Chickweed in the cold soil of the garden.

Stellaria media  is the Latin name for Chickweed. It is a common weed if left unchecked, will form a dense mat of foliage, and produce mass quantities of seed. In the late winter and very early spring, it is an always green presence in my vegetable garden.  Just about the time the snow has melted enough for me to be able to open the garden gate, I can see these weed plants struggling to grow as much I am yearning to yank them out! It is a hard time of year for us die-hard gardeners, not being able to work the soil while invaders are using our sacred garden areas for their own benefit and the detriment of ours. Still I find hopefulness in the sight of the cold tolerant chickweed; it brings me hope this will still grow and there is a gardening season ahead, even if I have to wait awhile until the earth warms.

photo by Carol Quish

 

Chickweed is an annual plant, preferring the cool season and dies out during the heat of the summer. Hand pulling and cultivating with a hoe is pretty effortless as the root system is small and shallow. The plants pull out easily. All parts of the chickweed plant are edible. Raw in salads it reportedly tastes like corn silk. Cooked, it tastes a bit like spinach.

-Carol Quish

 

Memorial and Peace Gardens are Healing Places

When I am feeling distraught I seek solace outside, in nature or in the garden. Sometimes alone, sometimes with another, sometimes in a crowd. Nature has a calming effect on the troubled heart. Having a special place to go aids in the mindful process of healing and meditation.

Memorial Gardens and Peace Gardens were and are created to provide just such a place for folks to visit and reflect. Memorial Gardens are designed to honor a departed person or group of people. Peace Gardens are meant to foster peace between different peoples, groups or countries. “A symbol of hope for peace and renewal in our lives, our community, and the world.” (from The Garden of Peace in Boston Massachusetts).

During this darkest of Decembers, I offer you the opportunity to visit the places, click on the links, or just view the photos below.

Peace,

Carol Quish

http://gardenofpeacememorial.org/

Harkness Memorial Park

International Peace Garden, http://www.peacegarden.com/maps.htm
Latitude: 48° 59′ 57″

Olive and George Lee Memorial Garden, New Caanan, CT Credit Molly Shaker

Zion Memorial Garden, North Branford, CT

Indoor Peace Garden

 

Woolly Beech Aphid and Cynipid Wasp Galls

Woolly beech aphids, udel.edu

Cynipid Wasp galls, uwex.edu

Two interesting samples came into the office this week. The first was a beech twig with white, fuzzy ‘stuff’ moving on it. The second was a round tan and maroon mottled one-inch round ball. Of course, the respective clients want to know the identity of  both ‘things’. Both clients spend ample time outdoors observing nature. They recognized something new, something that didn’t normally appear there. We are here to provide them with the answers.

After placing the beech twig under the microscope, it was pretty easy to see individual insects, aphids, waving their curled-up butt ends in the air. Covering the aphid’s back, was white thread like pieces of waxy filaments. The insects are Woolly Beech Aphids, Phyllaphis fagi. This aphid feeds on a single host species, beech. Aphids have a piercing/sucking mouth part they inject into the leaf tissue to suck up the plant juices. These aphids are  gregarious, tending to cling together on the undersides of the leaves. Even though they may be numerous in population, their damage does not cause much injury to the plant. The leaves will be falling within the next month and have done their job for the tree. Aphid feeding at this time of year will not stress the beech tree, therefore no control measures are needed. But aren’t they cool to watch?

woolly beech aphid, Hannah Nendick-Mason photo

Oak Gall

The next client’s object looked it should be fruit. Round and firm but fleshy with a spotted or marbled skin. I usually cut open fruits to examine their seeds to identify the family to which they belong. Apples have five seeds, stone fruits have single pits. After cutting through the center of this supposed fruit, I found no seed or pit but a hollow area containing more than ten tiny wiggling larvae. It was not a fruit. It was a gall; malformed plant tissue formed to encase and house the egg and subsequent larvae of a very small cynipid wasp. The larvae produce hormones that cause the leaf tissue to grow into the ball shape. The galls do not harm the tree but can be unsightly. Our gall was found on the ground, after it fell from the tree or leaf, probably an oak. Again, no control measures are needed as the galls are only cosmetic and not causing damage to the tree.

I am thankful to these observant nature watchers for sharing their oddities with me and the UConn Home and Garden Education Center.

-Carol Quish

 

H2O

With the dog days upon us, getting adequate water to our gardens can be a concern. Water is essential to all life. Plants use it to transport nutrients and to maintain turgor – the cellular pressure that keeps soft tissue from wilting.  Plants absorb water (containing soluble nutrients) through their roots and ultimately release it into the atmosphere as vapor through small pores (stomata) on the undersides of leaves in a process called transpiration. Although invisible, the cumulative volume of water transpired by Earth’s plants is prodigious, producing 10% of the atmosphere’s water vapor. One large oak tree can transpire 40,000 gallons per year. Drought stress occurs as transpiration continues and soil moisture is exhausted.

Wilting muskmelon plant
Photo: Erika Saaku, Iowa State

Transpiration rates increase with:

1. High temperatures
2. Low humidity
3. Wind
4.  More soil moisture
5. Larger, thinner leaves

Hydrangea or squash leaves wilt on hot, dry, windy days because the transpiration rate of these large-leafed plants is faster than the plant’s ability to take up available moisture from the soil.

At the other end, if a plant’s root system is compromised or undeveloped, extra care must be taken to ensure survival. The process of digging and transplanting exposes roots to the air, damaging or destroying delicate root hairs. Recovery can be difficult with the additional stress of hot weather. Provide shade and plenty of moisture to allow these essential single-cell structures to regenerate. In some cases, cutting back some of the leaf mass to reduce water requirements is advisable.  Old-fashioned advice for transplanting instructs: “water once a day for a week, once a week for a month and once a month for a year.” A very inexact guide to be sure, but a good reminder that transplants have high water demands at first and need to be weaned gradually over time.

Container-grown plants often have root systems a fraction of the size of an equivalent plant growing in the ground. Regular watering is a must, particularly when  containers are made of porous clay or fiber. Potting mixes are commercially available that contain polymer crystals which can dramatically increase the water-holding capacity of potting soils in containers.

Measuring irrigation output

“Deep and Infrequent”

This mantra of watering advice emphasizes the need to train turf grass and landscape plants to develop deep root systems in search for water. Shallow, frequent watering encourages the growth of roots close to the soil surface, making the plant vulnerable to drought stress.  Shrubs and trees with weak, superficial root systems are also more likely to topple over in a windstorm.

Root growth of turf ceases at soil temperatures of about 70°, so lawns should be encouraged to develop deep root systems during the cool weather of spring and fall. Summer watering of lawns is triage; keeping the patient stable until temperatures drop. Overwatering results in excessive growth and increased risk of fungal disease, while wasting water and fertilizers that can potentially contaminate waterways.

Mulch conserves soil moisture as it suppresses weeds and dresses up the garden.  Organic mulches mimic the natural duff on the forest floor, creating a hospitable environment for microbes, fungi, insects and worms as they perform their function of decomposing organic matter and releasing nutrients.

Managing water in the garden is a skill that gets honed over time, as the gardener develops sharper instincts for plant requirements. Water is also a surprisingly efficient and environmentally sound way of ridding plants of some insect pests such as aphids and spider mites – simply knock them off with a forceful spray from the hose. Regular flooding will discourage ground-dwelling bees and wasps (yellow jackets) from nesting in inconvenient areas.

Water makes the garden more pleasurable for people and animals alike. Bird baths, gurgling fountains, lawn sprinklers for children or ponds with fish and frogs create a richer environment and a cool oasis of refreshment on a hot summer’s day.

Children swinging in sprinkler, 1964
Photo: Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

J. McInnis

 

Farmer’s Market Time Again

Farmers and greens.

Spring is in full swing and the seasonal farmer’s markets are starting to open up to sell the fruits, vegetables and products of our local farmers. The variety and quality are outstanding. Everything from in-season asparagus, spinach and greens to soap, mushrooms, cheeses and preserves. Wool natural and dyed are animal products often sold too.  Farmer’s markets give the producer access to consumers that normally would not be have access to their farm. Farmers do sell to grocery stores, but that involves a middle man and the prices becomes higher or the farmer makes less money. Farmer’s markets give direct contact to the grower where people get to meet the person growing their food. Larger markets are a one stop shopping experience with numerous growers at one site. For a 2012 list of Connecticut Farmer’s Markets organized by the CT Dept. of Agriculture, click on http://www.ct.gov/doag/lib/doag/marketing_files/certified_fm_by_county_05-04-2012.pdf

Recently I traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to visit my daughter and she was very excited to take me to her farmer’s market “under the highway and next to the prison” at 7 am on Sunday morning. The highway over head provides protection from rain and sun. This historic market and bazaar is 35 years old with many vendors including meats, fish, cheeses, plants and even arts and crafts. 8,000 people visit on a typical Sunday between 7 and 12. We brought the camera to share the many offerings  on a sunny morning in mid-May.

-Carol Quish

Hand spun and dyed wool.

Bison meat frozen and as jerky.

Live Maryland Crabs.

Beautifully artistic goat cheeses and cheese pies.

Many varieties of mushrooms.

Rhubarb and Ramps!

Many varieties of potatoes.

Basil plants in six packs.

 

Revenge of the Weed Wacker

My LEAST favorite yard and garden tool is the weed wacker. They cause much damage in the landscape when not properly used.I have seen many wonderful trees and shrubs killed a slow death by repeated weed wacker injury to the bark at base level. Often times, the operator of the weed wacker is only focused on cutting the grass to be even with the lawn and not about the bark of the tree. Granted it is sometimes difficult to see the exact stretch of the string circling around and where it is hitting, but the damage inflicted is easily visible and long-lasting.

Weed wacker injury.
Photo by Theodor D. Leininger, USDA Forest Service

Just under the outer bark of trees and shrubs is the vascular system. This is like veins carrying the nutrients and water from the roots up to all portions of the tree. Making a cut in the bark disconnects the transport, effectively creating a roadblock at the cut area. If a cut is made completely around the circumference of the trunk, the tree will die by the next year. No water will be carried up to the branches and leaves. Making small cuts that can and do happen with weed wackers leads to a slowly dyeing tree. The ‘veins’ do not reconnect.

Prevention of weed wacker damage begins with physical barriers to keep the wacker away from the bark. Mulch is good solution. Remove all the grass and plants growing around the tree and replace with a two to three-inch layer of mulch. You decide how wide to make the circle of mulch, however at least twelve inches will be sure to provide protection. When applying mulch, it should not touch the bark. Mulch burying the bark will leave keep the bark moist and rot the bark, causing much the same results as weed wacker injury.

-Carol Quish

Properly mulched tree base.
clemson.edu

 

Willow Water Contains Rooting Stimulant

Do it yourself rooting hormone.

Willow roots and callus.
Photo by Carol Quish

Spring is a time of new growth and hopeful new potential. It is the season of raging hormones in animals and plants. The willow family of trees and shrubs contain a comparably high level of the hormone responsible for rooting, called indoleacetic acid or IAA for short. Gardeners can use this naturally occurring hormone by making ‘willow water’. Extract the IAA from cuttings of willow branches placed in a bucket or vase of water. The highest concentration of the chemical occurs in the one to two year old twigs. Basically any branch with green bark, not grey. Place them with their distal end down, (bottom down, top up). The IAA will leach into the water that can be used to initiate rooting in other plant cuttings placed in the water. The water can also be used to water the seedling of newly started seeds, transplants or cuttings.

The willow branches will produce roots into the water within a couple of days. These will become new willow trees or shrubs just like the parent willow plant from which you took the cutting. Willow cuttings will grow even if just cut and stuck in damp soil. The willow family, Salix, all possess this ability to root with abandon.

I was given a fairly big curly willow branch by Nancy DuBrule-Clemente at the Hartford Flower Show on February 25^th. Within three days, callus starting forming along the stem areas that was under water. On day five, roots started shooting out of the stem. After two weeks, vase is a tangle of pink and white primary and branching feeder roots. The willow water will be used on my new tomato seedlings under lights in the house. Then it will be time to plant the willow stem with roots into a pot of soil medium while I decide where in my yard is the ideal spot for a curly willow tree!

Willow twigs in water.
Photo by Carol Quish.

.Curly Willow twigs after 10 days in water. Photo by C. Quish

By Carol Quish.

 

Starting Something

Silene stenophylla, regenerated from a 32,000-year-old seed.
(Photograph: National Academy of Sciences)

The dry little speck that develops into a magnificent plant is one of those miracles that happens so often that it’s easy to take it for granted. But, if we stop and consider the way plants guarantee that a new generation will carry on their genes, we have to marvel at the elegance of nature’s design. Protected by a tough coat, seed can tolerate conditions much harsher than its living parent could ever survive, and it can wait years for the proper conditions to germinate. In the case of Silene stenophylla, proper conditions were scientists removing its seed from a 32,000 year-old squirrel burrow in the Siberian permafrost and growing it. This “delicate” arctic campion grew, bloomed and set seed after millennia of patient dormancy. Other reports of Jerusalem date palm and lotus seed remaining viable for a mere thousand years is testament to the phenomenal adaptation and resilience of plants. (At the other end of the spectrum, some tropical seed remains viable only briefly, and must be sown fresh for good results.)  In order to make management of a crop easier, agricultural seed has been selected to germinate all at the same time, a characteristic that would be disastrous for wild species. Ordinary garden seed, collected the previous year and packed and stored in dry conditions, is a valuable resource for gardeners.

Growing plants from seed allows the gardener a much broader range of plant choices than you’ll find at your local garden centers. With all the offerings online, in seed catalogs or on the racks in the big-box stores, the choices can be overwhelming. When selecting varieties, consider not only appearance, but yield, disease resistance and flavor. Gardeners’ reviews in internet forums can be useful in making a decision.

Tomato seedling 'High Tower' (Photo: Rutgers)

As the time for starting seeds for the vegetable garden approaches, a few pointers may be helpful:

• Start tomatoes on St. Patrick’s Day, or thereabouts (Eight weeks is standard lead time before planting in the garden, but if mid-May is still too chilly, plants can always be held a couple more weeks.) The majority of garden vegetables can be started from seed at this time. Cabbage can wait a few weeks, and for the vines, (cucumber, melon, squash, etc.) delay indoor planting until the last week of April, because setting out these heat-loving plants too early will only retard their growth.
• Root crops should be sown directly in the garden.
• Growing annual and perennial flowers from seed is an economical way to grow large numbers of plants and also to try unusual varieties. Be aware that some perennials require stratification (periods of cold that break dormancy) before they will germinate.
• Seed saved by friends and neighbors in your area are often a good bet. They’ve been tested by others who have about the same conditions as yours.
• Start small seeds in flats and larger seeds in cell packs, using commercial potting soil. (The garden books advise sterilizing the cell packs if they’ve been used before, and also using sterilized growing medium; I do neither and have never had a problem.) Garden soil can contain weed seeds and pathogens; potting mix is the safer choice.
• Don’t trust your memory; identify flats with popsicle sticks labeled with indelible marker.
• Germinate seeds in a warm room. Bottom heat aids germination; a table over a baseboard or radiator is excellent, as long as it’s not too hot.
• Cover germinating seeds with a sheet of plastic to retain moisture. (Dry cleaner’s bags work well, held in place with something light – I use chopsticks.) Monitor closely to be sure soil is damp, not wet. Remove plastic as soon as seeds break the surface. Allow one week beyond the germination times stated on the seed packet. If germination is disappointing or absent, resort to Plan B.
• The humidity that is conducive to seed germination is also the perfect environment for the growth of fungi and bacteria that can attack seeds or seedlings in a condition called damping off. Keep soil moist, but not wet; excessive moisture is the primary culprit of this disease. A small fan running on slow speed (placed well away from the seedlings) or a slightly open window on warm days will help by circulating air and keeping surfaces dry.
• Move sprouted seeds immediately to the brightest light available. A sunny window is good; or artificial lights (fluorescent or LED) hung on a chain can be positioned a few inches from the growing plants and moved as necessary.
• After sprouted seeds have their first set of true leaves, they may require thinning. Plants that are too crowded will compete with each other and none will flourish, so don’t skip this step. Cutting off unwanted plants with small scissors is preferable to pulling because it won’t disturb delicate roots.
• When plants outgrow their cells or small pots, move up to a 2.5-3” pot, using a plant stake or plastic spoon to separate and lift the seedlings. Water thoroughly with a dilute water-soluble fertilizer.
• Vine crops (cucumbers, melons, squash, etc.) are best started in peat pots because they can be transplanted without disturbing their temperamental roots. Peat pots are mushy when wet, so at planting time, soak them well, tear them gently open and plant directly into the ground. Trim off any pot that will protrude above the soil; this will cause wicking action that can rapidly rob moisture from the plant.
• Harden off plants before planting out in the garden, gradually exposing plants, over the course of a couple of weeks, to increasing sunlight and cool weather.

For those who haven’t tried it, growing your own plants from seed is a gratifying experience – there’s no better way to tune in to a plant’s requirements and hone your horticultural instincts, and it’s an economical way to try new varieties and keep your garden interesting.

J. McInnis

 

Can My Amaryllis Bloom Again?

Amaryllis ucc.edu

Amaryllis bulbs are a common holiday gift, that by February, are done blooming and all you are left with are multiple long strap-like leaves and a dried up flower stalk or two. With proper  care and attention these bulbs will live to produce another bloom next holiday season. The rounded flower stalk will be growing straight up and holding the remains of the past blossom. Cut this off an inch or two above the top of the bulb. Do NOT cut off the strap-like leaves. The leaves are the food factory where photosynthesis happens. The leaves take energy from the sun, converting into carbohydrates to be stored in the large bulb, making next year’s flower. Place the pot containing the bulbs and leaves in a sunny south-facing window for best light. Water when the top inch or so of soil is dry to the touch and do not let the pot sit in water as it could rot the bulb. Treat the plant with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer monthly. Potted amaryllis can be kept inside as a houseplant or moved outside for the summer. It can also be removed from the pot and planted directly in the ground in a semi-shady to full-sun location after slowly letting it get used to the stronger light. Dig the bulb back up before the danger of the first frost sometime in September. Now is the time cut off all of the leaves and place it in a cool (40 to 50 degree F) and dark place, such as a basement closet or shelf. Leave it there for 8 to 10 weeks. No water or light during this time will put the plant into dormancy. Be sure to mark you calendar to bring it out of hiding, pot it up with new potting soil, provide it with water and sun, then wait for new growth. It can take up to two months before you see the swollen head of the flower stalk appear but the leaves sometimes appear first. Weaker bulbs that did not receive enough sun the year before may not rebloom and will need another year of full sun on their leaves to grow a larger bulb.

I did not mark my calendar and forgot to take out my amaryllis this year. Imagine my surprise at opening the basement cabinet to find a pure white stalk and leaves and bright red flower bud trying to grow out of the dark into the sliver of light where the door meets the frame! without the light the plant was unable to produce green chlorophyll resulting in only white cell growth.

-Carol Quish

Amaryllis grown in the absence of light.

Amaryllis grown in the absence of light.

 

Winter Color

In Connecticut, deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out in late April and lose their foliage in October, which means that for half of the year we’ve got naked gardens. We could turn a blind eye to our landscape for six months, but what a waste of potential! Why not incorporate a little of what the nursery catalogs call “winter interest”? Now is a good time to observe where our gardens are weak in both structure and variety. Usually when we imagine gardens in winter, the picture is nearly monochromatic: black branches set against a gloomy gray sky and more dark branches jutting from a uniform layer of snow. This year, the lack of snow offers us bland, broad expanses of straw-colored lawn to greet us at every turn. If we look a little closer we will find color; not the rich palette of summer, but the muted tones of the season, with occasional bright spots.

Pieris in bud Photo: J. McInnis

The spruces and firs are exquisite in the winter, pure Currier & Ives when their boughs are weighed down with snow. Most evergreen foliage tends to darken at this time of year, with tints of yellow or rust. Siberian Cypress (Microbiota decussata), fresh and ferny in the warm months, goes a dull root-beer brown with the cold weather, often with a purplish cast to it. Blue junipers, such as Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ also acquire rich purple tones. Look for wine coloration in the foliage of broadleaf evergreens and in the flower buds of winter-blooming Pieris. On the other hand, there’s the sore thumb of the landscape: Gold Thread False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera ‘Aurea’), garish enough in the warm months, the color intensifies to a lurid yellow in the winter. Set against the ubiquitous dyed-red mulch of commercial plantings it can make your eyes water.

Winterberry 'Red Sprite' Photo: University of Tennessee

Many deciduous shrubs and trees, such as the aptly-named native Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) have red fruits that persist into winter, a bonus to birds.  Malus ‘Molten Lava’, a crabapple with spectacular white flowers in spring, can hold its startling yellow-orange fruit into the early winter. The bark of some trees is shown off to its best advantage this time of the year, without the distraction of foliage. The mottled creams, greens and grays of a fat Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) really pop, especially when the bark is wet. White birch (Betula papyrifera) is dramatic against a dark background; Heritage Birch (Betula nigra ‘Heritage’) has interesting pinkish-buff peeling bark and better disease resistance than its cousin. The Red- or Yellow-twig dogwoods (Cornus) are superb choices for a bright punch of color, blended into a naturalistic setting.  Coral-bark Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’) is simply a show-stopper.

Coralbark Japanese Maple Photo:NYU

Seize the opportunity to enjoy your garden for the other half of the year by including elements of color in the design, along with form and texture. Including a variety of evergreens will soften the starkness of winter, while accents of subtle color that would be overwhelmed by a summer landscape will now have more impact. Pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa, look out over the interplay of tones and think about all the garden maintenance that you’re not doing.

J. McInnis