North Shore Gardener June 2008

Photo: F. Cunningham

June 4: Mail order, Sexing holly, Grubs, Weed preventative, dog in garden

Mail order
Q: what is your feeling about ordering from mail order catalogs, are they a waste of time and money, or a good choice for the variety and price? Of course, they always look fantastic in the pictures! I'd appreciate your thoughts on the above, thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
D.B.,Hampstead, NH

A: When you buy a plant locally, you have the advantage of not shipping the plant- and if there is a problem, the solution is only a few miles away. Local dealers are also completely familiar with our growing area and its problems - and are often wonderful sources about what has worked for other gardeners in the past.
If you can't get what you want from a local nursery, then certainly mail order is the way to go.
Mail order gardening has gotten better and better over the years - the selection is usually greater than local nurseries - (local nurseries carry what is in demand and only a few of the more exotic plants) -And they've learned how to ship safely and on time! Some mail order nurseries will even let you pick the shipping date.
But I will still advise you to shop with well-known mail order dealers or one that a friend recommends. Keep all receipts and records of what you have bought for at least a year - and even take pictures! (Not only for claims on problems but for reorders.)
Have some idea of price - as with any product, if it is too cheap to believe, it probably IS too cheap! And read the small print! - there is no standard for description. Pot size is a good indication of plant size. But how large is a large, huge, or super-size plant? I don't know! And don't believe the pictures! That small child standing next to the plant or flower can make it look enormous! And if color is important, it’s not always accurate, either!

Sexing holly
Q: I have two holly bushes which don't produce any berries. They have been in the ground for four or five years I think. They are also very low growing, with the branches extending out to the sides and dipping low on the ground, so a lot of leaves get trapped under them. I have two questions.
1) How do I tell what sex they are so I can buy one of the opposite to get berries?
2) When can I cut some of the lower branches off?
Thank you.
C. M.

A: I’m afraid you will have to wait until next December to prune the holly - plan to use the clippings for holiday decorations. When you do prune, remember that you will be reducing the bloom for the coming year, so do it gently! (I can just hear you now: "What bloom?")
There is no way to tell the sex of a holly bush without a very careful dissection of the minute flowers that form - you have to rely on your nursery for accurate labeling. Add two (one male, one female) well-labeled bushes to be sure, and buy from a reputable grower and explain what has happened. In a few years, you'll have some magnificent holly berries!

Grubs
Q: I think I have GRUBS! Crows seem to be digging at my lawn and leaving holes all over the place (probably a 50 sq ft area).
What can be done right now about this?
N.

A: -Are the birds really going after grubs or maybe just earthworms or some other delicacy? What most gardeners fear most are the large white larva of the Japanese beetle - but there are many more types....such as the June beetle, and the chafer bug. If you have grubs, they're probably going to be Japanese beetle grubs - but you should make sure you have enough grubs to make treatment necessary.
HERE'S HOW: Take some samples from a few places on your lawn. Remove a square foot of sod about an inch deep with a spade, turn it over and count the grubs that you find:
0-5 grubs in a one foot square piece of sod is nothing to worry about.....
6-9 grubs is a low population, don't bother treating - but look at the structure of your lawn: a dense, well grown healthy lawn is better able to stand up to a few grubs.

10 or more - think about lawn treating or strengthening your lawn.

Then unless you are sure of what you've found, take a grub sample to a local garden center for identification and insecticide advice. (Place it in a tight container or zip-lock bag, please!)

June-beetle grubs aren't nearly as numerous as the other two. But they can do similar kinds of damage. All of the grubs are controllable by similar methods, i.e. Milky Spore disease, grub-eating nematodes, or preventive early-summer treatments of imidacloprid (Merit) or halofenozide (Mach 2) or early-fall treatments of Dylox or Sevin.

To really eliminate these pests, you'll have to treat the soil where grubs feed at the roots. That means watering any insecticide down into your lawn immediately after applying and continuing to soak it down for four or five more days unless we have substantial rain.
Several weeks after treating, take samples again in a few locations to determine whether the treatments were effective.

Now the crows - you can resort to old-fashion scare tactics like scarecrows and shiny Mylar tape or foil ribbons that move in the wind - or one of the newer motion controlled hose devices that shoots water at a moving object! But whatever you do, the season won't last too much longer! Next will come the beetles!

Weed preventative, dog in garden
Q: I am helping my sister with her garden this year and we are finding some of the weeds to be a bit stubborn in some areas.
Normally I don’t find this an issue, but with her yard we have to consider her dog, she loves to sniff around the rock walls and borders for chipmunks. Unfortunately that’s where a lot of the weed problems are.
She has a rose bush trained up over a big rock and I want to be sure what we feed the bush wont hurt the dog. Last year I used some holly tone on her rhodys and sprinkled some Preen weed & feed in the perennial bed, I just want to be sure it won’t hurt the dog.
What do you suggest?
-Green thumbed dog-lover

A: Hello Green- thumb dog lover!
Preen should be safe as long as it is scratched into the surface of the soil or watered in well. Applied early in the growing season, Preen prevents seeds from sprouting - unwanted weeds, of course, - but perennials won't re-seed, either! Please follow directions carefully!
You didn't mention what kind of fertilizers you are using on the rose bush - fertilizers like Miracle- Gro would pose minimal harm if used as directed.

I suggest that you look at the Gardens Alive website and other sites for further information on environmentally safe garden products.....these are most often safe around kids and pets, but be sure to read the precautions on every product you buy and use in the garden. Sound difficult? It just takes a minute (and the print is small - keep a magnifying glass in your pocket when you shop!) - it's worth it to protect our pets and kids, and you, too. Thank you for your note - write me anytime - I'm a dog lover - but primarily a cat owner!!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
It’s tomato planting time!
At last it’s time to plant those tomato seedlings that you’ve been nurturing on the windowsill for the past weeks. But do too many of them look too tall and spindly instead of full and bushy? Don’t worry! Tomatoes, unlike other plants, can be planted deeper than they were grown in the pot. Remove the yellowing leaves toward the bottom of the stem – and bury the stem – the tiny tomato plant will quickly grow roots all along the stem, which will feed and support the plant.

June weather lore:
“When the down of a dandelion contracts, it is a sign of rain. “
“When spiders build new webs, the weather will be clear.”
“A dream of gardens foretells great joy.”
“An open anthill indicates good weather; a closed one, an approaching storm.”
“Dust rising in dry weather is a sign of an approaching change in the weather.”

June 11: Asparagus harvesting, Old iris bed, Grubs, Weights and measure question, Unwanted violets around pool

Asparagus harvesting
Q: I have an asparagus bed that is producing quite well due to the cool days and damp weather. My question: When should one stop cutting and allow it to go to seed to rejuvenate the roots?
This the first year that I have been diligent enough to keep it weed free and continuously cut. In the past it has just done its thing and gone to seed. I don't want to damage the bed at this time.

A: Since this is an established asparagus bed, you should be safe harvesting shoots at least as thick as a pencil until mid-June, which means you'll have had a 6 - 8 week period of great asparagus eating - lucky you! So now is about time to let the small shoots grow and leaf -out with the beautiful ferny foliage which provides vigor for next year's crop.
Weeding the bed is very important, 'though time consuming - asparagus just doesn't like the competition for food and water that it gets from weeds.
Did you know that you can almost see asparagus grow? Growth of 10" in 24 hours has been noted! Under peak conditions, which are cool and damp, you can often harvest daily.
Can you name the only two perennial vegetables? Rhubarb - and of course, asparagus! Both plants live for decades.

Old iris bed
Q: Hope you can help with this problem. We have a 5-foot square patch of old fashioned irises that we love. Unfortunately we have allowed them to become very, very, very root bound (25 yrs worth). I have tried to thin them but the masses of roots are so thick, I had to basically cut out 6 foot-size squares. Even doing this much was very difficult with a pitchfork. The plan is to fill the squares with compost. The problem is further acerbated by the fact that the garden is on ledge. I know what I have done is not enough. What else can I do except maybe dig up the whole garden and start again somewhere else?
Thank you so much for any advice you can offer.
N.F.

A: You have a lot of work ahead if you want to preserve the old iris. The ledge probably won't be a problem as iris have short surface roots and demand excellent drainage, which you should have on a ledge. And after 25 years or more of neglect, the soil needs some
replenishing.
You could do it square by square, as you mentioned, digging, separating and replenishing each square as you go along - but I think it might be easier to do it all at once:
The best time to transplant iris is right after they bloom – but if you do it later, get them replanted 6 weeks before the fall frost. The heat of mid-summer is not the best time to transplant - you’ll probably want to go to the beach instead of digging iris, so it's not the best time for you either.
Lift all of the iris you can get your hands on and set them aside. Remove any diseased and rotted roots by cutting with a sharp knife. Cut the leaves about 6" high.
Replenish the old bed (or the new planting area if you choose) with lots of composted manure and a bulb fertilizer and replant the old roots, dividing them as necessary.

Very important:
Be sure to replant roots very shallowly so that they are barely covered - when the soil cover is too deep, you will lose blooms - and this is one of the problems that happens, along with the crowding you mentioned, when years of leaves naturally rot on top of the tubers each year - good for the soil, but it also buries the iris over the years.

You may have blooms as soon as next summer - let me know! I'm sure your iris are worth saving, but it's going to be a lot of work - it’s going to be worth it when they bloom!

Weights and measure question
Q: The gardening feature in the Eagle tribune NH edition, mentioning water weighing 83.34 oz. per gallon may be erroneous. I always thought that a quart of water was 32 ounces, and four quarts in a gallon would make 128 ounces. If I'm wrong and you are right, please accept my apology.
Respectfully,
H, A.W.

A: First of all, if the Eagle Tribune NH said 83.34 oz. was the weight of a gallon of water, it was a misprint!!! A gallon of water WEIGHS 8 pounds and .34 oz.
And of course you're absolutely right - a cup of water MEASURES 8 oz liquid measure....
A quart MEASURES 32 oz liquid measure......
And so the four quarts that are in a gallon MEASURES 128 oz. liquid measure....
But that same gallon can be measured another way:
A gallon of water WEIGHS 8 pounds and .34 oz.
No apology needed: This is a common misunderstanding in confusing measuring weight and volume. Thank you so much for your kind note - I appreciate it!

Unwanted violets around pool
Q: I am a weekly reader of your column in the Eagle Tribune - love your column and have learned lots!
My question is - I have an in-ground pool with river stone edging and I have a plethora of young wild violets growing in amongst the stones. Yikes! Is there a safe way to kill these off? I thought of putting a dark colored tarp over them and hoping that the heat of the sun would cook them and their roots. (I do have other plants - hydrangea, Scotch broom, holly etc. around the pool and I don't want to disturb them with too many chemicals)
Any suggestions, chemical or not, is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Mrs. V

A: What a beautiful nuisance those violets can be! Eventually, they'll take over any space - so if you don't want them, the time to get rid of them is NOW!
A dark tarp certainly would work- but would take weeks - but there are better ways depending on the area to be weeded and your endurance. These "cures" are selective, allowing you to avoid your perennials and other valuable plants in the area if done carefully - they are also non-chemical.
If you do choose to use chemicals around the pool, Round-up is one of the best weed killers available- but use it with great care.

Non-chemical violet eradication:
Household vinegar - sprayed directly on each plant, will cause wilting, but may not kill the whole root.
Ditto for boiling water...pour directly on the plant, hot water will kill the foliage, but not the entire root.
And you can cook the violets!! There are small propane- fueled weed guns, like mini-blow torches, available at garden centers and hardware stores, which allow you to "cook" the weed to death! Some of the torches come on a long handle, so the work can be done while standing - others, with short handles, require you to work on your hands and knees.
With any method, chemical or not, you will need to go back later and remove and discard the wilted violets. And be aware that this is not a one-time job! Some violets will return and you will have to repeat the process.
For your pool area, which ever method you use, do it now before the season begins - then again later, as needed.
Good luck with the violets - and I hope you have many happy, violet-free pool days ahead this summer!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
You’ll have to bear with that yellowing spring bulb foliage from tulips and daffodils and crocus etc. for a few more weeks. This will be particularly difficult in lawn areas where bulbs have been naturalized and the grass needs cutting. But no foliage - no flowers!
A bulb has to use the foliage to produce energy for next spring’s flowers. We used to recommend tying narrow foliage into bunches so it would look neat and tidy – but the foliage won’t grow sufficiently if it’s bunches and tied.
If you can, remove the wilting flower heads before they have a chance to waste energy and make seed.

June 18:Azalea transplant, Sedum, Blueberries

Azalea transplant
Q: HELP!!! I have a beautiful Azalea bush that is being crowded out by other bushes. I want to move the bush to another area of my garden. When and how should I do this?
Thank you very much, V.P.

A: Move the azalea now - or wait until early fall - just be sure there is time for the plant to get settled and grow new roots before winter begins - and don't transplant in very hot weather.
Dig and prepare your new planting hole before you begin moving the plant, adding plenty of compost and some peat. Then fill the hole with water! You may think you're going to make a muddy mess, but the azalea needs lots of water to survive the transplant.
Azaleas have a lot of small, surface roots, so you will want to dig carefully around the root mass, capturing as many as possible – try to go all the way out to the drip line.
Get help! The best way is to station two or three people around the root area - and gently lift the root mass all together and take to the new planting hole. Plant immediately - or if you must delay, cover with a tarp and keep it damp.
An easy way of moving any large plant is on a tarp, rather than lifting it into a wheelbarrow or cart - far less back- breaking!
My only caution for moving any azalea applies if the tender roots are deeply entwined with the other shrubs in the area - then the job becomes less safe for the transplant...But usually this is not the case, and even a large azalea can be transplanted successfully.
Finish the job with another drink (for you AND the azalea!) Mulch well to maintain moisture and cool the roots - then wait until next spring to admire your azalea!

Sedum
Q: In trying to loosen soil in my sedum flower beds that has become quite hard, before mulching, I found roots right on the surface that I am exposing.
Will this harm these plants and am I doing more harm than good....should I just leave them alone?
Thank you for your help.
M.S.

A: If the area is deeply compacted and not absorbing water, it might be wise to lift all the sedum, thoroughly till the surface of the bed and then replant -
If it's only a thin layer on the surface, cultivate the area shallowly, being careful around the shallow-rooted, but very hardy sedum (they won't mind a very light cultivation).
Then water thoroughly before applying the mulch. Our weather has been very dry, so really soak it!
Over the summer, you might want to water occasionally - sedums don't need a lot of water, but they might be under stress if they lose a lot of roots. And don't pile the mulch too near the sedum stems or they will rot.

Blueberries
Q: Hi just received two high bush blueberries bushes Please tell me the proper way to transplant them? And are two enough to cross pollinate these bushes? What would be a good fertilizer for them?
A: High-bush blueberries are a fine choice for your garden or even for your landscaping! With the bright blue berries, the somewhat insignificant flowers and red to gold fall foliage, they'll be a nice addition.
They do need watering, as do many of the fruiting bushes, so water well during dry periods and mulch heavily, year-round.

Blueberries are mostly self- pollinating, by means of accommodating bees and other insects, so your two plants should be enough - but the more the merrier! More plants will attract more insects to pollinate. Blueberry growers spend a lot of money to rent and truck-in bee hives to insure pollination every season. Occasionally, growers will also plant another variety to add a desirable characteristic, such as berry sweetness, but this is not necessary for the backyard grower.

Blueberries of all kinds need an acid soil - do soil tests and amend and acidify soil as necessary through the years. Use an acid type of mulch, such as pine needles or sawdust, to add to the acidity. Blueberries don't need a lot of fertilizer if the soil is properly prepared before planting. A 10-10-10 is right - and beware of high nitrogen fertilizers used in lawn products used in lawn fertilizers as these formulas may cause abundant foliage but no blooms/fruit.
Choose a location with full sun - and thoroughly weed the area before planting and plan to keep it weed-free - blueberries don't like competition for food and drink!! Soil should have compost and loam added and drainage should be excellent.
Plant new bushes just slightly deeper than when they were originally planted - water and mulch immediately to preserve moisture.
Berries will begin appearing on a two-three year old plant, although a few may appear earlier. From then on, you'll have a healthy crop of berries - for decades.
Growers often prune off many of the flower buds for the first three years to allow the plant to gain strength. General pruning of old stems, over 5 years old, is done when the bush is fully dormant.

WARNING: I predict you will be writing to me again in a few years because the birds will have found your delicious berries! Use netting over the bushes - or make a scarecrow - or, after all your work, you're going to be feeding the birds your delicious crop!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Summer equinox: June 20th at 7:59 pm
I’m the bearer of both good news and bad!!
Good news! This week is the summer equinox – it’s officially the first day of summer!
This is what we have all been waiting for all winter’s long! Lazy beach days, gardens, lawns - and weeds - growing like Jack’s beanstalk.
The bad news! The longest day of the year will occur – and the days will now begin getting shorter!
The equinox is also the time of the proverbial mid-summer’s night, a festival celebrated for centuries, marking the end of the planting and plowing season and all of the tremendous amount of work – now there’s just maintenance. Crops of flowers and vegetables and fruits are bearing, and it’s the time to begin enjoying the bounty of our labors. ….and we can see a reason for farming and planting and growing.
Midsummer’s night - it’s also the time when magic was thought to be strongest: Bonfires were lit and greens picked and used to decorated homes and barns to keep witches and evil spirits away. Herbs picked at this time were thought to be most potent, and water from medicinal springs thought to bring good health. And young men and women would pick a bouquet of wild flowers and place it under their pillows – and dream of their future spouses.
Celebrate the night as the Portuguese do, by giving the one you love a pot of sweet basil.
Have a happy mid-summer’s night!

June 25: Can Peony change color, Fertilizing azalea and rhodys, Living on an old landfill, Magnolia not blooming

Can peony change color?
Q: Always look forward to your column in the "Trib". What do I make of this? Two 12 yr old white peonies in full bloom. Two days ago noticed a closed reddish bulb growing out of the middle of a bloom. This am a great big full blooming red peony is coming out of the center of this white one???? Are the garden gremlins at work? Also is it my imagination or what but has this been a spectacular year for blooming trees and bushes? My eight foot across blue hydrangea had four blossoms last year. Yesterday after counting more than 100 blossom heads, I stopped counting.
Thanks for listening, M.L., Lawrence

A: You don't have gremlins, but maybe another class of mystical characters known as the Seed Fairies (no relation to Tooth Fairies!) have invaded your peonies.
Peonies do produce seed, which is seldom seen – it can drop to the ground, unnoticed, under a clump of peonies - and grow! After several years, SURPRISE! The new plant, which has been hiding unnoticed among the older plants, finally blooms for the first time. I think this is what has happened in your magical peony bed.....that is, if you or your neighbors have any red peonies anywhere around the garden.
If you don't, it could be a "sport", which is a genetic change which occurs in plants, sometimes producing an entirely new color or leaf pattern. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's quite beautiful in among your whites.
Many gardeners have noticed the lushness this year - aren't we lucky!
With all the weather abnormalities that are occurring in the world today, we have been blessed with just the right combination of weather to give us this show.

Fertilizing azalea and rhodys
Q: Is it necessary to remove hemlock mulch from around rhododendrons and azaleas in order to fertilize them or can you broadcast the fertilizer on top of the mulch and water in thoroughly? Also what kind of fertilizer would you suggest and when is the best time to fertilize?
Thanks for your continued help.
P.A., Jr.

A: It is not necessary to remove the mulch - just apply the fertilizer about 4-6 inches from the trunk of the plant and out to the drip line. Water in thoroughly!

Use a specially prepared, well balanced azalea/rhody/camellia fertilizer - they are made by Schultz, Bayer, Vigoro, Miracle-Gro as well as others. Some gardeners swear by the product called Holly-tone, which is sold primarily for holly, since they are also acid-loving plants.
Fertilize as late as June, but not any later - late fertilizing will promote new growth, which will not have time to harden-off before winter. You could also fertilize after a hard freeze in the early winter...but be sure the ground is frozen!
Azaleas and rhodys are not heavy feeders - be sure to follow fertilizer direction, and error on the lighter side! More is not better!
You might consider doing a soil test every few years, since your mulch tends to be acid. Azaleas and rhodys love an acid soil condition - but too much acid can interfere with the absorption of nutrients.

Living on an old landfill
Q: I read your column weekly and have found it to be very informative and helpful. However I have never seen a situation come up such as mine. I'll try to explain in as few words as possible although I can get very talkative.
My house is built on an old landfill (town dump). I don't know when it was started but it was closed in the late 1950's. The fill is 30-35ft. deep in spots. The house is a small cape built in 1961 on solid footings drilled down to bedrock (very stable). The problem is that over the years through freezing and thawing the dump has started to come to the surface. I mean that quite literally. My yard sparkles from all the glass pieces. If I dig down as little as 3-4 inches in some spots I can unearth whole bottles, pieces of shoes, wire, combs etc. I have no way of knowing how much clean fill was put around the house when first built.

I wanted to build a vegetable garden but was afraid to have them grow in this soil don't know if it's toxic, so I built a 3 1/2 ft. raised bed out of wood and lined it with plastic. I have filled it with compost (ironically, from the current town dump - grass clippings, leaves, branches. Area landscapers use this.) Any comments?

Last but not least, I would like to grow grass in my backyard but with all the glass I don't know how to start. The front yard grass seems to be denser cover than the back. It is sunnier than the back. There are many mature (30+ yrs) maple, black cherry and poplar trees in the back yard. Plus lots of bamboo. Have you heard of any type of barrier to put down to keep the glass from coming to the surface before planting grass seed? I have searched the Internet for info. on this subject but nothing fits. Any recommendations?
Thank you in advance for any help you can send my way.
P.C.

A: Before you do anything else, maybe your first step should be a call to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in your area. (and I hope you have saved a few samples of what you are pulling out of your soil area!!) Your next step would be to get a good soil test!!
There is a barrier called weed cloth - but I've never heard of it being used for this purpose. And I doubt that it would stand up to the glass shards.

You are doing what you can by using raised beds where you want to plant new gardens - and further lining the raised beds in which you want to plant anything eatable. But be aware that the plastic will deteriorate in time - and it and the soil will have to be replaced.

You didn't say where you live, so I can't comment on the quality of the compost you are using from the dump - but you could request a soil analysis for the compost they are selling. Most people selling compost are proud to give this information to support the quality of their product -in the future, you might want to make your own compost - then you could control its contents.
Please keep in touch and let me know what happens!

Magnolia not blooming
Q: I have a magnolia that is about 50 years old. It has bloomed every spring. This year, it did not bloom at all I have noticed the bark has cracked and some has fallen off. Could it be that the tree is just old?
Thank you for any help you are going to give me.

A: I doubt that it’s the age of the tree – a magnolia generally has a life of between 80-100 years, if well-cared for.
The split in the bark is a worry – caused by weather conditions as well as insects, or injury, but any split becomes a point of entry for rot and further insects.
I would advise you to call a certified arborist to asses the problem and suggest a solution – this is a valuable tree and is well-worth saving.
There are methods of re-cutting the split and causing it to grow together, much like human skin is drawn together with sutures and allowed to heal – the older method of painting a tree wound with an insecticidal paint has lost favor now. An arborist will also determine if any insects are present .and they can suggest a proper solution, as bugs often set up housekeeping when they can find an easy entrance to a tree though a split or break in the bark…
Regularly fertilize and water the tree after the problem is diagnosed – and I think you’ll have flowers again for many years.

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
For bushier mums this fall: Pinch mums from now until mid-July!
How many pinches and how often?? Pinch after every 6” of growth. Then stop pinching by mid-July to allow buds to form and mature in time for fall bloom. Your mums will be fat and full this fall – and less floppy, too!