Garden Inspire

Now is a great time to be thinking about your garden and landscape.  If you have received seed catalogs in the mail you may have seen many things you would like to grow this year.

Before ordering plan what you want to plant where.  Even if you make a few changes between now and planting you will be less likely to end up with some plants or seeds that you will just cram in somewhere or that will die before you get them planted.

Keep in mind the conditions of your yard.  Your yard is not the same in every section or every season.

What areas receive the most sun?  or the most shade? and what times of the day so they receive sun or shade?

What areas are the driest?  the wettest?

How will you get water to the various parts of your landscape? 

(Overhead sprinklers are not the best way to water trees, shrubs, and gardens)

Which areas receive the most wind? or the least?

Do the above situations change depending on the season? Before trees leaf out in the spring they will not cast as much shade so early plants such as spring bulbs will receive more sun than plants which emerge later.

There is sometimes confusion between mulch and compost.

 Mulch refers to material that goes on top of the ground.  Mulch can be natural such as bark, gravel, or compost, or manmade such as landscape fabric or recycled tire rubber mulch.  Never use regular plastic except on a temporary basis since water will pool, stink and breed mosquitoes. Mulches such as bark and compost can feed the soil but need to be renewed regularly.  Gravel and landscape fabric can last longer although landscape fabric is usually covered with something such as bark or gravel. Gravel can collect trash and weeds and reflect heat back to the house or yard which may or may not be desirable.

The purposes of mulch can include water retention, soil cooling, soil warming, weed suppression, soil enrichment, and/or frost protection for plant roots or soil.

When using rock or rubber mulches I would recommend using heavy duty landscape fabric underneath.  The cheaper plastic fabrics do not hold up as well and the rubber mulches will be difficult to remove if they get mixed in with your soil.

Landscape fabric does not prevent weeds - it just reduces them.  Soil and weed seeds can accumulate on top allowing weeds to begin growing.  As soon as you see a weed take care of it so you do not end up with a weed patch on top of your landscape fabric.

Compost is decomposed organic matter or manures.  The best types of compost are those made with a variety of materials including manures of herbivores (chickens, sheep, rabbits, etc), leaves, straw, vegetable peelings, and other plant material.   For more information on home composting see my blog entry.

Compost can be used as mulch but is often also mixed with soil or applied to the surface just for the purpose of improving soil. Since compost is organic matter it can improve your soil whether it is sandy, clay, or just lacking in nutrients. Peat moss is sometimes used but has no nutritional value, is usually more expensive, and non renewable so compost is a better choice.  I like to add compost to my gardens, flower beds, lawn, and potted plants. Our soils in Utah are lacking in organic matter so compost is a wonderful thing to add for soil improvement.  Compost is the main component of a Square Foot Garden mix.

Many people have been asking what to do about slugs and snails.  Normally I suggest cutting back on watering since damp ground encourages slugs and snails.   However, there has been more of a problem this year due to all the rain.   Iron phosphate slug baits work very well and are not harmful to people, pets, birds, or wildlife.  Barriers can also reduce slug and snail damage.  Small bits of hair (people or pet hair), crushed eggshells, sharp sand are all unpleasant for them and can protect your plants.  Copper sheeting at least 2" wide can also provide a barrier but usually works best on pots, planters, or raised garden beds.  Tending your garden organically allows the natural predators of slugs and snails to help you out.  Birds (including ducks and chickens),  ground beetles, snakes, lizards, and frogs are some of the natural predators of slugs and snails so help them out by learning how to attract them and only using natural fertilizers and pesticides.

Compost is fantastic for soil improvement - adding organic matter, nutrients, and microorganisms to your soil.

A variety of items can be added to your compost pile including: spoiled vegetables and fruits and vegetable and fruit peelings, plant debris, prunings, straw, leaves, bedding from vegetarian pets, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, cotton fabric, cardboard and paper – not slick – although it may be better to recycle paper in another way.  You can also add manures from rabbits, cows, horses, goats, poultry, or sheep.

Ideal proportions would be 2/3 brown or dry (dried leaves, straw, etc) to 1/3 wet or green (vegetable peelings, spoiled fruit).  If your compost pile is smelly it is because the proportions are wrong, your pile is too wet, or you have added things that should not be in a compost pile.

There are some items that should not be put into a compost pile:  meat, bones, fat, dairy, manures or litter from carnivores including dogs and cats.  Ammonium sulfate is not needed for the composting process and I feel defeats the purpose because of the harm it can cause to microorganisms. 

Compost piles need air and moisture.  Water may need to be added to keep a pile moist or your compost may need to be protected from rain to prevent your pile from becoming too wet.

Turning the pile helps provide air to the pile and will help the composting process to occur faster.  Turned once per week your compost may be ready in a month or so.

To learn more about composting including various methods for outdoor and indoor composting sign up for my free gardening lessons and weekly garden tips.

n addition to this blog I also have an herb gardening blog and an edible landscaping blog:

HerbGrow

EatYourLandscape

Do you know what hardiness zone you are in?  Do you know what hardiness zones mean? Your hardiness zone and the hardiness zone of the plants you want to grow are important information to know before planning and planting.  For more information see another blog of mine Eat Your Landscape - Hardiness Zones.

A list of things to do in the Fall:

Start Compost Pile

Lawn

Fertilize with organic lawn fertilizer– helps root growth over winter

Apply pre emergent – corn gluten meal– prevents weed seeds from germinating

Remove leaves from lawn – mow,mulch, compost

Aerate

Topdress with compost

Seed or overseed lawn

Mow until the first frost

Lower mower height for the last mowingto 1 ½ – 2”

Water until first hard frost

Winterize sprinkler system – shutoff, drain

Drain and store hoses

Garden Beds, Shrubs, Trees

Cut back perennials if brown, remove annuals and weeds – add all except weeds to the compost pile (can be done in Spring if you prefer)

Clean out vegetable garden whenever youare done or around first frost/before first hard frost – pick,sell, preserve, or donate produce

Divide and/or transplant perennials

Plant perennials, shrubs, trees

Plant spring flowering bulbs

Plant fall flowers, vegetables, andannuals – pansies, mums, lettuce, spinach, peas, kale

Wrap bark of young trees – helps to prevent sunscald, cracking,  deer damage

Wrap evergreens with burlap if desired

Water trees, shrubs, perennials until the ground freezes

Trees and shrubs - Prune dead or broken only

After first frost – mulch plants which might frost heave – use straw or leaves

Remove fallen fruit – compost

Prepare Square Foot Garden beds

Overwinter geraniums indoors if youwant to save them for next year - dig up and place in a brown paper bag, replant in the spring or grow inside in a pot all winter

Prepare tender plants to move indoors

Tools

Clean out underneath lawn mower - disconnect spark plug first

Add fuel stablizer to gas cans and gas powered equipment if there is gasoline inside

Check mower blades – need replaced or sharpened?

Check hand tools – need replaced or sharpened?

Wipe hand tools with steel wool or a damp cloth and apply oil or store in sand/motor oil mix

Be sure all batteries are charged

Check extension cords for cuts, frays,etc

House

Cedar shredded bark around foundation - insect prevention

Orange Guard or similar spray around foundation - insect prevention

Hang Christmas lights - before snow fall

Plan garden for next year

Write down successes, failures,varieties you liked, etc

Check online for catalogs – order those you want to receive

Learn from books, classes, pruning demonstrations so you are better prepared next year

First of all it is important to know the difference.  Some sites with photos and other information:

Yellow Jackets

Bald-faced Hornet

Bees

Wasps

Knowing the difference can help you to know which ones are worth worrying about.  They all provide some benefit to your garden.

Yellow jackets provide some benefit by eating insects and pollinating plants.  However they are the most vicious and can sting numerous times.  If you are allergic to their stings or you have so many that they are eating your grilled steak or getting in your soda pop, controlling them would be a good idea.  

The best times of the day to use any controls are in the evenings just before dusk and in the morning just after sunrise.  Yellow jackets go home at night and so you will kill more of them and be less bothered when using sprays, hanging traps, etc.

If you know where the nest is you can use sprays on the nest or on the opening to the nest. If spraying near power lines be sure to use a spray designed for that purpose.

If the nest is in the ground a better solution may be diatomaceaous earth which you can purchase at many garden centers or online. Place the diatomaceous earth on the openings and at least 6 inches around the area where the openings are (there will likely be at least two).   Diatomaceaous earth is made from fossilized sea life and kills insects by cutting through and dehydrating them.  They cannot adapt to it.  It only works when dry so be sure the area where you are using it will not get wet for a few hours.  I have seen it kill yellow jackets when sprays did not.

You can also use yellow jacket traps.  You can research online how to make your own or use Rescue brand which will only trap yellow jackets.  If you aren't catching anything you don't have yellow jackets - you have something else.

There are fake yellow jacket nests available which are said to discourage them.  I have not tried one so I don't know how well they work. 

Spring is a time when many seeds are germinating.  This is a good time to apply a pre-emergent. Pre-emergents prevent seeds from growing - any seeds so don't use in a place where you wil be planting seeds within the next few months. Pre-emergents can reduce weeds in lawns, flower beds, and other parts of your landscape.  Corn gluten meal is a natural pre-emergent.  Left over from corn syrup processing it looks similar to corn meal and doesn't have the precautions of synthetic pre-emergents.   Use Spring and Fall for the best long term control of weeds. 

To reduce existing weeds check Garden Care Tips and Lawn Care Tips. Also, a fantastic hand weeder is the Weed Hound.  Full strength white vinegar can be sprayed on weeds to kill them.  Vinegar works even better if a few drops of clove oil are added.  They can be purchased already in this form so you don't have to mix your own. Weed killers work best when the temperature is above 60 F and should not be used when the temperture is above 90 F.  I would not recommend using any synthetic herbicides.

A new product from Gardens Alive is designed to kill lawn weeds without harming the grass.  I look forward to trying it soon.

Spring is a great time to help control pests on fruit trees and roses.  Some pests such as scale overwinter on woody plants and can be killed before they become more active and spread.  Horticultural oil spray is best used in early spring but if you have not yet used it find one that can be used after your plants have leafed out.   Some can be used anytime before the temperature reaches 85 F.  Spray the entire tree or shrub, coating all the trunk and branches.  Avoid spraying when bees are present because it can kill them also.  Oil spray kills by suffication so it only kills what is present.