May 2010

Men's Garden Club of Wethersfield

May 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEXT MEETING - PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL DATE Monday May 10 - Pitkin Community Center - 7:00 p.m. Hear the preliminary results of the Plant Sale - buy some of the leftovers for your own home garden. If the sale is postponed to 5/15 then the meeting will be held on 5/17.

Today - Donate some perennials from your personal collection to the Plant Sale
Plants should be split and potted ASAP to look good for the sale. Please label all plants. Contact Chairman Tom Gibson (1-860-208-5195) for info or planting pots.

Plant Sale Saturday May 8th (Rain Date May 15th)
7:00 - 8:00 Set Up Deliver homegrowns, unload plants, price plants, set up tables
8:00 - 1:00 Sell Help customers, total up sales, answer questions
1:00 - 2:00 Close Clean up, break down tables, pack up leftover plants
Volunteer! Contribute your own "homegrowns"
Call Tom Gibson @ 1-860-208-5195

Weston Rose Garden
Weekly maintenance has begun - Saturdays 8:00 to 10:00 OR drop in on your own at your convenience any time of the week to dead-head, weed, etc. BYO tools. Your help is needed - this is our club's major community service project. We will mulch the garden in mid June. Questions - Call Anthony Moir (563-5476)

Mark Your Calendars
A special informal meeting of the club will be held on Monday July 26 at the home of Ed Goracy @ 30 Juniper Lane in Glastonbury. More details to follow.

Compostable Matter
by Jim Meehan

Dandelions are an "In Danger" species.

They are not "Endangered", ("a species present in such small numbers that it is at risk of extinction"), but rather "In Danger" (a species present in such large numbers and in so many unwanted places as to constantly be at risk of individual extinction at the hands of all those who are really, really annoyed by them.)

You would think if you were "in danger" you would go out of your way not to draw attention to yourself. You would try to blend in with your surroundings and match the colors and textures within which you like to hang out. You would never, ever be a jagged-edged plant snuggled in the midst of soft blades of grass, or a tall yellow flower looming above a solid green background.

And you definitely wouldn't hide out along the outer edges of your target territory with half of your body nestled in the thick grassy lawn, and the remainder blatantly hanging out over the sidewalk like a black spider on white shower tile - "I'll just crouch down really low. Yup. They can't see me now."

But if you are not endangered, that is to say you've got the numbers, then I guess that you just wouldn't care.

There was a time in my life when I would have mocked and ridiculed the very thought of anyone wandering the perimeter of their property - weeding tool in right hand, plastic bag in left - eyes peeled for the slightest hint of sharp leaf angularity or startling gold coloring - dropping to a combative squat at the first hint of "dent-de-lion" - plunging their snake-tongued blade in quest of the unseen, infinitely deep tap root - bagging the trophy - wearily forcing aching legs to straighten - and moving on in search of the next prey.

Now every day I patrol the border of my land doing exactly that - and I love it.

I think it's my residual hunter-gatherer heritage - a rekindling of the basic primal urges that fueled our prehistoric ancestors' survival.

Some modern weed stalkers use lawn fertilizers or herbicides as their weapon of choice. These hands-off methods sort of satisfy the predator portion of our genetic makeup - but not really. I prefer hand-to-root combat - seeking out and tracking down the dandelions, prying them out, and tossing their pelts into my plastic prey-pouch - hunting AND gathering - paying homage to my roots, and showing respect for my quarry.

And they are worthy of our admiration.

First, you just gotta love their ingenuity and tenacity

"The head of a dandelion is not actually a flower; it is a cluster of flowers ..... between 150 and 200 of them, each bursting with a type of nectar that is irresistible to bees, who swarm from plant to plant, pollinating each one with fanatic loyalty.

"And even if an individual dandelion is missed by the pollinating insects, it is equipped to pollinate itself.....

"The seeds, once they develop, have two parts, the actual seed, which is called an achene, and a fluffy, parachute-like tuft of hairs called a pappus, which catches the wind and can carry the seed as far as 25 miles in a stiff breeze. The achene is covered with little hooks that give it tremendous gripping ability; when the seed lands, it grabs the ground tightly and quickly works its way into the soil." (www.almostgruntled.com)

And secondly, in the right setting, they are aesthetically pleasing. An uncultivated field filled with bright golden dandelions is a thing of beauty - the more the merrier, the bigger the better - weed heads packed wall to wall, heads of jagged leaves larger than the unhealthiest "Fried Onion Blossom". It is a tribute to Nature's ability to decorate itself.

But lawns are not natural. Neither are gardens.

Dead branches are natural. Lifeless bushes are natural. Plant diseases are natural. Dehydrated plants are natural. One shrub crowding out another is natural. Ground covers running amok are natural. Dandelions with wide spreading skirts that prevent anything else from sharing their food and drink are natural.

It is the nature of Nature to achieve abundance by occasionally being unattractive and disorderly. It is the nature of gardeners to seek perfection by tinkering with Nature.

Most horticultural fine-tuning is background work - in many instances the problem and the solution are visible only to the plantsman himself. But some things that need fixing are smack in yo' face - like a single taunting dandelion on an otherwise green lawn. To be just one weed away from flawless is enough to turn even the most laid-back, Type-B gatherer into a ranting and raving, Type-A+ hunter.

Bring it on dan-de-lion! Booyah!!!

Succulents: Ideal Plants for Summer
By Jeanne Huber (www.thisoldhouse.com)

With plants, as with people, there are savers and there are spenders. Where _water is the currency, succulents are the thriftiest of their kind, their fleshy leaves hoarding water for times of drought. This built-in resiliency makes them a _perfect choice for problem places in the yard: patio containers set in blazing sun, windy spots that make roses wither, rocky slopes where grass won't grow. _Gardeners in the arid West have been using succulents in water-thrifty xeriscapes for years. Now more nurseries across the country are carrying these intriguing plants, some of which grow well even in damp or cold climates.

John Spain, a Connecticut-based gardening expert who pioneered ways of growing succulents outdoors in the frozen north, discovered their advantages years ago, when he often traveled for business. "The only plants that survived without any care in my makeshift greenhouse were the succulents and cacti," he says. "I would leave for a month, and they'd be fine." That sent him searching for more cold-hardy succulents. He found enough to fill a 20-foot-long berm with a carpetlike tapestry of leaves in green, chartreuse, rose, purple, and even nearly black. Today he also tucks succulents among alpine plants in his 2,000-square-foot rock garden.

A Size And Shape For Every Situation: At least 60 plant families have some succulent species. The adaptations that these plants have made to hold on to moisture make them especially interesting garden specimens. Ground-hugging rosettes pack water into thick, pointed leaves that hybridizers have edged with ribbons of color or rose-petal-like frills. Some species have a swollen stem known as a caudex that serves as a water storage tank. Others resemble cacti, complete with ridged stems and spiky thorns.

Among the most familiar succulents are sedums, including that perennial _favorite Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy,' which grows 18 to 24 inches tall and bears dramatic rosy-red flower heads in late summer. Another sedum, two-row stonecrop (Sedum spurium) is a low-maintenance groundcover with fine _foliage and white, pink, or purple flowers in summer. Low-growing Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' has yellow blooms.

Another groundcover, ice plant (Delosperma spp.) has tiny, fingerlike fleshy leaves and blooms in full sun with masses of daisylike flowers all summer. Delosperma nubigenum is a noninvasive type that bears yellow blooms.

Hens and chicks-the common name for the similar-looking but unrelated Echeveria x imbricata and the more cold-hardy Sempervivum tectorum-is a longtime favorite for contain__ers, rock gardens, and growing in the crevices of stone walls. Sempervivum's ground-hugging rosettes can be green, red, chartreuse, or purple to silvery blue in color. Echeverias come in rose, green, gray, and mauve, often with a contrasting edge color or a stripe. Both multiply without much effort, sending out shoots with their progeny attached; these may root on their own if they are in contact with soil. Otherwise, they can easily be detached and rooted.

Desert-loving yuccas, agaves, and aloes, with their swordlike and strappy leaves with sharp tips, add a sculptural element to any garden. Though these large-scale specimen plants have long been associated with the dry Southwest, there are hardy varieties that withstand below-freezing temperatures.

That indoor classic, the treelike jade plant (Crassula ovata), is another favorite for outdoor containers-though it is not hardy in cold climates. In the same family, baby necklace (Crassula rupestris x perforata) looks like a string of beads or buttons.

The lesser-known, multistemmed Aeoniums bear striking rosettes, sometimes variegated, in shades of green, red, and blackish purple, at the ends of their branches. Equally good as container and garden specimens, these generally grow 18 inches to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. They don't tolerate freezing temperatures, however, so they need to winter indoors in cold climates.

Planting and Care: Although succulents generally require minimal care, most have one need that is absolute: good drainage. Many have shallow roots that spread out so they can take advantage of even brief rainstorms. But the roots succumb to disease if they stay damp.
The right soil depends on rainfall where you live. In desert areas, some succulents grow even in clay. In wetter climates, though, mix sand and airy lava rock into the planting area. Dig holes only as big as the nursery containers or even a little less deep, so that the plant crowns don't settle below the surface. Mulch with pea gravel to keep surface moisture to a minimum. For containers, mix two-thirds gravel or lava rock and one-third loam if you live where there is a lot of rain. In a dry climate, reverse the proportions.

Most important, don't overwater. Though container plantings need more water than those settled into the ground, probe the soil to be sure it is thoroughly dried out before watering. And always empty any standing water from saucers. In garden areas, feel the soil 3 to 4 inches below the surface to make sure it's thoroughly dry before giving plants a good dousing.

Occasional rainfall may mean you'll only need to water succulent plantings now and then, even during the sultriest weeks of the year. That's when you may really appreciate the savings bonus these plants offer-not just the lower water bill, but the extra hours freed up from coddling your summer garden.

Book Review: The Truth About Organic Gardening
(www.gardenrant.com)

In his straightforward introduction, Jeff Gillman outlines a personal history with pesticide use that he probably shares with most of us: chemicals were an accepted element of his family's horticultural practice. He then makes a distinction that will be important to anyone reading this book. Growers may be producing food for market while gardeners tend to be working a small plot of land primarily for their own personal use. In much of the book, Gillman aims his discourse first at those who grow food, and it's something to keep in mind.

Here's something else to keep in mind. Just as Gillman boils his discussion of each type of pesticide, herbicide, disease control, and fertilizer down into 3 conclusive summaries-benefits, drawbacks, and the bottom line-much of his advice could be summed up in a similar fashion: use common sense, read the labels, and follow the directions. And don't assume. Unfortunately, we can't depend on people doing all of that, so this book is needed.

The Truth About Organic Gardening does not sensationally debunk organic gardening principles; instead, it continues the discussion of the various chemical strategies (organic or otherwise) we use in our gardens that Gillman started in his excellent The Truth About Garden Remedies. As with the earlier book, chapters are organized by type of problem (pests, poor soil, weeds, disease, etc.) and each type of chemical is discussed-its benefits, its weaknesses, its dangers.

Any surprises here? Well, yes. I would have expected Gillman to come down hard on pesticide use, organic or otherwise, but I was a bit taken aback by his "respectful disagreement" with those who consider glyphosphate (Round-Up) a dangerous chemical. (He doesn't feel that the studies about its dangers are convincing, though he notes them.) I did enjoy this statement in the same chapter:

"The beauty of hand weeding is to thoroughly annihilate, in a very personal way, those evil plants that thought they could park themselves right next to my carrots."

I also liked this one in another: "One of my favorite ways to deal with pests is by ignoring them."

You'd have to be a professional horticulturalist yourself not to learn something from Gillman's wide-ranging descriptions of the more arcane chemical and mechanical garden methodologies that are out there. Like Reemay, a clear polyester covering to kill (edit) bugs, or minute pirate bugs, a beneficial insect you can buy that will voraciously consume thrips, mites, and aphids. I'd also never considered flaming my weeds, and I can hardly wait for good weather, so I can take my new propane torch (purchased for crème brulée) out there and light up some of those babies.

Just for fun. I must confess that's what I got from this book, for the most part: fun. I'm not a grower; I have a small urban courtyard and I just don't have enough land or plants for any garden problem to be a huge worry-i.e., where I'd be considering hurling an arsenal of chemicals at it. Like Gillman, I think it's fine to use synthetic fertilizer for containers, but that's become the extent of what I buy, these days. However, for those of you who tend larger domestic landscapes or are growing a good quantity of food crops, this book is useful. It discusses most of the strategies that exist, including many I'd never heard of, and debunks the overreactions on both sides of the equation, explaining that chemicals exist on both sides of the aisle-organic and synthetic-and it's important to know their properties and effects, either way. It's also fascinating to learn exactly how the nitrogen and phosphorous in synthetic fertilizers are produced.

If I had to distill Gillman's thoughts on this issue, I'd say that he, like many of us here, believes that a healthy plant in a healthy soil (well amended with compost) will withstand just about any threat. But I'd add that he's a scientist, fascinated by how chemicals work for good or ill in the garden, and in his book he shares his knowledge and experience in a way that entertains, enlightens, and sometimes surprises.

Horti-Culture Corner

There was a young lady of Leeds
Who swallowed six packets of seeds
In a month, silly lass
She was covered in grass
And she couldn't sit down for the weeds!

The truth about Organic Fertilizers
By Susan Harris
(www.organicgardener.com)

There's lots of confusion nowadays about "chemical" versus "organic" fertilizers but really, they're all chemicals, so the correct distinction is between organic and synthetic. Organic fertilizers break down slowly, so they last longer in the soil than synthetics and their effect isn't an instant "greening up" effect. They also require much larger quantities than synthetics to yield the same amount of each nutrient, and they're more expensive. It's those quick and cheap qualities of synthetic fertilizers - plus large advertising budgets on their behalf - that account for their popularity. That popularity will diminish if current trends towards organics continue, as expected.

Professor Jeff Gillman wrote The Truth about Organic Gardening to help steer environmentally concerned gardeners through the minefield of misinformation about organics. He warns readers that some organic fertilizers - like rock phosphate - are mined from nonrenewable sources and do considerable damage to the land. (The same harmful effects result from the mining of potassium used in synthetic fertilizers.) Nonmined organic fertilizers include compost, bonemeal, blood meal, seaweed extracts, alfalfa meal, and fish emulsions.

A common criticism of the excessive use of fertilizers is that they leach into groundwater, but the notion that only synthetic fertilizers do this is wrong, says Gillman. If organic fertilizers are overapplied, they're just as likely to pollute our waters as synthetic ones.

But probably the biggest misconception about fertilizers as a group is that they're even necessary! Usually it's far better to just feed the soil so it'll support healthy plants, and not just by providing the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in most packaged fertilizers. Healthy soils also need organic matter, plus beneficial bacteria and fungi, and the best source of all of that is compost. For growing food, Gillman recommends mixing a half-inch of aged composted manure into the soils

I asked Gillman about growing shrubs, trees, and perennials and his good-news answer was that they don't even need compost! He simply gives his a yearly 2-inch layer of a good organic mulch, which has been my own practice for 30 years, with good results. (I use leafmold, which is chopped and aged leaves, supplied free of charge by my local public works department.)
One small exception is that to maximize blooms on roses, many growers recommend applying an organic rose fertilizer like Rosetone in mid-April and again in mid-May, and Gillman himself applies alfalfa meal to his roses. The other exception among ornamental plants is container plants. They're watered SO frequently, their nutrients leach right out the drain hole, and most are planted in sterile "soil-less media" anyway. For pots, Gillman recommends fertilizers based on fish seaweed.

But what about the primary recipient of overfertilizer in the garden - our lawns? Turfgrasses DO need nitrogen, so a yearly application of any prepared organic fertilizer or a half-inch of screened compost is recommended. Even better, though, is corn gluten. Applied at the right time (when the forsythia are blooming) corn gluten will prevent weeds in addition to providing all the nitrogen the lawn needs. What a deal!

Garden Q. & A.: Poppies and Dill
By Leslie Land (NY Times)

Q. Years ago, I saw a magnificent stand of plume poppies in Maine and have wanted some ever since. Now that I finally have a place to plant them (in New Hampshire) I have two questions: Are they really invasive? Are they really poppies?

A. The plume poppy, Macleaya cordata, is really a member of the poppy family (Papaveraceae). It is not one of the poppies (Papaver species).

Compared to the usual, plume poppies are huge, anywhere from 6 to 8 feet tall. Instead of round poppy blossoms, they have long sprays of tiny flowers.

And unlike garden poppies they have beautiful broad leaves, olive green on top and silvery underneath.

To reach magnificence, plume poppies need fertile, well-drained soil and consistent moisture. Full sun is best, though they will grow in light shade.

In the south, where they can ripen seed, they can be invasive. Up north they are simply aggressive.

The rhizomes creep outward persistently, sending up new shoots as they go. But they prefer to stay in the garden, and they are easy to rip out. So as long as you are willing to weed, you should have no problems.

If you know someone who grows plume poppies, plants can be yours; those ripped-up bits come with roots. Nursery suppliers include Big Dipper Farm, (360) 886-8133 or bigdipperfarm.com, and Perennial Pleasures Nursery, (802) 472-5104 or perennialpleasures.net.

Q. The dill that has self-sown in my garden for years has always tasted fine, but I wonder if I'm missing something. Is there any reason to buy varieties like Dukat and Fernleaf?

A. The reasons for Dukat are homemade gravlax, potato salad for 20 and other recipes that call for large amounts of green dill. Dukat makes a lot of fronds. The reason for Fernleaf is restricted space. Fernleaf is bushy and short.

Dill that seeds itself usually grows tall and thin and starts flowering early. There is nothing wrong with it; in fact it often has the best flavor. But even large dill plants do not need much room, so why not have an assortment? Sources include Territorial Seed Company, (800) 626-0866 or territorialseed.com, and Harris Seeds, (800) 544 7938 or harrisseeds.com.

We All Play a Part in the Dandelion's History (www.naturewatch.com)

Ask your relatives if they have any experiences with the Dandelion. Remember that it originally came from Asia where it played an important role in both food and medicine. Arabian physicians, even before the year 1000, used this plant as a medicine. The Dandelion has not established itself in the wild in the Southern Hemisphere. Dandelions made their recorded appearances in Canada with the French in the 1700's where it was used in salads and as a health remedy.

This plant also appeared in New Mexico, USA when Spanish people brought it over for a medicine and food source, they called it chicoria. Germans brought the plant to Pennsylvania in the 1850's and used it as an early spring infusion of nutrition and vitamins. The English also brought the plants over to cure liver problems and other illnesses. Native Americans soon started to see benefits from the plants and started to grow them for the same uses as others. The plant is grown in India and is used mainly for a remedy for liver problems. Most recently the dandelion root is being grown and exported to Russia for use in medical remedies.

Interesting Facts

The word Dandelion comes from the French name for the plant dents de lion. This means teeth of the lion and refers to the jagged edges of the leaf of the plant.

The other French name for this plant is pis-en-lit, in English this means wet the bed. Dandelions deserve this name because their greens, when eaten, remove water from the body. So eating the greens could cause someone to well... you can guess the rest. Not recommend for a bedtime snack.

The dandelion first came from Asia but it now calls the entire planet home!

Each year fifty-five tones of coffee substitutes made from roasted Dandelion roots are sold in England, Australia and Canada.

The Dandelion provides an important food source to bees. The pollen from this plant helps bees out in the spring because it flowers early and the flowers continue through to the fall providing constant food. In fact no less then 93 different kinds of insects use Dandelion pollen as food.

The Dandelion seeds are important food to many small birds.

Horti-Culture Corner Bonus By Emily Dickinson

The Dandelion's pallid tube
Astonishes the Grass,
And Winter instantly becomes
An infinite Alas -

The tube uplifts a signal Bud
And then a shouting Flower, --
The Proclamation of the Suns
That sepulture is o'er.