking for simple plant combinations and this photo, shot at Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio, shows three easy to grow perennials, “no-brainers” as some might call them. Originally, all three plants emigrated from the prairie where each coped with hot summers without much rainfall.

In the hands of modern plant breeders, each perennial has been greatly improved. All are disease and pest resistant. Some cultivars are fairly new, others are old-timers, and all are reliable:

‘Goldsturm’ or ”Little Goldstar’ black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

‘Becky’ or ‘Amelia’ Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum superbum)

‘Kim’s Knee High’, ‘Magnus’ or ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’ coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Buy from local greenhouse growers or garden centers where you live.  You may also order from reliable plant dealers on-line. All perennials should be purchased as vegetative cuttings and from “true to type” seed sources.

Prepare the planting bed in late winter.  All perennials listed above grow in average garden soil, although they do benefit from generous additions of compost. Fertilize (10-10-10 or equivalent @2 lbs. per 100 square feet of garden bed) after planting the perennials. In addition, spread Preen® weed preventer over the bed after planting and irrigate after all chores are finished. Water your new perennial bed as needed through long dry spells during the first 6 weeks. Usually these tough prairie plants should handle the summer weather conditions ahead.

By mid-autumn after frost, cut (mow) the bed to prevent the distribution of perennial seeds. Rake up the plant debris and apply a fall application of Preen® to prevent germination of winter annual weeds.

Over the next 3-4 summers your new perennial bed should look glorious.

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Dawn Redwood Is Back From Extinction

Posted by Hugh on August 1st, 2012

 

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia)

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was thought to be extinct until the mid-twentieth century. In 1948 dawn redwood was re-introduced into North America from Sichuan-Hubei Provinces in China.  

Dawn redwood grows in full sun and in well-drained, compost-rich soil. The tree struggles in dry or high pH soils. Dawn redwood will tolerate standing water for a brief period. It is often confused with bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) which grows in swampy ground as well as average landscape soils. If branched low to the ground, the trunk of dawn redwood may develop large swollen areas called “boles”.

Dawn redwood is a deciduous conifer. New spring leaves emerge bright green and darken to a medium green. In autumn the fine textured foliage initially turns pinkish tan and finishes reddish bronze before dropping. An attractive shredded reddish brown bark clothes a tapered trunk. Dawn redwood possesses distinctive “arm pits” or depressed areas under each branch, where it is attached to the main trunk. The straight trunk and redwood bark are dominant winter features.

Dawn redwood foliage remains fresh and clean all summer and is not plagued by disease and pest problems. Spider mites and Japanese beetles may injure the foliage occasionally, but its quick growth rate leads to a swift recovery. Dawn redwoods often mature to 90-100 foot tall specimen trees, and are suited for large properties such as public parks, golf courses and college campuses.

Gold Rush® (‘Ogon’) metasequoia is a gold-leaved form. It has a slower growth rate and matures to 50-60 feet.

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Boxwood Blight Discovered on Pachysandra

Posted by Hugh on July 30th, 2012

Healthy Pachysandra Planting at Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC

In June 2012 plant pathologists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have confirmed a natural infection of pachysandra in the landscape by boxwood blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum), the boxwood blight fungus. The infection originated from recently installed balled and burlapped (B&B) boxwood plants. A plant inspector in Fairfield, CT noticed that an established bed of pachysandra bed near the infected boxwoods exhibited unusual foliar symptoms.

Symptom on the pachysandra foliage included small to larger necrotic lesions with well-delineated margins. All of the necrotic lesions had well-defined, diffuse yellow haloes. No lesions were observed on the stems and no defoliation had occurred. The overall color of the pachysandra leaves were normal and dark green.

Source: NMPro Magazine (July 2012)

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‘Morning Grace’ Spiderwort Is A Delicate Beauty

Posted by Hugh on July 26th, 2012

 

Tradescantia rosea 'Morning Grace' (photo supplied by North Creek Nurseries)

Morning Grace spiderwort (Tradescantia rosea ‘Morning Grace’) is a short growing spiderwort native from Maryland south to Florida. Its small size and clumping nature makes it a wonderful rock garden plant. It grows into 8″ tall x 8″ wide clump of narrow medium green leaves. At first glance this spiderwort’s foliage appears very grass-like.

Morning Grace has a long flowering period from May thru August in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Tiny triangular 3- petalled pink flowers stand just above the foliage.  The blooms open early in the morning and close late in the afternoon. The lightly fragrant flowers attract numerous pollinating insects. Spiderwort is not troubled by deer.

Unlike the commonly grown spiderworts (T. virginiana), Morning Grace is far less aggressive and is welcome into my garden over other spiderworts which frankly become a weedy nuisance.

Spiderwort prefers a moist, rich, acidic soils in part shade, not in full sun or deep shade. It grows and flowers poorly in dry shade.

At a recent perennial plant show Morning Grace attracted rave interest. Attendees spotted tiny pink blooms and they liked to brush the slender foliage.

Tradescantia ‘Morning Grace’ was selected by Michael Jenkins.

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Yellow Nutsedge Control Is In Your Hands

Posted by Hugh on July 21st, 2012

Yellow nutsedge

Yellow nutsedge, aka “nutgrass” (Cyperus esculentus) is a nasty weed found in lawn and garden areas. It is a sedge, and not a grass, and methods of eliminating it vary. Yellow nutsedge is easily identified by its yellow to light green glossy leaves and the triangular shape of the stem. It grows most actively during the warm spring and summer months.

Yellow nutsedge is a perennial which reproduces primarily by small underground tubers or nutlets. It also spreads by rhizomes (underground stems). The nutlets often spread from contaminated soil which you have transported into your garden.

Maintaining a healthy dense growing lawn or garden bed is best way to avoid yellow nutsedge infestations. For small infestations, judicious hand pulling will eliminate it. This may take several weeks as the underground nutlets may re-sprout.

Mid-spring thru early summer is the ideal time to control yellow nutsedge in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). The plant is young, actively growing, and the nutlets have not matured. By late summer the seedheads have formed and is very difficult to control at this time.

For treating large infested areas, use of chemical weed killers (herbicides) may be your best option. Available to homeowners are herbicide products containing the ingredient MSMA (methanearsonate). MSMA is packaged under several product brand names. The herbicide works better if the lawn or garden area is irrigated a day or two prior to application. Continue to repeat herbicide applications until all nutsedge plants are eliminated.

For selective control of nutsedge in lawn areas, without injuring the lawn grass, Basagran™ (bentazon) and Manage® (halosulfuron) are available. However, these two products are not available to homeowners and are applied solely by certified landscape professionals only.

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Hollyhock Rust Prevention Tips

Posted by Hugh on July 19th, 2012

Hollyhock (Alcea)

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are old-fashioned perennials (and biennials) which are currently finding a new audience. There are numerous cultivars differing in plant height from 5 to 9 feet and spread of 1 to 3 feet. Flowers come in single and double forms and in many color shades. Hollyhocks are hardy to USDA hardiness zone 4.

Hollyhocks are short-lived perennials and want full sun and moist, rich, well drained soil. Sow the seeds outside about a week before last frost. If you are planting seedlings outdoors, wait until 1-2 weeks after the last expected spring frost. Hollyhock seeds only need to be sown shallow, no more than 1/4 of an inch deep.  Hollyhock transplants should be set 3 feet apart.

Hollyhock rust is a destructive leaf disease common in Southern Appalachian and Northeast U.S. gardens (USDA zones 5 -7). Symptoms of hollyhock rust are orange-brown spots on foliage and stems. The orange-red spores are splashed by rain or overhead watering or blown by wind to nearby leaves, starting new infections all spring and summer long. In severe cases infected leaves turn brown and shrivel up.

Tips on reducing hollyhock rust include: 1. Purchase only healthy disease-free plants; 2. Prune back all plant debris to the ground in the autumn to reduce overwintering of the disease spores; 3. Remove any weeds related to the mallows; 4. Space plants 3 or more feet apart in a sunny location; 5. Water and fertilize to maximize plant growth. Avoid overhead watering and remove all rust-spotted leaves.

Rust can be severe in a wet growing year. Daconil 2787 (chlorothalonil), mancozeb (e.g. Fore, Dithane, or Penncozeb), trifloxystrobin (Compass®), or myclobutanil (Systhane®) can prevent severe hollyhock rust outbreaks. Fungicides can protect but not cure leaves with rust symptoms.

A final tip comes from Allen Bush with Jelitto Seed in Louisville, KY. He recommends cutting back the newly emerged hollyhock plants (back to the ground) in late April. Healthy hollyhocks will rapidly re-grow in the drier warm weather in late spring and summer. Hollyhock is one of the first garden perennials to emerge in the spring when the weather is generally wet and cool when the threat of rust is most severe.

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‘Sunburst’ Golden St. John’s Wort

Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2012

'Sunburst' hypericum at Arnold Arboretum in Boston

Our native golden St. John’s wort (Hypericum frondosum) deserves more planting space in U. S. gardens (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). ‘Sunburst’ is the leading cultivar and exhibits superior traits over the species.

Golden St. John’s wort forms a small, dense growing deciduous shrub, noted for its showy golden yellow flowers and attractive blue-green foliage. Sunburst grows more compact at 2-3 feet tall and wide, and rarely requires pruning. Leaves are 2 ½ to 3 inches long.

‘Sunburst’ sports slightly larger 2- inch wide flowers which blooms over 3-4 weeks starting in late June. Each bright yellow, 5-petaled flower possesses numerous pincushion-like stamens in the center. Flowers are borne on new wood, and are not threatened by sudden cold temperature snaps in the spring. 

Autumn leaves turn an average yellow before dropping and tend to be evergreen in warmer climes. After two years in the garden, Sunburst demonstrates good heat and drought tolerances in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7).

In the autumn small reddish brown fruit capsules form that persist well into winter. Stems exhibit cinnamon colored exfoliating bark in winter.

Disease and insect problems are minimal if properly sited in well-drained soil under full sun (north of zone 7) and in partial shade further south. It grows  well in slightly alkaline limestone-based soils.

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‘Brigadoon’ Hypericum Wakes Up a Garden Bed

Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2012

Chartreuse foliage of 'Brigadoon' hypericum

The bright chartreuse (almost golden) foliage Brigadoon St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum ‘Brigadoon’) can brighten up almost any dull garden spot. This Euro-Asian ground cover thrives in any well-drained soil under full to partial sunlight (USDA zones 4-7). Full sun may burn the summer foliage in zone 7.

‘Brigadoon’ grows 12 to 16 inches tall and spreads quickly to about two feet in width. Space plants 16-18 inches apart. In the sun, the small oval-shaped leaves turn a dazzling orange-gold.  It blooms heaviest in full sun. 

The bright gold two inch wide flowers form in June and July with clusters of pincushion-like stamens in the center. Often, the flowers do not visually stand out because of the golden foliage.

Brigadoon is easy to grow and maintain. Foliage often remains evergreen in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7), but dies back when left exposed to extreme cold in snowless winters. As a ground cover, it is best sheared back with a sharp lawn mower set at 5-6 inches high to encourage vigorous re-growth in early spring.

Use Brigadoon to edge the front border of a foundation, around tall trees and shrubs, or in a rock gardens St. John’s wort is an excellent vigorous groundcover, but be warned that its underground stoloniferous rootsystem may grow aggressively. Its rapid growth and deep rootsystem will stabilize steep embankments.

Brigadoon is bothered by few insect or disease problems. St. John’s Wort (Hypericum) has been utilized since medieval times in the treatment of wounds and to ward off evil spirits.

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Selecting The Right Ivy For Your Garden

Posted by Hugh on July 5th, 2012

A trailing English ivy starts to climb shrub

Have you taken the “No Ivy Pledge”? I have not. In an effort to slow defections from growing ivy, the American Ivy Society has developed a list of non-invasive cultivars. It includes several dwarf English ivy cultivars (Hedera spp.). Add a little water and fertilizer and these mini-ivies do not miss a beat.

Mini- ivies are excellent performers in shaded areas and tolerate poor soils if well cared for with water and fertilizer in their first year in the garden. Their slow growth mode keeps them under control by most average gardeners. They tend to grow 1-3 inches per year and are little threat of becoming invasiveness.

According to the American Ivy Society, some of the best mini-ivies include: ‘Buttercup’, ‘Glacier’, ‘Golden Curl’, ‘Golden Ingot’, ‘Golden Starlight’, ‘Goldheart’, ‘Henriette’, ‘Ingrid’, ‘Itsy Bitsy’, ‘Jubilee’, ‘Lady Francis’, ‘Spetchley’, ‘Teardrop’, and ‘Willie’.

Ivy’s invasive stage starts when you allow the vegetative (juvenile) plant to flower and produce seeds (adulthood). Many ivy cultivars do not flower or seed when held in the juvenile vining stage on the ground, especially those growing in shade.

Adult ivy tends to flower only in bright sun. The vine becomes more shrub-like. Flowers form and subsequently berries, which are eaten by birds. The seeds are dispersed into woodlands, gardens, etc. This begins the invasive nature of ivy which can be avoided by keeping ivies growing on the ground and not in trees and shrubs.

For additional information on growing ivies, refer to the American Ivy Society website at: http/www.americanivysociety.com

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Promising Hemlock Adelgid Research

Posted by Hugh on July 2nd, 2012

Hemlock woolly adelgid

Proper care of hemlock trees is important for their survival. Hot dry summer weather appears to slow population growth. During periods of severe drought, shallow rooted hemlock trees should be irrigated. Prune dead and dying branches from trees to promote new growth. Also, limit the amount of nitrogen fertilizers to hemlock(s), as it promotes heavier woolly adelgid populations.

Cultural practices may reduce numbers of adelgids in hemlocks. Pets, as well as birds, squirrels and deer, may transport adelgids from infested to healthy hemlocks. Refrain from moving infested plants, logs, firewood or bark chips onto an uninfested property. Clean your auto and camping tents after returning  from woodlands and recreational areas. Wash off pruning equipment after working in infested trees.

Two Japanese and two western North American hemlock species are much more resistant to hemlock woolly adelgid than are their eastern North American counterparts. Of these four resistant species, the western hemlock (T. heterophylla) is most similar to eastern hemlock in appearance, growth form, and utility. Although adelgids do infest these resistant species, they seldom reach densities high enough to cause injury.

Entomologists are also releasing predator insects which hopefully may add hemlock woolly adelgids to their diet.

Credit: Special thank you for information supplied by NC State University Extension.

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