Click on the cover to read now!
DuPont has confirmed that Imprelis, an herbicide marketed by Dupont, is damaging certain trees…
Dupont, the Delaware-based chemical giant, acknowledged this afternoon that its herbicide Imprelis has injured some trees.
In a letter to lawn care professionals, Michael McDermott, GlobalBusiness Leader for DuPont Professional Products, said, “Based on our ongoing review, we have observed tree injuries associated with Imprelis primarily on Norway spruce and white pine trees.”
Here in Michigan, many vegetable gardeners are beginning to harvest their first tomatoes of the season. Most will agree that nothing tastes quite like a tomato grown in your own garden. In particular, people have commented for years about the taste, or lack thereof, in tomatoes purchased from the grocery store. Why is that? The following NPR interview with Barry Estabrook, former contributing editor at Gourmet magazine and author of Tomatoland, sheds some light on the subject.
Estabrook places most of the blame on consumers who want fresh tomatoes year-round, even in the depths of winter. “Depending on the time of year, at certain times of the winter, 90 percent of the fresh tomatoes that we find in the supermarkets are grown in Florida,” he says.
Florida is warm in the winter, and it’s an easy trailer-truck ride to most of the country. But Florida is also about the worst possible place to grow tomatoes. Both the climate and the soil are completely unsuitable, Estabrook says, so farmers must drench their fields in pesticides and fertilizers to have any hope of a crop.
NPR’s Science Friday interviews one of the first innovators of compost, Malcolm Beck.
Detroit Free Press:
In neighborhoods nationwide, millions of dollars worth of Norway spruce and white pine trees are mysteriously turning brown and dying this summer, and the chief suspect is a new lawn chemical.
State officials and lawn care professionals say they think Imprelis, an herbicide introduced last year for commercial use by DuPont, may be attacking pines and spruces as if they were weeds.
Why doesn’t my shadblow shrub (Amelanchier canadensis) ever produce berries? It blooms beautifully every year. I read that it needs to be pollinated by a different variety, so I planted the serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia, but still no berries. What am I doing wrong?
The serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a small to medium ornamental tree or shrub with an upright oval to upright clump habit. It is a native plant that has four-season value in the landscape. It has showy white flowers in the spring, medium green leaves that cast dappled shade in summer, and fall color that ranges from yellow to orange to red. Typically, it boasts edible, round fruits that exhibit color transitions from green to yellow to red to blue to purple to black. The fruit ripens in June and attracts birds and squirrels that sometimes devour the fruit before they are completely ripe.
These plants can handle full sun to full shade, but prefer partial shade and moist, well drained, rich, organic, and acidic soil. Although these are the preferred soil conditions, they will tolerate just about any soil and pH except very dry or poorly drained, wet sites.
There are several Amelanchier species and hybrids, and it is often difficult to distinguish among them. These plants are propagated primarily by seeds or rooted stem cuttings. The flowers are hermaphroditic (having both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees. They are self-fertile and don’t require a partner plant, although the addition of a second species should improve the berry production.
Now, why isn’t there any fruit on your plants? It could be that your shrubs are not mature enough. Some fruit-bearing trees and shrubs have to be a certain age before bearing fruit. Some also have alternating light-bearing and heavy-bearing years. Heavy fruiting takes away from the flower production the following year.
All that being said, it is most likely that the birds are enjoying the berries before you even get a chance to see them. A visit to your local garden center to purchase a fruit tree net may prove to be the answer. Throw the net over the shrub at bloom time and then harvest berries for your own enjoyment. However, if serviceberry jams, jellies, and pies are not your goal, don’t worry, just be happy for the birds.
What is the best time of year to reseed bare patches in the lawn? Can it be done in the spring? If so, please provide tips.
In Michigan, late August to mid-September is the ideal time to seed all grass types. The soil is warm yet the air has cooled down from summer temperatures.
However, most homeowners don’t want to go through the summer with a spotty lawn. Mid to late spring can be a suitable time to reseed bare patches in the lawn, after frost warnings are lifted. The soil temperature needs to be at least 50 degrees for grass to germinate at a normal rate. Waiting longer gives the soil more time to warm up to about 60 degrees and improves your success rate. Given sufficient moisture, the seed will germinate quicker with the added warmth, depending on the seed type.
Do not apply any spring lawn weed killers or crabgrass preventers. If you do, grass seed will not sprout or the seedlings will be killed along with the weeds and crabgrass.
Prepare the patches by removing any weeds. Scratch up the soil with a heavy dirt rake or cultivator. Mix up 1/3 sphagnum peat moss with 2/3 good garden soil to get a light, spongy texture. Add 1-1/2 cups of balanced organic fertilizer per bushel of soil making sure the fertilizer has a high phosphorous (P) content to stimulate root growth. Most “starter fertilizers” are high in phosphorous. Spread this mixture over the bare spot until it is slightly higher than the surrounding soil level. Gently work it into the scratched-up soil originally there.
Use a seed type similar to the existing grass unless it was the wrong kind to start with. Buy new seed. The percentage of seed that will germinate from old seed drops drastically with each year. Also avoid bargain seed. They generally contain the largest amount of annual or rough-bladed grasses.
Hand cast your seed and don’t be stingy. About 15 to 20 seeds per square inch is good. Bury the seed 1/8 to 1/4 inch into the soil by dragging a spring rake over the area with the tines inverted. Do not tamp so hard that you compact the soil. You want water to soak in easily. It is also helpful to cast some of the new seed to the outside of the repaired spot. This helps the new grass blend into the neighborhood!
Grass seed needs both moisture and warmth in order to sprout. Cooler temps will make it germinate slowly. But if there is a lack of moisture it won’t do a thing. Once the seed has germinated, avoid walking on the repaired spots to give the new plant roots time to dig in and acclimate. If you seed with a blended mix, the different types will germinate at different rates. So when you see green sprouts, continue to provide water for the later varieties to germinate.
The Troy Garden Club will host the 2011 Troy Garden Walk on Wednesday, July 13, 9:30am-3pm and 5-8:30pm, rain or shine. The walk will feature 9 gardens, including a rare look at the Kresge Foundation landscape. Wear your dearest hat to participate in the favorite garden hat contest. There will also be a boutique including plants and art for sale at Troy Historical Museum. $12. For more information, call 248-540-4249 or visit www.troygardenclubmi.com.
A recent thunderstorm that rolled through our area left in its wake a yellow light that washed over the landscape. The resulting photos produced some odd looking results, none of which have been manipulated in any way.
Photos by Jonathon Hofley / Michigan Gardener
Heuchera bathed in yellow light completely changes the appearance of the plant. This variety, ‘Hollywood,’ is actually reddish in color with silver accents.
The tickseed here in the foreground took on a whole new level of saturation and the normally purple blooms of the lavender took on a yellowish pink cast.
This hosta, heuchera and liriope combination appeared with a richness of color rarely seen in July.
Photos courtesy White Flower Farm
‘Blackie’by George Papadelis
‘Margarita’, Pennisetum and Coleus.American gardeners have made huge strides in their efforts to reproduce the incredible combinations of color, form, and texture produced by the English. Gardeners have put less and less focus on flowers, and more on interesting foliage. This shift has made certain plants extremely popular lately. Among the annuals, silver has become a staple. Dusty miller and especially licorice plant are in higher demand than ever before. Among the silver perennials, lamium and lamb’s ear (the non-blooming form), for shade and sun respectively, are priceless in any combination. The multicolored leaves of annuals like Caladium, Phormium, and coleus make incredible accents in both beds and containers. This month’s featured plant is readily available to provide you with beautiful gold or black foliage. Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita,’ golden sweet potato vine, has large, heart-shaped leaves of chartreuse that grow on vigorous trailing vines. In contrast, Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie,’ has blackish burgundy leaves on vigorous trailing vines. These vines will not climb, they will only trail. In the past 2 or 3 years, more and more gardeners have relied on these for an easy-to-grow, black- or gold-leafed, cascading plant.
Sweet potato vines are extremely versatile and easy to grow. I have seen very happy plants in the full sun and heat of North Carolina, as well as in planters with impatiens in full shade. They are not prone to pest or disease problems, and once established, they are tolerant of both wet and dry conditions. The common name is accurate; plants will produce edible sweet potatoes. Although they are almost always grown from cuttings, gardeners are always surprised when removing plants in the fall, since a large potato will have developed below the soil. This can be stored and propagated the following spring, but most gardeners find this difficult and will usually acquire fresh, new plants.
‘Margarita’ in front of a Coleus planting.Use the gold sweet potato in contrast with purple foliage or flowers. Rose, pink, or blue flowers will also work. For bedding, try the bright purple, pink or rose flowers of trailing verbena for a tapestry of bright foliage and flowers. In containers, add verbena and a vertical flower component such as the blue, spiked flowers of Salvia farinacea. For vertical foliage, try the dark foliage of New Zealand flax (Phormium), a sort of fancy-leafed spike, or the metallic purple, silver, and green foliage of Persian shield (Strobilanthes).
The black-leafed sweet potato looks great with anything bright. Silver or gold foliage is perfect, and bright yellow, pink, rose, or magenta flowers are great as well. Try the silver foliage of licorice plant or the trailing silver leaves of Artemisia ‘Silver Brocade.’ This perennial looks like a sort of trailing dusty miller whose foliage glows in contrast to the large black leaves of Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie.’ For bright flowers, use trailing verbenas, yellow lantana, or petunias.
When trying to develop these sweet potato combinations, try making a little “bouquet” in your hand with the elements you are considering. This is a great way to predict how your creation will look when complete. Remember that these are very versatile plants so the possible combinations are numerous. And with the hundreds of interesting and attractive plants now available in both perennials and annuals, you are sure to create a hit. It’s hard to err when using reliable, showy foliage like that of the sweet potato vine.
‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’ along with Coleus.Sweet Potato VineBotanical name: Ipomoea batatas
Plant type: Annual (tender perennial treated as an annual)
Plant size: Height: low, trailing Length: up to several feet
Habit: Low-growing, trailing, cascading
Hardiness: Zone 9 (where it can be grown as a perennial)
Leaf color: Chartreuse (‘Margarita’); dark burgundy (‘Blackie’); green, white and pink (‘Pink Frost’)
Leaf shape: Heart-shaped (‘Margarita’); maple-like (‘Blackie’); arrow-shaped (‘Pink Frost’)
Leaf size: 2-5 inches across
Light: Full sun, partial shade
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile
Uses: Containers, hanging baskets
Companion plants: Many annuals and perennials; experiment with both similar and contrasting colors
Remarks: Grown for its cascading habit and attractive foliage, especially to contrast with companion plants
George Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, Michigan.
From Associated Press via NPR:
Many of the millions of people who turned to gardening to save money during the recession appear to be sticking with it during the recovery as food prices remain high and interest in safe, fresh and local food grows nationwide.
Forty-three million American households planned to grow at least some of their own food in 2009, a 19 percent increase from the estimated 36 million who did the year before, said the National Gardening Association, citing the most recent figures available. Spending on food gardening — including growing vegetables, fruit trees, berries and herbs — jumped 20 percent in one year to $3 billion in 2009 and stayed at that level last year, said Bruce Butterfield, research director for the nonprofit association.