Spring Irrigation System Check-Up
Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to take a close look at your irrigation system to make sure that it’s fully functional. Don’t wait until hot, dry weather arrives to find out that you have a problem! A thorough inspection and run-through of your irrigation system now will save time, money, and headaches associated with hidden system malfunctions.
Here are the most important things to look at in your irrigation system -
- Check each controller / timer and replace batteries
- Check wiring (faulty or corroded wires are among the leading cause of system malfunction)
- Make sure the rain guage / shut-off is working and is set to turn off the irrigation system when 1″ of water per week has been delivered through a combination of rain and watering (if you don’t have a rain sensor, install one!)
- Repair broken sprinkler heads (it’s amazing how many get damaged by snow removal equipment)
- Adjust all heads to that water sprays only on lawn (ideally, garden/flower beds should use drip irrigation, rather than overhead sprinklers)
- Unclog all drip emitters
- Check pipes and tubing for leaks (pipes that weren’t fully blown out in fall can freeze and crack during the winter)
- Check water pressure to be sure it’s at the correct level for your system
- Independently run each zone and measure the amount of water dispensed (irrigation delivery should be matched to the needs of the turf / plants in each zone)
When you’re sure the entire system is operating correctly, schedule regular system checks and adhere to a proper maintenance schedule throughout the irrigation season. After a lightning or electrical storm, check your controllers and irrigation system for damage. And if your plant choices change over the season, adjust your system accordingly.
Note: I’m not advocating the use of automated irrigation systems, merely pointing out the necessary steps to keep it working well. Check back soon for an article on eco-friendly watering and the EPA WaterSense program.
Late Winter Pruning Tips
Late winter is the ideal time to prune many types of deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines. However, the trick is knowing which ones to prune now and which ones to leave until later. Here are a few general guidelines to help you prune the right thing at the right time.
The following should be pruned off whenever you notice them, at any time of year:
- dead branches
- diseased branches
- damaged branches
In late winter or early spring, focus on removing the following:
- branches that are thinner than a pencil or diseased
- branches that cross other branches (literally touching, rubbing)
- branches that grow toward the center of the shrub, causing crowding
If the plant blooms very early in the season, wait until it’s finished flowering before you prune it. These plants typically bloom from buds that were set the previous fall – pruning now will just remove those buds, resulting in few, if any, flowers this spring. Common plants that fall into this category include:
- Forsythia
- Clematis montana
- Witch hazel
- Chokecherry
- Azalea
- Lilac
- Magnolia
- Spirea (early blooming varieties)
- Flowering plum and cherry
Other plants to prune in late winter/early spring (before growth begins) include shrubs that are grown primarily for their foliage.
- Barberry (note that this is invasive in CT – prune again just before flowering to prevent formation of seeds)
- Burning bush (another invasive plant to prune before flowering)
- Dogwood
- Honeysuckle (Japanese, Amur, Bell’s, Morrow’s, Tatarian, and dwarf honeysuckles are all invasive in CT)
- Ninebark
- Sandcherry
- Smokebush
- Sumac
Fruiting trees are often pruned now. This type of pruning stresses the plant and causes it to fruit more heavily. However, if you have an ornamental cherry, crabapple, or other similar type of tree (that is, you’re not growing it for fruit), pruning now will only result in excessive growth of watersprouts (long, thin branches that grow straight up into the air). Instead, wait until mid-July to mid-August to prune – you’re least likely to get unsightly watersprouts by pruning then.
Plants that bloom later in the season (usually on new wood produced during the spring) can be pruned now. Some typical examples include:
- Butterfly bush should be pruned back hard (close to the ground is good)
- Wisteria (you’ll also need to prune it in the summer)
- Late-blooming clematis
- Most hydrangeas, especially H. paniculata (although most hydrangeas do not need much pruning)
- Roses (here’s a good video from Peter Kukielski, curator of the Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden – I studied under him and can attest to the fact that he’s incredibly knowledgable)
Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place
My neighbors have maples, dogwoods, mulberries, an elm, and white pines in their yards. The maples are slowly destroying the sidewalks, the dogwoods are damaging the siding of the nearby houses, the mulberries make a huge mess when the berries ripen, the elm is dying of Dutch Elm disease, and the pines release clouds of allergy-inducing pollen. The only one of these trees that’s properly sited is the elm – and, unfortunately, that won’t be around much longer.
So what does it take to plant the right tree in the right place?
First, you need to know the environmental conditions of the area in which you want to plant – hardiness zone, type of soil (pH, organic matter, drainage), amount of sun, amount of wind, available space (e.g., proximity to houses, fences, electrical lines), etc. This will allow you to find a tree that’s suited to your conditions. Planting an oak in the 6-foot space between suburban houses just isn’t going to work…
Then there’s the soil itself. There’s nothing natural about the highly disturbed soils found in urban areas. The soils are more compacted, more alkaline, lower in fertility, lack organic matter, and have a different composition of soil organisms than would be found in a tree’s natural habitat. Urban trees are also isolated from other trees and instead are surrounded by a sea of over-fertilized turfgrass. Nothing natural about it at all.
So, before you even buy a tree, take a soil sample in the area where you’re going to plant your tree. You may need to add amendments to modify the pH and increase the proportion of organic matter in the soil (ideally, it should be around 5%).
Please don’t plant a lone tree in the middle of the lawn. Not only does this look unnatural, but the constant watering and fertilizing of the grass encourages fungal and disease problems in the tree. Mowing and using a string trimmer on the grass around the trunk damages the bark, leaving entry wounds for all kinds of harmful pests and pathogens.
Understand the mature size of the tree. That perfect little cherry tree may turn out to be a 60′ foot monster, rather than the 15′ specimen you envisioned. And don’t forget the spread – a dwarf Alberta spruce planted next to your front porch will soon cover the stairs with it’s prickly branches.
Choose a tree that grows well in your conditions. Be honest about your site. For example, understand how much sun you really have. Four hours in the morning is not “full sun”. If you’ve always wanted a copper beech but live in an area with clay soil and overhanging electrical lines, look for something else.
In the end, it’s really all about the tree. Do what’s right for the tree and it will reward you with many years of healthy growth.
Happy gardening!
Monica
New for Gardeners in 2011
I spent the end of last week in Boston at New England Grows, the largest green industry trade show in the region. Every February, New England Grows connects 13,000+ green industry professionals with vendors supplying the brightest ideas, the hottest plants, the latest technology, and the most cutting-edge equipment at its 1300 booth tradeshow.
As always, there were many new and interesting items that caught my eye, from new plant introductions, to gardening tools and equipment, to ideas about how to garden organically. Here are some of my favorites.
Dwarf conifers – A growing trend reported by many nurseries is the demand for dwarf and miniature conifers. Breeding programs and the discovery of unusual witches brooms are producing new varieties with a mature height under 12”, perfect for rock gardens, miniature specialty gardens (e.g., railroads, Japanese), and small garden beds.
Gardening gloves for women – Women comprise the largest segment of home gardeners, yet few companies produce gardening gloves specifically fitted to a woman’s smaller hand. One exception is Womanswork, which has been making women-specific gardening gloves for 26 years. I’ve been wearing their gloves for years and find them to be extremely comfortable and durable. A new entrant into the field this year is Ethel Gloves, from the makers of Mechanix Wear work gloves. Their gloves are more “fine fashion”, with interesting prints, bamboo fabrics, and seasonal designs – yet they claim to be tough and long-lasting. I picked up a pair from the sales rep – look for a future post after I try them out for a while.
Ellipse Bird House from Byer of Maine
Eco-friendly bird houses – Most bird houses are pretty basic – square boxes with a hole. But Byer of Maine was at the show with their Mango Tree Collection, a line of unique, colorful birdhouses made from sustainably-produced mango wood. These houses are made specifically for small, cavity-nesting birds, such as wrens and chickadees. The bird houses will be available for purchase on the Byer of Maine website by next week and I can’t wait to buy one!
Eco-friendly lawns – Many of the turf and lawn-care companies at the show were touting their “organic”, “sustainable”, and “eco-friendly” products. My personal bias is that traditional lawns are never going to be sustainable or eco-friendly – the grasses simply require too many inputs to keep them performing at a level that homeowners demand. However, some of the newer grass seed mixes show promise, particularly EcoLawn from Wild Flower Farm. This mix contains seed from seven different fine fescues, is drought-tolerant, and grows in sun to full shade – and doesn’t need mowing!
Petunia 'Black Velvet'
Black flowers – Last year, Ball Horticultural released a limited production run of ‘Phantom’ and ‘Black Velvet’ petunias – pure black flowering petunias. I managed to get one of each and found them to be floriferous and striking additions to my containers. There are very few truly black blooms available (most are deep purple or have a reddish cast), but these live up to their name. This year, I saw ‘Phantom’ and ‘Black Velvet’ displayed by many of the growers at New England Grows, often displayed with Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ or other white/variegated plants – absolutely stunning.
Unexpected flower colors – This year, expect to see more Echinaceas and Coreopsis with different, often unexpected flower colors (think orange Coreopsis or apricot Echinacea). The new introductions are generally more well-branched and/or hardier than their predecessors (anyone else out there given up on Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’?) and often come from long-term breeding programs (such as the Big Bang series of Coreopsis). Look for a later post on some of the better options.
Keep an eye on EcoScaping for details on some of the products mentioned above, as well as updated plant selections (why stop with just the Perennial Plant Association’s Plant of the Year when there have been so many improvements?) and edible plants for ornamental gardens, all seen at New England Grows 2011.
Happy gardening!
Monica
Botanical Ballistics
Last week I received a letter from my dad that contained an interesting article from the Dec/Jan edition of NewScientist magazine (yes, my dad’s a scientist – a particle physicist, to be precise). It was entitled ‘Botanical Ballistics’, which was enough to catch my eye. But my dad’s hand-written note, telling us to “test this out with a suitable firearm” really caught my attention. Hmmm…. a firearm??
So, what was the article about? As it turns out, several flowers open up so quickly that they’ve actually set a world speed record, up to 10,000 times faster than a rocket car (and definitely faster than a bullet leaves a rifle)!
The bunchberry dogwood is a perfect example of this. The flowers can only be cross-pollinated, so the trick is to get the pollen from one tree all the way to another tree. To facilitate this, the flowers have developed a remarkable way to fling their pollen straight into the air with such force that it sticks to passing insects, which then fly on to another tree with their load of pollen. Here’s how it works…
As the flower matures, the stamens grow faster than the petals, causing the stamens to bend until eventually the middle is forced out between the closed petals (think of four elbows poking out). The pressure inside the flower continues to build as the stamens grow, and elastic energy builds up in the petals and flowers. Eventually, a flying insect comes along, hits a trigger hair on a petal, and BAM… the flower “explodes”. The petals burst apart and the stamens spring upwards like a catapult, carrying the pollen-loaded anthers with them. As the stamens reach maximum velocity, the anthems are released and flung upwards and the pollen is splattered all over the insect that triggered the explosion. Pretty neat, eh?
Other plants are also fast-action superheros, like the exploding spore capsules of sphagnum moss, the wood sorrel’s flip-action seed cannon, and the sperm-squirting liverwort. Researchers have captured incredible, slow-motion photos of some of these plants in action – definitely worth taking a look at if you can find the magazine.
Gardening Resolutions for 2011
- Photo by Mar10os
Each January, as I look out at my snow-covered garden, I think “This year things will be different.” And then, come April, I set about doing exactly the same things as I’ve done every year – buying random plants that look or sound interesting, failing to mow what little lawn is left (because lawn is just so boring compared to flowers), leaving new plants sitting on the deck because there’s just no space for them in the garden, buying thousands of bulbs and then complaining about having to plant them, and… well, I’m sure you get the idea.
But this year will be different. This year is the year that I introduce a little discipline into my gardening. The year that I carefully evaluate what the garden needs, the time I have available, and my budget, and then create a plan that I stick to.
So, with that in mind, here are my …
Gardening Resolutions for 2011
- Only buy a plant if I know exactly where it will go. And, since there’s very little space left in the garden, this generally means don’t buy any more plants!
- Plant new plants within 3 days of purchase. Leaving them on the deck until winter arrives and kills them for good, is not a sensible way to garden or a good use of funds.
- Prune shrubs when they need pruning, not when I feel like it. Hacking off random branches when they encroach on neighboring plants is probably not the best way to keep them healthy, flowering, and well-shaped.
- Mow the lawn before it gets over 4″ high. When the lawn looks like a hay field, that’s probably a sign that it needs to be mowed.
- Water containers before the plants die from lack of water. Wilting is usually a sign that plants need water – enough said…
- Remove plants that aren’t performing. Move them to a better location, compost them, give them away, or take them to the 3rd Annual Fairfield County Plant Swap. Just do not keep looking at them, feeling guilty, but doing nothing.
- Do NOT buy any more bulbs! Over 3,500 bulbs in a tiny yard means that there is NO MORE SPACE! I can’t divide or transplant existing plants, or plant new specimens, without digging up at least half a dozen bulbs (usually in pieces).
- Sharpen, clean, and lubricate gardening tools. Stop buying new tools just because the old ones have rusted, squeak, or have dull edges – all of these problems are easily fixable (or avoidable).
And, finally, my most important resolution – no, it’s more than that, it’s a commitment – relax, breathe, quietly observe – and enjoy the beauty around me.
==> What are your gardening resolutions this year?
Like this:
What’s Next for Garden Junkies In 2011?
I started Garden Junkies in February 2009 as a way to share some of my gardening experiences. I didn’t expect many readers and I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to write about – but I figured it would be fun. And it certainly has turned out to be a wonderful experience. I’ve ‘met’ so many interesting people and learned a lot from my readers and other bloggers.
A Look at 2010
2010 was a good year for Garden Junkies. There have been 13,552 views since I moved Garden Junkies to WordPress in February 2010 (unfortunately, I don’t have any stats from the first year) – not a huge readership but more than I ever expected!
The most-viewed posts on Garden Junkies for 2010 were:
‘Bloomerang’ Reblooming Lilac: Plant Review
How to Make a Woodpecker Suet Feeder
Lifetime Wheelbarrow: Product Review
Looking Ahead To 2011
Well, first of all, I’m publishing a book (Butterfly Gardens for New England) so expect to see posts about butterfly gardens and where to get my book! It will be offered as a stand-alone product, but will also be packaged with the new Butterfly Garden Plan from GardenPlansOnline. Release is planned for April.
Secondly, I’m developing several new gardening-related membership sites and an interactive learning environment (ILE ) for “non-gardeners”. I’m also partnering with a home stager to produce an online course on how to prepare your house for sale – my part of the course content deals with creating curb appeal. More to come on all that later, including an exclusive offer for charter members of both the ILE and online course.
Finally, as my “real business” continues to grow, I’ll be focusing more of my energy on my company, T4 EcoScapes. I’m currently upgrading the website and will be incorporating Garden Junkies into the T4 site as a blog called EcoScaping - same writing style, slightly different content (although you’ll still be able to find all the existing Garden Junkies content). The new blog will focus more on ecologically friendly gardening/landscaping techniques, plants, and products. Expect to see the blog transition over in late February.
So, as you can see, 2011 promises to be a busy and interesting year!
Here’s wishing all of you a healthy, happy, and fulfilling 2011.
Happy gardening,
Monica
And the Winner Is…
Thanks to all who entered the Garden Junkies contest for a free gardening bag from Nantucket Baggs. Early this morning, I used a random number generator to identify the lucky winner. And so, without further ado, the winner is… Marcia! Here’s what Marcia plans to put in her bag -
1. cape cod weeder
2. gloves (that I’ll pull off after 1.5 minutes)
3. pruners (cheap ones considering propensity for misplacement)
4. trowel
5. 2nd pair of pruners….
Congratulations Marcia! I’ll be contacting you by email to arrange shipment of your new Nantucket Diddy Bagg.
Happy holidays everyone!
Win the Perfect Gardening Bag from Nantucket Baggs!
No, it’s not a typo – I really do mean Nantucket Baggs with two g’s. And they are the perfect gift for the gardener who has everything – this is one gift they’ll definitely use!
I bought my bag in February at the CT Flower & Garden Show. I loved the color (lime green with pink straps! – although it comes in a variety of other colors), the many shapes and sizes of pockets, the shoulder straps, and the fact that it unzips. I wasn’t sure how much I’d actually use it, but now, after a full season of constant use, I can honestly say that I would not be caught in my garden without my Nantucket Diddy Bagg!
So let me tell you why I love this bag and why you’ll want one too -
- It has 30 pockets. While the pockets are sized to fit a wide range of tools, you can customize pocket size simply by removing stitching between pockets to create a bag with just the right pockets for what you want to carry. It even has a hidden pocket in the base (perfect for hiding cash or spare keys).
- It stands up by itself. Just put it down and it stays put (well, that’s unless you load it to the top with heavy and unwieldy stuff).
Well-used, well-stuffed, and well-loved...
- It has long handles / carrying straps. The handles are long enough to let you sling the bag over your shoulder, even when it’s full. This means you can carry it around and still have your hands free.
- It’s really rugged. I’ve put mine through all kinds of abuse and, other than looking dirty, it hasn’t shown any signs of wear. The body is made of double-thick 600 denier poly canvas, the straps are heavy-duty webbing, and the plated grommets around the top don’t rust. According to the manufacturer it’s washable so I plan to run it through the washing machine soon.
- It’s convertible! This is such a neat feature. The bag unzips along the size and bottom to open out into a rectangle that can be rolled or hung up (I’ve hung mine for the winter on the peg board in my gardening shed). You can use it with the pockets on the inside or the outside. You can use it as a bag or you can convert it into a backpack. There are so many ways to use it that you’re sure to find the perfect solution for your unique needs.
- It looks great. Clients and passers-by often comment on it. It sure looks better than the 5-gallon bucket, tub, or series of bags we gardeners usually carry around!
Here’s how to win your very own Nantucket Diddy Bagg!
The Nantucket Bagg Company was kind enough to send me a brand new, lime green/pink Diddy Bagg to offer in this contest. Here’s all you need to do to win this fantastic bag (a $50 value!) -
-
Leave a comment below listing 5 gardening tools you would carry in your Diddy Bagg.
The contest is open until midnight on Sunday, December 12th. On the 13th one lucky winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying commenters (remember, you have to share with us 5 gardening tools to put in your bag). I’ll post the winner on this website on the 13th and, if I have your email, I’ll also email you. The bag will be sent to the winner in time for Christmas! One entry per participant please.
Many thanks to the Nantucket Bagg Company for sponsoring this contest!
It’s Been a While…But There’s a Special Reason!
OK, so I haven’t written anything in quite a while. But there’s a reason – really. I’ve been working on a new gardening product that will be available in stores in the spring! That’s right – something completely new and unique – there’s nothing else out there like it. I can’t tell you about it yet, other than to say that it’s easy to use, colorful, and great value. It’ll be ready for the spring gardening season.
I’ll post updates as things move along but if you want to be “in the know” and learn about the latest developments before the general public, just sign up for our mailing list. Don’t worry – this is the only thing your email will be used for, no one else will have access to it, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
And, as an added bonus, we’ll be offering a special discounted pre-retail sale price to list members! You’ll have access to this great new product before anyone else – and at a special price. So sign up now!
Click here to sign up for updates and special pricing
