Gardening

The Garden Hoes Podcast-April Showers Bring May Flowers

May 11, 2020 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

You know what they say: April showers bring May flowers. However, we think that our early warm weather means April showers bring April flowers! After many weeks at home and many of us juggling teleworking with personal life, everyone is ready for that spring weather. In this month’s episode, we tackle the seasonal topics of hydrangeas, mulching, lawn care, and our features for tip/bug/native plant of the month!

Photo: Hydrangea-Flower color of the macrophylla species is dependent on soil pH. Did you know: that the actual mechanism of color variation is due to the presence or absence of aluminum compounds in the flowers. Aluminum is available to the plant in acid soils. A pH below 6.5 will produce blue flowers and a higher pH will produce pink or red flowers. Photo Credit: Rachel Rhodes

Hydrangeas are a fan favorite with large, dramatic blooms with low-effort. In our May episode, we talk about pruning hydrangeas, which is a little more complicated than you would think. Pruning practices are dependent on the type of hydrangea, but you can always remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood at any time of year! For more tips about working with hydrangeas, or to determine which hydrangea you may have, check out “A Quick Guide to Pruning Hydrangeas” from HGIC.

Lawn Care and mulching are both commonplace practices found in practically every landscape. Do not fall victim to “volcano mulching”, or piling mulch too high on shrubs and trees. We discuss mulching with organic materials that biodegrade and improve the soil. Ditch the mulching fabrics and chipped rubber, and learn why composted wood chips are preferable. Grass growth is in full swing, but do not be tempted to cut the grass too short! Turf-type tall fescue, a common turfgrass in Maryland, should be mowed at 3-4 inches high. While we would recommend waiting to seed a new lawn in fall, some overseeding or establishment may be done in the spring (see Fescue Establishment for Low Maintenance Sites for specific details).

To listen to our May episode

Timing:
Mulching (~1:37)
Pruning Hydrangeas (~11:29)
Lawn Care (~15:55)
Native Plant of the Month: “Blue flag iris”, or Iris versicolor (~20:48)
Garden Tip of the Month: “Bulbs, pruning, and warm-season crops” (~23:25)
Bug of the Month: “Spotted Lanternfly” (~39:08)

Photo: Iris veriscolor, commonly called northern blue flag, is a clump-forming iris that is native to marshes, swamps, wet meadows, ditches and shorelines. Flowering stalks rise from the clump to 30” tall in late spring, with each stalk producing 3-5 bluish-purple flowers (to 4″ wide) with bold purple veining. Clumps spread slowly by tough, creeping rhizomes. Photo credit: Mikaela Boley

If you have a garden question or topic, you like us to talk about you can email us at Gardenhoespodcast@gmail.com

For more information about University of Maryland Extension and these topics, please check out the Home and Garden Information Center website at https://extension.umd.edu/hgic

The Garden Hoes Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Assoc. (Talbot Co.) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Assoc. for Horticulture (QA Co), and Emily Zobel- Agriculture Agent (Dorchester Co.).

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all.

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all people and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

Spy Gardening: Planning Your Landscaping Like A Pro (Part 1) by Meredith Watters

May 8, 2020 by Spy Staff Leave a Comment

Staying home, strolling our yards during the ‘shelter-in-place’ for COVID-19 can reveal our garden’s potentials. Look around. Here, at my home, I see the demise of Leyland cypresses dying from the combination 2018 record wetness and the 2019 drought. The nuisance weeds are already getting out of control and it’s time to address the dangerous front door steps or add that long-talked about patio. The list goes on….

Leyland cypress

Now may be the time to get started on long-term landscape improvements which, by the way, increases your real estate value by 5% to 15% – an immediate return on your investment. To help you start organizing, I have outlined tasks and considerations that I use in my business when working on a client’s landscape design and installation project.

Start with writing a list of long-term dreams about your landscape. When writing this vision, don’t get hung up on the costs because your plan could be implemented over many years. Prioritize your list from most important to least.

Ideally, phasing should begin with hardscape (sidewalks, patios, driveways), which is the most expensive portion of your dreams. Next phase is identifying existing and possible addition of plants, large trees and shrubs. Now think about lighting and irrigation. If you choose to do this, I recommend working with a professional. Next is mulching (no more than 2 ½” deep) plant beds and individual trees. The final stage is to establish the lawn.

To begin to implement your dreams for your home and garden:: you will need to create a landscape plan. If you were given a land plat at settlement, take it to be enlarged at the local print shop. Ask the shop to use a 1” = 8’ or 1” = 10’ scale, or, if your property is over three acres, consider a 1” = 20’ scale. Don’t have a plat? Use graph paper to record measurements of your house, existing features such as property boundaries, utilities, and restrictions, trees patios, walks, etc. Take that drawing to the print shop and ask them to enlarge it to the recommended scales.

On your newly printed plat, identify problem areas such as unattractive views, privacy issues, poor drainage, blistering summer sun, set-back restrictions, underground and overhead utilities. Identify good qualities such as existing mature shrubs and trees, beautiful views, any existing landscape features, etc. Identify areas that you want any hardscape such as patios, walkways, pavilions, swimming pool, firepits, outdoor kitchens, or even a vegetable or butterfly garden.

Now, let’s talk about plants!

Make a list of your favorites and research their attributes such as ultimate growth height and width, seasonal color, etc. To keep things less complicated, choose perhaps just 3 varieties of the following trees: shade (oak), understory (dogwood), and evergreen (pine/holly). Choose perhaps 5 varieties of deciduous and evergreen tall (viburnum) and short (azalea) shrubs.

Make a short list of your favorite perennial flowers, annual flowers, ground covers, and ornamental grasses (again, take notes on the color, time of year of blooming, etc.).

Once you have this plant list, ask a few questions.

Do I have native plants to support the butterflies, birds, and bees?
Am I retaining my rainwater on my own property so as not to impact my neighbors?
Are plants providing a variety of textures (flat, shiny leaves or spikey, fine needles)?
Are the plants suited for my wet/dry/sunny/shady conditions?
Are the plants deer or rabbit resistant? (just type that question into Google)

You are ready to put it all together – plants and hardscapes!

This is where your base drawing will be useful. Use tracing paper over it to play with your dream ideas and configurations of plants, patios, walkways, garden features, etc. Print photos of your house and use the tracing paper over it to sketch ideas as well.

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Next time in Part 2 of Planning Your Landscape Like A Pro, we’ll get to the really fun parts of your project and put it all together incorporating color, textures, and other design principles. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or email me directly at meredithwatters@gmail.com.

Meredith Watters, Watterscape Designs, received her Masters in Landscape Architecture in 1985. In her consulting and design of residential landscapes, she maintains a strong focus on ecologically sensitive and creative outdoor solutions.

May Gardening Tips

May 3, 2020 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

Warm weather is just around the corner, which means it is time get your garden ready for summer flowers and tasty home grown vegetables. Here are some helpful tips to get you started this month.

Outdoor Garden and Yard Tips
• If your azaleas, rhododendrons and other spring flowering shrubs are growing too large prune them after they bloom.
• Thin out interior boxwood branches to improve air circulation and reduce disease problems such as volutella canker. Also, look out for boxwood blight. Watch How to Prune Your Boxwoods.
• Older leaves of holly and magnolia may begin to yellow and drop. This is a natural process of regeneration and does not indicate a problem with the trees.
• Lace bug feeding may be seen on rhododendrons, azaleas, andromeda (Pieris japonica), and mountain laurel. Look for small white or yellow spots on the upper sides of leaves. On the underside of leaves, you may notice small black fecal spots, nymphs, and adults. Damage on new growth indicates overwintering eggs have hatched and the new generation has started to feed. There are multiple generations per growing season. Lace bugs are more of a problem on stressed plants growing on exposed, hot, and sunny sites.
• Rose Rosette, a relatively new disease of roses caused by a systemic virus and spread by small eriophyid mites, can kill landscape roses. Including the more disease resistant roses such as the Knockout cultivars.
• Summer annual bulbs like gladiolus, tuberous begonias, cannas, caladium, and dahlias can be planted now.
• Attract pollinators and natural enemies to your landscape by planting a wide variety of flowering annuals and perennials, including native plants that will bloom over the entire growing season.
• Begin setting out transplants of warm season crops like squash, pepper, eggplant, and tomato. There is still a small possibility of late frosts. Be prepared to cover plants with a tarp or light blanket if frost is expected.
• Pinch the blooms from flower and vegetable transplants before you set them out. This will help direct the plants’ energies to root development and will result in plants that are more productive. Gently break up the roots of root-bound transplants before planting.
• Did weeds overtake your garden last year? Start spreading mulch around plants and between rows. Use dried grass clippings, leaves collected from last fall, sections of newspaper covered with straw, black landscape fabric.
• Cover strawberry plants with bird netting, tulle (found in fabric stores), or floating row cover before the berries become ripe to exclude birds, squirrels, and other hungry critters.
• Leave grass clippings where they lay. Grasscycling eliminates bagging labor and costs, adds organic matter and nitrogen to your soil and does not contribute to thatch build-up.
• Carpenter bees cause concern at this time of year. They make clean, round holes about a ½ inch in diameter but usually will not bother wood that is freshly painted or stained.
• Ticks are active when the temperature is above freezing. Wear light-colored clothing and get in the habit of checking yourself, your loved ones, and pets closely for ticks after spending time outdoors. Repellents are also an effective tool to keep ticks away.

Vegetable Garden
• Pinch the blooms off tomato, pepper and other plants before setting them out in the garden; this will encourage root and stem growth. Continue to pinch off pepper blossoms for 2-3 weeks to establish a stronger, higher yielding plant.
• Keep cutworms away from cabbage, broccoli and other susceptible plants by putting a cardboard or plastic collar around each plant, or sprinkle ground up oyster shells, cat litter, sharp sand, or other gritty material around each one.
• Keep weeding and thinning plants. To keep down weeds, mulch plants with dried grass clippings, sections of newspaper covered with straw, black landscape fabric or black plastic. Do not mulch with wood chips or bark, which takes nitrogen out of the soil as it decomposes.
• As peas ripen, pick pods when tender, to keep plants producing.
• Don’t let transplants or young seedlings dry out. Use a drip irrigation system, soaker hose, sprinkler, or hand-held hose with a water breaker (shower head), to keep beds evenly moist, but not too wet.
• Plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers, only after danger of frost is past. Mix ½ cup of ground lime with soil in the planting hole to prevent blossom-end rot. Water each transplant with a soluble fertilizer, like compost tea or kelp extract to get them off to a good start.
• Pound in stakes or install tomato cages, at planting time, to prevent plant damage later.
• Set out herbs in pots or plant in garden beds.
• Inspect plants daily for cucumber beetles, cabbageworms, vine borers and flea beetles, which can be excluded with row covers. For plants requiring cross-pollination—cucumber, squash, melon, pumpkin—take covers off when plants are flowering, to let in pollinators.
• Hand pick cabbage worms from broccoli and other members of the cabbage family, or spray with Bt(Bacillus thuringiensis). Bt may injure non-pest butterfly larvae, though, so use judiciously.

Indoor Plants and Insect Tips
• Move houseplants outdoors after the danger of frost has passed. To avoid sunscald first place them in a shady location and over a period of two weeks or so gradually introduce them to more sunlight.
• Fleas are sometimes observed in homes where there are no pets. The most likely source is a wild animal such as a raccoon living in the attic, crawl space, chimney or some other sheltered area connected to the inside of the home. If you have pets that have a flea problem, contact your veterinarian for the safest and most effective flea control products.
• Clover mites are usually most noticeable in the spring when temperatures are between 45° and 80°F and the humidity is high. On warm days they cross the grass and crawl up the sunny sides of buildings and will possibly enter into homes.

For further information, please visit https://extension.umd.edu/queen-annes-county/master-gardener-home-gardening or see us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/QueenAnnesCountyMasterGardeners. For more information contact: Rachel J. Rhodes, Master Gardener Coordinator at (410) 758-0166 or by email at rjrhodes@umd.edu.

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The Garden Hoes Podcast-Gardening with Children

April 29, 2020 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

If you are teleworking like we are, keeping the little ones entertained while getting everything checked off on your weekly “to do” list can seem impossible. In this special edition, we explore all the fun ways you can include your little ones in your gardening activities.

Gardening with Children is easy and fun. Photo credit: Rachel Rhodes

For parents struggling to find engaging ways to keep children busy and entertained gardening is a great activity to introduce to your kids while you are home. Gardening does not require advanced skill, the perfect raised bed, or a sprawling backyard. Gardening with kids can be as simple as planting seeds in a container (or starting seeds inside) or by reading them a garden-themed children’s book. There countless garden-themed children’s books that work for children of all ages. We discussed some of our all-time favorite books and fun activities to go along with them. The wonder of planting a garden and watching it grow can spark endless questions from your kids. Questions like: Why do plants need the sun to grow? Why are worms in the garden? How do plants “drink” water? Before you know it, you will be talking about soil, compost, and photosynthesis!

We also discussed the Callery pear (Pyruscalleryana) and its invasive tendencies. You will hear the name Callery and Bradford used interchangeably, however, ‘Bradford’ was the name of the first cultivar of Callery pear but is often used to refer to the species. Many beautiful native alternatives benefit our birds and butterflies. Visit the UME-Home and Garden Information Center if you would like more information about the Bradford Pear. For more information about Maryland Invasive Plants Prevention and Control visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Safety in the garden is a top priority. Photo credit: Mikaela Boley

Garden Themed Children’s Books:
The Bad Seed, by Jory John
Monsters don’t eat broccoli by Barbara Jean Hick
Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Up Down & Around by Katherine Ayres
I will never not ever eat a tomato by Lauren Child
Wiggly Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer
Velma Gratch and the way cool butterfly by Alan Madison and Kevin Hawkes
Gardening With Children, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guide (for activities)
Tree, by Britta Teckentrup (a Fletcher favorite)

To listen to our episode on Gardening with Kids
The Garden in a Glove activity can be found here.
Callery Pear: (~21:15)
Native Plant of the Month: “Pinxterbloom Azalea”, or Rhododendron periclymenoides (~25:45)
Bug of the Month: Eastern tent caterpillars (~29:45)

If you have a garden question or topic, you like us to talk about you can email us at Gardenhoespodcast@gmail.com

Pinxterbloom Azalea. Photo credit: Mikaela Boley

For more information about University of Maryland Extension and these topics, please check out the Home and Garden Information Center website at https://extension.umd.edu/hgic

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

April Gardening Tips

April 10, 2020 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

It is officially spring, which means it is time to brush off the winter dust and get outside. Here are some helpful tips to get you started this season.

Outdoor Garden and Yard Tips

• Cedar-apple rust disease forms its galls on Virginia cedar (Juniperusvirginiana) in April. The odd-looking galls are at first bright orange gelatinous balls with long “horns” or projections; they later turn brown and become hard. They are the alternate host structure for a disease that does very little harm to the junipers but can be quite destructive to apple trees, hawthorns, and quince.
• Continue planting and transplanting trees and shrubs. Choose quality trees: shade trees should have a single, straight trunk. Planting and transplanting should be completed before the end of June.
• Viburnum leaf beetle is a serious pest of native arrowhead viburnum, cranberry bush, and many others. Look for feeding damage on viburnum and yellow larvae. Control them promptly since they can defoliate plants. Repeated defoliation can result in the death of native viburnums.
• Spotted lanternfly eggs will start hatching late April or early May depending on the weather.
• Plant a butterfly garden – Butterflies add beauty and help pollinate flowering plants. A variety of nectar plants for adult butterflies and host plants (food) for the caterpillars will attract them. Milkweed species is a popular nectar and host plant for the Monarch butterfly.
• Eastern box turtles and various species of snakes are coming out of hibernation and may visit your yard. Box turtles are becoming scarce through much of Maryland because of road mortality and habitat destruction. Observe it but leave it in the wild.
• Many spring bulbs have fully emerged and are flowering. Remove spent flowers but leave the green bulb foliage alone until it yellows and dies back naturally.
• Lawn mowing season begins in April. The height and how frequently you mow your lawn is very important. Cool season grasses such as tall fescue and bluegrass should be maintained between 3 – 4 inches for most of the growing season and no more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade should be removed at each mowing. Always make sure to sharpen your mower blades at the beginning of the season.

Butterflies add beauty and help pollinate flowering plants. Photo taken by Rachel Rhodes.

Vegetable Garden

• Continue to sow lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, beets and other favorite salad vegetables.
• Thin seedlings of leafy greens, to a few inches apart and eat the ones you pull. Check planting chart for final spacing between mature plants.
• Plant seeds of carrots, turnips and parsnips in deeply worked, well-draining soil.
• Don’t jump the gun with warm season crops; plant outside only after all danger of frost is past. (Night temperatures below 45º F. can damage plants and later fruiting.) Optional: lay down black plastic mulch to warm the soil, two to three weeks before planting warm season crops, like tomato, pepper, eggplant, and melon. Plastic mulch also keeps down weeds. (Biodegradable non-plastic mulch, made out of corn, is now available; www.highmowingseeds.com is one source.)
• Sow beans and corn outdoors late this month or early May, when soil temperatures are above 50º F. (Or pre-start them indoors to get them off to a faster start.)
• Start squash, melon and cucumbers indoors to be transplanted in the garden, in two to three weeks. (These plants also benefit from black plastic or biodegradable mulch.) Or, plant them directly in the garden, in late May through mid-June.
• Start seeds of herbs, including rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage, basil and tarragon. Make cuttings of fresh mint, tarragon and rosemary from potted plants or from stems purchased in food markets. Root the cuttings in soil-less mix, under lights.

Peas are a great easy to grow cool season crop, they perform best with early spring plantings. Photo taken by Rachel Rhodes.

Indoor Plants and Insect Tips

• Groom houseplants by removing dead and diseased foliage or spent flowers; this reduces insect and disease problems and improves their appearance. Gently dust the leaves with a soft rag. If possible, periodically place your plants in the shower to remove dust and to give them a good drink of water. This can revive a tired houseplant and helps to leach soluble salts (from fertilizers) from the soil.
• Fungus gnats are small, harmless black flies that hover around, breed in and feed on moist growing media. Be careful not to over-water houseplants. Growing media should be allowed to dry out before watering again.
• Different types of foraging ants may appear in your home. Try using bait stations to control minor infestations. Liquid and gel formulations are usually quite effective.

For further information, please visit https://extension.umd.edu/queen-annes-county/master-gardener-home-gardening or see us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/QueenAnnesCountyMasterGardeners For more information contact: Rachel J. Rhodes, Master Gardener Coordinator at (410) 758-0166 or by email at rjrhodes@umd.edu.

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Spy Gardening: Let’s Talk Dirt by Meredith Watters

March 22, 2020 by Spy Agent 9 -- 00 Section Leave a Comment

Well, actually, dirt (nutrients), water, and sunlight, which are the three main ingredients to a happy plant.

With many of us working or on self-quarantine at home, this is a perfect opportunity to spend some time outdoors and help to ensure that with just a little effort, you will have a beautiful garden.

Nutrients

Start by knowing your soil’s nutrient levels. We usually take a sample of a garden’s soil to the Maryland Agricultural Extension Office on Mary’s Court in Easton ($10/soil sample). However, since their offices are closed, they recommend sending it directly to the Agro Lab—(302) 566-6094. The results will be emailed to you approximately ten days later. Once you have it, call the MD Extension Agent (410-822-1244), and they will suggest ways to amend the soil.

Here is an informative 3-minute video from the Univ. of Illinois on how to take a sample.

One thing you know already, or you’ll discover if you test your soil is that the Eastern Shore area is generally subjected to poorly drained clay soil. Fortunately, there are simple ways to improve it.

* Compost your yard waste and kitchen scraps. A compost bin is easy to start and provides natural soil conditioners that improve soil structure.

* Don’t rake/remove your lawn’s autumn leaves. By mowing them into small pieces, they will easily disintegrate over the course of the winter.

* Use commercially available compost material, such as

Leafgro is a very light organic source of humus (composted leaves and grass clippings) produced by the Maryland Environmental Service. I use it extensively in my landscape business when planting trees, adding new plants to gardens, starting a new lawn, or new flower or shrub beds.

For planting: Dig the plant’s hole twice the size and only as deep as the root ball or flower pot. Mix equal parts of Leafgro with the existing soil. Place 2” of this mix in the bottom of the hole, place the plant, so it is 2” above ground. Add the mix around the plant, lightly tamp, and water thoroughly.

For new lawns: Spread at least 2” evenly and mix or rototill to a depth of 4-6,” rake smooth, add seed or sod.

For new flower or shrub beds: Use about eight bags per 100 square feet of the garden. Mix to a depth of 4-6.”

In Talbot County, eight garden stores sell Leafgro in either bags or bulk: Bridges Land Management (bags and bulk) (410) 820-4784, Bryan & Sons 410 819-3001, Dobson Lawn & Garden, Inc. (bulk only) (410) 745-6935, Garden Treasures (bags) (410) 822-1604, George’s Green Thumb (bulk) (410) 822-9255, Robin’s Nest (bags) (410) 822-8700, The Village Shoppe (bags) (410) 745-9300, and Yard Works Plus (bulk) (410) 820-6414.

Water

One inch of rainwater a week is ideal, but you can’t rely on the weather. I give my clients two items to ensure the health of their plants and vegetables and recommend that you use these as well:

* A simple rain gauge, (around $10.00) to ensure your plants are getting 1” of rainwater weekly

* A soil moisture probe, (around $10.00) inserted 6” into the plant’s roots to see if they are dry or wet

Water the soil around the base of the plant, not the plant leaves, in the early morning, If the soil is particularly dry, re-water immediately. But be careful not to overwater if you have clay soil since it retains moisture and drains poorly. Use your moisture probe to check to measure. For my house, I have very sandy soil, so the water washes right through. Chances are the nutrients will also wash right through, so I add additional fertilizer during the growing season.

Sunlight

How much sunlight is enough? Vegetables need 6-8 hours of full, direct, hot sun. Take note of your garden’s sun exposure. Is it in full sun? Partial shade (brief, direct morning or afternoon sun) or dappled sun from mature trees? or Full shade? Read the new plant’s label to determine which plants will go where.

‘Right plant, right place’ is the mantra of an educated homeowner and landscape designer. Next month I hope to help you with this concept for your house foundation plantings. Leave a comment below if you have any questions about your soil, plants, watering, etc. or email me directly at meredithwatters@gmail.com.

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