I was searching for ideas for classes we can offer at Caan’s. I stumbled upon this conference information which happening this weekend.
http://www.mosesorganic.org/conference.html
Happy Gardening!
Between the weather and the new garden items arriving daily, it is feeling more like spring is just around the corner. The weather has been absolutely excellent! On the best weather days of February, we can be outside working in our yards. On the worst of these days, we can begin to plan what we want to grow in our gardens, both vegetables and flowers. These are the garden tasks we can think about doing in February, growing our favorite flowers and vegetables from seed and pruning many of our woody landscape plants.
It is exciting to see all the different varieties of seeds that we have coming in. The challenge is choosing between the tried and true or experimenting with new varieties. Deciding on and purchasing seeds is only the beginning of the process. You will also want to make sure you have the rest of your seeding needs and materials. I have listed a few items you may consider having on hand to successfully start your seeds and get ready for the coming growing season.
You will want to decide when to plant your seeds. All seed packages will list days from germination to harvest for vegetables and days from germination to flowering for flowers. This information is very helpful for deciding when to plant your seeds. For example, the seed packet may list its tomato variety may ripen after 85 days. If you would plant the seeds on March 3rd, you would have a full grown plant bearing fruit by about the second week in May. I figured this by counting 85 days from March 3rd. You can use this same process for annual flower seeds. Just remember, indoor growing space may become the limiting factor for you because nearly full grown plants take up a fair amount of space.
On the most beautiful days, we can begin to work outdoors pruning fruit trees, ornamental trees, and shrubs. Because it is the end of the dormant season, diseases and insect pests are not an issue. The general rule of thumb is to prune trees and shrubs that are grown for their foliage rather than their flowers now. Here is a list of a few of those trees and shrubs:
Maple, Birch, Fruit Trees (Apple, Cherry, Plum), Alpine Current, Dogwood, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, Smokebush, Sumac, Ninebark, and Barberry
The second pruning rule suggests you wait to prune those shrubs and trees that bloom before leaf out. They should be pruned immediately after blooming because they require the entire growing season to set flower buds for the next spring. This is a short list of those plants that bloom on last year’s growth.
Apricots, Chokeberry, Flowering Plum, Flowering Cherry, Crabapple Trees, Forsythia, Magnolia, Lilac, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, Pussy Willow, and Serviceberry
If you feel the need to prune the above trees in the spring, bring the cut branches in to force the flower buds to open. You can enjoy these beautiful blooms indoors long before the flowers open on these plants.
These following trees can be pruned in the spring. Just be aware that they tend to “bleed”. The “bleeding” is the sap running from the roots to the stems feeding the buds that will become flowers and leaves. The dripping sap does not harm the trees but it is unsightly.
Maple, Beech, Birch, Ironwood, Walnut, Butternut, and Box Elder
If you would like more information on pruning techniques and tools, here is a great link from Perdue that will help you;
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-4.pdf
Happy Gardening!
I mentioned in a past blog that February was National Bird Feeding Month. Having bird feeders or placing them in your yard will increase your chances of counting birds for a great conservation project you can take part in.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Audubon Society, and Bird Studies Canada would like you to participate in a study, collecting nationwide data about winter bird populations. Counting the birds in our yards is the key to making this possible.
Please visit this link for additional information on how to participate: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press/2012GBBC_Feb6.pdf.
We have an excellent selection of feeders and resources to get you started. If you have questions about feeding birds in your yard, please visit us. We have experts available to answer your questions.
Happy Gardening!
I attended a class recently, for landscape industry professionals, and heard some excellent advice for managing disease and insect problems in your yard. The two speakers I heard are part of the lead team at the UW-Extension Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic in Madison.
The first speaker, Phil Peletari (Insect Diagnostic Lab, http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/diaglab), spoke about insect response to environmental stress. His focus was on how insects respond to environmental changes and how stressed plants respond to insect pests.
The changing environment, both annually and over long periods of time, impact the health and survivability of both plants and insects. Pretty basic knowledge. The changing environment can apply to us as well if we think in terms of food resources, water resources, or even monetary resources to heat and/or cool our homes.
He stated the number one stress factor that impact insect numbers is food. If food resources are high, more plants to feed on, the insects will do well and numbers will rise. If food resources are low, insects will do poorly and numbers will decline. Other stress factors that impact insect success are extreme cold and heat at critical life stages, disease, and natural enemies (mostly other insects).
The number one stress factor for plants is drought or to little water. Other things which cause poor plant health are insect defoliation at critical stages of plant growth, wounds that allow diseases and insects to attack vital plant parts, compacted soils from construction, poorly chosen planting sites, incorrect use of chemicals (insect and weed control chemicals), climate change, and plant competition. These stresses can lead to higher disease rates and increased insect damage due to the reduced ability of the plant to respond to assaults on its health.
The second speaker was Brian Hudelson (UW Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab http://pddc.wisc.edu/staff.html). He shared information about disease problems with evergreens, though he stated these same diseases also effect most other plants. He explained that conditions causing high plant stress allow diseases to take hold and spread. These are many of the factors that can cause extreme plant stress; drought or flooding, extreme cold, high numbers of insects feeding on the plant, overcrowding of plants, over fertilization (particularly nitrogen), and pruning at stages of plant development which cause excessive growth.
Basically, plants under extreme stress are more prone to being attacked by disease and insect pests. These following recommendations will help you create an environment for happy plants and a more successful gardening experience.
Here is a link that will give additional advice about gardening in Wisconsin, http://pddc.wisc.edu/staff.html.
Happy Gardening!
One of my favorite hobbies, next to gardening, is bird watching. I have created a backyard habitat for birds in my yard, complete with certification by the National Wildlife Federation. I enjoy watching the seasons go by based on the migrations that take place through my “bird wayside”.
February has been designated as National Bird Feeding Month by Congressman John Porter (R-IL) on February 23, 1994. If you have not yet discovered the joy of feeding birds, now is a great time to begin. Feeding birds can be as simple as placing a feeder filled with mixed seed in a location you can watch from a window. As more birds visit, you may decide to add feeders or offer food designed to attract specific birds such as Hummingbirds or Orioles.
There is a great deal of information on the web. I have included two links to help you get started or to add to your existing knowledge. The first is the National Bird Feeding Society. Membership is free if you are interested; (http://www.birdfeeding.org/nbfm.html). The second is for the National Wildlife Federation. They, too, offer a great deal of information on creating backyard habitats and give you project ideas; (http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx). Both are great resources.
Another option is to stop by us at Caan Floral and Greenhouses. We have many different bird feeders and houses to choose from. Knowledgeable staff can also offer you advice about creating a “bird wayside” in your yard.
Happy Gardening!
Last week I discussed weather in Wisconsin. We have had quite the roller coaster of weather since then! I promised to write about plant hardiness this week. To have the most success when choosing a shrub, perennial, or tree, the plant must tolerate the year-round weather conditions it is exposed to, such as lowest and highest temperatures or rainfall amounts.
Plant hardiness is the one factor that gardeners can use to guide plant choice and suitability. It is determined by temperature extremes, both low and high, along with many other environmental factors. As I mentioned last week, Sheboygan County USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is listed as 5a (http://www.garden.org/zipzone/). This simply means that a plant listed as being hardy to zone 5a can withstand consistent winter temperatures between -20 and -15 degrees F. Any plant listed as a zone 5a or below (4b, 4a, 3b, 3a, etc.) will survive well here in Sheboygan.
Plant hardiness is genetically predetermined. Some plants are hardier than others and some varieties are hardier than others. A species of plant growing in a southern location may not be as hardy as one growing in a northern location because of genetics. Examples can be found all over the plant world. A few that come to my mind are Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, and American Redbud trees.
Other things to take into consideration are the plant parts and how they respond to temperature extremes. Roots, stems, leaf buds, and flower buds usually all are hardy to different temperatures. Many perennials die to the ground in winter. Their roots survive the winter which allows them to show their beauty the following spring! To give you an idea how this may affect your plant, late spring freezes may be the culprit for forsythia having leaves but no flowers. Those late frost can even impact some fruit trees not bearing fruit. The flower buds, being less hardy than the leaf buds, are killed by cold.
Hardiness is truly a representation of global latitude. It shows how location affects our perception of plant hardiness. A particular, plant such as impatiens, coleus, or bananas may be perennial in a southern climate only to become an annual if moved to a colder climate like Wisconsin. Many of these plants are what we use as houseplants! Besides being called annuals or houseplants, another term that I have used for these types of plants is temperennial. So, when looking at catalogs, remember that a grower in Florida may sell perennial coleus, which would be true in his or her climate, but not true for us.
So far, I have focused on hardiness zones. To confuse the issue more, another newer concept is the hardiness zones for heat–in other
words, how high a temperature can a particular plant endure. The American Horticultural Society (AHS) developed the Heat Zone Map between 1997 and 1999 (http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_finder.htm). It is based on the number of “heat days” experienced in a given area. A heat day is defined as a day in which the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F. Birch, maples, lilacs, and other perennials will not thrive in hot climates.
Hardiness zones are simply a tool for us gardeners to use. They are simply a guideline to help you as a gardener decide what plants will grow better under the various weather conditions we have here. Just know, what’s growing well in your garden now should continue to grow well. The usefulness of hardiness zones have always and will continue to depend on how well plants are tested and labeled. One thing for sure, the newer Plant Hardiness Zone maps will make it more difficult for people like me, who like to push the plant boundaries, to come up with excuses for high plant mortality.
Happy Gardening!
Found this article from Todays Garden Centers on a study from The University of Georgia. Might be worth a look if you are starting to plan for your summer garden!
Wisconsin weather, I have heard people tell me to just wait a few minutes and it will change. Just this week, we had rain and snow on the same day and now, extreme cold! I know there is no controlling the weather. We, as gardeners, do the best we can to maintain and grow our gardens whatever weather comes our way.
Here is a great garden prayer written in 1929 by Polish poet Karel Capek that we as gardeners might be able to relate to:
O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning, but, you see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in; grant that at the same time it would not rain on the campion, alyssum, helianthemum, lavender, and others which you know in your infinite wisdom know are drought loving plants-I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like-and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere (not, for instance, on spirea, or on gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron), and not too much; that there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant-lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from heaven. Amen.
Wouldn’t that be wonderful? But alas, this is not our reality. So, in response to Wisconsin weather, we must plan and manage our gardens for success in our climate. I will be walking you through the basics of Wisconsin climate to help you grow a successful garden.
The growing season is estimated date of the last killing frost in spring and the first killing frost in fall. The average growing season in Wisconsin is 150 days and can range from 126 days to 165 days. The average last day of killing frost in spring is May 11. The average first killing frost in fall is October 6. For more information see the following link: (www.wisconline.com/counties/Sheboygan/climate.html). This information can be instrumental in choosing the right vegetables to grow or when to plant your annuals. As you begin to think about the vegetables you want to grow this spring, look for information indicating the number of days before the fruit is ripe and can be harvested. For example, winter squash (pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, etc.) will have harvest dates ranging from 75 days to 115 days.
Understanding our hardiness zone will help guide you in choosing the right trees, shrubs, and perennials for your garden. According to the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, most of Sheboygan County is zone 5A. This information has been refined over the years as data has been collected. For the most current information, see this link: (www.garden.org/zipzone/). The hardiness zone gives us information about the climate we live in. Knowing what planting zone you are gardening in can help you know choose plants that thrive in your garden. However, there are drawbacks. It is basic information at best. It does not account for the amount of beneficial snowfall in the dead of winter that helps blanket our gardens or years of temperature extremes.
Here is one additional thought on climate. In each of our yards we may have microclimates, and area that might be a low spot in your yard, a protected courtyard, or even a small garden space along the brick wall of your house. Charlie Mazza, Senior Extension Associate, Cornell University describes microclimates in this way; “A microclimate is the climate of a small area that is different from the area around it. It may be warmer or colder, wetter or drier, or more or less prone to frosts.” For those of you who are adventurous gardeners, you might be able to squeeze out an extra plant hardiness zone by either creating a microclimate.
Next week I will write about plant hardiness.
Happy gardening!
I ran across an amazing resource I forgot I had. It is the Wisconsin Garden Guide by Jerry Minnich. It is a basic book an all things garden in Wisconsin. I highly recommend this book for gardeners, of all levels. This thought leads to my topic. He has a whole chapter on fertilizing plants. I thought I would share what I understand about plant nutrition.
Fertilizers come in basically two forms, chemical or organic. This leads to the great debate about which to use. I have been known to use both successfully, though I lean towards the organic for reasons I shall briefly discuss.
The commercial fertilizer industry began in Germany in 1861. Chemical fertilizers are produced by combining substances which provide the essential nutrients needed for effective plant feeding. Basic fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Ammonia, a source of nitrogen, is synthesized by using natural gas and air. Phosphorus is made using sulfur, coal, and phosphate rock. Potassium comes from potassium chloride, found in potash. These fertilizers are taken up immediately by the plant, essentially giving the plant a quick boost. Production of chemical fertilizers requires a fair amount of mined resources to produce, ie. natural gas, coal, sulfur, phosphate rock.
Organic methods of fertilizing have been around for thousands of years. Plant nutrition has been supplemented by the addition of compost, animal manure, green manure, or other forms of natural fertilizer (a form of recycling). Organic fertilization is a continuous process of feeding the soil rather than focusing on simply feeding the plant. The addition of organic material builds and supports whole ecosystem of life hidden just below the surface of the soil. This ecosystem becomes fully capable of supporting healthy plant growth.
So, the debate shall forge on, chemical or organic. The debate becomes a philosophical difference between feeding the plant and feeding the soil. I shall leave that decision up to you. Perhaps one approach is a combination of both.
Back to the nutritional needs of plants and a breakdown of the various components of fertilizer. Plants have three major nutritional needs; nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). The numbers on fertilizers represent the percentage of each of these three elements. For example, Miracle-Gro may have the numbers 24-8-16. This means that there is 24% nitrogen, 8% phophorous, and 16% potassium. Nitrogen helps plant grow strong and healthy above the ground while keeping the leaves a nice dark green. Yellow leaves along with stunted growth may indicate a nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorous is responsible for for healthy root growth, bright flower color, and overall plant health. Low phosphorous levels may stunt plant growth and the leaves will have a purplish tinge. Potassium helps plants grow strong stems, reduces water needs, and helps the plant resist disease. Potassium deficiencies are indicated by browning leaves, stunted growth, and small fruit.
Plants have other nutritional needs that are often not available through chemical fertilizers. These are micronutrients and trace elements. Calcium helps neutralize toxic wastes that might develop and helps keep the soil at a proper pH range. Other elements such as iron, magnesium, boron, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, manganese, and zinc play an important role in plant health, though are needed in very small quantities. A good organic feeding program will help your soil supply these elements to your plants. In addition, these same elements are important to human health. They are supplied by the very foods we eat. Hence, another reason to support organic fertilizing methods.
If you would like to read more on plant fertilization, follow this link: http://bit.ly/hPV1XB
Happy Gardening!
I stumbled upon this information that I though a few of you may be interested in. Melinda Meyers, one of my favorite garden professionals, is hosting a series of walks at a gem of a botanic garden just to the south of us. Boerner Botanical Gardens, part of the Milwaukee Park System, is one of only 43 All American Selection Trial Gardens in the United States.
Proceeds will support the Children’s Plant Science and Environmental Education at Boerner Botanical Gardens. The educational programming Boerner offers touches the educational needs of many families, children, and adults.
Melinda is a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful educator. I hope you have some time to experience both a great teacher and a great garden. For information visit: http://bit.ly/pBI7oE.
Happy Gardening!