Category Archives: Gardening

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Popular Houseplants for 2021

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post January 7, 2021, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

As we continue to sequester ourselves at home, many of us are adding more houseplants to our homes or apartments and planning for expansion of outdoor flower and vegetable gardens later this spring. Houseplants have many advantages; not only do they add beauty and color to a room, but they can help make the room healthier. Studies have shown that some plants may help to remove air pollutants, and if nothing else, can help you feel less stressed and more creative. A few of these helpful plants include certain species of palms (Rhapsis excelsa and Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), rubber plant (Ficus spp.), English ivy (Hedera helix), Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), philodendron vines, and Snake plant (Sanseveiria).

The most popular houseplants for 2021 are expected to be those with patterned or textured foliage, those that are edible (i.e., herbs, edible flowers/foliage, and “mini” vegetables), and those that do well in low light. And of course, many of us would add easy maintenance to that list. With those criteria in mind, we scoured the University of Maryland Extension Service and several other web sites for a few of the most often recommended plants.

Patterned/textured foliage

This past year, the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) has been quite popular, but plant prognosticator and long-time columnist Joyce Mast predicts that Ficus altissima (the omnipresent rubber tree) will take over in 2021 because it is easier to care for and has “velvety variegated leaves” (https://www.treehugger.com/top-houseplant-trends). F. altissima grows to be quite large, can survive low light, and is well known for its ability to remove toxins from the air, and for its low maintenance. In fact, it has long been a very popular office plant, probably because of that last reason.

Other plants Mast recommends for their foliage include Anthurium hookeri, A. crystallinum, and several species of Alocasia (A. black velvet, polly, regal shield, and frydek). Alocasias like moist but not overly saturated soil and bright to medium indirect light. Although they all have long, deeply heart-shaped leaves with prominent white veins, individual species vary. For example, A. polly’s leaves are sharply scalloped, almost like holly leaves; A. regal shield, also known as Elephant Ears, has rather broad leaves and may grow quite large or tall indoors.

Edible plants

You may have potted up some of your herbs last fall for continued use in the kitchen this winter. Basil, rosemary, sage, chervil, and thyme grow well inside to use for cooking—or just grow them indoors for their unique scents. Mint is another that does well inside; it can be quite a thug and very invasive in the garden outside. Next fall, you’ll want to check the University of Maryland Extension Service (https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/hgic/HGIC_Pubs/houseplants_seasonal/HG%20105OverwinteringTropicalPlants_2018.pdf) to see other herbs or other edible plants you can bring inside, and what kind of light, moisture levels, etc., they’ll need.

Low-light plants

If you brought in tropical plants from outdoors last fall, you’ve probably already treated them for pests and dealt with leaves yellowing and dropping before they became accustomed to the changes in light and atmosphere. Once inside last October, my Brugemania initially lost all of its leaves, although the coleus at its base has maintained color and leaves. I sequestered Brugemania in a spare room and watered it regularly. Despite the low light of the room, leaves are once more beginning to grow from the Brugemania stalk.

The University of Maryland Extension Service web site says that “Supplemental lighting with cool white florescent lights can improve survival [of tropical plants]. Don’t expect the plants to grow much, if at all, during the winter months because the light conditions are simply too low. When plants receive reduced light, their need for water also declines. It is very important not to overwater them, especially during the initial adjustment period. Water only when the soil is dry. Remember, the larger the pot, the longer it takes for the soil to dry.”

Plants that do well indoors in medium to low light include various species of Snake plant (Sansevieria), philodendron vine, pothos vine (Scindapsus; related to philodendron), Peace lily (Spathiphyllum), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), and Dracaena. Beware: While most plants grow very little in low-light conditions, others can grow several feet.

For further information about houseplants, you may want to review the following web sites:

  • https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/herbs
  • https://www.treehugger.com/top-houseplant-trends-4858425
  • https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/acclimate-plants-indoors-winter.htm
  • https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/bloomscape-top-plant-trends-2021-36852168

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The Perfect Gift? Try a Houseplant!

Gardening, , , , , ,

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on December 2, 2020, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

Now that it’s too cold to sit outside, social distancing with friends and extended family members (so hard when the Old Coach and I have one son and family across the street and one just two doors down!), how can we let them know we’re thinking of them?

How about an easy-care house plant or dish of succulents, assuming the family pets will leave said plants alone? The University of Maryland Extension Service (https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/selecting-indoor-plants) has many recommendations. In case a potted plant or dish garden is on your mind, here are just a few that UMD recommends, from easy-care to finicky.

  1. Don’t have a green thumb? No problem. The UMD Extension Service calls the well-named Snake plant(Sansevieria) “the toughest plant on the planet.” Well-named, indeed: I have had a small Sansevieria growing in a dish garden for about 10 years. For some reason, one of its blades has grown with a bend that reminds me of a cobra stretching up out of its basket. And tough, indeed: I once put a pot of Sansevieria on the sheltered front porch of our former home in Annapolis and left it there, totally neglected, all winter. It did not die.
  1. Dracaena, with colorful, striped or patterned foliage, usually darker green and chartreuse stripes or a purplish stripe, is a large, easy-care plant. Often, Dracaenas like a somewhat dry soil.
  1. Another easy-care plant is the ZZ, or Zamioculcas. According to Wikipedia, “Zamioculcas is…in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical perennial plant native to eastern Africa, from southern Kenya to northeastern South Africa.” 
  • If you’re looking for color, Dracaena, mentioned above, and Bromeliads are good choices. Water bromeliads by pouring water into the “cup” formed by their leaves; they will tolerate low light for a long time, although they much prefer bright lights. So, if you want to brighten up a windowless room, such as a bathroom, you might rotate a Bromeliad with other low light-tolerant plants, giving them longer turns in bright-light rooms, and shorter times in darker rooms.
  1. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) has broad foliage, which grows from a central stem, is usually silver or gray-green, sometimes mottled with a mauve splotchiness or a mauve stripe, bringing some subtle color to the room it’s in. The UMD extension service warns that “old plants develop tall stems [which] should be cut back to promote more compact growth.”
  1. Sometimes foliage plants, bought primarily for their shades of green, can surprise you. A dish garden I received in 2009 included a small Hoya vine with thick, leathery, pointed and speckled, dark green leaves. Although it’s always been in the same brightly lit window, only this year did it bloom—and did so several times—magnificent tight clusters of waxy, delicate, star-shaped pale pink flowers, each star with a second, smaller star on top, and a dark pink center that feathered into the pale pink. And even the tiny brown seed pods that were left when the Hoya finished blooming were pretty—I will spray some of them gold and use them with pinecones and other dried materials to decorate Christmas presents.
  1. Succulents or cacti are easy to grow, have many species in a huge variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, and host very few pest or disease problems. They generally do well in south-facing windows, especially if they have good drainage and the soil dries between waterings.

[And one more observation]: Colin Skelly, horticulturist for the fabulous Eden Project in Cornwall, UK (https://www.edenproject.com/eden-story), notes that “…light and water…can have dramatic effects on a succulent’s colour. In winter, they are quite green, but as light levels increase, coloured forms take on their darker tones. When stressed by lack of water, even green succulents take on red, pink and yellow tints. Often this is when they look most dazzling…one of the delights of growing succulents…”

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Welcome, Fall!

Gardening, , , ,

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on October 3, 2020, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

September has ended with perfect gardening weather as we welcome fall; gather pumpkins, gourds, and colorful leaves to decorate inside and outside; and continue our gardening “to-do” lists.

Pruning and planting: If you’re doing some outdoor pruning, remember not to trim those spring-flowering shrubs and trees until after they bloom next year. You can, however, plant trees, shrubs, and transplant irises and bulbs. Always carry the plant by its ball or in the container, never by the trunk. Cut away any twine and burlap from the root ball before planting. And make sure no roots are wrapped around the trunk (girdling), as that eventually chokes the life out of the plant. Now’s the time to finish storing flower seeds, tender bulbs, roots, tubers, or corms to replant next spring. Pot up other plants you want to overwinter, such as begonias, geraniums, coleus, and sweet potato vine cuttings.

Garden waste: If you haven’t already done so, consider starting a compost pile in a bin you build yourself or buy readymade. Check You Tube or other Internet sites for DIY demonstrations and directions, or go to your local University of Maryland extension service web site, <https://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/composting>. Basically, you’ll want to keep your bin about 3 feet by 3 feet, and under five feet high. Shred your plant materials with a lawnmower to speed up the composting. Layer plants, vegetable kitchen scraps, fallen leaves, old mulch, and grass clippings. Water between layers. Keep diseased plants, twigs, branches, and other woody materials out of the pile.

Whether you’re making your own compost pile or putting yard waste in yard waste bags, make sure you put diseased plants in containers headed for municipal waste, not municipal compost. Only spent plants or those infected with common pathogens like powdery mildew and early blight should be hot-composted (at least 140° F). “Some very destructive diseases, such as boxwood blight and late blight of tomatoes/potatoes, should not be composted at home or at municipal compost operations. These infected plants should be bagged up with household trash and sent to the landfill,” notes Dr. Jon Traunfeldt, UMD Extension Service.

Fellow Master Gardener Pat Strawder also explains that “Not everything needs to be cleared and chopped to the ground.” She recommends planting ground covers, such as Daikon radishes, pink clover, hairy vetch or buckwheat. These help to bind nitrogen to the soil and enrich it when the garden is tilled in the spring.

And, she says, even though you are cleaning up garden beds, you’ll want to leave some plants standing until spring. It may seem contradictory, but birds and insects will thank you. While insects make their home in soil and in the debris of leaf litter, birds forage all winter long for those same insects and eggs to eat; in addition, they eat from the seed heads of cone flowers, black-eyed Susans, spearmint, and other plants.

Vegetables: Did you plant carrots this summer? You’re in luck. Cover their beds/rows with a deep straw or leaf mulch, and you can continue to harvest them throughout the winter. We mentioned in our August column that you could start some late plantings, such as spinach, arugula, and kale, through the middle of October. You’ll need to use a cold frame or floating row cover (FRC) to keep the soil moist and protect seedlings from pests. The young plants will go dormant and re-grow in spring.

For other information about gardening, watch for the Master Gardeners’ column in the Frederick News-Post on the first Thursday of each month… explore the University of Maryland’s extension service web site, http://extension.umd.edu/frederick-county/home-gardening; or call us at 301-600-1596.

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Autumn Gardening Tasks: A Labor of Love

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Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on September 3, 2020, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

Ahhh. September. Warm days, cool nights. Hopefully, you are reading this column, sitting outside, enjoying the fruits (and sights) of your hard labor. Once you’ve figured out what to do with all of those zucchinis and cucumbers, here are a few early fall tasks on which to focus. I say “tasks,” but they’re really a labor of love.

Relax and—

  • Don’t fertilize, as new growth may just be killed off when the frost hits next month.
  • Don’t deadhead—first, because you’re likely to find a few alyssum, zinnia, impatiens, and petunia volunteers peeping up from the mulch or in flower pots next spring. Second, because some plants, such as coneflowers, clematis, brown-eyed Susans, spearmint, sedum, and grasses, offer a winter habitat and food for birds and insects.

Keep on with—

  • Weeding—yes, weeding! The more unwanted or invasive plants you can dig up, the fewer weeds you’ll have to pull next spring.
  • Cleaning up detritus from the garden. Compost those plants that are fading away, or put in yard waste bags those that are mildewed or diseased.
  • Dividing and replanting your spring-flowering plants, summer and fall perennials and bulbs. September and October are even better months than late August was for this task. According to the University of Maryland extension service, perennials planted in the fall often grow larger than when planted at other times of the year, and often bloom the first season. Plus, bulbs especially need that cold overwintering period to bloom well in the spring.
  • Keep an eye on those fall flowers, too. Chrysanthemums, fall anemones, and asters may have begun blooming now. Milkweed, the only plant that monarchs use to lay their eggs (look for a single, pinhead sized white egg on the underside of the leaf), may fall prey to tiny aphids. Try to wash the aphids off, or better, remove aphids with alcohol on a Q-tip, while avoiding any caterpillars or eggs.

Begin winter preparations by—

  • Preserving bulbs and rhizomes for spring planting. By October, you’ll be racing against the frost (more on that next month). Will you let tender perennials die down and buy fresh bulbs/rhizomes in the spring? Here on our little plot of earth, we dig them up in September and October, before frost, carefully searching the soil for the “baby” gladiola bulbs and dahlia and canna rhizomes formed over the summer. Dried for a few days, then dirt shaken from their roots, glads and dahlias go into labeled paper bags and are tucked into a plastic bin in the garage or basement. Cannas are wrapped in newspapers, layered in a cardboard box, and stored in a cold basement corner. Seeds gathered from zinnias, morning glories (but not the purple ones, which are very invasive), and marigolds, are dried, labeled, and stored in Ziplock sandwich bags.
  • Gathering seeds to dry, an easy task. I used to spread the seeds on paper towels. Now, thanks to a family gift, I have a lovely, wide, two-tiered net drying bag that I hang out of the way in an upstairs room. I place the labeled seeds on aluminum pie pans inside the drying bag. Whatever method you choose, once you’re sure the seeds are dry, label and store them in plastic or paper bags (I like Ziplock plastic bags to keep out insects) in a cool place. Check our columns next spring for planting seeds, hardening off seedlings, and planting them in permanent locations.
  • Cleaning, conditioning and repairing your tools, a task that is both ongoing throughout the year but also a special preparation for winter. You want them to be clean so that they don’t spread disease next spring; you want them to be well-conditioned and repaired so that you can use them right away. So, replace worn parts; oil or scrub away dirt and rust, as needed. Remember to pay attention to wooden handles, too.

[…W]atch for the Master Gardeners’ column in the Frederick News-Post on the first Thursday of each month; explore the University of Maryland’s extension service web site, http://extension.umd.edu/frederick-county/home-gardening; or call us at 301-600-1596.

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All Work and No Play? Stop to Smell the Roses, er, Native Honeysuckle

Gardening

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on date as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

Seems that [many gardening] columns deal with what/where to plant, when/how to divide, or ways to attack those darn invasives. But now and then, we need to stop and smell the roses, er, native honeysuckle, perhaps with a glass of our favorite beverage in hand.

While you growl at the latest patch of weeds that have sprung up from nowhere, we hope that you also find time in these hot and humid days and evenings to enjoy the birds, butterflies, and bees flitting about your garden and to smell the flowers that are attracting them.

You’ll also find lots of suggestions for gardening resources available online in the following:

In addition, our latest (always free) [now called GardenSmart] flyer offers you lots of suggestions that not only entertain but also educate children. For instance, there are suggestions for making family portraits with plant materials, as well as URLs for science-related webinars and virtual classroom materials. These may augment your child’s virtual learning this fall. If you’d like to receive [GardenSmart] by e-mail, contact us at fgardenersnews@gmail.com.

Occasionally, we have warned you about pesky invasive plants or insects. This month, our warning concerns packets of seeds being mailed from China to people across the country. Do NOT plant them! Instead, report the packet to ppwm.mda@maryland.gov or call 410-841-5920. The seeds may be those of invasive plants, or may carry harmful diseases that could severely damage American crops. Keep the seeds, packaging, and mailing label until a representative from the Maryland Department of Agriculture or USDA Animal and Health Inspection Service contacts you with further instructions. More information is available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2020/sa-07/seeds-china.

As you are taking that garden stroll or sitting in your lawn chair making up yet another garden to-do list, keep an eye out for caterpillars, to know which ones are dangerous, which are not. Leafrollers, orange-striped oak worm, green-striped maple worms, oak skeletonizers, and sawflies are feeding on various shade trees. The fall webworm appears in late summer, is hairy and about one- to two inches long. It creates tent-like webbing on the ends of branches of various shade trees and shrubs. Although the webbing is unsightly, it causes little damage, nor do the others mentioned previously, according to the University of Maryland extension service https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/august-tips-tasks. Learn to recognize and avoid saddleback caterpillars or other stinging caterpillars.

[Finally,] the extension service also notes that hot and humid weather, such as we have experienced throughout July, encourages “Southern blight, a significant soil-borne disease.” The blight attacks “a wide range of annuals, groundcovers, and perennials, including thyme, coneflower, coreopsis, and black-eyed Susans.” Generally, “the lower stems turn brown or black, foliage wilts, and plants gradually dry up and die.” About the only way to control the blight is to remove the affected plant and all mycelium (fungus) filaments that are clinging to stems, roots, and soil.

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Planning for the Fall Harvest

Gardening

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on July 2, 2020, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column may have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

Yes, it’s summer, the pool beckons, books and hammocks send their siren song of kick back and relax, air conditioning feels so good, and still the garden keeps us busy. But even as we pull weeds, divide perennials, cut back chrysanthemums until mid-July, doggedly dig up invasives, and prepare for planting vegetables for fall harvest, we just have to pause and appreciate Mother Nature’s handiwork this summer.

Whether I look east or west, north or south, the gardens surrounding our house and those of many of our neighbors have never looked better than this year, often making me wish I had the skill with a paintbrush and canvas that my sister-in-law, Rita, has.

In the east, early morning sun touches the tips of the white pine and Norway spruce, making them almost luminous. The deep shadows of cherry laurels and junipers stretching across the east side of our yard gradually disappear as the sun rises higher. More subdued, the Ostrich ferns in a wooded area—our “secret” garden, as my friend Ann calls that area—fill the understory with shades of pale green. By mid-afternoon the hot sun paints the lacey, feathery branches of arborvitae on our west border a brilliant green. In northern and other shady sections of the yard, caladium leaves with delicate pink veining are enormous; impatiens and begonias brighten the darkness. Petunias are full and lush everywhere we have full sun.

I’m not quite sure whom or what to thank for Mother Nature’s generous, loving touch this year. Is the growth of plants due to all the rain we’ve had the past few weeks? Or are my husband and I being more attentive to our gardening tasks because of the pandemic? After all, we’ve sharply curtailed shopping, avoid eating out, cancelled a June vacation and many of the one-day or weekend trips we normally take to attend summer festivals. As my husband, who has a dominant wanderlust gene, remarked the other day, “What else is there to do but garden?”

Whatever the reason, it’s a joy to see so much growth and bloom. And it makes me look forward to the plants yet to come—Will the seeds and seedlings planted in the next two months grow as lushly for a fall bounty of vegetables and salad greens?

Even if you don’t do a lot of gardening, you might consider planting a few seeds now to harvest in early fall. It might be a solace to know no one has handled those vegetables but you when it comes time to harvest your crops and feed your family, or freeze/can for winter meals.

Admittedly, one drawback to spring and fall harvests is that you have to take into account the expected heavy frost dates, as well as the number of days between planting and harvesting, since varieties differ even within the same kind of plant. May 15/October 15 are traditional dates for frost, but check the weather stations for more targeted dates. Count back from the predicted frost date to determine just when to plant seeds for harvesting; most seed packets will tell you the number of days from planting to harvesting.

For example, most tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants require about 100 days to harvest. So, using October 15 as a harvest date, you would need to get those plants in as soon as possible. In the next week or two, you’ll want to directly sow into the ground, hot weather veggies, such as cowpeas, corn, pumpkin, watermelon, gourds, and sunflowers. You can sow squash, beans, and cucumbers directly into your vegetable garden right now through the end of July. By the end of July, sow other fall vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, turnips, and cauliflower, in flats now or directly in the garden by August 20. Peas should be sown directly into the garden by August 15.

The National Gardening Association (https://garden.org/apps/calendar/?q=Dalecarlia+Rsvr%2C+MD) suggests that because of the heat in July and August, you should start lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage indoors in trays in early July and transfer them to the garden in mid-August. The NGA posts a fall frost date of October 29, just about two weeks later than tradition.

Plant now for fall harvest

Below are suggested guidelines for planting seeds/seedlings to harvest this fall [2020]. Check with your local weather forecasters for best guesses as to the first heavy frost in our area. Our thanks to the National Gardening Association (https://garden.org/apps/calendar/?q=Dalecarlia+Rsvr%2C+MD) for the following information. Check its website for a more complete list of vegetable planting dates.

CropSow seeds indoorsTransplant seedlings into the gardenDirect-sow seeds
Beansn/an/aJuly 16–Aug 15
Beetsn/an/aAug 15–Sept 29
BroccoliJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Brussel SproutsJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
CabbageJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Cantaloupen/an/aJuly 1–July 16
Carrotsn/an/aJuly 31–Sept 29
CauliflowerJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Chardn/an/aJuly 16–Sept 29
CollardsJuly 1–Aug 15July 31–Sept 14n/a
Cornn/an/aJuly 16–July 31
Cucumbersn/an/aJuly 16–July 31
EggplantsMay 20–June 4July 1–July 16n/a
Garlicn/an/aAug 15–Sept 29
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkinsn/an/aJun 16 – Jul 16
KaleJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
KohlrabiJun 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
LettuceJulye 31–Aug 30Aug 30–Sept 29Aug 30–Sept 29
Mustardn/an/aAug 30–Sept 29
Okran/an/aJune 16–July 16
Onionsn/an/aSept 29–Oct 9
ParsleyJune 16–July 31July 31–Sept 14n/a
Peas (English)n/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
Peas (Southern)n/an/aJune 16–July 16
Peas (Sugar Snap)n/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
PeppersMay 25–June 9Jul 6–July 21n/a
Potatoesn/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
Radishesn/an/aAug 30–Sept 29
SpinachJuly 16–Aug 30Aug 15–Sept 29Aug 15–Sept 29
TomatoesMay 25–June 9July 6–July 21n/a
Turnipsn/an/aSept 14–Oct 14
Watermelonn/an/aJune 16–July 16
CropSow seeds indoorsTransplant seedlings into the gardenDirect sow seeds
Beansn/an/aJuly 16–Aug 15
Beetsn/an/aAug 15–Sept 29
BroccoliJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Brussel SproutsJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
CabbageJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Cantaloupen/an/aJuly 1–July 16
Carrotsn/an/aJuly 31–Sept 29
CauliflowerJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
Chardn/an/aJuly 16–Sept 29
CollardsJuly 1–-Aug 15July 31–Sept 14n/a
Cornn/an/aJul 16–July 31
Cucumbersn/an/aJul 16–July 31
EggplantsMay 20–June 4July 1–July 16n/a
Garlicn/an/aAug 15–Sept 29
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkinsn/an/aJune 16–July 16
KaleJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
KohlrabiJune 4–July 19July 16–Aug 30n/a
LettuceJul 31–Aug 30Aug 30–Sept 29Aug 30–Sept 29
Mustardn/an/aAug 30–Sept 29
Okran/an/aJune 16–July 16
Onionsn/an/aSept 29–Oct 9
ParsleyJune 16–July 31July 31–Sept 14n/a
Peas (English)n/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
Peas (Southern)n/an/aJune 16–July 16
Peas (Sugar Snap)n/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
PeppersMay 25 – Jun 9Jul 6 – Jul 21n/a
Potatoesn/an/aJuly 31–Aug 30
Radishesn/an/aAug 30–Sept 29
SpinachJuly 16–Aug 30Aug 15–Sept 29Aug 15–Sept 29
TomatoesMay 25–June 9July 6–July 21n/a
Turnipsn/an/aSept 14–Oct 14
Watermelonn/an/aJune 16–July 16

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Integrated Pest Management: A Best Practice for Gardeners

Gardening, , , ,

Note: This article originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post on June, 2020, as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column have been edited slightly or deleted here if they are no longer relevant.

One of the best practices you can add to your gardening repertoire is IPM, “a research-based holistic approach to pest management that emphasizes biological (e.g., attracting natural enemies, cultural (e.g., planting disease-resistant varieties), and physical (e.g., hand removal of insect pests) approaches to prevent problems and control pests and diseases at acceptable levels….Monitoring and using organic or other low-risk pesticides only when pest or disease levels are unacceptable are also part of this management approach” (https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/how-id-prevent-and-manage-plant-problems).

Many predators and parasitoids are your friends: they pollinate your plants and attack destructive pests, whether larvae or adult. For example, ladybugs will eat aphids, white flies, potato beetles, mites, and other bugs. According to Chris McLaughlin’s “Predatory Insects in the Garden” in the magazine Fine Gardening (https://www.finegardening.com/article/predatory-insects-in-the-garden), the Green Lacewing insect is the “Aphid lion” of the garden, its larvae eating as many as 60 aphids in one hour. Lacewings also eat mealybugs, spider mites, scale, and thrips, etc. Tiny Trichogramma wasps “lay eggs inside the larvae of garden pests such as cabbage worms, cutworms, and borers,” McLaughlin notes. As the eggs hatch, they eat the larvae from the inside.

As I’ve advised before, take at least a weekly walk around your garden to spot problems early on: Closely study visible plant parts, including undersides of leaves. Where you see a pest, are you looking at an egg, a larva, an adult? Once you’ve identified the pest or plant problem, try using physical and cultural methods first to resolve the problem. You may pick off destructive pests by hand, wash them off with a hose, or wipe them away with a cloth. Remove dead, diseased, and infested plant parts as needed (be sure to clean/disinfect your tools afterward). Of course, avoiding all-kill sprays means that your flowers, vegetables, and fruits may not look perfect. Learn to live with that. When I find a big yellow and black-striped caterpillar munching a milkweed leaf, I’m happy—that means a monarch butterfly will eventually emerge.

So when should you use a pesticide? When you’ve tried everything else to eradicate the problem. For example, one IPM control for bagworms is handpicking. Next, you may opt to lop off the branch to which the bag is attached. However, if the worms are crawling around on branches, and you can’t get them all, you may need to spray. The University of Maryland Extension Service (https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/bagworms-trees-and-shrubs) recommends using the microbial insecticide, B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis), against bagworms between now and mid-July, as it works well only on immature bagworms.

As reassurance, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/forest_health/spraying/bt_insecticide.html) states that studies show that “In general, Bt is very safe for use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found no hazards to human health associated with the use of Bt…. The EPA has exempted it from food residue tolerances, groundwater restrictions, endangered species labeling and special review requirements. Bt has no known effect on … bees, fish, birds, and wildlife. It is the pesticide of choice for use near lakes, rivers, and dwellings.”

Another effective IPM tool is knowing whether the plant is right for your zone, for the soil, for the amount of water, sun/shade that it gets. According to the UMD extension service, “The best management method is prevention. When you focus your time, attention, and efforts on growing ‘the right plant, in the right place, in the right way,’ you can greatly reduce plant problems.”

Biodiversity is also an important part of IPM. With a variety of plants, you will attract a greater variety of insects. Using companion plantings helps, too. Much like using predator insects and parasitoids, planting different crops near one another makes IPM easier, helps with pollination, and provides habitat for those beneficial insects mentioned above. Amy Grant, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-plant-companions.htm, notes that all types of onions and peppers, as well as spinach, lettuce, carrots, asparagus, and arugula, can be planted alongside tomatoes. A number of herbs and flowers are also good at deterring pests from tomatoes—for example, borage, parsley, mint, marigolds, and nasturtiums.

However, some plants don’t do well together. For example, the Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) should not be planted with tomatoes; nor should corn, as corn tends to attract the tomato fruit worm. Having potatoes near tomatoes increases the chance of potato blight disease. 

All of these elements will affect how well the plant grows and how susceptible it is to disease and pests.

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Yes, You CAN Divide Perennials Now!

Gardening

Note: This article, excerpted from April 2020, originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column have been edited slightly or deleted here as they are no longer relevant.

Spring, and we’re all eager to visit our favorite nurseries and start planting—vegetables, annuals, biennials, perennials. Unfortunately, in these months of restrictions due to COVID-19, you may find plant-shopping more complicated than in the past. As you probably already know, the Master Gardeners’ annual April plant sale has been cancelled. However, many nurseries have on-line catalogs and will put together your order for curbside pick-up.

In the meantime, while you are pulling those early weeds, such as henbit, hairy bittercress, common chickweed, garlic mustard, and of course, dandelions, check your perennials and bulbs to determine whether they need dividing. Has the plant outgrown its space? Does it now produce few or no flowers? Does it get too much/not enough shade? Take a picture or put a plant marker by the clump. Then, when the bulb foliage browns or the perennial finishes blooming, you’ll know which ones to divide.

Save money with perennials

Whether you are ordering from local nurseries or starting your own plants from seeds, consider replacing annuals, which die each year, with perennials, which live for at least several years. Although initially more expensive than annuals, perennials don’t have to be replaced each spring, and every few years, most must be divided, creating more plants at no cost to you. And while most perennials have a limited bloom time, you can work around that by mixing together in the same bed, those with different bloom times, different colors, and contrasting foliage. For example, about the time our spring bulbs and perennials, such as bleeding hearts have finished blooming, peonies, cone flowers, coreopsis, and black-eyed Susans boldly step forward; and when even these tire in late August, chrysanthemums and asters begin to bloom.

Generally, gardeners are told to plant perennials in seasons opposite of when they’ll bloom, i.e., plant spring-flowering perennials or bulbs in late summer or fall; plant in spring, those that will bloom in late summer or fall. However, rules are made to be broken. I have successfully divided clumps of crowded bulbs, which are producing lots of greenery but few flowers, in early spring or summer. Recently, I carefully dug up and transplanted some grape hyacinths and Shasta daisies, making sure the flowering stems and leaves stayed above ground and that they were replanted to the depth where they’d been before; so far, they seem happy in their new location. The UMD extension service recommends transplanting such perennials or bulbs on cloudy, cooler days to reduce stress from the sun or heat.

Most spring bulbs behave similarly to perennials—that is, the above-ground plant dies off, while the below-ground material (the bulb and its roots) remains alive. Differently from most perennials, however, the above-ground plant material from a bulb, such as a daffodil or hyacinth, dies off rather quickly once it has finished flowering. When the stem and leaves turn brown, you can trim them back to ground level or dig them up, keeping them refrigerated or in a cool place and replanting in late summer or early fall. Be sure to label daffodils, as people have sometimes eaten them, mistaking them for onions. All parts of these plants and plant sap are toxic if ingested (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, irritation of mouth).

Mind the gap

When we trim back the bulb foliage, we sometimes find a new challenge: a big gap between the now-empty bulb bed and nearby plants. A simple solution: fill garden gaps with annuals. Impatiens do nicely in the shade and bloom until the first hard frost. Zinnias, verbena, petunias, vincas, and marigolds are happy in the sun. Check the University of Maryland website, https://extension.umd.edu/hgic, for more information on sun- and shade-loving annuals and perennials.

Some perennials, such as varieties of coreopsis, need to be dead-headed regularly to encourage additional blooms. Also, if you notice the plant seems to be getting leggy, but has lush growth at the base, you might want to trim back the old foliage, allowing the newer leaves and stems to develop. However, even when they’ve stopped blooming, the seedheads, especially of coneflowers, attract finches and other birds.

Oh, and while you’re waiting for those new perennials and annuals to fill in the gaps, come on over to my place and pull a few weeds for me, will ya?

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Finding Those Winter Garden Pests

Gardening, , , ,

Note: This article, excerpted from February 2020, originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column have been edited slightly or deleted here as they are no longer relevant.

Ah, February. Shortest month of the year (even though this year it’s 29 days); cold, wet, snowy. Surely, this is a month to set aside gardening chores and cuddle up under the afghan with a cup of tea or glass of wine and a good book. But no, bundle up and get ready for a mid-winter garden inspection tour.

Check for Vole Damage

Take a walk around your yard and check shrubs and even the lawn for vole damage. The University of Maryland Extension service (https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/february-tips-tasks) notes that voles’ favorite munchies include Mugho pines, cherry laurels, azaleas, boxwoods, and junipers—all common in gardens and yards in this part of Maryland. Dead stems or branches and evidence of chewing on above-ground wood, crowns of plants that have been cut back, and on roots may indicate vole activity. In the lawn, you may see long, two-inch-wide tunnels or paths through the grass.

Voles are sometimes called “meadow” or “country” mice. Both voles and mice range from about five to eight inches long and have gray or brown fur. However, voles have much shorter tails (a mouse’s tail is about as long as its body), larger eyes, and smaller ears than mice.

How do you get rid of voles? Some web sites suggest spreading garlic, hot sauce, or hot peppers in the areas where you find evidence of the little creatures; using gravel instead of mulch; or using a vibrating or high-pitched sound device near their tunnels. You Tube features numerous ways to discourage voles; many university extension services offer advice; and of course, pest control companies have traps, poisons and baits.

Look for Scale Insects

While you’re on your mid-winter stroll, you’ll want to inspect trees and shrubs for overwintering scale insects, either armored or soft-scale, so named for their scaly or shell-like waxy covering.

What should you look for? The sap-feeding causes yellowed plant tissue, slower growth, and branch dieback. According to the Morton Arboretum (https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-pests/scale-insects), scale may be found on lower branches or new leaves of euonymus, bittersweet, pachysandra, or other hosts. “The male scale produces a small, thin, white covering and can be quite numerous on the undersides of leaves. The female scale lives under a gray or brown shell and is usually found on the branches. The female scale overwinters under its protective shell and deposits eggs in early spring under the scale covering,” the web site states.

Soft-scale insects excrete excess plant sap as “honeydew,” a sweet, sticky material that drips onto the foliage and branches below, and which often attracts ants, bees, wasps, and flies. Also, a dark fungus called black sooty mold can be found growing on the sweet honeydew. This fungus blackens roofs, porches, and any plant foliage where the honeydew is deposited.

Again, you’ll want to check with the extension services or on-line for appropriate treatment. Often a dormant oil spray works best, as it smothers the scale. Follow the directions and be sure that the trees or shrubs are in a dormant stage and that temperatures will be above freezing for at least 24 hours after you apply the spray.

Search out egg masses of destructive insects

Besides armored and soft brown scale, you’ll want to look for Eastern tent caterpillar, gypsy moth, and spotted lanternfly egg masses. According to the UMD extension service, the Eastern caterpillar egg masses look like black Styrofoam and are most often found on the ends of cherry and crabapple tree branches. Gypsy moth egg masses, emerging from underneath tree bark, are covered with tan or buff-colored hairs, looking like stiff pine needles layered all over the cocoon. The egg mass is usually about 1 ½ inches long, about ¾ of an inch wide. Spotted lanternfly egg masses, the most recent invasive and destructive insect to breach Maryland’s borders, look like “unevenly spread [mud-like, gray] mortar smeared on almost any outdoor surface,” according to <farmanddairy.com>. If you find any, scrape them off into a bag and saturate the mass with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

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Bring Nature Inside

Gardening, , , ,

Bring Nature Inside

Note: This article, excerpted from December 2019, originally appeared in the Frederick News-Post as a column for the Frederick County Master Gardeners. It is reprinted with permission of the Features Editor. Some details from the original column have been deleted here as they are no longer relevant.

You may think that since your annuals and perennials are shriveled, dry, or nonexistent with the beginning of winter, that you have to rely on hothouse flowers or artificial ones to keep nature inside with you.

Not so.

As the snows pile up (well, as I write, the weather prognosticators are promising at least a couple of deep snows), you can be snug and warm, surrounded by lovely greens and other natural materials in your home.

Don’t throw out those dried arrangements you made for fall—just change out orange and brown accents for reds, greens, gold, silver and add some live greens. Junipers and yews can be lovely, as they so often have little berries (blue, juniper; red, yews) that add interest (but keep the poisonous berries away from pets). Jan Magill, a fellow master gardener who often presents seminars on holiday greenery at this time of year, suggests that you use bare branches, dried flowers, pods, and even bark to produce a natural effect in your holiday arrangements.

You’ll be amazed at the wealth of decorative possibilities when you poke around in your garden. I’ve brought in dogwood branches, some bare, some with berries; upright stiff, brown Ostrich fern fronds; grapevines for wreaths; grasses; even weeds—all for winter decorations.

Matt Ory and Steven Jeweler, owners of Ory Custom Floral Design in New Market, recommend either bold or feathery greens, trimming them to fit the shape and size you want, whether a traditional high or low pyramid, something horizontal, or a more contemporary or Asian design.

Matt often adds 10 or more OLD pennies (he says they have more copper than the newer ones) to a vase of fresh greens. He usually makes the tallest plant, whether dried or fresh, two times the height of the vase. Remember though, if the arrangement is going to be on a dining room table, it should be low enough that it doesn’t interrupt the sight line or conversation of people sitting across from one another.

Junipers and arborvitae tend to have curving, sometimes spreading branches, while yews and hollies have stiffer, more upright configurations. Magnolias and rhododendrons can add a broad, bold touch to your arrangement. You could also add bare branches or those with berries. If you’re into glitz, spray paint branches with gold, silver, or white; add a few ornaments, and weave tinsel, ribbon, or tiny fairy lights among the branches. Spritz a little spray “snow” here and there.

But even unadorned evergreens and bare branches are beautiful. Curly branches, available in craft stores if not in your back yard, can be used for decorations, too. Weight them in a vase filled with stones, marbles, or other material, and hang a collection of ornaments from the branches. Some years, I hang nothing but birds on the branches; other years, it might be Santas, snowmen, or polar bears. If you make a Christmas village on the mantel or under your tree, put twigs, small branches, or greens in Styrofoam squares and secure them in place with rubber cement or spackling paste. We’ve even used bits of coral from summer beach vacations as trees in our Christmas villages.

And don’t stop with the greenery you’re adding to your own surroundings. Consider using greenery or dried materials as gifts for friends and family during the upcoming holidays. (1) Fill a large seashell (or several smaller ones) with a well-drained potting mixture, then add some succulents appropriate for growing indoors, a small ornament or two, and a few sprigs of evergreen. (2) Create dried/green arrangements in odd-shaped jars, spray-painted cans, or other unusual containers. Add those bits of glitz and/or fairy lights for some sparkle. (3) Tie or hot glue greenery decorated with gilded or natural acorns or tiny pinecones (such as those from hemlocks) onto Hannakah or Christmas presents.

Bring nature inside!

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