Michigan Gardener - Your guide Great Lakes gardening: Garden Event Calendar / Expert Advice / Plant Profiles / Tree Care

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Choosing the right location and container for SunPatiens

January 18, 2023 • Leave a Comment

In my back yard, I planted SunPatiens in a container that gets sun in the morning and afternoon and some in the evening. These plants thrived, with little fertilizer and just periodic watering. On the other hand, the SunPatiens that I planted in the front (facing west) wilted and lost their leaves rapidly. I watered them daily, sometimes twice. I removed them from their pots and found root rot. So I bought some fresh plants, drilled more drainage holes, but the same thing happened. Any ideas on what the problem is?

Your descriptions of the health of the same plants in the two different locations seems to tell the story. Typically, container placement is different in the front of the house as opposed to the back. More than likely your backyard containers are away from the house walls and windows, perhaps out on a patio or deck where they can be seen from the house, but not against the house, maybe even out in the lawn or near garden beds. The containers in the front are probably nearer to walls and windows to be seen and enjoyed on the approach to the front door. Buildings absorb, reflect, and intensify heat. To make matters much worse, new windows with low-E glass or older windows that have been coated with a UV ray coating really intensify the heat that is reflected. The plants are being heated to an extreme. You water more, causing the root rot, but the death rays of heat continue to zap the foliage. Increasing the number of drainage holes in those containers is helpful to prevent root rot, but still you must water more and more as the reflected heat continues to hit the plants. The only real prevention is to move the containers a safe distance away from walls and windows. Easier said than done probably. Another complication to consider is the size and shape of the pots. The large container in the back will hold more moisture longer, a smaller container dries much faster, such being the case with the original hanging containers. The wider and lower a container is, the slower the water drains away. The taller and narrower the container is, the faster it drains, even if the two containers are filled with the same amount of potting mix.

Answers compiled by Martha Ferguson and contributed by Beverly Moss, Michele Dunham, and Martha Ferguson.

Belle Isle conservatory temporarily closed for major renovations

December 14, 2022 • Leave a Comment

**The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022.**

The Belle Isle Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022. The work completes the final phase of a comprehensive plan to revitalize the upper 60 feet of the 80-foot-tall conservatory dome in one of the nation’s oldest turn-of-the-century glass houses still in existence.

The project starts with inspection of the original steel trusses to see which need repair or replacement, the removal of lead-based paint in the upper 60 feet of the conservatory dome (also known as the Palm House), reglazing the upper dome, and updating the conservatory’s ventilation system. In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.

**In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.**

The first phase of this comprehensive renovation project, completed in 2019, included the replacement of all 20 original steel trusses. “Major renovations are needed to stabilize the building to keep the conservatory open for the next century,” said Amanda Treadwell, urban field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “The scope of work is critical to the structural integrity of the dome, public safety and improved conditions for the plant collection.” Treadwell said such capital improvements have been long overdue. “Besides the recent renovations in 2019, there has not been a major capital investment to the conservatory since the 1950s,” she said.

The outdoor gardens will reopen in May 2023, while the conservatory is scheduled to reopen in May 2024. Throughout November and December, scaffolding and a second floor will be erected to contain the abatement work and ensure minimal temperatures are maintained for the plant collection. Similarly, an envelope wrap will surround the exterior of the dome for the duration of the work.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/StateParksProgress.

Are wood ashes and sawdust good for compost and the garden?

October 26, 2022 • Leave a Comment

**Compost is a great way to feed plants with organic waste from the kitchen and garden.**

Can I apply wood ashes from my fireplace to my garden beds? If not, is it OK to add to the compost pile? What about sawdust from the workshop?

Applying wood ashes that are free from contamination should be OK if it is done when the garden is not planted and filled with growing plants. Spread a uniform, thin layer of ashes (a covering about the thickness of a sheet of paper) over the garden. This can be done in conjunction with the incorporation of other organic material such as manure or compost. In either case, the ground should then be tilled thoroughly to an 8- to 12-inch depth. It is also OK to add these uncontaminated ashes to your compost pile in moderation.

Sawdust is a good component for a compost pile. Mix sawdust with dense materials such as grass clippings, wet leaves, vegetable remains, etc. This will allow air into the mix. More air speeds up the composting process and cuts down on potential odors. Do not use sawdust created from cutting treated lumber.

Also from Michigan Gardener: Putting flowers in compost pile

Elsewhere: Wood Ash in the Garden

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