Easy Grow

Summer Gardening Tips

If you make a mistake pruning, don't worry about it. It's like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I've written on pruning.

Along with summertime comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down on the chance of fungus being a problem.

One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.

If you have Perennial Rye Grass in your lawn, and you probably do if you're in the north, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as Pythium Blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass.

If you have problems with Pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and fill in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue Grass.

You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is wet if you have been watering. To prevent Pythium blight water as early in the day as possible.

Another nasty little blight that likes summertime is Fire Blight. Fire Blight attacks ornamentals, especially Apple trees, Crabapple trees, Cotoneasters, and Pyracantha. You know you have Fire Blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the affected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.

Fire Blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.

Unfortunately, I've got one more summertime culprit to warn you about. It's a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specks. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn't that a cute name?

These tiny little brown specks will fly as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house? I know what they are. It's from the mulch!” Tell me I'm wrong, but I know I'm not.

A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don't know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specks on the house that look like paint. So far they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.

There's not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don't just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it flat it will look like you've just mulched. Mulch is great, just don't let it get packed down hard. Loosen it up at least once a year.

5 Most Popular Flowers for Your Garden

When planting a garden there are many questions which you must ask yourself before you begin. Where are you going to plant it, do you have the garden equipment to do so and how big do you want your garden to be? When do flowers bloom and what are their heights? These are all very important questions, however they mean very little if you have not yet decided which types of flowers you want to plant. There are many to choose from and don’t le anybody tell you which ones you can and can’t plant. Gardens are unique and fascinating to look at because each one is unique it its own way.

The best flowers to start with and why.

There are endless possibilities of flowers to choose from but if you are unsure of which types of flowers are known to look best in gardens, keep reading and you will find out. The following is a list of the five most popular types of garden flowers chosen by gardeners from all over the United States:

1. Cosmos - These flowers have the ability to grow anywhere from 12 inches to 4 feet tall. Cosmos are perfect for cutting gardens and are often picked out of gardens and used in flower arrangements.

2. Marigold – Marigolds can be found in yellow, orange, red or a combination of all colors. This type of flower blooms in 45 to 50 days from sowing and very rarely requires additional water than what the rain provides.

3. Morning Glory – Morning glories have heart shaped leaves and are available in a variety of colors including white, blue, red, pink and lavender. This type of flower has the capability to become more than ten feet high.

4. Zinnia – Zinnias are traditional, old fashioned flowers which are constantly blooming all season. If there is not a lot of rain, this type of flower will require watering on a consistent basis but try to get water on the foliage (leaves) as this can cause mold which can potentially cause the plant to die.

5. Sunflowers – There’s no better flower for your garden than the sunflower. Sunflowers have yellowish-orange petal with a black circle in the middle. These flowers can grow to be as tall as 6 feet or possibly even higher depending on the flower itself.

In order for your garden to flourish successfully, you will have to maintain it and keep it healthy on a daily basis. Watering cans, pruning shears, gloves and spades are all types of gardening equipment which will assist you in keeping your garden in good condition. These pieces of equipment are very important and are relatively inexpensive.

The types of flowers you choose will have a large impact on the overall outcome of your garden. The list above was provided as a guideline for novice gardeners who area unsure of which flowers may be most adaptable to a garden atmosphere.

Which flowers you choose will ultimately be your choice and regardless of the kinds or colors of your flowers, your garden will be a wonderful piece of work for everyone to admire.

6 Fashion Tips for Gardeners

Clothes and skin cream are far removed from potting out your begonias, or digging a trench for a line of potatoes. But the clothes you wear are important for your protection in the garden. Here are six simple but effective solutions to various gardening hazards...

1. Starting from the top, you need to protect your head. Body heat escapes through the head and in the cold weather a warm hat should be worn. Knit yourself a 'gardening crazy' hat or buy a simple woollen hat on the high street.

And in the summer, even more attention should be paid to the head. The sun's rays are not only hot but they actually burn you. We all know this but how easy it is to forget when you want to soak up the sun after months of grey or cold weather. Invest in a cool sunhat. Not only will it help protect you from sunstroke, it will also protect against the drying out of your hair and skin.

Protect your skin through proper gardening wardrobe.

2. Keep one old comfortable jacket or short coat, preferably with fairly large pockets, especially for the garden. When you're working, you won't need to worry about dirty marks. Leave them there, it's all part of the gardener's designer uniform!

3. Suitable trousers.. again keep a couple of old pairs especially for gardening. Wear heavy duty jeans for heavy duty work. A good waterproof pair are handy in damp climates. In fact, in damp climates, a whole waterproof gardening suit is invaluable. There is always planting to do in the rain, and a waterproof hat, jacket and trousers tucked in a pair of boots will keep you nice and dry!

4. Protect your hands. For light work, potting on or pinching out tomato plants, a disposable plastic pair of gloves or a pair of kitchen rubber gloves will be enough. For heavier work - pruning roses, weeding thistles and nettles, wear heavy duty gardening gloves, or your hands will suffer.

5. Watch those toes! Invest in a pair of steel toe capped boots and wear them! If you're pottering in the greenhouse or doing a little weeding, a simple pair of wellington boots will do, or even sandals if the weather allows. But as soon as you pick up a large tool, your steel toe-caps should be worn. If you're not used to them, these boots can feel heavy and cumbersome at first, but stick with it. If you're doing heavy work, you need heavy boots.

6. And last but certainly not least, you must protect your skin. Moisturise all exposed body parts whenever you are woking in the garden, rain or shine. Working outside will give you a nice healthy glow, but the wind and sun will dry your skin given half a chance.

So there we have it, not a fashion designer's dream, but these 6 garden fashion tips will make life a lot more comfortable, and safer, for the average home gardener. Happy gardening!

About the Author

Linda Gray

Be careful of These Garden Plants

In our last installment, we told you how Highland Hill Farm just doesn't sell and install "landscaping beauty," but provides food and raw materials. we told you about Edible Wild Plants. Additionally, we want to tell you what are NOT edible, what are inedible. Even if you know already, let us remind you:

Wild Plants That Are Poisonous

Remember always, anytime you want to eat something that's wild: When in doubt, leave it out. Poisonous doesn't mean deadly all the time, but who wants to get even sick?

Nightshade is recognizable by its purple and yellow flower. Don't even handle a lot and then rub your eyes or put your fingers to your mouth. Dogwood trees and flowers are poisonous, we can ONLY EAT THE BERRIES. Houndstoungue, which looks like the big dog's long tounge. Wild rose plant beyond the rose hips, IS poisonous.

MOST mushrooms. Remember they're fungus. Actually, mushrooms are the fruit of a fungus. Although only only about 1% will cause death, quite a few more can cause sickness. There are thousands of different mushrooms and other things that look like 'em, like toadstools, so don't eat ANY unless you are absolutely sure they're safe. And, don't rely on the old notion that if you cook 'em and they don't turn black, all's well. Mushrooms do have some wonderful anti-oxidants, like ergothionome

RED elderberries are poisonous. The purple ones are okay. Fertilizers and soil ammendments like man-made Ammonium Nitrate, Hydrated Lime or even natural manure can be poisonous when concentrated. Remember not to rub your eyes or touch your mouth while working with these materials.

And yes, like mom always said, wash your hands before eating.

Care of the Flower Garden

Knowing how to care for your flower garden can make a big difference in the look and over-all health of your plants. Here are some simple hints to make your garden bloom with health.

1. The essentials must always be given major consideration.

Your flower garden must have an adequate supply of water, sunlight, and fertile soil. Any lack of these basic necessities will greatly affect the health of plants. Water the flower garden more frequently during dry spells.

Basic instructions for your flower garden

When planting bulbs, make sure they go at the correct depth. When planting out shrubs and perennials, make sure that you don't heap soil or mulch up around the stem. If you do, water will drain off instead of sinking in, and the stem could develop rot through overheating.

2. Mix and match perennials with annuals.

Perennial flower bulbs need not to be replanted since they grow and bloom for several years while annuals grow and bloom for only one season. Mixing a few perennials with annuals ensures that you will always have blooms coming on.

3. Deadhead to encourage more blossoms.

Deadheading is simply snipping off the flower head after it wilts. This will make the plant produce more flowers. Just make sure that you don't discard the deadhead on the garden or mildew and other plant disease will attack your plants.

4. Know the good from the bad bugs.

Most garden insects do more good than harm. Butterflies, beetles and bees are known pollinators. They fertilize plants through unintentional transfer of pollen from one plant to another. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for survival.

Sowbugs and dung beetles together with fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are necessary to help in the decomposition of dead plant material, thus enriching the soil and making more nutrients available to growing plants.

Other insects like lacewings and dragonflies are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphis.

An occasional application of liquid fertilizer when plants are flowering will keep them blooming for longer.

Always prune any dead or damaged branches. Fuchsias are particularly prone to snapping when you brush against them. The broken branch can be potted up to give you a new plant, so it won't be wasted.
About the Author

By Nicky Pilkington

Feeding Your Plants

Nitrogen is an essential element of your gardens complex chemical activities. A steady stream of slow release nitrogen is always available if you have enough decomposted organic material in your landscape.

I like to suppliment our plants in the spring with nitrogen.Most landscape plants use more nitrogen than other plant foods. Nitrogen is important to be available but don't use to much. To much nitrogen makes plants grow fast. Fast growing plants are not strong. Heavy amounts of nitrogen can also burn the plants and contaminate ground water resources.

If your plants are pale yellow, you probably need more nitrogen.If your plants are growing fast and producing lots and lots of leaves they might have to much nitrogen.

We recommend Osmocote fertillizer. It provides a constant supply of nutrients to existing landscape beds. We feel that ity is a great product to give the right nutrition for deeds,seedlings, and transplants. For new and established beds we like to use 3 tablespoons of Osmocote for each 2'x 2' area of garden, and work it into the top 1-3" of soil.When beds settle, add 1/2 teaspoon of osmocote mixed into the soil around the plant. A 3# package of Osmocote sells for around $12.00.